Confined
Posted on June 6, 2020
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2020 is turning out to be a year that is unique in so many ways because of the ongoing pandemic. While it is true that some things are opening up, possibilities are not so good for those among us who depend on public transport as our only means for getting around. After all, those with private transport have greater freedom and that is set to remain the case for the foreseeable future.
Train travel is utterly out of the question for all but essential journey so I have lost the leisure travel possibilities that I once enjoyed. Though they are running largely empty around my locality, the same thinking applies to travel by bus too and services have been heavily reduced too. Some routes have been discontinued while others operate less frequently.
If the cost of getting more mobility is the use of face coverings and cashless payments, then I am more than open to accepting those and that is a price worth paying. So far, I have got to dreaming about going to Buxton or Congleton by bus and walking back to Macclesfield from there since it would get me out of the house for a day. Getting those possibilities back would make for a significant morale boost.
Good health remains a priority though even if some may be getting complacent and others could feel frustrated. The latter is understand if you feel cut off and something of a second class citizen when you see others having greater freedom when it comes to getting around. All in all, this needs patience but those who only have buses, trams and trains for getting around need not be forgotten either and it can feel like that is how it is for now. In fact, if the pandemic makes public transport less attractive to many, it could have the effect of making it easier to allow further steps towards a restoration of added normality.