Will you continue to wear your mask when they are optional?

You shouldn't be asking elderly women why they're wearing masks. Equally, you shouldn't be asking 6'4" well muscled men why they're wearing masks, but I have a feeling you're the type that will stick to asking elderly women.

I was in a shopping centre in Northern Ireland today and way more than half still wearing masks which surprised me. I was expecting a lot less masks. People still keeping their distance too. In fairness in my town south of the border most people are still wearing the masks in shops too. Less than it was a few weeks ago. I think it will become less and less as the weeks pass by.

I'll continue to wear mine due to a family situation. Nobody has commented to me though for wearing one, I'm not sure how ill react if someone does comment though. I'll probably just say because i want to wear it. I wont be giving a complete stranger a breakdown of my families health status.

What an idiotic comment. Again more bs from the pedestal occupiers judging others for maybe wearing a mask. Seriously what is it with the hard man additude on this thread?

If someone is wearing a mask they chose to do so for personal reasons whether family or medical. You don't get a free pass to throw snide remarks at people you don't know because of your own basic ignorance. If you don't want to wear a mask fine. No one is going to make you.

I was replying to one particular snide comment about Tony and Altars and being thanked for wearing one.

And with all due respect the comments here in the last couple of weeks have been overrun with insults and innuendo like that one against anyone saying that those choosing to wear a mask should be able to do so without that type of attitude

You say "The difference is that those now happily moving on without masks have generally always been pro-choice, whereas the mask advocates are generally authoritarian and want everyone else to not just respect their choice, but make the same choice as well"

Well frankly that's bull. Take a read of this thread and the other threads for evidence which shows any notion that those virulentely against masks are in any way pro choice.

You say "If people want others to respect their choice to wear a mask (a reasonable expectation), the flip side is that they need to equally respect that others have the same right not to."

Again away from the screamers on these threads attributing all kinds of bizarre attributes, insults and character flaws to those who have used masks or who may continue to use them, I do not see any significant view that some people think others should be forced to wear a mask. Certainly there's been discussion around mask ware in general and even inconsistencies pointed out and like all discussion there will be disagreement.

The utter hysteria by some exhibited in this thread about mask during a pandemic is truely incredible. It remains the mask mandate has now been rescinded. People need to seriously catch a grip.

Pure bloods, we have one here in the office and she's so smug about it ! I got double vaccinated but wont get anymore

No such thing as a face nappy, so your made up story is BS.

You said he was fearful of them so he put on his mask, what did he do before those masks were used?

He would get sick and miss work actually. Before he started getting the flu vaccine he would miss weeks of work in the winter. With that vaccine it reduced it down to a couple of days here and there. He has an underlying condition and a lowered immunity.

such bull... its not black and white.. eg I am pro choice when it comes to say, abortion (if someone chooses to have one, it doesn't affect me - so I respect their choice).. but masks is a different story - whether one wears a mask or not DOES affect others!

serious amount on crap on here..

me?.. I didn't wear my mask in the SM yday - cos I didn't feel the need.. but it felt odd.. like I was expecting a member of staff to tell me to put one on... guess i'm a bit institutionalised...

I'll play it by ear - but will probably wear one more than not..

It sounds to me that your position is that you felt you were the odd (one out) more than anything else. You even admit you're a bit institutionalised at this point.

Both of those are about YOU, not anyone else around you and that's fine and all (it's not really but at least you recognise the issue - it's up to you whether you take steps to address it) but let's not pretend that it has anything to do with health.

It's not as annoying as those who want to wear their masks but expect everyone else to do the same to make them feel better, and who seem very put out when those others don't agree.

Work away yourself, but that's all you're entitled to. Choice is a great thing and long overdue on this particular topic.

I hate masks but have always worn them even in close family homes .Yes most people don't like masks but the need to be worn for the greater good.

Those who wanted restrictions ended and masks mandates removed have nothing to do with their time now so have turned into curtain twitchers watching everyone to see who has a mask on .

sure for all I know I could have the virus.. but my main argument with you is this

"The difference is that those now happily moving on without masks have generally always been pro-choice, whereas the mask advocates are generally authoritarian and want everyone else to not just respect their choice, but make the same choice as well."

your words.. such bull - totally and utterly

for your info.. I wore my mask in the SM again today - cos it felt v warm in there.. today it wasn't cos I felt that staff expected me too.. and I am v pro choice..

No, you made no suggestion of having the virus. You said you felt odd about not having a mask on and perhaps institutionalised.

As I said, neither of those are anything to do with health or anyone else, and it's equally your choice whether to follow this realisation to its conclusion and either : work through the no doubt temporary feelings of discomfort, or continue to mask up as the easier option.

However, your tone (and that of many other posters) in these responses ("such bull" indeed) validates my point - ultimately you want others to go along so that you feel more comfortable and validated in your choice. What THEY want doesn't matter.

That's the difference here. I don't care whether some continue to wear masks. I DO care about them trying to pressure me or others to do likewise, and because we have already seen how national policy and decision making has been led by such conservative and indeed selfish attitudes, hence why it's taken so long to finally emerge from some of the longest restrictions in Europe if not the world.

Covid is thankfully in the rear view mirror. Yes there were unfortunately casualties (but that was always going to be the case) and there are some who will still need to be careful, but it's now at a stage where the level of threat is even less than the generally low level it's always been. It was never the Black Death or mass killer we thought it could be in early 2020, and that is a good thing and something we should all be thankful for.

So again, it's time to move on and deal with the huge domestic issues facing the country that have been put on hold or allowed to worsen over the past 2 years - from health care to housing - not continue to obsess and fret about something that statistically is of little to no real risk to the vast majority of people that have already put up with so much.

Ciara Kelly on Newstalk put it perfectly recently when she said that the Covid measures were to address health concerns, not the anxieties of some. It was true then, it's definitely true now.

Your imagination running wild, I seldom wore them and I couldn’t give two hoots about anyone still wanting to wear them.

I asked a few people who weren't wear masks why they decided not to wear them... they went in to an anti-mask tirade, didn't think that many people felt so strongly about mask wearing!