You can fence with strangers without getting a bad reputation and you don't have to spend 30 in the bar getting to know them first. You are not being insulting if you insist that your partner wear a mask. In fencing you don't have to get your own equipment until you decide whether or not you like it. You usually fence in a big, brightly lit room with lots of people in it. The person you're fencing with won't mind if your buddies stand around and cheer for you.
Whips are normal in fencing.
It is almost impossible to catch a disease from a fencing foil. You can play with your foil in public and no one will laugh. If your foil gets a funny bend in it all you have to do is run it under your foot a few times. No one cares how long your foil is, and if it breaks you just go get a new one. It is easy to get pretty girls to hold on to your foil.