I think a “murder of covidiots” is a particularly appropriate description, since such people are acting in callous disregard of other people’s safety.
A covfefe of covidiots?
A rally of covidiots ?
Well we did the idiot thing today. Wife and I are staying with the kids in Augusta, GA - birth of granddaughter #10 - thanks - she’s 10 weeks now. We went to the Zoo up in Columbia, SC with local family we have in our small group. We all mask, sanitize, wash, try to stay apart from others. SC zoo has mandatory mask but I estimate 30% removed or half-assed wore once inside. Came home, scrubbed, and showered. Hope it works. I do the local grocery shopping here in Augusta, probably 95% compliance and I only go off hours. So far so good but this zoo trip bothered me - especially the inside exhibit halls - too crowded.
Follow up: Sis texted me this morning. They were supposed to leave tomorrow morning… but decided to cancel. I behaved and simply responded ok.
Has anyone yet figured out why so many, many people - especially Americans - are convinced that they’re only in danger of catching Covid-19 from strangers? A story I read last week said that outside congregate settings, after going to bars and gyms, family/friend get-togethers are the third most popular way are getting this thing, and that’s been true since before colleges started back up.
I’m guessing it’s American Exceptionalism carried to the next level: Family Exceptionalism.
“Oh, cousin Howie isn’t one of those people who’d come down with this – it’ll be okay.”
I think it’s something psychological. We humans are social animals, it is embedded in our DNA.
We are hardwired to perceive risk from family and friends differently than from strangers and acquaintances. It’s got to be a function of our nature. The very idea of safety is the measure of perceived risk. The closer we are emotionally, the more trust we place in those people. That trust doesn’t recognize a communicable disease differently than the risk of being bludgeoned over the head.
There are people in our social circle that we tolerate because we have to: in-laws, crazy cousins, coworkers we fundamentally disagree with, etc. But the people we have allowed in emotionally are inside our perceived safety zone.
So we have a hard time keeping away from our closest connections. We have more invested in the bond, so the perceived risk is less important than the need to be together. We let our guard down.
I feel it, too. Someone I know just had a fiftieth birthday party. It was held outside for a barbecue get together. I was tempted to go, because I miss these people. But I decided it was ultimately part of the behavior I am condemning in others, I would be a hypocrite to go. So I skipped it, but it sucks, because I wanted to be there.
Let me add one more factor to the several excellent responses to @elfkin477.
I live in what has been, since May, one of the COVID hotspots of the nation. When I go to e.g. the grocery store or Home Depot I’m swimming in a sea of people where I don’t know anything about their habits. But I do know, from our county-level statistics, that a lot of our county has it and more catch it every day.
When my SIL comes over for dinner I know all about her habits. I know she works from home, gets groceries delivered, and is serious about her mask wearing on the rare occasions she goes out.
The risk from SIL is more known than the risk from the strangers. And is further known to be, statistically speaking, less. Yes, any given person can catch it (or pass it on) on any given day. But if I had to bet on which exposure carries more risk for me, I know how to bet.
Now if my SIL was a heedless maskhole we’d be treating her the same as we treat the folks at HD; no dinner invites for you.
We have plenty of examples from many QZ threads about people who have heedless extended family who choose not to associate with them. More data = better decisions. Or more precisely, more data can lead to better decisions if you pay attention to the data.
I think you’re exactly right about this.
So many of our instincts about what’s safe vs. risky don’t apply to something like Covid. So it’s natural, though regrettable, that people so often misjudge the danger.
Can we add our loved ones to this list? When I was pregnant, my Father-in - Law committed to helping out with child care two days a week for the first year. The baby was born the day COVID hit and everything shut down. Surprise! My dear FIL can’t be arsed to take the virus seriously - he decided this was the time he needed to date and have sex with several strange women, and to travel all over the country doing anything he feels like. We had to hire a nanny who could be relied upon for safe behaviors because according to our pediatrician, this guy should not be allowed around an infant. We’ve begged him to be safer because we needed the help and he pretty much threw up his hands and said, “I can’t possibly be expected to socially distance like everyone else! That’s just unreasonable.” He then sends us these photos of him having fun in other states and ignoring the virus because all he cares about is having fun. He also talks a lot about how much money he’s making off vaccine development while we are financially drowning due to the unexpected burden of child care.
He’s been back in the state for less than two days and already he’s asking to come over and see the baby. Um, no.
An old friend I recently got back into contact with has recently started a three week vacation in Orlando. He seems not to take my concern seriously, though I’m not sure what he does think. I’m kind of torn, but he’s a grown man, and I can’t make him do anything. It just clashes with my old memories of him.
I also went in for my first professional haircut. The signs outside boasted safety, but one of the stylists (not the one i was using) had her mask under her nose. I didn’t want to cause a scene, but it did make me nervous. Also, the stylist I was using wanted me to take off the ear loops from my mask to cut around my ears, so she had me hold it to my face with my hand. As in where all the virus goes. I used hand sanitizer afterward, but I don’t know if it was enough, and now I’m a bit paranoid about whatever I touched in between and after.
I think I’ll try another branch of my haircut place before going back to the self shaves I was so tired of…
She could have handed you a disposable vinyl glove to hold your mask with and then when you peeled it off there would be much less issue and gel would have handled that comfortably. Would have cost about .03 cents. I’m with you, keep shopping for a salon/shop that gives a damn.
My hair stylist simply has me hold the loop of my mask under my ear for a moment so she can cut there. First one side, then the other.
No touching of the mask filter, just the loops.
Auto dealership. My governor is requiring masks in many business settings and encouraging OSHA complaints for non-compliant businesses. I drop off my car. Repair staff are using masks with ventilators. Some are nose-out. Customers are hanging around without masks. No sanitizer on the counter. I go for a walk and return to see an employee bringing my car back around. He has no mask on. That would be the small enclosed space I’m about to sit in. Drove home with my mask on and the windows open, undressed in the garage, showered, and complained to corporate. Also said OSHA would be my next step if they don’t knock it off.
I haven’t read the rest of this thread, sorry. But here’s my covidiot story…
After 2 freaking months on a ventilator, an old friend and former roommate died of covid. I attended the funeral on Tuesday via zoom. Afterwards, what do all my emotionally destroyed friends who are there do? Go out to a packed bar without masks or social distancing…
The couple times I’ve been, the stylist holds the ear loops herself when she needs to move them out of the way.
This is one of my peeves - the folks who go around wearing a mask but under their nose, as if that does any good. I saw one customer come in in scrubs that way. I would think she would know better. Even if she’s just an office worker and not a medical professional, she should be trained what is correct.
Plenty of my coworkers at work wander around that way. Or worse, they think the mask mandate only applies when customers are in the store, and don’t even bother with masks when we are closed to the public. Despite the fact we have had several cases with employees out with covid.
All I can do is sigh.
Scrubs no longer mean medical employee. A woman I know bought dozens of scrubs tops/bottoms and wears them in lieu of jeans and a t-shirt. She answers the phone and books appointments for an awning company.
While running errands last weekend, I saw a child (maybe 10 years old or so) running around a store holding a mask over her face, with the loops dangling.
So sorry to hear this. My condolences.