End of the mask in transport: "By seeing the faces again, we become human again"

The end of the mask… or almost.

Although the obligation to wear it has been lifted since Monday in public transport, the use of the mask remains strongly "recommended" by the government and Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the regional authority in charge of transport.

It was enough to take a ride in the metro at rush hour this morning to see it: a large proportion of travelers continue to hide their faces, despite the end of the obligation.

"I always need a little time to change my habits," says Julien, 31, a user of metro line 14.

When it's busy, like in the morning on the subway, I prefer to keep it.

I'm one of those who still wear the mask in the street!

I am very careful.

But that didn't stop me from catching Covid last year.

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By his side, Thibault, 32, is also masked.

“So I am very happy with the end of the compulsory mask and that we are ending all these restrictions, curfews etc.

I think that in France we have gone much too far.

There I wear the mask because I have a flight to go to Israel in a few days… I don't want to be positive for Covid and find myself in quarantine!

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" We never know... "

Direction Châtelet-les-Halles.

In the huge exchange room, hundreds of travelers pass each other in all directions.

At a glance, a good third wears the mask.

Lucie, 25, admits it to us bluntly: “Yes, I am a little paranoid in transport… So as long as the virus is there, I put it on without hesitation”.

Xaviere, equipped with a large suitcase and a violin case in the back, adapts her barrier gestures according to the environment.

“In Paris, in stations and stations, I prefer to keep it.

On the other hand, in the TER to go to my place in Lorraine, I think that I will get rid of it ”.

On the 66 bus, on the Saint-Lazare side, the non-masked are a very small minority.

Out of 24 passengers, 18 keep it on their mouths and noses.

Silvano, retired, did not hesitate.

“You never know… There it's calm and the bus isn't crowded,” he said.

But in Paris, from one stop to another, you can find yourself face to face with your neighbours.

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"It's good for everyone"

Cohabiting with more cautious neighbors who prefer to remain masked, many travelers show their satisfaction.

"It's good for everyone!

exclaims Fantine, a student living in the 18th arrondissement, at the Madeleine station.

We finally have the impression of moving on to something else, after two years of only talking about the Covid.

Frankly, it's nice to see smiles again!

»,

Thibault, a 27-year-old engineer, heads to Marseille, where he works in a hospital environment.

"It's clear, I'm not going to wear the mask anymore.

I already wear it all day at work, so there I live again.

Maybe I'll still keep it on when I cough."

At Saint-Lazare station, Gabriel prepares to take the train to Cherbourg.

“I have three and a half hours, so I really feel liberated.

Without the mask, we become human again, we can communicate more easily and understand the other…”

Aliona, a 30-year-old from Moldova, believes that the end of the mask was necessary.

“But what a beautiful day!

And then frankly, the mask was very badly worn.

Who really changed it every 3 hours?

How many wore a black mask of filth?

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The less optimistic note that the mask could become compulsory again in the event of the spread of a new variant of Covid-19.

The Minister of Health, Olivier Véran, repeated last week that the pandemic was “not over”.