Who would have thought, this time last year, that we’d see the day come where people are punching each other out on public transit over who is wearing a face mask, and who is not.
Yet here we are.
On Saturday, two men mixed it up on a bus in Surrey, at 96th Avenue and Scott Road, spurred likely by pandemic stress, and very likely by adherence – or not – to TransLink’s mandatory mask rule, to wear one while you’re riding.
This led to TransLink’s CEO calling on passengers not to try to enforce the mask rule themselves, seeing what it might get you.
READ ALSO: TransLink CEO asks riders not to enforce mask rules after Surrey bus punch-up
We don’t profess to be able to read people’s minds. Not sure we’d want to. But is it possible, for argument’s sake, that the following thoughts might have been passing through the two combatant’s minds prior to fists flying:
Guy not wearing mask: “What a jerk, trying to force me to wear a mask. Nobody tells me what to do. I wish he’d get out of my face.”
Guy wearing mask: “What a jerk, refusing to wear a mask. Maybe endangering others. I wish he’d get out of my face.”
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that some people – many people – don’t give a flip about other people or their concerns.
Maybe we should. Rather, definitely we should.
Some people approach this mask-wearing business like it’s their own personal Alamo. Human obstinacy, as it is, dictates that people will get firmly entrenched, as some clearly are, on this mask issue.
Here’s a thought: How about people who choose not to wear a mask give those who do a wide berth. Same goes for those who choose to wear a mask.
You know, be considerate. Now, isn’t that a novel idea?
– Now-Leader
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