What if you need to see your family, or help out a friend? Or vice versa? Or go pick up medication? This comment strikes me as pretty insensitive.
I live in SF and don't own a car. It's never been more tempting for me to get one. I live alone, far from family, and now seemingly can't see my friends or significant other. It's already getting incredibly lonely. A car would enable me to at least go straight to my gf's place without being in contact with anyone, or to the pharmacy for meds without taking public transit.
Well, I didn't mean to. In fact, I'm advocating for the community at large. An individualistic "solution" ("if only I had a car, I would be able to [...]") is not the best solution for the problem at large. Everyone fending for themselves, driving their cars, is obviously not the answer, and in fact it might make things worse.
That you, and many others, are feeling pretty lonely and isolated is part of the reality of this outbreak. It's obviously going to be very hard for a lot of people. Many people's livelihoods are at stake here, regardless of the seriousness of COVID-19. Unfortunately this is going to have some big consequences regardless of individually owned cars.
update: it seems the city of SF has an advisory, and is mandating (among other things) against taking "unnecessary" trips in public transportation, car or motorbike: https://sf.gov/stay-home-except-essential-needs
Some excerpts:
"You cannot have dinner parties. You cannot invite friends over to your home to hang out.
[..]
You cannot take unnecessary trips on public transport or in your car or motorbike."
"Can I leave home to visit friends or family members if there is no urgent need?
No. For your safety as well as their safety, we need to help each other fight the spread of COVID-19 by staying at home."
I live in SF and don't own a car. It's never been more tempting for me to get one. I live alone, far from family, and now seemingly can't see my friends or significant other. It's already getting incredibly lonely. A car would enable me to at least go straight to my gf's place without being in contact with anyone, or to the pharmacy for meds without taking public transit.