I'm Asian, so it's natural for me to wear a mask in public. Where I grew up, it's really common to wear a mask in public transports, particularly in winter, when more people have a cold. When I started living in Europe, I stopped wearing a mask since no one was wearing it, and I got a cold more often – nothing bad, but annoying. During the pandemic, everyone masked up, including me, and I didn't get a cold in winter.

Anyway, now people don't treat COVID as a threat anymore, and thus no one masks up in public. I still wear them in bus and train, but some (many) people give me a weird look. Some even shake their head and my colleagues laugh at me. I become self-conscious wearing a mask in public, but I really feel better wearing one. I feel it's unfair that people can smoke without being considered weird (although the cigarette smoke would annoy a non-smoker), but when someone is wearing a mask, which is not disturbing anyone, that person is considered to be an alien or a hypochondriac.

I'm travelling around Europe and in the U.S. until the end of this year, and I'd like to wear a mask in public, but dreading the double take or snide remarks people would give me. I'm curious, what do you really think about people wearing a mask in public? Is it really that weird?

I'm Asian, so it's natural for me to wear a mask in public. Where I grew up, it's really common to wear a mask in public transports, particularly in winter, when more people have a cold. When I started living in Europe, I stopped wearing a mask since no one was wearing it, and I got a cold more often – nothing bad, but annoying. During the pandemic, everyone masked up, including me, and I didn't get a cold in winter.

Anyway, now people don't treat COVID as a threat anymore, and thus no one masks up in public. I still wear them in bus and train, but some (many) people give me a weird look. Some even shake their head and my colleagues laugh at me. I become self-conscious wearing a mask in public, but I really feel better wearing one. I feel it's unfair that people can smoke without being considered weird (although the cigarette smoke would annoy a non-smoker), but when someone is wearing a mask, which is not disturbing anyone, that person is considered to be an alien or a hypochondriac.

I'm travelling around Europe and in the U.S. until the end of this year, and I'd like to wear a mask in public, but dreading the double take or snide remarks people would give me. I'm curious, what do you really think about people wearing a mask in public? Is it really that weird?

EDIT: Thanks for the many inputs!

I'm Asian, so it's natural for me to wear a mask in public. Where I grew up, it's really common to wear a mask in public transports, particularly in winter, when more people have cold. When I started living in Europe, I stopped wearing a mask since no one was wearing it, and I got cold easier - nothing bad, but annoying. During the pandemic, everyone masked up, including me, and I didn't get cold in winter.

Anyway, now people don't treat Covid as a threat anymore, thus no one masks up in public. I still wear them in bus and train, but some (many) people give me a weird look. Some even shake their head, and my colleagues laugh at me. I become self-conscious wearing a mask in public, but I really feel better wearing them. I feel it's unfair that people can smoke without being considered weird (although the cigarette smoke would annoy a non-smoker), but when someone is wearing a mask, which is not disturbing anyone, one is considered an alien or hypochondriac.

I'm travelling around Europe and in the U.S. until the end of this year, and I'd like to wear a mask in public, but dreading the double take or snide remarks people would give me. I'm curious, what do you really think about people wearing a mask in public? Is it really that weird?

I'm Asian, so it's natural for me to wear a mask in public. Where I grew up, it's really common to wear a mask in public transports, particularly in winter, when more people have a cold. When I started living in Europe, I stopped wearing a mask since no one was wearing it, and I got a cold more often – nothing bad, but annoying. During the pandemic, everyone masked up, including me, and I didn't get a cold in winter.

Anyway, now people don't treat COVID as a threat anymore, and thus no one masks up in public. I still wear them in bus and train, but some (many) people give me a weird look. Some even shake their head and my colleagues laugh at me. I become self-conscious wearing a mask in public, but I really feel better wearing one. I feel it's unfair that people can smoke without being considered weird (although the cigarette smoke would annoy a non-smoker), but when someone is wearing a mask, which is not disturbing anyone, that person is considered to be an alien or a hypochondriac.

I'm travelling around Europe and in the U.S. until the end of this year, and I'd like to wear a mask in public, but dreading the double take or snide remarks people would give me. I'm curious, what do you really think about people wearing a mask in public? Is it really that weird?