No, of course people didn't routinely wear them. But every citizen was issued one. Children took them to school every day, and were drilled in their use. It's

No, of course people didn't routinely wear them. But every citizen was issued one. Children took them to school every day, and were drilled in their use. It's still an eccentric thing to do, of course. But, like the alarm clock tied around his waist, it was an instance of solving a problem by grabbing something close to hand.