Covidiots: Don’t be a Social-Distance Shamer

There are some specific recommendations from the C.D.C to help stem the spread of Covid-19 and we would all do well to follow them. Seriously, follow the rules.

We’re already seeing stories about people so serious about social-distancing that they’ll run up to those-less-distant and get RIGHT UP IN THEIR FACE ABOUT IT. You know…to encourage not getting too close to anyone.

Here’s a story about a middle-aged doctor who decided some teen girls whose distancing skills weren’t quite up to snuff. So he attacked and strangled one of them.

• There’s the 86 year old woman who was shoved to the ground because another patient felt she was too close for comfort. The elderly pushee later died of her injuries.
• Cops in Colorado handcuffed a dad for playing catch with his 6 year old daughter in a park where it was clearly posted that he was allowed to do so.

Everyone should do their part and people who are EGREGIOUSLY breaking protocol deserve to be called out. But keep a couple of things in mind.

1.) Everyone is going to have a SLIGHTLY different interpretation of social-distancing.

It reminds me of one of my golf partners. I don’t want to embarrass anyone so I’ll just refer to him as “Mrad Mrumrow”. “Mrad” is a great guy but a lousy golfer. Any golfers that are behind us are “idiots” according to Mrad for playing too fast. Any golfers in front of us are “morons” for playing too slow. Mrad only wants people to play golf at the EXACT SAME PACE AS HIM.

Don’t be a Mrad. Your comfort zone is going to be at least a tad different from most people. If you’re at the grocery store and you see another person in an aisle do you wait until they’ve left the aisle? Or do you go ahead and shop in the aisle while maintaining a reasonable,respectful distance? Guess what! Either option you choose is going to be the wrong one, at least according to some other people.

If someone is licking all the radishes and blowing their nose on all the arugala in produce, go ahead and say something if you want to. If you glance at someone’s cart and think they’re out of line for getting ice cream, which you see as non-essential…maybe keep your opinion to yourself.

2.) You Don’t Know Everyone’s Situation

People who are getting all holier-than-thou about social distancing probably just get off on being holier-than-thou. They just have a new outlet for it.

There are folks in my neighborhood that take walks together almost every day. They have for years. “How DARE they?!” you might think. But these folks all live in the same house. Three generations at the same address who STILL want to spend time together for their daily walk. I admire that. And it’s not a problem because, again, they all live in the same house already. Going for a walk together isn’t going to do any harm, other than agitating busybodies.

The Nextdoor website and app are full of scolds sharing pics, vids and stories of people who don’t live up to their standards. Some of the behavior is egregious but most of it is harmless.

So, if you see a harried mom in the grocers with her 3 children…maybe she’s a single mom who doesn’t have anyone to watch her kids and they’re out of something really important like toilet paper or fruit roll-ups.

The person that stands too close to the check-out line before it’s their turn? That was ME on Sunday. A nice worker clarified the rules for me. Now I know and I won’t do it again. I’m just glad a masked, raging customer didn’t go off on me about it.

A wise rabbi once said, “Judge not lest ye be judged”. That’s some good advice! It’s probably why we’re celebrating His re-birthday this Sunday!

Be calm. Be safe. Love one another.