Coronavirus in Massachusetts (backyards, steaks, motorcycle)

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I've been trying to takeout as much as possible and tip generously in the process. Even now with restaurants open at a limited capacity here where I live, I figure that's the best way to continue supporting them without taking up one of the limited tables.

I do takeout once a week to some of the really local restaurants near me . I have seen a good amount of restauants close right when this pandemic happened.

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

I am not at all a big restaurant goer but many of the restaurants I used to like going to even for takeout have already shuttered prior to the coronavirus due to gentrification and expensive rents or have become too pricey. There used to be an Indian place on Mass. Ave near Berklee that had a $6.99 all you can eat lunch buffet. Gone. There was a diner on Huntington Ave near Symphony Hall that had a $1.85 burger and fries deal. Gone. At my college alma mater Northeastern, you used to be able to get $0.99 hot dogs not to mention the most scrumptious and affordable sandwiches and snacks at Chicken Lou's which is also gone. This by the way was not too long ago, maybe just the past decade or so, I'm not talking about the 1980's. So many of the places that could have fed many a working class guy are all gone. That is why I don't like to eat out much anymore. Coming from a family who traditionally had been merchants, I know how hard it is to see a business shutter and I feel for the owners but it's not just this pandemic that is going to do many in. Rather, this pandemic might create the opportunity to reset and make restaurants in Boston - and all of Massachusetts really, more affordable again.

Ya i never ate at those real expensive restaurants in boston. I love mexican and a great mexican place that was reasonable to eat at closed. They might have to rethink how to do restauarants and I can see changes in that way. adding outdoor seating when they can. Ya people will have less money so maybe more cheap restauarants will pop up.
I have heard people from california say boston rents are even crazier. People might flock out of the city and move to the suburbs or secluded areas.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

I am not at all a big restaurant goer but many of the restaurants I used to like going to even for takeout have already shuttered prior to the coronavirus due to gentrification and expensive rents or have become too pricey. There used to be an Indian place on Mass. Ave near Berklee that had a $6.99 all you can eat lunch buffet. Gone. There was a diner on Huntington Ave near Symphony Hall that had a $1.85 burger and fries deal. Gone. At my college alma mater Northeastern, you used to be able to get $0.99 hot dogs not to mention the most scrumptious and affordable sandwiches and snacks at Chicken Lou's which is also gone. This by the way was not too long ago, maybe just the past decade or so, I'm not talking about the 1980's. So many of the places that could have fed many a working class guy are all gone. That is why I don't like to eat out much anymore. Coming from a family who traditionally had been merchants, I know how hard it is to see a business shutter and I feel for the owners but it's not just this pandemic that is going to do many in. Rather, this pandemic might create the opportunity to reset and make restaurants in Boston - and all of Massachusetts really, more affordable again.

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

Ya i never ate at those real expensive restauants in boston. I love mexican and a great mexican place that was reasonable to eat at closed. They might have to rethink how to do restauarants and I can see changes in that way. adding outdoor seating when they can. Ya people will have less money so maybe more cheap restauarants will pop up.
I have heard people from california say boston rents are even crazier. People might flock out of the city and move to the suburbs or secluded areas.

I wonder if this will push Boston to stop the pricing out of small mom and pops through its extortionary licensing. I mean some lowly diner or taco joint is better than an empty storefront...right???

[KemBro71]

Originally Posted by massnative71

I wonder if this will push Boston to stop the pricing out of small mom and pops through its extortionary licensing. I mean some lowly diner or taco joint is better than an empty storefront...right???

One can hope! That would be great.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

No i know you did not say everyone was in agreement with the elderly being locked down I thought that was the case from my observation. Most of the people I know that are over 65 are retired. I understand there are some working into there 70's. A lot of posters here say they work from home during this time. No not every older person has the luxuary to work from home. They have yet to tell the elderly its safe to come out. at least the news media. Though churches are opening up but my mother who is 76 still does not feel comfortable going to church yet because of the virus.

Fair enough & thanks for the explanation, it really is quite helpful. Sometimes it's difficult for someone who isn't old to understand the that not all seniors are the same. My husband was head of network security for a fortune 500 company until he retired at 73. I'm 73 and no longer work (by choice) but I do a lot of volunteer work and I'm very active - I swim, ride a bike, go to the gym and have no health conditions other than a very itchy case of eczema. My great aunt died a few years ago at 103 while picking roses from her garden..the garden she tended by herself since she was in her 30's. On the other hand, my husband's sister who is in her 70's only calls every week to tell us about her latest illness. I swear she is totally committed to diagnosing herself with some fatal disease, it seems like she is just waiting to die even though she has a loving husband and a great family.

It would be real hard to convince me that I shouldn't go outside because some idiots want to get tattoos or sit shoulder to shoulder with their pals in a bar. There will be a time for all of that and it would be sooner rather than later if everyone got on the same page and agreed to suffer a little in the short run in order to have a future where none of us have to live in fear of this stupid virus!

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by 2sleepy

Fair enough & thanks for the explanation, it really is quite helpful. Sometimes it's difficult for someone who isn't old to understand the that not all seniors are the same. My husband was head of network security for a fortune 500 company until he retired at 73. I'm 73 and no longer work (by choice) but I do a lot of volunteer work and I'm very active - I swim, ride a bike, go to the gym and have no health conditions other than a very itchy case of eczema. My great aunt died a few years ago at 103 while picking roses from her garden..the garden she tended by herself since she was in her 30's. On the other hand, my husband's sister who is in her 70's only calls every week to tell us about her latest illness. I swear she is totally committed to diagnosing herself with some fatal disease, it seems like she is just waiting to die even though she has a loving husband and a great family.

It would be real hard to convince me that I shouldn't go outside because some idiots want to get tattoos or sit shoulder to shoulder with their pals in a bar. There will be a time for all of that and it would be sooner rather than later if everyone got on the same page and agreed to suffer a little in the short run in order to have a future where none of us have to live in fear of this stupid virus!

If i make it into my 70's i plan to stay active. I hate tattoos. its the mark of the beast ha ha .Ya even though i dont like shutdowns a small amount of common sense must take place. at one point a very crowded bar was probably a bit much.

it seems like a crowded church is one of the places that can spread this quickly. I care about freedom but at the same time im ok with some restrictions. I ABSOLUTLEY hate masks. i can only tolerate them for 15 minutes. I went to new hampshire today and masks where optional in the super market. It was a great relief.

I just wish most things would be voluntary and not forced. I espeacially dont like the government telling me what to do but if its a private buisness I am ok with it to some extent.

If I was 80 i still would not want to be locked down.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

If i make it into my 70's i plan to stay active. I hate tattoos. its the mark of the beast ha ha .Ya even though i dont like shutdowns a small amount of common sense must take place. at one point a very crowded bar was probably a bit much.

it seems like a crowded church is one of the places that can spread this quickly. I care about freedom but at the same time im ok with some restrictions. I ABSOLUTLEY hate masks. i can only tolerate them for 15 minutes. I went to new hampshire today and masks where optional in the super market. It was a great relief.

I just wish most things would be voluntary and not forced. I espeacially dont like the government telling me what to do but if its a private buisness I am ok with it to some extent.

If I was 80 i still would not want to be locked down.

I wish everything was voluntary too but we have a lot of stupid people who think that they are different and rules don't apply to them. You are right about churches. In March a Slavic Evangelical mega church in Sacramento County refused to quit having services, before the sheriff was able to shut them down, the pastor died of coronavirus and of the few parishioners who agreed to test, 73 were positive. Even after that they had clandestine prayer meetings in parishioners homes or in office buildings with 25-30 people crammed into a small room. Within a few weeks that congregation accounted for 1/3 of all of the cases in the county

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

If i make it into my 70's i plan to stay active. I hate tattoos. its the mark of the beast ha ha .Ya even though i dont like shutdowns a small amount of common sense must take place. at one point a very crowded bar was probably a bit much.

it seems like a crowded church is one of the places that can spread this quickly. I care about freedom but at the same time im ok with some restrictions. I ABSOLUTLEY hate masks. i can only tolerate them for 15 minutes. I went to new hampshire today and masks where optional in the super market. It was a great relief.

I just wish most things would be voluntary and not forced. I espeacially dont like the government telling me what to do but if its a private buisness I am ok with it to some extent.

If I was 80 i still would not want to be locked down.

The reason someone age 80 is locked down is because the transmission rate hasn’t been kept below 1.0. Their lock down is entirely voluntary and rational assessment of their risk. Why is the transmission rate above 1.0? It’s because of the behavior of people like you. It’s some of the most selfish, entitled, self-centered drivel in this thread. You don’t like wearing a mask? Cry me a freakin’ river.

[jtolpin]

I dont know how much a mask helps prevent the virus from coming or going, but Im guessing it helps more than <nothing>, so therefore I will wear it.

I watch 2 numbers daily - new cases and deaths. Deaths are under 100 and new cases are under 1000, means to me, things are working.

I will guess that the numbers will eventually go up when people start going out more, with the opening of the state.

[yesmaybe]

Originally Posted by jtolpin

I dont know how much a mask helps prevent the virus from coming or going, but Im guessing it helps more than <nothing>, so therefore I will wear it.

I watch 2 numbers daily - new cases and deaths. Deaths are under 100 and new cases are under 1000, means to me, things are working.

I will guess that the numbers will eventually go up when people start going out more, with the opening of the state.

New cases doesn't mean that much because they are counting people who only tested positive for antibodies. Currently hospitalized is probably the best metric.