Fuzzy Childhood Memory Helps Bring Mandatory Mask Issue Into Focus

The topless teen boy in front of the 7-11 line, slurping a Big Gulp, put a $1 bill down on the counter. It was August 1981, Vancouver BC. He had a temporary Queen tattoo on his upper arm. A sign on the cash register said "No Shirt, No Shoes? No Service!" I was 7, and I stood patiently waiting my turn to return some empty cans to pay for a pack of hockey cards.

The young man was tanned all over, clearly not having put a shirt on since high school let out in mid-June. It had been a hot summer.

I remember thinking the clerk was going to refuse to sell the drink because the guy wasn't wearing a shirt, and didn't seem to have one with him. But a moment later, he handed back some nickel and copper, and the shirtless customer was on his way.

Sure, that was 40 years ago. Things have changed, right? Most places really do refuse service to people without shirts or shoes, nowadays. And perhaps for good reason, in a lot of cases (although I disagree with it being a blanket rule for all places of business). That teenager would be lucky to get served in most places today. You could say that shirts and shoes have been made mandatory, essentially across the developed world.

One more article of clothing now required

Masks (aka "cloth face coverings" aka "face diapers") are currently going mandatory (whenever near others / outside the home), all around the world. Now it isn't just muslim countries making exposed faces illegal!

How long until we see the old signs located, dusted off, updated with the latest required clothing article, and displayed at the cash register? (Or should I say, at the point of tracked digital payment via chip or device?)

I think back to that young guy walking out of the 7-11. The 1981 world he walked out into that day was so free compared to this one today. Just a few decades have passed, but it is literally a different society. In 15 years, what kind of world will it be, when my baby son is old enough to go out to shops on his own? What else is going to be required of him, to be acceptably dressed and covered to appear around others, and what will be required of him to make a purchase?

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