On April 18, 2022, the federal transportation mask mandate suddenly ended in the United States, when a Florida judge ruled that the federal transportation mask mandate exceeded the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Continue reading: Data: Airline Passengers Behaving Better Without Mask Mandate
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I’ve only flown SFO JFK the last 2 weeks, but FAs were (mostly) still wearing ‘em, and 75-80% of pax too
If they'd gone zero tolerance on the stroppy mask avoiding babies then they wouldn't have had to have worried about the incidents for long.
oh wow, people are less unruly when they are not forced to submit to a personal inconvenience of highly questionable efficacy. At least we learned this invaluable and highly unexpected behavioral pattern as a result of this 2+ year experiment. Brilliant, I say it was all worth it!
you are completely right, Ben, that masks were the primary reason for the growth in passenger misbehavior.
Seeing one's face IS an essential part of human communication and inhibiting that process has disastrous effects. The data you cite proves that the airline execs that pushed for removal of the mask mandate were right - they simply should have had the insight to realize human behavior when they imposed it.
And I have been on flights that don't involve Texas or Florida and the masking rate is a little higher but still a minority.
Let's face that last 4-6 weeks the mask was becoming a joke. Nearly half the people, including airport workers, walking around the airport with no masks. No masks in airline lounges. Flight attendants being laxed about the mask after the beverage cart came out-flyers only wearing them for basically boarding, take off and landing. And huge uptick in hospitalizations and COVID deaths.
Right now I see about 60%-70% people maskless and probably well over 80% of crew maskless. Everyone seems a lot happier. I can't imagine what it was like for crew that was required to have the mask on from the time they left the hotel (or arrived at the airport if they were starting their trip) to the time they checked in their hotel room/left the airport. No wonder many of them were totally miserable. I would sometime hear about it on hotel shuttles.
Thanks for your account Lucky - I for one am pleased to have the choice now that effective vaccines and antiviral treatment are available
As a teacher who had to impose a mask mandate on hundreds of high school students every day for over a year, I was excited when the mask mandate in schools ended, even though I wasn't ready to take my mask off yet (I did once boosted). I totally feel for the flight attendants. It sucked being the mask police. No one wants to be the constant bad guy. It wasn't the main part of the job description and it wasn't fun to enforce.
I fully understood their elation when they no longer had to be the mask police. The classrooms got lighter and more fun too. No one wants to be that mask enforcer guy.
That's good to hear!
Lack of masking may be a function of the cities you were flying between. I just flew SFO-SEA and back, and tons of people were wearing masks.
Wow, what a novel concept. Guess it wasn't the alcohol being served in cattle class, huh?
I feel like we once again learned a ton about Americans from this one.
Most liberals just wore the mask, didn't throw awkward tantrums and had no issue protecting their fellow citizens.
For conservatives? This was clearly the time to draw the line in the sand and disingenuously adopt "my body, my choice" (but abandon that idea the second the mask mandate ended) and constantly throw fits, physically threaten and have complete mental breakdowns because they had to wear a mask.
And then we try to convince ourselves that "both sides are the same". Pretty obvious where the problem lies...
Modern conservatism:
-Nearly a million Americans died, but I'm going to pretend that my primary concern is a super awkward, disingenuous act where I pretend like national forests are now littered with discarded masks.
Nothing sums it up better. Now are you going to get back to pretending like we need to give all our rights away and create the Patriot Act v2 because 3000 people died 21 years ago like a good little cowardly conservative?
Oh gees, this makes me embarrassed to be an American. Being asked to wear a small piece of cloth on our faces drove us to criminal behavior up to and including physical assault. Pants? Of course. Shirt? Absolutely, I follow the rules. Mask? I WILL BRING DOWN THIS WHOLE PLANE.
In fairness the problem is that piece of cloth was relatively ineffective.
If folks wore N95s that is one thing but even the so called experts admit that piece of cloth didn't really do all that much.
I get your point and to some degree you are correct, but I guess we are moving to a protect yourself method and pivoting away from a societal protection method.
Yeah, I'm not really commenting on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness. My observation is that a private company asked people to wear a piece of cloth on their faces and they freaked out and threw temper tantrums so severe that the plane had to divert. Airlines also require people to wear pants, even in the absence any scientifically proven health benefits related to pants-wearing.
Not to be overly cynical but this is kind of like saying that instances of passengers with confiscated liquids decreased after the TSA removed the limit on hand sanitizer volume. Kind of a no-brainer.
Remove a rule and instances of rule violations will go down...
"Being asked to wear a small piece of cloth on our faces drove us to criminal behavior up to and including physical assault."
Masks make it harder to breathe freely without constraint adding to stress. Additionally, pants and shirts have been conditioned since birth.
I suppose you will not find the claims of oppression by Muslim women in Islamic societies where they are required to coverup to hold merit under the paradigm of masks, pants, and shirts.
feel free to provide the data re: the political parties of the mask offenders. You can't and even if you could the chances are pretty high that there weren't a majority of "conservatives"
You also realize that Catholic churches have been vandalized since the Roe v Wade challenge was released and 6 Supreme Court justices have been targeted for violence. But of course Republicans are doing that, right?
Please grow up and quit trying to fit everything into life into political camps.
The problem is that people like you can't understand that there are a few bad people of every political stripe even while there are many more good law-abiding people of the same various political stripe.
"Most liberals just wore the mask"
I believe their was polling done that showed "most liberals" attributed a greater danger to COVID what was present by a significant degree.
"no issue protecting their fellow citizens."
Unless, it was for pretzels or beverages. Then the sanctity of grandma life became secondary.
"This was clearly the time to draw the line in the sand"
I hold that the being able to show ones face is an expression of expression protected by the 1A.
"Pretty obvious where the problem lies..."
It lies with those that will lecture their fellow passenger about masks while placing so little value on grandmas life they will trade it in, no for 40 pieces of silver, but for 6oz of a beverage and hard pretzels.
Amazing how everyone is more civil when we don’t have “rules” that facilitate the incessant whining from histrionic mask sheilas.
“Think about the children waaaaaaa”
The height of hypocrisy from the same “my body, my choice” crowd which is now postured to overturn Roe, making it “your body, my choice.”
"The height of hypocrisy from the same “my body, my choice” crowd which is now postured to overturn Roe, making it “your body, my choice.”"
Conversely, we can analyze the claims of the pro-abortion crowd asking for their right to access services to terminate human life and if it is congruent with the refusal of a vaccine.
They should put people without masks in the front and those who choose to wear one in the back.
If any of the maskers have a problem with it, just tell them to sit-down, STFU, and comply. We know they'll do it regardless the request. oh and the science is clear too.
"My observation is that a private company asked people to wear a piece of cloth on their faces and they freaked out"
It was mandated, federally, amd enforced by "private" companies taking funding from my tax dollars. But don't let those pesky facts get in the way of Scott's Truth.
@Jeffrey Chang - false equivalency on several levels. No one is forcing a vaccine.
I consider having to line up, take my shoes and belt off, not carry any liquids before I can board a plane to much. more inconvenient than wearing a mask. So tell me why this has lasted for over 20 years without mass protests
This just proves how childish the air travelers are that they whined their way to unacceptable behavior because they had to endure minor discomfort. Please don’t downplay or spin this.
The problem is with the people and not the masks. Plenty of masked people travel without assaulting other people. This article makes it seemed that masks are to blame for the unruly passengers behaviour, rather than their own personal mindset.
"false equivalency on several levels. No one is forcing a vaccine."
Just as nobody is being forced to maintain a pregnancy. The option to travel to a place with less restrictions to abortion is available to the mother just as a person who refuses the vaccine can just get expensive weekly tests.
The fact that both parties, if of limited financial means, may not be access such services should be of no matter.
Well, I certainly also observe that people behave better if you trust them.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm still wearing them for boarding (until the engines and consequently the a/c gets started) and on disembarkation (if it takes long and without proper a/c). I'm even wearing K95/FFP2 under these circumstances. Once the a/c is up and running, I feel enough protected by the rapid circulation and the hepa filters.
RJ: Yes, we all know liberals never through awkward temper tantrums, physically threaten and have complete mental breakdowns, especially when potential Supreme Court decisions don't go their way. And we all know liberals never say "my body, my choice" when trying to advance an argument they are making.
Over the last two weeks, cases in the US are up 59% while hospitalizations are up 20%. Obviously, these increase are not solely due to the end of the mask mandate but it's a factdor.
You really have to wonder about those types of loser passengers. Masking is not a problem for the rest of the planet. Only in the United States. Why are Americans so weak minded. What happens when these fools have to deal with personal and family tragedies. They'll crumble within an hour.
Over the last two weeks, cases in the US are up 59% while hospitalizations are up 20%. Obviously, these increase are not solely due to the end of the mask mandate but it's a factor.
I will be wearing my 95 mask for a good long time. At the airport, on the plane, and any indoor public space. No doubt the person next to me without his mask has covid and and was not vaccinated or boosted
I never got covid and I want to keep it that way.
I'm confused - I'm assuming you're vexed and boosted. You continue to wear an ineffective mask, insist on everyone wearing the same ineffective mask, and are basically hoping someone suffers a death in their family. Who is weak minded here?
"The option to travel to a place with less restrictions to abortion is available to the mother "
**BUZZ** WRONG. Mississippi, Texas, and Oklahoma being prime examples of where that's criminalized.
"**BUZZ** WRONG. Mississippi, Texas, and Oklahoma being prime examples of where that's criminalized."
Citation needed.
Peoples' true character comes out when they are forced to do things they don't want to do. Masks are just one issue. What about the other inconveniences we experience when traveling. Like your luggage getting lost or your flight being canceled. You can't act like a toddler just because you can't get your way.
Mask is only one tool to the problem. Hygiene is key. Most people where mask because of mandatory not because of hygiene.
No point wearing mask if you don’t practice hygiene like not touching mask with dirty hands and sanitizing. A lot of people wear mask and get Covid not because the mask did not work but a lot of other factors.
Mandates are bad because people only follow the letter and not the spirit.
So don’t think mask alone failed. It’s the overall hygiene practice and spirit
Agree with you about the rest of the planet. Those of us who live outside of America have been aghast at how contentious the whole mask issue was there. What's the big deal? Actually, I think mask compliance probably rose elsewhere specifically cos other people didn't want to be like Americans. There's a good feeling of camaraderie, everyone chipping in together for the common good. Yes, sure, the conspiracy nutters will say that masks did no good whatsoever, but at the very least they revealed who the nutjobs were.
Not rocket science. The same types causing all the trouble in the air aren’t that different from the Jan 6 insurrectionists. They think rules and norms don’t apply to them.
Are you contending that intermittently wearing a cloth mask on airplanes in between beverage and meal service is proven to be beneficial in preventing covid 19 transmission? I suggest you actually review data and especially since the mask mandate has been repealed.
When you really think about it, the masks have become a religion for the real "weak minded".
Funny that you wear a face diaper to differentiate yourself from my country. I'm sure you'll also be boosting every 6 months to "stay safe".
Don't forget walking outside, on a sunny day, alone, far from any other human beings. Like I've said before, the mask has become a religion for the weak minded and otherwise godless people.
Vijay, yes, you clearly are confused. But you choose to be that way. It's not a good look.
Maybe. But americans were also more mask crazy on planes. I flew numerous times on QR and TK. The attendants mostly disregarded non-compliance with the mask policy. On UA and AA the FAs literally spent the flights looking for masks that slipped under someone’s nostrils. There were plenty of nutters on boh sides of the mask debate in the US and a lack of reason and common sense compared to elsewhere.
This is the crowd of people I'll never get - those embarrassed to be "American" types. Did anybody ever tell you there's a very simple solution here - you go relinquish your embarrassing US citizenship and go live in any country out there that doesn't make you feel embarrassed? In fact, here is an offer, and I'm 100% serious - you (and the 5 people who liked your message) do that and I'll pay for your first/business class one-way ticket to anywhere in the world on condition you relinquish the citizenship of this horrible country they call 'Merica.
But obviously you won't take it up. Or will you?
I don't. It is annoying, sure, but takes you 5-25 mins total vs wearing a mask for 7-9 hours (in my case) + the time at the airport.
Plus, security checks Actually work and make you safe. Or, since you chose to pursue this, perhaps you can make an argument that you'd feel totally safe flying with no security screening? I would without the mask.
WOW, RJ... are you living under a rock. There are so many videos of Americans acting ugly on flights regarding masks.... Several were NOTABLE liberals LOL. Evidently you have the mask over your eyes as well as your nose and mouth!
NO ONE boarded a flight without having had a full knowledge of the mask mandate before they purchased the ticket! Making the purchase then displaying unruly behavior shows plain ignorance ..... liberal or conservative.
Perhaps 2022 elections will allow the citizens to chose elected officials who represent their views.
Thanks for sharing this info. Very interesting to see. However, is it proper to imply that much blame on the masks and not the passengers themselves? We must take responsibility for our own actions, yes? Thanks for sharing again.
False equivalence.
"My body, my choice" applies for an issue that affects only me, like my health care decisions, which will not affect you in any way, shape, or form.
"My body, my choice" for the "right" to transmit a deadly disease to others? Only 'Merca-loving faux patriots make that claim.
Do you also still smoke in restaurants? You do realize that there is a restriction on smoking not because the government is concerned about David's health, but the health of those David compromises with his would-be smoking choice.
No kidding. While people should always behave respectfully in planes, we have tolerated those authoritarian, nonsensical mandates for too long. It's no wonder that some people had enough.