masks when deliveries are handed off. Photo by: Becca Witkowski | Torch Photographer
Similar to how we have etiquette for dinner and online, it’s become a new normal to understand etiquette with your mask.
At this point, it is generally understood that people need to wear a mask when out in public, indoors and in spaces with a large group of people, but there are still differing ideas on whether people should be wearing their masks outside of the generally expected places.
Etiquette is defined as “the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.” It is also defined as something used to create personal security. Knowing expectations can make you feel comfortable in new situations.
Many people have opinions on what good practices of mask etiquette entails. Ferris junior Zay Gentry, who works at Jimmy Johns, said a good practice is to just put your mask on any time you leave the house.
“When you are about to walk into a building just throw your mask on above your nose and below your chin,” Gentry said. “This mask is literally here to protect you. Just sneeze into your mask, cough into your mask. Just for your own safety, honestly, it doesn’t get much deeper than that.”
Gentry also mentioned how interesting it is that some people coming into Jimmy Johns simply refuse to wear a mask and will throw a fit when asked to do so. For some people, it is believed that being asked to wear a mask has taken away their right as a person. One man even went as far as yelling at Gentry’s manager that he would not wear a mask and that they needed to serve him anyways.
According to Doordash’s Mask Policy on their website, “In order to protect the safety of all users of the DoorDash platform, as of August 31, all Dashers, Merchants, and Consumers who use the DoorDash platform must wear a face cover or mask while they are interacting with other platform users. This includes while deliveries are handed off from Merchants to Dashers or to Customers, and while deliveries are handed off from Dashers to Customers.”
Many workers say they are simply trying to do their job and don’t wish to cause any trouble with the customer for trying their best to keep everyone in the building as safe as possible. When it comes to entering a place it takes only seconds to put on a mask so that you can be considerate of others and have a sense of good etiquette with your facial covering.
Another important aspect of mask etiquette is to keep in mind to not touch your mask once it is on and to keep it over your nose and mouth. After having your mask on out in public touching it could be spreading germs onto your hands and then onto anything you touch. If you do decide to touch your mask make sure that your hands are clean before and after touching anything.
This method also goes along with when you take your mask off for the day. Another method of good mask etiquette can be in the form of communication.
“Being patient to those you are talking to,” Lucy Arbanas, a freshman working at the Optometry center as a secretary said. “The mask may cause misunderstandings and prevent the other person from hearing you. This also means you should be doing your part by speaking loudly, clearly, and using diction to make your point across.”
It’s important to be able to still have clear communication with others around you even if there is a slight boundary between reading each other’s expressions.