I remember the days when there was a public demand to charge heavy smokers for their lung treatments. Nowadays , there's a demand / suggestion to charge non-vaccinated people for treatments, or even better , not treat them at all. (The virus, will luckily disappear somehow, but it will not be due to vaccines and vaccination).
Anyway, I would like to add a few more categories to the above list of those who should be charged :
Parents that send their kids out without a mask. Kids are considered big virus spreaders; most of them are symptomless.
Large families. Schools, hospitals and other public facilities are practically blocked by large families; there is constant shortage of beds, school rooms, staff. These families are paid generous allowances which help them stay ...large ( have lots of kids).
Maybe the pandemic will bring about a change in demographics, as hospitals and schools are collapsing; teachers and doctors are on the run (at least in my neck of the woods).
People that practice bad nutrition habits: eat out often, cook and bake with unhealthy ingredients, and then....go for "doctor's appointment". Nutrition is crucial to one's health.To ignore this is to fall 'heavy' on the medical care system and on the public budget.
Dog owners should be charged for their dog's loud, intensive barking which could cause an aged passerby to have a heart attack. It's not theory. I once witnessed such an unfortunate happening.
Musicians that practice in an apartment of a complex, should be charged with a tiny fee by the neighbors who have to put up with something that interferes with their daily life. I've had a pianist as neighbor, and I know all about it. I myself didn't mind the music, but the others felt very relieved when she moved out.
Duta
ReplyDeleteAs I stated before I love the way you look at situations. I would add holding large events with large crowds as another thing to charge a fee for health of others. Most of these events can be watched on television now but then again you cannot brag that you attended the event. I say stay home and safe and get a hobby. Peace
During the first virus waves, places with large crowds were fined. If they paid the fine, that's another thing.
DeleteThere's this slogan: stay home,stay safe, stay alive.
We are one of the most vaccinated countries, and yet the situation now is terrible.
This is terribly sad. There are so many who could consider respecting one another.
ReplyDeleteRespect, unity? there's no such thing. It's a greatly divided world.
DeleteIt all boils down to population density. The closer people live together, the more rules they need to tolerate one another. It is sad that people are not more adaptable.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be hard to eradicate Covid. Time will tell. Will it be like the flu. Will it be eradicated like smallpox.
'Population density' matters. There's close relationship between population density and Covid-19 incidence and mortality estimates.
Delete"like the flu" - well, thousands of people die annually in the world of the flu, despite the jab.
Smoking is a disgusting thing one can do in public because it causes lung cancer in the smoker AND it ruins the pleasure of the non-smokers near by. Smokers here cannot smoke inside any public building, nor can they smoke within 10 metres of any restaurant or coffee shop. But smokers can still get medical/surgical care in any public hospital - is that fair???
ReplyDeleteTimes have changed. Here, too smoking is forbidden in public places. Smoking rates have declined, There are health warnings on the packaging, There's constant rise in the price of cigarette packs.
DeleteWell, looking at the list we would be charged for having a loud barking dog even though we live in a house but he is a bit noisy and for musicians practicing. Again, although we live in a house, we are in close proximity of our next door neighbors and while hubby is very respectful of keeping the noise level down, he has been known to sit in the backyard and play classical music on his guitar. I'm sure on the right night the sound does travel a few doors down :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I suppose your husband's playing the guitar is a hobby he practices from time to time, but the pianist I mentioned is a professional that rehearsed during the day for the concerts held in the evening
DeleteIn the incident I witnessed with the barking, it was a big , frightening dog, not your kind of dog. But perhaps in the case of an old person any barking is dangerous.
So many rules and fines in States of Australia. Was just thinking about noise you mentioned. Had my voice trained for years and mostly sung operatic pieces, also played the piano, guitar and organ of which I did used to practice everyday without fail, neighbours said I was heard singing way up the street and they didn't mind it, my voice carried I tried to practice when most people were at work. But I also taught these things in the evening for a few years...could say I was a noisy neighbour at those times...we are in a home with fences on 3 sides...
ReplyDeleteWOW, You're so multi-talented! Who would have guessed? You write mainly on landscapes, rivers, bridges etc.. You should tell us in your posts also something from your musical world.
DeleteI am 100% with you on the dog owners. The yapping of my neighbour's dog makes me crazy sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIt was a traumatic experience for me. The old man managed to say that the barking makes him feel unwell, and we had to call an ambulance. Perhaps, Authorities should do something about this.
DeleteI take hope in what you say that the virus will run its course somehow. It will take its toll unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteHope is all we have, Christine. Here, they're administering the 3rd dose to younger people. If this won't help,then we're in for disaster in the upcoming period of holidays and open schools.
DeleteOh, it isn't easy taking a walk these days without a German Shepherd running toward you. It seems families are getting larger and louder dogs. And of course, the cars that are lined up. It seems each household has to have one brokedown in the driveway and at least 3 lined up on the street. Then there are so many meetings from schools, cities and counties trying to decide on masked mandates just to learn..oh, the govenor has to decide on that and he won't. Most here are wearing masks in public and many places to dine-in are only takeout again.
ReplyDeleteIf only we could live more quietly. Great post!
You've summed it up nicely: families are getting larger, dogs louder,more cars owned by a household.
DeleteThat's interesting that when talking by pollution, plastics are mentioned but no cars.
Be careful what you wish for...if families get smaller the population will age such that essential services would need to be cut back because there won't be enough taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteNo worry about that.
DeleteIt's OK for a family to have 3 kids, but 7-8 kids that's too much for a tiny, relatively poor country like us. There are thousands of families with more than 5 children - that falls heavy on the budget and causes shortage of essentials and facilities.
I think many people are so self centered they do not care about others despite rules and laws. It's Big I little YOU society. Sad to say.
ReplyDeleteBig I, Little You - exactly , that's how things are, and it is indeed, sad. Rules and Laws mean nothing to many of us.
DeleteI hadn't thought about large families but I'm with you on every single one of the other things! Especially treatment for Covid and masking -- but that's my sore point these days!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not alone in my views. Our present challenge is Covid-19. Many ignore masking which presents a great problem.
DeleteVaccine dose 3 is given to younger people; hopefully it'll make a difference, as things look bad.
I don't think Covid is going anywhere. I think it's gonna be like the flu and come back strong each year. I read that people are going to have to get the vaccine every year for it to keep working and I don't see that happening with a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteThere are many speculations about Covid, but nobody seems to know anything for sure about it. An annual vaccine, after we get out of the pandemic, but we are not out of it yet. In my country we're close to disaster.
DeleteLittle children don't have to wear a mask becausee they exchange their masks because the other wears a nicer one. Kids have to wear a mask from 12 years on. I wear my mask under my nose because I have a lung disease and can't breath so I prefer to breath and not to suffocate. There is always a compromise to find. Don't kill a mosquito with a tank ! I too had a neighbor with a piano and open window. But during the day you can do in your house what you want ! What I did was opening my windows too and played "The Queens" as loud as my radio could. My neighbor understood and closed the window.
ReplyDeleteI have my two vaccines, wear the mask under my nose where a mask is requested and otherwise I live my life. We have to learn to live WITH the virus and can't keep in prison the whole population forever they would all land in a psychiatric clinic !
I totally agree with your conclusion, that we have to live with the virus. A doctor in epidemiology said , however, that it seems the virus refuses to live with us.
DeleteSorry about your lung disease; hopefully it's treatable, and the mask won't cause you any trouble.
Very interesting thoughts my friend.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm glad you think so.
DeleteMy favorite place to eat is at home. We love to cook here and with my food allergies, I always feel the most safe! Eating out is not the thrill it use to be for us.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! This way you have control over the quality,quantity and the hygiene of the food you eat.I also prefer home made food, and eating at home.
DeleteSome people do not care infection. Lots of unscientific rumors have spread over. I wish you good health.
ReplyDeleteSadly, that's true - rumors based on no solid evidence have spread around, making it all more difficult.
DeleteWishing you good health too!
Great blog
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. Hopefully, you've enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a slippery slope!
ReplyDeleteWhat is? the argument?
DeleteWell, the initial action, that of charging heavy smokers could, at least theoretically, lead to other cases we may have to treat the same way.
i hate crowds... it makes me this stragne feeling like I am out of breath...
ReplyDeleteMe too. And it always reminds me of the title of one of Thomas Hardy's novel "Far from the madding crowd".
DeleteI have heard the stories of people with easily treatable but deadly without intervention issues who are unable to get the medical care they need in the US due to unvaccinated people taking up beds and that's so sad. We are really hoping that having troubles to access hospital care doesn't become a thing in NSW, our hardest hit state. They had another count of cases over 1,200 yesterday, in one 24 hour period which is so scary. Here in Queensland we have had just over 1,900 cases since the pandemic started so you can see why we are all worried about the numbers there!
ReplyDeleteHope your week is off to a good start :)
Away From The Blue
Our numbers are very, very bad. Mind you, we are one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. I'm afraid we're facing disaster next month when schools reopen and people gather for prayers during the holidays.
DeleteI so agree with you on certain dog owners.
ReplyDeleteDogs that persistently keep barking dogs can be so annoying.
All the best Jan
That's especially dangerous for vulnerable people with a faint heart. Owners should be aware of that.
Delete