Great Western Coffee Shop

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The rules still state that masks should be worn on station premises and on trains ... but I noted yesterday that was slipping and at unstaffed open stations, people are distancing on the platform - much more spread out than they used to be, but not putting masks on until the train arrives.   At the staffed stations where I changed trains, mask adherance on platform seemed to be pretty good, as it was on trains for the most part - the exception being same-gender, similar-age groups of three or more, where masks protocol is more liberally interpretted - masks perhaps worn over mouth and not nose, or round the neck.

Experience - Saturday - Melksham, Swindon, Reading, Twyford, Henley-on-Thames, Marlow and Maidenhead.

Not putting up people of pictures as that might be seen as a "name and shame" type approach. And I chose to observe rather that doing more; I do feel that wide open platforms with people well over 2 metres from each other are not super-spreaders, and they represent little if any danger to me.

I concur; on my last few trips from DIG virtually nobody dons their mask until they can see the train approaching. Even the ones sat next to each other in the enclosed waiting shelter!

I read somewhere that masks need ony be worn when on 'Hub' ie interchange and main stations.
Obviously common sense will prevail with individuals making decisions based on their own perceived risks of the actual situation bearing in mind the increasingly high percentage of the population having been inoculated.

Ditto at Taplow in my experience..........then again, very few people waiting, all in the open air and well spread out.

It's been more than a month since my last rail journey but things were 90%+ compliant at stations.  A number of waiting passengers on their phones seemed to consider that they were exempt.

I wasn't aware that the rules had changed - however, I have just found - dated 9th April 2021 from National Rail (https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/face-coverings.aspx):


And indeed it makes sense.

To my mind, caution still required.  Current average death rate in the UK is 11 per day, compared to around 100 premature deaths per day caused by dirty air (yes, really, 40,000 per annum reported; stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases quoted).  Big difference is the transmission - passed from person to person with covid, no such transmission on "dirty air". Complicated for the better by the vaccination program, but we have twice seen now infection rates can take off, and do not want it again!

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Having made regular Twyford to Reading journeys as well as a couple of longer routes I found mask take up quite poor. A lot of people don't wear them properly - only covering their mouth. Not sure if this is lack of awareness or deliberate as quite a few people pulled them up when someone in uniform approached. It did feel very much like a token gesture.

I also noticed on longer journeys a lot of people take them off. I have some sympathy as wearing one for a four hour journey on a relatively empty train isn't pleasant.

In a completely non scientific survey worst offenders for not wearing masks at all were middle aged men and twenty-something men. Teenagers generally being much more compliant to my surprise.

My recent experience is that it's all a bit inconsistent.

If you buy a hot pasty at a Bristol Temple Meads, should you wait until you've left the precinct at Paddington before you drop your mask to eat it? Won't it have gone cold by then?
If you're thirsty, how are you meant to drink? 
How much additional protection are you giving yourself and others by wearing a mask on a breezy open-air platform?

A few days ago I was travelling with my daughter, who is too young to be vaccinated. When we found ourselves in one of the narrower streets in Bath, which was airless and crowded, I was very pleased to see that she instinctively put her mask on.

It seems to me that there is room for a bit of pragmatism!

You are entitled to remove your mask to eat or drink even in a "masked" area.

Compliance has definitely dipped a bit on public transport since last year when it came in, but remains pretty good IMHO. 

Though it does make you wonder what is going through people's minds when they wander down aisles or sit in crowds wearing their mask but in 'chin hammock' style, so providing absolutely no benefit at all.

I travelled from Selby back to Pinhoe by train at the weekend. My route zig-zagged across the country via Middlesbrough, York, Manchester, London and Bristol (avoiding XC voyagers  ;) )

I am pleased to report that mask-wearing and social distancing were respected until I reached Manchester.  Piccadilly station was extremely busy at lunchtime with very few people wearing masks. The train from Manchester to Euston was very full [despite my reserved seat at a table, I had three ladies sit in the remaining seats who would not move when reminded about social distancing requirements].

As for the Underground between Euston Square and Paddington, you would have thought it was the rush hour on a weekday - not at all good.

Relative sanity returned after Paddington with the train very lightly loaded.

Although I have had both jabs and was wearing both a mask and face shield (being paranoid!), I am waiting for Track and Trace to catch up with me  :(