How Is Covid-19 Impacting Life in Your City?

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

Toronto is probably pretty close given the age of the average rider, vaccination rates of 95%+ in the 18-35 demographic, and an average of ~20 people per car on a normal day.

NYC subway cars have a capacity of 200-250, so even at 95% vaccinated it's very likely that you'll be in the car with multiple people who are not vaccinated.

That said, the vaccinated are more of a threat to the unvaccinated than vice-versa. Not sure why the messaging has remained so stubbornly inverted.

[someone123]

The bigger question is, if sitting on a train in an N95 mask in an area where 95% of people are vaccinated is too risky for you, what realistic risk level can ever make you happy? And how were you "safe" in public before the pandemic according to your own standards?

It does not bother me that some people are still afraid of trains or some triple-vaxxed want to wear ebola zone level PPE when they go to the store but I think the rest of society will move on, and in many cases now mitigation measures (e.g. blanket PCR testing, kids sent home from school) are a net loss.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

In most cities the demographic that rides transit probably has a higher rate of covid than the city as a whole. And personally I see no reason to take the risk. The inside of a train car (or bus) is like any closed space. I avoid those when not necessary and Uber makes trains and busses unnecessary.

Even in the before times, transit was sketch. I could not imagine what it's been like since. This is why I drive and will continue to drive.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by someone123

The bigger question is, if sitting on a train in an N95 mask in an area where 95% of people are vaccinated is too risky for you, what realistic risk level can ever make you happy? And how were you "safe" in public before the pandemic according to your own standards?

It does not bother me that some people are still afraid of trains or some triple-vaxxed want to wear ebola zone level PPE when they go to the store but I think the rest of society will move on, and in many cases now the mitigation measures (e.g. blanket PCR testing, kids sent home from school) cost more than the virus itself.

Especially that prior to March 2021 we were exposed to all sorts of stuff (likely as bad or worse than today) in trains, buses, mosh pits, etc., and didn't really think much about it.

It's psychological. Sort of like if someone cleans up vomit or shit with a spoon and then washes it completely, you probably wouldn't want to eat with that spoon if you're aware of or witnessed all of that. But we all know that we've probably eaten with utensils or drank out of containers that previously had some pretty gross stuff in them.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by someone123

The bigger question is, if sitting on a train in an N95 mask in an area where 95% of people are vaccinated is too risky for you, what realistic risk level can ever make you happy?

"There's no such thing as Moops, the answer is Moors!!!!!"

Originally Posted by someone123

And how were you "safe" in public before the pandemic according to your own standards?

ignorance was bliss.

[Yuri]

I'm partying heavily for the past 8 weekends. If you got your shots, Covid is over.

During weekdays, masks remain entrenched (and weekends during the day). It became an etiquette thing, but I guess that will slowly fade.

The awkward fist greeting is disappearing. With acquaitances, handshakes and kisses are back.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

"There's no such thing as Moops, the answer is Moors!!!!!"

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

"There's no such thing as Moops, the answer is Moors!!!!!"




ignorance was bliss.

Every single one of us has at one time or another drunk in a glass that someone has pissed in before.

[10023]

I actually watched that episode on Netflix last week.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Every single one of us has at one time or another drunk in a glass that someone has pissed in before.

ignorance is piss?




that's it, i'm never drinking anything ever again.

might be a pee cup.

[SteveD]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

ignorance is piss?




that's it, i'm never drinking anything ever again.

might be a pee cup.

Um...no comment to all this piss talk.

[Acajack]

Awww, we're just "taking the piss" here, boys.

Do Americans say that?

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

Even in the before times, transit was sketch. I could not imagine what it's been like since. This is why I drive and will continue to drive.

Except once again in SF you won't be able to PARK. It's different in the East Bay suburbs, of course. You'll be fine in Fremont. But plan on paying to park when you come to SF and it's not cheap: $24 for a few hours in some places.

I've had the experience of being driven to Chinatown and totally unable to find parking so we came home and took a cab back to where we planned to eat. Oh, and if you do find on-street parking, it's a serious risk your car will be keyed or the glass broken even if there's nothing visible to steal.

Nope. I drive the scooter to what I consider relatively safe neighborhoods (and park in places a car wouldn't fit) but otherwise it's Uber/Lyft.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by someone123

The bigger question is, if sitting on a train in an N95 mask in an area where 95% of people are vaccinated is too risky for you, what realistic risk level can ever make you happy? And how were you "safe" in public before the pandemic according to your own standards?

Let's start with being someplace that's green (low risk) on maps like this. You'll notice there are very few such places just yet, but I believe in a few months there will be a lot more (probably by the time I return to SF).


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-risk-map.html

But I have to admit that covid has taught me something (especially the elimination of flu last winter that accompanied covid): That the kind of life we all pretty much lived before 2020 exposed us to a lot of respiratory pathogens that it's possible to avoid, sometimes with quite tolerable measures (I just don't mind wearing a mask in stores etc that much). In future I suspect I will often ask myself whether something is worth such exposure and whether there's a way to minimize it that is tolerable (such as taking Uber, not a crowded bus).

It's not any longer about catching something that'll kill me. I don't worry much about that any more. And I'll worry even less when the Pfizer anti-viral is available. But I've had bad colds and flu that made me pretty miserable--miserable enough that I would certainly pay the cost of an Uber ride to avoid it. And we still don't know how good the vaccine protection is against damage to multiple organ systems as in "long covid" etc. It's just still something worth simple measures and minor costs to avoid.

[suburbanite]

I feel like the whole point of actually living in a city would be lost if one bases their life on avoiding minor airborne illnesses. Cities have always primarily been about human contact, congregating in close quarters with friends and strangers alike. It's also not a very scalable urban model to have everyone drive themselves or take an Uber to avoid contact with airborne pathogens. That is, unless you want every place to have 10 lane highways running through downtown.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

I feel like the whole point of actually living in a city would be lost if one bases their life on avoiding minor airborne illnesses. Cities have always primarily been about human contact, congregating in close quarters with friends and strangers alike. It's also not a very scalable urban model to have everyone drive themselves or take an Uber to avoid contact with airborne pathogens. That is, unless you want every place to have 10 lane highways running through downtown.

Yet ironically cities have doubled down on the never ending hysteria over Covid, shooting themselves in the foot

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Awww, we're just "taking the piss" here, boys.

Do Americans say that?

americans would assume you are gay with britishisms like that. NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT. but yeah, the local venacular is best left in its place of origin.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Awww, we're just "taking the piss" here, boys.

Do Americans say that?

Doesn't translate. Only time I've ever heard the phrase is on British TV shows.

[Steely Dan]

I've had too many British friends over the years for "taking the piss" or "piss take" to sound weird or foreign to my ear, but I imagine for Americans who don't often socialize with Brits that it might cause some confused sideways looks.

[10023]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

I feel like the whole point of actually living in a city would be lost if one bases their life on avoiding minor airborne illnesses. Cities have always primarily been about human contact, congregating in close quarters with friends and strangers alike. It's also not a very scalable urban model to have everyone drive themselves or take an Uber to avoid contact with airborne pathogens. That is, unless you want every place to have 10 lane highways running through downtown.

Of course it would be, and that’s why there was so much “death of cities” hysteria at the beginning of the pandemic. Of course Covid is really a temporary blip and won’t change human nature, or cause permanent changes in human behavior, except for some elderly hypochondriacs.