[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by shamanth

Not sure if parks are open to public anymore due to this CoronaVirus issue. Home Quarantine is suggested as virus can spread even by touching something which an infected would have touched few hours before, like door handles, park benches, etc.

Few lakes in and around Yelahanka area are open for public. However Cops are stationed around the mechanical gym and kids play area which have been barricaded and shut for use.

Even GKVK where we regularly go for a jog is shut for daily walkers since Saturday. Allalsandra lake on Saturday morning still had not received Govt order (copy) and guards there said they will close the gates if they receive one.

Overall, most of these public places like Parks and lakes are closed since last Saturday. Few remain open though. But it is sensible not to visit these places too. We have stopped this since last weekend after we realised that the implementation is across most of the places now.

[aadya]

Originally Posted by am1m

Relevant point worth discussing I think. What if own transport is used, and no close contact is made with anyone else? Should be ok then.
Of course opinions, thoughts welcome. But I think a few outside excursions will help make the enforced indoors situation a bit more bearable.

How would you shoo away somebody who comes to you during your picnic asking for water to drink and coughs at you when you are refusing? How are you going to convince another family which wants same tree shade your family wants camp below? Hypothetical but possible. Cant be perfect, but should do what is possible. Utilising the crisis for some easy fun is what will make it more dangerous. Please stay indoors unless your going out would help the society in some way. Stay home and stay safe.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by aadya

How would you shoo away somebody who comes to you during your picnic asking for water to drink and coughs at you when you are refusing? How are you going to convince another family which wants same tree shade your family wants camp below? Hypothetical but possible. Cant be perfect, but should do what is possible. Utilising the crisis for some easy fun is what will make it more dangerous. Please stay indoors unless your going out would help the society in some way. Stay home and stay safe.

Even during the lockdown, solitary exercise activity outdoors is accepted. You can go out for a run, walk your dog etc. Distance yourself from people though.

[Safety is Param]

Even I am driving daily to office for work, in Banaswadi.

The dwindling population on a daily basis in office provides a comfortable atmosphere to work.

I make liberal use of the sanitizers available in office and carry along with me a box of alcohol swabs that I use thrice to clean my cell phone and laptop.

Afternoon and evening times are too boring at home during weekdays and I can't just sit continuously on a chair staring at my laptop even when there is no work.

Also, not everyone has a luxury of segregating their work & living areas at home, so I keep getting disturbed for some reason or the other.

My 3 yr son finds it pretty amusing to suddenly pounce on my laptop and press the "sleep" button. Shouting on him when he does this when I am in middle of something is the last thing on my mind.

Staying at home means I would also be having a full lunch which makes it hard to resist a nap as I am not used to that except weekends.

Unless the situation takes a turn for the worse, I am happy to work from office.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by aadya

How would you shoo away somebody who comes to you during your picnic asking for water to drink and coughs at you when you are refusing?

Umm, well, haven't encountered that particular situation once in 30 years of visiting the park. But ok.

I understand the need to take precautions. And definitely the situation is serious. But I think there is no need to be paranoid either. If the government shuts the park down, then of course that's a different matter. Will certainly think about it though. Thanks for your views.

[sbkumar]

Originally Posted by am1m

Umm, well, haven't encountered that particular situation once in 30 years of visiting the park. But ok.

I understand the need to take precautions. And definitely the situation is serious. But I think there is no need to be paranoid either. If the government shuts the park down, then of course that's a different matter. Will certainly think about it though. Thanks for your views.

If you have followed how other countries including China and Italy on how they started with minor restrictions and eventually went on to a complete lockdown you might rethink. They had to do it because that was the only way to stop the spread.

There are several factors which are unique to this virus that is making it so difficult to control. Researchers have done studies that show the virus can live up to 3 days on certain surfaces like plastic, up to two days on steel and up to 4 hours in the aerosol when someone coughs/sneezes. So it's not necessary to directly come in contact with the affected person but also through fomites (surfaces which are contaminated).

The other thing they have figured out is some percentage of people who are infected do not show any symptoms but they can infect others (asymptomatic carriers). So the person who is infected may not know he is infected and those around him would also never know. This is one reason why they are opting for mandatory quarantine for people who have traveled.

A simple swipe with the alcohol cleaner may not be sufficient to completely get rid of the germs from phones etc. I think you really have to rub it off. Once the number of people infected goes beyond a threshold, we don't have options to stop it and our healthcare system (whatever that is) will crumble.

There is no need to panic but I really can't stress more that all the non-essential activities can wait.

[gtonsing]

While there is another thread on the virus itself, there is a drastic drop in vehicular traffic on the roads - reason is unfortunate but the end effect is nice!
I have known the most common facts about this virus but it was only yesterday morning the real risk of being near people dawned on me. I could be healthy and show no signs of the virus, not a symptom, but still be spreading it. So also is the person next to you, potentially. This risk has just sunk on me. I think we need to stay indoors as much as is possible.

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by gtonsing

While there is another thread on the virus itself, there is a drastic drop in vehicular traffic on the roads - reason is unfortunate but the end effect is nice!

I stay near a BMTC depot and had met a bus driver when having tea at a small shop near by. As per him, from his depot only 10-15% buses are operational. The remaining are not running and staff have been asked to stay away from work. And BMTC is even finding it tough to make Rs. 1000/- trip, when the diesel cost alone is like Rs. 3000/- for them.

[am1m]

Have been checking the air quality indexes over the past few days. With all the restrictions, there has been an improvement in the AQI, but I was hoping for a lot more. It's no longer in the red-zone, but not in the green either. Still yellow. Less vehicular movement does make quite a difference, but was hoping for better.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by am1m

Have been checking the air quality indexes over the past few days. With all the restrictions, there has been an improvement in the AQI, but I was hoping for a lot more. It's no longer in the red-zone, but not in the green either. Still yellow. Less vehicular movement does make quite a difference, but was hoping for better.

Don’t worry, with a curfew and extended lockdown looming, we will breach that green pretty soon.

Oh for lovely dewy BANGALORE mornings again.

[car_addict]

I work in manufacturing & hence do not have the luxury of working from home. Hence I have been commuting through the lovely traffic free roads of Bangalore. It brings back memories of the stress & traffic free roads of 1990's & early 2000's. I have a few observations about the last few days:

1. The traffic on the main roads and highways have fallen by 40-50%. Hence a lot more free areas on the roads where you can maintain decent speeds.
2. There doesn't seem to be much reduction in side road traffic as most of the space is eaten up by parked cars.
3. Number of parked cars have significantly increased & now there are fights for limited road side slots in residential neighbourhoods.
4. There is an overall drop in the cruising speed & people seems to have forgotten their need to rush to places. The manic cabbies on the airport road have mellowed down by a significant margin. During my drives, I observe most of them cruising in the middle or left lane at 80 km/hr. As a rub-off effect, the private cars are also slowed down and drive b/w 80-100 km/hr.
5. There is a drastic reduction in the suicidal tendencies of 2 wheelers. All of them seem to have forgotten about the 4 gear & seem to cruise at 20-40 km/hr. They even slow down on pot holes instead of changing lanes like manics.
6. Overall there is a significant improvement in people obeying the traffic laws. I have actually seen many two wheelers and autos go in the proper direction and make a U-Turn without cutting into the One way's.
7. People, especially two wheelers & Autos, are actually giving way & stopping at traffic junctions or at cross roads, instead of cutting across.
8. People are actually stopping at red lights.

I don't know how long this heaven will exist, but it looks like traffic was making people crazier. The drastic reduction in generic rule breakers like autos, bmtc buses, ola & ubers etc seem to be having a positive effect on people's motivation to follow rules.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by car_addict

I don't know how long this heaven will exist, but it looks like traffic was making people crazier. The drastic reduction in generic rule breakers like autos, bmtc buses, ola & ubers etc seem to be having a positive effect on people's motivation to follow rules.

This phenomenon of mellowed down driving manners is seen every year during Diwali and New Year holiday weeks. I too had to commute to office yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised at the stress free manner in which I was able to cover the 12 odd kilometers through the central business district and Jayanagar etc. Felt nice revving my City along the thinly populated roads.

This is likely to last at least for a week or two, till the work from home situation is reversed. Every cloud has a silver lining, I guess

[ajmat]

City Centre to Electronic City in 30 min without breaking the speed limit
Midnight trips to the airport in 30 min. Wait at pick area at leisure without getting shooed away

Amazing!

[mvadg]

Sorry, I have a complaint - these don't sound like rants anymore!

[wildsdi5530]

One downside to this work from home orders is that a Lot of people are parking their cars at home. So the cars that usually come and park at 2300 and leave by 0600 are parked the whole day. Unfortunately this has caught the eye of our babus and they are planning to levy a parking fee for parking in the streets. So every cloud does have a silver lining, just for whom may not be clear always.