Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Debate The Merits Of Continuing To Wear A Mask In Public

People Debate The Merits Of Continuing To Wear A Mask In Public
Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

Many parts of the world are gradually lifting mask-wearing mandates in public spaces as the pandemic inches closer to the end.


Yet, not everybody is ready to ditch their N95s.

Some people are immunocompromised, and there are rising cases of COVID infections in certain parts of the world from newly discovered variants–which is enough of a reason for people to still cover up to protect themselves and from infecting others.

Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor -Omegamart- asked:

"Are you still wearing a mask in public? Why or why not?"

Wearing masks has become convenient for reasons you would totally expect.

The Perfect Cover UP

"I wear one to school because I have a nose ring and we're not allowed to have nose rings lol."

– firesidepoet

For The Insecure

"Without a mask I'm just ugly. With a mask I'm mysterious."

– Whole-Recover-8911

Grants Personal Space

"I have an average face, but terrifying/alluring serial killer eyes.... The mask gets me my own personal space without effort."

"The wife says I have the dead eyes of a shark..."

– escape1979uk

Joy Of Anonymity

"Went into a restaurant for pick up a few weeks ago. Saw a couple of people I knew but didn't want to talk to. I was wearing a hat, glasses and a mask. They didn't recognize me at all. Easy to avoid them."

– agreeingstorm9

Still Under Construction

"I am going through getting dental bridges so its a nice way to hide half-broken teeth."

– aBadBug

These people wear masks for the reason why the mandate was instituted in the first place.

For Safety

"Yes. My wife is immunocompromised as she is a transplant patient so I don't want to pass anything on to her."

– SirGreenDragon

Out Of Respect

"My youngest is a PTA. So many of her very young patients had Covid. She herself had RSV when she was three months old and was hospitalized. We still wear mask in public because of those that couldn't survive this virus that hasn't gone away."

– TaterMA

It's Still Risky

"I wear a mask because I interact with a lot of people every day and I don't know which ones are immunocompromised and do not want to take the risk of getting them sick."

"Why does that anger some people?"

– sharkira

It's Been Proven Effective

"I'm the type of guy that gets bad colds every summer and winter. I haven't had one in over two years since wearing a mask."

"Also a fair number of my neighbours are high-risk; even if I don't come down with 'it' (even if I'm all jabbed and boosted), I'd rather not pass 'it' on to them."

– neohylanmay

Never Again

"I stopped for a while. I got Covid this week. I am triple vaxxed and healthy and it knocked me on my a**. I’m masking from now on for two reasons."

  • "I want to avoid getting Covid again, it sucked."
  • "if it was that bad for me, I can’t imagine what it would be like for people more physically vulnerable. I want to reduce the spread to lower the risk for everyone."

– Astuary-Queen

Still In A Pandemic

"I wear one in public because covid isn't gone, people are still catching it, people see still dying or having to live with long covid and I fall into a vulnerable category. I don't trust others to do the right thing (isolate if positive) so I look after myself."

– LaraH39

It's Second Nature

"It's become a habit (I often put it on when I'm outside)."

"I work at a fast food restaurant."

"People won't talk to me as often."

– stinkylooloo89

With the TSA announcing they have gotten rid of the mask requirement on air travel, I'm still be wearing a mask.

I'm vaccinated, boosted, and I don't have an underlying medical condition that makes me vulnerable to infection, but wearing a mask on planes gives me a peace of mind somehow.

I've also gotten so used to wearing them as I've flown a lot, cautiously, during the pandemic, that boarding a plane without one would somehow make me feel naked.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Kim Kardashian; Kimi Antonelli
Pascal Le Segretain/WireImage/Getty Images; Luca Barsali/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Kim Kardashian Just Sent A Peace Offering After She Sparked Backlash By Stealing Teen F1 Driver's Towel

At just 19 years old, Andrea Kimi Antonelli seems barely old enough to have a driver's license. But instead of cruising around town with friends, he's driving over 200 miles per hour through the streets of major cities as a Formula One (F1) racer.

The Italian driver, who prefers to be called Kimi, isn't just an also ran either—he's already won won five Grand Prix races since his 2025 debut with Team Mercedes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hillary Clinton
Fox News; Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Ripped Live On Air After His Overtly Sexist Rant About Hillary Clinton's Place In History

Even Fox News personality Jesse Watters' own colleagues pushed back after he dismissed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as just a "female" who will be a "footnote" in history following her remarks that former President Joe Biden's reelection bid was a "terrible mistake" for the Democrats.

Clinton argued that Biden's first significant error was deciding to seek a second term after initially presenting himself as a bridge to a new generation of Democratic leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jon Ossoff; Donald Trump
MS NOW; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Jon Ossoff Masterfully Hits Back After 'Unstable' Trump Tries To Insult Him With Cringey New Nickname

Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff hit back at President Donald Trump after Trump branded him "Jon Os(jerk!)off" in an unhinged post following the Republican runoff results.

In this year's midterm election, Ossoff will face Representative Mike Collins, Trump's preferred candidate, after Collins defeated fellow Republican Derek Dooley in Tuesday's GOP runoff.

Keep ReadingShow less
Peter Doocy; Donald Trump
Fox News; Magali Cohen/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

Fox News Just Told The Truth About Why Iran Is So 'Eager' To Sign Onto Trump's New 'Deal'

In an unexpected twist for Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, nepo-baby White House correspondent Peter Doocy called out MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's deal to end the war he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel provoked with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz that was closed because of their actions.

The son of Fox News veteran Steve Doocy spoke to Fox News host Will Cain on Tuesday from Geneva, Switzerland, where Trump was attending the G7 Summit. Cain asked Doocy if he could hear what Trump said, to which he replied that he could and that he agreed with Trump's assertion that he's "very rich."

Keep ReadingShow less
Three children blowing out birthday candles; Tweet by @Liza137823
Dennis Hallinan/Getty Images; @Liza137823/X

X User Dragged After Complaining About Neighbor Hosting Birthday Party With Six Kids In Backyard

Not everyone likes children or hearing kid noises or activities, but when you are in close proximity to a child-friendly space, you're going to hear some of it, whether that's at a park or even living next door.

X user @Liza137823 got onto the platform expecting to receive validation and comfort from her fellow X users, but all she received were critiques when she complained about a kid's birthday party happening without getting her permission first.

Keep ReadingShow less