I would love to have someone deliver a load of bulk compost for my home veggie garden but haven’t been able to find anyone to do it yet. Several local places are closed. It seems that any activity geared toward agriculture or food production is considered essential under Illinois’ shelter in place order. Maybe you can do something like that instead?
duplicate post
What about laundromats? I guess people could wash their clothes at home but that’s not really practical, especially if you have kids.
The Illinois shelter in place order states that laundromats are essential businesses.
Surely a contender for most conspicuous greed during this crisis.
That’s a great idea. We’re actually an all organic lawn and garden company, and we sell and deliver a shit-ton of our own vermicompost to home gardeners (in addition to the lawn fertilization). This is giving me a bit of an idea for potential lawn customers this year. Thanks and now off to go formulate some stuff…
ETA: this whole situation is really forcing small businesses owners to think outside the box and on their toes these days.
Missed the edit window: this whole covid situation is really forcing small businesses owners to think outside the box and on their toes to keep everything they’ve built from collapsing. I find it terrifying, yet somewhat exhilarating as well. We’ve sort of operated on momentum and routine for the past few years, but now we have to really figure out what to say, do, offer in this new environment, and how to plan for a half dozen contingencies. My biggest concern is customers who paid for services at the end of last year cancelling and asking for a refund because the economy is tanking. If that starts happening, we’re toast.
I did find a place that is doing limited topsoil/compost deliveries to individuals in specific circumstances - when I told them I was asthmatic and doing whatever I can to avoid people and minimize grocery store trips, they offered to make an exception for me once they figure out how they are handling delivery logistics. (I told them thanks, but not to make me a priority - it’s still too cold to plant what I want to plant in that spot anyway.)
One of the seed companies I sometimes order from is apparently completely slammed with orders, because in addition to this being spring planting season, lots of people are seeing the utility of growing their own food. Anyway, good luck!
I’ve seen data that estimates adults with alcohol abuse disorder to be 7.2% of the population, making that 17 million problem drinkers in the US. If you figure that 20% of them might be addicted badly enough to need treatment if deprived of their addictive drug, you’ll see why having three and a half million alcoholics in the midst of delirium tremens showing up in the emergency rooms during this public health crisis would be a bad thing.
Liquor stores.
I think I posted here how another driver ran a stop sign and totaled my car last month. Still waiting on the insurance payment to process (which started last week, supposedly) and then looking forward to buying a new car. Also, I HAVE to buy a new car within 30 days to get the sales tax rebate. And I still have to work. For now I have a backup car with many issues I was looking forward to putting back on the bench.
FWIW, I’m assuming at least some online auto sales will go on, and that’s how I bought my last car.
It occurs to me that if you know what you want and call an auto dealership, they might still be able to sell you a new car. They can’t run the showroom, but that doesn’t mean that one person can’t show up and sit 10 feet away from another to sign a contract. Maybe?
I might do the Carvana “no contact” delivery.
There are several car dealers here advertising on the radio about how they clean and disinfect their dealerships all the time, plus they will bring cars to your house for you to look at and then they will bring the paperwork to your house if you like.
I dunno, if the weed stores are still open how do you close liquor stores?
Pennsylvania dispensaries are deemed necessary and are therefore open, but our state liquor stores are closed. Our governor pointed outbthatbthe dispensaries are selling necessary medicine, while the liquor stores are not.
I know someone said funeral homes are essential and are open, but just wanted to add that my best friend’s dad died this week. They had the funeral, but it was limited to immediate family only and the funeral home suggested that each family group sit away from each other. When I called to check up on him, he said that each family group sat in every other row to appease the funeral home, but then gathered at his sister’s house for a meal. They are all a very close family anyway and are helping each other with child care etc since a lot of child care places have shut down.
I’ve seen it pointed out that given the number of alcoholics out there, liquor stores should probably be considered essential medicine too.
The last thing you want is alcoholics without their fix going to the ER with DTs right now.
For some reason I’m on an email list for a local distillery. I just got an email saying they’re keeping their tasting room open because it’s “essential.”
I know we’re all want our hooch during lockdown, but the tasting room?
My husband mentioned this earlier today: McDonald’s restaurants (and probably other fast-food restaurants) to some extent function as daytime homeless shelters, where people can get out of the elements for a few hours if they can scrape together some change for a coffee. Not to mention bathroom facilities. LA is famous for its mild weather but has had unusual amounts of rain and wildly fluctuating temperatures in the last 2 weeks. While the city is making efforts to finally do something about the problem, I’m still seeing a lot of people on the streets. I’ll leave it to the experts to weigh the costs and benefits of closing all dining rooms, but certainly there are costs, and they’re being borne by those who can least afford them.