Essential vs nonessential

[PrincessFiona]

How do governors make this decision? It seems so arbitrary. I have a friend in Illinois whose dogs’ chiropractor has been open the whole time. Literally, a doggy chiropractor. How is that essential? Minnesota’s largest candy shop is open, with lines all the way out into the parking lot. Meanwhile, I literally had to sneak into a non-essential violin shop this week, because my daughters orchestra teacher will give her F’s if she does not complete assignments she has not been able to do because her string broke. I’m expected to just have a D string lying around and know how to string a violin.

The violin shop is small. There is usually one customer at a time. The owner makes most of his business through repairs for our large community of local musicians and schools. He has stayed open this whole time, with the doors locked. You literally call, make an appointment, make sure no one is watching, knock on his door, and he lets you in. It’s like having an underground economy. I literally did feel like a criminal.

Kris


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[rufflesanddots]

My guess is the candy shop and dog chiro fell under restaurant and health/veterinary health services and the owners worked within those definitions

Your daughter's band teacher sounds like a jerk for threatening to fail students if their instruments can't work unless parents break quarentine to get them serviced.

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[PrincessFiona]

Essential vs nonessential

I honestly don’t understand why Zoe would be penalized. She just told me she can’t make up the two lessons she missed because finals start Monday. I am honestly too worn out to fight this battle.

Also, our sporting goods store is open. As in you can walk through the store (and few people here wear masks). I honestly don’t see how they are essential.


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[spotty_dog]

There has been little enforcement AFAIK, and there is a lot of gray area in all of the rules. So some business owners are pushing the envelope (candy shop and non-super Walmart are "essential food service"), and others are playing it safe. What I've heard around here about sporting goods stores is that second amendment rights are considered "essential".

A lot of small retailers have stayed open for curbside pickup even though that's not technically permitted. As long as they aren't requiring workers to report to work to fill those orders though, it's within the spirit. Same as your single-owner music repair shop.

But honestly that's the whole thing about this mitigation strategy. We were never going to manage a Chinese-style lockdown in our freedom-loving society. There were always going to be people bending the rules, people misunderstanding the rules, people willfully flouting the rules. But we had to take enough measures and make them sound serious enough that MOST people would cooperate with the ONLY tool we have in our toolbox against this thing: slowing its spread by keeping people from transmitting to each other. Unfortunately, the cracks in that facade are spreading, people are realizing they could always do whatever TF they wanted, so they're doing whatever TF they want.

[PrincessFiona]

I have literally seen zero enforcement. People here are literally throwing parties in their backyards on weekends.

After all that illegal activity on my part, I somehow left Zoe’s bow in the shop. She’s getting an F on her big end of the year assignment. Sigh.


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[MrsK]

Seems that businesses are staying open if they can make even the most far fetched argument that they fall under the “essential” exceptions. For instance, if you violin repair guy had a Gumball machine, he would argue that he is an essential food retailer. There are so many exceptions to the shut downs that it’s absurd.


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[Phoebe]

Essential vs nonessential

I don’t have anything to add except to say our horse has a chiropractor. She is also our vet and makes barn calls. 😀


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