You cannot wash the disposable masks.

If you are poor and do not have a washer/dryer, you can't wash it daily, anyway.

Running an iron over it is supposed to be adequate.

What "barf"? No one touches it but me. All the germs on it are mine.

It certainly isn't any dirtier than my own nose or mouth -- which, as in any human, TEEMS with bacteria and viruses.

Your entitlement is showing.

@SoCalMama wrote:

@ceasesmith wrote:

My mask is filthy.

I know, because I've been wearing it for months. It looks fine, of course -- but we cannot see e. coli, or cold viruses, or flu viruses, or any other virus.

OMG What? It needs to be washed every time you use it for a day, just like underwear. Barf.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2021 05:10AM by ceasesmith.

You go on and on about how much you make on your routes, and you are using the same $1 disposable mask for months?

My entitlement? That's rich. Sorry that I own more than one pair of underwear and more than one cotton mask. Just WOW.

@ceasesmith wrote:

You cannot wash the disposable masks.

If you are poor and do not have a washer/dryer, you can't wash it daily, anyway.

Running an iron over it is supposed to be adequate.

What "barf"? No one touches it but me. All the germs on it are mine.

It certainly isn't any dirtier than my own nose or mouth -- which, as in any human, TEEMS with bacteria and viruses.

Your entitlement is showing.

@SoCalMama wrote:

@ceasesmith wrote:

My mask is filthy.

I know, because I've been wearing it for months. It looks fine, of course -- but we cannot see e. coli, or cold viruses, or flu viruses, or any other virus.

OMG What? It needs to be washed every time you use it for a day, just like underwear. Barf.

You can handwash a cotton mask in your sink and air dry it. Alternatively, you can boil it on your stove. You can purchase 3-layer masks on Etsy for about $8 with free shipping: [www.etsy.com].

Thank you for sharing CS but you need clean masks. I encountered a neighbor's friend at the grocery store a few days ago. He was wearing a visibly dirty, worn disposable mask. Disgusting! You do not have to own a washer and dryer to clean your masks. Hand wash, boil, etc. Disposable? Then they should be disposed of. Invest a few dollars for reusable ones. Many retail and restaurants will offer a free disposable mask if you should forget one or just don't have one.

I wear a mask when shopping because the MSC I am working for ask that I do. I do mostly gas audits now so I am out in the thick of it. I never have issues with people telling me I am bad because I wear one. I do a lot of small towns and most people don’t wear masks but in their defense they have very low incidents of COVID. I do get tattled on for taking pictures of pumps, I do get asked what I am doing when taking pics and I have been aggressively approached for taking pics. One guy yelled at me “snitches get stitches!” I just laugh it off. I do carry bear spray on my hip just in case someone gets too aggressive. Usually once I tell them I’m there to make sure the place is clean they start telling me their complaints. Many people ask how they can do the same thing. Overall I love the gas shops and love the different people I meet all over. I do travel routes and can be in the country one day and a-big city the next. Whether you want to wear a mask, don’t want to wear one, believe they help or don’t believe they help, if your employer ask you to then you should wear it if you want the work. I just don’t get why everyone thinks it is okay to be mean to people because of their choice. I would never go up to someone and say “Hey lady that orange skirt is hideous, don’t wear it.” I’m from the South so we were taught manners. Be nice people. There is enough meanness in the world.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2021 05:09PM by mmsackett.

Mask mandates are not laws and we do, in fact, have the legal right to decide to not wear one. That being said, I humbly wear one in places that require them.

I and my DDS have decided we love masks and social distancing. So much spit comes out of your mouth. I think we will continue to wear masks regardless. We love the social distancing for those who try.. In my city, there is too much invasion of space; sometimes it cannot be helped. I have been working in one of the busiest cities in the US for many years. Japanese tourists have worn them for as long as I can remember. 'The cleaning everywhere now should have been a regular regimen, not just during a pandemic. I am incredulous we have not contracted a disease.

I hate doing gas stations. Something about it.
I have re-invented myself and started doing merchandising using an app on my phone.
I have to take a pic of myself wearing the mask or at least holding it in my hand.
IDK people are just crazy. you just have to look the other way sometimes.
Off the clock , I have done and said some stupid things.

I wear a mask because it's the smart thing to do. Whenever an unmasked person gets too close, I start coughing loudly and warn them that they might want to move away - that I think I have the virus. Kinda funny watching them jump fast to get away from me.

That is what I may do.. The next time an unmask person gets near me at work, I may start coughing loudly also. I should say excuse me while I take my mask off.. It helps me get my cough and spit out better..

I will then say I have the virus.. But if I say that chances are they will tell my boss and they (One of my bosses) may send me home even though I don't have a temp.

Also there have been times an husband and wife would come in together and one of them will have a mask and the other won't and I will say to the one that has a mask" I like your mask. Where did you get it? I will then tell the other one "I like your mask also." or " Yours Is OK but his/hers (The one that had one) is better.

MrsChaney, I appreciate that you wear the mask when asked and that your dispute is one of semantics, not actions. That being said, in my state the mask mandate comes with a $300-$1000 fine depending on the city. Just because you can't go to jail for something doesn't make it legal. For instance, someone who leaves their car parked in front of a fire hydrant won't go to jail, but they are parked illegally and are endangering the lives of others.

We are not the mask police, we are not the gestapo. and we are not animals to be rewarded for "good" behavior or "punished" for bad behavior. We are not children who have been advised by a teacher to put peer pressure on the non-compliant kids. We are just a bunch of mere silly humans who should decide for ourselves which mandates and guidelines we will follow and leave everyone else alone and let them act according to their sensibilities.

I have never observed anyone attacked/scolded/threatened for wearing a mask. I have witnessed the scary mask police in all their glory way too much for my liking. I held the door open for a gentleman today. He thanked me, waved me on as he said "I have got to put my mask on. Otherwise, I may get a beating.". Made me laugh. My town does not mandate the wearing of masks outdoors. Most do for safety.

It all boils down to a concept taught (or should be) in colleges - related to critical thinking skills.

Where is the line where my rights to safety begin and your rights to privacy end? where is the line? A great analogy can be made to smoking laws. Smoking was ubiquitous in this country until illness related to second hand smoke was proven and the threat of lawsuits prevailed.
The first time an insurer has to be pay out because the insured was negligent and infected someone else who died - well you can guess the insurers will lobby and you can take it from there lol.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

We are not the mask police, we are not the gestapo. and we are not animals to be rewarded for "good" behavior or "punished" for bad behavior. We are not children who have been advised by a teacher to put peer pressure on the non-compliant kids. We are just a bunch of mere silly humans who should decide for ourselves which mandates and guidelines we will follow and leave everyone else alone and let them act according to their sensibilities.

All of the groups mentioned above except for a few species in the "Animals" category are mere silly humans as well.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2021 03:15PM by sestrahelena.

Look on the bright side. A mask helps keep you from being recognized by employees if you do multiple shops at the same locations regularly. I do alot of grocery shops and hit the same stores twice a month and a mask has kept me from getting made on several occasions. Also, a mask doubles as a face warmer if you work in a cold winter climate.

As the temps have dropped below zero, both Centigrade and Fahrenheit, I have found that wearing my mask has kept my lips fresh and my nose from a frozen snivel.
But, I believe they still identify me by my fxr monosuit.
Doesn't really matter, though, in this weather now, a mask seems not too spendy.

In the NE where we are, everyone wears masks. Some people in Walmart won't wear a mask, that's it. Only in Walmart, and some of the Amish places, the people won't wear masks. By NYC, it's universal.

@French Farmer wrote:

A Rant: I wear a mask when performing gas station shops because:

I am just very saddened by all of this anger and hostility.

Maybe try something like "I'm wearing this because I have been exposed to Covid. Would you prefer I breath all over you?!"

That could get you arrested.

@russell.in.canada wrote:

Maybe try something like "I'm wearing this because I have been exposed to Covid. Would you prefer I breath all over you?!"

I would like to see posters mention their states when they talk about their states' laws or discuss encounters with people who do/don't wear masks and who comment to or threaten them.

As my user name states, I'm in Calif. I don't go out much, so I don't deal much with morons who won't protect me or themselves by wearing a mask, but almost everyone I encounter wears one. When I am near a person whose mask is under their nose (or worse), I mention it to them.

@CA senior wrote:

When I am near a person whose mask is under their nose (or worse), I mention it to them.

Good for you. I'm in New York where strangers don't always take well to constructive criticism so when I see an idiot wearing a mask with nose exposed, I just tend to leave the area.

NY has a pretty strict mask mandate but "the stupid" is thick here. One year into a pandemic, there's no excuse for not knowing that the mask has to cover the nose.

On the good side, I shopped a Westchester 5G in August 2020 and all 5 crew members wore their mask with noses exposed. I finally got the courage to go there again this week and the crew all had their noses covered. Hope my August report (I SCREAMED in a written sense) helped.

@CA senior wrote:

I would like to see posters mention their states when they talk about their states' laws or discuss encounters with people who do/don't wear masks and who comment to or threaten them.

As my user name states, I'm in Calif. I don't go out much, so I don't deal much with morons who won't protect me or themselves by wearing a mask, but almost everyone I encounter wears one. When I am near a person whose mask is under their nose (or worse), I mention it to them.

Why do you think calling people morons is acceptable?

OMG. Really? The entire world is dealing with a deadly virus. Deadly. Do you understand?

There's not a lot we can do about it, but we should all do what we can. We owe it to everyone else on the planet. Everyone. Ourselves, our neighbors, our kids.

Anyone willing to put others at risk is a moron. (For those who cannot wear a mask, stay away from others. Stay safe.)

Still not up to the Spanish Flu!

I have asthma and COPD. I wear a mask anyway. I have both kinds of masks cloth and a thin gaiter. If I am inspecting gas stations I wear the gaiter because it's thinner and I can breathe better. I know the thin one lacks protection. But I definitely agree with masking even if I have to cheat to do it. You do not know which people can react severely to COVID once it is contracted. Anyone who says masking is an invasion of rights is an imbecile. We are required by LAW to wear a seatbelt. But wearing a seatbelt only protects yourself, not your neighboring driver. If someone has AIDS and knows it and deliberately goes around trying to infect others they can be charged with a crime. Your personal rights do not give you the right to kill another human being. The hypocrisy of the previous administration speaks for itself. It said, "don't wear a mask, I'm not" but with the same breath was the first in line for the vaccine.
[www.nytimes.com]

I have moved exclusively to a few more select MSCs who have smarter clients. When I encounter a person - either employee or customer - who is unmasked, I immediately walk out (just as I would if not on-the-job) and report to the MSC that the shop was not safe to complete advising which employee failed to either mask or eject the maskless.

Perhaps I should add a little something.

When I'm anywhere a mask is required, or if I'm working and the MSC requires it, I'm masked.

If I stop for gas, I use a card at the pump; no human interaction required.

I probably pick up enough viruses/bacteria handling the pump nozzle to kill most of the human population of earth (if the viruses were all virulent and deadly).

Except for work, I just really don't go any place where people congregate.

@1cent wrote:

Better or worse than the concerned citizens who think you shouldn’t be taking pictures at a gas station? Self appointed security. Oh, they’re probably the same people.

one man questioned me about wearing a mask, I wore it indoors, but once I was outside in the fresh air I took it off. Then he tried to get in my face and asked if I was going to vote for the former occupant of OUR white house. I told him that my vote is NONE of his business, so he assumed I was a Democrat and started yelling the former occupant's name at full volume.. lol

But those self-appointed security guys are a big problem here. Every time I do more than one shop in a day I have to deal with someone who thinks I'm doing something suspicious. Some ask what I'm doing and leave it at that, some get testy and "go tell the manager" what I'm doing. One man tried to run me down in the driveway when he found out I was just doing my job from the manager.

I have never been approached on a revealed photo audit except for the occasional jackalope who asks me if I want their photo. (I usually take it, but explain that the photo editors might not get that one.) I have shopped rarely since the pandemic began, but when I do it is primarily rural Iowa or Omaha/Lincoln areas.

As for masks, I live in rural SW Iowa and have been physically challenged when not on a shop for wearing one. Not as in an invitation to fistacuffs, but unmasked people walking up on me to make me back down to maintain six feet. There is something about going up an aisle and some smirking idiot is walking straight at you to see if you will back down to get your distance. I avoid shopping in person as much as possible, particularly where aisles are long and narrow. I have felt the breath on the back of my neck as some anti-masker blew on me in line and, less dramatically, the swoosh of air as they passed by too close, laughing.

Heck, even local law enforcement sashays past the "mask required" signs at convenience stores. It is not a law, as there never was a mask mandate in Iowa, but should law enforcement not show respect for the owners of these businesses?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2021 08:07PM by heartlandcanuck.