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The trend towards making (non-medical) masks mandatory in many public places (especially indoor spaces) is giving new meaning to those words. Remember all the furor around religious garb, especially in Quebec? "Around here, we show our faces to get service!" was the rallying cry of a number of politicians - often the same ones who once decreed that you couldn't do anything without a Social Insurance Number or a Pension Number or some other sort of number, whereas names and faces were pretty much immaterial.
Personally I do wear a mask for shopping and I wore one on OC Transpo even before they decided to make them compulsory. But I'm rather wary of officials policing the situation, especially if it gets to the point of stiff fines and other penalties. Extenuating circumstances do exist, more often than one might think - zero tolerance makes zero sense.
Moreover, masks can be uncomfortable, especially in hot weather. They can make effective communication difficult. And they're not always readily obtainable, even if financial constraints do not stand in the way.
A better option for many might be face shields:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/buckner-face-shields-demand-1.5613976
No doubt they cost more and are probably more difficult to cobble together with tools and supplies you might have at home, but I think I might like to give them a try. And maybe there are further options we haven't thought of yet?
If we do move towards an enforcement model for masks in public places, I wonder what the position will be on face shields?
I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
Personally I do wear a mask for shopping and I wore one on OC Transpo even before they decided to make them compulsory. But I'm rather wary of officials policing the situation, especially if it gets to the point of stiff fines and other penalties. Extenuating circumstances do exist, more often than one might think - zero tolerance makes zero sense.
Moreover, masks can be uncomfortable, especially in hot weather. They can make effective communication difficult. And they're not always readily obtainable, even if financial constraints do not stand in the way.
A better option for many might be face shields:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/buckner-face-shields-demand-1.5613976
No doubt they cost more and are probably more difficult to cobble together with tools and supplies you might have at home, but I think I might like to give them a try. And maybe there are further options we haven't thought of yet?
If we do move towards an enforcement model for masks in public places, I wonder what the position will be on face shields?
I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
