It’s Like Their Eyes Have Been Masked

Back when our town had a mask mandate for indoor public spaces, we wanted to make sure anyone coming into the town hall was aware they needed a mask before they entered.

We taped a letter-sized laminated sheet of paper to the door advising entrants of the mask mandate. There were two three-foot-tall planters on each side of the front door with similar-sized notices sticking out of them. There was a large notice with a metal frame measuring about four feet tall and two feet wide placed three to five feet to the right of the door.

After entering the door, there is another poster board notice of the same size on the wall facing the door. To the left of our service window, no more than six inches from viewing into our office, there is another letter-sized notice.

One resident, known for pointing out perceived inefficiencies in our systems and resources, came in and laughed at the size and number of notices between the front of our building and our office window, a distance of no more than thirty feet.

Resident: “Who would be so clueless as to not know they need to wear a mask inside?”

I thought to myself (as we all know here on Not Always Right), “People don’t read signs.”

After taking care of his business, the resident stepped to the side to gather his things as the next person came in the front door without a mask. After seeing me, the resident, and everyone else in the office wearing a mask, he asked:

Resident #2: “Oh, do we need to wear a mask in here?”

And that, Mr. Resident, is why we (try to) have so many signs.