Strange encounter yesterday

[thewayne]

I've been needing to take the trash out to the dumpster. Saturday our oldest poodle did a runner, so I took out one bag, and he'd returned. Yesterday I took out another. Now, when I take out a bag of trash, I'm wearing my mask. I don't need to, but I need to practice it because a week from today I'm back to work, and I need to get used to wearing it while exerting. It's maybe 200-300 yards to the skip, so a bit of a distance.

Yesterday was interesting. There was a guy out washing off his steps. Now, he shouldn't have been doing that because we're under both fire restrictions and water restrictions - didn't have much of a winter. He saw me walking up the road and turned off the hose and walked away.

It's possible that he'd finished what he was doing, but it looked like he deliberately did it to not be near me as I walked by the front of his house. Very curious.

It's not like I was ringing a bell shouting "UNCLEAN!", I don't know if he was paranoid, or afraid of getting into a confrontation, or what. I was perfectly willing to explain that (A) I'm going back to work in a week and need the practice wearing a masks, and (B) missing half my immune system. I think that's perfectly reasonable. I don't have to go to the potentially argumentative point of (C) wearing a mask protects you from me. This particular mask doesn't, as it has a valve that only closes when I breathe in.

Anyway, somewhat strange encounter.

Comments

[elayna]

That actually sounds really common to me. I walk around my neighborhood regularly and it feels a bit odd, like we're all looking at each other and going, "Eww! Cooties!" but everyone gives everyone else space. Mostly we're not wearing masks, but we act the same either way.

I hope the mask wearing goes well for you. I've only worn mine during grocery store runs, but it seems like it would be difficult for an entire day.

[thewayne]

I'm going to be wearing one for upwards of six hours, taking it off to go outside for lunch.  It'll be interesting! I haven't been in a grocery store since early March, basically Russet and Dave have banned me and taken over that duty.  I went to Lowe's Home Improvement last week and will be going inside Walgreens tomorrow and back to Lowe's for a new shower head as I'm going down to Alamo for a hair cut: first one since the end of last year!

[dewline]

Strange enough, I suppose. Most of the people I encounter whilst travelling masked - which I'm making more of a habit of because of revived walking exercise needs - seem to either not worry because they already know me to some degree by name, face and/or body language, or because they're paying attention to other things. I haven't gotten that kind of reaction. Yet.

Of course, my region isn't currently operating under fire and water-usage restrictions either, so that may have an additional effect on the non-reactions.

[howsmyenglish]

Maybe, he didn't want you to confront him about the water he was using?

[thewayne]

I didn't even think about the water until hours later when I remembered we were under restrictions.

[julian]

I actually see a lot of that kind of interaction -- people giving each other more space that they wouldn't have earlier.

[motodraconis]

Perhaps he was feeling guilty about being caught using a hose when water was restricted. No wonder he fled sharpish!