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Savdhani hati, durghatna ghati: Five places we are letting our guard, mask down!
Walk in the park, trial room or for that perfect selfie at wedding. Denizens are letting their guard down knowingly or unknowingly, becoming vulnerable to the virus, and in the process getting challaned.
India crossed one lakh Covid-19 cases on a daily basis for the first time, and recently Delhi Police reportedly arrested four people and fined several restaurants, night clubs and hotels for flouting Covid safety guidelines, following a two-day special drive to crackdown on violators amid the rising coronavirus cases in the city. This brings us to think of places where we are letting our guard down knowingly or unknowingly, and becoming vulnerable to the virus, and in the process also getting challaned. Agree to disagree?
Wait till the food arrives?
At restaurants, many of us immediately take off our masks upon entering the eatery or as soon as we get seated. Blame the hunger mode, but in the eagerness to order and devour food, many of us often forget to wait for the food to arrive! “While dining out one will have to take off the mask, but it usually takes around 8 to 10 minutes for the first drink or food to arrive at the table,” says Pawan Soni, founder of a Gurugram-based foodie group. The fact that some people are getting challaned as they bring their mask down when waiting for the food to arrive, makes Soni opine, “If the government authorities feel that guests should continue wearing the mask for that a longer duration when at an eatery then this call should be taken basis a scientific research, before challans are issued to people. Also, the guidelines on occupancy percentage, which in my opinion should be kept around 60 to 70 per cent of the restaurant capacity, should be clearly spelt out by the same authorities. This will help restaurant to at least stay afloat and pay their employees. Night curfews in my opinion only cause fear and lead to rush at stores during day time.”
Click Click!
At the wedding, when everyone is so ecstatic to get that perfect picture, in the brief moment when many take off their masks to make themselves identifiable in those memorable clicks, it’s again a compromise with one’s health. Isn’t it? “At my sister’s wedding, there was only family and we were all wearing matching masks, but to get the perfect picture, we all eventually decided to take off our masks. Ye to sach hai ki jitne marzi designer mask pehen lo, kisi ki bhi photo achhi nahi aati mask mein. To ab shaadi ki photo to zindagi bhar yaad rahegi, usme bhi mask na utarein to kaise chalega,” questions a Delhi-based corporate professional on condition of anonymity.
Trial room troubles
Trying on apparels at a shopping store? How would one know whether it’s looking good unless the complete face is visible in the mirror. But, trial rooms are one infamous spots where most people inadvertently or inadvertently take off their masks. “The other day we went to a sports store to buy gym tights and tee, and while my BFF was busy trying a pair of shorts, I couldn’t help but try a top, too. And the moment I was trying it on, my mask came off. It was not my intention but it so happened. Sigh. I did sanitise my hands after that, but it’s so inconvenient to wear masks while trying clothes, and takes away all the fun of shopping at a physical space,” says Sonam Sethi, a Gurugram-based corporate professional.
Train matters!
At the metro station, waiting for your train to arrive? Challans are also being recorded in metro trains! “But sometimes I remove my mask while waiting for the metro train when on the platform since I have to change the metro lines quite a few times and it does feel exhausting when rushing between trains,” says Samar Khan, a Delhi-based artist, adding, “Whenever it looks safe and the platform isn’t too crowded, I tend to pull down my mask for a bit and breathe until I catch another train or see a hoard of people coming towards me.”
The lure of green
Because it’s an open air spot, and you are out to catch that much needed fresh air during morning walk or excercise a bit, do you too remove your mask? Yatin Wadhwa, a Delhi-based businessman, says, “I wear a mask before entering the park. And I pull it down when no one’s around. But I immediately pull up when crossing someone to be on the safer side. But one spots so many people walking without masks just because it’s open air, why, I wonder?”
Author tweets @Nainaarora8
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