Abused for wearing mask on Bus!

Complaints Corner
1
Have recently been noticing more people on public transport who are choosing not to wear masks( to hell with maskenpflicht and common sense) Was on a bus today, when a guy boards without wearing a mask. I happened to be looking at him and he then proceeded to stand at a spot behind my seat (the luggage/wheelchair area) and started to mutter to himself. I turned to look and he kept muttering and at the next stop banged his fist against my seat, said something about me being a fascist and mask whatever and a few things I didn’t understand. I got up and moved to another seat in front and he got off at the next stop. Neither the driver nor any of the passengers reacted to him although I did hear chatter once he got off. What is the point of advertising compulsory masks when people like this are allowed to get away without. Not to mention the aggression!

2
Well, there is not much you can do.

The other person who is not wearing a mask can only be asked to wear a mask.

If he does not comply, you can inform the driver, thats all.

The driver has the right , to exclude the passenger, who does not comply to the current rules or call the police if he does not exit or wear a mask when the driver ask him to do so.

I think the pressure for those people who refuse to get vaccinated or tested to get acces to certain areas will rise and some people dont care about a fast end to the pandemic .

3
Are you sure this was not "just" a drunkard or mentally ill person? Not fun either way, but the last case in particular is likely to be someone the driver knows.

4
It's nothing to do with masks, and the others realise that, I would guess. It's a person acting out, either because of temporary or permanent health issues of some sort.

You can surely observe around you, that whether someone chooses to wear a mask or not, people generally aren't going about their day ranting randomly.

It's a danger to take things at face value, instead of digging a little deeper, and can lead to false conclusions like thinking this is about masks.

5
So aggressive behavior is to be ignored on public transport?

6
I think you touched here a very serious problem now in Switzerland. Sadly, as this Country has one of the best, if not the BEST Pharma industries, that people are so ignorant.

We just had visit from Germany a few Weeks ago and they were shocked - you can see people without Masks in Shopping Malls, Elevator, Shops, ect. Not once did a Shop Owner said anything.

I would assume, that also here it is the responsibility of the Public Transport Operator, as in other Countries they will bear the Fine, but I am really sorry to say it - if one is "abusing" the Rules and make noise after 22 - the Police will be called. But Mask ? Covid? who cares!

BTW I see it in our Kids School. Just me and another few Parents wear Mask when we are at the School premises, I do not even know the Mask Rules here and I do not care - I am around a Building full of Kids - I wear a Mask. But even I saw Teachers without one, so, go figure.

7
Was this Bus 32 in Zurich? Quite known for a lot of drunken and nutters on it.

8
And anywhere else.

Unless you want to get into a punch up, in any situation like this, don‘t look at them and move away...

9
Firstly, thank you for doing the right thing. Also you are right, this is really contradictory, how “rules” are enforced. It appears that as usual the reasonable ones have to bear it. And in some cases be the target of ridicule and abuse.

I’ve heard friends share they got laughed at for wearing a mask, I’ve been on public transport (train) where I’ve seen people not wearing masks and carrying placards saying the only virus is blind faith in the government and today I was close to being physically assaulted. All because people are being allowed to get away with this behavior, the silent majority has to suffer. I’m sure if they implemented fines the behavior would improve- once word of consequences gets around compliance increases.

10
You should see London, your Germans friends would die from a heart attack.

Anyway, there is a study saying surgical masks are pretty useless and this is what people wear in 90% of cases.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-COVID-19.html

11
Yes I moved away. But the concerning thing is no one else lifted a finger, and why are people like this allowed to stay on the bus when they are potentially dangerous to others?

12
I agree, It sounds like a person with mental issues.

They have always existed and public transport is maybe a place where they can hang out and be off the streets. I think the entire COVID and isolation thing has been tough on many people's mental health. Shunning them and kicking them off the bus will only reinforce the vicious cycle of isolation.

I have found that if you ignore the bad talk and smile back and say something nice, they generally start being nice too.

13
What do you mean potentially dangerous? He didn't physically assault you, right ?

Laughing at other people wearing masks is not a crime.

14
Strange that.

I have a friend from Berlin who keeps on telling me that you see many more people without masks back home.

15
Sorry I didn’t stay in my seat to find out. I moved away when he violently slammed his fist on the back of my seat. Who knows where his next punch would’ve landed? Either ways no one else in the bus seemed to be concerned enough to react/respond.

I have empathy for the mentally ill and I can appreciate the point around COVID isolation. But that doesn’t give them the right to hurt others and doesn’t make the behavior ok. And help should be extended to such people in the form of counseling.

16
I have friends who live in rural German town, same story. People in small towns/villages are more obedient than in big cities like Berlin or London.

17
Potentially dangerous in that he could be Covid positive and since he's not wearing a mask he is more likely to infect others.

No. Funnily enough, it's not illegal to not wear a mask on public transport. But if told to leave by the driver, ticket inspectors or police, and you refuse, you'll be arrested and fined for disobedience. Fines up to 10000 francs are possible under pandemic law, but I understand that it's currently being set in practice at between 50 and 200 francs. Oh, in the OP's story, he wasn't laughing - he was angry and upset.

I've seen Basel ticket inspectors enforcing the rules. I've not seen anyone refusing.

No, you weren't. You were abused for apparently causing someone to feel that you were censuring them silently that they weren't wearing a mask.

Best thing to do - move away. That way you minimise any risk they opposed.

18
You seem intent on being outraged, and increasingly so the more people tell you this is just the occasional, very normal experience that can happen in a public setting, which is a sign of poor health.

The face of the needy is rarely smiley, welcoming and all jolly hockeysticks. Support systems are either absent or inadequate. We have many, many citizens in dire need of better care in their communities.

Get involved with the voluntary sector, as it'll teach you to look at situations like this in a more realistic fashion, and you're presumably living a charmed life, if this is the first time you're seeing someone unwell ranting in public.

19
If you want to protect yourself, go vaccinate, keep a distance and wear whatever you want to wear.

If it's illegal not to wear one, you have to wear one, well at least to the point where enough people not wear it then it becomes a legal protest.

20
Sorry for a silly question, how could you see his fist if you sat with your back to him ? Maybe it was a knee?