Lockdown Blues

[Spiggy Sage]

..also known as the human electric fence without any warning signs..

[Being645]

..also known as the human electric fence without any warning signs..

... ... and a big brick wall on both sides to bang their head against ...

[Spiggy Sage]

..and don't forget the water - nature's element of emotions..the sea is killing me..

[sam donut]

I'm in quite a privileged position in that I am working from home, and my employer is really taking this seriously; I'll not be back in the office until September at the earliest. So at least I'm not in the position that many find themselves of being forced into daily contact with the Great Unwashed simply to pay the bills.

On the other hand, I'm finding lockdown a bit horrible. I can usually cope quite well with my own company, but now that I've not been anywhere for weeks, my anxiety is through the roof. Normally a nice walk outside is great to calm down that anxiety but... when I do go outside for my daily exercise, or for shopping, hardly anyone seems to be taking social distancing seriously any more, very few people are wearing masks, and it's terrifying me.

I'm lucky I don't suffer with anxiety and it must be horrible if you suffer my sympathies to you. I just hate any form of dictation and I know we have to obey by the rules for others and our own safety. It's very hard and I think once the main shops open and hotels etc. People will get too complacent and forget a virus is still around and carry on as normal and you're right I see not much social distancing or people wearing masks anymore!

This is my main cause of anxiety, the amount of people who seem to think "past the (first?) peak" means 'gone away". People not giving me time to cross the road before they shove past, getting out of cars right in front of me instead of waiting a second, not distancing at all and banging on about "we'll be right in a couple of weeks when the pubs open".
I also overheard a bloke saying the only thing he was really concerned about his children missing out on at school was the swimming, because "nothing else is that important".

[markfiend]

Yes. I've just been watching the lunchtime news, shouting at the screen "the virus hasn't gone away you fcuknuggets!" at the hordes of shoppers. What is it that they're so desperate to buy that they can't get online?

Looks like the Tories have got their "herd immunity" after all, by playing on people's complacency and boredom.

[Quiff Boy]

It's easy to be outraged by what appears to be the general public's addiction to shopping, but I saw a tweet earlier (can't find the link now) that made me stop and think.

Basically they pointed out that lockdown has been on for ~3 months and that many folks - such as those with babies, infants and kids of all ages - will have worn out/grown out of their existing clothing.

Also, many folks will have been struggling for cash due to being furloughed or made redundant - even more than they might usually be - so "bargain" clothing shops like sports direct and primark will be performing an essential service.

I know there's plenty of holes in that argument - it's not mine, I'm just badly paraphrasing - and god knows there's a million reasons to hate mike ashley/sports direct for how they treat their staff and suppliers, but there's something to their point and it's easy for us to be dismissive.

As a friend recently tweeted:

There will be people who need clothes. Those people will probably have to shop at the cheaper stores. Quit being judgemental fucks already. Other people aren't your enemy, the system is.

and a random twitter user said:

rather than p*ss at the people who have gone to the shops today, maybe have a p*ss at the people who told them it was fine to do so?

Am just trying not to fall into the trap of "people are f**king idiots" this time, even though they usually are.

[Quiff Boy]

The points about people seemingly returning to normal and not observing social distancing or wearing facemasks is totally valid though.

I've barely left the house for 3 months but I went to the post office last week and the lack of seriousness people were giving the current situation was bloody annoying, and slightly terrifying.

[markfiend]

rather than p*ss at the people who have gone to the shops today, maybe have a p*ss at the people who told them it was fine to do so?

There is that. Good point.

[timsinister]

Our society and government have set it up so it's impossible not to fall into the trap of being around others for essential supplies, unless you're sufficiently well-off or otherwise priviliged enough not to need to go out.

As Fiendy said,

Looks like the Tories have got their "herd immunity" after all

- through their usual cruel and heartless social engineering.

[andymackem]

It's easy to be outraged by what appears to be the general public's addiction to shopping, but I saw a tweet earlier (can't find the link now) that made me stop and think.

Basically they pointed out that lockdown has been on for ~3 months and that many folks - such as those with babies, infants and kids of all ages - will have worn out/grown out of their existing clothing.

This is absolutely true for us. Our 3yo needs new shoes. And she needs her feet measured properly because they've grown. At some point this week, we have to take her to Clark's to do that, so we can get something that fits properly. I can replace other stuff without her when I do the supermarket run, but I need a good idea of what size shoe to buy or I risk damaging her feet.

And I don't think I buy into the general handwringing about the public behaving like idiots. Where I am, I see people being sensible about keeping their distance, visiting the countryside without turning it into Piccadilly Circus at rush hour and giving each other space in the supermarket. I'm sure there are individuals acting the goat, but I think it's relatively isolated.

There's a big unaddressed problem though: most people go to work to get the money to enable them to do what they enjoy. If I have to go back to work and not enjoy myself, I'm entitled to ask why I'm not allowed to enjoy the fruits of my labours in the pub, at the football or wherever.

[sziamiau]

well I finally get to go home without quarantine so pretty excited. not excited about being around people during the trip. I don't even know how to act normal around people to be honest, will probably need to edit myself and try not to curse people out much like I curse at bikers while out running. seriously though i don't even know how to travel anymore. I log so many miles normally and this year I've only been on one round trip flight and some train trips to the UK. weird feeling and don't want to get infected on the trip

[EvilBastard]

We're now in month #4 of lockdown, although simultaneously in Phase 3 of reopening. Offices are still closed, ours says we can work from home until January 2021 if we like, but restaurants are open for outdoor dining (but please don't be an a$$hole, and wear a mask when your server comes to take your order or deliver food. Seriously. Don't be a tw@) - quite why anyone wants to eat their tea 6' from thundering traffic I don't know, but apparently it's enjoyable. I've been rocking a succession of ethnic headscarves repurposed as face masks - last Saturday I pulled out the Palestinian keffiyeh and decided to go "full intifada" to the supermarket. Got some strange looks on the bus, it's true, but strange looks are the order of the day these days.

I'm with @markfiend on the anxiety thing - I live alone (yeah, I know - shocking revelation, right?) so I can go for days without seeing another human being. I talk to my team and my boss on Slack all day long, but there's no human contact - turns out I actually miss other pinks. Definitely not interested in dining out until there's a vaccine (or until we cut off Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California) and quarantine them somewhere in the south Atlantic until they work out that we're in the middle of a fucking pandemic here, numbnuts! Wear a fucking mask!, because you know that these a$$holes are going to be coming up here "to escape covid" and bringing their filthy germs/habits/children with them - if that orange fuckweasel in the White House wants to build a wall then let's have one around this city, bristling with automated weapons, landmines, and attack dogs, so that those of us who aren't utter a$$holes, who've been locking down and masking up, who are getting used to tipping 100% on haircuts and 50% on meal deliveries because barbers and food delivery guys are (a) taking the worst of the economic hit, and (b) because they're risking their health by doing their jobs, might actually get through this with a modicum of sanity left.

In other news, new season of Norsemen drops next week, my boss is in awe of my Excel-fu, I've almost finished plastering, and so far the summer hasn't been as godawful hot n'humid as it might have been. So that's nice.

[Quiff Boy]

This might help if you have cabin fever:

https://www.window-swap.com/

Loads of people around the world have submitted a 10 minute hd video of the view from their window. The site collates them and randomises them.

Some lovely views

Think it works best on a laptop btw, rather than a mobile phone

And it’s curated, so I guess the c*cks and sh*gging scenes have been omitted

[Swinnow]

Sh*gging scenes outside the front window...... Jeez, it really is 1982 again, cue a new single.....

[Pista]

This might help if you have cabin fever:

https://www.window-swap.com/

Loads of people around the world have submitted a 10 minute hd video of the view from their window. The site collates them and randomises them.

Some lovely views

Think it works best on a laptop btw, rather than a mobile phone

And it’s curated, so I guess the c*cks and sh*gging scenes have been omitted

Okay, now that is pretty cool

[Quiff Boy]

this one is winning for me, so far...



What a view!

[Pista]

I just did a quick flick through & quite liked the cat in Qatar that clearly wanted to catch the birds flying past outside

[emilystrange]

I love these

[MadameButterfly]

This might help if you have cabin fever:

https://www.window-swap.com/

And it’s curated, so I guess the c*cks and sh*gging scenes have been omitted

oh dammit! would have made it so much more fun.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

soooooooooo lockdown blues no more! unless like me you are a "lesta-leper" and live in a city which is nicely central to make sure everybody around you knows what to expect if they dont toe-the line. its surely impossible for the 12th (if that) largest uk city to be 10x as infective qas ALL the other cities -surely??

it's a pain but really what its doing to me is stopping me from visiting my dyiong best friend in hospital. he's literally got a few weeks to live and has nobody who's allowed to go and see him.