I was quite lucky to be able to work remotely fairly soon after I got my next job after the Furlough debacle (see previous post for details) Until then though, I was travelling into the office every day...from the other side of London! I was prepared to do it, as the job was worth it (at the time - perhaps another story in the works!) but, boy, there sure was some interesting experiences, I tell ya!
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Down to ignorance, lack of awareness of what everyone else is doing and terrible education on TfL's part, there are just SO MANY noses on show! As a designer I shake my head at the A3 posters everywhere displaying a person's face with absolutely no features at all save for a mask and eyes. You've no idea if there is a nose there. You can tut and say of course there is a nose, but the importance of design is to state the obvious, to be absolutely clear in your message. So it's no wonder people are not covering their noses. They don't see it on the posters. I imagine there was no briefing of what the message was here, in fact they probably didn't even get a designer to do it. A member of staff probably took the image off Google (this is what it feels like to me.)
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I feel I need to do some research into what makes you an exempt person so that I stop glaring at people without masks. Or have some sort of label to signify thus, so that I can glare at the people who don't! I know the issue of having to wear a label of some kind insulted those exempt, but surely, people making the assumption that you're just not wearing a mask is more of an insult? Or maybe I should stop thinking about other people so much, and just focus on myself?!
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Like myself, many people now line the platform in the morning gobbling the breakfast they would usually eat on the train as fast as they can away from others before the train arrives. Of course some disregard this awareness of others and spend the whole journey eating as if nothing has changed, but most think "Well, I still need to eat to keep my energy up, so I better do it now." I have found myself getting to the station earlier so I can find a nice space to be unmasked.
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Something that has always got under my collar is the way the government slip in empty threats here and there. In Victoria, there is an A2 poster (with the same noseless person) stating no mask could mean a fine of up to £3,200! Then, when I was in St Pancras, there was a sign saying £6,400! Empty threat. I've been travelling everyday on trains and tubes since September. I've yet to see anyone being fined or even being questioned on their unmasked appearance. You just don't see it happen. So threats like these aren't going to work.
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What do you think the mistake was here? I noticed the overlapping of tape on one window sign, then couldn't help but check others as well, it was the same for every sign I saw on that train!
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What a difference BJ*'s load of waffle made! The central line tube was packed, every seat taken, every gap held a person stood. It was as if we were back to normal. This shook me a little partly because I was not expecting this and because I suffer with claustrophobia, so I just got off half way and had a little break.
And then back to tumble weed travel the next day. I can only guess that with the announcement of "work from home if you can" that companies said "right, come and get all of your stuff, your desk plant and coffee cup, do what you need to do in person then go", which is why it was so busy the day before.
* I believe you might know him as the current Prime Minister of the UK...
Disclaimer: There are no ill intentions with this post. I am attempting to keep light hearted in actually quite a traumatic time. All opinions are my own I acknowledge and respect that you might have different thoughts to me.