Revised TfL guidance on face masks

[Nicks]

Just seen this message from a contractor that has staff working on TfL, luckily guidance can be ignored:

"You may have seen that TfL guidance in relation to face coverings has changed, and over the last week or so you may have seen new messaging across the network: Wear a face covering if it helps you travel with confidence. TfL are now encouraging staff and customers to take appropriate action to keep themselves safe – including using hand sanitiser and wearing a face covering if this helps them to travel and work with confidence

At (contractor) we are not changing our guidance, we still strongly recommend that (you) wear a face covering when on the TfL network, or any other transport network or busy enclosed space. The primary reason for diverging from TfL guidance is that cases are increasing, and we want / need to encourage you to work as safely as possible. We will keep our guidance under review over the coming weeks and months."

 

[yorkie]

What a load of nonsense. It does not give me confidence seeing people virtue signal their distrust of vaccines by wearing flimsy loose fitting masks.

TfL seem to have some very odd people at the very top; I wonder what's wrong with them.

 

[kingston_toon]

To be fair, in this instance, it is the TfL guidance that is being relaxed to encourage only those who wish extra protection to take whatever measures they feel appropriate, letting the rest of us get on with it without being strongly recommended to do anything. However, this particular contractor has decided to stick with TfL's previous position (and this can of course still be ignored).

 

[DelayRepay]

To be fair, in this instance, it is the TfL guidance that is being relaxed to encourage only those who wish extra protection to take whatever measures they feel appropriate, letting the rest of us get on with it without being strongly recommended to do anything. However, this particular contractor has decided to stick with TfL's previous position (and this can of course still be ignored).

But why do we need 'guidance' from a transport operator at all? I don't think it's their place to issue such guidance - they are not a Public Health authority.

And this far in, nobody's actions will be influenced by this guidance. People will have decided whether to wear a mask or not - the majority have decided not to, a minority have decided they still want to. I am not sure anyone's going to change their mind because of a poster or announcement.

 

[yorkie]

But why do we need 'guidance' from a transport operator at all? I don't think it's their place to issue such guidance - they are not a Public Health authority.

I think TfL were guided by Sadiq Khan for political posturing purposes. They probably also have some hard left people high up in the organisation, as it's the hard left who are driving this (not "the left" as some people on the right erroneously say; people who are centre left are not driving any of this at all!)

TfL aren't exactly the brightest sparks as reported in the thread about Crossrail ticketing; I don't have any confidence in their abilities to see the bigger picture and I beleive there is incompetence at the very top of the organisation.

And this far in, nobody's actions will be influenced by this guidance. People will have decided whether to wear a mask or not - the majority have decided not to, a minority have decided they still want to. I am not sure anyone's going to change their mind because of a poster or announcement.

Some organisations love to nanny us and TfL are one of the worst offenders for this.

 

[bramling]

What a load of nonsense. It does not give me confidence seeing people virtue signal their distrust of vaccines by wearing flimsy loose fitting masks.

TfL seem to have some very odd people at the very top; I wonder what's wrong with them.

To be fair, there isn’t a massive amount of evidence of Covid on TFL nowadays. Most signage has disappeared (though I did see a “masks are recommended” poster yesterday, albeit not displayed prominently, and heard a “we use a hospital grade cleaning substance” announcement).

One way or other, mask use on TFL is minimal. You see the occasional person wearing one, but no more than that. The place where I see most masks being worn remains my town centre, the Home Counties just can’t quite seem to shake this all off.

 

[kingston_toon]

But why do we need 'guidance' from a transport operator at all? I don't think it's their place to issue such guidance - they are not a Public Health authority.

And this far in, nobody's actions will be influenced by this guidance. People will have decided whether to wear a mask or not - the majority have decided not to, a minority have decided they still want to. I am not sure anyone's going to change their mind because of a poster or announcement.

I agree! I'm just surprised TfL have actually made this leap and stopped "strongly recommending" masks.

 

[Enthusiast]

Most signage has disappeared (though I did see a “masks are recommended” poster yesterday, albeit not displayed prominently, and heard a “we use a hospital grade cleaning substance” announcement).

Many (if not most) London buses still display "Masks must be worn on public transport" by the door. Most of them look a bit dog-eared, but they're still there.

 

[VauxhallandI]

To be fair, there isn’t a massive amount of evidence of Covid on TFL nowadays. Most signage has disappeared (though I did see a “masks are recommended” poster yesterday, albeit not displayed prominently, and heard a “we use a hospital grade cleaning substance” announcement).

One way or other, mask use on TFL is minimal. You see the occasional person wearing one, but no more than that. The place where I see most masks being worn remains my town centre, the Home Counties just can’t quite seem to shake this all off.

It’s all over London Overground including the very annoying announcements which I have to listen to about 20 times over a return journey.

Drives me insane yet on the tube it’s ok

 

[bramling]

It’s all over London Overground including the very annoying announcements which I have to listen to about 20 times over a return journey.

Drives me insane yet on the tube it’s ok

Depressing to hear, perhaps fortunately I don’t use Overground much!

 

[Hadders]

To be fair, there isn’t a massive amount of evidence of Covid on TFL nowadays.

Vauxhall Underground station still has a poster displayed at the entrance saying that at busy times entry to the station would be restricted to maintain social distancing.

 

[Class 33]

Vauxhall Underground station still has a poster displayed at the entrance saying that at busy times entry to the station would be restricted to maintain social distancing.

Are they actually still restricting entry to the station to maintain social distancing? Or is this just a poster they've not taken down yet?

Social distancing should very much be a thing of the past now, consigned to the history books for good. It was near enough a year ago that the government FINALLY scrapped this nonsense. So we shouldn't be seeing any notices atall about social distancing/keep your distance/keep a safe distance, let alone any venues that still actually enforce social distancing measures!!!!

 

[davews]

Yes, had to endure the mask announcement on Overground yesterday, full works message even the 'some exceptions may not be visible'. Elsewhere though nothing.

 

[Hadders]

Are they actually still restricting entry to the station to maintain social distancing? Or is this just a poster they've not taken down yet?

They're not restricting access and tbf the poster does look a bit dog eared but I'm surprised no-one's noticed it and taken it down as it is in a prominent position.

 

[Tester]

Yes, had to endure the mask announcement on Overground yesterday, full works message even the 'some exceptions may not be visible'. Elsewhere though nothing.

It must be train dependent. I have been on six Overground trains in the last two weeks and not heard a single mask announcement on any!

Hopefully they are working through them all.

 

[bramling]

They're not restricting access and tbf the poster does look a bit dog eared but I'm surprised no-one's noticed it and taken it down as it is in a prominent position.

I get the feeling with signage some people are apprehensive to remove stuff in case doing so offends someone. Not sure about wider TFL, but certainly on LU there was an official instruction a couple of months back that all signage was to be removed, including in office locations.

 

[davews]

This was on the Liverpool to Cheshunt/Enfield Town line.

 

[Mojo]

Are they actually still restricting entry to the station to maintain social distancing? Or is this just a poster they've not taken down yet?

Access to stations was *never* restricted (except at busy times to prevent a dangerous number of people being on platforms like it always has been).

 

[Enthusiast]

Out and about on the Kent/SE London border yesterday. First a bust stop on route 51. Then on board a class 700 Thameslink service from Orpington to Luton.

 

[STINT47]

I expect some of the signs will remain in place for years to come. In future years I will go round hunting for them the same way I look for Network South East logos today.

 

[MikeWM]

Saw a few of the 'if it helps you travel with confidence' signs around today. They do seem rather pointless - can't people work this sort of thing out for themselves? But at least they've finally dropped the 'protecting others' nonsense.

I do wonder, given how strapped for cash TfL are, how much it has cost them to print and replace all these signs three times in the last six months (!) - from red ('must, fines apply') to blue ('must, condition of carriage') to white ('strongly recommended') and now yellow ('help your confidence').

 

[zero]

I have no problem with the small number of people who feel they need to protect themselves by wearing an FFP2 or better mask (some of these people may be misguided/irrational about this, but others may have a good reason - for example when the US still required a negative test to fly there, people with upcoming travel would not want to get infected at that time, even if the disease was likely to be mild for them).

I also see a small number of people still wearing surgical or cloth masks on TfL. But I have noticed that a large proportion of these mask-wearers wear them *badly*, with their nose exposed, or even worse under their chin. I find this completely incomprehensible.

After 2 years of pandemic everyone must know that for there to be any benefit of a mask at all, it needs to form a tight seal with your face. Even if people mistakenly believe that surgical or cloth masks are effective protection, by wearing them badly they are obviously not actually trying to protect themselves. If their intention is virtue signalling, they are not signalling any virtue by wearing their masks badly either.

The only other reason to wear a mask badly is if you thought it was a legal requirement, but surely nobody can still believe that is still the case in the UK (visitors would realise relatively soon after arriving into the country).