no mask — Screengrab from Reddit Singapore

Covidiot Chronicles: British anti-masker’s adamance leaves Redditors seething

Singapore — Netizens on the online news forum Reddit were left seething after British anti-masker Benjamin Glynn showed up to court without a mask. Ironically, the reason for Glynn having to show up at court was his being charged with public nuisance after a video of him riding the train without a mask was circulated online.

Going to court in singapore without wearing a mask , faces up to 6 month in prison. from byebyejob

On Friday (July 2), a video of a mask-less Glynn arriving at court was posted on Reddit. Since then, the post has garnered 17 thousand upvotes and nearly two thousand comments where Redditors called out the arrogance in his actions as he continuously disregarded the rules Singapore has put in place.

According to a report by the Daily Mail, not only is Glynn facing a punishment of up to six months of jail time on top of a pre-trial period that could last up to 12 months, but he has also lost a new job he was supposed to return to the UK for.

Interestingly, Glynn remains adamant in his belief that the donning of masks as an effective measure against Covid-19 is a hoax. “I think it’s insane that I am facing a trial at all, just for not wearing a mask,” he is reported to have said. “It’s a horrible situation to be in when I don’t know when I can next see my family. Especially when I don’t even believe masks stop the spread of the virus in the first place. I honestly believe it’s a hoax – I don’t feel there is any evidence to show mask-wearing is effective in any way. From a scientific basis, I think it’s nonsense.”

Glynn also admitted that he “never normally wear(s) a mask, but this is the first time it has been an issue.”

The video of Glynn showng up at court which was shared on Reddit captured him still not donning a mask, only putting one on after a discussion with officials. In response to this, netizens have flipped. While many expressed their disdain for such irresponsibility and arrogance, others held a more sociocultural discussion, questioning the double standard between the Caucasian experience of being a foreigner and that of a non-Caucasian.

“He has a white face and speaks English so the rules don’t apply to him,” one user wrote sarcastically. Others, however, remained confident in Singapore’s fame for being a country that takes its rules seriously.