# How are you handling social distancing violations from strangers? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [May 18, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036 "2020-05-18T13:59:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036/21 "2020-05-19T10:20:35Z")
The more I think about that encounter, the angrier I get. Anyone so stupid as to ignore such obvious social clues to keep your distance _during a pandemic_ is not smart enough to have been taking reasonable precautions. I let her put my family at risk because I was just stunned by her obliviousness. I wonder if she is one of those Fox News conspiracy theorists who thinks it’s all a hoax. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036/22 "2020-05-19T12:14:21Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Of course, these are all bullshit courtesies and some people hate doing that, but it does get your point across and the other person doesn’t feel like shit and you don’t go home thinking that you might have overreacted. At work I’ve been past bullshit courtesies for awhile now. If someone approaches me beyond the line, I had my hand up and say, “move back”. Every few days I have someone who needs told “move back” repeatedly, or even argues the point. To those exceptional individuals I say, “if you won’t stay back you’ll have to get the fuck out”. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036/23 "2020-05-19T12:35:39Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > At work I’ve been past bullshit courtesies for awhile now. If someone approaches me beyond the line, I had my hand up and say, “move back”. Every few days I have someone who needs told “move back” repeatedly, or even argues the point. To those exceptional individuals I say, “if you won’t stay back you’ll have to get the fuck out”. I like you dude. This is one of the few strangers I have had or interact with. We both are lucky that we can work from home, we go grocery shopping every two weeks very early in the morning and the people there at that time are taking things seriously, and on walks everyone has been doing their best at social distancing. This woman was the first person I’ve encountered to just walk up to a stranger for no damn reason. It’s like she woke up from a coma, didn’t check the news and headed to the park. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036/24 "2020-05-19T13:25:35Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > This woman was the first person I’ve encountered to just walk up to a stranger for no damn reason. There are people out there purposely doing things because they disagree with the whole pandemic thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036/25 "2020-05-19T14:27:15Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > The more I think about that encounter, the angrier I get. … Don’t overreact, man. You had one encounter w/ an idiot. A brief interaction outside w/ an asymptomatic individual bears the remotest of risks. Seriously - how close was she to you for how long? She was stupid - but so were you. What is it that paralyzed you and prevented you from backing off? Instead of being pissed, try being happy that it alerted you to the ubiquity of morons, and reinforced the need to be alert and forceful in your response. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036/26 "2020-05-19T16:12:14Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > There are people out there purposely doing things because they disagree with the whole pandemic thing. I disagree with this whole pandemic thing, too. That’s why I take measures to try to prevent it from getting out of control (again). I don’t want to get shut down again, and that’s exactly what is going to happen if we show that we cannot open responsibly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-you-handling-social-distancing-violations-from-strangers/854036.md?page=1)