As of Thursday, we are under a provincial Stay at Home order. We are not to leave our domiciles except to exercise or to do or purchase essential things, there being a fairly liberal interpretation of what might considered to be essential. Before I rant and rave, permit me to get this out of the way: I readily endorse the directive.
But . . .
In winter, I consider taking the car for a short drive every few days to be close to essential. It's an older car, and the cold weather can cause batteries to fail and so on and so forth. I think that a short drive does it some good. And even it it doesn't really do any good, I feel that I am at least trying to help it along. We oldies have to work together as best we can after all.
I hadn't had the car out since Monday, but with a storm predicted for today, I figured that yesterday, Friday would be a good time to take Hermione the Honda for a spin. The route that we do takes 15 - 20 minutes.
I deemed it essential, so out we went.
At the corner of the road out of town, at the beginning of my route, there were 3 police officers standing in the middle of the road. They stopped me, ostensibly checking for alcohol. Then they checked my license tag to make sure that it was up to date.
This has me miffed just a bit, for I don't believe they were really checking for alcohol offences in mid-afternoon on a country road. I just don't. I do believe they were looking for Stay at Home offenders.
But! they are not allowed to stop anyone to ask why they are out driving. They are only permitted to ask that particular question if they have another reason to question someone. An out-of-date licence plate would have been a perfect opening for prying..
In my worthless opinion, this checkpoint was just a pretext to show that the Law is out there keeping its gimlet eye upon us, hoping to find an excuse to question drivers when they aren't allowed to do so directly.
I would have had no problem explaining my reason for being out, but, of course, I didn't have to because they couldn't legally find a way to question me.
I am torn. I would like actual offenders to be identified and appropriately fined, but, on the other hand, I don't appreciate the ruse. You can't tell me that they were seriously worried about alcohol offenses on a rural road on a mid-afternoon in January. Well, you can tell me, but I won't believe you. Or them.
I guess I am just nitpicking, but I hate it when people play me for a fool, and I think that's what this charade was.
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Meanwhile, and keeping in harmony with Stay at Home directives, I show you this box, our latest home delivery.
Yes, that little bottle was the only item in that big box. I kid you not.
Sue has a problem with breaking fingernails, but due to the pandemic, she hasn't been able to visit her manicurist since early last year. Said manicurist is able to coat her nails with excellent hardener and also give her nail extenders because my poor Lady is otherwise down to the nubs, which get sore and uncomfortable. Now, in her attempt to maintain what she can of her nails, she goes through a ton of polish trying to fortify them. That's why we ordered a bottle of nail polish, and this is how it came.
That ridiculous box amuses me more than miffs me. I am still slightly miffed, however, about that dissembling show of authoritarian presence. It's not honest in my opinion, and our law enforcers are supposed to set an example of probity.
21 comments:
Oooh, that is awful. I read on Twitter that both a mechanic and a nurse were stopped. How nuts is that?
It is ridiculous. We're hoping to get the girls back, you know our circumstances, and yet people are still being stupid.
I love the box. What was the nail polish wrapped in?!
It was wrapped in ‘some’ paper, but it was still roaming all around the box.
Good grief. What have we come to? Three officers on a country road. Overkill, much? The theme of the day it appears!
Life just keeps getting stranger. That box is more than overkill, it's ridiculous. Glad you are still able to get out now and then, even if the cops don't think you should.
I think I'd be a bit disturbed by an encounter like that, too.
My husband keeps reminding me about the concept of "standardized packaging", but I was still annoyed at the giant box we received last week with copious wadding and padding for the 2 inch square paper packet of dog medicine.
Sorry to hear about things being "out of proportion" to the intention of the mandate to stay isolated. I can freely pick up a dinner at a local tavern, where 50% of the tables/chairs are there, but the bar is crowded with people shoulder to shoulder...none of whom are masked to drink their various brews. I won't be returning for a few more months. I just wanted to support a local business, but they are too full of folks passing their germs around. Did you mention your intention to give your old car it's needed drive-about? Somehow I doubt it...
With this new strain of the virus going around, I'm hunkered down more.
At least it was cardboard which can be recycled. My pet peeve is stapled in huge sheets of rigid plastic which takes me seeming hours to free and then don't flatten out so take up an inordinate amount of space in the trash heading to the landfill.
I have changed my tune quite a bit on lock downs. I was critical of our governor who never has issued one, one of the few governors in the entire country. But I feel time has proven her right. We have been on a slow gentle burn rate since it came to our state last year. Our hospitals while busy aren't crowded and those in need of emergency services can still be seen. Even our morgues and funeral homes, while busy, still have plenty of room. Yet many other states are now on lockdown four or five, have run out of hospital space and even morgue space. Near as I can figure out the why in my brain is that this virus is much like a fire's flame. We have let it burn but slowly and now as a result, we are probably getting close to herd immunity, i.e. the ground is blackened all around, and thus even if the wind comes up it can only spread slowly. Those with lockdowns have done such a great job tamping out the flames that much of the countryside remains unburnt so every time they look away, there is still so much fuel to burn and it pops back up with a vengeance. I'm sure there are better reasons out there that just escape me. I can't wait to look back at this a decade from now and have more understanding of what we did wrong and what we did right.
While I can understand miffed, I say that if people were not acting like idjits, then there would not be a need to treat everyone like idjits.
I live in a country which has just passed 24 million cases. We have had over 400,000 deaths.
People refuse to take even the most basic of precautions. Free-dumb is the rallying cry.
What happened to you is a necessary sacrifice one makes for the good of their country during some very difficult times.
The nail polish though? That made me laugh out loud.
We have a "snitch" line - you can phone and report your neighbours.
We have a survey to complete - re what we might like opening if they start reopening.
I was interested to see there were all kinds of business options/choices but no place to ask for libraries to be re-opened or the pick up books outside hours be increased so that pepke that work during the day have a few more options to get books.
There was however a comnment box where you could voice your concern that MB is the second slowest province in getting the available vaccines into arms.
It does seem like a waste of police time and money. And certainly a waste of cardboard.
If I find a checkpoint, I will let you know.
That seems heavy handed. I would also be offended by being treated like a fool. I would want them to be honest about their actions. I can't believe that the tiny nail polish needed that big a box. :)
We occasionally receive order like that. Too weird. Though I suspect that overworked employees may make a mistake and think there's more to the order and when they find out there isn't, say what the heck and send it forth as is.
All of us are between a rock and a hard place. I see people not following practice . If I reported them , then what?
Goodness me, what a waste for such a tiny bottle. And yes, I know it's recyclable, but still!
Here in the Netherlands, the amount of cardboard needing to be recycled now is massive! Everybody ordering online makes for a cardboard mountain!
I agree completely that you and Hermione and Sue DO need to get out because it's essential to your well beings, human and mechanical. Yes, I have received small packages in large boxes, but nothing as ridiculous as the item and box you posted.
I think it's lovely to live in a town with extra police and extra cardboard.
Good to hear that things for our northern cousins are no more sensible than what we have. Seriously, these are times unlike anything I have ever experienced.
At this point I'm exhausted of covid.
I have been stopped by the police twice, both times I found uncomfortable even though there was no reason to feel uncomfortable. Once I was breathalysed at 8:30 in the morning on my way to speech and language therapy with my youngest... I don't think I was driving erratically! Anyway, I am sorry this happened to you, not pleasant at all. Could you combine collecting groceries with taking Hermione for a wee drive?
I wonder what went through the head of the person packing Sue's nail polish?
You must have more police officers than we do. We can't even keep tourists masked or quarantined. I hope your COVID numbers will come down with such strict enforcement.
The rules are far from clear. If I get into my car, in my garage, and drive to a remote location where I am unlikely to meet anyone, I am not supposed to do that. Yet, I may walk in my neighbourhood for exercise, along with everyone else who is doing the same thing and we all have to keep stepping into the road to maintain distance from each other. Go figure! But we elected the bozo who is clearly not in charge, didn't we?
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