How to Respond (Kindly) to People Who Don't Social Distance

It's scary out there. Not only are we stressed by the heartbreaking events we witness in the news every day, but many of us are uneasy about stepping out into a world that has changed drastically over the past few months of practicing social distancing.

There's no simple solution, but empathy and compassion will take us far as we navigate the stormy seas of re-entry.

Chances are, the people you encounter when you venture into public spaces range from those who fear that the novel coronavirus is lurking everywhere to those who believe it's no big deal. (Spoiler alert: It's a big deal.) As lockdown restrictions begin to ease around the world, but social distancing and hygiene protocols are still very much in place, how should behave as you venture out into public places?

There's no simple solution, but empathy and compassion will take us far as we navigate the stormy seas of re-entry.

A saga of checkout lines and coughing kids

Last week, I ventured into the grocery store to gather the necessary items to survive another week of social distancing. At the door, an attendant—clad in disposable gloves and a face mask—passed me a freshly sanitized shopping cart. A sign at the door explained that aisles were one-way and that everyone was required to keep a minimum distance of six feet between themselves and other customers.

This is how shopping looks in the wake of COVID-19. I accepted it, and I felt appreciative of the store's efforts to keep me and other shoppers safe. A spirit of camaraderie swelled inside me. "We're in this together," I thought. "We're going to make it."

But as I progressed through the store, I realized that not everyone was wearing a face mask. (They're recommended here in my state, but not explicitly required.) Some people weren't following the one-way store traffic patterns, either.

As I shopped, that warm feeling of fellowship dissolved. I no longer felt we were in this together because some of us didn't seem to be playing by the rules.

But as I shopped, that warm feeling of fellowship dissolved. I no longer felt we were in this together because some of us didn't seem to be playing by the rules. By the time I got in line at the check stand (where six-foot social distancing lines marked the floor and plexiglass shields stood between shoppers and checkout clerks), I was stressed and wary.

That's when a mom and her three young children got in line behind me. The kids weren't wearing face masks, and they were milling around touching the impulse items in the checkout line. One child, who was about four years old,...

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