11 things you think when wearing a face mask

This is for all people without a car. For all train travelers. And from now on also for all public space entrants. For the face mask wearers.

Daily routines have changed. Disinfectant gel at the ready? Searching for the OV-chipkaart, face mask at hand? Okay, here comes the bus… Now get on with that thing. This is everything that goes through my mind.

1. Help.

2. Look, people are breathing calmly and looking out the window. See? No one seems restless. Nooo panic.

3. If a Bible of Face Masks is ever made, I would have the sentence: ‘You shall not have to wear a face mask if you are sensitive to panic attacks’ put in it. Do something, find a distraction!

4. Okay wow, her mouthpiece looks artsy fartsy. Where does she get that thing?

5. Is face mask jealousy a thing now? Never thought I would ever reach the point where I would wonder where someone bought a piece of fabric…

6. By the way, his piece looks like he has been using it for a month without washing. How many bacteria would there be on average in a face mask? Eew.

7. Okay, I survived the bus. Now a breath of fresh air outside and then on to face mask terror 2.0: the train to Amsterdam.

8. By the way, I have figured out that there are four types of mask people.
– The Don’t Give Me Covid-Peeps (they put the thing on at home and only take it off at their destination).
– The Nose Smugglers (a little sneakily sniffing fresh air, right?).
– The Deadline Seekers (they make a sport out of putting on the face mask as late as possible, actually only when they are in the train).
– The Aso’s (they don’t care, think it’s all nonsense, don’t put it on and hope they don’t get a fine).

9. I just realized that in terms of mask strategy, I can relate the most to the nose smuggler.

10. What are we actually whining about a half hour in the train or a few minutes in the store when you think of the people in the hospital who have had it on for hours? And not just with such a thing on their face, also in total protective clothing. Pfff. Have you seen those photos of the outlines of the elastics in the faces of the healthcare workers? Okay, I’m really never going to complain again.

11. …Except about that flight to Curaçao at the end of September. If it even goes ahead with a potential Covid wave 2. How will that go? Ten hours with a face mask on? I feel point 1 coming back again…