Pandemic Protocol

Today I was wheeling my trash barrel down my driveway to the curb when just as I was within feet of the sidewalk a pedestrian was walking by, to arrive at that space at near the same time.  I was ready to stop wheeling my unit in the driveway and wait for him to go by from 10 feet away when he seamlessly cut into the street and gave me a wide berth so neither of us had to pause.  Good protocol. Situational awareness.

The trash men came by and emptied my receptacle so I went down the driveway to retrieve my trash barrel before some dog walker had a chance to discard their bag of dog poop in my barrel, which happens occasionally and I hate.  Coincidentally the same approach situation arose as an hour earlier, only this time with a runner running down the sidewalk instead of a walker, with us both slated to arrive at about the same time at the same space on the sidewalk, and I stopped 10 feet away to let him go by.  But it annoyed me that he ran between me and my barrel, down the narrow sidewalk, instead of taking to the street to give me a wide berth (there's rarely traffic on my street), sweat droplets undoubtedly streaming off his body into the air in his wake along with forceful exhalation due to his heavy breathing from exertion, undoubtedly putting more droplets into that space.  I didn't know if this runner had the coronavirus, but I didn't know that he didn't either.  I waited a full minute to go get my barrel, muttering, because in these days of a novel virus shedding its menace everywhere from infected people who may be asymptomatic, including by aerosol transmission, runners should take better care of where they're running when the whole street is empty.  Bad protocol.  Hasn't thought this through.  That's why I don't walk anymore on the nearby W&OD bike trail because I imagine a potentially deadly plume of airborne droplets trailing behind every runner and bicyclist who goes by, because nobody knows who is infected or not.

Parking in the Safeway lot on my weekly trip there for essentials, I noticed the lot was littered with several disposable gloves at points where shoppers would be climbing into their cars after shopping before driving away.  I've seen those gloves around other parking lots as well.  Bad, bad protocol.  Take your damn gloves with you and dispose of them in an appropriate receptacle instead of just anywhere.

In the supermarket with my mask on, I was overhearing a couple loudly discussing buying enough lamb to last the pandemic, by freezing it I guess.  Hubby located a shelf with 6 or 8 mutton chop rolls on it, about 2-3 pounds each package.  Wifey called out from over by the fish tank, How many are you going to get?  "All of them."  He collected all the packages and put it in their cart, leaving that meat shelf bare.  I almost went over to him, but didn't, to tell him that in these times, take what you need but leave the rest, as the Band song goes.  My girlfriend says I did the right thing by not imparting my values to this jerk couple, but I dunno.  Bad protocol for sure, very Republican, I got mine, Jack, nothing for you?  Work harder next time (get there first next time).

I scored some tp my last trip to Safeway, the first I've seen in weeks.  Maybe ten packages of six rolls each.  I took one and left the rest.  If I was low at home and had three or more  people in my house, depending upon me, I would have taken two at most.  I believe this is good protocol.

My sister makes 8-10 cloth masks a day and gives them away, even to strangers.  I haven't seen a mask for sale where I live during this lockdown and she sent me two, with two more for my girlfriend.  This is good protocol.  I have located large ponytail elastic hair bands at my Safeway, suitable for her to use as earpieces for the masks she makes, which she cannot locate where she lives, and each time I go to Safeway I buy one package of 40 and send them to her.  I do not take all or more of them from the shelf in any one trip in case someone else needs them for the same thing.

These are different times, with new social rules being worked out.