| Leaving home without a mask can be an expensive business these days. Almost four months after the pandemic peaked in Germany, Berlin's transport authorities were this week given permission to slap a 50-euro ($56) fine on passengers who don't cover their faces. That's just 10 euros less than the penalty for traveling without a ticket. Other European cities are charging miscreants even more. Since the end of June, unmasked travelers on the London Underground are threatened with a 100-pound ($125) penalty, while getting caught on the Paris Metro costs 135 euros. Like other countries, Germany is trying to reduce the chances of a second wave of infections later in the year. And when it comes to taking trains, buses and trams, an official recommendation may well go unheeded — despite the health risks to other passengers.  A traveler wearing a protective face mask buys a train ticket at Hauptbahnhof main railway station in Berlin Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe As a result, cities across Europe have been forced to take a harder line. In the French capital, for example, transport workers initially barred anyone who wasn't protected from stations, a tactic that appears to have paid off. The Swiss have generally been less willing to play ball, judging from the government's decision to tighten its rules on protective clothing earlier this month after infections accelerated. Even before the outbreak, face coverings were relatively common in Asian countries such as Japan, China and Hong Kong. Since the start of March, more than 50 nations around the world — from Vietnam to Venezuela — have made masks mandatory in at least some public areas. A notable exception is the U.S., where the government merely recommends that individuals wear face coverings, although some states have stricter face-covering measures. Wearing a mask "isn't always a pleasure," German Health Minister Jens Spahn has acknowledged, but he says it could make the difference in the battle to contain the virus. Paul Ziemiak, the secretary general of Angela Merkel's party, is trying to increase its appeal. "Wearing a mask is sexy," he tweeted last week. — Andrew Blackman | 
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