So, Am I the *******?

[Sibhusky]

I would say at a minimum 75% of skiers were not wearing masks. I had nothing around my neck to act as a mask because it was a beautiful day. I am always about being polite but I am not going to put a mask on when there is no mandate. If someone feels uncomfortable with it they can leave or figure something out that makes them feel less nervous. I'll always be polite, but when there are no mandates people should not expect someone to wear a mask.

As long as they were allowed to skip riding with you this is fine. But if they are being forced to fill up chairs it's another thing. Depending on the wind, sitting on the chair is not safe, I don't care what your governor thinks.

 

[doc]

Masks increasingly are becoming a symbol of social modesty, like bras.

 

[Andy Mink]

Masks increasingly are becoming a symbol of social modesty, like bras.

And like bras, some folks need them, some folks don't.

Joking aside, I don't think it's fair to shame someone or throw a fit if there is no mandate, either governmentally or business policy. If I am not required to wear a mask, chances are I won't even have one with me. I wear them where I am required, no questions asked.

 

[scott43]

On the plus side, I think a lot of this mask stuff may begin to disappear for us in the near future. Especially outdoors. Finally.

 

[Wade]

Joking aside, I don't think it's fair to shame someone or throw a fit if there is no mandate, either governmentally or business policy. If I am not required to wear a mask, chances are I won't even have one with me. I wear them where I am required, no questions asked.

Agreed.

Through this whole thing, everything I've read has pointed to a vanishingly small risk of outdoor transmission, and I believe there has been little or no benefit in preventing the spread of COVID as a result of outdoor mask wearing. That said, regardless of my own risk tolerance and views of what has constituted safe behavior, I've complied with guidelines and regulations from both governments and private businesses, and I've worn a mask outdoors whenever I've been required to.

Now that the guidance has been revised, I won't be wearing a mask outside, unless a private business requires me to in order to frequent that business. If other people feel more comfortable wearing a mask outside despite the revised guidelines and despite what we know about the likelihood of outdoor transmission, as far as I'm concerned, that's their business and I would never presume to lecture them on their decision. Hopefully that will work both ways.

 

[Unpiste]

CDC guidance still recommends masks for crowded outdoor gatherings. Long lift lines could reasonably qualify, especially considering cumulative exposure and the potential for lift stoppages.

 

[Seldomski]

Luckily the ski season is about over and next season will start with everyone who wanted a vaccine (in the US) having ample opportunity to get one. In this transition period, I'm going to keep following CDC guidance for masks out of respect for those who are still in process of getting vaccinated or are unable to be vaccinated for whatever reason. If the local mandate is more restrictive, I will follow that, but generally local laws I have experienced have been more lax than what the CDC recommends.

Here's the CDC guidance in a nutshell.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/pdfs/choosingSaferActivities.pdf

So, even as vaccinated person, I read this as: any public indoor activity requires a mask. Any public outdoor crowded activity, wear a mask.

So what is skiing on that list? As a vaccinated person, I would consider skiing to still require a mask in the lift area, I guess depending on number of people in line, it may not be necessary. So maybe sometimes a crowded outdoor sporting event or a small outdoor gathering, depending on crowds... I guess it depends on where you ski. Where I ski, it's not a small outdoor gathering, so it must be a 'crowded outdoor event.' And then there are areas where they don't let you decide, but decide for you (ie mask mandate).

Roughly 50% of population that can get vaccinated has done so at this point. That still leaves a lot of people that are not yet protected or are trying to get there. So, I wear a mask for them. For me, wearing a mask in public is really easy. I will err on the side of caution because masks are really not a huge deal for me. I don't understand the intense dislike. The upside seems way bigger than the down side...currently. It's a minor inconvenience to me. Sorry, the pandemic is still here.

There will come a point where vaccination and infection rates slow to the point that I will drop the mask completely in public. Or if CDC says vaccinated can drop them entirely. As far as I can tell, they haven't made that call yet.

In my local community - weekly cases have been increasing slightly since March. We have not beaten this thing yet.

 

[Tricia]

Some posts have been deleted because this was going down a political rabbit hole. Thread locked until further notice.