Not to mention fervently touching mask surface that could be contamination might not be a good idea, especially if there is a chance you might then touch your eyes.
Grant me the steel man. What's the mental model of the people wearing them outside on a walk in the woods or on a beach? Not the inconvenience of taking them off between stops at the bank and the drug store.
I don't know, but who cares. Maybe for pollen and dust allergies.
Part of the problem is everyone feels the need to judge others. Why does it bother you that people wear masks on the beach? Why can't you just let them be?
I don't care what the others are doing per se. In fact, I think it's optimal if everyone else would wear a mask all the time.
What bothers me is that the sort of inconsistency I described is emblematic of the same muddled thinking that the CDC has demonstrated throughout. This is a problem for a number of reasons.
When people don't understand the reasoning behind a policy they are less likely to comply with it and it will lead to excess deaths.
Another reason is that, if no explanation or an incoherent explanation is given for a recommendation, people have to decide whether to follow it based solely on trust or the authority of the recommender. I don't think either of these is good for the long term health of society. You can see how this problem has manifested itself in the resistance of many people to being vaccinated or wearing masks.
Not because I'm "afraid" but because I'm too lazy to take it on and off between every stop I'm going to make.
This attitude that people are wearing masks alone because they're afraid and/or stupid is toxic.