North Carolina

Let me tell you 3 NC stories.

I work retail in an old family owned store, and my bosses are democrats in this republican tourist town. It's our slow season, January thru March, but we still see a good number of people from all over. We all wear masks, but at present do not have a sign asking or requiring customers to do so. A democratic friend of theirs came in today without a mask, sat in a chair across from the front counter and proceeded to cough and sniffle as she spoke to my boss. After a minute or 2 I said, from the front of the store in a loud voice (no one else was in the store). "I'm going to my car to get a better mask. I don't feel comfortable with the one I'm wearing and I need to wear my kn95…". It was a good cloth mask with a kn95 filter inserted (it says spread kindness not germs), but I wanted to wear a kn95 for maximum safety, with someone spreading their germs. She mentioned something about how she should be wearing one, didn't have it with her. So why wasn't she?!? Selfish, stupid, misled to believe she doesn't need one because she's vaxed and boosted?! We had another customer later in the day, also unmasked and sniffling. And we've seen many like them over the past few months.

Second NC story: I had to go to traffic court on Tuesday at 2, to provide proof that my car was registered after I got a citation in November, because they didn't give me the option to submit my proof prior to the court date. The large courtroom was packed, left, center and right sections, and most people (75-80%) wore masks, although very few wore a KN95. I did. The guy sitting next to me, unmasked, complained to me about them packing the courtroom, way to expose everyone to COVID. So why wasn't he wearing a mask? Some of the court officers and officials were not masked. I was lucky they went in alphabetical order, I got out of there by 2:30. It was part zoo, part circus, and very surreal. With surges, shouldn't they be offering other options to minimize people having to gather in crowds? Or doing it on zoom as they did when it first hit? The hospitals should plead with the courts, and with business owners to mandate masks and reduce crowds.

Third story. After my car was inspected I had to go to the tag office, which is privately run, to return my expired plate and get a new one and current registration. They required masks, and made us wait outside rather than crowding in lines in their space. Some folks on line were commenting that they'd seen the line wrap around the building at times, which means the tag office has been limiting the crowds in their office. The morning I was there it was below freezing, 18 people on a socially distanced line at 9 am when they opened. This is an example of how things should be done!

So, hospitals are pleading for the public's help, but the public tends to follow the leader or the rules. I live in cawthorns district, so it's full of right wing rethugs. They generally don't offer options for people to avoid crowded courtrooms, don't mandate masks. The tag office was the exception.

I'm very diligent about wearing a good mask. And I see many who wear masks, but not the best quality. And I see many who don't wear them because they're vaccinated and boosted. And I see many who aren't wearing one and (probably) haven't been vaccinated. And I see a few who are wearing a KN95 like me.

Suggestions, recommendations, pleading, advocating won't work on the majority. They need to be told what to do, clearly. They would wear masks if it's required/mandated; Not all, but really most would if told they had to.