Some people have a really odd perception of what two metres looks like. I know being an engineer gives me a little bit of an advantage but everyone knows what two metres looks like don’t they? No? How far is it? Well it’s two metres isn’t it! Like a metre but twice as far. Of if you prefer, and for the record I don’t, 200cm. Still not sure? Well let’s just say is a little bit over six foot.
And I guess that’s the problem. Although metres are the SI base unit for distance, it can be quite hard to visualise exactly what that looks like on the ground. It shouldn’t be, but I suspect that decades of pampering by the media has made it this way. Anyone who has read the media for any length of time will know that everything has to be converted into media standard units. So distance becomes multiples of football pitches and height is either related to double decker buses, Nelson’s Column or Grey’s Monument adjusting for regional preferences. Time, incidentally, has the SI base unit of seconds - and just a few of those is typically how long I can stomach reading the news before wanting to scream.
So people are being asked to keep at least two metres apart when shopping for food, except for the owner of our local corner shop. He has decided to break from this requirement and is asking his customers to keep two meters apart. Whatever that is. Sorry I’m being pedantic. But it’s clearly a problem as nobody seems to be able to grasp what that looks like. Well it’s just a bit longer than one Arnold Swarzeneger - assuming of course that he was lying down.
The problem isn’t confined to shopping either. It’s just as problematic in open spaces such as parks. You would think that having plenty of space would make it even easier to give everyone the space required. Why not err on the side of caution and double the amount of space you think it should be?
Runners are particularly bad at this, or at least they appear to be at the moment. I would’ve though that they would’ve been more tuned into distances - we do after all obsess about time and distance and unless you are based in the UK or the US everything running related is measured in metres.
But alas no. Just the other day I was running around Auckland Domain and on my umpteenth lap of the 1.5km circuit when I passed another running doing the same thing but in the opposite direction. Being very wary of keeping my distance - nobody wants to get too close to a sweaty runner - I kept well inside my half of the road whilst the other runner was running right next to the kerb on the opposite side. Plenty of space.
“TWO METRES!,” the other runner shouted angrily, gesturing at the ground.
I was a bit shocked I must say. Not only was the outburst pretty unusual, but I was well away from the other runner and had definitely left more than a two metre gap. How do I know? You had to ask an engineer. Well, I know that the road on which we were running was at least 6m wide, so each half of the road is 3m wide. For the sake of argument, let’s say I was in the middle of my side of the road. That means that I was about 1.5m off the centre line of the road. The other runner was tucked towards the kerb on the opposite side, so approximately 3m from the centreline on their side of the road. But it’s not practical to run right next to the kerb so let’s say they were 2.5m from the kerb line. In that case, I make the distance of separation 4m and well in excess of the 2m recommended and certainly further away than they thought. I did contemplate stopping to have the debate but thought better of it. Besides, I was pushing for a decent pace so could ill afford to stop and discuss the finer points of spacial awareness. Maybe I’ll carry a tape measure next time.
Perhaps part of the problem lies with the gyms being closed and the streets being inundated with people more accustomed to the treadmill. Judging by the increase in poor footwear this seems to be the case. Ah well, at least the physios will have plenty to do one we get ourselves out of this situation.
But that’s for later. In the meantime if we can stick to giving each other the required space it would be appreciated. And at the end of the day it’s the space that’s important and it doesn’t really matter how you measure it; two metres, two hundred centimetres, six foot something, or an Arnie and a bit.
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