If someone declares that they’re exempt, they *are* exempt, as a matter of law (some of the categories of exemption/reasonable excuse are largely subjective). The government guidelines also specifically state that “proof” of exemption shouldn’t generally be asked for.
So why can’t transport companies (and their staff) just accept that?
The other way to look at it is that the staff are scared. At least one conductor and a couple of drivers at my depot are in a pretty poor state with COVID. This brings it closer to home.
We've been told repeatedly that indoor exposure increases risk and face coverings all round may reduce risk.
Not everyone trawls the Internet looking for evidence that Government measures are appropriate and then decries them as pointless, I would say the majority of people will take them on their word that this might help keep them safe during their period of self deemed greater risk.
This then causes greater irritation and lack of tolerance when for example you board a Saturday evening train and 75 percent of passengers are paying no attention to any social distancing whatsoever let alone face coverings, not to mention leaving you a massive puddle of sick on a table.
This concerns you even more and, wanting to feel protected, the lackadaisical approach to exemptions frustrates you and you end up with boiling over from the other side of the table.
The majority of my colleagues who guard trains are strongly in favour of any measure, no matter how tenuous, that might make them slightly safer in their work and thus the open ended exemptions for anyone who feels like that way inclined are what annoys them as rightly or wrongly they feel as if they're taking liberties with their own safety.
You might not agree but if you can't understand why people who are stuck in a bus or train all day long with people they have no control over might feel this way then that is a bit odd, regardless of your own views.
I do sometimes feel this thread should be renamed the 'Face Covering Exemption Thread' as most of the posts are decrying the fact that a seeming chunk of the population doesn't see the exemptions as sacred.
In the mean time, I keep grafting away *shrug*