Why is everyone in Austin wearing masks OUTSIDE? (Impact: live, floors)

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Jdevelop5

I just returned from Birmingham Alabama and I would say indoor mask wearing is at 99%. Where in the south are people not wearing masks?

I travel between here and Atlanta pretty much monthly. Go to Atlanta's suburbs, heck even some of the intown areas.. ..you'll quickly find out. Even here in TX, in the more suburban / exurban areas mask usage declines or becomes hit or miss.

[dozener]

A lot of places in the south outside of city centers seem relaxed about mask use outdoors. At least that’s been my experience too in GA and FL. The most anal mask nazi I came across was in Virginia where this guy was scolding people for not being masked on a trail

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I travel between here and Atlanta pretty much monthly. Go to Atlanta's suburbs, heck even some of the intown areas.. ..you'll quickly find out. Even here in TX, in the more suburban / exurban areas mask usage declines or becomes hit or miss.

In Round Rock, mask usage in the stores I frequent is 99.5% with the exception of the goobers who don't give an F about other people.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by riaelise

In Round Rock, mask usage in the stores I frequent is 99.5% with the exception of the goobers who don't give an F about other people.

Yeah same here, inside most stores its usually fine. Austin metro in general seems a bit more on the apt side about how Covid-19 is being handled overall. I haven't been inside many buildings in Houston lately but I have seen crowds together right outside of buildings and nobody wearing them, just outside of Uptown area. I did end up going to an auto mechanic not long ago here in Leander and they weren't wearing them. I personally don't throw a fuss over it though... when I see something potentially alarming social distancing or mask related I just don't go there.

[Trainwreck20]

Originally Posted by USMC0372

Why are motorcycle riders wearing surgical masks and not wearing helmets?????

Keeps the bugs out of their teeth

[Need4Camaro]

Yea admittedly TX isn’t the place to be for someone afraid of bugs. I have my own personal exterminators at home... cats .. I’d imagine they’re the only reason I haven’t seen invasive species of varieties I’ve never even knew existed before.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by Jdevelop5

I just got back from another city and have noticed something peculiar in Austin. 99% of people are wearing masks OUTSIDE in Austin? I’m not talking about on busy downtown sidewalks or restaurant patios. I’m talking about in Home Depot and HEB parking lots where there isn’t another person close by. The city I was in has 99% mask compliance indoors but people remove their masks upon going outside.

Can someone explain this thought process/logic? There is no reputable scientific or public health source that recommends wearing masks outside where social distancing is possible. What am I missing? I’ve also noticed a lot of people in Austin wearing masks while driving alone. What’s the reasoning?

Most all the stores require a mask to enter. My guess is the people wearing a mask in the parking lots of HEB and Home Depot because they want to have theirselves together in order to enter the store immediately once they get to the door; and then when they leave the store, they're so used to wearing the mask they don't even notice they are wearing it until they get into the car.

I never kept score of the people wearing masks vs people not wearing masks while walking along public sidewalks or hanging around outdoors, but it seems to me that less than 50% of the people I see are not wearing a mask. I think it would closer to 20% than 50%.

I have seen a few peoole wearing masks while driving, but they are a small minority. I'm not judging, but just brainstorming, I think alot of the people who wear masks while driving might have the a-systematic virus and they wear it to protect their family members for when they are in the car. Giving it some thought, if the person was to sneeze while driving, they might spread their germs all over the car. And some people are just paranoid or extra cautious, or maybe they just feel comfortable wearing a mask. And maybe some people just forgot to take their mask off if they been to the store.

[Jdevelop5]

Originally Posted by riaelise

You're being a tad melodramatic here. There is no "harm" to society in not seeing my face and who cares if someone sees my smile or not. I don't smile much anyway and my facial expressions can be very clear - my lowered eyebrows mean I'm pissed off and there's a person's body language.

Wearing a mask reduces risk of airborne transmission. You don't know what the person's health is. If they choose to wear a mask outside, does it REALLY matter?

Good grief I don't know what the big deal is about a mask. Thank God Ebola didn't make it over here. We'd all be bleeding to death.

You ignore it if you like but you are simply mistaken regarding the science behind people seeing others smiles and facial expressions.

For a light reading google the recent Time Magazine article titled What We Lose When We Hide Our Smiles Behind a Mask. Or the AP article titled Losing Face: The Rise of the Mask, and What’s Lost Behind It.

Or try Psychology Today’s recent article titled The Impact of a World Without Smiles.

There is no risk of airborne transmission when a person is outdoors and not in close proximity to others.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Jdevelop5

You ignore it if you like but you are simply mistaken regarding the science behind people seeing others smiles and facial expressions.

For a light reading google the recent Time Magazine article titled What We Lose When We Hide Our Smiles Behind a Mask. Or the AP article titled Losing Face: The Rise of the Mask, and What’s Lost Behind It.

Or try Psychology Today’s recent article titled The Impact of a World Without Smiles.

There is no risk of airborne transmission when a person is outdoors and not in close proximity to others.

I’m sorry but of all the conflicts, disputes, and disagreements that have arose over COVID-19 ... this is by far the least of our worries.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I’m sorry but of all the conflicts, disputes, and disagreements that have arose over COVID-19 ... this is by far the least of our worries.

No kidding.
I could care less if people in parking lots are smiling or not.
Maybe the OP would feel better if everyone wore one of these?