Things that were better when socially distancing. Just for fun!

[Topttumps]

I’ll start. No Head lice.
Just discovered an infestation last night. Bloody hell they have been back only just over a week!

@herecomesthsun

Parents evening on line was good

Definitely this!

It took me a while to think of anything but the lack of traffic on the roads was fantastic. Alas, no more.

Cycling was safer because less cars on the road!

Not having to hug and air kiss every random I’m introduced to.

I honestly cannot think of a single thing. Even soft play was crap as my kids like to befriend others. I found everywhere had a dead feel to it. I’m not someone who even likes crowds and will actively avoid busy places, however all this half fun/half a life crap really was…. Well crap!!

Not being able to see peoples' mouths and manky teeth, or smell mouths and manky teeth. Yes, I have issues with mouths and teeth.

@Tiredout123

People not trying to hug me 'hello'

I’m with you on this. I have always been uncomfortable with touchy-feely behaviour and I really liked the two metre rule.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Not being able to see peoples' mouths and manky teeth, or smell mouths and manky teeth. Yes, I have issues with mouths and teeth.

I still prefer wearing masks as I feel it helps keep germs to a minimum but I am slightly deaf so have real problems when trying to hear someone else speak as I cannot lip read. I don’t like seeing horrible teeth, like you, but I have always instinctively looked at people’s mouths in order to lip read.

I meant I cannot hear as well if someone is wearing a mask.

Table service at bars and restaurants. Much preferred not having to stand at a busy bar 3 people deep.
Another one for colds. Our household has gone 18 months with not a sniffle. DC back this week and me and DD are down with colds. Forgot what it was like to have a blocked nose!

Saw more hedgehogs. Non squashed ones.

Buses and just generally people staying out of your personal space!!

I loved social distancing, but then I'm not much of a people person whatsoever, now it's back to queuing in shops with people behind me with no sense of personal space.

In some shops/restaurants when things were open but still distanced, you got really good customer service as they seemed genuinely pleased to have customers again.

I appreciated the lack of FOMO. I was sad at times at not having a full virtual diary of Zoom calls but I soon got over that.

I liked not having to tidy the house because of no visitors.

Parcel deliveries where you can just acknowledge the nice delivery person through the window with a wave.
Recently I had to open the door and pose for a photo with my parcel while the driver talked loudly quite near.

Ditto any parent meeting/evening that I would have to go into school for. But thankfully I think the school agree.

And poor DC hates assemblies, gets panic attacks. They much preferred online or prerecorded assemblies. Getting 200 kids together in one hall for no good reason is just stupidity in terms of infection control when they could stay in their tutor groups and watch it remotely.

Staggered school drop off
Pub table service
Not having to worry about my upper lip wax Haha.
Less road kill
Less traffic. One of my first commutes after lockdown was bliss. I only saw one other car in the whole 18 miles.

A friend fell over, broke a front tooth, split her lip and cut and grazed her chin. Her face was a right mess.
She said she wouldn't have left the house pre-pandemic, but was completely confident when wearing a mask.

Oh I loved social distancing, I love distance between people when walking, loved the distance between tables in restaurants and how some places improved their outdoor dining so much, made it really enjoyable to stay outside.

I am not really a naturally sociable person so loved not having the pressure of having to meet up with family and friends. I hate zoom so regularly made excuses to avoid social zoom calls but a phone call was fine.

I worked throughout as a MH nurse and loved the quiet roads of the first lockdown, was never the same again. At work I did quite like closing the doors and everyone apart from essential ward staff had to stay away. Obviously it’s great for patients to have visitors but it makes I harder to stay COVID safe.

Still have masks which can be annoying, especially on hot days but I am used to it.

Love scrubs instead of own clothes at work and hope we continue with them for a while yet. It will either be scrubs or uniforms, no decision yet but no more own clothes which is great.

loved the quiet roads of the first lockdown, was never the same again

Yes, I loved that too. Just me for 11 miles.

Being here when my kids came home from school, after working full time out of the office since they were 1.
Wfh, no listening to the constant whittering of “mimi” (me me…) at work…
Loads of money saved in childcare
Parents evening on zoom
Long evenings

• no small talk at school or work
• no crowds
• no f2f meetings, gossiping at printer or lunching together at work
• quiet swimming pool, shops, streets.

I will miss these.

IKEA was bliss. Lots of space to browse and people being aware of social distancing. I don’t know why it can’t happen normally instead of people behaving as if I’m invisible and ploughing through me.

On line parents evening

No hugs or handshakes! This was one of the best things for me.

No traffic. Getting to work took me under an hour instead of nearer an hour and half.

I quite liked zoom meetings. And wfh was great in some ways.

Agree with all day PE kit. There was less laundry and nothing was forgotten.

Table service.

Not shaking hands with male customers who then went for the double peck on the cheek ! Not hugging people other than my partner and children. No or minimal traffic when I was cycling. Plenty of room around me when shopping - I could zoom in and out of Sainsburys in five minutes whereas now I'm dodging people left right and centre and it takes nearer to fifteen minutes!