Masks...

[pmv]

Again I heard this said openly and near-CONSTANTLY early in the pandemic on NYC news .... not sure where you guys who somehow managed to miss it get your information but I'd look into making a change.

(or maybe scrape the wax out of your ears lol)

No, I only heard it being stated that that was the main reason, _after_ the change in advice over masks. Prior to that, though it might have been mentioned occasionally, the primary emphasis was all on how 'masks don't help' and 'only professionals know how to wear them properly'. Probably I could dredge up the BBC podcast from earlier in the pandemic, where they went into great detail about how useless masks were for non-medical-professionals (it was on the "Inside Health" podcast/Radio Four program).

Plus, once the advice changed, it was openly stated in more than one source that they said all that about masks being useless because they were worried about the shortage of masks for medical use. I even recall some explicit hand-wringing as to whether that was the right way to do it or if they should have just been open about wanting to preserve masks for medical professionals.

 

[Captante]

No, I only heard it being stated that that was the main reason, _after_ the change in advice over masks. Prior to that, though it might have been mentioned occasionally, the primary emphasis was all on how 'masks don't help' and 'only professionals know how to wear them properly'. Probably I could dredge up the BBC podcast from earlier in the pandemic, where they went into great detail about how useless masks were for non-medical-professionals (it was on the "Inside Health" podcast/Radio Four program).

Plus, once the advice changed, it was openly stated in more than one source that they said all that about masks being useless because they were worried about the shortage of masks for medical use. I even recall some explicit hand-wringing as to whether that was the right way to do it or if they should have just been open about wanting to preserve masks for medical professionals.

I clearly recall hearing multiple daily reports to that effect (masks were being saved for med-staff) on AM NYC News 880 radio while I was still sitting in my office in March 2020. We shut fully down on March 21st so it was def before then.

To be fair they WERE intermixed with constant conflicting information from supposedly "expert" sources so its no wonder the average Joe on the street is still confused about masks to this day.

Unfortunately a LOT of the "News" these days seems to be more geared towards manipulation rather than informing and this topic is a prime example.

 

[MtnMan]

AFAIK, Costco does no curbside pickup. Neither do my local indy supermarket or Trader Joe's. I mask up, also try to shave so my mask has airtight fit. I look at guys who mask over a beard and wonder if they are using their brains.

Sam's Club started curbside fairly early, and a local grocery chain, Ingle's, that dominates the area did also. Both have made it appear this will be a permanent option for a while, in that they have painted pickup spaces in the parking lot and erected more permanent signs. Sam's even reorganized the store and added coolers near an unused door for employees doing curbside delivery to use. The local Harris Teeter has had curbside long before COVID came on the scene.

Virtually every business made accommodation for curbside, from our local ACE hardware to the bird food store where my wife purchases food for the birds.

 

[Captante]

Sam's Club started curbside fairly early, and a local grocery chain, Ingle's, that dominates the area did also. Both have made it appear this will be a permanent option for a while, in that they have painted pickup spaces in the parking lot and erected more permanent signs. Sam's even reorganized the store and added coolers near an unused door for employees doing curbside delivery to use. The local Harris Teeter has had curbside long before COVID came on the scene.

Virtually every business made accommodation for curbside, from our local ACE hardware to the bird food store where my wife purchases food for the birds.

Same here .... many places in CT went out of their way to promote it too.

Personally I never used curbside myself, either had stuff delivered or shopped in-person in smaller stores with less exposure.

 

[Muse]

Sam's Club started curbside fairly early, and a local grocery chain, Ingle's, that dominates the area did also. Both have made it appear this will be a permanent option for a while, in that they have painted pickup spaces in the parking lot and erected more permanent signs. Sam's even reorganized the store and added coolers near an unused door for employees doing curbside delivery to use. The local Harris Teeter has had curbside long before COVID came on the scene.

Virtually every business made accommodation for curbside, from our local ACE hardware to the bird food store where my wife purchases food for the birds.

I did one curbside only so far, being a Home Depot. My local HD's didn't support it, I had to drive ~15 miles, then back. All those businesses you mention don't AFAIK exist anywhere around here (Bay Area). The stores I typically patronize (Costco, local indy supermarket, Trader Joe's) have no CSP. We have Ace hardware stores but have no idea if they support it or not here, maybe it's on an individual basis, like Home Depot.

 

[Captante]

I did one curbside only so far, being a Home Depot. My local HD's didn't support it, I had to drive ~15 miles, then back. All those businesses you mention don't AFAIK exist anywhere around here (Bay Area). The stores I typically patronize (Costco, local indy supermarket, Trader Joe's) have no CSP. We have Ace hardware stores but have no idea if they support it or not here, maybe it's on an individual basis, like Home Depot.

Incidentally I snapped the rubber band on on of those 3M N95's yesterday and immediately thought of you lol! (I did have a spare)



It was however the first one of the 3M's to fail on me and I've been wearing them a lot so I think they did slightly improve the straps.

 

[Muse]

Incidentally I snapped the rubber band on on of those 3M N95's yesterday and immediately thought of you lol! (I did have a spare)



It was however the first one of the 3M's to fail on me and I've been wearing them a lot so I think they did slightly improve the straps.

I figured either carry a spare or replace all those rubber straps with elastic straps. The latter is what I eventually settled on.