I've been mostly driving east from my house for business, deeper into Texas, ever since New Mexico's nutcase governor reimposed indoor mask mandates for everyone. She obviously prefers superstition to science.
I mentioned earlier that compliance wasn't universal, but I'm done with masks so when given the choice I'll avoid conflict.
But the bank I visit most often is west of my house, in NM, and I needed to go there today.
On the front door of the bank was a sign announcing that the governor requires masks to be worn indoors, by everyone, regardless of vaccination status. The bank's sign didn't say anything about them requiring masks, just a factual statement about what the governor declared. I noted the political criminal's wishes and went on with my life. I didn't put on a mask.
Inside, the only other customer was also not wearing a mask. Both tellers had masks-- under their chins, not covering either their mouth or nose, The one other bank employee I saw was wearing a mask.
Again, mask compliance isn't high. This ends when enough of us refuse to play along.
I continue to see the same thing in Alachua County, Florida.
ReplyDeleteThe county commission re-imposed a mask mandate, utilizing a loophole in the governor's order against them (they have to chant particular magic words like "emergency" and vote every so often to keep the mandate in place instead of it being automatic until they repeal it).
At some of the larger stores, perhaps 50% of the shoppers max, and most of the employees, are wearing masks. At most of the smaller stores, few of the shoppers or employees are, and nobody's saying a cross word to anyone else about it.
During the previous mask mandate, obedience was close to 100% and the stores themselves made an effort to enforce it. Now, the stores seem to have decided that if the county commission wants a mandate, the county commission is going to have to enforce it.
I haven't visited any of the larger stores in New Mexico since the first week or so after the mandate was re-imposed. I live 6 and a half blocks into Texas, but the closest shopping town in in New Mexico, so that's where I generally went until there was a good reason not to. Now, instead of driving 13 miles to get to the stores in NM, I drive 20 to get to the stores in Texas, where there aren't even any signs on the doors about masks (except a couple that are obviously old and just haven't been removed yet).
DeleteMaybe one person out of 20 is still masked up in Texas stores. Who knows what their health situation might be, they are generally elderly or look unhealthy... But they aren't karening it over anyone.
I saw someone online claiming that wearing masks is now illegal in Texas. That's ignorant. I've never (since the coronapanic set in) seen anyone forced to remove their mask in Texas. Not even now. Where masks are concerned, people are left alone to do what they want.
It's interesting to live right on the state line where it's so easy to see the differences, even though this area of NM is more Texas-like than the areas around ABQ and Santa Fe.