Why opening up won't work right now

I should rephrase that, Why opening up won't be the "cure" some think it is.

We've heard the following a lot lately.
If you don't want to go out, don't (usually followed by some kind of insult)

Yesterday I checked in with a friend, someone in the service industry.
She wanted to know when I was coming in. I told her I wasn't until I feel it was safe to do so.
She gave me every excuse why it is safe. I'll be honest it really ticked me off. I told her that I have my reasons and she should respect that. That's where I think a lot of people say "Well stay home" but they don't really mean it.

Some people say let's just social distance. I could give thousands of
incidents where this is just not happening. Someone even on ATS wrote a whole thing about a lady that was angry that he was too close at the grocery store and he was ticked off about it because she wanted him in another zip code. Seriously is it so impossible to just stay 6ft from another person? Pandemic or not, I hate when people invade my bubble. You all know what I'm talking about, you're at the grocery store, you are putting your card in the reader and there is that person right up on you. I always make an exaggerated gesture like they are stealing my pin number and then they get offended and back off.

I think what a lot of these business owners don't realize is that they are damned if they do, damned if they don't. I think we've already passed the threshold where things can go back to normal. I know a lot of people in Georgia. Nobody that I know, will be going to salons,
or massage parlors or to get their nails done regardless of the order. The will still be working from home and social distancing as best they can.
Of course, I'm sure some people will go out, but will that be enough for these businesses to survive? The people with the most disposable income are also the ones with the ability to work from home and order from home.

Where I live it is extremely polarizing. I've seen shops say they are going to open regardless of the order. People have outright said they will never shop there again.

If the order is officially lifted tomorrow, some people will go right and and live as it was before, some will go out cautiously, others will never be quite the same. We know when these stores open, there will be more deaths. That is guaranteed until we either close off for extended time or have widespread testing/cure. When stores open up and there are spikes (of course the news will report and maybe exaggerate it), and maybe people that weren't too concerned before will now have relatives that are infected or have died, this will have a whiplash effect on these places. I've seen that in my area too, some people didn't really believe until they actually know someone that died, someone that wasn't elderly.

I don't think we are going to have a ravenous pent up demand period either. I think the opposite is going to occur. Three groups of people, people will money will always do whatever they want. Then there are going to be people that will be hurt by the pandemic, and will need to watch every penny. Then there will be some that have actually saved money and maybe realized how much crap they have been buying. (especially fast food)

I do think some people might enjoy going to a restaurant again when things open. I have seen a lot of people posting about how much crap they have been getting rid of from their houses. I wonder if we have turned the corner on useless materialism. Maybe some moms and dads will decide that they don't want to go back to "normal", or work etc. Maybe some will decide they are going to retire early, or are forced to do so. Some people might now realize that they have been working themselves to death. Maybe some will take a vacation in the national parks instead of Disney. Thinking about the pandemic, maybe thoughts of what is really important in life is coming into play. How many are posting photos of giving their family haircuts. Back in the day, that is the only type of haircut we got. Children almost never got a haircut professionally, it was always done by mom, or a buzz cut by dad. A more simple life.

I've seen several people mention a great awakening. I really believe it.

Sorry to ramble, just my random thoughts of the day.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Yesterday I checked in with a friend, someone in the service industry.
She wanted to know when I was coming in. I told her I wasn't until I feel it was safe to do so.

Does that mean you work in the service industy?

DO you know what you need to feel safe to go back in??

Will you feel safe when it is reported to you that nobody has died from the virus this day? is that when you feel safe again?

What are you're personal benchmarks that you need to feel safe??

a reply to: American-philosopher

Does that mean you work in the service industy?
DO you know what you need to feel safe to go back in??
Will you feel safe when it is reported to you that nobody has died from the virus this day? is that when you feel safe again?

No I don't work in the service industry. She wanted to know when I was going in to her business.

Yes I absolutely know at what point I will feel safe to go back in.

Will you feel safe when it is reported to you that nobody has died from the virus this day? is that when you feel safe again?

That will make me feel better, but that is not my gauge when I will be OK to feel safe enough.

a reply to: JAGStorm

When I say you're perfectly free to remain hiding in your home, I actually mean it... I could not care less what other people do. I think what's really happening here is the people who will remain in hiding are worried they'll have some sort of stigma attached to it, so they want the authorities to keep EVERYONE under house arrest making it less likely for others to call out the fearful on their BS.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I believe you are probably right about most of what you said. A lot of people are learning the difference between want and need, and without the social pressure of "keeping up with the Jones" they are learning at a much faster rate because previously such knowledge came with the wisdom of age and experience- they are getting a crash course!

I have only ever had my nails done professionally twice in my entire life and only go to a salon once or twice per year. In the years we've been together the hubs has only been to the barber shop once- because the dog got hold of my go-to hair clipper guards and chewed them up. Most of our clothes come from Walmart, etc, our vehicles were bought used, hubs found our sofa and loveseat left by a dumpster. Could we afford to buy brand new? Heck yeah- hubs makes excellent money! We just don't feel like we need to impress anybody and would rather use the cash for experiences rather than material possessions.

Business owners will find that opening up will not help much. People are not going to be coming out as much and when people are not there, they are not buying things, you need adequate sales to make any money. It will take six months to get up and running and for businesses to once again start making profit. It may start ok, but soon sales will decline since the left is going to push any necessary button to show it is failing. Keep your stocks of food up and go out and buy some things you are going to need when the stores open, because they may close in a short time again. Some will just never return again. Lots of restaurants will collapse, people learned it is not that hard to cook now, it will take a year to recover from this and whomever becomes the president next term will have a very hard time. Trump is probably the best chance of getting out of this, Biden won't even remember that we had another great depression.

I'll be going back to places as soon as I can. I want to resume my normal activity as much as possible.

Understand, as an introvert, I'm not a big goer and doer. So for me, regular activity isn't a ton. It just means I get to go back to making grocery shopping a family activity again instead of just sending out my husband once a week. We can run our errands on Saturday. We can maybe eat out once a week. We can get our hair cut.

Sooner rather than later, son can get back to in-house tae kwon do practices instead of us having to re-asrrange our entire living room three times a week ...

You know ... little things like that.

ANd to respond to you're headline I dont think opening will work the way it is currently going. I personally think the president should take mroe control and actually say what states can and cannot open by the guidelines that were put out. There is no way Goergia should open. they don;t meet the criteria to open. compare to that to me in Washington state where I am guessing stupid head is going to continue to lock us up until the end of may (even though we have been declining with cases and meet the criteria.) and we have been on lockdown since mid march. doesn;t it make sense that the states who were the one of the first to go on lockdown should be one of the first to open up? SO this approach of I am going to let the states decide could be very bad.

Yes I absolutely know at what point I will feel safe to go back in.

a reply to: JAGStorm

okay when will that be? is your reason private for some reason??

a reply to: American-philosopher
The President does not have that authority. I think that people are going to be hesitant at first, but, when these first States open up and the sky doesn't fall in on them, things will change.

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

We just don't feel like we need to impress anybody and would rather use the cash for experiences rather than material possessions.

You must be my sister from another mister!
I've never felt the need to impress anyone either. I've have unusual taste and I don't care what people think.
I've actually had friend try to peer pressure me into buying things I didn't want or need. They couldn't get me to budge and it drove them crazy. How bad is that. They were all broke with clothing in the closet with tags on it, and couldn't stop there. They wanted me to be like that too. No way.

I'll be going back to places as soon as I can. I want to resume my normal activity as much as possible

a reply to: ketsuko

I wlll be doing the same once things reopen (IF THINGS REOPEN cue spooky music.)

a reply to: JIMC5499

Maybe he doesn;t have that authority but on his calls with the governors he should have tried to get agreements from them to follow the guidelines. the guidelines are irrelavent if the govenors are not going to follow them. Like georgia is going to jump to phase 2. opening restuarants on monday.

I don't know where you live; but her in new york... "the epicenter of the global pandemic... demic, demic, demic" there are plenty of people out and about. Many "essential" businesses still open and many people people frequenting them. You should see the three block long line of cars outside my local starbucks.

I think when the state gives the all clear lost of people are going to leave their homes on mass.

Sure some won't; but even a doubling of the number of people already out now would be great for local businesse.


I'm sure its different in different areas.

Lets just watch the countries that are ahead of us in this. China Spain, Italy etc, and make a decision on what they have done, and their results. I hear Beijing , and Shanghai never even were locked down. Whats up with that?

All thats going to happen is the moment someone gets the sniffers they will have to shut back down for 2 weeks .

originally posted by: American-philosopher
There is no way Goergia should open. they don;t meet the criteria to open.

Take your criteria and shove it.

But we should open up all the way - the Governeor should simply tell it like it is...

"We all fell for a whopper. Please, everyone, just go back to your lives, and forgive us our momentary lapse of reason."

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

We just don't feel like we need to impress anybody and would rather use the cash for experiences rather than material possessions.

You must be my sister from another mister!
I've never felt the need to impress anyone either. I've have unusual taste and I don't care what people think.
I've actually had friend try to peer pressure me into buying things I didn't want or need. They couldn't get me to budge and it drove them crazy. How bad is that. They were all broke with clothing in the closet with tags on it, and couldn't stop there. They wanted me to be like that too. No way.

Tell me about it! My family thinks I'm crazy because I don't wear make-up, my hair is usually in a pony tail and I live in big tee shirts, leggings and a pair of Vans. We prefer camping, tubing and music festivals over trips to buy over priced crap at the mall. We save money until we can straight up pay for big ticket items instead of financing and paying tons of interest. Right now we're saving to purchase our future retirement home in the country- cash money.

Pussy?a reply to: JAGStorm

originally posted by: visitedbythem
Lets just watch the countries that are ahead of us in this. China Spain, Italy etc, and make a decision on what they have done, and their results. I hear Beijing , and Shanghai never even were locked down. Whats up with that?

Whats up with that?
They had testing up the yin yang and got carried away in a boxcar if you didn't quarantine yourself.

I really prefer S Korea's manner of handling it, but it could never work in the US.