Covid Journal, Entry One: The first hints of anarchy
4/24/2020
This morning I asked the superintendent of a nearby roadway project how long my street would be closed for. No one had told any of the residents that their one-way street would have it's only entrance removed. I told him I didn't mind and valued the project they were doing. I just wanted to be able to plan my travel accordingly. He said it'd be a few days, depending on the weather, but added "I could close this street forever if I wanted to."
I admit that I tend to speak with more of a confrontational tone than I usually intend. I could have made it more clear that I wasn't upset, but I had to laugh: I don't drive, my wife does... and we really don't need the car. Closing the street permanently would mean I could let my dog out to pee and not have to worry about his crossing alone. I'm pretty sure at least half my neighbors would agree. Were it ever to me a possiblity, it's the kind of thing that might drive neighbors to fists with each other.
So.
Some blowhard with too much authority paired with a keen observation that the regulating bodies had better stuff to do than worry about a tiny street with eight residents closing for a mega-project decided to threaten me with an actual fantasy. I'd never dreamed of making progress on that argument.
Anyway, I was chatting up my neighbor porch to porch, our new covid thing. She was laughing out loud, she'd love the street to close, too. Maybe we should really troll him?!
Nah, not worth it.
He could decide to put a bump in the road. Not worth the risk, lol.
Joking aside, this is the first time since the pandemic hit that I've personally witnessed the seams of society pull apart a little bit. Today it's just a big-headed project leader boldly threatening a resident, but really he's still not a bad guy... he just wants to do his job easier. No big deal. Yet. I'm worried that things will change faster than anyone is prepared for.
This morning I asked the superintendent of a nearby roadway project how long my street would be closed for. No one had told any of the residents that their one-way street would have it's only entrance removed. I told him I didn't mind and valued the project they were doing. I just wanted to be able to plan my travel accordingly. He said it'd be a few days, depending on the weather, but added "I could close this street forever if I wanted to."
I admit that I tend to speak with more of a confrontational tone than I usually intend. I could have made it more clear that I wasn't upset, but I had to laugh: I don't drive, my wife does... and we really don't need the car. Closing the street permanently would mean I could let my dog out to pee and not have to worry about his crossing alone. I'm pretty sure at least half my neighbors would agree. Were it ever to me a possiblity, it's the kind of thing that might drive neighbors to fists with each other.
So.
Some blowhard with too much authority paired with a keen observation that the regulating bodies had better stuff to do than worry about a tiny street with eight residents closing for a mega-project decided to threaten me with an actual fantasy. I'd never dreamed of making progress on that argument.
Anyway, I was chatting up my neighbor porch to porch, our new covid thing. She was laughing out loud, she'd love the street to close, too. Maybe we should really troll him?!
Nah, not worth it.
He could decide to put a bump in the road. Not worth the risk, lol.
Joking aside, this is the first time since the pandemic hit that I've personally witnessed the seams of society pull apart a little bit. Today it's just a big-headed project leader boldly threatening a resident, but really he's still not a bad guy... he just wants to do his job easier. No big deal. Yet. I'm worried that things will change faster than anyone is prepared for.
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