social distancing for off-road vehicles
Posted by Zonie on April 04, 2020 at 22:46:48
In one of a series of unconstitutional edicts, Governor Ducey ordered us Monday to stay at home. My boss declared that we were essential workers. I'm not saying my boss never lies, but I find it convenient to believe him this time. I also noticed that every other business on the block was considered (or considering themselves) as essential, as the parking on the street was as crowded as ever. Our customers were all considered essential, as steel needing to be heat-treated continued to pour in at great volume. I put in a typical busy 40 hour work week.
My assistant Enrique was a bit worried about being pulled over by the cops after work and asked why he wasn't at home. I told him I doubted that there would be much of that but also assured him that the Fifth Amendment hasn't been repealed and that the best approach was to refuse to answer any of their questions.
The first few days of the edict traffic on the streets of Phoenix was light, but my Friday commute was as congested as ever, and the gas station at which I stopped to refuel Friday night was busy, but I guess my fellow Arizonans could only be bothered to obey Ducey for a few days.
This morning I drove off to state trust land in northeastern Phoenix to engage in "outdoor exercise while maintaining social distancing" in the language of the edict. In plainer terms, I was splashing through mud puddles. As it's getting hot, I wore my snakeproof boots and got an early start. Some of the puddles were still impressively deep and a few had turned creamy. I finished after about 3½ hours.
I encountered one lady engaging in outdoor exercise on a mountain bicycle. I encountered an equestrian lady mounted on one horse with another on tether and the man with the two-mule team (no tire dragging this time). The horses and mules were not social distancing, but western equine encephalitis is not the plague du jour.
I also encountered a lot of dirt bikes, ATVs, jeeps and trucks. I don't think Ducey's edict mentioned that they were allowed to be exercised. I'll assume in charity that their operators were on their way to or from essential jobs or on their way to or from obtaining essential supplies. At least the off-road vehicles were practicing social distancing.
I cleaned my boots in a puddle and then drove off to a grocery store to purchase essential supplies and then drove directly home.