Corona Virus

[InterBlog]

Reverting to coronavirus in the Class B context:

What's happening right now in some jurisdictions is that authorities are physically tailing travelers as they cross jurisdictional borders, to enforce self-quarantines. If they cross the border and go to a place other than their personal residence, enforcement ensues (thousand dollar fines in the cases I've linked here).

One wonders where local authorities get the manpower to sustain that kind of labor-intensive initiative, but routine trauma events and certain crimes are way down, so that is freeing up some resources.

The example linked above is not just academic for me. I live in the U.S. but I have an 83.5-year-old Nova Scotian father who lives alone, and for whom I'm primarily responsible.

If I were compelled by circumstances to cross those borders, basically at this point the ONLY way that I'd be able to do it is in my off-grid Class B, with my customary 70 pound ice monoliths packed with weeks of frozen food. That way, they could tail me all they want, but they would not catch me entering a grocery store or any other public place, because I wouldn't need to.

It's a head trip for me to realize that the rarefied travel strategy that I've been refining for five years now is literally the only option remaining.

If I needed to go, I could not fly because flights have been suspended. Even if I could fly, when I landed I could not walk up to a rental car counter without essentially getting arrested for violating quarantine. And I could not travel in a regular vehicle because there's no way to avoid the need for support resources.

It's weird. It's food for thought - big ice blocks of the stuff:

[avanti]

Moderator's note:
Off-topic HOA-related posts have been moved to this new thread:

https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...vid-10355.html

[InterBlog]

Call me crazy (you would not be the first), but I designed and ordered two of these as 11.5" x 17.6" car magnets from Vistaprint, which produces and ships out of Reno Nevada, not overseas (I checked). Like every other business, they are less sure of their delivery timeframes in corona-conditions, but right now they are saying not more than 8 calendar days. I ordered a pair - one for the rear door, one for the driver's door.

I might not need this, but if I get to the point where I do need it, then by that time it's too late to get it. I'd rather be prepared.

The point and purpose is to minimize scrutiny. It's not just local authorities that are a potential concern right now - the practice of quarantine shaming by "virus vigilantes" is out of control (even the act of getting a hair cut is cause for national headlines, as the mayor of Chicago just found out). So, the hope would be to minimize the chances of both types of interactions - public and law enforcement.

-- If agitated members of the public see it, perhaps they won't get their panties in a knot with the assumption that I'm up to no good and doing something reckless.

-- If police see this, hopefully they would conclude, "This person has thought the situation through, and is not the fish we need to be frying right now."

[@Michael]

I'm not sure if this affects through-travel, but certainly affects anyone visiting or returning to North Dakota:

All individuals traveling back to North Dakota from international locations and states in the U.S. that have been classified as having widespread disease by the CDC (list below) must quarantine immediately upon reentry to the state of North Dakota and for a period of 14 days.

Certainly is getting harder to travel cross-country, even with a self-contained Class B.

[Sensfan]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Reverting to coronavirus in the Class B context:

What's happening right now in some jurisdictions is that authorities are physically tailing travelers as they cross jurisdictional borders, to enforce self-quarantines. If they cross the border and go to a place other than their personal residence, enforcement ensues (thousand dollar fines in the cases I've linked here).

One wonders where local authorities get the manpower to sustain that kind of labor-intensive initiative, but routine trauma events and certain crimes are way down, so that is freeing up some resources.

The example linked above is not just academic for me. I live in the U.S. but I have an 83.5-year-old Nova Scotian father who lives alone, and for whom I'm primarily responsible.

If I were compelled by circumstances to cross those borders, basically at this point the ONLY way that I'd be able to do it is in my off-grid Class B, with my customary 70 pound ice monoliths packed with weeks of frozen food. That way, they could tail me all they want, but they would not catch me entering a grocery store or any other public place, because I wouldn't need to.

It's a head trip for me to realize that the rarefied travel strategy that I've been refining for five years now is literally the only option remaining.

If I needed to go, I could not fly because flights have been suspended. Even if I could fly, when I landed I could not walk up to a rental car counter without essentially getting arrested for violating quarantine. And I could not travel in a regular vehicle because there's no way to avoid the need for support resources.

It's weird. It's food for thought - big ice blocks of the stuff:

My heart goes out to you. Do you have any family in Nova Scotia aside from your dad?

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by @Michael

I'm not sure if this affects through-travel, but certainly affects anyone visiting or returning to North Dakota:

Certainly is getting harder to travel cross-country, even with a self-contained Class B.

I find it interesting that states who were late in imposing restrictions due to COVID-19, like Texas and ND, are now restricting people crossing their borders.

[GeorgeRa]

Interesting study -

“Why has Spain had almost 11,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic while Portugal’s death toll barely exceeds 200?
Such a disparity in numbers within the Iberian peninsula is mysterious, but it could in part be explained by the two countries’ different use of a vaccine. Not a vaccine against COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus – no such vaccine exists yet, rather it is the decades-old tuberculosis vaccine that seems to offer an explanation.
A new scientific study has discovered a possible correlation between countries where it is mandatory to be vaccinated against tuberculosis, also called “Bacillus Calmette-Guerin” (BCG), and the impact of the new coronavirus.
"We found that countries without universal policies of BCG vaccination (Italy, Netherlands, USA) have been more severely affected compared to countries with universal and long-standing BCG policies", the study's authors wrote.”

https://www.euronews.com/2020/04/06/...-for-a-century

[markopolo]

That is interesting but what a daunting task aggregating sufficiently accurate data given the wide variances between countries and even counties criteria for what qualifies as a death attributable to Covid-19.

Links: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/05/u...ndercount.html

and: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/uk/co...gbr/index.html

UK government counts only people who tested positive and then died of the virus in hospital

some of the hardest-hit European countries, like France, Italy, and Spain, count more than just hospital deaths in their daily statistics

And then factor in that Portugal's first recorded case was March 2, 2020 while Spains first case was January 31, 2020.

Then factor in the various nationalities that the population of a large city like Madrid for example would consist of.

Seems to be an almost impossible task ........

[DUTCH in Atlanta]

Here's a little humor for these trying times.

Enjoy!

https://www.rvia.org/news-insights/w...augh-right-now

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Sensfan

My heart goes out to you. Do you have any family in Nova Scotia aside from your dad?

There are other people with whom I share certain genomic percentages, but not family.

I wish I still had the energy and stamina of youth (don't we all?). I've driven five times from Houston to Nova Scotia, three times of which were solo, and it's very do-able - in fact, I compare the experience to Bill Gates's "think weeks". I did a lot of podcast deep-diving during 2019's trek in particular, that I would never have had the time and unbroken focus to do in my "normal" life.

But now that vanlifers are being so widely persecuted (and it's only increasing), I am sure I'd meet with extra burdens. That would probably push a do-able trip that I know from experience how to strategize and pace, into exhaustion territory.

One of the big unanswered questions: How are boondockers being treated now that Cracker Barrels have been closed nation-wide? Are local cops driving people out, or are vanners being left alone? I rely almost exclusively on CBs on my trips. (Edit: They are not exactly 'closed' - some take-out is still available. But what I'm seeing in Houston is such little demand that I wonder how long even that much will last - it might be less lossy for them to simply close down).

Much of what is happening is not rational - if someone wants a boondocker out of their jurisdiction, the best way to achieve that is to leave them the hell alone. Hassling them only interrupts sleep and delays their travel progress.

Of course, the upside of a trip now would be reduced freeway traffic which is always a pain, especially through the NYC - Boston corridor.

I don't know. Time will tell whether I make the attempt.

I will say that, although the lockdowns are intended primarily to protect the elderly who are at disproportionate risk, many of them are very old school and not very happy about what has developed. They come from a time when people were much more self-sufficient and delighted to be so, to the extent that the current reach of government is an offense to them. My Dad is one of them - he is madder than a wet hen about what has transpired, despite the fact that Nova Scotia's first coronavirus death occurred yesterday just a half-mile from where he lives.

[Davydd]

Our local CBS affiliate, WCCO, had this piece on yesterday about snowbirds returning to Minnesota. They interviewed a doctor. She pointed out that even if you were quarantined in place before you left, you have to stop at several places on the way and advised to 14 day quarantine when you came home. Not a problem in Minnesota since we have a stay at home advisory already.

https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/...eturning-home/

We returned home March 7 from the southwest. At that time the effects were already evident in traveling. We visited with friends and family in Palm Springs and Phoenix and they will be en route home at the end of the month by car. It will be interesting to hear about their traveling experiences.

It is inevitable COVID-19 spreads and the reason is mainly travel by people spreading it from their original location or obtaining it in hotspots along the way. It may affect elderly simply because they have a more suppressed immune system and more underlying conditions than youth, but youth is insidious because they are more asymmetrical spreaders so are not an exception. I suspect, and the rumblings are already occurring, is that we have overreacted in this when the final numbers are revealed, forgetting that if we hadn't "overreacted" those predicted 2.2 million deaths might have occurred and our medical resources would probably have been overloaded especially in rural areas.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by DUTCH in Atlanta

Here's a little humor for these trying times.

Enjoy!

https://www.rvia.org/news-insights/w...augh-right-now

Yeah, we need a few "lighter" moments right now. Thanks.

At times, as we've sat in our tiny class b, enduring rain and stormy weather, I look around giving thanks that we have everything we could possibly need within only a few feet of us. Makes any complaint of cramped conditions go away very quickly.

[jon]

* Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.

* I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe.

* I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.

* Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The Living Room or The Bedroom

* PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

* Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job.

* I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone

* This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog..... we laughed a lot.

* So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them?

* Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business.

* My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.

* Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat.

* I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?

* I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.

* Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

* Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year".... I'm offended.

* Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under

[Sensfan]

It is logical to conclude that, during these times, it is going to be tough making a successful off-grid run from Texas to Cape Breton. However, with that many visits to Cape Breton under your belt, you already know how good and giving the local people are; Cape Bretoners and Newfoundlanders come from the same cut of cloth. There may well be someone there who would be more than willing to give your dad some attention.

Originally Posted by InterBlog

There are other people with whom I share certain genomic percentages, but not family.

I wish I still had the energy and stamina of youth (don't we all?). I've driven five times from Houston to Nova Scotia, three times of which were solo, and it's very do-able - in fact, I compare the experience to Bill Gates's "think weeks". I did a lot of podcast deep-diving during 2019's trek in particular, that I would never have had the time and unbroken focus to do in my "normal" life.

But now that vanlifers are being so widely persecuted (and it's only increasing), I am sure I'd meet with extra burdens. That would probably push a do-able trip that I know from experience how to strategize and pace, into exhaustion territory.

One of the big unanswered questions: How are boondockers being treated now that Cracker Barrels have been closed nation-wide? Are local cops driving people out, or are vanners being left alone? I rely almost exclusively on CBs on my trips. (Edit: They are not exactly 'closed' - some take-out is still available. But what I'm seeing in Houston is such little demand that I wonder how long even that much will last - it might be less lossy for them to simply close down).

Much of what is happening is not rational - if someone wants a boondocker out of their jurisdiction, the best way to achieve that is to leave them the hell alone. Hassling them only interrupts sleep and delays their travel progress.

Of course, the upside of a trip now would be reduced freeway traffic which is always a pain, especially through the NYC - Boston corridor.

I don't know. Time will tell whether I make the attempt.

I will say that, although the lockdowns are intended primarily to protect the elderly who are at disproportionate risk, many of them are very old school and not very happy about what has developed. They come from a time when people were much more self-sufficient and delighted to be so, to the extent that the current reach of government is an offense to them. My Dad is one of them - he is madder than a wet hen about what has transpired, despite the fact that Nova Scotia's first coronavirus death occurred yesterday just a half-mile from where he lives.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by jon

* Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem.

* I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe.

* I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.

* Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The Living Room or The Bedroom

* PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom.

* Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job.

* I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone

* This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog..... we laughed a lot.

* So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them?

* Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business.

* My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet.

* Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat.

* I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?

* I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom.

* Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun.

* Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year".... I'm offended.

* Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under

Thanks Jon!

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Sensfan

It is logical to conclude that, during these times, it is going to be tough making a successful off-grid run from Texas to Cape Breton. However, with that many visits to Cape Breton under your belt, you already know how good and giving the local people are; Cape Bretoners and Newfoundlanders come from the same cut of cloth. There may well be someone there who would be more than willing to give your dad some attention.

Of course he has strong local support, but that, too, is limited and precarious because it consists of his peers - other elderly people also at disproportionate risk from coronavirus.

The "good and giving" is largely cultural mythology, though. I was born, raised, and spent 23 years in Nova Scotia - I should know. At best, that generosity is highly limited and highly situational, and often involves acting when people know that they are under the type of observation that may come with downstream ramifications.

Case in point. The year before last, we took a close family friend, a youth, with us on our annual Cape Breton pilgrimage (goddaughter). She had never been outside America, let alone to a place like CB, so she was looking at the whole experience with virgin eyes. She was astonished at how unfriendly she found the local people to be. She'd go bouncing up to people in the usual Texan big-smile way, and they'd brush her off at best, get surly at worst. All I could tell her is that southern hospitality is a thing - it really exists, and it really is different than a lot of other places.

Nova Scotia has always been a "have not" province, and is now even more acutely so. Resources of all types are scarce, and many people generally feel that they cannot afford to be generous, unless there's something they stand to gain in return. And the rest of the perception is construction designed to encourage participation in its $2.6 billion tourist industry.

[InterBlog]

For those who may be traveling, or who may need to travel, more of these type news summaries are now popping up:

What To Know Before You Travel Across State Lines


I found it interesting that they are intercepting people at state lines, but some jurisdictions are not doing it on major freeways like the I-95. Well, crap, if you don't check I-95 in the northeast, what exactly has the effort accomplished?!

All of it strengthens my suspicion that there may be a logistical benefit to signalling one's intention by placing signage on one's vehicle, if travel must be undertaken. "THROUGH TRAVELER EN ROUTE TO [DESTINATION]" or some such may minimize unnecessary pull-overs by local police and staties.

EDIT: This summary (below) is easily and quickly worked up, given that I know the route by heart and can plug it into GoogleMaps. I never stopped to consider how much time I spend in each state on this journey. Obviously there is sleep time involved as well, but these are the on-the-road travel times. Can you imagine being pulled over at even *some* of those state lines?! OMG, it would be a nightmare to do a bunch of those successively.

[markopolo]

Stuff is going to start opening up folks. Be smart, be safe. I want to see everyone here alive and well in the future.

[MobileCabin]

As we get more and more hopeful about a foreseeable move to safer outdoor camping, there are new tools emerging that display the covid data in ways that help figure out trends.

One that recently appeared is:

https://rt.live/

I have been watching it for a few days and find it easier to see trends than the standard Hopkins maps.

[rowiebowie]

Originally Posted by MobileCabin

As we get more and more hopeful about a foreseeable move to safer outdoor camping, there are new tools emerging that display the covid data in ways that help figure out trends.

One that recently appeared is:

https://rt.live/

I have been watching it for a few days and find it easier to see trends than the standard Hopkins maps.

Good charts. Thanks.