Three years since lockdown: What has changed?

[Wilfrid]

17 hours ago, voyager said:

Before Covid, I was all over town on public transport.    Haven't been on a bus or train since '19.    Husband is much worse than I.   I am willing to board but besides covid he sites over-publicized muggings.   I will respect his concerns, but I am very put off by fears of bogymen.    Keep your eyes open, your phone closed and leave your flashy watch at home.

I don't hesitate to use public transport, but the one conscious change I have made is that I always check who is behind me as the train pulls into the station.

[Wilfrid]

14 hours ago, small h said:

I see my doctors online sometimes, and my accountant. ...

I still pay cash to vendors who prefer it, like my mushroom wallah.

I have seen a doctor online, but that was a follow-up. They had already examined and diagnosed me in person.

The one time I make sure to have cash is when I visit my regular fruit and veg vendor. I find it hard to spend as much as $5 on lemons and limes.

[Wilfrid]

12 hours ago, Sneakeater said:

That was really good @Wilfrid.

Thank you.

[Wilfrid]

2 hours ago, Anthony Bonner said:

That said my impression from talking to Folks is that the US has continued to embrace WFH for much longer than most of Western Europe - which is I think interesting.  

If you have a remote workforce, you can employ people in Phoenix and Minneapolis and pay them much less than people in New York and San Francisco.

 

[Wilfrid]

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

I continue to mask up and make the spouse do the same. It has been wonderful to not suffer any colds/flu for 3 years and I'd like to keep it that way.

As soon as I stopped wearing a mask all the time, I immediately caught a cold.

[small h]

I wear a mask on public transportation and in stores. I got sick last week, though, so obviously I'm still coming into contact with contagious people somewhere.

[Anthony Bonner]

1 hour ago, Wilfrid said:

If you have a remote workforce, you can employ people in Phoenix and Minneapolis and pay them much less than people in New York and San Francisco.

 

You can also do this in Europe.  

[joethefoodie]

3 hours ago, mitchells said:

I only live 4 miles from my office but I have embraced WFH even though the office is open every day. Coffee is better at home, lunch is better and I can get in quick workouts when I have open times in my schedule.  

I am so glad Sig Eater has gone back to the office every day except alternate Fridays! She often says she's the only one there, and it allows her to get a lot of shit done.

Then again, working from home, on a dining table in a one-bedroom apartment, isn't exactly ideal - even if one has 3 meals a day prepared for them.

[hollywood]

On 3/15/2023 at 9:19 AM, Wilfrid said:

And dry cleaning? How are dry cleaners still in business?

Here, it seems the dry cleaners are making up for lost business by jacking up their charges.

[Orik]

2 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

If you have a remote workforce, you can employ people in Phoenix and Minneapolis and pay them much less than people in New York and San Francisco.

 

We're working on making rents so expensive everywhere that the pay gap will diminish. 

[StephanieL]

2 hours ago, small h said:

I wear a mask on public transportation and in stores. I got sick last week, though, so obviously I'm still coming into contact with contagious people somewhere.

Me too, though I sometimes don't wear a mask in stores.

My chorus doesn't require masks, but asks that people COVID test themselves the day of rehearsal.  However, that policy doesn't cover idiots like the one soprano who showed up with a cold this past Sunday, and not only didn't wear a mask but actually rehearsed along with everyone else (albeit at a slight distance).  If you must come to rehearsal sick, because at least you don't want to miss anything, at least have the decent to sit far away from others and NOT sing.  She's one of those people who like to stick their noses in places where they're not actually in charge and boss people around (think Lucy from Peanuts), but argue vociferously if you call them out when they're wrong.

[splinky]

i wear a mask whenever i feel it is needed, like public transportation, crowded indoor and outdoor spaces, in hospitals and drs offices or anywhere else that feels risky or if i have a cold or cough. fuck anyone who feels some type of way about it. 

[Wilfrid]

1 hour ago, Anthony Bonner said:

You can also do this in Europe.  

A little more difficult because of language barriers?

[Wilfrid]

53 minutes ago, joethefoodie said:

I am so glad Sig Eater has gone back to the office every day except alternate Fridays! She often says she's the only one there, and it allows her to get a lot of shit done.

Then again, working from home, on a dining table in a one-bedroom apartment, isn't exactly ideal - even if one has 3 meals a day prepared for them.

I certainly know people who have moved out of the city because having two people working from home in a modest NYC apartment just wasn’t viable long term.

[Anthony Bonner]

40 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

A little more difficult because of language barriers?

France has nice places that aren't Paris. Italy has nice places that aren't Milan. etc.