More and more news each day of a growing number of people getting fed up with the current lockdown/rules.
I see things from both perspectives. My wife has some medical concerns, including asthma. My daughter also has asthma. I've got some issues of my own. So, when I go out (I'm the one who goes out in my family) for grocery runs I wear a mask. But I'm finding myself using a more comfortable homemade mask, rather than one of the N95 masks that my wife ordered when most everyone was still oblivious to what was happening in China, or of the "it's no worse than the flu" opinion. My reasoning for switching mask styles is largely based on the realization that our N95 masks are not very good...my glasses get steamed up, and I can feel the hot air escaping around my nose and up towards my eyes, which tells me that the mask is not really providing complete protection anyway, so why make myself more uncomfortable (the mask is hard to breathe in for any extended period of time) rather than use a homemade mask that will be more comfortable while still providing a similar (inadequate) level of protection.
Meanwhile, I'm also noting a lack of logic/intelligence in so many of the restrictions that are being enforced (or not enforced). I'm seeing a lot of rules in place that inconvenience people, while not really providing complete protection. If we discard the possibility of a worldwide conspiracy and agree that there's some level of real danger with COVID-19, I think most of us can acknowledge the following as known to be accurate:
- COVID-19 can spread and linger in the air
- COVID-19 can be easy to catch
As such, the only *COMPLETELY* safe course of action is for everyone to completely lock themselves down at home forever while we wait for a cure, or to only travel out in a hazmat suit (or something along those lines), and then be hosed down with disinfectant when returning back home.
I think most of us can agree that that approach is not viable, so we instead have all agreed upon a new normal of going out with masks on. With many small businesses going out of business (soon, if not already) and the free/boosted unemployment checks possibly winding down, we're also now seeing new guidelines around how businesses need to operate and how to "safely" reopen businesses. My family is fortunate, because we could choose to safely stay at home and order grocery and food deliveries if we wanted to. We both work remotely and our companies aren't at risk of going out of business anytime soon as a result of this. Nevertheless, the logician in me can't help but get really frustrated by the stupidity of so many of the guidelines and/or by various things I witness when I'm out and about or watching the news. It seems obvious to me that many of these rules seem more for show than for actual protection. Some examples:
- Liquor stores deemed to be "essential" businesses early on, while *ANY* other business was deemed non-essential.
- A large number/rotation of customers allowed to flow through grocery stores spreading their breath (leaking out through whatever substandard mask they might be wearing) and inhaling (to some degree) the breath of others.
- People wearing masks while driving their own car or doing work outside of their own house (I wonder if some of these people also wear masks inside their home - I'll bet there are some).
- Phase 1 of reopening restaurants near me will allow for people to eat outside, but with restaurants restricted to 50% capacity - these patrons will not be wearing masks at all, so they'll surely be more easily potentially spreading COVID-19 to other patrons, staff, etc., and vice versa. Worth noting that I live in CT and we just got some snow this weekend. It may still be a while before most days' weather are conducive to outside dining.
- People prevented from going to beaches, parks, etc., or forced to wear masks if/when they are allowed to do these activities, while the restaurant rules mentioned above are eased.
- Grocery stores enforcing "one way only" aisle restrictions. This one drives me crazy. There's no limit to the number of people allowed down an aisle, and no restriction stating that I can't walk past someone in an aisle, but they're going to make me walk down aisles I have no need to go down, just to be able to go down the next aisle I need to go down in "the right direction."
What are some other examples of things you're witnessing that simply don't make a lot of sense?
Many of these things just seem to be delaying the inevitable of a lot more people catching COVID-19 and a lot of businesses going out of business and people finding themselves unemployed. But maybe that's the whole point, and that's considered to be the best option among a choice of nothing but bad options. While free money flows a little longer and mortgages/rent are delayed, maybe *some* of these businesses will have time to adapt to the new normal and figure out a way to *not* go out of business. For most of the survivors, they surely won't be doing *better* financially than they were before. Most will be downsizing staff. Many will be barely making ends meet. But maybe that's the best we can hope for until a cure is found, or more is known about the virus, what the real risks are, what are the best ways to avoid spreading/getting it, etc.
Nevertheless, I suspect that at least some of the reason for some of the conflict boiling over among some people is at least partially due to rules/restrictions which are odds with other rules/restrictions and common sense, even if many of those people getting upset aren't able to articulate it.
COVID-19 - lack of logic while frustration boils over
Moderator: Global Moderator
Re: COVID-19 - lack of logic while frustration boils over
I haven't seen any replies to CT-Scott's post, but it's packed with a lot of good questions and observations so I figured I'd chime in.
The "essential" vs. "non-essential" categorization of businesses was a big mistake on the government's part, and we're all going to pay the price for that blunder in the years to come. By making that distinction, the government has made "non-essential" businesses much riskier investments practically overnight. It will be much harder for "non-essential" businesses to obtain investment capital, loans, and commercial leases now, because most people will rightly view them as riskier propositions now.
Grocery stores in my area typically have an employee standing outside the entrance limiting the flow of customers into the store. Maybe they need to limit it even more, but at least they're making the effort, which is reasonable.
I'm assuming most of the people who wear masks while driving do it out of simple laziness; they'd rather put the mask on and adjust it at home than have to mess around with it out in public. Probably not because they think they could get infected inside their own car. But I could be wrong, because of course I can't read their minds.
The one-way aisle stickers are probably one of the least logical rules I've seen. Most of the customers in my local grocery stores pay no attention to them, and I don't think I've ever gotten a dirty look from someone when I happen to go down an aisle in the "wrong" direction. I think intuitively, most people understand it's a pointless rule.CT-Scott wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 9:17 am - Grocery stores enforcing "one way only" aisle restrictions. This one drives me crazy. There's no limit to the number of people allowed down an aisle, and no restriction stating that I can't walk past someone in an aisle, but they're going to make me walk down aisles I have no need to go down, just to be able to go down the next aisle I need to go down in "the right direction."
Social distancing in general. If we look to Asian nations like Korea and Taiwan as models to follow, then we should note that although masks are widespread there, social distancing is not -- at least in the case of public transit. Their train riders wear masks, yet they sit very close together because the trains are packed. Maybe they know something we don't? Because somehow they're packing large numbers of mask-wearing people together in tight, enclosed spaces but it isn't causing the virus to spread like wildfire.