A Little Consistency, Please

Americans aren’t stupid. If our betters tell us to do one thing, then tell us to do the opposite, then issue conflicting direction, we will figure it out. And then most probably ignore everything.

It is legal for large home improvement stores to stay open, but small appliance outlets cannot. So let’s see – I can go to Home Depot and carouse with 200 of my neighbors, but I can’t go to Charlies’ Appliance down the street and maybe see one other person.

Kids are home from school and driving everyone crazy. They need to get outside and run and play. We can’t take them to the park (its closed). The cops arrested a man throwing a ball to a six year old. They were the only ones in the park.

Then there’s the famous picture of two boats carrying half a dozen police running down a paddle boarder in Malibu – with no other person in sight.

Then there’s church. OMG People wanted to go and sit in their cars in a church parking lot and listen to the pastor on the radio. How much more social distance can you get. The cops gave them all tickets.

By the way, I’m all for wearing masks if it makes sense. My understanding is that the mask doesn’t necessarily protect you from others, it protects others from you. Fair Enough. And they should be worn in areas like grocery stores (and Home Depot) where there are a lot of people. However does it make sense to wear them when you are walking the dog? And the nearest person you will meet is 50 feet away? I was out today and counted 45 people on the streets, 30 were not wearing masks. See the first paragraph above.

And of course there is a black market appearing for some goods and services. I have been slipped a phone number that if I call, I can set up an appointment with a hair stylist. I have to go down an alley and knock three times on a back door to be let in to get my hair cut. I haven’t acted on it, but if this carries on much longer, I may have to.

If you go to Supercuts or Floyd’s, there can sometimes be quite a crowd waiting. They take appointments. Maybe they could work it out that that they use every other station and still get people’s haircut, give their stylists a place to work, and be social distanced at the same time.

There’s a sign in our building that says that if you have any symptoms (cough, sniffles, fever, etc) you may not come in the building.  Hey, makes sense to me.

If this sounds like it was written at a time of frustration, you are right. Our businesses are being destroyed. Many will not survive. The loans from the SBA, at least from my point of view, are fiction. Mark my words. In a very few weeks, or even days, people will say “enough.”

They will just laugh at the cops and the neighbors who are ratting them out for not staying indoors. And go on with their lives. In fact, it may already be beginning.

JVH