Do You Still Need to Wear a Face Mask at the Lubbock Airport?
The Covid-19 rules are changing faster than they can write 'em, some would say for the better.
In the past 48 hours, a federal judge in Florida struck down the Biden Administration's mask mandates for travel, which were due to be extended into mid-May. With the swiftness of the news, the TSA announced that they will no longer enforce any mandates, yet some local restrictions may still be in play depending on where you travel.
On the heels of this news, Uber, Amtrak, and many airlines, including United, Delta and Southwest dropped their masking regulations for passengers AND employees, which means you won't need to spend an entire 4 hour flight slowly sipping your soda in order to avoid masking up.
Late Monday, the Lubbock Director of Aviation announced that mask mandates will no longer be enforced at Preston Smith International Airport as a result of the TSA decision. Reaction from officials was swift.
Well, we can only imagine that was the reaction.
There are those who question the decision based upon the fact that we're still not at "Covid-zero" and that airplane could be giant cigar-shaped super-spreaders.
Honestly, an airplane might be the least likely place to catch the 'rona due to the fact that the air is constantly filtered throughout the cabin and pumped back out fresh. That and the fact that there's still no science behind me wearing a mask to keep you safe allows me to draw one, final conclusion...
IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME.
However, since there are still some areas of the country where you just never know about the local regulations, it would still be a good idea to pack a mask in your carry-on luggage so that you don't wind up in the airport pokey in Schenectady or some other exotic locale.
Of course, the harpies who want everyone to live in fear are going nuts with this, screaming that dead bodies will be falling from the skies. Yeah, no. To them I say: if you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. No one is stopping you. It's called personal responsibility, which is something that many people (outside of Texas) have lost the plot on. And no, I won't judge you for wearing one either. That's your call.
Regardless, feel free to travel and explore the world by air once more. However, if you're inclined to take your shoes off on the plane, I will push you out the emergency exit door at 37,000 feet. That's just gross, Jethro.