We have Amish in our area. Unless there were mask mandates, they do not wear masks. We have an Amish store at the end of our road and they never wore masks. May not be all Amish but I’ve read that Covid has hit the Amish hard.
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Amtrak has it posted and it’s in several announcements that masks are mandated both on the trains and in the stations. We had to do a Covid pre-check online that also said it.
And yes, the Amish near us have been hit hard by Covid too. Between this typing and my last one mask compliance in this station is down to about 10%. I can’t help but assume since no one has challenged anyone not wearing them, others have decided they aren’t needed.
Fortunately, no one in this waiting area is coughing as some were on the train itself.
FWIW, H and I still have ours on properly and we’re sitting a bit away from everyone else. Masks might not help us vs helping others, but they won’t hurt. Soon we’ll be in our roomette.
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I think it’s wise to keep your distance and your masks properly worn. We can all just do our best in the situations we find ourselves.
Personally, I won’t be comfortable in crowds until after I get a booster (I, H and my mom were all fully vaxed by late Feb, so 5 months ago). Given the size of the crowds traveling and poor spacing and no proper mask compliance, it will be quite a while before I’m ready to travel again. 
I’d be taking my observations about no mask wearing to Twitter. If Amtrak has a Twitter account. Or Facebook. Or any social media. This needs to be addressed.
Masks are required in all forms of public transportation and that includes trains. Frankly, this needs to be reported, and corrected. Sorry, but the rules apply to the 90% who aren’t complying…and someone needs to hold them accountable.
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Neither H nor I have a Twitter account. We’re in Pittsburgh now if anyone is reading.
People from Pitt are starting to arrive for our next train. So far they’ve all been properly masked, so that’s a plus (I’d say we’re up to 50/50 due to new passengers), but there’s only one worker here right now and he only says something if someone approaches him not wearing a mask properly - not those waiting.
Kudos to Canada!
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I don’t blame you. It’s why I’m on here letting people know our personal anecdote in case they care (for whatever reason). I wasn’t sure quite what to expect, but I’m finding myself definitely disappointed considering how contagious Delta is AND how much notification Amtrak has done from our buying tickets on, telling people masks are required. One has to fill out the pre-Covid checklist within 24 hours of the trip. It’s right on there and one has to affirm they will comply. But the one dude didn’t even have a mask with him (he wasn’t Amish) and at least getting off the train he wasn’t wearing the one the conductor gave him.
Facebook? Really…this won’t continue if Amtrak thinks this info is very public. It’s not a good optic considering the situation.
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Well… the worker who was telling folks to mask up now isn’t either. Two Amish just checked a bag with him - not a mask even around their chins.
I don’t have FB. H does, but won’t post anything political or Covid on it at all. He’s self employed and we live in Deep Red country. It’d be the kiss of death for a good number of his clients.
ETA I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to post pics of people’s faces without their consent, isn’t it? (To put a pic on here)
ETA2 I just counted those I can see. 25 without 17 with including H and I, so numbers are improving, but…
Flying isn’t much better. We flew Detroit to Phoenix last week. Both flights were full. No one follows the 6’ rule going through security or in the gate area. Airports are so busy that it would be difficult, anyway. More people in Phoenix with masks down than Detroit, but all kinds of people eating and drinking in the gate areas and on the planes.
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Generally it’s not illegal if they are in a public space unless you use their image to sell something, etc. If you took a photo of the people on the train or train station that would probably be okay. If I did that I would blur out their features myself so you could just see that they weren’t wearing masks, but it would probably stand up in court if you didn’t, but might piss some people off if they saw you taking their picture or found out you posted it online.
The way I understand it if a person is in an area where they have the expectation of privacy (like their own home, their roomette on the train, their hotel room, a restroom stall) then their right to privacy is protected, but if they are walking down a city street, lounging on a beach, in a crowded train station in public then they don’t have the expectation of privacy and you can use their image in reporting on news or something like that (but not to sell train tickets or cars or ketchup or anything). You can’t profit from another’s likeness without a model release (and the photographers permission if the photo is under copyright).
The reality is that there is no upside for individual employees of mass transit, etc. to enforce mask rules in public settings. All it will get you is a punch in the face. I cannot blame them for being unwilling to do anything except issue verbal reminders. What else are they supposed to do? The local sheriff’s offices in LA, for example, have already said that they are not going to enforce mask rules. They are not going to start arresting people for not wearing masks. Once a flight has taken off, do you really want the pilot to land because some rando isn’t wearing a mask? It’s regrettable but the cost/benefit analysis simply isn’t there. The best thing to do is get vaccinated and wear a mask yourself. Public shame doesn’t work if the people you are trying to shame don’t care about what you think.
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And there is no FAA to slap a fine or an Air Marshal to drag the misbehaving pax off the train…
Of course, the virus itself may give out the punishment.
We just hope the vaccine works if the virus is onboard.
This is one of the reasons we bought the masks that do a better job of filtering—N-95 (pending approval but independently tested) and kn-95s. I figure we need to be as safe as we can be. . It’s going to be a long hot time before we get boosters.
Just flew ATL-LAX-OGG (layover in LAX). LOTS of Mask-holes at the first 2 airports, airplanes and lounges. ANd no one did a thing about it.
Canada has fined two travellers arriving from the US who, officials say, forged Covid-19 testing and vaccination documents…Canada did not identify the travellers or their itineraries. The health agency told Newsweek in a statement that they were Canadian citizens.
I wonder how agencies can spot forgeries. Our kids had to upload a copy of their vax cards to their college portals but I don’t know how the schools verify that they’re legitimate. Our state did record our license numbers when we were vaccinated, but I don’t know if all states did.
The airlines are cancelling and rearranging so many flights that I think I’ll cancel my flight to Oregon next month and just drive. There are jet fuel shortages but other than bad weather I have no idea why American cancelled 500 some flights yesterday. It just seems too much of a hassle.
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I agree. My home airport is one of the busiest in the world and there hasn’t been a noticeable lull in airport traffic during the pandemic. Local news reports continue to show packed terminals and flights. So, we decided to cancel our beach trip for the second year in a row and will continue to vacation close to home/within driving distance.
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