A post-pandemic society needs new rules. Art by Jasmine Nguyen.
By Jasmine Nguyen, Editor-in-Chief
It’s been six months since I’ve been outside my home for more than an hour. Yes, I’ve gone grocery shopping, I even went to get boba with one of my friends. But the largest part of this half year has been spent rewatching “Community” and “Avatar the Last Airbender.”
I’m itching to go out. I am dying to see some movie, any movie, even a mediocre movie in a dark room for two hours, and maybe– if I’m feeling a little crazy– go out to dinner with several friends. But, of course, I can’t get ahead of myself just yet. These shelter-in-place restrictions got me locked inside the house yearning like some character straight out of a Jane Austen novel, as I watch Abed and Troy on my TV spend their time at some restaurant without masks.
While my favorite fictional characters go about their lives, I am stuck waiting. And I wait because there’s still a pandemic outside, and people are still (unfortunately) dying from COVID-19.
Though, I have to wonder, how are we as a society going to interact with one another, there has to be some sort of white woman in her late 40s who can tell us how we should keep etiquette in this post-COVID-19 world.
There probably is, but I think I have a few guidelines of my own. Especially since most advice has to do with being confrontational, and personally I’d rather die than tell someone they’re making me uncomfortable.
So, here’s my guide on proper etiquette during a pandemic for those who hate confrontation.
Scenario 1:
You’ve driven all the way to your local supermarket and you realized as soon as you opned mask at home. No big deal, just run into the store right? Grab what you want and dip. Maybe hold your shirt over your face if you’re feeling generous?
No! Unfortunately, if you do that you’re being a huge asshole to fellow shoppers and workers around you. And trying to half heartily making a mask isn’t going to cut it. You got to go home, which is a pain. But honestly, you have to double-check that if you have a mask when you leave the house before you leave the door, make sure you got your wallet, keys, and mask!
Or better yet, keep an extra mask in your car, bag, or by your door. Most stores now sell face masks, so next time you see one grab a pack to put in your car or bag, Daiso sells them for like a $1.50, I think they’re worth it.
Scenario 2:
Imagine this, somehow I don’t know if you’ve been invited to party at one of those Tiktok influencers parties before they shut down the power in their house, should you go? Come on, it’d be cool to hang out with social media influencers right?Wrong! Please it doesn’t matter if the hottest Tiktok Star has invited you to hang at their house for their 21st birthday or your brunch group is really trying to party in their backyard, parties aren’t worth it. Just say no!
I know it’s boring and Zoom parties aren’t as fun, but we’re in the middle of a pandemic.
Scenario 3:
You’ve been doing great, no parties, and no licking doorknobs but you’ve just gotten a text from a friend wanting to hang out just the two of you, which is cool besides the fact you’ve seen them hanging out in large groups and not social distancing on their Instagram.
What do you do? There’s a part of you that wants to say no but that’d be rude, you don’t have a reason to avoid this, it’s not like your schedule’s packed. Plus, you want to see your friend.
But have they even been tested for COVID-19? They’ve been out a lot.
This piece of advice is a little hard even for myself because as I said, confrontation is a no for me.
Forget that! In the year 2020 when there’s a pandemic raging and people are still going out you shouldn’t feel bad about asking people if they’ve been tested for the virus.
This should become a societal norm especially if we’re going to be trying to return to normal and like leave our homes.
These are only a few scenarios but, the main lesson from this is just think about other people when you’re going out.
I know this pandemic sucks, and staying home sucks but only caring about yourself and your own wellbeing isn’t going to get us out of this mess any faster.
