-- By Tom Phillips
While the Culture Wars rage between conservatives and liberals in middle-American battleground states, here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan they've gone intramural. Though nearly everyone's to the left of center, in this fifth week of quasi-quarantine some people are starting to lose it with strangers. The main issue is wearing masks, which Governor Andy has ordered everyone to do unless they can stay six feet from their neighbors. Most people are complying, but not all.
Masks are mainly to protect others from catching the virus. Wearing one makes a statement; not wearing one makes another. Enforcement is up to the individual. The cops are totally uninvolved.
My wife Debra takes it seriously, and more. Since masks became mandatory she has turned our dining room table into a sweatshop, turning out cloth masks for family, friends and neighbors. We wear them religiously on our daily walk in the park. Those who don't get a long "look" from Debra. That's her form of enforcement. I just look away. Others are much more aggressive.
Taking a rest mid-walk yesterday, we were sitting on a park bench, above a dirt path barely wide enough to let two people pass. Two women approached from opposite directions, one masked, the other with a mask dangling from her hand, walking a dog. The covered-up one motioned for the dogwalker to move over. She kept coming. The first one pointed, shook her finger, said "Pay attention.!" The dogwalker snapped "I was." The first goes "No, you weren't", and the dogwalker, over her departing shoulder: "Shaddup!"
That was mild compared to the gantlet we walked a few minutes later. The combatants were on opposite sides of the wide sidewalk on Riverside Drive. We never found out what they were arguing about. "I hope you die a very painful death!" said the one. "I'll try," said the other. "Not soon enough for me!" shouted her accuser.
I got a whiff of this toxic buildup yesterday, when I saw somebody's collection of self-help books thrown out on the sidewalk with the trash. Apparently, even "The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*#%" doesn't work any more.
Obligatory other side of story: The nurses at Mount Sinai Morningside -- formerly St. Luke's Hospital -- are heroic, working 12-hour days in a hospital full of people critically ill with Covid-19. On her day off yesterday, one was teaching a tai chi class for senior citizens, online. It's designed to prevent falls -- a leading cause of death among the aged. After the class, she told us a little about what was going on in the hospital. What can we do to help? someone asked.
She said she'd been in a store where two customers got in a nasty argument. "Be nice to each other," she suggested.
At the hospital, she said people are coming in with minor ailments, and the triage nurses tell them: "What are you doing here? Go home!"
Stay home, our nurse advised. Wear a mask if you go out.
As for Covid-19, just "Don't get it."
-- Copyright 2020 by Tom Phillips
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| Sweatshop |
While the Culture Wars rage between conservatives and liberals in middle-American battleground states, here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan they've gone intramural. Though nearly everyone's to the left of center, in this fifth week of quasi-quarantine some people are starting to lose it with strangers. The main issue is wearing masks, which Governor Andy has ordered everyone to do unless they can stay six feet from their neighbors. Most people are complying, but not all.
Masks are mainly to protect others from catching the virus. Wearing one makes a statement; not wearing one makes another. Enforcement is up to the individual. The cops are totally uninvolved.
My wife Debra takes it seriously, and more. Since masks became mandatory she has turned our dining room table into a sweatshop, turning out cloth masks for family, friends and neighbors. We wear them religiously on our daily walk in the park. Those who don't get a long "look" from Debra. That's her form of enforcement. I just look away. Others are much more aggressive.
Taking a rest mid-walk yesterday, we were sitting on a park bench, above a dirt path barely wide enough to let two people pass. Two women approached from opposite directions, one masked, the other with a mask dangling from her hand, walking a dog. The covered-up one motioned for the dogwalker to move over. She kept coming. The first one pointed, shook her finger, said "Pay attention.!" The dogwalker snapped "I was." The first goes "No, you weren't", and the dogwalker, over her departing shoulder: "Shaddup!"
That was mild compared to the gantlet we walked a few minutes later. The combatants were on opposite sides of the wide sidewalk on Riverside Drive. We never found out what they were arguing about. "I hope you die a very painful death!" said the one. "I'll try," said the other. "Not soon enough for me!" shouted her accuser.
Obligatory other side of story: The nurses at Mount Sinai Morningside -- formerly St. Luke's Hospital -- are heroic, working 12-hour days in a hospital full of people critically ill with Covid-19. On her day off yesterday, one was teaching a tai chi class for senior citizens, online. It's designed to prevent falls -- a leading cause of death among the aged. After the class, she told us a little about what was going on in the hospital. What can we do to help? someone asked.
She said she'd been in a store where two customers got in a nasty argument. "Be nice to each other," she suggested.
At the hospital, she said people are coming in with minor ailments, and the triage nurses tell them: "What are you doing here? Go home!"
Stay home, our nurse advised. Wear a mask if you go out.
As for Covid-19, just "Don't get it."
-- Copyright 2020 by Tom Phillips
The new road rage...
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