A Tale of Two Grocers

On my first visit to Raley’s since Newsom’s new mask mandate, the store policy was clear. Not just a small sign posted on the door either; someone with very good chalk calligraphy skills had been at work.

Remember the TV commercial you see every holiday season “Clap on (clap clap), Clap off (clap off), The Clapper! ? Reminds me of the masking situation…

Compliance in Raley’s was pretty good. Only a few bare faces, the usual 20% with mouths covered but nostrils open, and the rest of us, including me, completely covered. Notice I do not say ‘protected’.

My next trip into a grocery was at Orlando’s in Linden. Our bike club ride stopped there on Sunday after riding 20 miles from Lodi into the south east wind. Orlando’s is only about 12 miles from my Morada Raley’s.

If Orlando’s had a ‘Masks on” sign posted it was in very small print. But I covered my face anyway and walked in. It was a shock. There were two clerks, both all smiles greeting customers. I could see their smiles! I looked around and could find nary a customer with any face covering anywhere.

Except for one of my fellow riders, who not only was masked up but was sporting a real N95 medical version. I’m not really great friends with this rider, but I don’t want to have any unnecessary arguments in person. So I stayed masked up, risking ridicule from the locals who were ignoring the mandate.

The masked rider paid for his coffee and went outside as I was pouring my coffee and choosing my sandwich. With the possibility of being nagged by the masked man gone, I opted to join the rest of the Linden residents and take off my mask and smile at the clerk who was in such a good mood.

Our little group of brave riders, risking wind and rain predicted for early afternoon, sat together outside in a covered patio, unmasked, sipping coffee and eating energy bars (I had a sandwich instead). I seriously doubt the virus was less a menace where we were than inside the store. If it was actually any kind of menace in either place. But mask protocol/mandate says masks on inside except when eating/drinking, while masks off outside is okay. Patio qualifies as ‘outside’, methinks.

This is how I have chosen to navigate mask-etiquette situations for now. Take my cues from what the people around me are doing and do likewise. Go thou and…