Got laughed at for wearing a mask

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I was crossing a busy bridge so I put on a mask to do it in. There's a sign before you go on the bridge. It says 'do not sit on the bench'.

I cross over and this group of lads who are sitting on the bench start laughing as I pass them.

They're the ones who are breaking the rules and I'm the one who's putting up with discomfort to be safe and they're lauging at me...

Mum says they weren't laughing at me but something else but it started immediately as I passed them and then stopped when I got past... Bit of a 'coincidence'.

I don't know why they'd laugh, because wearing a mask has now become socially acceptable in public, and I bet you weren't the only one wearing a mask. I don't know where you're from but in the UK it is mandatory to wear masks in stores and on public transport now, and although it isn't mandatory to wear a mask in the street lots of people still do and nobody looks or laughs because it's become the new norm. I wore a mask when walking to work yesterday and I'd say about 50% of people that I passed also wore a mask and I didn't feel judged.

So them idiots laughing at you is the equivalent of laughing at someone for wearing sunglasses.

Yeah I was the only one wearing a mask on the bridge but it's just common sense I think. Wear one in a shop or if it's a crowded street. Don't wear one (or don't feel the need to wear one) out in the open air.

I guess it depends what counts as 'crowded', that's quite vague.

But they were breaking all the rules. So I think it was 'why are you obeying the rules?'

I used to take such events personally, too: I walk past a group of people - they start laughing - I interpret it that they are laughing at me. Past experiences from school made me used to this assumption being true
It took me years to stop caring.
I think it is quite likely that your mother was right - and even if she wasn't, the ones who were on the wrong were those people sitting on the bench. You are a responsible citizen. They are the the ones making UK situation worse.

100% of people wear masks in stores in NYC. It’s the law.

I saw one guy without a mask out of hundreds of people in the subway.

Those guys on the bench were almost definitely laughing at something else.

Sometimes teenagers think that following the rules is lame, same with being careful, so maybe they were laughing at you. Then again, it's also possible that you just think it was because of you due to low self esteem.

It's very unlikely that they were laughing at you.

I was laughed at and openly mocked for wearing a mask but this was right at the beginning of the pandemic when a lot of misinformation was being spread around on facebook.

So it could be possible that the laughter was aimed at your mask but you will never know for sure so it's one of those things that can't be answered.

I suggest you try and process this memory as something that can't be proved either way and move on ( not easy I know )

I agree with Smudge.