Yes, it’s very depressing. Spent the last 7 days in the UK. So few wearing masks, even in crowded situations. Trains say ‘please wear a mask’, but on the trains I was on, I would guess less than 5% were. Same thing wherever you go.
It varies, but I’ve heard trains are bad. A couple of weeks back people seemed to have stopped bothering in supermarkets, but this last weekend there were a lot more in masks again. There’s been a feeling of many just having had enough, deciding to rely on the vaccine and returning to ‘normal’ for a while, which hasn’t helped at all. Possibly the reported rise in European cases is actually helping drive the Brits back into masks.
Hope you managed some quality time with you mother.
That’s a real joke @Geof_Cox . In the UK, you take the test, and just tell them what the result is. No checking of the result is done. It’s down to the testee to be honest.
Thanks @Ancient_Mariner , I did. She has been seriously ill recently, and each time I saw her in the last week, she has looked better and has eaten more. I went back to the UK because the doctors advised that she may not have long to live. She, of course, ignored them and has bounced back.
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Not just the testing, the masks etc, at least we in the UK arent adding to the mask waste. 
Rates in the UK have turned over and are declining well. Whether that pans out to the UK being far less going forward because there are less to infect now.(yes i know you can still catch it) compared to other countries where the rates are much lower but the overall effect is they will have it for longer?
4 french train journeys in last two days and 100% wearing a mask….admittedly some a bit low down once got to their seat. The younger people all seemed to be wearing washable masks, and it was the middle ages in medical masks. Going round Dijon, a small city, indoors everyone was wearing masks. I peeked through window at McDonalds - desk to check passes on way in and everyone in masks. Perhaps Burgundians are exceptional but made me feel comfortable.
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Certainly does make me feel comfortable when folk are wearing masks… and the gel bottles are highly visible (and being used).
Around here it’s about 50/50 washable-masks and throw-away ones which we see being worn…
Must say I’m only seeing the throw-away ones on the pavements or in the hedgerows etc…
In olden days I would have helped to pickup litter, but these days I scuttle on by and leave it to the local workforce.
Our Community of Communes has been distributing free washable- masks… to all homes (OH and I have 10 each) and these are doing sterling service…
There’s a wide range of colours and sizes (suitable for all the family) … and I’ve never seen one of them discarded.
On the few occasions we’ve eaten out… mask on for arrival … Pass checked at door… gel everywhere… mask taken off when seated and eating… mask replaced before rising from seat. Seeing every member of staff masked, plus visibly using gel… give the right vibes too.
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I took many many trains in (in France, Germany, and Poland) in the last week of October and the first week of November, everyone had masks on in the train and at the stations, even outside on the platforms, the only maskless people I saw were small children.
Given that mask wearing isn’t compulsory in the UK are people really surprised that they’re not being worn?
I would be interested to know if people in UK feel a pressure to NOT wear a mask.
I know that one of my friends in UK was ridiculed for wearing her mask while out shopping… thankfully, she’s a big girl and gave as good as she got… continuing to wear her mask (of course)… she uses “fruity” English, so I reckon everyone got the message.
It likely depends on area and activity: shopping in a supermarket then a mask is not a problem, but out at a bar in the evening and a mask would be seen as odd. We have quite strict rules in the workplace and masks are compulsory any time you are not at your desk or workstation.
do folk think the covid bug is TTotal and won’t enter a bar… 
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Once people have had a drink or 2 then caution goes to the wind. I have been out in such a setting just once for a retirement bash, and ended up retreating into a corner for part of the evening. The bar/restaurant became increasingly crowded as the evening progressed, as though Covid had never happened, and it was a relief to escape.
To my amazement there appeared to be no cases of infection resulting from this event.
Like Stella, one of my friends had a similar thing in a shop, she read them the riot act. We always wear a mask outdoor & get folk staring at us, apparently my ‘glare’ is even scarier wearing a mask, so they soon look away.
We certainly got a few looks for wearing masks when we were there in September and expect similar when we go again next week but it doesn’t really bother us, having a mask on gives us some protection from the non-masked which is the most important thing.
Not surprised.
If that’s an FPP3 mask, yes it does. Surgical masks afford the wearer minimal protection - if someone coughs directly at you so the droplet size is still quite large there will almost certainly be a benefit but other than that masks are more about preventing release of droplets - it’s what they were designed to do after all.
We were in the Bull Ring on Saturday afternoon - packed beyond belief and mask wearing maybe 1 in 20 - as I only had a surgical mask with me there seemed little point wearing it.
Frankly… I think it’s best if we don’t consider that… wearing a mask gives us any protection from “them uvvers”…
When I am wearing my mask… I am protecting other people by NOT spreading my breath out over them…
If they are NOT masked… their breath might well be a danger to me and I step well back (and, if necessary, leave the room/building).
Other folk can do as they wish… this is just my view on things.
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Surely that’s better than nothing though?
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