Walking through Union Station, a densely packed transportation hub, I saw less than 10% of persons within the building (myself included) wearing masks. Why is this? Well, because on January 31st Denver, in accordance with CDC guidelines lifted its mask mandate. One month later, it continued to relax protocols as the trend in cases likewise continued to decline. At this point, a significant portion of the population (myself included) have been fully vaccinated against Covid. The likelihood of transmission, at this point is approximately the same as that of the common flu, as is its lethality.
Why the history lesson?
Because, once again - walking through Union Station - I decided to burn a little time drinking in the delicious scent of printed paper and dreaming of spending hundreds of dollars I don't have inside this bookstore. I love brick and mortar book stores. Much more romantic to be surrounded by walls of shelves than clicking and scrolling online. The instant, however, I stepped my un-masked foot through the door I was greeted not with a friendly "hello" or "welcome" or "how can I help you" but a pair of eyes leaking contempt down a masked nose and a scornful statement, "You need to wear a mask."
*sigh*
Here is the thing. For two years, I wore a mask. I social distanced. I did everything I was told to do, by experts and doctors. I got vaccinated. Everything. So I'm not some 'Karen' throwing a fit over my "freedom" or calling anyone a Nazi. I wrote a forward as a disclaimer because - spoiler alert - the MANDATE HAS CHANGED. I work in Union Station, and no one else, not one single other business or restaurant I have been inside is enforcing this. Just this teeny tiny little nook of a bookstore apparently, which, to return back to the beginning of my post IS SMACK IN THE CENTER OF A DENSE TRANSPORTATION HUB IN WHICH NO ONE IS WEARING A MASK. What good does it do to force me to wear a mask as I enter? Who am I protecting?
Literally no one.
I'm protecting your right to virtue signal. Your right to feel like you are better than everyone else for being, what? Extra precautious?
Sure, whatever. That's your right.
As it is my right to turn on my heel, and walk right the fuck out of your store - which is precisely what I did. But not before uttering a silent vow of revenge. Of delicious, zeitgeist appropriate, passive-aggressive, long-winded, online revenge.
I guess I found a way to burn my time today, writing this scathing review, rather than browsing the shelves of Tattered Cover. read more