onewheeldave

I'm autistic, many things in society harm us- we have a suicide rate 9x higher than the national average. I go out and I deal with things. For me, at the moment, the mask situation is far from the main harm I'm having to deal with. I'm in a better position than many other autistic people, and many other vulnerable people- I know of several clients who basically aren't going out, due to masking. Well I've explained at length as to hw they can, and are, harming. You choose to disbelieve/disregard what I say- your choice. Nevertheless, repeatedly posting that they can't harm, is not going to stop me knowing they can, and do; or, communicating that to interested others. So, can you accept it is possible that 10% of people wearing masks don't actually want to wear them?

I'm not anti-mask. It would be more accurate to say I am anti-compulsory masking. And that I question the current prevailing mask narratives regarding efficacy OK- how do you know it is a minority? What do you mean by minority? [as a percentage of the whole- is 10% of people not wanting to mask a minority?] If "The truth is that adherence to the mask wearing rules is astonishingly high" why the need for fines? Without fines do you think adherence might get a bit low?

I'm not scared of people wearing masks!!! You seem to have a real problem hearing what someone is actually saying.

So why the need for £100 fines? Why all the complaints on here about people not wearing masks? I've personally spoken to lots of people who wear masks but don't want to.

Yes- what is your point????

I suspect part of it is that a lot of people who are wearing masks do not believe they work [as seen from several posts on this thread] and are wearing them soley because they are being forced to. They know full well that they shouldn't be stuffing them in pockets and that they should be using new ones, but, they don't care, they'll just do the minimum necessary to get in a shop without hassle or rising a fine. Amongst the pro maskers here there seems to be a naive assumption that anyone wearing a mask actually believes they work- that's not true, for some, they are being forced to do something they would not, left to their own choice, do.

You'd need to compare like with like. How would you cope if 90+% of the people you encounter from now on were wearing a burka/motorcycle helmet? How would you feel living in a society where it had been decreed by the government that anyone not wearing a motorcycle helmet/burka would be fined? I'm guessing you'd quickly get used to it, just as you have with masking, be happy to go along with the governments justification for why everyone now has to wear a motorcycle helmet/burka, but a little thought should tell you that for those who don't go along with the governments reasons, or, those who are vulnerable in certain way, will find a world where everyone has to wear a motorcycle helmet/burka to be quite threatening.

You've misunderstood, I'm not talking about PPD, but about those who find masking distressing. I won't be going along with your incorrect and offensive implication that anyone distressed by masking is mentally ill.

You've no evidence that it is 'only a few'.

You are wrong. But, as I said, even if we assumed you be right, it still scuppers the 'wearing a mask soley to ressure others' approach as the stress and ensuing harm to mental health is just as real, isn't it?

Well it's not as I can back it up with reason. But, just supposing it was "irrational and caused by paranoia", it still scuppers the 'wearing a mask soley to ressure others' approach as the stress and ensuing harm to mental health is just as real No. It's just that the subset of people I'm looking out for is a different subset to the ones you are looking out for. i know- I've directed several autistic and/or vulnerable people to that route- I assumed Anna would not be comfortable not masking unless assured she was exempt by a doctor. Interesting. What do you think my problems are? Why do you think you understand them better than I think you do?

But you can't extrapolate from your mum being reassured to everyone, or even, the majority, being ressured. Seeing masked people does not ressure me, it harms me- I am far from the only one. And people wearing maks affects the mental health of others [adversely]

You don't know the opposite- you've just made it up.

It would if I saw hundreds of them a day and they were being forced to wear them. Yes you are- and making out that you have a better understanding of my mental health than I do is supremely arrogant.

I find it sad that a large number who are wearing masks do not believe they work, and are doing so either becasue they are forced to, or because they well meaningly but wrongly assume that it 'reassures others'.

You are not protecting my health, you are harming it.

I'm not encouraging her not to wear one, simply suggesting she establish if she is medically exempt. Personally, I would like to see a lot less people with masks on- it upsets a lot of us, and that itself causes harm. I'm glad that some on this thread recognise how disturbing masks are to some of us. Interesting to note that Anna and Redruby don't think the masks they wear do much in terms of stopping the virus spread, and, wear them mainly to reassure others- this is actually quite common. Let me inform everyone who wears masks mainly to reassure others, as Anna has already mentioned, there are many of us out there who, far from finding it reasurring, actually find the sight of masked public to be highly disturbing- maybe there could be more consideration of those people? I'd suggest you wear a mask if you believe they work, and be wary of wearing them to 'reassure others', as those others may well wish you were doing the exact opposite. Of course, another big reason people are wearing masks, despite not believing they work, is because they are forced to. I wonder if, amongst mask wearers, the numbers wearing them purely because of being forced to/to 'reasure others' might outnumber those wearing them because they think they work?

Tell your doctor- there may well be a medical reason, in which case you could be exempt.

only if they are used correctly. Used incorrectly, they not only become useless, but can harm the user.

And many do..... Or, as many do, stuff it in their pocket... I don't know, neither do you. How many visit multiple shops per day? [I certainly do]

No one is saying otherwise- simply pointing out that many of the public wearing masks are not following that information, and incorrect use of masks can be harmful to health.

Just as you cannot prove they are being used correctly. In the meantime you could do what I have- look around at the people with masks below the nose, those repeatedly taking them on and off when going between shops, stuffing them in their pockets in the meantime....

We've heard it a thousand times. How about addressing the point raised a few posts back, that masks are not being used in a safe manner, and my suggestion that it may be virtually impossible to use masks in a safe manner?

There are also many medical professionals who wear masks only because they are forced to, and, they have to stay quiet as, putting forward their reasons why compulsory masking is counter productive, puts their job at risk. It is. Well put.

Is it at all practical for the public to use masks safely? Taking them off and putting them on repeatedly as they enter/leave multiple shops means they have to touch the masks. The masks need to be stored [in a pocket?] If they change to a new disposable mask each time, how many masks/day will they need? That is expense and, there are reports on the environmental issues arising from all the plastic in all the abandoned masks. I Agree.