Seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is only a small fraction of people who still believe that masks are not a necessary tool and that they can ward off the virus without any safety gear. Still, masks remain a hindrance for many who have to contend with shortness of breath, itching, sweating, vapour on glasses — valid concerns in a humid city. As such, people have also been looking for ways to make their new normal easier. BMC officials said Mumbaikars have come up with innumerable excuses when they are caught without masks.

After the BMC started a stringent drive against the maskless, officials have come across myriad reasons from defaulters. "The most popular excuse is, 'It is my choice whether to wear it or not'. Some people do not understand that them exercising this right is overpowering other people's rights, too. Some others think that they are healthy enough and that COVID is not a real threat," said a B ward official associated with the Solid Waste Management department. Another official from G North ward said that teenagers usually have the excuse that they forgot.