100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Ashley Robinson: how the pandemic sent people's behaviour down the toilet

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Local NGO marks 25,000 rescues in 25 years

A global child anti-trafficking charity founded on the Sunshine Coast has marked a major milestone. Destiny Rescue is a Christian non-governmental organisation (NGO), which partners More

Local defends title in marathon festival’s biggest edition

A hometown runner is relishing back-to-back victories at an increasingly popular marathon festival. Alex Harvey defended his title at the Runaway Noosa Marathon festival's feature More

Residents urge for calm after ‘rare’ youth disturbances

Recent youth disturbances in Mudjimba have prompted community leaders to call for calm and perspective, with residents saying the incidents are unusual for the More

Renewal works well underway at beachside landmark

A major upgrade is being made to a popular and rare seaside swimming pool on the Sunshine Coast. Sunshine Coast Council is renewing the surface More

Dessert truck grows into two Coast stores

A small Brisbane dessert truck has expanded to the Sunshine Coast, opening two new stores in the region. Tropicool Treats has launched its latest store More

New tech set to transform cancer treatment on Coast

Cancer treatment on the Sunshine Coast is set to take a major step forward with the arrival of a cutting-edge machine. Wishlist and the Sunshine More

I wrote a column about shortages, labour, attitude, food and general supply-chain problems post-COVID.

But unfortunately, a couple of people interpreted it as me having a crack at COVID rules and disregarding people’s safety … which is nothing like what I was trying to say.

Now that they have brought it up, I will make a few comments on restrictions.

It was a pandemic that we have never encountered before and the people making the rules most times did the best they could.

But I have some feedback if we have to do this again. I pray we don’t.

If you are going to make people exempt from wearing a mask, legislate that they have to be issued with an official card saying they are exempt (without having to say why).

It would make life a lot easier for hospitality staff and it would certainly keep some from having to defend themselves at ‘human rights hearings’.

Then those folk who felt violated by being asked if they had any documentation at entry to a venue could certainly come up with it at the hearing.

There has been an element of selfishness that has emerged post-COVID. Picture: Shutterstock.

Just thought I would clear that up before I make another example of changed human behaviour post-COVID.

Take that story the other week at a 5-star Brisbane hotel where guests were getting up at 5am over the holiday period and putting personal belongings on pool lounges so they didn’t miss out later on in the day when they wanted to sunbake by the pool.

If you don’t believe me, go to any local park near the beach on the weekend and see poor old dad sitting at a park pavilion at 5.30am, getting dibs so they can have a birthday party for little Johnny or Milly there many hours later.

Have you noticed these days it is far more common when you let a car into a line of traffic that they don’t give you a thank-you wave for being courteous?

They seem to believe, post-COVID, it’s their rite of passage. Every human for themselves.

I am sure I know what started this and should have mentioned it last week, saving all the confusion. Toilet paper.

It seems we all changed during COVID when we binged on dunny rolls.

While we are hopefully recovering from the pandemic, we may never recover from the selfishness of hoarding toilet tissue.

Ashley Robinson is a columnist with Sunshine Coast News and My Weekly Preview. His views are his own.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
This field is hidden when viewing the form
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share