I've heard this a couple of times, it's a bit trite, a little anti-science, but worth some analysis. Suppose your analogy holds: which of mask-wearing and non-wearing is the parachute and which is the empty backpack? I ride the London underground regularly, masks are mandatory and 90-95% of people wear one. I'd say 20% of people let it drift down from their nose while they play on their phones, more than that are constantly adjusting it, touching their face with the hands that are also touching the seats and the hand-rails. Is this more or less dangerous than not wearing one at all? Are we really saying that this question is outside the realm of science?
It doesn't matter what your understanding of the science is. By passing other people without having a mask you pull up, you're imposing your estimates of safety on others, who may wish to avoid having to pass people who aren't wearing masks, even outdoors.
That's extremely obnoxious behavior, even though you're likely right on the low risks of transmission in sparse outdoor settings.
I wear a mask when I'm out and about even if there's no one close. I can't know whether I will pass someone soon and donning a mask takes time. Often it's been useless, as I've not come too close to anyone.
Wearing a mask in completely about politics in the USA. Most if not all social media posts about people wearing masks have people wearing completely useless fashion items on their faces. I'm sure it is mostly because they don't know better and partly to virtue signal.
In any case there hasn't been any studies related to efficacy of wearing a mask in public to reduce the risk of infection, so not wearing a mask is not as crazy as some people make it out to be.
This all said if I would use public transport I would be wearing a mask (just not a cloth mask or a surgical mask) or if I visited other places which were packed with people, but best solution is to just not go to places which have a lot of people in them.
From a strictly rational perspective, wearing a mask in public transit is always the correct decision, you are statistically less likely to contract airbourne diseases with a mask on. You're free to attach emotional significance to the act of wearing a mask, but maybe it has the desired effect - I personally would rather not interact socially with anyone on public transit, so maybe we are both the better for it.
It doesn't have to be that dichotomous though. I don't wear a mask at work (which is well ventilated and people are pretty responsible about staying home when sick) but I do in higher risk situations (E.g. a plane flight)
You inadvertently touch your face way more often when wearing a mask, that much is pretty obvious. You also are more likely to be more confident about your safety and behave in a slightly more risky way. Kind of like how cars drive closer to bikers with helmets than bikers without them.
I don’t think this is true at all. I often wear a mask when it’s not entirely necessary, just to be on the safe side in case something happens or I encounter someone unexpectedly.
Sure, I’ll almost always be fine in these circumstances, but the “cost” of wearing a mask is really nothing compared to the protection afforded me in the event of the unforeseen.
Well what I didn't mention is that I had a childhood illness that caused me to almost suffocate several times. Because of this I'm extremely sensitive to anything interfering with my respiration and especially high humidity (because the treatment involved breathing steam).
For me it feels awful to wear a mask and gives me constant anxiety, especially after an hour or so. Once the situation is more stable I want to move to a place that doesn't mandate them but it is a big worry and uncertainty and that makes me depressed.
Anyway it's kind of personal that's why I didn't mention this. I wear the mask where needed but I'm afraid they will become the norm because that would really hurt me. I feel left out of society. But I think other people do too, just with different specifics.
I also said I cared less. It's not that I don't care at all. It just shifted things down a bit on the scale of importance if you know what I mean. Before I would wear a seatbelt even when parking the car around the block, now I wouldn't bother. For a longer trip I still would.
I see no reason to think those people believe it's necessary to wear them in an empty street, they are just wearing them because it's easy to put on and the are heading somewhere it's crowded.
I wouldnt necessarily wear a mask in an empty street but it doesn't bother me in the slightest just like wearing shirts and pants don't. So many of them are likely just putting it on like all other articles of clothes when going out.
Maybe you feel they are uncomfortable things to wear if you don't have to, but for many people they simply aren't.
Yeah, but taking off my mask still makes my eyes sting, and I certainly wouldn't want to panic 80 feet down. So... despite having done it a number of times, it's heartening to hear that I might be able to get past the sting. If I could just take off my mask at will and not worry about it, that'd be one less thing to worry about.
You're still touching things, then touching your face. You're still breathing the same air as everyone. You're still moving through clouds of expelled vapor from everyone who has walked in front of you recently. There is no hermetic seal around your nose and mouth if you wear a mask. Your eyes are exposed to the air. And if you wear the same mask more than once, you are trapping all sorts of bacteria and other nasties in a soup of sweat, oils, and grime on your face. Masks are mostly theater in everything but controlled environments.
Wearing a mask reduces the risk of infecting others. Standing futher away also reduces the risk. Together you achieve an even greater reduction. No one measure is going to be the silver bullet.
Physical distance is also about more than just not breathing in other's air. It also makes it easier to avoid touching the same surfaces too much. Have a look the number of hands on the centre poll on a London underground train during rush hour.
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