The “Ditch List”

[magenta]

A few days ago. someone posted a “ditch list" on Twitter,  things they hope won't come back after the pandemic. It took me a while to go through the thread and write this. The list and all the subsequent tweets ranged from “of course” to offensive. I answered back a few, and reported one: "Obesity. Sorry, fats” as being abusive and discriminatory. I also answered rather pointedly to “Cancel public pools, movie theaters, and public gyms (just lift weights at home and run outside, it’s not that hard)” as being ableist and ageist. I cannot run, some days I can barely walk, because of arthritis. I am used to doing water aerobics and swimming 2 or 3 days a week. I am losing muscle mass and strength because I can only do so much at home. A number of others were also ableist. Many others were racist, mostly anti-Chinese. “Subways caused the spread of CV19z” – was from someone in Athens, GA, where I guess there is no overcrowding. You could just as easily say New York City caused it. Someone just had “Marriage”, which makes me think he is an incel, or has problems that have nothing to do with the virus.

 

The list started with “handshakes and hugs.” Handshakes I can do without. Hugs??? If what is meant is hugging when introduced, or being expected to hug someone you don't know, I agree. But one of the things I miss the most right now is being with friends and being able to hug them. The second item was “buffets”; if what is meant is at restaurants, I think that was already on the way out for public health reasons concerning food borne pathogens. I'm ok with that, but as a method of entertaining, no, I want that to continue, along with potlucks, which a number of people want to get rid of. From brief descriptions, I think they must have bad experiences with ones at work, that are semi-mandatory and sometimes disgusting. I live in Minnesota, and we know how to do them right. Especially small ones, that's how my friends and I get together – and we know basic food safety principles. Cruise ships were already on the way out; there have been multiple disease incidents. This may be the end of that kind of travel for many years.

 

On the other hand, healthcare tied to employment should be gone. We’ve proven how much can be done by working from home. Can’t go back now. I agree. Going to work sick or forcing kids to go to school sick is forever canceled, yes. In-person voting, changing that was already on the horizon, and the way we vote needs to change. Here in Minnesota we have no-excuse absentee voting; I've also heard adding more and easier early voting, rather than all trying to do it on one day. We've been doing that as well.

 

Some were confusing: Ditch list: “climate change, electoral college, Trump, non-electric vehicles, the words "up to" in online sales, food waste, clay litter, grass yards, 5 day work weeks.” Do they mean we should stop working on climate change, or that staying home will help? I'd love to see an end to human caused climate change but it will not happen overnight. Why clay litter? Grass yards are a poor use of land, but they are so far down on the list and have nothing to do with the pandemic. Just in time supply chains – yes, but how?

 

“Cancel police arresting people for nonviolent crimes! The manpower, resources, processing, bail money, court, public defender or attorney, missing time from work is all bullshit. Just charge them with a big ass fine up front.”. Except a “big ass fine” will ruin some people as much as jail, and be no more than a petty annoyance to others. We do need to drastically reform the police and justice system, but again, that will take time and thought.

 

“Physical stores. Online and delivery only with a preference for elderly and disabled to be able to phone in orders and be served first.” Goodness no! One answer was “Some people like trying on their clothes before they buy them”. (what they said!) Someone said no one is going to be buying clothes – what about those of us who were going to get something they needed, only everything closed down suddenly. I like choosing my own tomatoes, seeing an item that I didn't realize was on sale and getting it, noticing, as I did recently, that Vidalia onions have started coming into stores. I am doing more on-line ordering – when we need more of the same breakfast cereal we always get. sure, order online. Also, someone said stop going to big box stores and shop locally – well, those places don't necessarily have online ordering, and they aren't open right now. I'll go back to them as soon as I can. I like to browse books, and never order from Amazon, not with all the physical bookstores in town.

 

“Parades, what a waste of time and money, they do nothing but produce trash”. I feel really sorry for this person, but perhaps I am lucky – the parades in Minneapolis tend to be a) fun and b) clean.

 

One cynic said “Sorry to say, unless there is an effective vaccine thats free and mandatory: sports, fairs, animal shows, concerts, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, christening, graduations, funerals. For at least four years after vaccine is available. Things will Never Get Back To "Normal" Four years after there is a vaccine?? And those items are in many different categories. Weddings can be small, for example. I don't care about sports, and I would like the commercial aspects removed, but I know lots of people who enjoy them. This person sounds like they don't want anyone having fun ever again.

 

T***p, P***e, etc, and Republicans, were on many lists. Mine too. I'm seriously afraid democracy - and a lot of us - will not be able to survive to replace them in November, and see new people in office, in January.

 

“Bring back common sense”. That's one thing I can get behind without reservation.

Comments

[redbird]

That's a very odd mix of "this crisis is my opportunity to ban things I don't like" and what seem like real, if misguided, forecasts.

The very first one is weirdly classist, as well as being ableist and ageist against teenagers as well as the elderly: the city pool or the gym at the Y is an option for someone who doesn't own or isn't allowed to drive a car, like 14-year-olds. And good luck social distancing while running in my old neighborhood in Manhattan. You might manage to stay away from people on the trails in the park, but only if you're neither faster than anyone in front of you or slower than anyone behind you, and nobody is going uphill while you're heading down. (In a lot of places, it's either impossible or unsafe to step off the trail so someone can pass.)

[naomikritzer]

There are a couple of changes we've made that I'd be totally OK with embracing permanently. Like anyone who wants to telecommute being allowed to telecommute: that's a great idea. If the cruise industry never recovers, that is 100% FINE. Cruise ships have a truly horrific carbon footprint. (I think the cruise industry is going to be killed not by being idled for months but by everyone discovering that once you're on a boat, you can wind up stranded there if port cities decide letting you in is a risk they don't want to take. The fact that Florida -- the one state that is the MOST dependent on the cruise industry -- kept the Zaandam in limbo for days while saying things like "sure they're Americans, but they're not FLORIDIANS" without any intervention from the Feds should by rights kill the industry permanently.)

I was linking to a bunch of local bookstores last night because I discovered that Red Balloon is offering free local delivery (with a very generous definition of local), same-day even if you order before 1 p.m., for $20 or higher, and a lot of other local bookstores have very inexpensive shipping options, contact-free curbside pickup, etc. Amazon has massively deprioritized books (and other "inessentials") in favor of stuff people need really urgently and can't go to the store for -- this strikes me as genuinely reasonable and hey, people should absolutely explore local options to get books more promptly and THAT is a trend I would love to see continue.

Two local bookstores, Dreamhaven and Subtext, have a "let us surprise you" option. Dreamhaven has a "Care Package" for $10, and Subtext has a "surprise me!" book option when you pick hardcover or paperback and tell them some stuff you like or a recent favorite. I love this trend and more stores should do it. (Seriously, Dreamhaven should have a $10 bundle-o-books as a permanent feature, and Uncle Hugo's should roll this out, because it's such a terrific way to unload overstock used paperbacks that don't move from the shelves.) But letting the store pick stuff for you makes your package feel a little like a present. We all need that in our lives! This should definitely be a thing.