Apparently, people can only stay sensible for about five weeks before thinking that they can start flouting the rules. We all agreed to keep our distance from one another, to not travel or leave our homes unless necessary. For a little while it seemed that people only went out if they really had to; for essential jobs, for medical reasons, to get essential supplies, to walk your dog or to keep fit. And whenever you did so, you would do what was necessary and no more.
With great annoyance I saw some people I knew post photos on Instagram of them having regular picnics in the park. I attributed it to a few idiots that I knew and moved on. But now, however, more and more people are acting as if the crisis is behind us. At the very first sign of improvement you see people start to go back to the beach, head out for shopping several times a week, go on completely pointless hikes, etc.
It makes me upset that people can be so careless. “Oh, but there’s nobody at the beach right now” is not a reason to go to the beach. It’s the result of people staying home! The reason that things have improved and are relatively under control (if you can call thousands of deaths “under control”) is because everyone has been following the guidelines. Thinking that this is the moment to flaunt those guidelines is the same moronic thinking that anti-vaxxers use.
And don’t get me started about those people who protest against the lockdowns, as if it’s some sort of punishment from the government. It’s like complaining about the annoying beeping sounds a smoke detector makes when it’s running low on battery. The thing you’re complaining about is the smoke detector’s desire to continue to keep you safe from harm.
