Items

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  2022-05-16

  Analysis of a news article about state restrictions on the informal taxi industry in South Africa

  I am from South Africa. I wrote this analysis of a news article about Covid-19 regulations on the taxi industry in South Africa because during the pandemic I have heard many middle class people complain that working class people are irresponsible for traveling in crowded taxi's to work. My analysis pushes against this narrative, and illustrates how restricting the taxi industry is unjust, oppressive and unhelpful. Moreover, I suggest some alternative ways government can be helping.
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  2022-05-10

  JA Oral History, 2022/05/11

  A student describes their experience working during the Covid-19 outbreak.
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  2021-10-01

  My Breakthrough COVID-19 Case

  October 1, 2021, I woke up with a mild headache and a stuffy nose. I didn't think much of it—I had started drinking coffee again and needed a cup, and I’m mildly allergic to my own cats. My headache went away after I had my coffee, and my congestion ceased after I took my Claritin. After working remotely and basically not socializing for all of 2020 and up through August 2021, I was happy to be out and doing things again. In August, I started working and attending class in-person again, as well as spending time with friends. I still masked up and washed my hands according to guidelines, but it did seem like standards for that were slipping. I take public transit most days, and I’d seen a number of people who either weren’t wearing masks or not wearing them properly. But I still thought I was fairly safe since I followed COVID-19 recommendations, was fully vaccinated, and my campus has an extremely high vaccination rate (100% of students are vaccinated or have exemptions, and 98% of faculty/staff). So when I woke up experiencing what I thought were symptoms of seasonal allergies, I didn’t think anything of it. I went on a date that afternoon, and then out for drinks with friends later that night. I was very tired when I went home that night, but I chalked it up to how I’d over-committed myself in the initial euphoria of being able to participate in things again. Besides, I was sleeping better than I’d slept in years. The next day, my congestion was worse and I was coughing. I had an intermittent headache, but I assumed it was just a cold. One of my classmates that I sit next to had had one recently, and she’d tested negative for COVID, so I just assumed I’d picked it up from her. I remained congested and feeling gross that weekend, enough to call out from my shift on Sunday out of an abundance of caution, but I figured I’d be ready to be back by the time I had class and work again on Wednesday. But Monday afternoon I was working on some of my reading and realized I couldn’t smell the new (and very strong) candle in my living room. To test whether it was just the candle or whether it was me, I sniffed my perfume and finally even put peppermint essential oil right under my nose, and...nothing. Figuring that it was likely I had COVID at this point, I scheduled a test for the next day. I felt bad about having to get there—was it better to take an Uber or a train/bus? Which was safer for everyone involved? I ended up taking a Lyft, but I left the windows down and made sure I had cough drops so I wouldn’t cough. Once I arrived at the testing center (where I was the only patient), they got me through quickly and told me they’d be doing PCR testing and I could expect my results within a couple days. I called out of work for the week and let my professors know I likely had it. I woke up on Thursday morning to see my results had arrived, and I had tested positive. I called my school for contact tracing, and they notified the classmates I sit next to and my coworkers. I texted my friends I’d been out with Friday night and the person I went out with, and it was strange to feel almost ashamed. I had behaved responsibly, but I still felt as though I’d done something wrong in contracting COVID. And I was exhausted, tired of coughing, and just wanted my mom. I continued to improve, and I felt mostly better by the time my isolation period ended on the 11th. My sense of smell had started to come back, so I wasn’t as worried about a permanent loss there. I was a little concerned by the disregard for no-contact delivery I’d requested when getting food/groceries, but it had mostly been okay. My shifts at work had been given away, even though I was better and out of isolation by then. On the bright side, my cats were thrilled to have had me home that much, so at least it was a good experience for someone. Everyone I notified directly or via contact tracing tested negative, fortunately. When I started going back to things, I just wanted to scream on the train when I saw people not wearing masks or wearing them improperly. I still do, especially as the number of cases rises.
• 
  2020-11-24

  Public transport use- Myki History 2020

  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way I travel on a local level. Before the lockdowns in Melbourne I would frequently (several times per week) travel via public transport, mainly on trams. However, the lockdowns meant that all the things that I would use public transport to get to were moved online. As a result, for over eight months I did not use public transport at all. The increased exposure sites on trams meant that even when restrictions eased in various periods, I was reluctant to use them. The few times I have been on trams since I have felt anxious as there were often other passengers that did not wear facemasks properly, if at all. As a result, I now tend to use other forms of transport such as cycling and walking to arrive at destinations.
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  2020-04-05

  New York Through the Pandemic

  I am uploading pictures during the pandemic that I took. It shows how empty the streets/bridge were that are normally crowded with thousands of people and cars.
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  2020-09-24

  Doctor Appointment, COVID- 19, and the MTA

  During this Pandemic I have noticed how hard it is to travel in the city. In the beginning my doctor appointments were online and were more uncomfortable than being there in person. Going there in person is even more tricky since they can not let anyone go in to their offices .what is even worse is the traveling to the doctors appointments. I haven't really used the train in such a long time but since my doctors was in Manhattan I had to go on the train. Being in a compact space with people in a not really well ventilated area in a pandemic is not the safest things to do. I feel like COVID has caused me to have new anxiety because I have tried my best to stay away from people. Even before I got on the train my stomach was turning as if I was walking into new territory. I am Brooklyn born and have basically traveled by train everyday and now the idea of going into one was making me feel uneasy. I have also noticed that there were not a lot of people that were scared on the train while I tried to breathe through two masks people were not even wearing them properly . I have noticed that the MTA has put in the new penalty for people that do not wear a mask they will be fined $50, but to be honest it there was a few people in most of the subway stations that I was on with no masks and yet no fines were being placed. Not only was I scared of COVID but there has been a rise of violence in Stations and that scared me even more. Coronavirus has really changed the way that I view traveling when it comes to trains and buses and yet in New York City public transportation is the only way mode of transportation there is to get from one place to another effectively .
• 2020-04-20

  Hoisting Infected Patients

  Brad Matheson of Priority 1 Air Rescue shares his ideas on how to properly hoist and extract Covid-19 infected patients from hospitals, while keeping his crew safe from any possible harm.
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  05/07/2020

  A School Parking lot

  This is a school parking lot at about 1pm, normally, this would be towards the end of the school day and there might be students walking between buildings. Now, it is empty as students have to complete work from home and cannot be at the school. *5/7/2020; Covid-19
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  2020-04-27

  Brief on quarantine (Author: Gennady Khodov)

  Here comes the second month of quarantine in our country. There are people who observe quarantine, and there are people who do not care about the situation and they continue to live as they lived before. Students, schoolchildren are studying remotely. I envy them, of course. Studying at home is so great. But there are disadvantages of such an education, schoolchildren are stupid. After all, some parents do their own homework, and children are not explained anything. Beauty salons, trading houses, markets are closed. Only grocery stores are open. In certain shops we only let in 5 people, and at this time on the street 20 people are waiting for their turn to enter the shop and people do not even keep a distance from us being on the street. There are practically no cars on the street. In our city, it is completely banned to travel by private transport, allowed only to certain people. It became so free at once. Public transport has been restricted, it only goes in the morning or evening, but these buses go in small quantities. It's quicker to walk to work. Some people are panicking. They don't know what happens next...
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  2020-04-05

  Dancing peacock in the middle of a street

  With transportation systems completely shut down in India and no humans to disturb it, a peacock is seen dancing on a road
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  2020-04-02

  Gas under $2.00!

  Drove past the gas station. Can't remember when regular gas was below $2.00
• 
  2020-03-21

  Adelaide Street overpass, London, Ontario

  Lack of cars is very noticeable on an otherwise busy street. Normally this time of day, the cars can be backed up from the traffic lights to well over the crest of the overpass. York street, which runs under the overpass, is the main truck route through the core downtown of the city of London, Ontario, Canada, and is very quiet. *Taken on Saturday, March 21, 2020 around 4 pm EDT; Drone photograph. Taken at roughly 100 feet above ground level with a Yuneec H520 survey drone and the E90 camera (large 1" sensor).
• 
  2020-03

  Official sign on public transport in Paris, France

  This official sign, reminding of the importance of good hygiene, appears on all public transport in Paris. This one - on a number 76 bus - has been doctored with the advice to take used handkerchiefs to the police station. It may represented a feeling that official advice is exaggerated, or simply anti-police sentiment.