I had an interesting experience yesterday, and I'm not sure if I handled it in the best possible way. It's one of those gray areas, and perhaps there is no objective best possible way. I'm curious what my friends with uncorrupted, undrugged minds think.  (On Facebook, most of them supported how I handled it, which I appreciated.)

I went to vote, and the two ladies sitting at a table inside the entrance kindly offered me a mask and asked me to put it on. I told them I was exempt for medical reasons. They asked me for a certificate. I explained that I don't need one. They claimed that I do need one, and I reiterated that I don't. Stalemate.

Some guy appeared who seemed to be in charge of the voting station. He argued back and forth with me about the law and my requirement to wear a mask. Why not wear a mask for five minutes? I stuck to my guns that I was medically exempt, I did not need a doctor's note, and the mask is harmful for me, even for five seconds.

I explained that in any case his own mask did nothing for him. If someone was smoking near him, he would smell the smoke, so the mask would certainly not filter out tiny corona particles. He corrected a slight mistake in my Hebrew and didn't disagree with the point, but said he needed to follow the law. The entire exchange was cordial.

A female police officer, stationed there specifically for corona issues, told me that according to the law I need to wear a mask to enter the facility or present a certificate of exemption. I told her that is not correct. After some back and forth she said she would call the supervisor over elections in the district and check. Meanwhile, she asked me to wait outside, and I complied.

A few minutes later the supervisor showed up. The conversation repeated itself. He asked me if I also enter stores and other places without a mask and tell them the same thing. I said that I do. He then instructed the others to let me in and vote.

The police officer overrid this instruction, saying it was against the law and she could not let me in. The poor supervisor was stuck. He emphasized he wanted to do everything possible to enable me to vote. I do believe everyone involved was a decent person who wanted to do the right thing, but they were stuck in their own individual morass.

After some more back and forth the supervisor said he could not let me in without a mask. However, he said that if I agreed to wear one, he would make sure I would be in and out very quickly, with no need to wait on line. I agreed to this.

Before I put on the mask, with the police officer nearby, I made a big show of taking a huge gulp of air. The supervisor escorted me inside, made sure I got my envelope immediately, and I was in and out in about a minute. They all wished me a good day when I left the facility, and the mask went in the trash.

For the record, it didn't cover my nostrils, I did not breathe through it, and they didn't check.

So I wonder...did I handle this right? If not, how could I have handled it better? Here are the following alternatives that come to mind:

1. I could have stalked off and not voted. Not an option.

2. I could have yelled and made a scene. I don't think this would have accomplished anything or helped my cause. I believe carrying yourself with dignity is always more effective.

3. I could have had an hours-long standoff, the results of which are speculative.

Instead, I made a small, momentary concession. I am disgusted that I had to do this. At the same time, it seems this was the most productive way to handle the situation. I still stood up to the tyranny, made my point, and sent a message that went up the chain of command. Although they basically got what they wanted in the end, they had to sweat for it, and I think overall what I did had a positive effect.