My experiences in Germany, where most public transit has had an FFP2 (similar to N95) mask mandate for many months makes me question the effectiveness of mandat

My experiences in Germany, where most public transit has had an FFP2 (similar to N95) mask mandate for many months makes me question the effectiveness of mandates. It should work; Germans have a reputation for following the rules, and there is a very good supply of the mandated masks. In reality, I'm not impressed. The number of unmasked people is substantial, and enforcement is limited. Non-filtering surgical masks are also common, and exactly once, I heard a train conductor politely ask a passenger with a surgical mask to wear a filtering mask next time. Ironically, the same mandate did not apply to staff, and the conductor was also wearing a surgical mask. I also see a lot of people wearing the correct type of mask incorrectly, not covering the nose, or with very loose bands that cannot possibly result in an effective seal. I think I'd prefer a request to a mandate at this point. I'll wear FFP3 masks and do a quick leak test every time I put them on. People who pretend to wear masks to satisfy a mandate can stop pretending.