[Velvet]

I agree with staying away from people if you are worried, the thing is I find it pathetic that people advocate living their lives by doing things that are dangerous to others and the entire population of this earth. Have you hear what happens after 4 iteration of the UK virus? Can’t you entertain yourself safely?

If it was animals we put in danger, or if we were asking a license to pollute the environment, what would the general response be? Why are people less important?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by collie1228

People can be just obnoxious. Two examples. Last evening we went to Spanish Springs to watch Scooter the DJ for a few minutes. We stood well outside of the fence, just the two of us, masks on with no one within thirty feet of us. In other words, relatively safe and respecting the personal space of others. Within five minutes, some guy comes right up behind me, with his head no more than two feet from mine, almost looking over my shoulder. I politely asked him to move back and give me at least six feet of space. Then, even worse, a youngish woman decided to leave the venue, and rather than leave at the designate entrance/exit point, she tiptoed along the little stream on the side of the square, and pushed the plastic guard chain aside, so she could squeeze in front of us and go on her merry way. Another close encounter of less than three feet! I was less polite with her. Two very nerve wracking encounters in less than fifteen minutes. I guess we can't be safe anywhere as long as there are folks around who won't respect others. Sad.

I don't think you can expect people to stay 6 feet away from you anywhere. Have you been to Publix?

[Byte1]

Originally Posted by Velvet

I agree with staying away from people if you are worried, the thing is I find it pathetic that people advocate living their lives by doing things that are dangerous to others and the entire population of this earth. Have you hear what happens after 4 iteration of the UK virus? Can’t you entertain yourself safely?

If it was animals we put in danger, or if we were asking a license to pollute the environment, what would the general response be? Why are people less important?

Maybe some folks do not agree with your version of "dangerous to others."

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Yes, but you have probably noticed, the pandemic is everywhere on the globe. When one threatens to pass it on, they threaten the entire globe, as the virus is spreading faster and faster. And some of the same people are claiming to worry about the environment, but I guess people don’t count.

Well, as many here would say [/sarcasm on] "If you don't like what's going on all over the globe then leave." [/sarcasm off].

That being said, in reply to the first post, methinks you are being too fussy. Generally speaking the world isn't always nice and fuzzy.

[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by collie1228

People can be just obnoxious. Two examples. Last evening we went to Spanish Springs to watch Scooter the DJ for a few minutes. We stood well outside of the fence, just the two of us, masks on with no one within thirty feet of us. In other words, relatively safe and respecting the personal space of others. Within five minutes, some guy comes right up behind me, with his head no more than two feet from mine, almost looking over my shoulder. I politely asked him to move back and give me at least six feet of space. Then, even worse, a youngish woman decided to leave the venue, and rather than leave at the designate entrance/exit point, she tiptoed along the little stream on the side of the square, and pushed the plastic guard chain aside, so she could squeeze in front of us and go on her merry way. Another close encounter of less than three feet! I was less polite with her. Two very nerve wracking encounters in less than fifteen minutes. I guess we can't be safe anywhere as long as there are folks around who won't respect others. Sad.

So why did you put yourselves in this position? You should have known that there would be a crowd there and after reading 10 million posts about people not maintaining social distance, what did you expect???

The wife and I haven't been to any square activities knowing that it will be crowded and people willfully or unintentionally violating social distancing. The only shopping I do is for groceries because my wife has existing conditions where Covid infection would be fatal. The only people that will try to keep you safe is yourselves.

[Number 10 GI]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Some people I know if a person comes too close may feel their lives threatened and will react physically. Disrespect is the least of their worries.

Those people you know are idiots, you do not react physically towards strangers. That is a very dangerous action that could get them severely injured or dead. There are people in this world that will react very violently when assaulted and it is assault when you physically attack another person. I learned a long time ago that no matter how "bad" you think you are, there is always someone who is "badder".

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Just move when they get too close, it’s that simple.

Or when you see them coming. That's what I do at the squares. And even that's probably not necessary unless they cough or sneeze. I just don't think it's physiologically possible to get infected by such brief exposure, with a mask. It's useful to read about how a virus needs a "minimum dose" or "inoculum" in order for infection to occur, and it's just not likely that a quick crossing of paths is going to do it.

But more importantly, I really sympathize with the OP for the fear s/he's living in. The media is partly to blame for trying to scare everyone to death, but it also comes down to how much quick and easy research we want to do to either bolster or refute the media's information. Many people are still petrified of touching things for fear of getting infected that way even though the CDC has been saying since March that's not how the virus is transmitted, and then re-publicized that information in a big way in July because people just weren't listening (or reading) the first time.

[LiverpoolWalrus]

Originally Posted by vintageogauge

This too is misinformation. You don't know what conditions these people may have had, there are thousands of people out there that rarely if ever see a doctor, those with heart and/or lung problems that do not have symptoms and therefore were never diagnosed. Those who use street drugs but keep it quiet. We have all heard of people that after a good physical and stress test ended up having heart attacks shortly thereafter. There are many people at risk that just don't know that they are. I have had two family members die in their mid 60's, one with a heart attack and the other from a stroke. Both were strong and active people with no signs of illness.

Excellent post, Vintage. OK, we always hear about those who died in spite of having no cofactors. It's very possible, and quite probable, that serious cofactors were present but undiagnosed before those patients succumbed to Covid, as you say. And we all know (correct me if this is "misinformation") that a death is labeled as a Covid death if the patient dies of ANYTHING else but is positive for Covid. Some say the hospital gets more funding if it's a Covid death.

The same exact thing used to happen during the AIDS era. A patient would die of a heart attack, for example, but if he was HIV+, the primary cause of death was listed as AIDS. Some things never change. And there's always more than meets the eye. Always.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I understand the OP's confusion and frustration. As someone who has ADD, I have a very broad, all-encompassing sense of spatial awareness. Most people have some, and many peoples' are limited. In crowds especially, most people tend to forget and/or ignore their spatial awareness completely. They don't realize that there is a LOT of space 4 feet away, while they are crowding you 1 foot away. They're not paying attention to anything other than the very singular, limited, myopic viewpoint that their brain has chosen to focus on at the moment.

People with ADD tend to see a wider perspective because we have no choice. Some of us learn to block it out. Some of us take medication to treat it. And a few of us, like myself, learn how to use it to our advantage, as a skill, rather than a disability.

However with that skill comes the downside - the fact that most people can't do what comes naturally to you, turns into an annoyance. Why can't that person walking past me realize that he's exhaling his cigar smoke in my face? Why can't that person walking her dog notice that there's another person walking their dog coming her way, and that dog has its tail down and ears back? Why is that person at the other end of the bar not noticing that he is YELLING into his cell phone and disrupting the entire bar?

The reason: they aren't capable of noticing, OR they don't give a damn. It's one or the other.

So the woman who moved the barrier to get from point A to point B, thus being in the face of the OP, when that woman COULD have easily walked 4 extra steps to NOT be in the OP's face, was either ignorant, or arrogant. There's really no inbetween here.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by collie1228

People can be just obnoxious. Two examples. Last evening we went to Spanish Springs to watch Scooter the DJ for a few minutes. We stood well outside of the fence, just the two of us, masks on with no one within thirty feet of us. In other words, relatively safe and respecting the personal space of others. Within five minutes, some guy comes right up behind me, with his head no more than two feet from mine, almost looking over my shoulder. I politely asked him to move back and give me at least six feet of space. Then, even worse, a youngish woman decided to leave the venue, and rather than leave at the designate entrance/exit point, she tiptoed along the little stream on the side of the square, and pushed the plastic guard chain aside, so she could squeeze in front of us and go on her merry way. Another close encounter of less than three feet! I was less polite with her. Two very nerve wracking encounters in less than fifteen minutes. I guess we can't be safe anywhere as long as there are folks around who won't respect others. Sad.

Of course, this post begs the question: Why were you wearing masks outside 30 feet away from everybody else? What were you hoping to accomplish? Did you think you were "protecting" others? "Protecting" yourself?? At least those people who came within 6 feet of you made an otherwise useless mask possibly do some good.

[Velvet]

Originally Posted by Number 10 GI

Those people you know are idiots, you do not react physically towards strangers. That is a very dangerous action that could get them severely injured or dead. There are people in this world that will react very violently when assaulted and it is assault when you physically attack another person. I learned a long time ago that no matter how "bad" you think you are, there is always someone who is "badder".

I agree with you, but it is instinctive reaction to perceived threat. Please don’t misunderstand me, I don’t advocate confrontation, because you are right, but people who react instinctively don’t weigh the odds. Sort of like blinking.

[patfla06]

///

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Just move when they get too close, it’s that simple.

NO.......Why should someone have to move when they were there first? People arrive early for a good seat so why should they have to give up that good seat?

People do come in all varieties. Some don't think the same thing you're thinking and their actions may come across as self absorbed, inconsiderate and rude. The list is endless. I listen to a comedian named Bill Burr and one day on his podcast he was talking about his anger issues. It was suggested to him to say to himself "of course that person did that blank". He gave an example of a 4 way stop sign in which a white lady in a white Mercedes Benz didn't bother to stop when he was at the intersection first. He said to himself "of course she went through her stop sign without waiting because that the world she lives in". I cleaned up his comment.

You say of course to suggest that something is normal, obvious, or well-known, and should therefore not surprise you or be upsetting.

I sometimes use this tool myself and it makes a situation funny instead of making me mad.

Nothing works 100% so I keep a lookout for "red flags" so I don't let a situation get too far along before it's too late. If a situation has more red flags than a Chinese parade then you have to forget dealing with it and leave.

I'm not a psychologist or and expert so nothing I say I care to backup or debate.

[coffeebean]

Originally Posted by LiverpoolWalrus

Or when you see them coming. That's what I do at the squares. And even that's probably not necessary unless they cough or sneeze. I just don't think it's physiologically possible to get infected by such brief exposure, with a mask. It's useful to read about how a virus needs a "minimum dose" or "inoculum" in order for infection to occur, and it's just not likely that a quick crossing of paths is going to do it.

But more importantly, I really sympathize with the OP for the fear s/he's living in. The media is partly to blame for trying to scare everyone to death, but it also comes down to how much quick and easy research we want to do to either bolster or refute the media's information. Many people are still petrified of touching things for fear of getting infected that way even though the CDC has been saying since March that's not how the virus is transmitted, and then re-publicized that information in a big way in July because people just weren't listening (or reading) the first time.

Agree about the brief encounter (such as Publix) is not enough to become infected. However, sitting at the squares, listening to music, can last hours. I do not want anyone getting too close with their chairs once I am settled into a safe distance from people. If someone parks themselves too close to me, I will most certainly ask them to move.