To surf, or not to surf?
The night before last I flew home from a short overseas trip and handed my COVID-19 health statement to the masked officer at Immigration. Having checked my home break surf conditions on Swellnet before embarking, and found the points pumping, I asked the officer: “Is it okay to surf?”
The officer looked at me like I was quite mad. “Mate, you can’t leave your home!” she barked, pushing a sheet of guidelines into my hands.
These are complicated and trying times, so I wasn’t about to take issue with someone doing a tough job, but in fact the isolation guidelines are somewhat contradictory, and seem to confuse draconian means with the desired outcome, which is this thing that we’d never heard of last week but now know as social distancing. At one point they advise: “If you live in a private house (tick) it is safe for you to go into your garden or courtyard.” In another: “Exercise personal responsibility for social distancing measures.”
Elsewhere in the guidelines, we are advised that it is okay for us to leave the house when necessary, such as for a medical appointment. Okay, it doesn’t specifically mention surfing here, but who is to say that this is not just as necessary for your mental health?
To further add to the confusion, it is okay for “people who usually live with you” to be in the home, and they are not required to self-isolate unless they have been overseas or have symptoms. So my wife can hang out with me (no social distancing stipulated) and do the shopping or see friends, but I can’t responsibly jump in my car alone, drive to a deserted peak and go ride a few waves while remaining a metre and a half or more from other surfers. Or can I?
This whole thing is very woolly to me, and the goal posts are moving so quickly that before you read this, we may have moved into the inevitable home lockdown that WILL DEFINITELY preclude surfing. But even the “surfing ban” across key European surf zones is confusing, with some territories stipulating surfing in groups of five or more (presumably surf schools and comps) while in others the cops are forcing people off the beach.
Just 48 hours ago on The Inertia, Dr Jeffrey Spillane, a thoracic surgeon and surfer, was trumpeting the therapeutic value of surfing as a means of flushing the sinuses, and since surfers are not “pack rats”, they would stay clear of each other in the water. The proviso, of course, is what about the parking lot? Back to the doc: “If your health is compromised, it’s not a good idea, if you’re swapping towels in the parking lot, it’s not a good idea,” he says. “But getting outside is a good idea. Surfing is something we can hold on to right now.”
So, disregarding the confusing and ever-changing regulations, it gets down to our moral and ethical position. I personally take the COVID-19 crisis very seriously, and I would not want to compromise anyone by my behavior, despite the fact that I just flew in from what is currently one of the safest places in the world and that I am less likely to have the virus than many others who have been in a scrum at the TP counter at the supermarket or on a crowded bus. On the evidence, I don’t think there is a legitimate reason that I could not “surf responsibly”, observing social distancing.
But will I? Will you?
Yesterday I exchanged messages with my friend Mark 'Mono' Stewart, just returned from his second place at the World Adaptives in California and in isolation at home while Byron Bay fires. I told him I was sorely tempted to break isolation.
He responded: “Mate, it’s okay for you. The whole of the Bay knows I just got home from overseas, I wear a green wetsuit and I’ve got one leg! I think I might be a bust!”
// PHIL JARRATT
Comments
You married Phil? That will probably be your answer :)
Good call.
OMG that head shot again
I really don't think the guidelines are that confusing, yes they are developing, imperfect, and change from region to region, but is it really that hard to understand?
the internet maybe?
this whole article just sounds a little .... 'ok boomer'
If you are injured surfing you place others at risk in casulty departments etc , let alone contact in the carpark, remembering anyone who approaches you for any reason may not no your status, anything you touch , showers handrails etc are also considered contaminated , i could easily go surfing were i live and not even see another person but i am choosing not to for the first reason i stated . i also seen first hand the shit you put casualty staff and doctors through when i presented myself myself with an infection from my travels , this is day 3 of my quarantine and i am doing the community a favor by staying the fuck away from them .
Good on you Strawbs. Everyone in the local cancer ward thanks you, even if they don't know you are doing this. We are measured by our actions and you are standing tall mate.
Well said. The "writer" here seems to be having a hard time reading.
Know , not no!
Strawbs, you are right on the money and looking at the big picture. Wise words mate.
There may be ambiguity in the details of current isolation procedures but the intent is crystal clear. Stay the fuck at home and only venture out in exceptional medical circumstances. This is by no means perfect but is proven to limit infection in the broader community.
Of course surfing is not specifically mentioned in the advice. Neither is rock climbing, croquet or kite flying but you know the intent.
Stop whinging, think of you fellow Australians who are elderly, medically compromised, in poverty or without family support and stop looking for excuses to buck the system and go for a surf. For chrissakes mate, dump the pouty entitlement and do something for your fellow Australians just once.
Two weeks without a surf.......Big fucking deal!!
On the money.
You might have to suck this one up Phil.
My other half works(worked) for Qantas.
The guidelines aren’t confusing? Mates are getting home from OS today and have to self quarantine and they don’t live alone. So let’s say they’ve contracted it. There home a few days mingling with the fam at home then the symptoms show. Government has said that anyone in contact within the past 24 hours is at risk - dude is at home, gives wifey the virus and she goes out for a shop or daily things and spreads without knowledge? Shouldn’t self quarantine be that exact thing - self. Enlighten me
Yep Nick , i am in that boat with missus at home , i stay in one side of the house she in the other , if we are close i wear a mask , if i do housework i wear gloves , i have forgotten gloves a few times so i wipe stuff down with disinfectant wipes , is this perfect no, but we are doing the best we can , everyone will be in a different situation , just try your best , otherwise we will end up like Italy etc
South Korea and Israel have started tracking the phones of every returning citizen to ensure no one breaks the self quarantine.
So just leave your phone at home if you wanna go surfing.
Omg he's 'no phoning it'.
Easy done.
They'll be calling you also Einstein...
They wont be calling me, einstein, bcos im not a returning traveller, einstein.
I actaully agree with s koreas approach.
Just dont apply it to anyone other than returning travellers or those that "have it".
I could throw my phone in the ocean in a second if needed.
Enjoy life.
In the interest of national security I'm very happy to dob in any Covid-infested surfer returning from overseas and clogging the lineup with their germs.
Just doing my duty, Ma'am.
Paying the corona price......
Should have stayed local I guess?
This is what you get with Scummo as a leader.
Fuck all formal information, no designated one stop shop authority , contradictory advice and marketing strategy paraded as leadership.
Why tell everyone that they’ve got to self quarantine for 14 days but get upset with people buying 14 days worth of supplies ?
Here’s what the chubby sociopath wearing the Prime Minister’s suit needs to do :
1/ A single Coronavirus authority with an accompanying website / point of contact . One stop shop of information, update rules and advice. With a register of who is infected , who is in quarantine, where they live and who they are exposed to whilst under quarantine.
2/ Close the borders .
3/ Close schools/ universities .
4/ Prioritise essential workers for PPE and training about the virus. Commence reinforcing the numbers of essential services workers with traineees capable of grunt work to take pressure off trained workers.
5/ Lock down areas with any infection. Staggered lockdown levels for places surrounding areas of infection.
6/ Provide a detailed plan for the public of how they will be provisioned whilst in lockdown / quarantine. Assemble a task force to provide supplies for those in lockdown.
7/ Calm the public. Alert but not alarmed !
8/ Harsh and visible persecution of profiteers / looters or any engaged in behaviour which is detrimental to community.
9/ Helicopter money for every citizen. Temporary freeze on debt / rent .
10/ Anything I’ve forgotten ?
Blowin for PM!
Got my vote!!
Blowin for PM.
Maybe advisory for how to handle goods delivered to home - ie, safe wait times, how to disinfect. Within a couple of months the whole supply chain will have that focus so keeping infection from the goods will be an issue.
I am going to keep surfing and criticizing PM scummo. He could not run a bath.
Very well said Blowin. A commonsense approach, how novel.
No Entry to Aust -Travel ban from 9pm Friday
monos' response = gold!!!
classic
I hate to be so rude, but it really just comes down to how much you care about those around you. I'd say stawbs is displaying at least a skerrick of empathy and common sense, such a rare commodites these days.... or so it seems...
he might be over doing it a bit, but its up to the people to decide what's right for their situation, because the government has been so woefully inadequate
Smoco peddling all sorts of confusion, intentionally or just as a reflection if himself, is not helping anything
the health experts on the other hand have been quite clear, its up to you if go best practice or a half baked mongrol like my self
both are better than nothing
If I had my partner at my house, I'd be doing exactly this
"... i stay in one side of the house she in the other , if we are close i wear a mask , if i do housework i wear gloves , i have forgotten gloves a few times so i wipe stuff down with disinfectant wipes , is this perfect no, but we are doing the best we can , everyone will be in a different situation , just try your best , otherwise we will end up like Italy etc."
"No Entry to Aust -Travel ban from 9pm Friday"
nice, just a month or two late..
what's another couple of days...
Scummo hedging his bets and hoping that getting the nation half pregnant with the virus justifies prolonging his resilient economy fantasy for a matter of days.
A week of hesitation makes fuck all difference to the final outcome of the economy but it’ll make a fucking huge difference to the death toll.
Phil....if you can go surfing without contacting humans either directly or indirectly then do so. If not , stay at home.
For most people, at least those outside of the cities I guess, it ain't that hard to avoid people when surfing. Shit, for most surfers that's second nature.
The injury aspect from Strawbs...yeah, worth weighing up, maybe don't surf the Cape or the Verge, but realistically the chances of injury are very, very slim.
I guess someone had to write an article on it, but it's pretty clear, unless you want to risk a huge fine, stay home.
I agree it's true that surfing you are at low risk to spread the virus, but everyone could also start making excuses for all kinds of things, so its just not realistic to allow people to do things like go surfing.
Regarding others being in the house etc, yeah sure it's not perfect, but it's the best we can realistically do unless you want to rent a hotel room or kick your family out, or everyone you live with to go into self quarantine.
We'll all be in total lock down soon enough.
14 days is a long fucken time to spend in a house!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/La_Peste_book_...
nothing like a good read PJ
?list=RDSu0Hvt6hTmA&t=46or revisiting The Ramones
your isolation is probably useless, but perhaps you could finally grasp what Exististentialism is all about during it
if you succeed, let us know
Seriously folks....14 days without a surf? Is that too much to ask at a time like this? If it is then it's symptomatic of some of the selfishness we're seeing at the moment. As someone living with a chronic disease (Type 1 Diabetes so not a result of lifestyle choices), I can't risk catching this virus. I love surfing and would surf every day if I could. But I'd like to think that people would consider the vulnerable people in society who stand to be harmed by this the most. For everyone else it'll be a pretty bad cold/flu for a week or two if they get it but for the vulnerable, it'll be hospitalised and hope like hell your immune system is strong enough to withstand the virus. The risk of getting it and/or spreading it might be miniscule, but are you THAT selfish that you wouldn't give a f#ck about other people who might be impacted greatly by this? Hopefully those selfish ones don't have to see their parents or grandparents in hospital hooked up to a ventilator (if there's one available) trying to breathe to stay alive.
I'm with strawbs on this. If there are those out there that don't give a f#ck about anyone else but themselves and would just treat this 14 day self-isolation as optional, then I hope you get caught out and dobbed in and cop the huge fines being talked about.
Good luck Shane. Type 1 can be a difficult burden (though surfing can help the sugar regulation). Hope you do well. Precaution is good, a Type 1 relative was isolated early.
To be honest solo surfing at an isolated beach peak is low risk, gotta be lower than walking around the park. Don’t touch shit that isn’t yours, keep your mental health. Snapper/greenmount tho? No way.
14 days quarantine due to exposure or sickness is one thing, but will be interesting to see in a month or so if we end up being ordered to stay home indefinitely as per France. That would be a real challenge.
That is exactly why all these current restrictions are being put in place...like the 14 day self-isolation...to try and slow the spread of the virus so we don't have to go to the next step of a total lock down. But sadly, there are some who still don't get it.
Bingo!
re open the quarantine station at pt nepean,quick wave at corsairs back to the barracks dinner and a book jobs done all is well and no rules broken.......
Does anyone know how long the virus in your snot can survive in salt water. When one has a cold or flu you generally cough up a few cockles.
I dont know about Oz but in Norway there are 2 categories.
Quarantine and Isolation. Returning from OS puts you in the quarantine category where you should stay home but can go out so long as you avoid contact with other people.
Isolation is where you must stay home.
So after coming back from Oz i am in quarantine til Sunday. no contact with others means no shopping, we have to get friends to do that for us. Then do a handover in our appartment block courtyard where they drop it off and we say thanks from 5m away. Current advice says we can go out though. So ive been trying to get out for a run when i can. After work (home office) is bad because lots of people have the same idea so got to take an hr during middle of the day where i can get out and not run into any others. On the weekend that meant staying in on sat in good weather then going for a run on sunday in the rain.
So according to Norwegian rules i theoretically could surf if it was close but given i would have to drive a couple hrs to another region then its not a good idea.
Who shares towels in the car park?
Weird comment from the Dr. There’s no post-surf locker room. Unless you’re a clubbie, of course.
That said, I agree with the majority sentiment here Phil. Sit out your 14days, not a big ask. And as for the confusing advice - follow the intent of the document. Stay at home.
+1
I have a friend who's pretty good at grabbing any random towel out of the back of the car and wiping his face on it / blowing his nose into it.
It's when they start sharing hats that you have to worry about the clubbies.
After this shit summer feel like I’ve been in quarantine from the beach for the last 4 months. Surely common sense prevails, live in a quiet coastal town, a surf should be fine without a positive diagnosis. If you’re on the GC, stay home!
If you're supposed to be in self-isolation for 14 days after coming back from overseas, you may well have miniscule risk in a quiet coastal town so just sneak out for a surf anyway. Just hope you don't have a prang on the way home, might not even be your fault, or hit a roo. Some poor random stops to help you and you're coughing and spluttering while he's trying to help. He doesn't know you've just come back from O/S, he doesn't know you're supposed to be in self-isolation, he doesn't know if you've got the virus....you don't even know if you've got it. Again, for 14 days, is it too much to ask to try and adhere to the rules in place...they're putting them in place to simply try and slow the spread which ultimately will help everyone.
With you next swell - common sense prevails take precautions and do the right thing !! But for fucks sake 2.6 million people died in 2017 from pneumonia (World Health Organisation) and almost a 1/3 of them were under 5 years old (800,000 children approx). NO kids seem to be dying or even better getting the virus......generally the older generation are the unfortunate ones. This media hyped virus is real but as even Scomo said most healthy people that get it will have mild to no symptoms!!! Im a lot more scared for my 2 year old boy (& my wife & me) of getting proper pneumonia then this media virus. Fuck the virus worry about the economy and peoples wellbeing because its going to be so much worse then this mild flu!!!!!
Translation: Fuck people over 60 because I’ve thrown all financial commonsense to the wind and now I’m drowning in debt due to the fact that I’m an avaricious fuck who can’t manage their money.
Forgot the fact that these are actually real people who may die a horrible and premature death ( Australian estimates alone at tens of thousands ) ......I’ve loaded up the redraw on needless renovations on my too-large house , the big screen TV in every room , a new Hilux for me and a Prado for the Mrs. If people need to die so that I can continue on this tenuous , breadline existence of instant consumer satisfaction then so be it !
Well said
I am self isolating as of yesterday after cutting short a OS holiday
I was staggered by the selfish attitudes expressed by Aussie adults while queuing for flights etc
Hey cb, worse than the flu.
There’s plenty of decent resources out there. Read a little more? Media hype aside, what’s your view / suggestion on “keeping the economy going”? Cancelling isolation measures? Why? Every country has done the same.
Phil, at least do us a favour and refrain from your bloody tandem surfing.
Local carparks here in Margs still full of fuckwit hassling backpacker with no fucking idea and or give a fuck whats going on and who think Australia is an extension of Bali. Only a matter of time till the incompetent cunts in charge of our country declare them "virus refugees" or the like and start giving them money to extend their holiday all the while laughing at us and shitting on the footpath.
Been going a little further off the beaten track here anticipating crowd outs of my usual spots by IDGAF crew, and yep I find the same stuff, little Hoovervilles of vans and tents in out-of-the-way carparks. Somewhere above, John Steinbeck is looking down with a wry smile...
yes mike, "fuckwit hassling backpacker with no fucking idea and or give a fuck whats going on" not like the legendary Slimes back in the day, would be great to catch up one day
FIRST CASE IN BUSSELTON....
A FUCKING BACKPACKER
Phil, why do you think you cant buy any shit house paper?
Its because of peoples selfishness. Dont be selfish. You have been around long enough to have seen many pumping days. If you miss this swell , so be it.
If you happen to be infected(and I wish for you that you aren't) and you happen to inadvertently spread it to someone like myself who then cannot go to my business, and my staff have to stay home without pay. Do we then say "yeah it was worth it I saw Phil get some cracking rides"
Please Phil. No disrespect, because I have paid to read your stuff. This article would have to be one of the most self indulgent piece of shit I have read.
No wonder there is no shit house paper. It puts you in that category. You dont belong there.
Might be nearly time to send em home. The 457 visa cheap foreign labour are not needed now. Lots of aussies out of work now and mostly, they are terrible guests.
Ha ha , there,s a blast from the past, "Slimes" or is it "Slime"? if you,ve got a copy of that Tracks poster of him at NP put it up, heard he married a rich chick, quit surfing, moved to the silver city and loves a durry.
This whole virus fiasco may actually have a silver lining. Giving Aussies the fire up slap in the face that,s been needed for a long time, bring back manufacturing, stop selling our best shit, importantly get some localism back into surfing ,weve got to stop being walked over by the rich kids from overseas with dads credit card on their gap year. I for one have seen what happened to and really dont want to live in the next Bali.
This may be the opportunity to restart from where we were spiraling toward with the nothing but tourism or bust mindset of the Government. Australia,s big wake up.
Yep, working on the manufacturing tech/capacity as we speak so we can take market share off those cnuts that tried to infect us. Need a nationalist gov (either side) to actually support making things here as well. But one that works to stop this virus spread effectively will do for now.
actually, without stirring the pot too much, some form of mild localism should be one of the first things mandated to stop the spread.
if people stay in their home area we won't need lockdowns.
Mike , Freeride....this isn’t new.
I was watching this all unfold in China weeks ago and seeing stuff like you’re describing was what made me realise how serious this thing was going to be.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7969889/Horseback-knight-guards...
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-01-31/chinese-villages-w...
About a month after this the Chinese government was still saying that the Australian decision to get people who had been in China to quarantine for two weeks was “ a harsh overreaction “ and racist. Their diplomats officially lobbied our government, threatened them with consequences and publicly attacked them for not leaving the border wide open to China.
China wanted us to catch this. They knew exactly what the virus was capable of and intentionally down played it and tried to get us to import it as quickly as possible.
In hindsight we are able to see just how maliciously they were acting. Remember this always.
yep
Ive got my gigi ,andycap surf helmet and the wifes pushbike , ready to roll around the hood. Funny if it wasn,t so serious.
Agree with Blowin. I'd settle for less democracy and more leadership and discipline.
It’s not about democracy. It’s about an inept and corrupt government who are putting corporate bottom lines before the lives of Australians.
Yes, thanks for pointing that out.
Democracy and great leadership can easily go hand in hand. And it's a beautiful thing to witness.
The salient point Phil, is the difference between quarantine and social distancing.
You, having a much higher chance of being unknowingly infected, are a risk to public health and must stay in your home for two weeks.
People who aren't under quarantine, are being asked to abide by the principles of social distancing as they are a much lower risk and we need to keep working.
Swellnet, could we not find a more intelligent approach to the current crisis than this entitled whinging? There's plenty of excellent community support happening, perhaps some surf related news exists in that space?
Blowin in PM..lmao. Blowin like most commentators has NFI what he is talking about. Reads the daily mail and now thinks he is informed, knows more than the chief medical officer...offers suggestions that clueless and blames Morrison.
Blowin would have a place in politics in the Green Party with all the other experts.
Blowin for leader of the Greens!
For sure...it took an expert to figure out that if the borders were closed then no infection was able to get into the country .
And it took an expert to realise that once the virus was in the country ( due to political ineptitude) , that it was unwise to allow it to transmit itself at will without halting the spread through PROPER containment, not the half arsed shit that’s going down.
And it takes an expert to think that a nation without infection ( due to closed borders ) is in a much better position to weather the economic storm , than a nation which can’t go about its daily routine because it risks spreading it further.
And it takes an expert to realise that leaving the schools open will infect health workers and render them unable to work anyway . Fucks sake ....every single decision that Scummo and his puppet health adviser make is made through a perspective of stupidity, denial, political consideration and fear.
Just think....we’ve shut the borders anyway , but after the virus is already here. We are now MUCH worse off than if we’d shut them a month ago. Every one could still be going to work / school / play as normal. Some industries would have taken a hit but not ALL industries.
If we’d shut the borders domestic flights and tourism would still be happening. The airlines and tourism industries would be able to muddle through. There would be no panic buying. No thought of community lock down. People would be going to pubs , restaurants, theatres. Building houses , attending auctions.
Instead ...we are faced with total economic catastrophe. Life as we knew it is basically over.....and the dumb fuck still isn’t addressing the spread of the virus with the decisiveness it deserves. It’s still spreading at an alarming rate and Scummo is consistent only in his timing .....too little , too late.
On top of all that he still hasn’t shown a hint of leadership.
But sure....Scummo is on to it !
Get it ? Do you need to be an expert to appreciate this fact ?
PS Just cause someone is PM doesn’t make them the smartest person in the nation or the person most suitable to be leading the country. If you want to believe that some chubby , corrupted sociopath who has been spoon fed his entire career and walked into every position he’s ever held without merit is who we should exclusively be placing our faith in then you’d fit right in at Hillsong .
A lot of crew in the Pacific were onto it early. Particularly the Samoans and especially after being hit pretty savagely by a measles outbreak. Makes sense, doesn't it? Side note: I could happily be cooped up for a while out in the pacific, somewhere. Good waves (aside from the typical razor reefs), volcanic soil grown food and epic fish.
Ahh the hype.... The FEAR,... This thing is like a common cold. Sure the elderly and the immune compromised are at risk, but they are the ones at risk from anything like this.
When the World Health Organisation & The Government actually start putting some effort into helping immuno compromised people boost their immune system, i.e. access to fresh organic foods, excercise programs, yoga, meditation, vitamin supplements whatever, I'll start taking it seriously. How many deaths does sugar and other additivies cause? All the actions and fear campaigning around this indicate a purpose led economy tanking to who knows maybe edge the west a bit closer, inch by inch to the China way of life. Dont believe me? I dropped in to a bakery on the way for a surf the other day, wouldn't accepts cash only card. BAM, there you go. I hear the WHO leader (and BTW) check his history with the Ethiopia scandal before he cam WHO CEO telling the world to avoid cash because of this terrible virus... C'mon mate.... Our freedoms are getting eroded inch by inch and this whole thing, is evident of that. Create a problem, get a reaction, bring in the solution. Classic tactics.
I very much agree with 90 percent of what you just said.
I think the virus is very real and a major threat but I don’t think that the governmental reaction to it is completely the result of stupidity/ ineptitude.
I reckon they’ll be a very concerted push for a global currency/ government within a couple of years. Never trust the bastards .
History repeating.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/standing-precipice-financial-collaps...
Don’t agree with the last couple of sentences in that piece but the rest is very revealing.
Fuck me...conspiracy theorist unite.
Seriously?....at risk from "anything like this"? You do know that there's not a cure and no vaccine likely for 12-18 months? Like someone else said on one of these threads, do we wait for the hospitals to be full of Covid-19 patients, elderly and those with chronic disease implications? No doubt you'll then be on here whinging that you or one of your kids or someone you know is sick and can't get in for surgery or a minor procedure that's been postponed for an unknown period. If you have an immune deficiency through no fault of your own because of a chronic disease you're born with, you can't simply woof down a few vitamins and boost your system. My Type 1 Diabetes is and has been well controlled for a long period of time because I work hard at it and am aware of what happens if I don't. I've been told, it won't matter how well controlled it is, if I get this virus I'm at high risk. Sorry to burst your bubble mate but this "hype" that you're referring to is a little bit more than that. And my heart breaks for you not being able to pay cash for a donut on the way to a surf simply because some small business owner is taking all the precautions he/she can to reduce and minimise the risk for him and his staff.
Yeah my nephew and father inlaw have type 1 diabetes Shane and its incredible to work you guys have to put in to keep on top of it, nothing but 100% praise for you and the medicine world for that! In relation to the beat up around this virus though, you are no more at risk with this than any other virus. When something comes from nowhere and is suddenly everywhere, its the agenda. We should all be questioning this big time. Imagine being the cow in the paddock trying to tell the other cows that big truck they go on, takes em to a place where they get chopped up, minced up, packaged up and eaten. Reckon any of the cows are listening to him or calling conspiracy theorist. There's more at play here bet you can feel it.
Isn’t the oz gov currently debating a $10k cash limit? Also, IMF have been publishing pieces on “how to make zero percent interest rates work” for some time now. There’s a concerted effort worldwide to reduce cash usage and transition to more easily controlled forms of currency like crypto or imaginary dollars in your banking app.
Whether this virus is intentional or not, I think not. Will it be used against freedom loving people as a power grab though? Absolutely.
Like every other know it all Blowin...you are full of ideas about what should have happened..after it happened. It’s easy after it’s happened when we look back.
Blowin..an expert at telling us what we should have done.
Yada yada yada corrupt govt, yada yada yada Scumo, yada yada yada I know it all.
I’ve been saying all this since mid- late January. Since well before the problem confronted Australia.
If a numbskull like myself can see what’s about to happen then what does that say for our PM ?
But you are correct in saying that it’s only in hindsight that we achieve true clarity. For instance....how was anyone to know that your old man should’ve pulled out of your mother and blown into a bedsheet back in the day ? That would have saved us the misery of your whining defence of our indefensible sack of shit PM.
Finally you said something fact based. And I agree, you are a numbskull.
Dear me Blowin.
Another Monday’s expert saying coulda done, shoulda done but not one single comment on how best to cope with our current situation, nor the future. Please use your superpowers for good, not evil.
Here’s some free advice mate. This IS real. If you are a religious man, pray to your god that you don’t require hospitalisation anytime soon. Because if you do, you may be the unfortunate one left on a trolley without a ventilator because our hospitals are overwhelmed and some other patient’s life has taken priority over yours. Stay safe.
I have been following this thread for a couple of months and Blowin has actually been way ahead of the curve, long before " flatten the curve" , not a matter of being a monday expert like some posters here and what you imply. If only the Government was reading some of this stuff weeks ago we wouldn,t be in such deep shit now. If a handful of surfers can have ideas on a forum on a surfing website weeks earlier and then our Government come up and implements the same ideas 3 weeks late(r) something is seriously wrong with the fuckers running the show.
Interesting link blowin, thanks for sharing.
So does the self-isolation period start AFTER you get the cab and/or public transport from the airport to home?
What is wrong with this picture?
Haha roadkill quick to pull the conspiracy call... Your choice if you want to get around with your head up your arse but not me mate.
What’s most interesting to me is how selfish and stupid such a big part of our population is..stupidity is not a small part of Australia, it is far larger than what we kid ourselves we are. Mateship is a joke, half of Australia don’t give a toss about the other half. True colours come out in times of crisis.
Not sure what you’re referring to exactly.
The bushfire crisis showed Australians risking their lives to care for each other .
My brother suffers from Parkinson’s disease and sometimes he is very visibly disabled. He was just telling me last night about how many people- including many young blokes - come up to him and offer him assistance and to check if he’s OK.
He was also telling me about a single mum he works with who was in tears because she was unable to get to the shops to get supplies and do everyone from their work brought in heaps of food and other stuff to help her.
Up where I am there is an extensive network of neighbours and friends ready to help each other out anyway they can.
Australians are very good hearted people on the whole.
yep, I'm seeing far more co-operation and offers of help here than cunt-ishness.
maybe it's just mostly the cities where the dog eat dog mentality is most entrenched?
I’m in isolation after returning from os and developing symptoms. Still waiting on test results. Had lots of people offering help, shopping etc. Friends, workmates, neighbours. I’m in Sydney. Not all city people are cunts.
And stay in isolation Phil. Just do the right thing, it’s really not that hard.
I'm just mortified at the hoarding and bulk buying in the cities. Just try and buy meat at the moment. Impossible. And you go into the butcher and people are walking out with eskies filled with meat. Cvnts!!!
That’s shit, but the amount of misinformation out there is promoting this type of stuff. Every day there’s conflicting information. Buy a little extra, buy two weeks extra, maybe a month. And govt websites are the worst. Totally contradictory.
At this rate I might become a vegetarian by the weekend!!!
nah pal, us herbivores are feeling the pain too... we haven't had canned or packaged lentils, beans, chickpeas etc on the shelves for 2wks now... bloody bullish!t
I live about 4 hours drive north of the city in WA....people from the city are heading to regional areas on weekends to clean out the shops for more hoarding because their shops are empty...in public toilets in kid's playground areas and parks etc, the wall mounted dunny roll dispensers are being smashed off and the toilet rolls taken. Yep there are plenty of people out there doing the right thing by others but still plenty of absolute flogs who only care about themselves. Hard times bring out the best in people but, unfortunately, the worst too.
Shane I am 4 hrs south of the city with a shop little more than a overpriced general store. I purchase twice as much, (2 baskets instead of1) so I go half as often and I walk out feeling like a criminal.
It could be freeride...country folk always seem to be better neighbors and have a more solid sense of community than in cities.
We see cases of co-operation and offers of help because it makes us feel good. It gets picked up and shared easily.
Can’t really agree that the internet and news cycle amplifies good news stories more than bad news stories...
From what I observe on the internet - trash and sentationalism gets shared mostly
Yes, some good news too, but the fear mongering and over dramatisation is what’s amplified more so - sure a few idiots have punched on in supermarkets - sure, plenty of people are buying too much because they’re scared and uncertain - and this gets the bulk of internet airtime....
But I’m the real world, I feel most people want to lead productive and peaceful lives and manage to curb their fear driven selfishness more often than not
Sample of 1...
Over heard in Broken Head car park....
Ranger: 'Mate, if you're staying you need to get a parking ticket...'
Mate: 'When was the last time that ticket machine was sanitised..?'
Ranger: '.....'
Saw a busload (35+) of backpackers disembarking at the Junction in Noosa yesterday. I won't be hurrying into 7eleven for a slurpee anytime soon.
As an aside, I also saw the one eyed finless wonder shouting at a paddler as he was hanging on to a rail going sideways in the whitewater straight at him.
**friction free**
Looking at the cams through NSW and QLD, not too many people are taking isolation seriously. It’s like a Sunday morning at some spots.
prob's wrong place to say Stu - gold caption on today's pic "Occy panic buying.." hilarous at a non-hilarous time. ha!!!
Cheers, RR.
Yep just another day at the superbank(market)
for our super hero occy
I'll try and read this thread when we're all in lockdown but for now there is a shitload of misinformation getting around about this. My wife is a GP and she's pretty worried about the reality of it already, plus she is not enjoying the fuckwits who are overreacting and demanding special treatment from doctors.
From the reliable guidance out there in the medical fraternity, the following is how it is:
1) the threat is real. This is certainly not a common cold or a flu and to compare them or any other disease is utter dumbfuckery.
2) People are still going to get sick, injured, chronic disease. There are FINITE numbers of ICU beds. Just had a car accident? "Shit, sorry mate, we're full up with fuck-knuckles who have COVID-19 but could have avoided it. Looks like you're off to the pearly gates."
3) Anyone who has travelled OS i the last 14 days needs to self-isolate for 14 days. That means do not go out and mix with other people or do things that mean you'll risk mixing with others. This means you, Phil - while you've raised a good conundrum we're all going to face, the guidance is to revel in your glory days and stay home. Don;t place any ambos or whoever else at risk by risking getting hurt etc while you're surfing. You can't control it.
4) If you have cold- or flu-like symptoms, stay home and see how you go. Don;t freak out and rush in to see the doc and demand a test FFS. If you get worse, of course go in ASAP and ring ahead so they know what they're dealing with.
5) Workplaces requesting tests before people return to work after travel are way off the mark. Business has to suck this one up. If you fit the criteria, go and get tested - if you don't, then don't. There are not enough kits to go around and there aren't enough skilled practitioners available to do the test reliably so that it isn't wasted.
This is going to be a very trying time for everyone, and the shit hasn't;t even hit the fan yet. There are over 650 cases in Oz as of this morning. Exponential as forecast. Buckle up and be sensible for all our sakes.
Great post Tango, our local GPs seem to have a policy in place to reduce contact. Was expecting car parks overflowing but there must be some message to not come in unless important. This seems smart if true, as preserving medical staff is crucial.
Yep, for gods sake don't just lob into the clinic if you have any cold/flu-like symptoms. Call ahead and warn them. Many clinics are now doing swabs in the car park so that you don't come inside and infect everyone else.
With a bit of luck, the medicos won't catch this to the degree they have in other parts of the world. Mind you, when it's over they are going to want set waves.
Well said mate.
Out of interest, what's your wife think about people calling up their GP if their worried or after advice? Good idea, or waste of time?
Pops, there are a couple of ways to deal with this, she says.
1) You can now book a phone consult with your GP to discuss corona, and it's not a waste of time at all. Your GP clinic should have a system set up by now to deal with it, as Medicare are now subsidising the cost and most people are getting bulk-billed. But you need to make an appointment, not just call out of the blue and expect to get put through.
2) You can also call your relevant Dept of Health - most of them have a corona hotline set up now. Victoria has one set up now which is open 24/7 - the number is 1800 675 398. If you're in another state it'll be easy to Google I'd reckon.
Numbers in Oz are now over 900, up from 557 (?) earlier this morning.
It's now reminding me of the horizon going black when you're out on a big day.
Thanks mate, that's how I thought it'd work (re calling a GP), but wanted to get it from the horses mouth so to speak rather than suggesting it myself in case it wasn't helpful.
And yeah, I'm getting the same vibe. Deep breaths, swim for the bottom, grab a bit of reef and hold on tight.
Great stuff. Just a few months ago, all we really knew about this was the cruise ship parked up in a port somewhere in Japan with about 4000 oldies crammed in there and getting it one by one. Most of us heard about it but how many really got worried about it or thought it would get much worse? It has, and in a very short space of time.
I mentioned above about conflicting and confusing information. Point 4 you mention going to your GP if things worsen. Several official websites state the same. But my GP practice is refusing to see people with covid symptoms. They can’t test people. Same with others in my area including pathology companies. They all direct you to the hospital. When you contact the hospital, they say consider going to your GP as they’re flat out.
And yeah, great caption on the WOTD Stu. Brought a smile to my face.
yeah. the lack of testing is gunna fuck us in the arse so badly.
if we could test the bejeezus out of this then all cases, or most of them could be caught and isolated.
limited testing means rapid spread.
Complacency means rapid spread Steve!!! Take the fact we are still sending our children each day to the germ infested intense social gathering place called School!!!
Just take one look at Italy if you want to see what happens in the face of complacency.
Have you got kids at school Don?
Pulled them out?
don't answer if too invasive, lots of people have.
we may, not sure yet.
Yes Steve, i have two boys in high school. They are right in the midst of end of Term 1 exams and assessment. I have told them I will pull them out the second they finish their last exam this Term.
Ours are out. Having a doc in the family elevates our whole risk profile, so can't see the sense in possibly transmitting it to the other kids, families etc. Lots of arguments about the pros and cons of schools staying open. An interesting explainer in today's Age paper. I have sympathy for the issue of forcing people with kids off work to look after them, particularly health workers, but can't help thinking we're letting it go and missing the chance to clamp down on it so the health system can manage it. Reports today of significant numbers of people in western countries eg US who are younger and in hospital/ICU. Not sure anyone can trust any of the infection/recovery info coming out of China about this - they're already trying to paint themselves as the saviour and point the finger at the US as the source. There'll be a good movie about it sometime.
Best we hope for the best but plan for the worst and be safer rather than sorry, as it is looking like a complete hiding coming thick and fast.
Look at SINGAPORE and Hong Kong. They closed everything down 6 weeks ago. Schools. Businesses etc. They even put apps on people’s phones who were confirmed as positive so they could trace them if they weren’t self isolating.
They’ve been the masters at controlling this pandemic. The rest of the world has no Fcking idea.
Don pretty sure Singapore didnt close down its schools
No, but they took the temperature of every kid before entering school.
we seem to be unable to do even this most basic safety measure.
I thought Taiwan were being held up as the shining light - they learnt from SARS in 03 and have community memory of it plus systems/investment to address it.
Absolutely. I saw a lot of frustrated people just walk off when I was waiting to be tested. They gave up. You had to wait 4 hours at some hospitals.
no social distancing at bronte, tama and bondi yesterday. about 60+ out at bronte. the reef was packed tighter than a rugby scrum.
people hoarding isn't a sign of selfishness, it's a sign that they have no faith in the government to manage supplies chains and provide accurate and timely information on the situation.
and as to the claim that city people are mean and country people are nice...
well, first up, living in a coastal town is not the country, it's just more suburbia.
i'm from the bush. country people are assholes. you want to talk selfish? all those cotton farmers that destroyed the murray-darling river system live in the country. the national party....is that your idea of the generous, beneficent, community-minded country folk?
pastoral romanticism has been running strong since the roman days.
Out of hospital, Chook ?
Yeah , my brother lives in Sydney. It’s city folk bestowing kindness.
yep, been discharged.
and i've clearly had my opiate supply cut off... back to being argumentative for no good reason.
Glad you're well enough to get out of there.
We could go back and forth for hours on pastoral romanticism if it will make you feel better during the opiate withdrawals?
yeah, i bet you could! we should team up and write an academic paper.
surfing certainly is well steeped in pastoral romanticism, and i believe you're friends with some of the key players, and you live in ground zero.
as a sheep grazier, I'm the embodiment of the classic pastoral romantic image.
Do you know of any writing directly connecting classical pastoral romanticism and soul surfing/back to the country? I'd never thought of the obvious connection till now. I bet someone has beaten us to it. But doing what someone else has already done is what academics do, so that's no impediment.
As long as you now have the contacts to get the odd bit of the good stuff, you'll be sweet :)
Working northern Tas, driving past all the beautiful purple flowers in the paddocks (best soil I've ever seen), hmmm, wonder what that stuff is for??
there is no way i'm going down that path again. i was so lucky to escape first time around. and with the golden triangle dead, what's the point? i was there for the good years, and that's enough for me.
It's more the constant talk over CB during harvest, and every able bodied person dropping everything to help if you have a header fire in the paddock. Rounding up stray sheep and returning them. The visits or calls to see how you are going, if you need anything in town as town is 70km away, that kind of thing. Pastoral romanticism evaporates real quick if you have to do mulesing.
But overall, hope you are going well Chook. City people can be nice too. Ever had a spontaneous conversation of strangers on a train? Those can be great. (Not now though)
Sadly VJ spontaneous conversations on public transport are as rare as hens teeth these days.
I remember commuting for a few years, i'd always have my book, others the newspaper or what have you. You'd get to know a few faces, say g'day, give your seat up for an old lady or digger. Engage in pleasant conversation with old lady or digger.
These days head down, earphones on, smartphone death-grip, jedi mind stare if you dare to want to sit next to someone.
I'm glad I don't commute anymore.
I pulled a root on a train once.
Early evening. Two metro stops worth of conversation then it was straight to the nest.
But I’ve also seen a fella going to town on himself on a train so it’s obviously a mixed bag of experiences available out there on public transport.
I've got a great Japan story Zen! 15 yo Aussies, we worked out pretty quickly no-one could understand us. The trains had far less personal space, so you end up squashed way closer than Aus public transport. The boys put two and two together, and began propositioning nice looking girls in English. None of them understood the dire requests they were being asked of. The boys got bold (I was too timid/respectful) and one asked a particularly well preserved 30 something woman something along the lines of "You are extremely beautiful for your age. The curve of your hips is driving me wild. Would you like to spend an afternoon of passionate love making with me between your thighs?" - to which she turned around, smiled and replied in perfect English "Young man, this is neither the time nor the place." That stopped things.
First time I ever got a train in Japan, from Kansai airport to Osaka....
Left the airport early morning, deserted train. The missus and I jumped on the carriage closest to the escalator (why lug suitcases further than that!)
The train did slowly start filling up, with a very loud announcement in Japanese at each station. After a little while, I started wondering why every other passenger on our carriage was female, the odd one giving me a funny look. Weird.
About 45 minutes later, pulled into another station, more people got on. The same loud Japanese announcement was played, this time followed by an English translation: "Carriages four and five are female-only carriages on this train."
Sh*t. Train was too crowded by then to get up off my seat, let alone try to move to another carriage with two suitcases and a backpack. Only option left was to pull my hood up (with the long curly golden locks hanging out the sided), lie my bearded face down onto the backpack on my lap and pretend to be asleep - hoping the locals would just assume I was an unfortunately hairy roundeyes chick.
Actually VJ, i have a similar story that played out a little differently that occurred in the first week of me arriving in Japan. I can't go into too much detail but to this day remains one of my fondest memories of this place, why I love Japan and why, under the surface, Japanese women are imo some of the sexiest in the world (and i've travelled a lot).
Basically, late night train back to Kawasaki where i was staying (with an Aussie girl working as a stripper who is now a doctor- another long story) anyway, train packed as only a Japanese train can be. Hot little OL (office lady) kinda squeezed against me. I'm trying to be respectful and maintain a tiny bit of space but as the train got more crowded it became impossible. As the journey progressed she somehow had her little bottom pressed to my crotch. Again, i'm trying to be blase but it soon became obvious she was grinding against me and totally out my control let's just say i was rising to the occasion. She wasn't stunning but kinda cute and had a smoking bod in her tight little suit. I couldn't really see her face anyway as i was looking at the back of head and her beautiful smelling shiny black hair. The train lurched a bit and my hand kinda grabbed her hip and then she quickly grabbed my hand. For a while i was just holding her hand while we engaged in a little frotage. She kept grinding harder and then guided my hand to her breast and for the next couple of minutes it was like there were only two of us on the train. Man i was so close. I was kinda going dizzy, it was so surreal.
Long story short, her stop came the doors opened and she pulled away and walked out without looking back. Kinda broke my heart. But as the train pulled out of the station i saw her standing there and she blew me a kiss and gave me a cute wave as the train sped up and glided away.
I walked back to the shoebox apartment i was staying in, replaying the whole scenario over and over. I really wanted to share it with my roomy (plus i wanted to smash her) but anyway she wasn't home, so i grabbed a beer, whacked off and watched ridiculous Japanese variety shows on the tele.
I will take that to my grave as one of the nicest experiences of my life.
And I thought Lost in Translation was an interesting peak into Japanese existence for the journeying Gaijin .
Good stories boys.
Now I’m off to the country link office to buy a yearly ticket. If my looks fail to attract female attention I’ve got a tube of hand sanitizer as backup.
Chicks will do ANYTHING for hand sanitizer.
Or Coca Cola
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5282827/man-pays-price-after-f...
Awww... Blowy, you've cheapened my story. Instead of soaring to heaven on a white, winged stallion i'm now clopping my way to the knackery on a flea-bitten nag.
You literally made me LOL .
Clopping is so onomatopoeic.
ah, the joys of frottage...it's hard not to be horny on packed japanese trains.
i reckon the new york subway is more crowded...but japan certainly has more people you want to be crushed against.
...the night train from sydney to melbourne. my first sexual experience, at 15. sitting next to a 20 something women. both asleep and sort of leaning against each other. i made the bold move of placing my hand on her ass...she moved it to her pussy...what a night that was. spent the next few years riding trains hoping and hoping...
anyone taken the night train from bangkok to changmai? now that is one romantic train journey.
i have- got smashed and the train conductor wanted to swap watches.
he was trying to work it off my wrist. he was very insistent.
no sex.
Yep. I’ve caught the night train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok also.
With my lady and my mother in law. Had a bed next to the carriage toilet and filthy water washed under the wall and across the cabin floor the whole way.
Like ten Valentines Days combined it was that romantic.
you've done it again! ruined the romance
Zen...I bet you could’ve got sex if you’d used the watch as leverage.
Just like Hollywood . Zen could’ve been our very own a Pretty Woman.
Kiss me like a movie star !
Well he was very persuasive and very forward, but luckily for me he was no Vivian.
He really did want that watch though...
Epic! No wonder you formed a business and life in Japan haha!
Great memory to have and I bet she has it too.
Sadly, probably not too much of this with coronavirus at present.
And - I guess there was less of this anyway as people are phone robots today.
More train stories:
Johnno the surveyor was king of the earth. 4wd adventures, plane flights all over (substitute: ladder for board), frequent flyer, down time in jobs was spent chasing waves, sent really off the path most travelled. I'm eternally grateful. And I was good at the job. Hours were structured leisurely - worked out I could generate an average salary and be there about 50% of the time, so raising kids and surfing filled in. However, in a foolish decision, I decided to go full time. Suddenly I was a salaryman, mildly pissed that my work shirt had my name on it while the rest of the train into 9-5 got to be anonymous. Anyway, train was boring, so the Ms gave me a book to read. Some literature. It started innocently enough, but by page 50 characters were going down on each other and swallowing the lot. I looked up in shock! I could picture everyone seeing right through me reading this. But no, and I then looked at their books. And came to a realisation. Everyone on that train was reading soft to hard core porn. I lasted in salary for one (1) month. Then back to contract and all the glorious travel.
Classic Zen!
I got a semi chubby just reading that let alone living it.
Gold Zen.
Here's a story I haven't thought about for years, reckon I was about 19.
On the late bus back home one night I started chatting up two girls, they were on the "nice from afar but far from nice" end of the scale.
Things progressed pretty well during the trip and I somehow convinced them to come back to my place for a threesome.
They were getting off a stop or two before mine so I told them my address and said I'd see them in an hour or so.
I got to my place and thought, fuck, that was pretty weird but it's almost midnight and I'm tired and I want to go to bed, so I turned the lights off.
Really didn't think they'd show up anyway.
So about an hour later there was a knock at the door and I thought, nah, couldn't be bothered, so I hid there with the light off.
They knocked at the front door then came around to the back door - I just sat there with the lights off, totally quiet.
Probably should've made the effort but it'd been a long day.
Bit tangential ... but always looked for a sensible answer to why we grow cotton and rice (two most water intensive crops in the world) on the driest continent on the planet - never been able to get a cogent answer
I’m certain farmers work fucken hard and expect most are doing the best they can with the wisdom and knowledge they have - like we all are ... but it seems (yes, to a city guy) that we still farm this country like it’s an English county...
... noone was running telethons to save my business when the market was saying I wasn’t running it in what became obvious was an unsustainable fashion - it was a hard lesson I had to learn from and eventually adapt to...
Not saying I know it all ... just saying and asking ... we seem to have a blind spot here ... and ‘pastoral romanticism’ seems to capture its essence
don't confuse pastoral romanticism with multi-national agri-business.
fckng mulesing!!!! my family would drag me home every year. there was no way i could out of it. and the weather was freezin. covered head-to-tow in blood, watching my father throw lamb's tails on the fire and eat them for lunch. i'm sure they were tasty, but the burnt wool smell was too much.
yeah, there's lot of helping each other in the bush. you can't survive without it. but man there are some entitled fck wits. especially in the old family fine wool merino set. but it's the person, not where they live.
Yep the chocko wheel of blood. Forced talking of the footy, poor sheep.
But I understand why, after having seen flyblown sheep, poor, poor bastards.
I married into families on marginal rainfall wheat belt, so I guess it was more of a struggle and brought families together more. But there was certainly snobbery between certain families. (As a very funny anecdote, the girl who ended up all over me at the Yr11 ball turned out to be the biggest rival of my eventual wife - and both lived over 500km away from me growing up and we all moved in different circles. Haha!) As a bring-in or non local, certain crew could go really closed minded, lock you out - but most were welcoming. When you could drive a chaser bin around corners still collecting from the header (my greatest achievement) more so.
The wife and I decided on the weekend to start working from home. We had a chat on Saturday with two friends who work at major SEQ hospitals. They laid out the facts and put the fear in us.
I totally agree Mowgli. I would dob him in in a heartbeat.
A person with Jarratt’s editorial background (I believe the word “experience” is not warranted), should understand that his published words may encourage others to adopt the same ill informed views and not self-isolate. A potentially catastrophic outcome for all Australians if everyone were to ignore such advice.
Phil, I would guess you are happy to trust the medical experts who sew up your fin cuts, give you overseas travel vaccinations and treat your Mum’s cancer. Why don’t you trust them now with their directive to self-isolate? You are not an infectious diseases expert. You are a journalist that thinks he knows all the answers and believes the rules don’t apply to you. Rules are for shmucks right? You are a hero.
Wake up Jarrat! This is not about you mate.
Have had 4 surfs in Coffs this week, go on my own, keep distance in carpark etc, and not hard to spread out in the surf here or find a spot on your own.
Everyone is surfing here the same as usual it seems.
If i lived on the GC would give it a miss, but who would want to live there anyway.
Also i am self employed business and phone has pretty much stopped ringing since last Friday, so i am not going to sit inside thinking about the worst when i can get some relief in the surf.
I am not going to side with anyone on this because the situation is complex and vexed. However, there is a fair bit of emotional rubbish in this thread. So here are a couple of my thoughts:
Some people were concerned about injuring yourself whilst surfing. At least 50 Australian's are injured each week by falling furniture in their home.
https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/fifty-australians-a-week-injured-b...
But you are not going to look like an idiot if you were staying at home like you were asked and got injured.
I'm all for flattening the curve, but rates of DV, IPV and child abuse head north in times of crisis and is something else to be considered.
https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-fears-of-domestic-violence-child-abuse...
And finally, has anyone mentioned the effect on your immune system when you are self-isolating, let alone your mental health?
http://theconversation.com/coronavirus-self-isolation-a-psychologist-exp...
There is no right answer to any of the conundrums, but in a society, the most ethical thing to do, would be follow the rules of the society..... you don't HAVE to, it's your choice, but your choice has an effect on others.
I agree, PS, that it is complex etc.
However......
re your first point and injuries from furniture. Yes, that may well be the case. Let's assume that we keep on with 50 hospitalisations a week. Those 50 a week have probs been happening for a while. Those 50 a week are still going to need help in hospital, and they may not be able to get that help if the hospitals are (relatively) quickly inundated with people infested with COViD-19. That same issue applies to those with a heart attack, car accident, etc etc. There are no spare beds now, and there are no spare medicos floating around to deal with the additional workload it's going to require. It's all going to be on top of an overstretched system.
Re the immune/mental response - sorry. When there are people at serious risk of dying in the hospital carpark because inside is flooded with people who couldn't cope with 2 weeks of staying at home. Give me a break. Like a post circulating on Facey - we're not being asked to go to war, we're being asked to stay home in 1st world comfort. Of course there are going to be people who might find that hard, some harder then others, but the stakes are higher than I think you're giving credit.
Re domestic violence etc, I agree that's a real issue. I'm not at all sure how to weigh up the prospect of abuse with definite injury and likely deaths and the prospect of pandemic and definite deaths. On the likely numbers we are looking at I would have to go with dealing with the pandemic as the priority.
My better half has a work history in obstetrics, anaesthesia and emergency, and is one of the most level-headed unflappable people I know, especially when the chips are down. She's worried about this, and that means it is time to take it very seriously.
Agree with that assessment Phil S. Attended a funeral on Wednesday and spoke to a mate who's in the AFP, they're getting put through crash courses for mental health issues and expecting that to become a crisis of its own.
So before people say, 'Just stay in indoors for two weeks', consider what that really means (as someone above wrote, "Two weeks is a fucken long time"), and also consider that for anyone outside of a city it is pretty damn easy to have a surf and not go close to anyone.
All it means is stay indoors for 2 weeks for crying out loud. All of our first world problems mean nothing. Mental pain is a huge problem but its going to get wayyyy worse for people with and without mental pain.
Nothing wrong with sharing is there? crew are sharing waves at Snapper every day, almost every wave, clear your sinuses, snort and spit, scratch your ass, drink some effluent, rinse and repeat. Enjoy!
Just don't shake hands, no way, fist bump brah! Shaka!
http://www.ub.edu/virusenterics/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Human-Enteric...
Chooky... Opiates supply out .....not a problem since the start of this Germ the Importers have been going hard...Kilos of all types being walked through Customs.
oh sure...everyone's a comic. make fun of chook's predilection for the white snows of the east. but you really do not want me back on the shit...i ran with the sawn-off shotgun crew.
although i was of a more timid demeanor and preferred robbing police stations and police cars and selling police uniforms to the link, a gay bdsm leather store in darlinghurst. that was a gold mine. police do not lock their cars or stations. well, i changed that.
Any chance you can still get hold of one of those uniforms ?
Failing that , anyone know how to get “ glue “ stains out of a cotton/ synthetic blend ?
No offence intended Chooky.
none taken at all, udo.
No offence either Chook! More making fun of myself at 17 getting pethedine for an injury and blacking out to the most wonderful, peaceful sleep I've ever had.
Zen...I bet the story has changed over time. In reality it was some butt ugly OL on an uncrowded train being harassed by some desperate gaijin.
Immigration don't surf !!
You fat arsed mole!
And don’t take a bite !
To those above, Singapore schools are open but they get tested every morning.
As if us surfers have to worry, look at the nrl players, sweating all over each other, hugging, sharing hand towels and water bottles, lol.
Might not have to make the decision, be made for us:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-21/bondi-beach-closed-over-crowds-am...
Drove past Alexandra headland yesterday at dusk. The headland was packed with revellers sitting in groups carousing. The skatepark was also absolutely packed with skaters/scooters and with almost no sitting room with spectators ringing the park. Straight across the road the restaurant was full with tables at normal distances from each other.
And this is why Australia WILL go down the path of other countries like Europe etc. We all think we're immune and unstoppable to this virus. Well have some fcking respect for others in our community. Social distancing is not about YOU, you selfish twunts. It's about the other less fortunate in our community who have underlying health issues and who WILL die from this virus if they contract it. Think about your mother, grandfather, friend going through chemo, asthmatic son......etc. Don't be a fcking hero and don't a selfish twunt. Social distance and self isolation is the ONLY way we can control this shit from going down the path of Italy and other European countries.
It just dawned on me that at times like these having really bad BO could be advantageous. People aren't gonna want to come anywhere near you. I might go outside and roll in some dog-shit or something. I'll report back.
The question in the headline of this story is wrong.
To be an ignorant, self-indulgent prick, or not to be an ignorant, self-indulgent prick. That is the question.
Typical Noosa selfish attitude
Spuddups 7:21am...
How do you reckon his day has been?
9:21 in NZ.
lol yes, but did the day work out well?
It was a good day. Went mountain biking with my son then had a good surf at the local. Gotta count your blessings these days aye. How’d your day go?
Pretty good, just indoors building stuff, or outdoors building garden stuff. An early surf would have been the best option, but we're trying to avoid the weekend people. We will see Monday. I've been looking for left brain type locations with a view to no-one else out, rather than a few else out. Some nice waves in the week before.
C'mon Phil, you aren't a child who needs instruction from a parent are you? FFS take some responsibility, use initiative and common sense, and figure out what self isolation means for your life circumstances specifically. I also recently had to cut an OS trip short, 3 flights, fuck all sleep and 24hrs later arrived at Cape Town. The day before I arranged for my partner to fill up and drop my car off at Cape Town airport, left the keys in the door. When I arrived we said hi to each other from a distance (haven't seen each other in months), had a conversation for 5mins 2m apart until her friend arrived to pick her up, then I drove 8hrs to my home up the coast. Stopping only once to get fuel - keeping my distance from others. Normally I'd stay with her and we'd drive up to my place together after a week or 2. These are not normal times.
Even though I was scanned for fever upon arrival twice and grilled, the authorities let me in and did not give any instruction to quarantine or guidelines on how to self quarantine. I had to think, plan, organise and execute it with my partner's help. I'm sure most people are capable of this, many will not go to the trouble.
A week in and I feel fine but still not worth taking chances until the 14 day period has come. I have had a couple solo kite sessions and 1 surf by myself in the meantime - Busy lineups are a no go for me for now. Luckily there is a Jbay forcast looming at the end of my 2 week stint so I can hopefully get amongst it conscience free.
If we all followed Mishad's lead here we'd be doing damn fine!!!
Well done Mishad. You have done really well.
Surfers being arrested in Peru https://twitter.com/mitrataj/status/1240759514867150853
Well done Mishad.
We all know Baby Boomers are the most Narcissistic Generation that has ever walked the planet they make the mobile phone staring generation look good, so i am unsure why anyone is surprised by phil jarrets rant he is speaking for his generation, they were all out in force today in the local cafe breakfasting.
More importantly why are wavepools not modeled on the above photo
Statler as a baby boomer Phil sure as fuck dosent speak for me , day 7 of my isolation , i havent even checked the surf , let alone disappeared to any number of mostly deserted spots i could go to , hardly see my missus and then from a distance, let alone kids or mates since i got back from Nias . I am trying hard to do the right thing by my family and community, sadly i think all the beaches will be all shut down soon because most of the idiots , dont realise how serious this has become , we will all lose our privileges we have taken for granted to move freely anywere around our coastline and now our states .
It really is ok to be ignorant about what Covid 19 means for the lives of people around the world or even in your surf community or even for your pea brained self Phil Jarrat, but it's definitely not ok to write shit like this if that's the case. FFS wake up.
Make it right and make it clear - this type of journalism is not ok Swellnet. Where the hell are the editors?
Buzz1, did you get your results? Hopefully all clear mate.
All clear thanks mate. But my wife developed symptoms on the weekend and had to get tested. So I’m staying in isolation until she gets the all clear now.
I’m just making up these figures, but it’s tough to close beaches on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. If tourism is 3% of the Sydney economy, it is probably closer to 30% of the Goldie and Sunny Coast’s economies.
How do piles of dead people in your local hospital sound ?
Read this and share it;
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-...
Just remember the cases we don't know about are where new cases are going to come from.....
It's interesting to note that while the haters and the name callers have been working themselves into a tsunami of self-righteous, foam-flecked anger about an article that merely posed the question, a couple of people in the thread have quietly fessed up to surfing while in isolation and been applauded for it. Perhaps it was subtle irony, but I don't see a lot of that in these parts.
I packed the boards away yesterday. Locked the shed. Common sense would say, stay home, work from home, just leave for provisions. Look after your family and friends where you can. My son went to school today, he will go until Wednesday for his last exam then be home schooling till 2021 (hopefully). After 46 years in the water, from a Coolite at 8 years old to this Saturday morning, I’m actually ok with the change. I’ve caught thousands of decent waves, had a ton of adventures and solid memories to mind surf in isolation.
I feel for some of us a bit of time to reflect on what has been lost may help us change from shallow world of greed, more, more, more and into a society that is less what-about-me-ism and more about real mate-ship.
If you mean Mishad's post, the praise is for the thought and process he created to get home - thinking of others first and trying to put isolation as much as possible into his whole travels from the airport home. Unlike so many stories we are seeing just off the plane or the cruise ship.
Phil Jarratt 23rd March:
"a tsunami of self-righteous, foam-flecked anger about an article that merely posed the question"
Phil Jarratt 19th March:
"On the evidence, I don’t think there is a legitimate reason that I could not “surf responsibly”, observing social distancing.
But will I? Will you?"
+++
So you pose the question, and people give answers that explain why there are serious legitimate reasons why you shouldn't do it, and then you whinge about it.
How about you take a look at yourself and grow up a bit mate?
Phil.
I don’t believe your article “merely posed the question”. It was firmly weighted towards the suggestion that you would consider leaving self-isolation because you believed you could manage the risk. You even quote a medical specialist to imply that the benefits of sneaking out for a surf may outweigh the risks. Misleading writing mate.
Directives recommended by our medical experts are just that, a directive, because human nature dictates that people will decide, “I can manage that risk without complying” or “this bullshit directive only applies to other people. I know better”. Sorry to break it to you but these beliefs are simply wrong. It is unfortunate, though, that you may be influencing others to accept these same skewed rationales.
You are feeling besieged at the moment due to passionate, but rational and well informed, public reaction to your piece. Sorry to be brutal but irresponsible journalism deserves just that.
What the hell, if you don’t mind taking your tablet to your “secluded surf spot,” maybe after a responsible surf you could google some information from government sites that fully explains the need for current isolation measures. Maybe provide some techniques on how to make it a more positive experience even. There may not be a Walkley in it for you for but give it a go for Australians (hope you didn’t misinterpret the subtle irony)....Stay safe Phil
As i sit here alone, contemplating what the surf might be like (conditions look good out the window) I can't help but feel sad that even though i'm exhibiting no outward symptoms, my infectious personality and contagious laughter are going to waste.
Ohmygawd...
I know Andy, but in these strange times and with pretty much nothing else to do, one may be forced to resort to a little self-love.
Gotta keep a stiff upper lip Zen - or a stiff something.
Probably one of the best explainers I have seen so far.
Thanks Ben. That painted a great picture of just how much more infectious this is than a standard 'flu too.
You live on the Tweed right? If you want a surf at Snapper you have to self isolate for 14 days first, then when you get home another 14 days :)
Whew! Lucky I don't surf Snapper.
Have the crowds thinned at Caba with all this going on? That place is ridiculous. Give me the empty beaches South from there any day.
Never surf snapper Ben? I’m ‘almost’ never............then I surf it and swear off it for another year or two
Yes, never surf Snapper (to be specific).
But about every six months I relapse and find myself dazed and confused, somewhere in the lineup at Greenmount, promising myself not to do it again.
Yeah know what you mean.
When I say Snapper, I’m implying snapper-Kirra. Don’t know how people do it regularly and enjoy it.
My nearest break has sharks and salmon schools cruising up and down all day.
Simple choice here.
Beaches on this island are officially closed but today was a beautiful sunny day for a bodysurf with hardly a soul around.
The only danger I posed was to myself.
Ain't all bad news.
Last week when we had a little swell on and many were "working" from home, the car parks at the beach were full. I didn't know we had waterproof laptops available to us.
I'd say we've now reached the stage where surf trips are now well and truly socially irresponsible. I live about 1 hour and 20 mins from a capital city, and anyone coming down for a surf won't be looked on favourably. (more so than normal!!!)
4 weeks of SI ...day off..
Fuck it. Gotta get in the ocean. I'm not functioning well 'cause the housework isn't getting done. This must be mental malfunctioning going on.
To surf or not to surf ?
Well... I didn't surf. But I did find the whale carcass 40 feet from where I had spent half hour body bashing close inshore... nice gutter.
That was a rush enough for me. But looking up the coast watching 3 to 4 foot set peeling every where. Really something with the sun setting behind.
I'm good again. Great to see so few people throughout this rural area here. And only 3 other cars in the carpark at the beach. I am sure the 'dead whale carcass, increased shark activity' sign would not have made a real difference. Generally....
I look forward to next month. Further up the coast.