Glad I Wore A Face Mask On Plane (747, alone, destination)

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by itscolduphere

In agreement with Pitroad, obviously some on this thread think they're better than others. Sad that Mr. "I'm a Lexus" is missing the whole point to life, except maybe his own creed of "he who dies feeling superior, wins". You don't deserve any more of my time/attention on this website, my friend.

Sad also, that some people will go out of their way to try to scare someone or ruin their day by deliberately making them feel more uncomfortable, (by coughing) just to be a jerk. There's an @!*hole (or two or three) on every thread.

I just wanted to post a nice story. Just as expected, in came the vultures. It's too bad people can't just share positive experiences on the internet without trolls, killjoys and just plain jerks.

So, everyone who's not a jerk, do me a favor.... leave rep points if you wish, but don't post on this thread, as you would just be feeding the negative.

LOL thanks for calling me an a**hole!
I just find it hilarious that everyone, as I've said before, has turned coughing/runny nose/sneezing into OMG SWINE FLU.
I'm not going to spend my time walking around in a face mask when I know I'm not contagious. If I cough, I cough, and use what they told me in kindergarten and cover my mouth! And if people want to be paranoid, boo hoo for them.
And to be honest, if you would have offered me one at the airport, I would have politely declined and I guess you would have wondered if I was going to kill everyone on the plane with my allergy attack.

[psychofan]

Something to ponder for those who are strong proponents of wearing a mask for extended periods of time (like on a flight), as a scientist I have worn a variety of masks in my line of work (from the normal surgical masks, N95 masks, military gas masks, etc.) and there is something VERY important that you may not have considered. Similar to wearing latex gloves, etc., your skin surface (i.e. area around the nose and mouth) can get very hot and humid under the mask after an extended period of time wearing it THUS creating a more than ideal environment for the growth of MILLIONS of bacteria and germs! While these bacteria and germs are growing, they are releasing spores and toxins that amazingly are going DIRECTLY into your body through your respiratory system (nose and mouth) thus potentially sickening you.

Think about it this way, why do you think the last thing a surgeon does prior to putting on latex gloves is to thoroughly scrub their hands and the first thing they would do immediately after taking their gloves off is to thoroughly scrub their hands? Same thing is done by scientists in a laboratory.

So for those arguing for masks, make sure you thoroughly wash your face BEFORE you put the masks on and then do NOT take it off for anything, including eating and drinking. Once you remove the mask to eat or sip anything, you just defeated the WHOLE purpose of wearing a mask. More importantly, reusing a mask defeats the whole purpose as well.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

LOL thanks for calling me an a**hole!
I just find it hilarious that everyone, as I've said before, has turned coughing/runny nose/sneezing into OMG SWINE FLU.
I'm not going to spend my time walking around in a face mask when I know I'm not contagious. If I cough, I cough, and use what they told me in kindergarten and cover my mouth! And if people want to be paranoid, boo hoo for them.
And to be honest, if you would have offered me one at the airport, I would have politely declined and I guess you would have wondered if I was going to kill everyone on the plane with my allergy attack.

It is true and sad. I've had allergies all of my life. When I was younger I would break out in a rash on the backs of my legs and in the bend of my arm. Stayed that way thru all of the warmer weather. I would get sent to the office DAILY for "chicken pox" and my mother would tell them AGAIN that it was NOT chicken pox and to send me back to class. You'd think that after having seen the SAME rash on someone for 2 months every single year they would figure it out. They were all scared I was going to "GIVE" everyone else something. I WISH I could pass off my allergies to someone else and let them suffer thru it.

My husband got upset at me the other day when I was coughing while we were out in public. He was like, "people are going to think your sick and out and all". SO FRIGGIN WHAT! I've got a dry cough that is left over from a sinus infection. I'm covering my mouth, washing my hands and not shaking hands with anyone and trying to avoid touching door handles especially coming out of bathrooms. No one is going to "catch" anything from ME! Except a dirty look if they give me one.

Originally Posted by psychofan

Something to ponder for those who are strong proponents of wearing a mask for extended periods of time (like on a flight), as a scientist I have worn a variety of masks in my line of work (from the normal surgical masks, N95 masks, military gas masks, etc.) and there is something VERY important that you may not have considered. Similar to wearing latex gloves, etc., your skin surface (i.e. area around the nose and mouth) can get very hot and humid under the mask after an extended period of time wearing it THUS creating a more than ideal environment for the growth of MILLIONS of bacteria and germs! While these bacteria and germs are growing, they are releasing spores and toxins that amazingly are going DIRECTLY into your body through your respiratory system (nose and mouth) thus potentially sickening you.

Think about it this way, why do you think the last thing a surgeon does prior to putting on latex gloves is to thoroughly scrub their hands and the first thing they would do immediately after taking their gloves off is to thoroughly scrub their hands? Same thing is done by scientists in a laboratory.

So for those arguing for masks, make sure you thoroughly wash your face BEFORE you put the masks on and then do NOT take it off for anything, including eating and drinking. Once you remove the mask to eat or sip anything, you just defeated the WHOLE purpose of wearing a mask. More importantly, reusing a mask defeats the whole purpose as well.

EXACTLY!!!!! People don't realize that those masks can HARBOR germs and bacteria. Washing hands properly and covering your mouth when you cough with your elbow/arm and NOT your hand goes a lot further in preventing the spread of illness than these masks do.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by itscolduphere

In agreement with Pitroad, obviously some on this thread think they're better than others. Sad that Mr. "I'm a Lexus" is missing the whole point to life, except maybe his own creed of "he who dies feeling superior, wins". You don't deserve any more of my time/attention on this website, my friend.

Sad also, that some people will go out of their way to try to scare someone or ruin their day by deliberately making them feel more uncomfortable, (by coughing) just to be a jerk.

I just wanted to post a nice story. Just as expected, in came the vultures. It's too bad people can't just share positive experiences on the internet without trolls, killjoys and just plain jerks.

So, everyone who's not a jerk, do me a favor.... leave rep points if you wish, but don't post on this thread, as you would just be feeding the negative.

No, we are not being jerks. We are trying to enlighten you to understand that not everyone that coughs is contagious. There are millions of allergy sufferers and asthmatics out there that are more at risk of getting sick from this and dying than you probably are due to their conditions. When an asthmatic is coughing they could have been standing next to someone that had doused themselves in offending cologne/perfume or in a store that uses TOO MUCH aroma therapy (HOME DEPOT LATELY). You are NOT going to caatch our allergies, sinus infections or asthma attacks. Offering us a mask when the last thing we want is something covering our air passageways is NOT going to help us in the least. It might make YOU "feel" better but it is in no way going to help those that are suffering in their health.

Just realize that everyone you see coughing, sneezing, red/itchy eyes, etc is NOT contagious and could just be someone that sufferers from allergies and/or has asthma.

[juniperbleu]

I know the person in the original post was trying to be nice and considerate, but if someone offered me a mask I think I'd be humiliated and feel like a leper (even if it was something that wasn't contagious). Not to mention that wearing a mask while your nose is running sounds miserable. I just remember the mess when I was wearing a scuba mask for a few minutes while having a cold!

If wearing a mask makes you feel better, that's fine, but it's good to also remember the other ways to prevent sickness (washing hands, etc), since the masks aren't exactly 100% effective. Also, sneezing isn't a symptom of the flu. It's more likely that someone sneezing either has a common cold or allergies, neither of which are dire. Not to mention that the people I knew who had swine flu said they were lucky if they could sit upright, let alone get themselves to an aiport and on a plane.

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by pitroad

so let me get this right ... because we live in the US we are above getting the H1N1 virus or at least trying to prevent its spread ...... no wonder the rest of the world looks at us as arrogant.

No, you didn't get it right. That is not at all what I said.

I'm saying that this measure is over the top and it is out of place considering that people are not going to such extremes in any other area regarding flu prevention; it makes no sense to me to single out wearing a mask on a plane as being such an incredible way to prevent the flu when, in fact, it only helps marginally.

Interestingly, if any of us thinks that "because we live in the US we are above getting the H1N1 virus" it's you who wear masks. You wear a mask because you think you're above getting H1N1 virus. None of us is above getting the virus just because we live in the US.

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by itscolduphere

In agreement with Pitroad, obviously some on this thread think they're better than others. Sad that Mr. "I'm a Lexus" is missing the whole point to life, except maybe his own creed of "he who dies feeling superior, wins". You don't deserve any more of my time/attention on this website, my friend.

I never said I am a Lexus. I compared air travel to driving a Lexus. It's not about feeling superior; it's quite the opposite. I think it was rude of you to go offer that businessman a mask, and if it were me I'd have refused the mask just by virtue of your trying to impose your wish on me.

It's an air of superiority that leads people to wear masks on the plane. It announces, "I listened to Dr. Celebrity on Channel 7 News!!! I don't want all the filthy germs of you filthy swine on this plane! I'm clean and wish to stay that way, and not get your filthy germs!!!" That's the arrogance and rudeness.

Originally Posted by itscolduphere

Sad also, that some people will go out of their way to try to scare someone or ruin their day by deliberately making them feel more uncomfortable, (by coughing) just to be a jerk.

I agree that it's pretty mean to do that, and I wouldn't do that. But I can understand the mentality behind it, and it goes with what I just said.

The reason they are doing that is because the people wearing masks look like they are trying to keep themselves clean from all the filthy people on the plane. And they are. So, some of the "filthy people" without masks are playing off your fears to offend you back. I wouldn't go that far, but I can see why some would.

Originally Posted by itscolduphere

I just wanted to post a nice story. Just as expected, in came the vultures. It's too bad people can't just share positive experiences on the internet without trolls, killjoys and just plain jerks.

So, everyone who's not a jerk, do me a favor.... leave rep points if you wish, but don't post on this thread, as you would just be feeding the negative.

I don't see it as such a positive experience. How would you feel if a total stranger offered you a breath mint, or a bar of soap so you could wash your hands? There is a message with your offering of a mask to the guy, that says, "Please wear this mask because I don't want my clean body infected by your filthy, infected air, so please wear this mask for my own feelings of well-being." That's arrogant and selfish, to treat a grown man like some kind of child or diseased animal for your own sense of security.

Sorry, the whole mask thing is really weird, especially considering the circumstances in that you're choosing to travel. If you're so keen on preventing the flu, stay home as much as possible.

[pitroad]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

I compared air travel to driving a Lexus.

on a lighter note, do you really think air travel these days is like a Lexus ? IMHO it's a Ford at best ... actually a Ford stuck in traffic

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Originally Posted by pitroad

on a lighter note, do you really think air travel these days is like a Lexus ? IMHO it's a Ford at best ... actually a Ford stuck in traffic

It's more like a Greyhound with wings!

But it's like a Lexus in some ways. It's the most expensive and overall the most comfortable way to travel. So someone who chooses a Lexus for its comfort despite the expense but then ruins some of that comfort by marring the car is defeating the purpose. Likewise, someone who pays more for a flight than for a Greyhound or Amtrak (or driving) only to then mar the experience by wearing masks as though the others on the plane are carrying a disease like leprosy is defeating the purpose. If someone really believes that the swine flu is so contagious that a plane is dangerous, that person should take a train or bus, or drive, or just not venture out of the home to go on a long trip. The fact that they don't think swine flu is so dangerous that they are willing to travel contradicts the mask wearing, in my opinion.l

[itscolduphere]

The man was horribly sick. The AIRLINE FAILED to do their duty to keep VERY sick people off the plane. The man I gave the mask to was irresponsible to go on the flight. You would not have wanted your kid on the flight. I did what I had to do to feel safe on that flight. I also don't think it was rude to offer him a mask if he was so selfish to risk everyone's health... HE was rude to fly so sick! If he didn't care about getting other people sick, then he gets no sympathy for having to endure a runny nose inside a mask for an hour.

So now you are calling me aloof for protecting my health from an irresponsible flying bio-bomb. People who are VERY sick (regardless of Swine flu or not) should stay home! The airlines are also not supposed to let them fly.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I guess I regret sharing my story. Maybe you feel good about that, Mr. Bergen.