Early on in the pandemic, cashiers at pharmacies, grocery stores and other retail outlets began doing their business behind transparent Plexiglas shields.
Starting on Thursday, Sept. 3, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners jumped on that bandwagon.
For more than a century, the Guilford County commissioners have set next to each other with no barriers dividing them – but, of course, the worldwide coronavirus has changed that.
At the meeting, a commissioner who looked to his or her side to see a commissioner talking could see them – since the shields were transparent – but not much sound passes through the plastic, so the commissioners had trouble understanding each other during the meeting.
The scenes brought up memories of a “Get Smart” routine in which Smart and the chief would go under the Cone of Silence to discuss a matter no one else should hear – only to discover that they couldn’t understand anything that each other said inside the cone.
At the commissioners meeting, it wasn’t quite that bad, however, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Jeff Phillips did stop the meeting at one point and address the issue. He noted that he couldn’t hear what several commissioners were saying due to the new setup. He told commissioners to be certain to keep their mouths near their microphones when they spoke.
The Board of Commissioners meeting room is only one place on county grounds where the barriers are being used. County clients can expect to see more and more of the barriers popping up in places used heavily by the public.
Guilford County Facilities Director Dan Durham said the transparent barriers had recently also been installed at the county’s courthouse on the same plaza as the Old Guilford County Court House where the commissioners meet.
One reason for stepped up measures is that recently a county official who works with the Board of Commissioners tested positive for COVID-19.
You either laugh or cry.
I’ve noticed having a lot of trouble understanding what people are saying because of mask-wearing. (This is beside the fact that most young people mumble, talk too fast, and use strange slang or shortened words that us old people just don’t get, ya dig?)
I’ve realized that I rely quite a bit on lip-reading to understand speech when I’m not sure what’s been said, so when someone has a mask on I’m at a big disadvantage and begin saying, “Excuse me?” a lot. It makes me feel bunches older than I really am.
I’ll be glad when the election’s over.
You might think the election will be over in November (I think everyone would be thrilled), but I betcha the losers will start campaining (whining), after the voting results are all in (whenever that might be).
Even worse, the ugliness will continue, and get even worse. Thank you Leftists, the Media, Academia, etc. for inserting all the lies and ugliness into our lives.
If the plexiglass blocks bull as well as viruses, this could help make for better meetings.