Hi all!

Just curious to see how folk feel about the above on public transport?

Do you a) give out dirty looks and continue to do so until they leave the bus/tram etc. b) confront them? or just ignore them?
I ask this as I have just travelled home with six of these selfish buggers and I'm personally sick of the self entitled few who think they are exempt from the rule.
If the ZVV,SBB,ZSG want people wearing masks on the public transport why are they not doing more to enforce it?

Maybe they're medically exempt?

Maybe but i would be surprised if all six of them were? This is a daily occurrence on this route particularly.Perhaps a badge can be issued for the medically exempt to avoid any confusion but I imagine that could be abused to a certain effect.

I have not seen any in our neck of the woods nor on the trans-suisse public transport cruises, people are very disciplined.

I guess you approach it the same way you react when you see any other tresspassing?

I think I would react if they were closer to me than the 2m or abnoxious.

I move away from them but I make my displeasure known if I'm being honest.
The masks are unpleasant but necessary if we are to avoid another lockdown.
Alot of people seem to be under the illusion that the virus won't be a problem for them. I am diabetic so I am very aware that I am in a high risk category. I just wish people were less selfish tbh.

I feel for you and I agree with your observations...I think some people need time to adjust to new situations and risks, and the fact your situation is not theirs. I have to say that one of the reasons people in GE and VD really do comply is that we are exposed a lot more than other cantons. Another thing is, moving a lot across CH makes me travel with others who move across as well and we know the drill.

I wish you a lot of mindful and caring fellow travellers.

x

PS - tell them so they know.

__________________
"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

There are unfortunately a number of mask scofflaws on the trains I take.

There is no enforcement that I can see.

(Granted, I rarely take the train so mine is not a representative sample.)



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I always have an extra unopened package of paper masks in my bag. If someone near me does not have a mask on and seems approachable, I offer them the package. Some accept.

Yes, I am turning into one of those old ladies.

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FYI for those making masks:

I have switched to the 3D/Octagon/Origami mask pattern. It's far more comfortable, especially in warmer weather. The rigid structure gives you more 'nose room'. If you are mainly wearing masks to commute, I highly recommend this pattern. (There are a gazillion examples and tutorials on youtube.)

I have only seen one person pulled up about not wearing a mask and that was on a tram in Zurich.
The trains aren't so much the issue as they send the security guys to police the trains on a regular basis. The local bus service is a joke though.
If the temperature is comfortable I will walk rather than using the bus.

Meloncollie carrying paper masks and offering them is very clever. I might consider that.

I've only seen one person recently on public transport in Basel without a mask, that was on a bus coming back from Claraplatz. He was an old guy and got off after 2 stops. Last week we had insufferably hot weather and I had to go into the city centre by tram which is only a 10 min journey. I did notice people were putting their masks on after entering and sitting down on the tram and I have seen people with them pulled down a little bit on trams passing by as they unfortunately get a bit uncomfortable in the heat.

If you take a window seat here nobody seems to want to sit next to you either, it's like we've had a very unsocial life imposed on us, but what can you do?

Some people forget, some have mental issues (it's public transport), some may be medical exempt (no, they shouldn't have to show the medical certificate to every passenger when entering the bus, there is this thing called privacy). I wouldn't be too quick to judge, but I would say most cases it's because they forgot or didn't plan on taking public transport. There are other more popular ways to protest, like not covering your nose or pretending to be eating all the time.

I took the train from Montreaux to the Rochers de Naye yesterday. Mostly a tourist train but some local traffic. The couple sitting across the aisle had their masks, the lady holding it in her hands, the man with it hanging off one of his ears. (The needed the masks to board the train as a ticket inspector was at the door).

They were French Speaking I think with a Marseille accent. Once we started I asked politely if they could but on their masks mentioning that it was obligatory.

They complied with guilty grins, but they weren’t happy. Journey about an hour and they were constantly fiddling with their masks. I’m not sure why I bothered. The rest of the journey everyone was complying with the rules.

I did thank them, as did my 62 year old wife and her 76 year old cousin.

Excuse my ignorance. Are there any real medical reasons to not wear a surgical mask? I was under the (wrong?) impression there is no good reason to be unable to wear one.

Anyone that has a medical need is unlikely to be travelling on public transport or shopping in a supermarket. And they likely will having their own breathing aids.

Not sure I would want to wear a mask that had been touched by someone else as it could be infected with Covid 19.

Hence why I keep unopened sealed packages (5 or 10pc) to give out should someone need a mask. Hopefully he or she will wear the remaining masks on future journeys.

I have seen people make a sandwich last their entire trip to avoid wearing a mask 😷 or making phone calls during their trip. Or the eyes down looking at their phones to ensure they don't make eye contact with us mask wearing folk.
I'm sure there are folk who genuinely struggle to wear a madk but some of them come across as self entitled buttercups who can't live by the rules.

I’m seeing more and more mask dodgers around Lausanne, mostly young adults. I was at the Fnac yesterday, and a guy had his T-shirt over his nose (he looked terribly stupid like that). In the bus, I see 2-3 people without a mask on, while about two weeks before there were none.

I wonder too. I can’t think of any medical reason, except perhaps psychiatric ones such as claustrophobia.

When I’m in town and I like getting a Starbucks coffee and sip in in the bus in the way back home. I did it without thinking yesterday and spent my entire bus trip wondering how I was going to drink it

I have asthma, many allergies (mostly asthmatic response), and mild claustrophobia. It is difficult for me to wear a mask but I do. However combined with my motion sickness (which is worse when I am hot/asthmatic), I don’t think I could wear a mask for the duration of a flight back home, for example. Maybe a homemade cloth one would be better.

Seeing as about 75% of the people I see are wearing a mask incorrectly, I wonder how much good it’s actually doing. But I am a compliant sort so I keep my mask on where it is required and hope it’s doing some good. I do think it ironic that the sort of standard disposable masks I bought from Coop specifically say not rated for viruses ...

Edited to emphasize that I really do think it’s a good idea on public transport especially, don’t mean to come across as doubting that mask wearing is helpful, just that many I see don’t have it covering their noses etc. Which kind of defeats the point of us all wearing them. Especially since I really don’t like wearing them but do so anyway out of respect, I get frustrated by these inappropriate users!

This is making me sad as well!


I usually indicate to people my making a semi-circle over my nose with a smile on my face (so I'm "smizing" ) and they usually realize "oops!".


Or I catch someone's eye and tap the side of my mask, again with smiling eyes - and usually they just accidentally forgot.


And I physically move to get away from people who clearly don't care. Because I do.

I may hold an unpopular view, but I tend to fight fire with fire. If somebody is obviously assholish for whatever reason, covid or before, I let them know and feel it. At least long unpleasant stare and pointing my finger to the mask, or conversation that is heard by others on purpose. Let them feel how unwanted and outsiders they are, most folks here actually minds these kind of things. I obviously don't go into physical confrontation, we're not in Ukraine or similar places (seen a video of masked guy beating unmasked with salami in supermarket).

A lot of a-holes in this world rely on people being generally nice among each other. Show them there are those who care.

Do your part. Be tiny little bit an a-hole to those who deserve it This time, you may actually save somebody's life!