social graces
People not wearing masks — what to do?
A: The way you do it is the key. Say something in a polite tone such as, “Would you kindly take a few steps back? I’m doing my part to social distance, and I have no further space to back up on my end.” Your tone of voice is important.
As much as you might feel irritated, if the person is not in your immediate vicinity, it’s probably best to stay in your own lane, especially when going out of your way to chastise other people means getting in their space, violating the 6-feet rule.
If it’s your family members or close friends, speak your mind. But confronting strangers may put you in physical danger in more ways than one, since you don’t know their behavior. If someone is standing too close and not wearing a mask, you might say, “Excuse me, but I’m concerned about our close proximity and the fact that you aren’t wearing a mask. Let’s both take several steps back.”
A: If I see people out in public not wearing a mask, I make sure they are aware that I am going to stay away from them. Basically, distance yourself farther from them.
When I am outside walking with my son, I have sometimes even said loudly, “Let’s make sure to get away from that person. She is not wearing a mask.” I have hopes that the person not wearing the mask can hear me.
In this day and age, being a person of color, you can never tell when people want to get confrontational. I tend to just figure that I am going to worry about my own safety because I want to believe they are informed.
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