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I was turned away from this bookstore yesterday for not masking! What a coincidence to see this here. I always stop for a bookstore. When I step through the d

I was turned away from this bookstore yesterday for not masking! What a coincidence to see this here. I always stop for a bookstore. When I step through the door, I pause to take in the atmosphere and decide where to start browsing. Here, the person politely requested I don a mask. There were free masks available. Everyone browsing turned to look at me. I said, “oh…that’s okay, thank you” and politely went back outside. I would mask to browse books or when someone asked me to. But I wasn’t prepared to be put on the spot like that. It’s not what I go to bookstores for. :(

misiti3780 5y ago
I like Ryan's book recs and he is clearly a very smart, well read person, but he read one book about the 1918 flu and acts like he is a virologist. Some people are never going to let covid go, based on the content in his newsletter, he is one of them.
- ghostbrainalpha 5y ago
  It feels like some people will NEVER let it go, but if you look at with a 3,000 foot perspective it was really only 3 months ago that we had a real relevant wave. Maybe some of the people who got hit harder, or have higher anxiety will be worried for longer than we think they should, but I doubt that worry will extend a year or two past the rest of us.
  - misiti3780 5y ago
    i hope you're right.
wollsmoth 5y ago
You say that you'll put on a mask to browse books. But you walked into a bookstore without one. You say you'll put on a mask if asked. But they did ask. Politely, as you noted. How would you have preferred that they handled that situation?
- misiti3780 5y ago
  Given that anyone who wants to be is vaccinated + boosted, and also considering how many people have had Omicron and have natural immunity - why even require a mask?
  - Kaibeezy 5y ago
    Vaccinated people are getting Omicron infections. Many are asymptomatic, but can still spread it. People carry other infections too. Masking reduces dispersion of virus-carrying aerosols. https://physics.aps.org/articles/v14/s155 https://physics.aps.org/articles/v14/s155 That would be why. It’s trivial to pop on a mask. I will continue to do so when around other people in less-well-ventilated spaces.
    - throwawayboise 5y ago
      Two years on, are we still having this tedious argument?
      - Kaibeezy 5y ago
        The study I referenced sought to "quantify how masks mitigate the direct transport of drops, which was previously unquantified." It was published in November.
      - tonyedgecombe 5y ago
        I still don’t understand how such a trivial thing became politicised. The people at the fringes are nuts and they have far too much influence.
        misiti3780 5y ago
        How is this convo political?
  - wollsmoth 5y ago
    I mean at this point I don't really care and I don't really mind. Before I enter a business I look to see if they have a mask required sign on. I don't mind putting one on in that case. If I walk in and I'm the only one not wearing one, I'll typically put one on. I'm just not really interested in debating whether or not its needed. Surely it does slow transmission, but at this point it's more a courtesy to the business owner.
jamesmishra 5y ago
You didn't "want to be put on the spot"? What does that mean? You entered somebody else's building. They asked that you wear a mask and offered a free mask for you. At what moment were you "on the spot"?
InCityDreams 5y ago
Were there signs up regarding obligatory masking? "Everyone browsing turned to look at me." In every bookstore I've been in people have rarely looked up as someone enters

misiti3780 5y ago

I like Ryan's book recs and he is clearly a very smart, well read person, but he read one book about the 1918 flu and acts like he is a virologist. Some people are never going to let covid go, based on the content in his newsletter, he is one of them.

ghostbrainalpha 5y ago
It feels like some people will NEVER let it go, but if you look at with a 3,000 foot perspective it was really only 3 months ago that we had a real relevant wave. Maybe some of the people who got hit harder, or have higher anxiety will be worried for longer than we think they should, but I doubt that worry will extend a year or two past the rest of us.
- misiti3780 5y ago
  i hope you're right.

wollsmoth 5y ago

You say that you'll put on a mask to browse books. But you walked into a bookstore without one. You say you'll put on a mask if asked. But they did ask. Politely, as you noted. How would you have preferred that they handled that situation?

misiti3780 5y ago
Given that anyone who wants to be is vaccinated + boosted, and also considering how many people have had Omicron and have natural immunity - why even require a mask?
- Kaibeezy 5y ago
  Vaccinated people are getting Omicron infections. Many are asymptomatic, but can still spread it. People carry other infections too. Masking reduces dispersion of virus-carrying aerosols. https://physics.aps.org/articles/v14/s155 https://physics.aps.org/articles/v14/s155 That would be why. It’s trivial to pop on a mask. I will continue to do so when around other people in less-well-ventilated spaces.
  - throwawayboise 5y ago
    Two years on, are we still having this tedious argument?
    - Kaibeezy 5y ago
      The study I referenced sought to "quantify how masks mitigate the direct transport of drops, which was previously unquantified." It was published in November.
    - tonyedgecombe 5y ago
      I still don’t understand how such a trivial thing became politicised. The people at the fringes are nuts and they have far too much influence.
      - misiti3780 5y ago
        How is this convo political?
- wollsmoth 5y ago
  I mean at this point I don't really care and I don't really mind. Before I enter a business I look to see if they have a mask required sign on. I don't mind putting one on in that case. If I walk in and I'm the only one not wearing one, I'll typically put one on. I'm just not really interested in debating whether or not its needed. Surely it does slow transmission, but at this point it's more a courtesy to the business owner.

jamesmishra 5y ago

You didn't "want to be put on the spot"? What does that mean? You entered somebody else's building. They asked that you wear a mask and offered a free mask for you. At what moment were you "on the spot"?

InCityDreams 5y ago

Were there signs up regarding obligatory masking? "Everyone browsing turned to look at me." In every bookstore I've been in people have rarely looked up as someone enters