# Are you wearing a mask if you go out in public? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [April 23, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448 "2020-04-23T16:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/283 "2021-08-06T15:07:32Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I don’t find them particularly uncomfortable. I believe you. I assume the comfortable mask wearers also understand that their experience is not universal and us mask-dislikers (not mask resisters) are not just being babies about it. I’m probably overstating my aversion in this thread. I can handle wearing masks when necessary. I certainly approve of mask private and government mandates. I’m just not going to wear one if it’s optional and I don’t feel in danger. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/284 "2021-08-06T16:03:16Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > us mask-dislikers (not mask resisters) are not just being babies about it. Of course. But I do wonder if you might find some other mask more comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/285 "2021-08-06T16:07:43Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > But I do wonder if you might find some other mask more comfortable. I think that’s probably true. My wife bought me an assortment of different types. Some are better than others, but none are what I would call “comfortable.” Maybe it’s me. I will acknowledge that if I had to wear one 8 hours per day, I’d try harder to figure it out and probably get used to it. Wearing one 10 minutes at a time doesn’t motivate me to improve my situation. And, until last week, I thought we were approaching the end of the “mask era.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/286 "2021-08-06T16:13:56Z")
At the other extreme, we were out shoveling the driveway last January, and I noticed my daughter (who lives with us) was wearing a facemask. I said, “you don’t need to wear a facemask here, outdoors, on our own driveway” and she replied, “I know, but I find it comfortable”. I think she liked that it kept her face warm on a cold day. Similarly, my next door neighbor and I both donned face masks to mow the lawn in the spring, when the oaks were in full pollen. I do find them a lot less comfortable on warm muggy days. Maybe that’s why they are more unpopular in the southern US states. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/287 "2021-08-06T16:27:02Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Similarly, my next door neighbor and I both donned face masks to mow the lawn in the spring, when the oaks were in full pollen. I wore a cloth mask while hiking back in Feb. The mountain cedar pollen is nasty during that time. For the first time, I had no allergies. Clear as a bell. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/288 "2021-08-06T16:33:55Z")
Yeah, an unexpected side effect of having a nice mask wardrobe is having them around when the air is dirty for other reasons. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/289 "2021-08-12T17:04:37Z")
Wearing a mask when walking outside in cold winter weather was a revelation, keeping your face warm especially if there’s any windchill. Then I remembered our mother would wrap a thin dish towel around over our faces in the winter; it was kind of like that. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/290 "2021-08-12T23:59:55Z")
In Canada we used a scarf. In winter. Not rocket science. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/291 "2021-08-13T11:58:42Z")
As a kid we always wore “ski masks” when playing outdoors for extended periods on very cold days. But my bottom-only mask purchased for covid is lighter and simpler to put on and take off, and is enough warmth for a lot of weather. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/292 "2021-08-13T14:29:12Z")
I commute by bike year round and don’t live too far south of the Canadian border. In the winter I either wear a gaiter or a balaclava (typically balaclava). This is just normal. Oddly, I have never died from CO2 poisoning myself even though there are times I am breathing really hard. And, never ran out of oxygen either. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/293 "2021-08-13T15:07:45Z")
I’ve never heard of a surgeon passing out due to low oxygen, either, even during very long surgeries. I think some of the early masks were legit hard to breath through, but there are plenty of good masks on the market now. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/294 "2021-08-13T19:23:58Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I think some of the early masks were legit hard to breath through, but there are plenty of good masks on the market now. I agree. The first four masks I got were definitely the hardest to breathe through. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/295 "2021-08-14T04:40:21Z")
You’re supposed to only wear one at a time! (Ducks and runs) ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/296 "2021-08-14T12:42:55Z")
We’re still supposed to wear masks at stores and public transportation, so I’m wearing a mask for both. Saw a woman at the grocery store without a mask, not even one hanging from her ears. No idea what she was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/297 "2021-08-14T19:16:56Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I think some of the early masks were legit hard to breath through, but there are plenty of good masks on the market now. I have a cloth mask. I 'd wager 85% of the air in and out of me goes _around_ the fabric and not through it. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/298 "2021-08-14T19:18:47Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I 'd wager 85% of the air in and out of me goes _around_ the fabric and not through it. You need to fix the fit. Try tightening the ear loops and see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/299 "2021-08-14T20:26:52Z")
In the age of Delta a cloth mask is essential no mask at all. KN-95s are a good option. They’re not quite as uncomfortable as N-95s and are easy to take on and off. And they offer almost the same protection as an N-95. In theory the mask filters the same amount but the N-95 typically has a tighter seal that prevents air particles from going in. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/300 "2021-08-14T20:59:35Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > In the age of Delta a cloth mask is essential no mask at all. Yeah, that’s how it seems to me. There’s a guy I see a lot who’s still just putting a bandana over his lower face. The average citizen isn’t getting good messaging on what “wear a mask” really means. Or even if they should be wearing one. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/301 "2021-08-14T21:08:42Z")
Yesterday my gym started requiring masks because cases are spiking here. I was a strong pro-mask advocate before the vaccine came out. Once I hit two weeks post-second-shot, I stopped wearing them. That was last spring. What a joy it was to be able to return to the gym, where I had more options than mere walking/using dumbbells! Yesterday my gym started requiring masks because cases are spiking here. I think it’s a smart move. However, I HATE wearing a mask while working out. It IS noticeably harder to breathe during aerobic exercise. I’m plenty used to taking my mind off discomforts, but this was much harder than ignoring the bra digging into my ribcage or forgetting my aching joints. Walking outdoors is not an option now because it’s too hot, and the smoke burns my eyes. I spent the entire session today simmering at all the idiot adults who could have gotten vaccinated (99+%) and didn’t. I’d still be working out in relative comfort if not for them. I’ll absolutely be wearing one, but I’ll be resenting the NECESSITY of wearing it. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448/302 "2021-08-14T21:13:05Z")
I’m fully vaccinated and I’m wearing a mask now in public spaces. It’s not because I strongly feel it has any effect on me getting or spreading the infection, it’s to signal my belief that some serious shit is going on and everybody should be taking precautions. Maybe it will exert some tiny pressure on someone to get vaccinated, or at least wear a mask if they aren’t, or at least mingle less than they feel like mingling until things are under control. Virtue signaling is good. Virtues are good, right? There’s literally no other way to define and spread virtue than signaling it. I choose to signal safety and caution in a fucking unsafe and dangerous environment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-wearing-a-mask-if-you-go-out-in-public/852448.md?page=16)