How I found out that I am a ‘virtue signaller'

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column.

Michael Commane

Last week on radio I heard HSE CEO Paul Reid tell us all to be extremely careful concerning Covid and he strongly recommended that we wear masks any place where there is a number of people. He specifically mentioned public transport and shops.

That same day I was on two buses and because of having earlier heard the advice from Paul Reid I noticed how few passengers on both buses were wearing masks.

Later in the afternoon on my return journey home there was a young woman sitting behind me on the bus. 

Her conversation on the phone was laced with many expletives. I was back thinking of my train journey of some weeks ago, which I wrote about in my weekly column. 

On this occasion I presume the person using the bad language was  not a member of the Travelling Community.

Wise or unwise of me I did turn around to her and in a gentle and polite manner said that I had never heard my father use the f-word and he lived to the ripe old age of 95.

Some 15 minutes later as I went to get off the bus she commented to me that I was wearing a mask and was obviously a ‘virtue signaller’. I said nothing and proceeded to alight from the bus. I had never heard the expression before. I presume it means that I was showing off my virtue on two scores, mentioning her bad language to her and then secondly parading my mask in public - telling the world what a wonderful chap I am.

I have asked a number of people if they had ever heard of the expression ‘virtue signaller’ and I eventually found someone who had heard it. It’s a new term for me and it might well be a good one to have. At least, it sounds cool and it is a clever putdown.

Since then I’ve been asking myself was it a good idea to have engaged with the young woman. I presume she was a student as she got on the bus somewhere near a third level college. From her response I can only deduce that I annoyed her. Will she think again before she uses the f-word and the other expletives I was privy to?

But her comment about my wearing the mask was strange to say the least. At first I was not too sure what she meant but I presume she was more or less mocking me for wearing the mask.

All during the Covid pandemic I have been impressed how we have complied so well with the rules and regulations. Every train and bus that I travelled on passengers were wearing their masks.

And then suddenly when the obligation was lifted off came the masks. Have the State authorities and specifically the HSE jumped the gun too quickly? On both those bus journeys I was on last week most of the passengers were young people and probably students, and the maskers were in the small minority.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: ‘The Government must now revisit their decision on mask-wearing in indoor and crowded settings. There is a clear link between reduced transmission and mask wearing.’

Covid is on the march and whatever about being laughed at for wearing my mask, as sure as hell I’m going to keep wearing it anywhere there is a gathering of people.