Originally Posted by
ATLflyer2017
Airplanes are small enclosed tubes. Even with middle seats blocked you are breathing down someone's neck. That's just how it is. I don't really think blocking middle seats does much good, other than make people feel more comfortable. The business side of me hurts every time I think about an airline purposefully limiting their revenue by x%. It isn't sustainable. I also don't think the airlines can rely on the government to do anything and it's kind of selfish to use their employees as a bargaining chip ("We won't lay off employees if we get another stimulus package"). In my eyes it kind of takes responsibility away from airlines, when they have the power to increase revenue.
It's a shame this has become so politicized. I try and realize everyone is doing the best they can with the information they have. Just because someone isn't as concerned as you, doesn't mean they don't care about you. We are all in survival mode is many ways. Our lives have kind of been put on hold since March and that is a huge loss in many ways.
You're right and that's a big part of it -- we (wife and I) refuse to put our lives on hold forever and be held hostage to these silly rules. If there was some magic cure and it took 2 weeks for everyone to do something for it to all be over, we'd do it, but it doesn't work like that. Shutting down the economy again isn't an option. Wearing a mask forever isn't an option as it would take just one person for the whole thing to spring up again.
The best alternative is to live your life and if you want to get the vaccine in due time, go for it, but we aren't going to be held hostage forever due to your (others) fear over really big nothing burger for 99.9% of people.
Again, I respect others who choose to be fearful and if they don't want to go some place, that is fine. I don't feel the need to make fun of people who want to act like masks and shields are saving the world. I respect your personal decision to do what's best for you, just as others should respect those of us who will not succumb to an irrational fear and choose to live life. We don't want to be ones that look back and 20 years and be like 'God, can you remember 2020 -- we wasted an entire year living in fear and gave up all freedoms during that time. It's a year we'll never never get back'.
No, my wife and I will look back and say - gosh, we had such a great time making the best of a bad situation. We went out to eat every weekend without a mask, we traveled and saw the world, etc. It will be much more fulfilling when we look back on this.
Now, if I happen to be one of the unlucky ones who gets the Rona and bites the dust, it's okay - I enjoyed life and won't go around blaming everyone else like so many people like to do.