Unlocking Lockdown Exit Etiquette

When Boris announced the roadmap to Lockdown easing from April I literally booked a restaurant / pub / social gathering for every Saturday from April 17 (apart from last weekend as I was revising for a wine exam…)

And, now we’re all emerging there’s some new etiquette and new conversation.

When you meet people in person for the first time:

First question: Are you hugging? Yes? Amazing!!!! No. Oh. Will sit with my hands under me.

Second (and subsequent 2a/2b) questions: Have you had your vaccine? What did you have? I had AZ. Oh I had Pfizer (always with a knowing nod that they think they got the better one). Unless you live where my parents live and got the Chinese one (Dad said he had no after effects just that he was craving a take out – yes, terrible Dad joke but I kinda liked it.)

Third: How has lockdown treated you? Answer – why are you asking me? We’ve been on Zoom about 20 times and saw you in the minuscule month we were allowed out in 2020. Fair point.

Fourth: How are you feeling about going out? Answer – well we are out.

Exactly. We’re asking some daft questions. But they appear to be quite common.

A couple of weekends ago I met a lot of my family for the first time in 18 months. I was expecting joyful tears, those daft questions but actually no, it was just ‘normal.’ We seemed to just slip in to how we were before the pandemic, p*** taking, general chat it was so lovely.

And it made me wonder, what new things I want to stay and what I want to go back to:

What I want to stay (in no particular order)

• Nobody sitting next to me on public transport.
• People not unpacking straight after me in the supermarket
• Keeping away whilst I’m browsing in the garden centre (how middle aged!)
• London without tourists
• Easy booking and quick taxi rides throughout London
• Not having to make up an excuse for not wanting to go out!

What I want back (in no particular order)

• Going to a pub without booking, getting a drink and standing outside
• Having someone / some people come up and say ‘can I sit here?’ and striking up a conversation
• No two hour time limits at tables
• London with tourists
• Going up to people in garden centres to get what I want so I don’t have to wait for them
• Having no excuse to not go out
• Holidays
• Full capacity at gigs and festivals and nightclubs opening.
• To see my parents.
• To see my best friend (she’s in Oz and can’t get back over).
• No face masks – I wear them but I hate them

That’s it. Not too much to ask. Anyone else?