Restaurants, Parks, and More Are Using Creative Tactics to Maintain Social Distancing While They Reopen
By Robin ZlotnickMay. 21 2020, Updated 5:10 p.m. ET
Despite the fact that there's no comprehensive treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, public places like restaurants and parks have begun to reopen all over the world as countries relax their stay-at-home orders. Because social distancing is still very much necessary, people have come up with creative solutions to keep people safe while still allowing them to enjoy different activities. Some of these solutions are very creative — perhaps too creative.
Parks in San Franciso, California, Brooklyn, New York, and other cities around the globe are promoting social distancing by painting white circles every six feet. The hope is that each party will pick a circle and stay in it (and away from other parties) for the duration of their park visit. As someone who used to be a softball pitcher, I'm very used to staying in my circle, so this sounds pretty good to me.
These bumper tables are a little bit silly, sure, but they also look kind of fun. This might be the start of a whole new industry. Bumper dining! You didn't know you needed it, but it's here.
The pool noodle hat may be the best thing to come out of this time of social distancing. Sure, it will make you look ridiculous, but is it effective? Probably not very. But hey, now this picture exists, so what more can we ask for?
This extremely expensive Michelin-starred restaurant has started filling their dining room with mannequins to "make it feel less lonely" while patrons dine. If the pool noodle hat picture was the silliest picture of the pandemic, this is certainly the most haunted.
This is so much better than the mannequins in every way. Wow. I would like to dine next to a stuffed capybara (or better yet, a real one!) every day of my life. This Twitter user explains that this zoo chose capybaras because they are credited with being the first to introduce the animals to hot baths, which has since become "a thing." Also, they're really adorable.
Can you believe we ever ate at salad bars? That's one of the craziest things. Obviously, all salad bars should be replaced with liquor bars.
Twisted Citrus, a restaurant in Ohio, installed these shower-curtain-like barriers between tables to make sure diners stay safe. I don't know if this would make me feel safe, but I bet it'd make me feel squeaky clean!
Students in South Korea actually went back to school recently (something that seems worlds away for the U.S. at this point). But it wasn't exactly "back to normal." They stayed six feet apart and got temperature checks before entering the building. This might be what our world looks like eventually.
Starbucks and other coffee shops probably won't be brimming with people writing screenplays or reading books anytime soon. For now, there are lines, spots, and arrows to tell everyone where to move and how to stand to keep everyone safe. Kind of crazy.
My personal favorite is the burger slide, used here by this guy famous for his backyard burgers. I'm sure this works for other foods too, but just the fact that it's a slide specifically for burgers really tickles me.
