I read the story at the link provided by Lew Rockwell on the Political Theatre blog and could not believe what I was reading. Kicked off a plane for not wearing a mask between bites of food? I looked up the official TSA security directive (SD 1542-21-01) and that is exactly what it says:
The requirement to wear a mask does not apply under the following circumstances:
1. When necessary to temporarily remove the mask for identity verification purposes.
2. While eating, drinking, or taking oral medications for brief periods.4 Prolonged periods of mask removal are not permitted for eating or drinking; the mask must be worn between bites and sips.
3. While communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
4. If unconscious (for reasons other than sleeping), incapacitated, unable to be awakened, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
Footnote 4 under number 2 says this: The CDC has stated that brief periods of close contact without a mask should not exceed 15 minutes. See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/public-health-recommendations.html.
So here we have a contradiction. You have to wear a mask between bites and sips (I have seen people at restaurants do this), but you can spend 15 minutes without a mask in close contact.
4:11 pm on April 30, 2021
