Travelers must continue to wear a mask when in airports, on airplanes and on all public transportation until at least April 18.
The Transportation Security Administration made the announcement when sending out a statement on Spring Break travel recommendations. Originally, the mask mandate was to expire on March 18 – the day after St. Patrick’s Day, which in 2022 is on a Friday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with government agencies, including the TSA, and the White House to determine when the mask mandate on public transportation will be lifted. For now, it’s April 18. But, as we all know, this could be extended beyond the original planned expiration date.
This means that travelers must wear a mask for several continuous hours, for airline travel is a time-consuming adventure these days. Getting to the airport well before your flight because of the unpredictability of wait times at the security checkpoints, layovers and possible flight delays all add considerably to the travel time when traveling by air.
Masks must also be worn on public transportation in cities, which obviously are shorter journeys, tho some can last an hour or more.
Trains, too, will continue to require masks. I ride Amtrak frequently between San Diego and Los Angeles, a journey of some 2 1/2 hours, and I have to wear a mask the entire time.
The exceptions are, of course, are when you are “actively” eating and drinking; then you can pull down the mask. But it’s impossible to be actively doing that activity for an entire flight or train ride, or while waiting in an airport.
Personally, I don’t enjoy wearing a mask but I do it without complaint. Well, without complaint to anyone around me anyway, especially the flight crew, Amtrak or public transportation employees.
They probably don’t like it either but they are just doing their job. Unruly passengers who cause arguments and even fights are rude people who should be kicked off of planes, trains, buses and trolleys and should be banned from such travel for a year.
So we have to suck it up for another month with the masks. Maybe even longer. That’s just the state of travel in 2022.
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