Want to drive long distance during the pandemic? Use common sense
QMr. Roadshow, you are the all-mighty powerful god of travel. People are now asking you for permission to travel during the pandemic. But …
— Michael Arellano, San Jose
AI have a gut feeling that an angry U-turn is coming.
QIt should not be your decision if someone travels or not. All you should offer is to tell the person the state or local policies regarding travel, then leave it to them to decide. It would be sad that someone interprets your answer as permission and spreads the virus, and someone ends up dead. Think about that.
— Michael Arellano
AOh,
I have.
Q
I have cabin fever and am now beginning to become sensitive to issues that I don’t agree with. Seeking your permission to travel in your column is one of them.
— Michael Arellano
AI understand cabin fever and driving to distant locations — San Diego, Oklahoma, Minnesota, even my home state of Iowa and more — sometimes for significant life events.
QI have to respond to people who wrote in with complaints about some things you had recently said in your column. The first was sent by a woman who said you were too relaxed in saying it was OK to drive to a funeral or to visit a daughter, including, in one case, driving down Interstate 5. The second was sent in by a guy who said your advice to the guy in San Mateo County who wanted to drive 14 miles to get take out from a favorite restaurant for his anniversary was wrong since 14 miles was outside the 10-mile San Mateo County driving limit.
These people need to just keep to themselves. Your advice in both situations was correct and essentially told people to use their best judgment. Your critics need to butt out and keep their ridiculous opinions toward these situations to themselves. — Randy Breunling,
San Jose
ANow, onto those popular parades.
QI want to comment on the hurt feelings from readers during driveby celebrations. Suggesting that there were two hours of honking is hyperbole. Make believe that we are celebrating July 4 fireworks. Brief periods of joy should be welcome amid the many hours of deadly silence.
— Joel Zizmor, San Jose
AAnd today’s final word.
QCar parades should not be prohibited. Basically, trips should be evaluated on the likelihood of exposure of individuals to each other. We should use common sense and understand the purpose when determining what should be allowed. — Kerry Fanwick, Palo Alto
AThe god of travel always tries to use common sense.