How Has The World Changed Since Covid?

[Guest]

Much of what's been mentioned above is the progression and fruition of changes that had been set in motion pre-covid: increased online transactions and consequent erosion of traditional ways of doing business, for example.  Dealing with banks and other bodies beyond simple everyday interactions is now a soul-sucking experience, but one that had been heading that way for a long time.

 

I think detrimental societal changes kicked off in 2015-16, with the beginning of fundamental changes in politics and political discourse here and in the US. 

[El Cid]

39 minutes ago, Hecate said:

Much of what's been mentioned above is the progression and fruition of changes that had been set in motion pre-covid: increased online transactions and consequent erosion of traditional ways of doing business, for example.  Dealing with banks and other bodies beyond simple everyday interactions is now a soul-sucking experience, but one that had been heading that way for a long time.

 

I think detrimental societal changes kicked off in 2015-16, with the beginning of fundamental changes in politics and political discourse here and in the US. 

It would be good if Government encouraged better society, does it do enough to encourage people out of their cars, so they get more exercise?

[rogets]

Its much easier and less taboo to report your neighbour than it was before 2020

 

Used to be frowned upon in the old days

[pfifes]

9 hours ago, hauxwell said:

Pubs and cafes in town centres have lost trade because a lot of office staff are still continuing to work from home, they no longer pop out for lunch.

 

 

I think that’s got more to do with the town being ever more full of beggars, drunks, drug users wandering around like zombies, being aggressive, fighting with each other and using the streets as a toilet.  Oh, and add in the constant construction work causing obstructions and mess.   Would you want to ‘pop out for lunch’ in that regularly?   Lots of people do still work in offices but very many take their own lunch to work to avoid all that and to save money due to ever increasing cost of living.  

[pfifes]

6 hours ago, Anna B said:

People seem terribly weary since covid. There doesn't seem to be much enthusiasm for anything, and certainly not much optimism about. When are we going to get our mojo back?

Being paid in line with inflation would help.

 

And a more financially equal society.  I sometimes feel we are heading back towards Victorian times.  The return of workhouses will be next.

[Anna B]

53 minutes ago, pfifes said:

Being paid in line with inflation would help.

 

And a more financially equal society.  I sometimes feel we are heading back towards Victorian times.  The return of workhouses will be next.

I agree. I feel we're heading towards being a third world country... The disparity between rich and poor has never been greater, and poverty is creeping up the social scale.

 

[hauxwell]

1 hour ago, pfifes said:

I think that’s got more to do with the town being ever more full of beggars, drunks, drug users wandering around like zombies, being aggressive, fighting with each other and using the streets as a toilet.  Oh, and add in the constant construction work causing obstructions and mess.   Would you want to ‘pop out for lunch’ in that regularly?   Lots of people do still work in offices but very many take their own lunch to work to avoid all that and to save money due to ever increasing cost of living.  

There was a recent report saying that in Newcastle where I live that office staff who continue to work from home has had an impact on the hospitality trade also rising food prices.  

There’s beggars in Newcastle as  there is in all city centres but at lunch time there’s security patrolling the main city centre areas also it’s not uncommon to see plain clothes police pin someone up to a wall, handcuff them and take them away in the centre of Newcastle, it’s not the best of places for drug dealers to sell drugs at lunch time. Having said that I don’t think there is many places in Newcastle centre  where office staff can sit and eat there lunch when the weather is nice, it’s not the greenest of cities, I feel boxed in.  We do have the lovely Quayside tho.

[pfifes]

46 minutes ago, hauxwell said:

There was a recent report saying that in Newcastle where I live that office staff who continue to work from home has had an impact on the hospitality trade also rising food prices.  

There’s beggars in Newcastle as  there is in all city centres but at lunch time there’s security patrolling the main city centre areas also it’s not uncommon to see plain clothes police pin someone up to a wall, handcuff them and take them away in the centre of Newcastle, it’s not the best of places for drug dealers to sell drugs at lunch time. Having said that I don’t think there is many places in Newcastle centre  where office staff can sit and eat there lunch when the weather is nice, it’s not the greenest of cities, I feel boxed in.  We do have the lovely Quayside tho.

Fat cats with investment in  commercial property don’t like WFH for obvious reasons and tend to be the ones lobbying against it using the poor little people running city centre sandwich shops as a reason to force everyone back to daily commute and clogging up the streets with pollution!

 

Sheffield city centre has been a dump for a long time but post Covid it’s rapidly got much worse and is frankly a horrible place to go out for lunch.  Believe me there are still plenty of office workers in town, they just tend to avoid going out to get lunch far more than before.

 

Oh, and in Sheffield there are no extra security patrols at lunch.  In fact the beggars appear to deliberately target lunchtime and the morning and evening commute to harass workers for money.

Edited January 18 by pfifes

[hauxwell]

2 minutes ago, pfifes said:

Fat cats with investment in  commercial property don’t like WFH for obvious reasons and tend to be the ones lobbying against it using the poor little people running city centre sandwich shops as a reason to force everyone back to daily commute and clogging up the streets with pollution!

 

Sheffield city centre has been a dump for a long time but post Covid it’s rapidly got much worse and is frankly a horrible place to go out for lunch.  Believe me there are still plenty of office workers in town, they just tend to avoid going out to get lunch far more than before.

I agree that some cities are worse than others when it comes to beggars. I was told Glasgow is far worse than Sheffield and Newcastle. We can only hope that government and local councils start to address the problem in the future, although I have my doubts.

[pfifes]

1 hour ago, Anna B said:

I agree. I feel we're heading towards being a third world country... The disparity between rich and poor has never been greater, and poverty is creeping up the social scale.

 

I think we may be starting to turn a corner with attitudes to wealth disparity.  I hope so anyway.

 

I blame Thatcher.