マスク着用めぐる空の上の攻防　拒む乗客に悩む航空会社

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米国では、新型コロナウイルス対策としてのマスク着用をめぐり、各航空会社が機内の閉鎖空間でマスクを着けることを拒否する乗客への対応に苦労を強いられている。（写真は米ニューヨーク発ノースカロライナ州シャーロット行きのアメリカン航空の機内。乗客の大半がマスクを着用している）
　ＡＦＰのカメラマン、ヨハネス・アイズリー氏は、実際にこの問題を体験した。
　アイズリー氏は最近、アメリカン航空を利用し、新型コロナウイルス感染拡大の中心となっていた米ニューヨークにあるラガーディア空港からノースカロライナ州のシャーロット・ダグラス国際空港までの便に乗った。座席は、乗客２人に挟まれた真ん中で、その片側の１人だけがマスクをしていた。
　アイズリー氏は次のように説明した。「マスクを持っていないのですかと隣の男性に尋ねると、『持っています』との答えだった。そこで『マスクを着けてもらえませんか』と頼んだ」
　するとその男性は、「マスクをしない方がほっとするので着けないと答えた」。アイズリー氏が男性に、「あなたが着けてくれた方が、私はほっとするのですが」と言うと、「自分の不安をわざわざ他人に言う必要はない」と返してきたという。
　その便は満員だったので、アイズリー氏は他の席に変わることもできなかった。
　この出来事が起きたのは今月初めのことだ。この直後、米航空各社は新型コロナウイルス感染症（ＣＯＶＩＤ-１９）の拡大を抑制するため、マスク着用の規則を導入した。免除されるのは一般的に、医療上または宗教上の理由がある人々、あるいはかなり幼少の子どもだけだ。
　アメリカン航空やユナイテッド航空によれば、搭乗時の規則は明快だ。マスクを着けていないと、搭乗できない。だが、問題が起きるのは離陸後だ。航空会社は、対立を避ける必要があれば、飛行中にマスクを外すことを大抵は許可するだろう。もちろん飲食時にはマスクを外すことが許される。

■対決より懐柔路線を取る各社
　ユナイテッド航空の広報担当者はＡＦＰに、乗客がマスクの着用を拒否して混乱が引き起こされている場合は、「緊張を緩和させるスキルを使うよう乗務員に助言している」と語った。
　さらに「乗客を別の席に移動させるという柔軟な対応策がある」と付け加えた。ただし、満席の場合は不可能だ。
　サウスウエスト航空の広報担当者は、「私たちは、乗客の個人的な行為を管理する立場にはない」と述べた。同社は空港や機内でマスクを提供してはいるが、「乗客がマスクをしていないという理由だけで搭乗を拒否する」ことはない。
　要するに、航空会社は、マスク着用を頼まれてもかたくなに拒み、時に怒る乗客に対しては、対決路線ではなく懐柔路線を取っているようだ。たとえそれが、近くの席の乗客に対する多大な健康リスクを意味するとしてもだ。
　研究者らが感染リスクが最大に近づく状況として挙げているのは、閉鎖された空間で長時間過ごす場合、そう、例えば飛行機だ。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/05/27-13:12）

The wearing of masks to protect against the coronavirus has become such a sensitive issue in the United States that airlines are struggling to impose the practice on defiant travelers in the enclosed environment of an airplane.
Johannes Eisele, an AFP photographer, experienced the problem in person.
He recently took his seat on an American Airlines flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City -- then a coronavirus hot spot -- to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. He had a middle seat, wedged between two other passengers -- only one of whom was wearing a mask.
As Eisele recounted it, I asked him if he didn?t have a mask. He said, 'Yes, I have.' And I asked him, 'Can you please wear it?'
He said he feels more comfortable without the mask and he won't wear it.
When Eisele told the man that I feel more comfortable if you wear it, his seatmate replied, Keep your fear to yourself.
The flight was completely full, so Eisele was unable to change seats.
The scene occurred early this month, shortly before US airlines imposed mask rules -- generally exempting only passengers with medical or religious excuses, or very young children -- to slow the spread of COVID-19.
At the time of boarding, say officials at American Airlines and United Airlines, the rule is clear: no passenger can board a flight unless he or she has a mask on.
The problem occurs after takeoff. Those airlines generally will, if necessary to avoid confrontation, allow people to remove masks while in flight. They are allowed to do so as well, of course, while eating or drinking.
If a passenger's refusal to wear a face covering causes a disturbance, a United spokesman told AFP, we've counseled our flight attendants to use their de-escalation skills.
He added, They do have the flexibility to re-seat customers on the aircraft, though that does not work on a sold-out flight.
Our employees are not expected to control the personal behaviors of customers, said a Southwest spokesman. The airline does provide masks in airports and onboard planes but will not deny boarding based solely upon a customer not wearing a mask.
- 'Do not escalate' -
An internal advisory from American Airlines to its flight attendants explains how they are expected to handle mask-related problems.
If a passenger declines to wear a mask for reasons other than medical or religious, it says, please encourage them to comply, but do not escalate further.
Similarly, if a customer is frustrated because a seatmate fails to wear a face covering, please use situational awareness to de-escalate the situation.
During the pandemic, we must partly rely on common sense and responsible actions by travelers, the Southwest spokesman said.
In short, the airlines appear to have chosen the course of conciliation over confrontation with insistent and sometimes angry travelers -- even it means a greater health risk to others sitting nearby.
The wearing of masks has to some extent been politicized by President Donald Trump, who has refused to wear one, in the face of virtually unanimous medical advice and even after some White House staff members have contracted the coronavirus.
Scientists say the risk of infection is near its highest when people spend long periods in enclosed spaces -- like airplanes.
Not to wear a mask on an airplane is hugely irresponsible, said Jonathan Metzl, a professor of sociology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt University, in Tennessee.
I think if someone doesn't wear a mask on a plane, they should be arrested.
- Mask as political symbol -
Deciding not to wear a mask in one's own car is one thing, Metzl said, but refusing to do so while in public transport is a different matter.
I think that President Trump and the Republicans have successfully coded a mask as a political symbol, he added.
They're basically rallying their base by suggesting that wearing a mask is a sign of submission, or that people who wear masks are weak.
Beth Redbird, a sociology professor at Northwestern University, has been studying Americans' behavior during the pandemic.
Republicans who are skeptical of Donald Trump support social distancing, including the wearing of masks, she said, while independents who are supportive of Donald Trump are skeptical of social distancing.
On Thursday, the chairman of the House transportation committee, Peter DeFazio, urged the airlines to leave at least one seat-width of spacing between passengers.
In a letter to a group representing the major airlines, he said they could adjust fares as needed to account for emptier planes.