COVID-19 - On the Ground

[ousdahl]

Even more generally, it’s a fear of anything perceived to be foreign or strange.


...don’t even get me started about the Protestants!

[MICHHAWK]

I just wanna know where the approve slime stations are.

[TDub]

At least we're not executing covid protocol violators. Wait....Cascadia is Kim Jong Un??

[Deleted User 289]

I still have 25 vacation days left in 2020. I can "roll over" only 8 of them.
People have told me to go somewhere and just lay on a beach.
Well, I have no desire to go through airports, fly on a commercial airplane while wearing a mask with possibly contaminated people, stay in a hotel that may or may not be contaminated, and deal with all the other hassles and restrictions that would be involved.
To me, if you spend money on a vacation it's to be enjoyed to the fullest.
Not sure if/when I will be able to even do it in 2021.

My President feels I should be blaming China for that. Ok, fuck China.
Sooooo..... Now that I have blamed China, what good does that do me now and in the foreseeable future?

[ousdahl]

Just staycation?


I’d invite you to crash on my futon, but that doesn’t really do anything to address covid concerns.

[Deleted User 289]

They (work) are encouraging me to do that - a staycation.
I've been having a "staycation" since March.
Thanks for the semi invite!
I could rent a car and drive somewhere but I can't drive through mountains due to my ear/brain issue/s so that puts a limit on where I can go.

I'll put it in a positive perspective.
I am going to go for a walk in about a half hour. It's 31 degrees here with 40 mph wind gusts. Cloudy, chance of snow. JUNK!
I would much prefer to be on a beach (or at a pool) somewhere that it's in the 70s or 80s and sunny but hey - at least I'm not in the hospital on a respirator.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Hotels aren't too bad during COVID. It's quite easy now to go the entire stay without interacting with anyone, front desk and hospitality included.

I also take my own sanitizing products to wipe/spray everything down (something I was doing even pre-COVID).

Obviously, your choice and own discretion, but I personally felt comfortable in a few hotel stays during COVID. Airports are a different story and I can't imagine them during the holidays.

[ousdahl]

Maybe go on some mental vacation.

There was some comedian standup bit that went something like, “physically I’m in the cold gray Midwest, but mentally, I’m on a warm beach somewhere. Of course, mental vacations have their limits. Other people may not be on board. For instance, my girlfriend will say things like, “stop calling me Britney Spears!” and I’ll respond with things like, “YOU DONT TALK TO THE ROCK LIKE THAT!!

...I guess she doesn’t smell what I’m cooking.”

[CrimsonNBlue]

^^^^ Code for "take some psychedelics."

[Deleted User 89]

Lincoln Park beach, i’m sure, is beautiful this time of year

[ousdahl]

^^^^ Code for "take some psychedelics."

Gutter keeps saying it’s 1977 and this is the dead’s best tour yet, but he’s really just tripping out on my futon again.

[ousdahl]

Hotels aren't too bad during COVID. It's quite easy now to go the entire stay without interacting with anyone, front desk and hospitality included.

I also take my own sanitizing products to wipe/spray everything down (something I was doing even pre-COVID).

Obviously, your choice and own discretion, but I personally felt comfortable in a few hotel stays during COVID. Airports are a different story and I can't imagine them during the holidays.

How are hotels handling it? Are they able to email door codes? Is there some distanced check-in where you pick up a key without having to interact?

And yeah, airports have always kinda grossed me out. I felt like I got sick every time I flew, even before covid.

(I do miss the people watching either way, and particularly the number of female travelers in yoga pants)

[CrimsonNBlue]

Hotels aren't too bad during COVID. It's quite easy now to go the entire stay without interacting with anyone, front desk and hospitality included.

I also take my own sanitizing products to wipe/spray everything down (something I was doing even pre-COVID).

Obviously, your choice and own discretion, but I personally felt comfortable in a few hotel stays during COVID. Airports are a different story and I can't imagine them during the holidays.

How are hotels handling it? Are they able to email door codes? Is there some distanced check-in where you pick up a key without having to interact?

And yeah, airports have always kinda grossed me out. I felt like I got sick every time I flew, even before covid.

(I do miss the people watching either way, and particularly the number of female travelers in yoga pants)

Marriott has me by the balls, so I only stay in their portfolio. Their app has come in handy as you can check in via app and then receive the electronic key through the app. Some of the smaller places they have the physical key ready for you when you arrive. That does require speaking with someone behind plexiglass. One place had stations set up to print your own key. These are obviously things that only Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, etc. portfolio hotels are able to do.


As for airports, the reopened lounges were a godsend as capacity is limited there and there just aren't any business travelers inside of them right now. At the gates, there's just no way to distance and people constantly have a drink in their hand which they use to get around the mask requirements that the airport doesn't even really enforce.

[Deleted User 89]

free “breakfast” is no longer a thing

wife had eye surgery last spring, and stayed at an extended stay hilton

first eye op was pre-covid, and we were pleasantly surprised at their breakfast offerings. we were admittedly pissed that they didn’t inform us ahead of time that those amenities were discontinued the second go-round

[CrimsonNBlue]

I've started receiving the breakfast amenity again, but it varies by property.

On the high quality end of the spectrum, about $35 or so credit for anything on room service menu. On the low end, some places offering those microwavable Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches. blech.

[jfish26]

Hotels aren't too bad during COVID. It's quite easy now to go the entire stay without interacting with anyone, front desk and hospitality included.

I also take my own sanitizing products to wipe/spray everything down (something I was doing even pre-COVID).

Obviously, your choice and own discretion, but I personally felt comfortable in a few hotel stays during COVID. Airports are a different story and I can't imagine them during the holidays.

How are hotels handling it? Are they able to email door codes? Is there some distanced check-in where you pick up a key without having to interact?

And yeah, airports have always kinda grossed me out. I felt like I got sick every time I flew, even before covid.

(I do miss the people watching either way, and particularly the number of female travelers in yoga pants)

Marriott has me by the balls, so I only stay in their portfolio. Their app has come in handy as you can check in via app and then receive the electronic key through the app. Some of the smaller places they have the physical key ready for you when you arrive. That does require speaking with someone behind plexiglass. One place had stations set up to print your own key. These are obviously things that only Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, etc. portfolio hotels are able to do.


As for airports, the reopened lounges were a godsend as capacity is limited there and there just aren't any business travelers inside of them right now. At the gates, there's just no way to distance and people constantly have a drink in their hand which they use to get around the mask requirements that the airport doesn't even really enforce.

I've also traveled a few times over the last several months. The only time I felt genuinely uncomfortable was the Denver terminal train.

[pdub]

Health insurance going up 7% - partially due to COVID coverage - partially due to LIBS!

[CrimsonNBlue]

Denver terminal train is awful. 4 cars, but everyone goes into the first one.

[ousdahl]

Yeah DIA kinda sucks.

And every traveler in the airport going thru the same security line

[jfish26]

Denver terminal train is awful. 4 cars, but everyone goes into the first one.

And that's without mentioning the Altoona-city-carnival-esque doopity-doo jingles.