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

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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.

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