Monday, December 14, 2020

The New 9 PM Landscape

 I sat and watched a news video piece last night on German public TV....shutdown at 9 PM on Saturday evening and cops walking the streets to find people in violation of the curfew.

Germans were being pulled over in their cars, and identifications being asked....with the question...where are you supposed to be?  It was a tough but professional way of handling the curfew business.  

I would imagine that people felt intimidated.  It was one thing to be alcohol-tested (everyone is used to that 'game'), but this is a lecture over curfew.  

What I thought was curious....here was a regular urbanized street.  9 PM.  There should have been 200-odd Germans walking along or standing around in some discussion-mode.  Instead, it was empty.

At some point, the cops progressed over to two young German ladies walking down the street.  Both had closed down the pharmacy shop at 9 PM, and had essential-worker notes from their boss.  The cops gave them the lecture....did the ID thing, emphasized the curfew, and let them go.

Car accident rate?  If I were betting....I'd suggest that in almost all major German cities....the accident rate is near one-quarter of what it was a week prior.  On police being called out to drunken assault situations?  Same story I would suggest. Ambulance calls after 10 PM?  Probably non-existent.

It is an odd reality.

Later on in another news piece....German mental health expert talking over increased phone calls from people with Covid-19 frustrations.  Negativity is building up....social lives are spiraling....human contact is lessening.

It is....what it is.

You can run this type of society in slow-motion and with limited lifestyles for a period of time, then cracks will develop.

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