Comments on: Snapshots: Tourists Are Still Scared of Swine Flu?!?

By: Yvo

Yvo — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:42:11 +0000

I’m going to reinforce the comment that a lot of Asian people wear masks… I don’t really know why though so I’ll just go with general consensus… and that the girl in the above pic doesn’t look like a tourist (though maybe not a native NYer). Also, with Bloomy’s speech yesterday, more people are hitting the hospitals etc… so I expect more and more of this type of thing to show up.

Also, I’m not one to freak out at the first sign of these things, but the areas affected in Queens are all very close to me, and I share bus/train/air with the people who live in those areas… so it’s a little scary. I’m not wearing a mask (because I don’t see how wearing a mask would prevent the germs from entering my lungs – aren’t they microscopic?) but I am using Purell a lot more now.

By: sushiburger

sushiburger — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:53:11 +0000

Like LordJero said, in Asia people wear masks when they have a cold/flu… It’s common courtesy to wear a mask so you don’t spread your germs all over the place.. (coughing into your hand then grabbing that subway poll won’t really do anything for anyone else)

Just out of curiosity, how did you know they were tourists?

The last time i checked the instances of H1N1 Swine Flue were far greater in the United States than in Asia as a whole. So people coming from anywhere in Asia should be far more concerned with catching Swine Flu here than people here catching it in Asia…

I love your blog.. but this is just some ignorant ass shit…

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:21:12 +0000

ugh my boss is SUPER sick and though he stayed home yesterday he came in today and he is coughing ALL over us. I’m about to go buy some masks for the whole office….

By: MarisainMidtown

MarisainMidtown — Tue, 19 May 2009 14:25:30 +0000

@ LordJezo: On the way home on the subway yesterday, there was this guy hacking and phlegmin’ it up. This – on the same day that that dude in Queens died from swine flu. That man got so many evil looks. I’d be surprised if he made it out of there!

Isn’t it strange how the face masks make you think that they’re sick? When it reality..it’s probably that they are healthy and don’t want to get sick? Weird.

By: LordJezo

LordJezo — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:02:26 +0000

In Japan (and perhaps other Asian countries) folks of all ages wear masks all the time because of allergies. It’s hay fever season this time of the year, the masks are used in an attempt to keep that at bay. This has nothing to do with the swine flu, for them it’s an every day normal thing, the masks come in different shapes and colors, on the subway there we saw quite a few decorated with different cartoon characters as well.

They also wear them if they are sick as it’s considered rude to couch and wheeze on the people around you.

By: Rudy McBagel

Rudy McBagel — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:07:31 +0000

Mama, i was beinhg ironic……mind you if Scarlett and ana came with you….maybe some butter….i’ll sent the Citation 2* over now!

*(its a plane)

By: T.C.

T.C. — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:21:41 +0000

Haha. I saw several ppl walking around with their masks on last week. They were all asian too. Oh well. Whatever.

By: Mamacita

Mamacita — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:31:11 +0000

Rudy don’t make me go over there and spank you!!

By: ESNY

ESNY — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:41:45 +0000

I’m surprised she wasn’t also carrying an open umbrella..

By: Rudy McBagel

Rudy McBagel — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:29:06 +0000

WE should flame thrower Mexicans.

Yes

Muppets.