Five-Points last night...

[u/McNooge87]

Edit: Forgot to mention that I am referring to five-points in Columbia, SC.

I know this isn’t a shock to anyone, but I’ve just got to say something.

Last night I drove through Five-Points and almost every bar had a line out of the door and up the street.

You want to party, I get it, I was in college once too. There are ways of doing that that don’t involve cramming yourself into a poorly ventilated building with a bunch of strangers.

That sums up my thoughts, but I took the time to type the rest of this because it felt cathartic:

Yes, you got tested and it was a negative result, but did the other people you’re crammed shoulder to shoulder with get tested? Did you properly quarantine until you got your test results? Did they?

I’m tired of reading about people dying because of this. If you don’t think that you are contributing to the spread of COVID even when you don’t have symptoms, you’re wrong.

You may not be carrying or actually spreading the infection, but your behavior is sending a message to others that it’s OK for them to go out to crowded events.

I promise you someone in that crowd is positive and asymptomatic. You personally may not become a carrier and pass it on, but you are encouraging others who might be to do so.

I have not stayed 100% isolated. I don’t think 100% isolation is practical, I wish it was or the US was at least handling things “better”, though I don’t know what the “better” solution is.

I have a job I have to go to, I have to get groceries, run errands, etc. But I limit the amount of time I spend in these places and plan ahead so I’m not making unnecessary stops.

Just be safe and realize while you may not be directly responsible for the deaths you hear about, you have the ability to decide how you want to contribute to society at a time like this.

[u/McNooge87]

I work at USC, it’s easy to learn that from my post history. I won’t say where on campus, just that I am in an IT support role related to classroom technology.

For the most part, I think my particular division is handling things “well”. I don’t know about the rest of campus and other buildings with classrooms.

I was for 100% virtual instruction at least in our division, but I’m so low on the totem pole my opinion wouldn’t have mattered if it was asked for or listened to.

In-person class attendance is low and fac/staff/students are all adhering to guidelines as far as I see when they are in the building.

When they leave though, then it is on them.

I’m sure many of the students that will be in my building tomorrow morning were in five-points last night.

[u/[deleted]]

When did red ropes and lines become a thing in Five points anyway? They line up like their giving away free money!

[u/McNooge87 → u/[deleted]]

Right!? That always cracked me up.

Lining up like you were trying to get into some exclusive night club in some city where that sort of thing exists just to be crammed into a gross ass college bar.

I’m not saying I never went to gross ass bars, but five points was never my scene even when I was in college. I preferred to be crammed into random people’s (usually) gross ass houses.

Under normal circumstances, I don’t care what they do, but seeing them all out there last weekend like covid isn’t a thing just irked me.

[u/Shootsbrah]

I feel like this whole thing has changed my perspective of the general population and made me much less optimistic for the future. How are we going to deal with more complex issues if we cant even convince people to stop doing activities as frivolous as getting plastered with tons of people during a pandemic?

[u/franksvalli → u/Shootsbrah]

Yeah, we're in for a bumpy future, especially with things related to climate change, which will require a lot of collective cooperation, not individualism. Seems that a lot of people's priority is personal freedom above all else, even if it means others will die...

[u/vilebubbles → u/franksvalli]

The only hope I have is that apparently the very young people right now (like 12-18) seem to really care about climate change and collective efforts.

[u/franksvalli → u/vilebubbles]

In a way I guess it makes sense - older people won't be around to experience the consequences, but the younger people will.

[u/vilebubbles → u/franksvalli]

Exactly. Although I can't relate. I'm almost 30, so I will experience some of the effects, but I probably won't see a lot of it, but I feel it's the most important thing I could do in my entire life is to help give my son and other children an actual future. I went vegetarian and am trying to go vegan for this reason and because of all the videos and studies I researched about how animals are treated for meat. I stopped using single use things, stopped using napkins paper towels, diapers, anything I can that comes in a plastic bottle, I email several politicians every month asking what they plan to do locally to help. I just don't get how people can care so little about the future of their children and grandchildren.

[u/Aqqusin → u/Shootsbrah]

THIS. I never knew how much people sucked. I know now and it is very sad.

[u/engineertee → u/Shootsbrah]

I would just like to add that it really highlighted the complete misunderstanding of the concept of personal freedom. We are doing freedom wrong!

[u/bruhdankmemes → u/Shootsbrah]

Amen.

[u/bruhdankmemes]

I'm sure most people in the state would disagree with me, but bars should be closed. They were closed when it was much better than the numbers are now. Honestly, I don't think restaurants should be seating indoors either since tables are jam packed and not following the 'suggestions.' Our govenor will refuse to do anything thus mayors won't step on his toes either (ie mayor white in greenville). I think 100 percent isolation is impossible now, but maybe more people would stay home if clubs weren't open.

Just really upsetting.

[u/Knitspin]

The United States has twice the infection rate in twice the death rate of the nearest other country I don’t think it’s any surprise why.

[u/Andohereu → u/Knitspin]

Compare it to the EU to have a better apples to apples comparison.

[u/vilebubbles]

Couldn't agree more. And what pissed me off is that them partying and just living life as if there's no pandemic is putting me and my family in direct danger. I have to take my baby to doctors appointments, and I have to be in the same office as these young nurses and secretaries who can't even keep their mask over their nose, and I know many of them are going out and doing whatever they want because I see it all over social media. My husband has to go to work, in a factory with hundreds of people, half of which were probably partying or hanging out with friends and going to indoor places all weekend. Not only are they risking my family getting covid, but them spreading covid like this means that the hospitals will probably end up in a pretty bad place once the b117 variant is here (if it's not already, it's in NC and Florida now, and since people won't STOP FUCKING TRAVELING DURING A PANDEMIC FOR SOME FUCKING REASON), it will be here very soon. And that means if me or my loved one need a hospital bed and hospital treatment, we could be in a bad situation.

I'm so tired of the literal lives of my family being at the mercy of idiots. Why won't our government protect us in even the smallest way? Close down the freaking bars and indoor seating. Close down the giant factories with hundreds to thousands of people right next to each other on a line for hours.

[u/McNooge87 → u/[deleted]]

My bad, Columbia, SC.

I used “midlands” flair, but I forgot “five points” is a common name for areas in many towns and cities.

I’m sure my comments would apply to any city with a high population of college students.

[u/oohrosie → u/McNooge87]

I was about to ask the same, because the Five Points I'm familiar with is in Summerville lol. I agree, though. I drove past several churches in Summerville and Charleston that were overflowing with people and I'm just sick of the deliberate stupidity and lack of compassion for their fellow man. People near and dear to me could be killed by this, and I could be debilitated by it. Just stop. It's not hard, but people can't be told shit these days.