Don’t They Know It’s a Pandemic?

I will be pissed if any of these people, who irresponsibly risk exposure to Novel Coronavirus, take a hospital bed before someone trying to more safely #StayTheFuckHome. We are in the midst of a fraking global pandemic and the banning of social gatherings everywhere. My two living sisters were supposed to vacation 10-days hence in Florida, with Disney World being the main activity. The theme park, like many, many others, is closed. That plan changed.

But a few blocks from my apartment, Pop Pie Co. and sister shop Stella Jean’s Ice Cream kept their Pi Day celebration going, gathering a crowd of would-be spreaders of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)—also known as COVID-19. Today, France and Spain imposed restrictions that, like Italy, essentially lock down (e.g., quarantine) the entire countries. Hours earlier, Apple Stores closed globally outside of China until March 27. Yesterday, President Trump declared a national emergency in response to the contagion’s rapid spread. Everyone is advised to stay home and avoid crowds. Not create them!

The, ah, big deal at the one eatery is chicken pot pie for $3.14. The other shop is doing something called “greatest licks” of the “most popular flavors of all time”—whatever that means. The contagion-spreading activities started at 8 a.m. PDT and will go until 11 p.m. I came upon the unholy gathering about three hours after opening and returned just before two to collect evidence—ah, shoot photos.

I used Leica Q2 to capture the Featured Image and its companion. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/7.1, ISO 100, 1/250 sec, 28mm; 1:54 p.m. The other is same, but 1/400 sec, one minute later. Location: Meade and Park Blvd. in San Diego’s University Heights suburb.