Cottages and COVID-19

Yesterday I drove 4 hours out to my brother's shop and then back to get my tires changed because that is where my tires are stored. The trip out there takes me through a lot of small cottage cities. And I was shocked.

This was a rare occurrence. Normally, I head that way to my brother's shop during the warmer months, over weekends. Specifically long weekends often as it can double in those cases as a chance to visit with family. Basically, I'm typically driving this way in peal cottage going season, over the weekends when people are most likely to be at the cottage. But, this time, I was driving in the middle of the week. A particularly cold week. When the Premiere is still asking cottage goers to not go to their cottages.

I have never seen such recklessness in my life.

Any hate the cottage goers are feeling, seems well enough deserved. Not only are these people descending on these small under-prepared cities in droves. They are also not bunkering down there to ride out the pandemic.

Not only have I driven these roads dozens of times, but some of these small towns were not far from my home town prior to our last move and I've been through these places on many occasions. From festivals to summers, and even in terrible weather a few times.

When you drive down these roads, even during cottage season, you would be hard pressed to be passing by on a day and time when there was a car in the driveway or even anyone occupying these houses. I would say normal cottage season level occupancy along my route is maybe 1/10 houses have a car out front. And 90% of those are a single vehicle.

This time? Probably closer to half of the properties were occupied! And, on top of that, the average number of cars I saw per house? 3. On top of all of that, I've never seen so many boats out and about.

It isn't just one or two people giving cottage owners a bad name. They'd be lucky if there were one or two giving them a good name. Given the number of cars and the number of boats I'm seeing, these towns are experience FAR higher occupancy rates than they are used to. Likely many additional friends or family tagging along. And no intent whatsoever to stay inside.

A week ago I would still have agreed that they shouldn't go to the cottages, but I would have assumed that the vast majority were at least sheltering in place and taking reasonable precautions. I have no such delusions any more.

The "I pay taxes" argument doesn't cut it. Firstly, as I said, with 3 vehicles in most driveways, it is highly unlikely that these all belong to people who share a single dwelling outside of the cottage. Which automatically means you're bringing in more people and families who pay no taxes there. 

But, the tax argument is broken to begin with. Taxes levied are based upon the levels of services the cities believe will be needed, which is based primarily upon the permanent residents. Or, put another way; your taxes don't cover this.

If you discover you have COVID-19 while you're at the cottage, what then? These small cities may have ZERO ventilators. They may have few or no ICU beds. Brag about your tax money then.

Basically, you should be sheltering in place in the region where you'd want to receive care if you or your loved ones contracted the virus. And if you have one home in a major city and one in a cottage, it ain't the cottage you should be choosing.

And, if you're going to go out of your way, for whatever reason, to isolate at a cottage or secondary home you should be undertaking a voluntary 14 day quarantine before you leave to reduce the odds that you have the virus and introduce it into a less well prepared environment. And, once there you should be self-isolating as would be expected of you back home. Clearly, if you can escape to the cottage, you have no need to be out and about aside from getting the bare necessities. You don't need to be out on your boat. You don't need to invite your family or friends up. You NEED to be keeping to yourselves, indoors. As much as humanly possible.

If you can't understand that, then at least try not to surprised or angered when people make it known you're not exactly welcome there.