Refusing to wear a mask

When you've got a president like Trump who says the things he says, it's no wonder that there are a lot of people in the USA who don't seem to realise the threat that Covid is causing and seem to think they can just go on doing what they were doing before the pandemic started. I recall Nicola Sturgeon saying to the Scottish people quite soon after the pandemic started here that if the people were living their lives as normal, they shouldn't be, they should change how they lived.
Don't know what to suggest about your son - I think you have to do what your conscience tells you.

Re the Queen not wearing a mask the other day, apparently every single person around her was tested beforehand so that she could speak without wearing a mask.

Could you say, sort of, " I note you don't wear a face mask" and leave it that , no judgement, no comment?

Wear a mask next time you Facetime him. Then say something like 'Oops, I forgot, we're so used to wearing masks here. No, don't worry, I'm fine, just socially responsible!!'

Thanks Jane10 I prefer the direct approach but have taken the advice of fellow gransnetters and now he knows my position will not be bringing the subject up again.
He’s been in the USA far too long.

Sparklefizz I don’t think the Queen posed a risk to anyone, or they to her, but she should lead by example.

It just stinks of “one rule for us, another for the plebs”.

Well said Esspee, we are being scammed big time by the so-called experts. This is all about control, not the virus.

Think I would make a joke of it - " you don't want to hide that gorgeous smile?" and he might explain valid reasons

I live in the US. I know people who have died and have gotten sick from Covid. Yet my state has many anti maskers.
I would not say anything about his choice but maybe state that you feel differently being older.
Honestly it’s because our president is not taking this virus seriously that young people feel this way. My friends in the medical field say these anti maskers are making it bad for those of us who adhere to the protocols.
Can you imagine that a governor was going to be kidnapped and killed for mandating mask wearing in Michigan?
And our president says nothing about it.
If we get a new leader your son may think differently.

ive challenged bus passengers that are not wearing masks and the abuse you get is unbelievable..Bus drivers in UK have been told not to challenge anyone not wearing a mask...which is why NX buses are fullof non mask wearing passengers as theyve noticed they can get on without a mask and the driver wont say anything

Don't fall out with him. You won't change his opinion or actions and he's a long way away - far too easy to stop communicating when the relationship is long distance.

generally the pattern is mostly 20 ish females not wearing masks...i do challenge the occasional male....but its rare as im seeing its mostly females not wearing masks...lots of females ..and lots of teenage females especially at stops near schools, that seem to think mask wearing doesnt apply to them..I see females staring at themselves on their iphones , playing with their hair, preening themselves, texting ,taking selfies and adding snapchat filters to their selfies.. etc etc, which is obviously more important to them than wearing masks.. Grown up females seem to realise this is not a joke and is not going to go away any time soon.. Where as the 16 to 20 to 25 ish females are not wearing masks..I think its partly the fault of bus drivers .. Your typical teenage student ish age females are noticing they can get on buses and theyve noticed the drivers dont say anything.. and thats because NX have told their drivers not to challenge anyone not wearing a mask. So when a passenger challenges them they seem rather shocked and dish out the predictable abuse.. You only have to read comments in the Metro paper made from readers saying they have received abuse themselves when challenging non mask wearers...to see that the non mask wearing is not limited to just birmingham .

another NX bus incident

female gets on not wearing a mask..bus was fairly empty at this point

when she gets ready to get off, i pointed to my face mask

passenger.... im exempt

im guessing she had asthma..but im not her doctor

me..bullocks

passenger...what?

me..i said bullocks...your exemption wont stop you from getting it...and it wont stop you spreading it to passengers on the bus and to anyone you have come into contact with

passenger ...i know

me ...so why arent you wearing a mask

she got off

suziewoozie

There’s all the difference in the world between saying you disagree with him and having a big row. I am truly baffled by so many posters thinking that disagreeing with an AC would threaten the relationship . Especially as he brought the topic up in the first place. PS I hope his wife is nothing like Melania.

I agree with Suzie on this. I would ask him why he has come to this decision and then agree to disagree.

andymorris

ive challenged bus passengers that are not wearing masks and the abuse you get is unbelievable..Bus drivers in UK have been told not to challenge anyone not wearing a mask...which is why NX buses are fullof non mask wearing passengers as theyve noticed they can get on without a mask and the driver wont say anything

It can be dangerous for a bus driver to challenge somebody as happened in Narbonne in France when 4 guys attacked and killed a bus driver for doing just that; it's not worth risking your life.

incident on NX bus few days ago

i get on ..a 18ish female gets on ..not wearing a mask...a 50 ish female gets on wearing a mask...The mask wearer looks at the non mask wearer,and then she looks at me..she didnt say anything but i knew exactly what she was going to say

me. to the mask wearer......yes i was thinking exactly the same. ,

mask wearer to non mask wearer.....you should be wearing a mask

non mask wearer...oh but im an asthmatic

mask wearer....so am i..but im still wearing a mask

me...to the mask wearer but loud enough for most of the bus to hear.....people that think they have exemptions seem to think that their exemptions will stop them from getting it...NO IT WONT

no response from non mask wearer

about 10 mins later the mask wearer gets off...then few mins later the non mask wearer suddenly gets a mask out ....and puts it on

me to the now mask wearer.......wow thats amazing....your asthma has suddenly gone ......you can wear a mask without quoting your pathetic excuse now cant you ?

no response

He is a grown man and despite what you say , I don't think it would make any difference . You could explain how you feel about the matter but it looks like he has made his mind up . It would be the grandchildren I worry about because they are not be educated about the virus by there father .

Esspee, we can’t police everything and everybody. Just let it go.

I went into Aldi The other day, mask on, sanitise hands, all ready to shop. I was followed by an old man, no mask and no sanitising. I kept my distance and made sure I didn’t touch anything that he did.
Even if I hadn’t seen him avoid the sanitiser I would have kept well away. Maybe safer than trusting people that ‘appear’ to be adhering to good principles?

Say nothing.
You can bring children up really well but once they leave home, they can be as good or as stupid as they choose.
If he knows your views, then he’s trying to get a response that he can argue with. Respond, and it could be the start of a feud that goes on well past COVID and could result in alienating your DIL and GC too, as he will most likely share your response with them and then justify himself. They will undoubtedly support him.
If he pushes it and asks what you think and you feel you MUST reply, just say something like, “It’s up to you.”

QUOTE....It can be dangerous for a bus driver to challenge somebody as happened in Narbonne in France when 4 guys attacked and killed a bus driver for doing just that; it's not worth risking your life.

ME..yes i saw on the news about that...from a UK point of view...and a NX point of view...it means that NXdrivers are putting their own safety BEFORE the safety of their passengers...Are french drivers protected by a screen like UK bus drivers are..Do french buses have bus alarms like UKbuses have... Can french bus drivers contact their garage like UK bus drivers can ..Can french drivers contact police like UK bus drivers can

andymorris

incident on NX bus few days ago

i get on ..a 18ish female gets on ..not wearing a mask...a 50 ish female gets on wearing a mask...The mask wearer looks at the non mask wearer,and then she looks at me..she didnt say anything but i knew exactly what she was going to say

me. to the mask wearer......yes i was thinking exactly the same. ,

mask wearer to non mask wearer.....you should be wearing a mask

non mask wearer...oh but im an asthmatic

mask wearer....so am i..but im still wearing a mask

me...to the mask wearer but loud enough for most of the bus to hear.....people that think they have exemptions seem to think that their exemptions will stop them from getting it...NO IT WONT

no response from non mask wearer

about 10 mins later the mask wearer gets off...then few mins later the non mask wearer suddenly gets a mask out ....and puts it on

me to the now mask wearer.......wow thats amazing....your asthma has suddenly gone ......you can wear a mask without quoting your pathetic excuse now cant you ?

no response

From this and your previous post, you sound rather aggressive. I'd have got off the bus too!

i was on bus when some inspectors got on checking tickets.. There was 2 female passengers that i noticed had got on not wearing masks , about half hour before inspectors got on ...As soon as the inspectors got on ..the 2 non mask wearers suddenly got masks out and put them on ..I said to one of them....." so you only put masks on when inspectors get on ? " She seemed surprised that anyone had questioned her non mask wearing.. I told the inspectors that the 2 females only put their masks on when the inspectors got on ....That proves they have no exemption

i was on a bus few days ago...a woman got on carrying shopping bags not wearing a mask....She said to the driver that she would show him her bus pass when she put her shopping down...She walked on bus, put her shopping down on a seat, She got a mask out from her bag , and put mask on ...showed her bus pass to the driver and sat down .. She then took her mask off and put it back in her bag.. That PROVES she has no exemption....she just put a mask on so it looked like she was wearing a mask

He’s told you what he believes. Tell him what you believe! And btw his opinion might be right. Please don’t think you are just because the word pandemic includes the word panic and the press, media and scientists love putting the willies up you all.

Dying from coronavirus is a terrible way to suffer.

Even if you survive it the long term consequences are horrendous for some people.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54296223

Entirely up to you how you respond but I couldn't stay silent. I wouldn't get angry, but I would show my disappointment.

What about the 'trophy wife'? Does she wear a mask?