Why did you/your husband not offer up the aisle seat ?

The bandage analogy doesn't work because there is a benefit to me for wearing one to cover a weeping wound. Wearing a mask is inconvenient and uncomfortable and carries with it no benefit other than a some silly sense of altruism resulting from mollifying the over-sensitive. Your platoon comparison doesn't work either as its members are part of a group that depends on each other and needs all members reasonably fit to perform a collective function. If someone else on the flight gets sick it is of little or no immediate consequence.

My societal obligations to a large cabin full of complete strangers are met by not sneezing on them, using a tissue to blow my nose and washing my hands. Should someone still feel threatened they are welcome to wear a mask if they so choose but are ill-advised to demand I wear one.

You are absolutely right and I apologise. It's absolutely absurd to consider undergoing some minor inconvenience and discomfort in order to significantly reduce the risk of illness to other human beings; the correct decision is of course the one that assigns the utility of all other human beings a value of "zero" except where they can be of direct benefit to oneself. Logically, I shall also leave taps on in bathrooms when I leave them (after all, I bear absolutely no consequence for that action) and will most certainly not say thanks to a waiter in a restaurant I won't be revisiting.

I do apologise and shall ensure that my future posting more strictly adheres to the DSM V definition of "sociopath".

Most public washrooms have moved to faucets that automatically turn off should people leave them on. The waiter doesn't care whether you said thank-you providing you left an adequate tip.

My degree of inconvenience extends in this circumstance to covering my mouth appropriately when I sneeze or cough, using tissues and washing my hands. Assuaging the anxiety of the overwrought has limits. Meanwhile someone who "assigned the utility of all other human beings a value of 'zero'" would simply sneeze on you without concern.

Wait, there's a special sociopath discussion area on FT???

Anyway, back on topic. I think the last few posters are violently agreeing with each other. Nobody is suggesting that covering your mouth when sneezing/coughing and washing hands frequently for the good of other peoples' health is a bad thing. In fact, most posters are saying the opposite. Where the discussion splits is whether an ill person should be made to wear a mask - which has minimal effect in preventing the spread of germs but makes others feel better - when it's uncomfortable and not the done thing for every culture.

I'm with Badenoch on this one. We don't expect sick people to wear masks on any other public place, so why should we expect it on an aeroplane?

True but medication to stop you from sneezing is cheap and readily available.

Not even in a hospital? That's... nasty.

Every time I have gone to a hospital or a clinic, there is a free supply of masks and gloves right at the entrance requesting you use them if you have cough, cold, or other respiratory problems. Seen it on some patient doors too.
Is it just to lull us, pacify the lawyers or what ?

Note to self

Pick up a few masks , put it in carry ons. One for me. one for the "cougher".

Doesn't anyone learn from disaster movies?

:D:p

Way to nit-pick the argument by using an obvious exception. Actually it kind of proves my point - hospitals are maybe the one place where we DO EXPECT sick people to wear a mask. Or at least the hospital does, if they feel so strongly about it that they put free masks and signage at the hospital entrance.

But otherwise, no, we don't expect sick people to wear masks in other forms of public transport, shops, parks etc. We expect sick people not to come to work, but usually people do anyway and I've never even heard anyone make the argument that they should wear a mask.

I'll admit, I hate it when anyone even sneezes near me as I am usually quite susceptible to colds, and I wish the person would go 1000 miles away from where I am. I've also been near sick people on a plane and it's torture. But still I can't say I expect more of them than to try use tissues, wash hands, cough away from people, etc. Being around sick people from time to time is unfortunately something we just have to live with.

SARS was the turning point for wearing masks in Hong Kong. Previously, it was one of those things that the Japanese did out of consideration for others. During SARS people here were wearing them although they weren't sick. It was protective. That trend continues 16 years on, but again for protection.

So mask-wearing can be considerate or protective. If you* don't care about others, you* won't wear one. And if you* don't care about yourself, you* won't wear one.


* Figurative 'you'.