I am a railroader in the cucked state of MI. I do not drive trains, I work on railroad crossings and signal systems. I work outdoors by myself 99% of the time out of a truck that I drive home every night.
Last Friday the FRA (federal railroad administration, like the FAA but for trains) mandated an emergency order in response to Biden's mask mandate EO that went into effect yesterday:
Basically all railroad employees are required to wear masks at all times while at work regardless of where we are or what we are doing, yes even me working alone outdoors in remote locations. They go even as far as to say that while eating or drinking we can only lower the mask to take a bite or sip and then must raise the mask to chew.
Whats worse that that is they have also stated that if we are caught in non-compliance by and FRA inspector, we can be personally fined and removed from service. They will also fine the railroad, which is turning my management team into mask nazis out of fear of the company being fined. Every railroad employee in the US is subject to this bullshit, regardless of state policy; even states without mask mandates.
We had a very long drawn out conference call to address this and it got super heated and myself and many of my co-workers were threatened should we even attempt to push back. Management has made it clear that they will be out looking for us along with the FRA. Basically, the only thing that can save us is our union(s) as a whole, petitioning the FRA to drop the emergency order... I'm not holding my breath.
My morale is so far below sea-level it isn't funny. I love what I do but in a matter of a weekend, I now hate it. Rules are one thing- but threats of dismissal and personal fines seem way over the line and even illegal really. Thanks for letting a cornered pede use his last few gasps of air to vent!
Try getting a turkey hunting mask. Nice camouflage mesh. Very very breathable. They may require a mask but hopefully their silly little mandate doesn't say anything about the type of mask.
According to the order: (C) The following persons are exempted from wearing masks:
Persons in private conveyances operated solely for personal, non-commercial use.
A driver, when operating a commercial motor vehicle, such as a crew transportation van, limo, or taxi, as this term is defined in 49 CFR 390.5, if the driver is the sole occupant of the vehicle.
A person who is the sole occupant of an enclosed cab of a locomotive, hi-rail vehicle, roadway maintenance machine, or any other on-track equipment that has an enclosed cab.
(D) This E.O. exempts the following categories of persons from wearing masks: [29]
People with disabilities who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).[30]
People for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty as determined by the relevant workplace safety guidelines or Federal regulations.[31] Preemption
The requirements in this E.O. do not preempt any State, local, Tribal, or territorial rule, regulation, order, or standard necessary to eliminate or reduce a local safety hazard, which includes public health measures that are the same or more protective of public health than those required in this E.O., if that provision is not incompatible with this E.O. Relief
Any railroad carrier affected by this E.O. may petition for special approval to take actions not in accordance with this E.O. Petitions must be submitted to the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, who is authorized to act on those requests without amending this E.O. In reviewing any petition for special approval, the Associate Administrator will grant petitions only if the petitioner has clearly articulated an alternative action that will provide, in the Associate Administrator's judgment, at least a level of safety equivalent to that provided by compliance with this E.O.
more to come...
Just glanced over Executive Order 13998 and nowhere does it state and specifications on the type of mask. I say go for the camo and good luck. These people are getting crazier by the day.
Oh my gosh, persons in private conveyance, separate from drivers in commercial vehicles- this just validated some stuff I half-heartedly watched about traffic stops and we are not drivers because we are not transporting cargo or paying passengers... If that weren't true, there would be no need for these two parts in the order being separate like that. Sorry if off topic but my mind just got blown a little bit.