@1: Given that you've anointed yourself as being the only one knows how bad it's going to get, all I can say is enjoy the view from your lonely perch.

Are we in Spain? Are we glued-to-one-another-arm-in-arm ultra-social no personal space barrier Spanish people? Most certainly not.

I go to Discovery Park at least every other day, and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE IS CONGREGATING. If some small minority of people in Seattle are congregating in other Seattle parks, THEY WILL CONGREGATE ELSEWHERE IF PARKS ARE CLOSED. These people are going to congregate - closing the parks will not appreciably reduce their getting together.

The risk of take out dining is MASSIVE compared to leaving open our few public open spaces where people can get some exercise, see some green and get some air. There is huge benefit in this to people pinned down by a lock down. Let's take COVID 19 seriously! But not totally irrationally fucking freak out about every goddamn thing.

Yesterday a commenter called people he saw on TV jogging in a park "the scum of the earth" who were "trying to kill my elderly parents." I know it's seductive to direct anxieties toward some easily identifiable group, and in so doing redirect our fears and pain, but could we please not get so fucking crazy that we're going to go internet lynch mob on people who just want to be able to walk their dogs around some fucking trees in the net few months? Not everyone's mental health is wired to sit still inside all day, and there's no risk.

If we fucking must how about paying some freshly unemployed people to be outside in parks and tell people to please not congregate? From the safety of a bull horn's distance if we must. Or have the cops or rangers do it. But closing our parks is unnecessary draconian power move bullshit that just validates irrational panic. Let's be better than that.

@3 - I agree with you and think your points are valid. If it wasn't clear in the letter I wrote, I strongly support keeping parks open, and from what I've read, most epidemiologists do, too. But that requires that people remember not to treat the park like a bar or social event (and your suggestion of hiring folks to help remind them seems wise to me!).

Thanks for the clarification @4 - totally appreciate your support. :)

Great - they can arrest my ten year olds for playing soccer and basketball outside rather than playing fornite in a darken room. Brilliant health strategy.

@5
You don't even have the decency to keep the same handle when you aren't even trolling?

@8 oh I am never trolling. I am a pixel-fluid ghost with a constantly shifting quantum identity.

I just walked down to Golden Gardens and I can tell you coronavirus is living high on the hog tonight, folks. Fucking imbeciles. And some woman had the nerve to laugh at me when I stepped off the path to let her pass with a 6 foot distance. Laugh all ya want, honey. Good luck.

I hope you kept well outta
her aerosol wake, Corny.

On Green Lake path on Monday, a group of 3 mothers with strollers, coffees and additional toddlers were not only stopped blocking the walking path, but each poking and touching each others' kids. Good idea.

You don't have to DRIVE to take a walk FFS. "The park" is not the only place your feet function. Seattle is full of spoiled clueless humans who do not understand how their actions interweave with the social fabric and they don't give a flying fuck either. Oh boo hoo, you have to make your own coffee and take a walk on a sidewalk in your own neighborhood instead of a trail, the poor unfortunate children will have to skip soccer for a few weeks, waaaaaaa. Life is so haaaaard. If this is how we behave during a little pandemic, we're in deep shit if anything really serious happens to us.

I've had the same experience with Greenlake. Some people say "most people are trying to follow social distancing guidelines" but it's still very populated with more than enough situations where it isn't really feasible and/or when gaggles of people seemingly do not care. So I'm talking my walks elsewhere and hope more people do the same.

@14, 16. Same here. Green Lake has been ruined by selfish assholes. I tried to even go before sunrise yesterday and while there are fewer people they all seemed intent on walking/running by others as closely as possible. I wish social distancing could be enforced.

Most who know me know I'm fairly fearless and will state my case. I know that this is an uncomfortable thing for others, both to witness and for them to enact in their own lives.

But we are in a pandemic. If you see someone or some group, acting outside of the bounds of social distancing, you should say something. Not something mean but just "a group this large endangers others" or "I hope for everyone's sake you all live together" and walk away. Sure they can tell you to mind your business (or worse) but you will have planted that seed. And you will show others your commitment.

I say this because I saw a tweet this morning from someone I know who is a millennial. It was about driving along and stopping next to a mini-van where the backseat was filled with teenaged boys and singing along with them. Know what I would have done? Beeped the driver and asked if those were all the driver's kids. If not, I would wag my finger no.

Niceties are great when life is great. But we need to shut down this virus and actions that spread it. Not asking for young people not to be young but we are in a literal life or death situation.