City slickers are using VT as their virus hideout

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2020/03/15/vermont-ski-towns-are-bustling-even-though-chair-lifts-are-closed

How do you define a slicker?  The wiki definition: "a person who is smooth and persuasive but untrustworthy"

If people own property in Vermont, or anywhere, they have the right to use it, within the guidelines.

Probably inevitable and predictable. It’s hard to tell people they can’t use their second homes when and how they want to. Anybody know how robust the VT healthcare infrastructure is? On one hand, I tend to think the low population density and culture of rugged self reliance should make it easier to isolate older and more vulnerable folks from possibly infected individuals. Hopefully the state will see this trend and jump forward in terms of shutting restaurants, gyms etc... the ski areas themselves seem to have figured it out.

Harvey wrote

How do you define a slicker?  The wiki definition: "a person who is smooth and persuasive but untrustworthy

Pretty sure he just meant “people from the city with enough money to go to Vermont for a few weeks”.

Full definition from wiki:

"City slicker is an idiomatic expression for someone accustomed to a city or urban lifestyle and unsuited to life in the country. The term was typically used as a term of derision by rural Americans who regarded them with amusement."

The state lawmaker says in the article:

"It's Vermont. It's clean and safe and rural."

If true, sounds like a good reason to be there.

It’s a good idea to get out of town.  Covid  is everywhere and you can’t close the borders of Vermont. The sooner this resolves in the city the better it will be for all of us, including people in rural areas. It’s a huge mistake to make this an us versus them situation.

mm

A blog entry about skiing, well not skiing, in Vermont.  With a plea for non-residents to stay away.

https://www.theskidiva.com/skiing-in-the-time-of-covid-19-part-2/

Harvey wrote

If people own property in Vermont, or anywhere, they have the right to use it, within the guidelines.

I agree.
As long as any business, or individual, are adhereing local, state and federal guidelines, I can't see anything wrong with it.

As always, jmho.

I'm a flatlander with no second home.  I don't have a dog in the fight.  But the north country will not be immune from coronavirus:

https://www.lakeplacidnews.com/news/local-news/2020/03/17/first-case-of-covid-19-found-in-tri-lakes/

Be safe, everyone.

Clearly if you have a second home you have a right to be here but if you are sick or have been exposed it’s extremely selfish to bring your illness to a small community where health care infrastructure lacks.

There is nothing to do here currently so it’s probably not time to come visit unless you plan to shelter in place here.  The tourists impact of exposure to the community was explicitly mentioned as a cause to shut the schools.

We have the same situation in my neck of the woods. Sure, people have a right to use their own property but should think about doing it responsibly. Those do hole up here are using increasingly limited resources that those of us that live here need as well. Gas, groceries, booze and more importantly, health care if they get sick or injured. We don't have a choice about going somewhere else.

We had people coming in the store today, saying "I don't want to go back to the city."

Starting today, our company is shutting down all retail locations for an indefinite period. Outdoor clothing and gear is not an essential service.

Z wrote

where health care infrastructure lacks

It lacks in all of the USA.

There is plenty to do. I'd split wood, clear blowdown from our trails, and walk and ride in our woods.

In an ideal quarantine situation, someone with two homes would hunker down wherever they happen to be when the recommendation comes down.

The apocalyptic feel of the thing would absolutely make lots of people want to head for the hills. But traveling from a hard hit area where you possibly have been exposed to a less hard hit area is a bit reckless and selfish, even if the hiking is better there.  The gas stations and grocery stores you go to along the way potentially let you spread what you have or pick up something to spread to the community that you love enough to purchase a second home in.

If I drive from my house and touch 1 gas pump (while wearing gloves) on the way to my parents' camp, I think the world will survive.

(I won't do that because one of the neighbors is drunk & crazy af and he watches too much Alex Jones)

If people own houses, they should be allowed to use them. Not sure why that's even a conversation.

The world, as well as most of the people on it, will survive obvi. Nobody is arguing that (well somebody somewhere is no doubt). But each new social interaction, and transaction, has the potential to make you an unknowing carrier. Which puts your parents, and anybody else’s that you or they interact with a little more at risk.

I will not go on record saying “you should not use the second home that you own” or “you should not return to the off campus apartment that you have already paid the rent for” or anything like that. But I think people should have the awareness of the potential consequences of these decisions.

But I had to unclog a toilet where people had been using paper towels to wipe their ass today.....so maybe I’m in a bit of a philosophical mood and ready to take a more hardline stance because of it.

^^^ What he said, X1000. Community transmission of Covid19 is happening now. If you are moving around between communities, you are a potential transmission vector. Be careful. I used hand sanitizer on my winter gloves the other day after I pumped gas.

I had to make one of my staff stay home for a week yesterday. "I'm fine" she said. No, you've traveled internationally within the last 14 days, you've been home for six days. Still time to exhibit symptoms. Stay home.

To clarify, I'm not going anywhere.

The whole "keep your germs off my land" thing pushes my buttons.  After 9/11 someone told me to go home and take my anthrax with me. I was actually on my own land, when this happened.  And I was paying him to work.

Harvey wrote

The whole "keep your germs off my land" thing pushes my buttons.

Me too.

mm said it well earlier:

Milo Maltbie wrote

It’s a good idea to get out of town.  Covid  is everywhere and you can’t close the borders of Vermont. The sooner this resolves in the city the better it will be for all of us, including people in rural areas. It’s a huge mistake to make this an us versus them situation.

mm

This is a "humanity" situation. If people feel safer in their mountain house, you'd be a dick to tell them to stay off their own land. What are we doing here?

Harvey wrote

To clarify, I'm not going anywhere.

The whole "keep your germs off my land" thing pushes my buttons.  After 9/11 someone told me to go home and take my anthrax with me. I was actually on my own land, when this happened.  And I was paying him to work.

Those are legitimate buttons. This time it is different. Anthrax was fake news. Covid19 is not, it is real and it is in your state. I hate to sound alarmist bit there is no precedent for this and our attitudes need to shift dramatically in order to "flatten the curve."

Once again, I’m not telling anyone specific what they should or should not do with regards to their property and location. Not trying to start a fight. This is about as much of a “first world problem” as there is.

Legitimate question though: if you KNEW that you had it, would you still choose to go?  Not only put yourself further away from big city or university doctors, but also potentially being the link of a new spread?