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#Post#: 4532--------------------------------------------------
Commuting patterns are more random now than before Covid-19 - St
udy
By: Steve Date: December 8, 2025, 2:26 am
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SUMMARY - A study by the University of Queensland has shown that
commuter patterns are more random now than they were before the
Covid-19 pandemic began. This drop in 'familiar strangers while
commuting' could contribute to behavioral health issues amongst
commuters, such as feeling safe while using the services and
combating the sense of loneliness.
LINK -
HTML https://news.uq.edu.au/2025-12-commuters-see-fewer-familiar-faces-post-pandemic
HTML https://news.uq.edu.au/2025-12-commuters-see-fewer-familiar-faces-post-pandemic
#Post#: 4533--------------------------------------------------
Re: Commuting patterns are more random now than before Covid-19
- Study
By: Masked Man Date: December 8, 2025, 4:10 pm
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“When people recognise others around them, they feel safer and
are more likely to step in to help in the case of disaster or
emergency.
“If everyday interactions are not happening as much via
commuting, we need new strategies to build connections and help
stem loneliness, anxiety and feelings of being unsafe.”
SIDE-COMMENT:
This is an interesting article for me personally because I feel
the opposite and feel threatened by people who don't mask. I'm
scared of and scared for people who fail to take steps to
protect themselves by masking. I actually shun those who don't
adhere or seem to respect my precautions.
My experience as a Masker and taking a lot of precautions made
me extremely uncomfortable with people I know that aren't
masking and taking precautions like me.
In fact in the very beginning of pandemic and ever since, I go
out of my way to set strong boundaries with neighbor's and
family who don't take the same precautions as me so they never
stop by my house. I am estranged from family accept in long
distance remote communication.
So anyway in contrast to this article's viewpoint I actually
feel safer keeping my distance from those I know and love who
don't mask like me. I feel like that touchy feely contact bond
with family and friend's and neighbor's fuels the pandemic and
fuels viruses.
So its an interesting article but my sense of wellbeing
coincides with safety rather than socializing face to face with
one another.
Obviously for me and my 77 year old loved one the threat of
viruses are currently very real. My loved one's daughters babies
(who are in another state) just got through a terrible flu and
that was scary as anything. My loved one is going to have gall
bladder surgery so we take every precaution to not get sick
before, during, and after surgery... A cousin died from catching
covid at hospital. My uncle died of pneumonia. I'm a masker all
the way. So I'd rather be around strangers who keep their
distance while commuting if I have to..lol(I laugh nervously to
keep from crying)
.. that doesn't refute the findings in the article of course but
personally as Masked Man who is a 'novid', in relative good
health, and who loves his life as is, I have to point out I
wouldn't feel comfortable at all being with family or friends
that didn't mask like me. I feel the love from my family and my
friends' love and when we share interests online remotely and
through the power of the written word.
I have never caught covid so I don't have to live with the
constant threat of the long term health repercussions of long
covid... to me, there are enough things to worry about and so I
just mask and not take it for granted having never caught covid
before. That's hard thing to have to worry for the rest of one's
life if covid and its long covid is going cause serious health
problems later on down the road like a lot of data is
indicating. So I still am wary of face to face personal
encounters and I feel safer away from those who socialize in
person and I feel safer masking and take precautions.
lol..Let's put it this way, Id rather be a masked freak than fit
in and risk catching covid or the many airborne viruses and
diseases that are currently available on a bus ride..I don't
need any maskless friends getting in my masked face! I got
bigger and better things to do! Besides I don't feel right being
around a maskless friend or loved one bacsue to me they are
being reckless and taking unnecessary risks as well..To me
well-being equals being safe with less worrying. Because I mask
I have less to worry about when my head hits the pillow at
night.
That's actually my worst nightmare is a bunch of family and
friends come up to me for a frivolous, worthless, meaningless
and boring event and say "take your mask off!, Take your mask
off! and come play with us eat and let us hug and kiss and play
board games breathing into one another's face ... act normal
like us, don't be afraid and catch covid!"... you see I wear a
mask and I am healthy and have a healthy lifestyle and a lot of
good things goin' for me while many others aren't taking as
many precautions and aren't masking and they are gambling and
taking chances that is not for me. I'm already happy and have
everything I need and have adapted to my masked way of life.
Things are good enough for me. I don't need what that article
thinks we need. I'm fine.
lol.. what I'm thinking is that maybe if commuters had worn
masks and taken more precautions against viruses then the
commuting patterns wouldn't be as random as they are now than
before Covid 19 ;)
This is still an important article and has merit .. and at same
time it triggered some feelings in me that feel good to share in
commentary.
The Masked Man
P.S. Okay when the pandemic began I wanted everybody to mask and
still do however it hurts less if I don't know them. For
instance everyday I gotmaskless delivery people like the UPS and
Fed Ex people dropping off things out front. I never approach
them. I don't know them. I wish they'd mask for their own sake
but I don't worry as much because I don't know them they are
strangers and although I do care it just doesn't matter as much
because they are maskless strangers. If they suffer or get sick
or aren't as safe it doesn't affect me as much because I am not
close to them. If they did mask I'd probably be more likely to
holler hi from the corner of the yard but they never mask so I
just leave them alone. They do an incredible job but like I said
because I don't know them I don't have as much emotionally
invested in them as I would someone that I knew. For me, seeing
a maskless stranger from afar is lot less worry to me than
witnessing my elderly parents running around maskless.
In reference to the study, Again, maybe "Commuters see fewer
familiar faces post pandemic" because they should have worn
masks and people got sick.. and maybe "commuters don't feel
safe" because they aren't being safe and maybe comuters are
seeing a lot of strangers now because us smart ones are masking,
refusing to join them on a bus, and are staying away!
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