Passengers wear face masks at Waterloo station, London, as face coverings become mandatory to wear on public transport in England. Photos / AP
Passengers wear face masks at Waterloo station, London, as face coverings become mandatory to wear on public transport in England. Photos / AP
It was a rush hour like no other.
For a start there was no rushing; even the long-awaited reopening of retailers like Selfridges and Nike could not override the orderly demands of socially distanced travel.
But it was the unnerving sight of covered faces that really served as a reminderthat despite the cautious loosening of lockdown, the world we are stepping into is not the one we have left behind. The spectre of the pandemic looms large.
As Britain continued on its road map-less journey today towards our new normal, there was something freshly surreal about the sight of commuters in disposable masks entering rail stations and ascending from London's Underground network.
"It felt a bit like a scene from a disaster movie when I arrived at my Tube station and saw everyone in masks and policemen stopping anyone without one," said retail manager Denise Masood, 40, who was wearing a simple black fabric version.
"But that was half an hour ago and I'm already used to it. It's bizarre how quickly you adapt to things these days."
Passengers wearing face masks on the Jubilee Line.
From today, face-coverings are compulsory for anyone travelling by bus, train, ferry or plane in England to help reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. Those who fail to cover their nose and mouth will be barred from boarding and could be fined up to £100.
That is if they don't succumb to an even worse fate: being mask-shamed by scornful fellow travellers.
It's a curious phenomenon that until now the stubbornly maskless majority have tended to feel irrationally irked by the cautiously masked.
Yet, in the space of just 24 hours that has been entirely reversed. More astonishingly, the accompanying sense of pique has also swivelled 180 degrees. Overnight it is now the recklessly unmasked who find themselves in the minority and viewed with fear and suspicion.
"There was a guy in my carriage who wasn't wearing a mask and you could tell some people were unhappy," said Tim Plater, who travelled in from Bedfordshire to King's Cross on a three-quarters empty service.
"But being Britain nobody actually said anything, just stared a bit and sighed."
People queue to enter the Niketown shop in London.
Those exempted from covering-up include children under the age of 11 and people with disabilities or breathing conditions.
On this first morning there was tolerance; in stations across the capital and beyond, staff in pink high-vis vests stood by tables laid out with free lightweight surgical masks. This service will continue until June 28, after which passengers must provide their own.O
n day one, soft disposable masks, available in shops and online were by far the favourite choice, followed by black masks made from stretch fabric.
Those wearing bright colours - any colours - stood out from the crowd. A pop of Roy Lichtenstein print and an occasional ditsy floral raised a smile.
The lurid Day of the Dead skull mask worn by one young woman was possibly a shade too memento mori for some, but in the days to come there will doubtless be more scope for creativity.
People walk with bags after shopping at the Selfridges department store in London.
Interior designer Nicole Rayment, 26, was sporting a navy and white patterned mask that she had made by "repurposing" an old jump suit.
"I've only recently started using public transport to come into work but because the traffic is getting so bad I decided to catch the train and I'm entirely relaxed about it," she said.
"We have spent so long avoiding people that it's hard at first to be out and about but once you do it, you realise it's fine and as long as you are sensible there's nothing to worry about."
But a word to the wise for the style conscious; now that we're all masked, ultra white teeth are no longer à la mode and lipstick is passé. The emphasis is on eyes and lashes and of course the brows; for both sexes.
Maybe a little self-consciousness is no bad thing for a nation that has spent so many weeks languishing at home.
Staying safe is a serious business, but with pubs, restaurants and cinemas still closed, nobody should really complain if commuters decide to have a masque ball.
