# How much are you changing your PDAs in light of the virus? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409 "2020-03-13T13:49:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/1 "2020-03-13T13:49:24Z")
I spent yesterday evening with my girlfriend. Her child was with her ex, and we spent the early part of the evening, oddly enough, giving her home a rigorous scrubbing And talking about the fact that Shelby county schools announced yesterday that they would be closed from today until the end of the month. After that was dinner, and after that came some physical activity I won’t detail. Which is not the point of this post anyway. The point is that, waiting for my Lyft ride home, we were in her doorway until the car came with our arms around one another and kissed good night before leaving. The Lyft driver, being one of the chatty ones, observed that our osculation seemed to be in conflict with the current attitude about social distance. I didn’t engage her in conversation on the subject because it was none of her goddamn business, but it did make me wonder how dopers are changing PDAs in light of fears about the epidemic. Thoughts? ---
**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:** [March 13, 2020, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/2 "2020-03-13T13:55:40Z")
If I or my gf contract the virus, we’ll have exposed the other as a matter of routine. I don’t want to kiss someone with a purulent nasal discharge, but if we are symptom free, why not? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/3 "2020-03-13T14:00:34Z")
We do the fist bump instead of shaking hands at church during the passing of the peace, but that is pretty common during flu season anyway. There hasn’t been any change in the number of times I am closer than an arm’s length from the Lovely and Talented Mrs. **Shodan** , nor do I anticipate that there will be. I’ve always said she’s got blue eyes to die for, and that is very nearly literally true. If she’s willing to risk it, who am I to say No? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/4 "2020-03-13T14:00:46Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > …but it did make me wonder how dopers are changing PDAs in light of fears about the epidemic. > > Thoughts? I don’t have anyone with whom to share PDAs at the moment, so I expect no changes in the near term. There is someone I wanted to ask out to a concert tonight, but that won’t be happening. Thought I’d been shot down for every reason possible, but “global pandemic” is a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/5 "2020-03-13T14:02:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > If I or my gf contract the virus, we’ll have exposed the other as a matter of routine. I don’t want to kiss someone with a purulent nasal discharge, but if we are symptom free, why not? That is my thought as well. We had already spent enough time together this week that it was virtually certain that if either of us had the virus, we both did. neither of us is showing any real symptoms apart from her coughing when she inhaled some smoke wrong, so the goodbye kiss seemed perfectly fine to me. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/6 "2020-03-13T14:05:07Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I don’t have anyone with whom to share PDAs at the moment, so I expect no changes in the near term. > > There is someone I wanted to ask out to a concert tonight, but that won’t be happening. Thought I’d been shot down for every reason possible, but “global pandemic” is a new one. Shodan’s remark about fist bumps at church is equally on topic to the kissing, etc. I mentioned in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/7 "2020-03-13T14:07:49Z")
I finally figured out what a PDA is. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/8 "2020-03-13T14:26:24Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I finally figured out what a PDA is. A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as a handheld PC, is a variety mobile device which functions as a personal information manager. PDAs have been mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of highly capable smartphones, in particular those based on iOS and Android. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/9 "2020-03-13T14:29:05Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Shodan’s remark about fist bumps at church is equally on topic to the kissing, etc. I mentioned in the OP. “How much are you changing your PDAs in light of the virus?” Not at all. Is that better? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/10 "2020-03-13T17:27:15Z")
I try to limit my osculation in public. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/11 "2020-03-13T17:42:42Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > There is someone I wanted to ask out to a concert tonight, but that won’t be happening. Thought I’d been shot down for every reason possible, but “global pandemic” is a new one. I suppose it’s better than “I have to wash my hair that night”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/12 "2020-03-13T17:45:11Z")
I’m continuing to not touch my genitals in public. Because of the virus. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/13 "2020-03-13T17:54:20Z")
I am not changing anything with my husband and son. I am staying away from my parents (early 70s). I think I will see them briefly on Saturday but I won’t get close, and after that, I will probably stay away until the whole thing is over. I work in a school, my son attends a different school. My chances of already having this thing are not negligible. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/14 "2020-03-13T18:00:21Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I’m continuing to not touch my genitals in public. Because of the virus. Same here. I am not touching **manson1972** ’s genitals. In public. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/15 "2020-03-13T18:17:00Z")
With my husband, no change at all. Went to get something from the shared cellar and met my neighbor, who is over 70. I did not shake hands as I might otherwise and I did not get closer to him than 1.5 m (approximately). My mother-in-law got upset with my husband and I that we were sharing a fork, because we might share germs. We were already married at that point. She is not a Lyft driver. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/16 "2020-03-13T19:18:37Z")
How is it relevant whether any act of affection is done in public versus privately? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/17 "2020-03-13T19:27:22Z")
Wait was there a memo about **manson1972**? I’m not seeing anything in my inbox and damnit people I need advance notice about procedural changes. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/18 "2020-03-13T19:57:30Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I finally figured out what a PDA is. I had to google it. I’ve never heard the term before. (Apart from the obvious Personal Digital Assistant. Which I was pretty sure this thread wasn’t about.) ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/19 "2020-03-13T20:17:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > How is it relevant whether any act of affection is done in public versus privately? So that people will know you have a girlfriend, of course. What’s the point of having a girlfriend if you don’t spend all your time making sure everyone knows about it. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409/20 "2020-03-13T20:23:05Z")
And knows what you did last night. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-are-you-changing-your-pdas-in-light-of-the-virus/849409.md?page=2)