In Baltimore, the manager of a popular women’s clothing store is berated by a customer who charges behind the cash register counter, yelling and smacking her fist on the countertop.
What triggered such an emotional reaction?
What horrible thing had transpired?
What fighting words were spoken?
The spectacle, caught by a video surveillance camera at Brightside Boutique and broadcast by WJZ, started with a mask — an improperly worn one. The store requires the wearing of a face mask over mouth and nose indoors, which is exactly in compliance with current city regulations, by the way. The manager simply reminded the customer several times to follow the posted rules.
That’s when the fireworks began.
It would be one thing if such an episode were uncommon. It is not. Other store owners in the Baltimore area have spoken of similar encounters since public health restrictions went into effect in 2020.
And we’re likely in for an uptick in mask-related confrontations in indoor retail spaces in the days and weeks ahead, as national and state officials lift more mask requirements, while some local authorities and business owners choose to keep them in place.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that fully vaccinated individuals need not wear masks any longer, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan lifted a statewide mask mandate for all. The abrupt decisions were not especially well communicated, as many failed to hear the proverbial fine print: that local rules still prevailed and depend on local circumstances and situations.
And then, of course, there’s the ongoing misunderstandings about masks as well as the unfortunate politics of mask wearing that have plagued the COVID-19 pandemic since its early days.
So, let’s be clear: There is light at the end of the tunnel. The pandemic is headed toward an end, but it’s not quite there yet. There are still too many Americans reluctant or unable to get the vaccine and children who are, as yet, ineligible for it. And so, while government mandated restrictions do not need to be where they were at the peak of the outbreak, a certain amount of caution is sensible.
In Baltimore City, Mayor Brandon Scott indicated Tuesday that mask restrictions come off when 65% of city residents are partially vaccinated, instead of the current 52%. And even then, a store owner would be perfectly within their rights to still require masks of customers.
What’s really disappointing about this viral video is not that a customer became upset. We all have bad days. It’s that she and so many others appear to take being asked to wear a mask as a personal affront.
Looking at it this way: Being asked to wear a mask is not about limiting your freedom; it’s about giving you an opportunity to help others by protecting theirs. It makes you a good citizen.
There is also this thing called civility. The pandemic has been challenging and stressful for many. We get that. Yet something important is lost if we can’t have a calm interaction about something so trivial as wearing a strip of paper or cloth over our nose and mouth.
The day is coming when we might set them aside in most, if not all, situations, but it’s not here yet. Until then, let’s remember the golden rule and treat others as we would have them treat us, whether masked or not.
— The Baltimore Sun