Social Experiment

I just announced Texas is OPEN 100%.

EVERYTHING.

I also ended the statewide mask mandate.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 2, 2021

That's what Gov. Absent wanted everyone to know yesterday. But that's not what he announced.  And the interesting thing is:  who was listening, and what did they hear?

I went to a store today, a Lowe's, to pick up some lumber and paint brushes (home improvement is the homeowner's burden).  I wore a mask because I'm going to no matter what.  The radio talk show host (local NPR station) was very upset (in an NPR local host way) about Absent's order. The people in the store were all construction workers and DIY'ers like me:  and they were all wearing masks.

Have they not heard?  If they did, did they catch the nuance that this starts next Wednesday, not today?  Will they all gleefully shed their masks at midnight next Tuesday and never wear them again?

I doubt it.  More likely they'll go back to the bars, at worst.  My sympathies are with the bar owners.  Word came today that Alamo Drafthouse, my sentimental favorite for movie theaters (I actually enjoy going to movies again thanks to Alamo, and I get to see "art house" films there) has filed for Chapter 11.  They carefully restrict capacity in their theaters, but with so many films shifted to 2022 (I speak of the MCU films that bring in large audiences, especially) they really have nothing to draw even small crowds with.  (They had Chris Nolan's last film, but apparently nobody went to see that anywhere.)  This change in orders won't do much for them; I suspect, like Costco did early on in this pandemic, they'll act to protect their employees first, not their bottom line.  But even if they do throw caution to Abbot's winds, what films are they going to show that will fill seats again?  And how much sympathy do I have for bar patrons who shop at my Lowe's during the week?  Not much, actually.

I feel so bad for cashiers having to deal with those selfish anti-mask arses.
The lady I saw the other day wore hers around her neck and just had this smug “say something” smile to the cashier.
She smiled at every employee she passed, clearly wanting them to interact with her

— Dan Sandler (@Danielsand) March 3, 2021

This is what I'm concerned about, largely.  Sort of like Alamo limiting audience size both to protect their patrons, but also to protect their employees (waiters bringing food to moviegoers, mostly).  I read that HEB, the grocery chain where I shop, won't force customers to wear masks after Wednesday.  I don't blame them; they can't post police at the doors and tell people to put on a mask or leave (Alamo can control their patrons a bit better).  But I also don't see them telling workers to remove their masks nor will they start taking down all the plexiglass.  I suspect most stores will do the same.  It's not much, but it's something.  Will Texans suddenly scrap their masks and declare their freedom from public health tyranny?  I'm not seeing much impetus to do that 24 hours after Abbott declared the year of jubilee.  It could be this will take time.  I expect more maskless people in stores starting next week, but I don't expect a massive outpouring of support for our governor.  Mostly I fear the apathy of voters who decide it doesn't make any difference, chowderheaded neanderthal Republicans are in charge and always will be and since we don't have Beto to vote for (charisma counts for something, Beto is what we've got at the moment), why bother at all?

It's a sentiment I know all too well.

Just out of the Oval. Biden calls Texas and Mississippi decisions to end mask mandates “a big mistake.”
Criticized “neanderthal thinking.”

— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) March 3, 2021

I just heard some major chains in Texas will still require customers to wear masks, and retail workers are being included now in groups who get priority for vaccines. Still, I think more of us in Texas agree with Biden than with Gov. Absent. (Twitter sez "#neanderthal" is trending in Politics. 😂)