To the editor:

I would love to help support local restaurants and businesses during this pandemic. Unfortunately, I have had experiences that are keeping me from further patronizing or trying some of these places unless absolutely necessary (for groceries and medicine), and it is all their own fault. It’s really quite simple, folks: Wear a mask; wear it properly (covering mouth AND nose); don’t wear just a face shield without a mask underneath. This applies to all, but especially if you are involved in food prep and distribution, including grocery stores and drug stores as well as restaurants.

Enforce your mask-wearing rules for your establishment, for employees and customers. Period. My regard for my own personal safety overrides your need for my financial support. I can’t spend my money locally if I’m sick or dead.

I’ve seen masks not worn or improperly worn (i.e., chin slings, noses exposed, face shield with no mask underneath, even no mask at all) by customers and employees. I’ve seen an employee standing in a shopping aisle stocking freezer sections with his mask only around his neck. Twice. I’ve seen a pizza being made and placed in a box while the maker’s mask was around his neck. I’ve seen two different pharmacists walking around the store (outside of the pharmacy section) with the mask covering only the mouth. Bank tellers with nose slings, the list goes on. So I’m done trying to lend my support. If I can wear a mask properly, so can you. Do I like it? No, no I don’t. But I do it and will keep doing it until COVID-19 is behind us. Maybe you don’t believe in the pandemic (I think the families of over 200,000 dead people might disagree with you), but I do, and there’s a state mandate, so wear your mask properly to comply and out of an abundance of caution. Please encourage your business neighbors to do the same, because just a few bad apples may be turning a big chunk of your customer base away, even if you are careful, and that hurts everyone’s bottom line.

Susan Parker

Vermontville