"a year of electric scooters has taught us something."

Looking at the demographics in the Times article, scooters are primarily used for recreation by white men aged 25-34 earning just under $100,000 annually. In other words, these are annoying toys for tech workers. That's probably not news to most SLOG commenters, but may be news to the Stranger staff.

I don't care what some MAGA-bootlicking federal judge in Florida says, I'm wearing my masks, dammit! So far, so good: the worst I've gotten is a mixed bag of smirks and scowls by the unmasked, or people will cross the street to socially distance themselves.
I'm fully vaccinated (including two boosters) but have the following reasons for still masking in public:

1.) I want to avoid catching a cold or the flu as well as COVID. I haven't had either illness over the last two years and four months and would like to continue this healthy trend;

2.) COVID isn't done with us yet, folks. New variants keep emerging, and people are still getting infected and dying. It is said that over 22 million people globally have died since the initial onset. I have no desire to join that grim statistic.

3.) The U.S. has far too many stubbornly stupid people hellbent on willfully endangering the lives of others because they claim it's their "right" (along with the rest of their RepubliKKKan Death Cult misinformed Free Dumbs).

4.) Violent anti-maskers can go fuck themselves.

@3: And one more reason:

5.) I could be asymptomatic. Masking is courtesy to others who might be more immune-compromised than I am.

@3: Do what you want, but if you have a functioning immune system, it behooves you to catch mild colds every now and again.

If the federal government can mandate a mall cop grabbing your genitals in the name of safety theater then they can mandate your bitch ass wearing a mask to actually keep you and others safe.

I’m glad VV is around, I get that the signage is ambiguous at best but if they are selling those goods at prices affordable to everyone then I don’t really care.

VV absolutely donates to charity, they just do it by gross weight. They give local non-profits $x per pound. So if you donate a 200lb tv that’s broken, VV loses money because they must pay the charity, but can’t sell it and are stuck with disposing it. If you donate a diamond, VV makes a great margin. In the end, I would bet it’s a pretty slim margin because it takes a ton of effort to sort, recycle, and dispose all the stuff we drop off. Hell, keeping half that shit out of a landfill is charitable for the earth.

@5 DOUG: What is the benefit of catching a cold? I am a wind musician, and for obvious reasons don't smoke. My lips chap easily in cold weather, and wearing a mask keeps them smooth as well as safeguard against airborne infections. Wouldn't having a respiratory illness make me more vulnerable to COVID? If the answer is yes, then, no, I really want to safeguard against cold & flu as well as the COVID virus.
I'm currently playing in the pit orchestra for a community theatre production. Having a sore throat is off the table. This is the first gig I have had since the onset of COVID. Spring is here, I'm finally returning to something close to normalcy and don't want to jeopardize it.

Congrats on the Gig
auntie Gee! Stay
SAFE!

Mike Kreidler shouldn't have done what he did, but he is arguably the best insurance commissioner in the country. As such, there's probably a lot of corporate/GOP money to be spent on disgracing him so that they can get Loren Culp of some other nitwit in that office.

stay lifted

@11 - post a link for tickets!

@13 kristofarian: Many thanks! Into the Night, the Stephen Sondheim musical, runs from Friday's opening night, June 10, 2022 through our final matinee performance on Sunday, June 26, 2022.

@14 Catalina Vel-DuRay: I can't believe Loren Culp is now running for Congress. I guess he's desperate to beat Dino Rossi's 4-time Loser record.

@16: Visit BellinghamTheatreGuild.com for ticket information, or call (360) 733-1811 Tuesday - Thursday, 12 noon - 4 pm. Thank you, Rainy, for your interest!

@18 PrincessAngeline#2: Luckily nobody has actually physically threatened or harassed me (yet) about wearing a mask in public. The worst I've faced so far has been getting dirty looks from unmasked people, or laughed and / or sarcastically waved at. One passing idiot loudly belched, apparently forever protecting his "Free Dumbs".