Curfew restrictions: Is it legal to leave your house?

Melissa Collins3 said:Technically, they should let you through since you're heading back to your own home, but if you run into an officer who doesn't know how to interpret the regulations correctly, you'll end up looking for alternative routes once more.

Please keep us posted on how far you've made it out of Z so we can stay updated.

Weather wasn't cooperating, so plans changed.
Chicago-Indianapolis-Columbus-Cincinnati-Louisville-Chicago

There are always those little birds hovering near the checkpoints. I could have just cruised home without stopping, but I detoured through Indianapolis specifically to see what they had to say...
They asked where I was coming from, and once I gave them the route, they just laughed and wished me luck.

Right as I pulled up, some guy heading the opposite way—toward the Indy entrance—tried to pass without a permit. They checked his ID and let him right through.

Susan Barrett2 said:Quick question for everyone on this thread. Has anyone actually tried to bypass a checkpoint without a pass and had the cops turn them away? Looking for real, confirmed cases here—not just "he said, she said" rumors.

Read above.
If you show up at a checkpoint without a permit, they’ll log you in some internal registry—God knows what for—and if things go south, they’ll ban you from passing further...
Just give them a polite nod, turn around, and find an alternative route. 😉

My ex drove to my county this past Saturday to pick up our kid without even having a permit yet (he requested one, but it hasn't been issued). I pulled up to the checkpoint, told them where he was headed, and the officer just gave him the green light. He just waved him through.

Then on Sunday, he brings our little one back—again, no permit, and zero issues.

Look, don't get me wrong; I think it’s perfectly fine. Nobody can argue with a parent wanting to look after their child when they have legal visitation rights. He absolutely could have secured a "childcare" permit to make it official, but the point is, they let him pass without one.

It’s the exact same scenario I witnessed firsthand. 👍
This trend isn't slowing down. I know four guys who burned through $200-186 miles on their bikes this past Saturday alone. No permits, no nothing.
Not a single one of us got slapped with a fine.
And believe me, we all got pulled over and ID'd at least once...

Oh, and nobody was even told to turn back. We all just cruised right along our planned routes after the cops finished checking our IDs.

We weren't riding in a pack, either. Just swapped stories once we were off the road. 👍

Checkpoints are thinning out.

Honestly, there's basically nothing left.

Thursday—driving through NYC, Westchester, and New Jersey.

Nothing until you hit NJ. Once you cross over, there’s one spot, but one cop was fast asleep and the other guy was just scrolling on his phone.

Coming back yesterday—hit three different spots—zero action. Everyone was just cruising in their cars.

🤦

Look, I’ve got my permanent address right here, so they could technically come after me if they wanted to.

But I also know people who use the "elderly care" excuse—they list an aunt or a cousin from another state and sail right through without a hitch.

From what I can tell—even if you have an aunt in a different state, and she says you're coming to help her—nobody can touch you.

There isn't even a rule specifying which relative you have to be caring for. You could literally get a pass just for driving someone to pick up a prescription—because legally, they have no grounds to deny you.
As long as you're on that route, you're good.

If this were a real epidemic—like Ebola or something—it would be a totally different story. 🤣

I have no idea what these people are even talking about. You haven't been able to register on the e-government portal for ages now.

https://www.nytimes.com/news/coronavirus...---600517.html

How does e-visitor actually work? From what I can tell, it’s designed for landlords and short-term rentals.

So I can't use this to register my mom and grandma? They're staying with me because their place isn't structurally sound after the earthquake.
I don't see why she’d be pushing to cram them into some rental when we have more than enough room right here at home.
We’re just another municipality.

Mom needs to head over to the old apartment to grab some stuff, but I have no clue what kind of gate pass we should be requesting for her.

Initially, they claimed it was impossible to obtain.

Idiots.

nimbleharbor10 said:Typical behavior from a selfish cyclist.

By any standard definition, a selfish person is someone who thinks only about themselves and their own interests—essentially, they cater to their own whims and satisfy their needs at the direct expense of everyone else and their respective requirements.

So, I have to ask: where exactly do you see this selfishness in a cyclist? Which specific people—and what specific needs of theirs—is a cyclist supposedly obstructing, endangering, or depriving just by riding their bike?

Good grief, this isn't even paranoia anymore—it’s some kind of grotesque, almost absurd desire to act more sanctimonious than the Pope, basically telling everyone to go jump in a lake because they won't bow down to our heroes and dear friend Will. But, look—for heaven's sake, look at what our friend Will actually had to say about cycling:

"Is cycling 'isolation in motion'?

"If you ride properly, it’s nothing more than self-imposed isolation in motion, provided there isn't anyone within two feet of you."

electricbadger89 said:How does e-visitor actually work? From what I can tell, it’s designed for landlords and short-term rentals.

So I can't use this to register my mom and grandma? They're staying with me because their place isn't structurally sound after the earthquake.
I don't see why she’d be pushing to cram them into some rental when we have more than enough room right here at home.
We’re just another municipality.

Mom needs to head over to the old apartment to grab some stuff, but I have no clue what kind of gate pass we should be requesting for her.

Initially, they claimed it was impossible to obtain.

Idiots.

It isn't exclusively for landlords, you know. Technically, anyone who stays at a property on a temporary basis should be registered through it.

When you go through the registration process, there is actually a specific category labeled "property owner and family members."

So, what I witnessed today was straight-up Kafkaesque—and I mean top-tier, surrealist nightmare fuel kind of Kafkaesque.
Basically, my local town hall in a small suburb outside of Chicago is handing out ID cards to citizens who don't have digital logins or even an email address, which means you actually have to physically show up at the municipal building.
After hearing rumors yesterday that they were just handing these things out left, right, and center, I decided to head down there and see if I could snag one too.
To make matters even more ridiculous, when I tried to go through the official, legitimate channels using the online portal and employer verification, they refused to issue my card—even though I still have my old one—simply because I’m not currently working a full-time gig.
So, I roll up to the office and there’s already a line of about 20 people.
I join the queue and notice everyone is filling out these little slips of paper. I ask this guy next to me what the deal is, and he tells me, "Hey, let me just fill yours out for you while we wait." So, I give him my info, and the only real question on the form is the "reason for request." I write down "agricultural work" because that’s what I heard everyone was using yesterday to get approved—plus, I’ve got a house out in the country and a garden, so it’s technically a legitimate reason. I ask him if I need to specify where my house is or anything like that, and he just goes, "Nah, don't bother." I asked, "How are they even going to know I'm not making stuff up?" He looks at me and says, "They won't. You can write whatever you want." I was floored. I figured, okay, surely once you go inside, they’ll check your driver's license or something? He just laughs and says, "Nope, they don't check anything. You just drop the paper into a box." I stopped dead. Are you telling me twenty of us are standing here in line just to drop a piece of paper into a freaking box?! He says, "Yep." Suddenly, some guy at the front of the line starts losing his mind, yelling, "Goddammit, you idiots! This bureaucratic harassment is absolute bullshit!" Then someone walks out of the town hall and asks, "What the hell are we waiting in line for just to toss a paper in a box?" And then, out of nowhere, everything speeds up. Within five minutes, I’m at the front, I walk inside, and I drop my paper in the box. The guy tells me we should have the IDs within 48 hours. I asked where we pick them up, and he says, "They just leave them in a box outside, and you come by to grab the envelope with your name on it."
I’m like, hold on... so there’s nobody actually working this? You just grab it? He says, "Yeah." I asked, "Wait, so anyone could just walk up and take someone else's ID?" And he just shrugs and says, "Sure could."

To wrap this circus up: anyone can write whatever nonsense they want to get an ID, and literally anyone can walk up and pick up anyone else's ID.
We had a line of 20 people formed just so we could shuffle into the building one by one to drop paper into a box without a single shred of verification. A box that could have been sitting outside the whole time, and we could have all just tossed our papers in without any line at all.
While we were waiting, everyone in line was chatting away, sharing pens... honestly, the only thing we didn't do was crack open a beer together.

America... the land of complete and utter idiots.

Nicholas King said:By any standard definition, a selfish person is someone who thinks only about themselves and their own interests—essentially, they cater to their own whims and satisfy their needs at the direct expense of everyone else and their respective requirements.

So, I have to ask: where exactly do you see this selfishness in a cyclist? Which specific people—and what specific needs of theirs—is a cyclist supposedly obstructing, endangering, or depriving just by riding their bike?

Good grief, this isn't even paranoia anymore—it’s some kind of grotesque, almost absurd desire to act more sanctimonious than the Pope, basically telling everyone to go jump in a lake because they won't bow down to our heroes and dear friend Will. But, look—for heaven's sake, look at what our friend Will actually had to say about cycling:

"Is cycling 'isolation in motion'?

"If you ride properly, it’s nothing more than self-imposed isolation in motion, provided there isn't anyone within two feet of you."

I’ve noticed the same thing—a certain group of people who just can't stand seeing someone actually smiling. What's the problem with laughter?... Probably some lowlife spent his night drowning his sorrows in some dive bar and now he thinks he’s entitled to mock me...

What is this guy doing wandering around—riding a bike, picking green beans... just aimless.
Or that crowd of people who were busy judging everyone in the suburbs for heading out to their weekend homes right after the earthquake...
Those ones were especially obnoxious...

Just a nice little status update regarding the coastal regions—specifically around San Francisco and the Bay Area—back during the era of the dollar...

That’s just how people are...
I know it’s premature—and I apologize to the National Guard and Secretary Austin for the intrusion—but I have to say it. There is a certain pride to be found here; another reminder that people actually care about their community and their country. The entire U.S. is trending in the right direction, and it’s almost certain that our handling of this horrific pandemic will earn a permanent spot in global medical history books. We’ll likely land somewhere high on the "COVID leaderboard"—assuming they ever publish the final standings... But more importantly, I feel an immense sense of pride regarding the coastal regions—specifically the areas around San Diego and the neighboring parts of Southern California. My thanks go out to Kozlevc, who was among the first to sound the alarm—we’ve seen a fascinatingly rapid minimization of new cases in these sectors. And no, this wasn't achieved through some rigid, top-down mandate. These results belong to the residents of the West Coast—people who value more than just themselves, but above all, the community they live in. They respect their neighbors, their friends, and even strangers. They honor the collective need for health...
A salute to the Emergency Management Headquarters for the coastal counties... It’s rare to see such coordination. I can still picture Mark Boras Mandić standing out there in that brutal wind and freezing chill in the mountains—it was a disastrous Sunday, March 22nd. Those folks from the city, left homeless by the earthquake, were scrambling toward their vacation homes scattered all across the coast looking for any kind of sanctuary. Most would have fought tooth and nail to block that massive influx of people—an influx that could have easily triggered a public health crisis—but Boras Mandić and Governor Komadina showed real leadership. They stepped up to the cameras and told them: "Welcome, stay in your homes, we'll take care of you." You could search forever and you wouldn't find a more profound or decent gesture. When everything in our country is quite literally falling apart—when most people just revert to basic survival instincts that aren't exactly pleasant for anyone else—to actually remain human, to offer comfort and salvation... that's something only the truly great can manage.
Today marks a turning point—the moment we finally saw that downward trend in infection rates across the state of California. It’s a day worth remembering. And no, it isn't just because the fight against this virus finally gained a shred of momentum toward a quicker resolution... No. It's more because today proved that humanity, genuine emotion, empathy for those suffering, and basic responsibility are the only ways forward. The only path to success, really.
I realize it’s incredibly early—we are still miles away from seeing the end of this pandemic—but yes, as of today, I actually believe we can pull off an economic recovery too. You only see results like these when you have people driven by high empathy... which is essentially just another way of saying they possess high social intelligence.
STAY HOME UNTIL WE WIN THIS TOGETHER

darkotter35 said:So, what I witnessed today was straight-up Kafkaesque—and I mean top-tier, surrealist nightmare fuel kind of Kafkaesque.
Basically, my local town hall in a small suburb outside of Chicago is handing out ID cards to citizens who don't have digital logins or even an email address, which means you actually have to physically show up at the municipal building.
After hearing rumors yesterday that they were just handing these things out left, right, and center, I decided to head down there and see if I could snag one too.
To make matters even more ridiculous, when I tried to go through the official, legitimate channels using the online portal and employer verification, they refused to issue my card—even though I still have my old one—simply because I’m not currently working a full-time gig.
So, I roll up to the office and there’s already a line of about 20 people.
I join the queue and notice everyone is filling out these little slips of paper. I ask this guy next to me what the deal is, and he tells me, "Hey, let me just fill yours out for you while we wait." So, I give him my info, and the only real question on the form is the "reason for request." I write down "agricultural work" because that’s what I heard everyone was using yesterday to get approved—plus, I’ve got a house out in the country and a garden, so it’s technically a legitimate reason. I ask him if I need to specify where my house is or anything like that, and he just goes, "Nah, don't bother." I asked, "How are they even going to know I'm not making stuff up?" He looks at me and says, "They won't. You can write whatever you want." I was floored. I figured, okay, surely once you go inside, they’ll check your driver's license or something? He just laughs and says, "Nope, they don't check anything. You just drop the paper into a box." I stopped dead. Are you telling me twenty of us are standing here in line just to drop a piece of paper into a freaking box?! He says, "Yep." Suddenly, some guy at the front of the line starts losing his mind, yelling, "Goddammit, you idiots! This bureaucratic harassment is absolute bullshit!" Then someone walks out of the town hall and asks, "What the hell are we waiting in line for just to toss a paper in a box?" And then, out of nowhere, everything speeds up. Within five minutes, I’m at the front, I walk inside, and I drop my paper in the box. The guy tells me we should have the IDs within 48 hours. I asked where we pick them up, and he says, "They just leave them in a box outside, and you come by to grab the envelope with your name on it."
I’m like, hold on... so there’s nobody actually working this? You just grab it? He says, "Yeah." I asked, "Wait, so anyone could just walk up and take someone else's ID?" And he just shrugs and says, "Sure could."

To wrap this circus up: anyone can write whatever nonsense they want to get an ID, and literally anyone can walk up and pick up anyone else's ID.
We had a line of 20 people formed just so we could shuffle into the building one by one to drop paper into a box without a single shred of verification. A box that could have been sitting outside the whole time, and we could have all just tossed our papers in without any line at all.
While we were waiting, everyone in line was chatting away, sharing pens... honestly, the only thing we didn't do was crack open a beer together.

America... the land of complete and utter idiots.

I haven't read through everything yet, but it looks like you still haven't gotten this sorted out.

Did you actually email emergency-permits@fema.gov?

I just sent an inquiry myself.

edit:

Okay, I just finished reading. Regarding those agricultural works 🤣
I'm being a fool by trying to push everything through the official channels.

darkotter35 said:Man, I just found out they’re handing out passes like candy—basically free rein—to anyone who owns a cabin out in the sticks specifically for farm work.
So, since they won't cut me any slack with a pass to actually go get some work done, I guess I'll just pivot and apply for one under the guise of "relaxing."
I mean, look, I’ve got the cabin, so technically, I’ve checked every single box required to grab one of those passes.

Good luck with that, though I guess people everywhere just nitpick over this stuff. Honestly, it’s gotten totally out of hand. I almost posted a huge rant yesterday but just... nah, I don't feel like repeating myself. It's basically discrimination at this point—passes being handed out based on who you know, or whatever. If what I heard is true, then fine, I'm just passing on the word! Some "VIP" citizens don't even need passes; they just flash some specific ID or badge and everyone just waves them through. Maybe they earned it, maybe they're just lucky, but if you've got the right paperwork, the cops just wave you off. Who cares about tests or masks or all that junk? Apparently, one person's excuse is way better than another's. Total joke. And like, what difference does it make driving from downtown to the suburbs ten times versus just crossing a county line? Does the virus suddenly turn into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde depending on which town you're in? Makes zero sense. If we're actually supposed to follow whatever the big shots in D.C. command, then why is it such a mess? 🙄

hollowfox3 said:And honestly, why even bother dropping down to the county level? Given everything we're seeing, it wouldn't even matter. People follow the rules wherever they happen to be, and since the rules are pretty much identical everywhere, nobody's driving three counties over just to grab a coffee. Besides, let's be real—with that many passes floating around, anyone who actually wants to break the rules will find a way regardless.

Exactly. Unless the news or someone I actually trust is feeding me total garbage, these passes are just one giant blur. Plus, way too many people are still out and about, moving wherever they want with those passes like it's nothing.

dustymarlin10 said:Oh, they definitely pull you over.

And they don't even stop those pedestrians who use all sorts of shady shortcuts just to get from one county to another. I mean, you could swim across a river or find some little boat to do it. On an island? Good grief, you just grab a rowboat and paddle to the nearest grocery store—could take half a day or more if you're trekking around the whole island. In a better scenario, maybe you've got a motorboat so you aren't rowing, which saves some energy, sure, but then you gotta deal with fuel or whatever else it needs, which you also have to go buy somewhere. Because people seriously don't get that what feels like a minute's walk for one person might be a total mission for someone else just trying to run a basic errand or "pop to the pharmacy," especially when looking for a 24-hour spot! Who’s even monitoring this? Nobody. Like we can see, there's basically zero oversight for certain things since there's NO patrol anywhere. I'm reporting this to the authorities. 🙄

Amanda Richardson7 said:Weather wasn't cooperating, so plans changed.
Chicago-Indianapolis-Columbus-Cincinnati-Louisville-Chicago

There are always those little birds hovering near the checkpoints. I could have just cruised home without stopping, but I detoured through Indianapolis specifically to see what they had to say...
They asked where I was coming from, and once I gave them the route, they just laughed and wished me luck.

Right as I pulled up, some guy heading the opposite way—toward the Indy entrance—tried to pass without a permit. They checked his ID and let him right through.

Read above.
If you show up at a checkpoint without a permit, they’ll log you in some internal registry—God knows what for—and if things go south, they’ll ban you from passing further...
Just give them a polite nod, turn around, and find an alternative route. 😉

They exist, I guess. But just like anything else, you gotta actually find one—not everyone's looking to drop their "insider" info for free. lol

Must be nice for you. I guess it’s easier when you’re zipping around on something way faster and stronger than a bike... like how you can just blow past all those jerks in cars way more easily. 😉

Amanda Richardson7 said:It’s the exact same scenario I witnessed firsthand. 👍
This trend isn't slowing down. I know four guys who burned through $200-186 miles on their bikes this past Saturday alone. No permits, no nothing.
Not a single one of us got slapped with a fine.
And believe me, we all got pulled over and ID'd at least once...

Oh, and nobody was even told to turn back. We all just cruised right along our planned routes after the cops finished checking our IDs.

We weren't riding in a pack, either. Just swapped stories once we were off the road. 👍

And then some idiot’s gonna tell me the authorities handled this perfectly. They didn't. And some people have their "valid reasons," I guess—reasons they shouldn't even have to explain, let alone write down on some stupid memo or email. Like, seriously, look at this, "Maybe they're coming back... I guess like 50,000 Americans heading back to the States? Could be.I mean, I don't get it. You can't even drive five minutes into another county without some kind of permit—unless you've got connections, I guess. And that's just in a closed car on the highway. You could basically move from Germany to the States and nothing would even change. 🙄 But you can't even cross into the next county, I guess. Even if you're totally wrapped up, sanitized a million times, and watching every single little thing... nothing.

Kenneth Jones70 said:Checkpoints are thinning out.

Honestly, there's basically nothing left.

Thursday—driving through NYC, Westchester, and New Jersey.

Nothing until you hit NJ. Once you cross over, there’s one spot, but one cop was fast asleep and the other guy was just scrolling on his phone.

Coming back yesterday—hit three different spots—zero action. Everyone was just cruising in their cars.

🤦

Look, I’ve got my permanent address right here, so they could technically come after me if they wanted to.

But I also know people who use the "elderly care" excuse—they list an aunt or a cousin from another state and sail right through without a hitch.

From what I can tell—even if you have an aunt in a different state, and she says you're coming to help her—nobody can touch you.

There isn't even a rule specifying which relative you have to be caring for. You could literally get a pass just for driving someone to pick up a prescription—because legally, they have no grounds to deny you.
As long as you're on that route, you're good.

If this were a real epidemic—like Ebola or something—it would be a totally different story. 🤣

It's super uneven and honestly just a sloppy job. Like, it's either total control everywhere or zero control anywhere... I guess. People aren't even moving around much anyway—walking, biking, driving, tractors, whatever—they're all staying put and being careful about the small stuff. Maybe.

I guess I'll just be tossing around like an empty bag in the wind. Maybe. I guess I'll wait forever unless someone actually proves there's zero risk when some guy from another state rolls in with a "valid permit" and starts...

It doesn't even mess with the locals living in that other county that isn't technically their "official" home, I guess. Especially if there's zero proof you aren't contagious or, I don't know, don't need to just stay home and isolate.I mean, who even knows what kind of junk someone's hauling on their roof, I guess. 🙄 How exactly does his arrival threaten me? Or how does my tiny little existence—or anyone else’s for that matter—threaten him in his own county? If he "has to work," then I guess my bad, but those jobs could totally be filled by locals who are out of work while we're dealing with this "emergency"—even if it hasn't been officially declared yet. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

2. If they aren't fully covered by PROF, then they're basically screwed from head to toe. I guess.I mean, he had the best mask out there, plus the hazmat suit, gloves, and all that extra gear included in the "asset." It’s like, maybe he actually protected himself and everyone else since he basically had no choice—he absolutely had to head over to the next county.

So, I was at the grocery store the other day, right? And this guy walks in totally unprepared—no mask, no gloves, nothing to show he actually gives a damn about anyone else's health. I bet you $20 he didn't even use the sanitizer at the door. But then, get this, the dude has the nerve to lecture everyone else about "social distancing." Like, sorry man, if we need three feet of space, maybe you should follow that too instead of acting like an expert just because your own ego is bruised. The place was packed, honestly. People were following the rules—masks, gloves, whatever—but this one "genius" starts preaching to the room. And honestly, most of these people lecturing others should probably just be staying home in the suburbs anyway, right? I mean, how can you call yourself a carrier—not even talking about COVID, just generally being a walking germ factory—and still try to give everyone else a sermon? Really?! 🙄

So, I guess I'll just play dumb until someone actually proves my point from earlier. These "measures" are a total joke, honestly.

Lockdown for everyone, not just select groups—and honestly, whatever it costs, it costs. I guess some people just don't get how messed up things are because everything’s basically at a standstill right now. But hey, I won't whine too much, at least while we're still relatively "alive and kicking." I mean, I could probably handle being stuck in some remote cabin or totally isolated for a year if I had to—that’s not even my main gripe. I'm looking at the bigger picture here. Still, not being able to even drive to the nearest big city... man, nobody can really justify that to me, especially now that all the usual ways to get around are basically choked off. From what I can tell, the U.S. hasn't even officially declared a state of emergency or a full quarantine yet, and we don't exactly have a curfew like they do in some other countries. So, what's the deal? What exactly are we supposed to be protecting ourselves from?

Anyone here dealt with this before? I’m planning on moving from my temporary spot back to my permanent residence. Look, I get the basics, but there are two ways to play this. One option is to head straight from where I am to the ferry terminal. The other is to drive through a few different towns first and then catch the ferry from there. The second route is cheaper and honestly just fits my schedule better, but I’m not sure if I’ll run into any issues at the checkpoints.

Basically, would they let me drive from somewhere like Miami through a place like Naples to reach a smaller port like Fort Myers to catch the ferry over to a Keys island, or am I forced to take the direct ferry out of Miami to Key West?

Would you actually sit through a drive from Chicago to Los Angeles by cutting through all those backroads and small towns, or would you just stick to the interstate? I’m betting you wouldn't. Honestly, though, if you’re just heading back home, it's not like they track your exact starting point, so you could always take the cheaper route—just be ready to deal with way more pit stops along the way.

Nicholas King said:It isn't exclusively for landlords, you know. Technically, anyone who stays at a property on a temporary basis should be registered through it.

When you go through the registration process, there is actually a specific category labeled "property owner and family members."

Fine, thanks.
I'll look into it.

quietviper22 said:Would you actually sit through a drive from Chicago to Los Angeles by cutting through all those backroads and small towns, or would you just stick to the interstate? I’m betting you wouldn't. Honestly, though, if you’re just heading back home, it's not like they track your exact starting point, so you could always take the cheaper route—just be ready to deal with way more pit stops along the way.

It’s not about saving money. Once you factor in gas, the cost is basically the same whether I swing out to the east side of the island or the west side and end up driving the whole loop again. It doesn't really matter. I'll give it a shot, and if they turn me around, I'll just take the other way. I don't leave for another two weeks, so who knows? Maybe the restrictions will loosen up by then. 😉

Is anyone actually going to step up and tear down this kind of anti-freedom nonsense once and for all? It’s honestly wild how they’re stripping away basic rights based on nothing but sketchy assumptions. It’s always the same old story: "Someone MIGHT get sick," or "It MIGHT be this," or "It MIGHT be that." So, what's the solution? Just throw people in jail because there's a tiny chance they did something wrong, and if it turns out they didn't, oh well—we'll just call it preventative measures. It’s genuinely terrifying to watch. I really don't get how people aren't seeing this blatant dictatorship and the total disregard for civil liberties, and why nobody is standing up against it. Everyone just sits there, playing the submissive little mouse, following every single command handed down by the top brass and whatever self-appointed experts think they know everything. Honestly, it’s embarrassing to see these kinds of insane ideas being treated as normal.

darkotter35 said:So, what I witnessed today was straight-up Kafkaesque—and I mean top-tier, surrealist nightmare fuel kind of Kafkaesque.
Basically, my local town hall in a small suburb outside of Chicago is handing out ID cards to citizens who don't have digital logins or even an email address, which means you actually have to physically show up at the municipal building.
After hearing rumors yesterday that they were just handing these things out left, right, and center, I decided to head down there and see if I could snag one too.
To make matters even more ridiculous, when I tried to go through the official, legitimate channels using the online portal and employer verification, they refused to issue my card—even though I still have my old one—simply because I’m not currently working a full-time gig.
So, I roll up to the office and there’s already a line of about 20 people.
I join the queue and notice everyone is filling out these little slips of paper. I ask this guy next to me what the deal is, and he tells me, "Hey, let me just fill yours out for you while we wait." So, I give him my info, and the only real question on the form is the "reason for request." I write down "agricultural work" because that’s what I heard everyone was using yesterday to get approved—plus, I’ve got a house out in the country and a garden, so it’s technically a legitimate reason. I ask him if I need to specify where my house is or anything like that, and he just goes, "Nah, don't bother." I asked, "How are they even going to know I'm not making stuff up?" He looks at me and says, "They won't. You can write whatever you want." I was floored. I figured, okay, surely once you go inside, they’ll check your driver's license or something? He just laughs and says, "Nope, they don't check anything. You just drop the paper into a box." I stopped dead. Are you telling me twenty of us are standing here in line just to drop a piece of paper into a freaking box?! He says, "Yep." Suddenly, some guy at the front of the line starts losing his mind, yelling, "Goddammit, you idiots! This bureaucratic harassment is absolute bullshit!" Then someone walks out of the town hall and asks, "What the hell are we waiting in line for just to toss a paper in a box?" And then, out of nowhere, everything speeds up. Within five minutes, I’m at the front, I walk inside, and I drop my paper in the box. The guy tells me we should have the IDs within 48 hours. I asked where we pick them up, and he says, "They just leave them in a box outside, and you come by to grab the envelope with your name on it."
I’m like, hold on... so there’s nobody actually working this? You just grab it? He says, "Yeah." I asked, "Wait, so anyone could just walk up and take someone else's ID?" And he just shrugs and says, "Sure could."

To wrap this circus up: anyone can write whatever nonsense they want to get an ID, and literally anyone can walk up and pick up anyone else's ID.
We had a line of 20 people formed just so we could shuffle into the building one by one to drop paper into a box without a single shred of verification. A box that could have been sitting outside the whole time, and we could have all just tossed our papers in without any line at all.
While we were waiting, everyone in line was chatting away, sharing pens... honestly, the only thing we didn't do was crack open a beer together.

America... the land of complete and utter idiots.

I mean, if it’s actually true that they pumped out half a million passes, then the whole idea of these permits is basically just one big, giant joke.

Lisa Chase3 said:Good luck with that, though I guess people everywhere just nitpick over this stuff. Honestly, it’s gotten totally out of hand. I almost posted a huge rant yesterday but just... nah, I don't feel like repeating myself. It's basically discrimination at this point—passes being handed out based on who you know, or whatever. If what I heard is true, then fine, I'm just passing on the word! Some "VIP" citizens don't even need passes; they just flash some specific ID or badge and everyone just waves them through. Maybe they earned it, maybe they're just lucky, but if you've got the right paperwork, the cops just wave you off. Who cares about tests or masks or all that junk? Apparently, one person's excuse is way better than another's. Total joke. And like, what difference does it make driving from downtown to the suburbs ten times versus just crossing a county line? Does the virus suddenly turn into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde depending on which town you're in? Makes zero sense. If we're actually supposed to follow whatever the big shots in D.C. command, then why is it such a mess? 🙄

Exactly. Unless the news or someone I actually trust is feeding me total garbage, these passes are just one giant blur. Plus, way too many people are still out and about, moving wherever they want with those passes like it's nothing.

And they don't even stop those pedestrians who use all sorts of shady shortcuts just to get from one county to another. I mean, you could swim across a river or find some little boat to do it. On an island? Good grief, you just grab a rowboat and paddle to the nearest grocery store—could take half a day or more if you're trekking around the whole island. In a better scenario, maybe you've got a motorboat so you aren't rowing, which saves some energy, sure, but then you gotta deal with fuel or whatever else it needs, which you also have to go buy somewhere. Because people seriously don't get that what feels like a minute's walk for one person might be a total mission for someone else just trying to run a basic errand or "pop to the pharmacy," especially when looking for a 24-hour spot! Who’s even monitoring this? Nobody. Like we can see, there's basically zero oversight for certain things since there's NO patrol anywhere. I'm reporting this to the authorities. 🙄

They exist, I guess. But just like anything else, you gotta actually find one—not everyone's looking to drop their "insider" info for free. lol

Must be nice for you. I guess it’s easier when you’re zipping around on something way faster and stronger than a bike... like how you can just blow past all those jerks in cars way more easily. 😉

And then some idiot’s gonna tell me the authorities handled this perfectly. They didn't. And some people have their "valid reasons," I guess—reasons they shouldn't even have to explain, let alone write down on some stupid memo or email. Like, seriously, look at this, "Maybe they're coming back... I guess like 50,000 Americans heading back to the States? Could be.I mean, I don't get it. You can't even drive five minutes into another county without some kind of permit—unless you've got connections, I guess. And that's just in a closed car on the highway. You could basically move from Germany to the States and nothing would even change. 🙄 But you can't even cross into the next county, I guess. Even if you're totally wrapped up, sanitized a million times, and watching every single little thing... nothing.

It's super uneven and honestly just a sloppy job. Like, it's either total control everywhere or zero control anywhere... I guess. People aren't even moving around much anyway—walking, biking, driving, tractors, whatever—they're all staying put and being careful about the small stuff. Maybe.

I guess I'll just be tossing around like an empty bag in the wind. Maybe. I guess I'll wait forever unless someone actually proves there's zero risk when some guy from another state rolls in with a "valid permit" and starts...

It doesn't even mess with the locals living in that other county that isn't technically their "official" home, I guess. Especially if there's zero proof you aren't contagious or, I don't know, don't need to just stay home and isolate.I mean, who even knows what kind of junk someone's hauling on their roof, I guess. 🙄 How exactly does his arrival threaten me? Or how does my tiny little existence—or anyone else’s for that matter—threaten him in his own county? If he "has to work," then I guess my bad, but those jobs could totally be filled by locals who are out of work while we're dealing with this "emergency"—even if it hasn't been officially declared yet. Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

2. If they aren't fully covered by PROF, then they're basically screwed from head to toe. I guess.I mean, he had the best mask out there, plus the hazmat suit, gloves, and all that extra gear included in the "asset." It’s like, maybe he actually protected himself and everyone else since he basically had no choice—he absolutely had to head over to the next county.

So, I was at the grocery store the other day, right? And this guy walks in totally unprepared—no mask, no gloves, nothing to show he actually gives a damn about anyone else's health. I bet you $20 he didn't even use the sanitizer at the door. But then, get this, the dude has the nerve to lecture everyone else about "social distancing." Like, sorry man, if we need three feet of space, maybe you should follow that too instead of acting like an expert just because your own ego is bruised. The place was packed, honestly. People were following the rules—masks, gloves, whatever—but this one "genius" starts preaching to the room. And honestly, most of these people lecturing others should probably just be staying home in the suburbs anyway, right? I mean, how can you call yourself a carrier—not even talking about COVID, just generally being a walking germ factory—and still try to give everyone else a sermon? Really?! 🙄

So, I guess I'll just play dumb until someone actually proves my point from earlier. These "measures" are a total joke, honestly.

Lockdown for everyone, not just select groups—and honestly, whatever it costs, it costs. I guess some people just don't get how messed up things are because everything’s basically at a standstill right now. But hey, I won't whine too much, at least while we're still relatively "alive and kicking." I mean, I could probably handle being stuck in some remote cabin or totally isolated for a year if I had to—that’s not even my main gripe. I'm looking at the bigger picture here. Still, not being able to even drive to the nearest big city... man, nobody can really justify that to me, especially now that all the usual ways to get around are basically choked off. From what I can tell, the U.S. hasn't even officially declared a state of emergency or a full quarantine yet, and we don't exactly have a curfew like they do in some other countries. So, what's the deal? What exactly are we supposed to be protecting ourselves from?

First off, there’s no such thing as a "proof of being uninfected." All you can actually verify is whether someone has been ordered into self-isolation, which is what’s currently being enforced.

Second, what’s the actual difference between driving to the next town over, the neighboring state, or just walking to the corner grocery store? There are infected people and people in quarantine in every single state and almost every municipality. Someone isn't going to suddenly drop a virus into a place where it doesn't exist, because frankly, it's already everywhere. The whole point is to reduce the general number of people we come into contact with; in that light, the risk is arguably lower if you're heading out to a field on the other side of the country than if you're trekking down to the local shop where you might bump into half the neighborhood.

The only way this level of monitoring makes any sense is if they're trying to trace the source of an outbreak when new cases pop up, but even that's debatable since the virus might already be circulating asymptomatically in that area anyway.

darkotter35 said:So, what I witnessed today was straight-up Kafkaesque—and I mean top-tier, surrealist nightmare fuel kind of Kafkaesque.
Basically, my local town hall in a small suburb outside of Chicago is handing out ID cards to citizens who don't have digital logins or even an email address, which means you actually have to physically show up at the municipal building.
After hearing rumors yesterday that they were just handing these things out left, right, and center, I decided to head down there and see if I could snag one too.
To make matters even more ridiculous, when I tried to go through the official, legitimate channels using the online portal and employer verification, they refused to issue my card—even though I still have my old one—simply because I’m not currently working a full-time gig.
So, I roll up to the office and there’s already a line of about 20 people.
I join the queue and notice everyone is filling out these little slips of paper. I ask this guy next to me what the deal is, and he tells me, "Hey, let me just fill yours out for you while we wait." So, I give him my info, and the only real question on the form is the "reason for request." I write down "agricultural work" because that’s what I heard everyone was using yesterday to get approved—plus, I’ve got a house out in the country and a garden, so it’s technically a legitimate reason. I ask him if I need to specify where my house is or anything like that, and he just goes, "Nah, don't bother." I asked, "How are they even going to know I'm not making stuff up?" He looks at me and says, "They won't. You can write whatever you want." I was floored. I figured, okay, surely once you go inside, they’ll check your driver's license or something? He just laughs and says, "Nope, they don't check anything. You just drop the paper into a box." I stopped dead. Are you telling me twenty of us are standing here in line just to drop a piece of paper into a freaking box?! He says, "Yep." Suddenly, some guy at the front of the line starts losing his mind, yelling, "Goddammit, you idiots! This bureaucratic harassment is absolute bullshit!" Then someone walks out of the town hall and asks, "What the hell are we waiting in line for just to toss a paper in a box?" And then, out of nowhere, everything speeds up. Within five minutes, I’m at the front, I walk inside, and I drop my paper in the box. The guy tells me we should have the IDs within 48 hours. I asked where we pick them up, and he says, "They just leave them in a box outside, and you come by to grab the envelope with your name on it."
I’m like, hold on... so there’s nobody actually working this? You just grab it? He says, "Yeah." I asked, "Wait, so anyone could just walk up and take someone else's ID?" And he just shrugs and says, "Sure could."

To wrap this circus up: anyone can write whatever nonsense they want to get an ID, and literally anyone can walk up and pick up anyone else's ID.
We had a line of 20 people formed just so we could shuffle into the building one by one to drop paper into a box without a single shred of verification. A box that could have been sitting outside the whole time, and we could have all just tossed our papers in without any line at all.
While we were waiting, everyone in line was chatting away, sharing pens... honestly, the only thing we didn't do was crack open a beer together.

America... the land of complete and utter idiots.

I mean, out of all those idiots standing outside the courthouse, why wasn't there even one smart person to say, "Hey, stop sharing the pen" and suggest we keep two meters of distance?

Aside from that, I really don't think these permits make sense in such high volume. If anything, they’re doing more harm than good, based on what I just saw.

And I don't get why some people are complaining about folks showing up to the store without gloves or masks. It's because you people—the ones who actually have them—bought up all the supply.

Besides, you go into the store, sanitize your hands, put on disposable gloves, and then you've got these geniuses walking around with their dirty hands, roaming the aisles and touching everything.