Unintended consequences I've noted of late

[Sherman A1]

sheltering in place and do what we can to mitigate Covid 19 I’ve noted a few things around the neighborhood.

The trash cans seem to be overflowing as folks are doing some probably overdue spring cleaning or are ordering more takeout.

Home Depot paint department is extra busy with folks buying interior and exterior paint for their houses.

Traffic is much lighter, it’s like a Sunday morning all the time.

The kids down the street are playing basketball and apparently still don’t get the whole physical distancing thing.

[ProfessorGAC]

1. On The Basketball Thing

If one did maintain social distancing, it would make basketball way easier.
Every play, just go to the basket. Nobody can get close to you, so lay up, lay up, lay up...
And no fatigue, cuz no D!
I can see a few kids just shooting around, all with own ball.
But, pretty hard to play that game & stay 6' away from everyone else!

[Sherman A1]

2. They are all using the same ball 🏀

And crowding the basket just as they always do. I really don’t know what their parents are thinking.

[ProfessorGAC]

3. I Pictured As Much

There's no way to play basketball without minimal space & without direct contact.
It's a contact sport. Not a high impact, or combat sport, but a contact sport nonetheless.
Geez, just play catch. I know, the ball. But at least they'd be 75 feet apart.

[OnDoutside]

4. A big one, is that Home Working has taken a MASSIVE step forward, and will open the minds of

Business Owners who previously needed to see the blood coming out of the stone.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Yep! A lot of people...

who never understood why some people can't attend this and that will have new insight. Attending gatherings and meetings and even protests in person is a privilege for many people. Even those who do not have a disability, are limited due to lack of transportation, caregiving responsibilities and so forth.

I've been encouraging having more things available online as possible because there are more people than most realize who don't have the time or resources to attend gatherings in person.

That said, this is also bringing to light how we need to get access ramped up across the country. Online schooling is revealing that many people don't have reliable Internet access and/or computers/tablets.

[OnDoutside]

7. I've been fortunate to largely work from home since the 2008 crash, even as a contractor, but I

got a permanent job this time last year, ironically working for an American Pharma company here in Ireland, and it's been 99% from home. It takes a little time to get used to (by those living in your house as much as yourself), but it works out, AND, employers know you are even MORE accessible than ever, but everyone can win with it. You make a great point about providing access to those with disabilities, potentially levelling the playing field (a bit more anyway).

Microsoft Teams and Zoom in particular will do massively well out of this, and it will surely push the broadband companies to get their act together, to up their provision of faster broadband, as you said.

Taking an opportunity out of adversity, is probably the best way to look at it.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Yes, sorry...

I went off on a tangent from your original point about employers likely being more open-minded about telecommuting after this.

Zoom is becoming as ubiquitous as Facebook now! (Though I read an article yesterday about the need to retool their permissions because evidently "Zoom Bombing" is becoming a thing, with trolls and hackers getting into convos?

But I'm with you for sure. There are opportunities here...many opportunities to do things better -- for the environment and people -- going forward as a result of lessons learned with this.

[OnDoutside]

11. No problem. Thanks for that Zoom info, I hadn't heard that....my brother signed me up for it but

haven't had a chance to use it yet. I use MS Teams for work comms, and it's a huge improvement on Skype etc.

The other advantage on the increase in home working is that it could help reduce rush hour traffic, for those who do have to travel in.

[Sherman A1]

10. Business owners will also see the benefit of home working in the ability to

downsize office space. No need for all that square footage, office furniture, break rooms, utilities and alike. Office build landlords are in for a very rude awakening coming very, very shortly I believe.

[OnDoutside]

12. Great point, yes that's very true.

[Sherman A1]

13. I also believe that school districts will come to the same conclusion

The "we just don't need all these expensive buildings to maintain". There will be areas for labs, some classrooms, some testing areas and perhaps some athletics, but things will be a changin' rather quickly.

[OnDoutside]

14. I think that could happen, but it's a bit off yet, there are a lot of issues to overcome, not least

kids being left at home !

[Sherman A1]

15. Agreed, it will take a bit, but I suspect it will be very much in vogue within the next five years.

as this will be certainly setting the stage a side benefit will be the lessening need for all the custodial, security and maintenance personnel along with buses and bus drivers.

[OneGrassRoot]

16. Between that and other...

already empty buildings (malls, etc), we desperately need Dems in charge to lead a repurposing-of-space transformation. Homelessness could be abolished.

[OnDoutside]

5. Oh, and Divorce is going to be on the up, as will a spike in babies being born.

[MissB]

9. Seed companies are a booming business.

Many seed companies have reported increased business (article is in a thread in the gardening group).

Plenty more folks will see how green of a thumb they have this summer.

The seed company that I order from is local-ish. It’s in my state at least and I usually rely on the local nursery to buy the seed company’s products. I fill in my seed needs with an online order each year directly from the company. I ordered early this year; no particular reason than I got a head start and was organized.

Now you can’t find anything in stock on their website. I’ve never seen anything like it in all my years of gardening. Doesn’t help that the local nursery shut down due to the coronavirus.

[DFW]

17. We are DEFINITELY doing some spring cleaning

You wouldn't believe the stuff we've found I had completely forgotten about.

Biggest bonus so far: I had completely forgotten that I had 1400 Swiss Francs from some day trip down there two or three years ago. I probably got home at half past midnight, and just tossed them with some mail that I also promptly forgot about.