# Stupidities you've witnessed (people oblivious to the virus) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 23, 2020, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064 "2020-03-23T01:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/21 "2020-03-23T23:14:02Z")
I don’t know how you top the scenes of people lined up at GameStop to buy “Animal Crossing,” a game you can purchase online. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/22 "2020-03-23T23:24:55Z")
The hospital I was in had anyone visiting a thorough look over, temp check and wash. But they let the volunteer ladies come through bringing homemade cookies and cupcakes on St.Pats day. Nope. Not me. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/23 "2020-03-23T23:36:25Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I don’t know how you top the scenes of people lined up at GameStop to buy “Animal Crossing,” a game you can purchase online. Game Stop originally declared itself “essential retail” and told all of their stores to stay open. They’ve now changed their mind after a deluge of negative pr and have closed their stores. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/24 "2020-03-24T00:28:30Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Game Stop originally declared itself “essential retail” and told all of their stores to stay open. They’ve now changed their mind after a deluge of negative pr and have closed their stores. Ontario announced a 15-day forced closure of all nonessential business starting tomorrow. I’m like 75% sure it was the GameStop thing that forced their hand. I’m mildly surprised they didn’t call it the GameStop Law and single them out by name. “We’re keeping this mostly voluntary. But not GameStop. Fuck them. They’re closed for ten years.” ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/25 "2020-03-24T00:54:32Z")
I was walking down a busy side-street when a 20-ish man drove by wearing a mask. He was alone so I thought the mask was a bit much. Then I noticed that he was steering while staring down at his phone; his thumb was moving over his phone so I can only assume he was texting. That was an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/26 "2020-03-24T00:54:52Z")
My neighbors had a loud party yesterday. Started early, around lunch time, and went until after midnight. It sounded like quite a crowd. Today they’re having solar installed. I don’t think they get this social distancing thing at all. ---
**Author:** ![Onyerbike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onyerbike/32/5402_2.png) [@Onyerbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onyerbike)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/27 "2020-03-24T10:05:32Z")
Today while working I noticed two gentlemen shake hands and then moments later one of them _scratched between his nostrils_. Whelp, he may of just become a statistic right at that exact moment. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/28 "2020-03-24T10:13:47Z")
Are these stupid?: 1) my house cleaner called me and told me her babysitter is sick, so would I be okay her friend to clean my house today? I said sure. 1. working from home makes it a good time to get few things repaired on my car. I plan on dropping the car to my mechanic as well as an auto body shop. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/29 "2020-03-24T11:01:27Z")
A few weeks back, just when it had become apparent that we had to be careful, a friend and I were waiting at the counter for our burritos. We were idly chatting about something while we stood there and then I suddenly realised that we were helping ourselves to the corn chips and dips that are always on the counter. “Probably the least sensible thing we could imagine eating under the current circumstances,” I muttered through my last mouthful. Wouldn’t happen to either of us today but I was surprised that we were both able to mindlessly do it then. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/30 "2020-03-24T11:37:26Z")
Two accounts published on the same day by a reputable news source: Massive cyberattack on hospital computers in an attempt to demand a ransom. Authorities found 600,000 surgical masks in a warehouse of one of the companies of an entrepreneur with a shady past and present. Enterprising spirit my ass. This is one of the very few times I feel there is a real need to protect us from ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/31 "2020-03-24T13:39:21Z")
I mention this in the senior shopping hour thread: As I was leaving there was a decent sized group of people, ~15, waiting to get in after the senior hour. They crowded together around the only door. I had just enough room to get by them. Hey, idjits! You can stand 20 feet away and well away from the others, okay? Have you been paying attention at all??? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/32 "2020-03-24T14:00:57Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Ontario announced a 15-day forced closure of all nonessential business starting tomorrow. > > I’m like 75% sure it was the GameStop thing that forced their hand. I’m mildly surprised they didn’t call it the GameStop Law and single them out by name. “We’re keeping this mostly voluntary. But not GameStop. Fuck them. They’re closed for ten years.” Conversely, the Hudson’s Bay department store chain was one of the first retailers to voluntarily close, so credit to them for their foresight. ---
**Author:** ![IaMoDiNaRy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IaMoDiNaRy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IaMoDiNaRy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/33 "2020-03-24T16:09:53Z")
I have five dogs so I absolutely had to get out yesterday to get dog food. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door of the feed store was a twenty something couple… They were letting their toddler run around all over the store barefoot. He was grabbing and touching everything he saw, as toddlers do. The couple apparently had zero concern… ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/34 "2020-03-24T16:23:30Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Are these stupid?: 1) my house cleaner called me and told me her babysitter is sick, so would I be okay her friend to clean my house today? I said sure. I don’t know. I’d do as others are doing now and tell her to skip the house visit. But pay her for her time, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/35 "2020-03-24T16:30:38Z")
On Saturday, I went for a ride on the local bike trail. I had been hearing that it was OK to get out and exercise and use the parks facilities, as long as you maintain your social distance. I have never seen the trail so crowded. I guess everybody else in the bay area had the same idea. There was one family group of about 6 people, Momma (pregnant) Poppa, a couple of kids and grand-parents all wandering down the trail, spread out, not 6 feet apart, but just enough that I couldn’t easily pass through them on the trail. They gave me a really dirty look when I asked them not to block the trail. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/36 "2020-03-24T17:44:44Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > There was one family group of about 6 people, Momma (pregnant) Poppa, a couple of kids and grand-parents all wandering down the trail, spread out, not 6 feet apart, but just enough that I couldn’t easily pass through them on the trail. They gave me a really dirty look when I asked them not to block the trail. Have the rules on social distancing been changed when it comes to people living in the same household? I thought (perhaps wrongly) that if you lived in the same unit, you didn’t need to maintain the 6’ rule. Of course that doesn’t mitigate the rudeness of people blocking the trail so that others can’t maintain 6’ distance from them. OTOH, my local hiking trail isn’t anywhere near 6’ wide. Neither of course are the sidewalks. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/37 "2020-03-24T18:21:26Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Woman on Facebook who said she and her family are self-isolating: they’re only having patio parties with a few neighbors. > > Countless people who say they’re self-isolating but are having their kids’ friends over because “they’re not contagious” or “they don’t get the virus.” Well, we have decided to co-isolate with the couple across the hall. They have a dog my dog likes, and who seems to be half in love with my dog, so we take them to the dog park together (the park in our apartment complex). It lets us exercise or dogs while staying closer to home, and getting them some dog-to-dog socialization. They join us for board games and TV binges. But we maintain distances, do lots of handwashing, have no physical contact, and they have designated chairs in our place, that we nonetheless spray down with Lysol after they leave. We do share homemade food, with them, though, and it happens that they are vegetarians also. We are the only two apartments on our level, and we all took our temps and shared the results before our first “get-together.” He is working from home 100%, and she is essential home care for disabled people, but any contact with them is done wearing exam gloves. I trust her; she’s smart and mature. We have our own washer and dryer, and let them use them, so they don’t have to use the ones for the whole building. We do run a hot-with-bleach before we do our own laundry, after they have done theirs. It’s a relief to have two more adults in our circle; they are like, 20 years younger than us, but for 4 for a game of Clue, who cares? For our son, we have removed all previous limits on social media, Skyping, etc. We want him to maintain his friendships as best he can. It’s actually proving good that his generation thinks nothing of having a pretty much social media relationship. Who’d’ve predicted? As far as our son goes, he can call on them when he is alone, due to being out of school, and us having to work. Nothing has come up so far, but it’s nice having back-up. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/38 "2020-03-24T18:57:01Z")
People at my store pawing though identical boxes to find just the right one; picking things up to get a close look then putting them down again; just touching things unnecessarily. A guy wearing a mask. Not on his face, mind you, hanging around his neck. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/39 "2020-03-24T19:03:15Z")
It seems Liberty University is going to re-open for business after spring break. This should be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064/40 "2020-03-24T20:07:19Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > For our son, we have removed all previous limits on social media, Skyping, etc. We want him to maintain his friendships as best he can. It’s actually proving good that his generation thinks nothing of having a pretty much social media relationship. Who’d’ve predicted? That’s one thing I’m amazed and thankful for about living in our time. During the flu pandemic of 1919, there was no TV or radio. No binge watching of shows. No internet or social media. Long distance calls were difficult and costly to place. Today we have limitless ways of staying entertained at home. We can instantly communicate with friends and family across the world and have constant access to news instead of reading a newspaper once or twice a day. No one needs to feel isolated anymore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupidities-youve-witnessed-people-oblivious-to-the-virus/850064.md?page=3)