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Coronavirus: Man uses snake as face mask on UK bus, goes viral

One passenger said she thought the man was wearing a "funky mask" until she spotted the reptile slithering over hand rails.

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It was a bizarre sight for commuters on a bus in the UK as a man boarded with a reptilian face covering - a live snake which he wrapped around his neck and mouth. 
The man boarded the bus, from Swinton to Manchester on Monday, and was pictured seated with the snake around his neck, BBC reported. One passenger said she thought the man was wearing a "funky mask" until she spotted the reptile slithering over hand rails.
The eyewitness added that she found the incident "really funny", and that snake did not seem to be bothering any of the fellow passengers. She said, "No-one batted an eyelid." The unusual face mask has since gone viral after the man's photo with his snake was shared on social media.
Greater Manchester transport authority confirmed one commuter was wearing a live snake as a face mask, although it was not a valid face covering.

 

 

 

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Snakes on a bus????? Yes that is a live snake wrapped around a man's head. This commuter used his (very much alive) pet snake as a face covering on a bus journey near Manchester, UK. One fellow bus passenger said she thought he was wearing a "funky mask" until she spotted it slithering over hand rails. Officials in Greater Manchester have confirmed a snake is not a valid face covering. Click the link in our bio to find out more. (??PA media) #Snake #FaceCovering #Covid19 #Manchester #UK #BBCNews
A post shared by BBC News (@bbcnews) on Sep 16, 2020 at 4:08am PDT

Following the incident, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester transport said that government guidance clearly states that it is not necessary to wear a surgical mask and that passengers can wear something suitable such as a scarf or bandana.
"While there is a small degree of interpretation that can be applied to this, we do not believe it extends to the use of snakeskin - especially when still attached to the snake," the spokesperson said.