RightOnRob

Dear fellow flyers. Please help me understand my dilemma.

I fly anywhere from 70k to 120k miles for the past years and have had my share of colds and flu after flying. I am tired of it so I do what I can do.

I have been wearing these specific masks on flights for the past year and I have never been healthier and happier. I wear specifically the Curad anti-viral flu mask, because if I dont I always catch a virus. It's inevitible on every single flight when there is cold weather without the mask, I catch a virus whether the flight is one hour or 15 hours. my immune system is obviously weaker than most.

My question is Why do most people hate it and a few react so negatively when I wear a surgical mask on flights? A few times downright nasty which were men around the age of 55 that have a problem with it. They were Very insensitive comments.

In the Midwest and southwest parts of the US some people cannot keep from staring at me like I am some scary dude walking down the same dark alley right behind them.

Most flight attendant are cool but I have had one FA that was scoffing and looked at me all pissed every time she came by and had to ask me something.
The behavior was very different than when she asked the 5 other passengers around me.

Please note I am not coughing or sneezing frequently when I travel with the mask.

I love traveling in Asia because everyone else is wearing one and it's like I am invisible. Traveling domestic US is like a battle.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

milepig

Cultural. For many in the US walking around with a mask on is seen as anti-social and rude.

hco

Cultural. People wear surgical masks here in Asia all the time. No one cares. I don't care.

flyinbob

Do you also drive in the right hand lane 10 miles per hour with your horn honking and emergency flashers on all the time?

Same thing.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

As said it is cultural. Most people not understand that at least in Asia the people who wear them are being polite about not spreading their cold (i thought it the opposite when bird flu was an issue). In North American I think the only people who at one time worn masks were those with HIV and had immunity issues. So just chalk it up to ignorance.

satman40

The Lone Ranger wore a mask....

Calliopeflyer

It's not ignorance, it's a different comfort level. I am not comfortable being around people in surgical masks -- as has been said, it's a cultural difference, but not cultural ignorance. To me, it separates one from the surrounding people and makes it difficult to communicate with them. (Yes, I also find it difficult to communicate with surgeons wearing masks.) I don't like being around people who try to distance and separate themselves from me - other people brought up in other cultures may feel differently.

Knowing the OP wears them to avoid catching a virus, rather than to avoid spreading one, makes me even more uncomfortable.

Wilbur

I have been wearing masks on aircraft for many, many years. You are correct that you will be The Lone Ranger on US flights unless there are Asian passengers on board.

If other passengers don't like it, too bad for them. They are welcome to look out the window instead.

Travel4Points

I wish the U.S. would become more like Asia regarding the surgical masks. I think all it would take is a US health authority recommending them and then companies jumping on board advertising them.

tangey

In that case you should feel down right uneasy when around people wearing headphones, whose intention is exactly to separate themselves from their general surroundings, and make communication impossible instead of difficult, whereas that's not the point of the mask.

I think many westerners look at the mask and think either

a) What disease does he/she have ?
b) He/she thinks the rest of us are unclean.

Badenoch

Cultural perceptions. As I understand it in Asia masks are worn by people who are or feel they may be getting sick as a courtesy to other people.

In North America, wearing a mask is done to prevent the wearer from getting sick and is regarded as a judgemental statement on everyone around you.

I don't care if you wear a mask. Just don't try and force me to wear one if I have the sniffles.

mickeydfly13

They think YOU'RE the one who is sick and shouldn't be traveling if sick enough to need a mask.

nlkm9

I wore a mask a few years ago when I had a bronchitis that wouldnt let go and I wanted to protect myself and others.
When I see someone with a mask, I just figure they are doing that or they are perhaps undergoing treatment that lowers their immunity.

PWMTrav

The solution to this is that we all start wearing Venetian Carnevale masks.

pinniped

When I see one, I generally assume the person is either sick or worried that he/she may be contagious - or I'm in a city/region where there is a current or recent outbreak of an unusual virus. I've traveled in Asia a couple times where I saw many, many masks on airplanes and trains. I'm not offended at all.

I haven't given much thought to the fact that the person may be healthy but view me as unclean. And I think I will continue *not* giving that much thought...