June 23, 2021
The city is opening up but with that comes issues with public safety. Friends who live in Manhattan report things are just not the same as they were before covid and probably never will be. The energies are different and far more tense.
One of their pet peeves are the outdoor dining areas that line the streets of the boroughs taking away parking spaces, the ability to drive safely down the streets, and more. They understand that it's bringing business back to the city and helping the restaurant industry but when you see a fire engine trying to get somewhere and is blocked by traffic because there is nowhere for the traffic to go - that's serious if not deadly.
They shot another movie outside my building today the streets lined with traffic and other obstacles.
Then there are the endless number of people riding alone or in groups on bicycles and other vehicles smaller than motorcycles darting in and out of traffic - onto the sidewalks - and causing accidents. The feeling is people really don't care about anything anymore. They just want to get out and lash out and do whatever they want without the consideration of others.
Finally there are the hazards of public transportation namely the subways. One friend told me he got on a subway recently as a stoner got on and lit up a joint in front of everyone. Besides the fact it's illegal to smoke in most indoors areas - certainly not on the subways - it was a danger. The man just didn't seem to care.
Commuting to the city is something no one wants to do unless once in a while. The city isn't safe. Incidents on subways are endless. Many jobs can be done just as well from home if not better. The pressures of the office environment are turning people to different jobs and careers some using time on unemployment to find something better to do with their lives that is more satisfactory to their personal needs. It's still the same old story of ... "I only want to work at a job that is meaningful and makes a difference". Many businesses are now underemployed because people just can't take the pressure of going back to work especially if they're suffering from Covid anxiety.
We are experiencing what one could call a "tired epidemic" where souls are burned out, confused, lost, and intuitively sense something is going to happen that changes everything. Reality is evolving out of existence and nothing will stop it.
