David J.
Danto
Business travel
thoughts in my own, personal opinion
eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org 
Follow Industry News: @NJDavidD
Human Nature
I’ve been ‘ranting’ about COVID for almost
two years now. I’m not happy. No matter where you stand on politics or
mandates I suspect you’re not really happy with where we are in the fight
against this disease either. The problem
we’re having right now is that in the fight between intelligent people and COVID,
complacency is winning. Even those who
take COVID seriously are dropping their guard and getting sick, and that’s
really, really sad. The fault is human
nature.
I’ve seen it as I travel. If I’m in a hotel in Las Vegas (where indoor
mask mandates are firmly in place) I still see 30% of people not wearing
masks. If I’m in a hotel on the New
Jersey shore (where the governor is running for re-election so he cowered-away
from the mask mandate he knows is needed) it is more like only 20% of people of
people still wearing masks.
I’ve seen it at business conferences. The organizers say ‘we require proof of vaccines and that everyone wear masks’ (mostly
to CYA and
to convince people it will be safe) yet when you look at social media posts
from these shows there are dozens of photos of group selfies, company booth
teams and social meals – with no one wearing their ‘required’ masks.
This is human nature. When you go to an event – fully knowing COVID
is still a significant threat – you of course intend to distance, wear masks,
sanitize your hands all the time, etc.
Then you see a colleague or friend you haven’t seen in months or years and
you of course embrace him or her. It’s
just a hug, what could happen? Then your
friends and/or colleagues ask you to join them for a drink and you do so. It’s just one drink, what could happen? Then all your friends and/or colleagues say
they are going out to dinner and want you to join them. It’s been nearly two years since you could
have an enjoyable social meal with these people, so you say yes. It’s just a meal in an indoor, public
restaurant – and it’s full of diners – so how dangerous could it be if everyone
is doing it – so you go and have a great time, because what could happen?
What happens is happening in the UK
right now. Friends and colleagues of
mine (fully vaccinated ones) attended an industry conference – the first one in
the UK in my industry in a couple of years – about three weeks ago. What happened is some of them got COVID. My heart goes out to my friends and
colleagues that are fighting through it right now. I pray they will recover completely and
without lingering issues, and I also pray they will not pass the disease to any
family members.
What happens is happening in Florida
right now. Friends and industry
colleagues of mine are attending an industry conference that ’required proof of vaccines and that
everyone wear masks.’ I took a great
deal of flak from many in my industry when I advised people not to attend. I am convinced that the officials in Florida
lie and hide the true effects of COVID there, and I am incensed that an
organization that claims to represent an industry would put so many industry
people in danger. Only about 30% of the
regular attendees committed to be there, but nonetheless they went ahead with
the event.
Now I’m seeing posts on social
media of people at this ‘masks required’
event posting selfies, group shots and pictures of enjoying group meals – all of
unmasked attendees. As I explained, this
is human nature. The peer-pressure along
with our enormous desire to be social again after almost two years of this
insanity pushes us into these unsafe circumstances. Humanity comes in the door and logic goes out
the window. (Again here, I don’t blame
the attendees for the failings of human nature, I blame the event organizers
for setting-everyone-up to fail.)
We MUST remain vigilant against
this deadly disease until it is much more under control.
· Before you
hug or embrace a colleague, ask yourself if you’d hold your unvaccinated children
or elderly parents up to take that hug – because you are doing so by bringing
everything you catch back home.
· Before you
go out for drinks or a meal at an indoor venue, ask yourself if you’d bring
your unvaccinated children or elderly parents along with you – because you are
doing so by bringing everything you catch back home.
· Before you
take your mask off (which I pray is an N95
or KN95)
to take a ‘selfie’ or group photo, ask yourself if that photo is worth putting
your unvaccinated children or elderly parents at risk – because you are. The photo is especially distressing because
you could potentially always have visible proof of when you began the process that
killed a relative.
If you truly must attend a business conference, then please, follow the cautious
guidelines I’ve detailed before. Wear
your mask 100% of the time. Screw the
photos – take masked pictures. Eat with
colleagues only at outdoor restaurants or indoor ones with high ceilings,
spaced tables, open windows or doors, and consider dragging along a UV
air purifier and battery
(and have no qualms of putting it right on the table as I do.) Or, just get take-out food and eat alone in
your hotel room. Does this bring as much
joy as embracing friends you haven’t been with in nearly two years? Of course not, but is that fleeting good
feeling from being social again worth losing your health (your choice) or
losing a relative (who never had a choice in the matter.)
Hint: No. No
it’s not.
I’d also add that you should avoid
jurisdictions that have a poor record of telling the truth about COVID. Travel to places where the local government
takes it seriously. There are many. In both New York and Los Angeles (and a
growing number of other cities) you are not even allowed into a restaurant
without proof of vaccination. Be
smart. Survive.
This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal
opinions.
All image and links provided above as reference under
prevailing fair use statutes.
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As always, feel free to write and comment, question or
disagree. Hearing from the traveling
community is always a highlight for me.
Thanks!