Love Thy Neighbor? It's Not Always Easy In A Coronavirus Pandemic

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — There's a new kind of complaint popping up in the coronavirus pandemic on SeeClickFix, the online platform several Massachusetts towns typically use to field reports of potholes and missed trash collections.

"Neighbors outside not social distancing for the stay at home order," a Swampscott resident reported Saturday on SeeClickFix. As of Monday afternoon, the issue was still listed as "open."

Love thy neighbor? Not if they're not social distancing. As more people heed orders and advisories to stay at home, those who continue to let their kids play with other kids in the neighborhood or sneak in nine holes at the local public golf course have become subject to shaming on social media.

As of Sunday, there were 4,955 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Massachusetts. To date, 48 people in the state have died from the virus. Across the country, officials have been increasingly placing restrictions and urging people to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Early indications are that most people are following the new rules and that the restrictions are working as intended.

"Even if you have no concern for the community at large, think about yourself. Use a little effort to get over and not needlessly expose yourself to passers," an agitated runner wrote on a Facebook group for Danvers residents after a jog on that town's rail trail, where he noticed several couples walking together and not yielding when he passed.

The complaint mirrors those found in online groups for residents of dozens of Massachusetts communities. They include photos of latex gloves discarded in shopping carts ("Seriously, people?"); specific complaints about people who, in the poster's opinion, are not doing enough to slow the spread or coronavirus; and calls for local leaders to enact more stringent measures.

"I think that now is the time for the city to get tough with those who that are risking the rest of us by not sheltering at home," one Facebook user wrote in a closed group for Beverly residents "Contact the Mayor and let him know how you feel."

It isn't just neighbors who notice when people violate the social distancing rules. Police in Worcester, for example, were pursuing charges against a restaurant they said violated the ban on dining in.

Outside Massachusetts, a Florida pastor who held services Sunday turned himself in on two charges of unlawful assembly in violation of a public health emergency order. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said last week's arrest of a man who violated his state's order barring gatherings of 10 or more people sent a "great message" to the rest of the state's residents.

Before the coronavirus, the online groups were typically a place to ask questions of their neighbors, share news and debate local issues. But they also were a place where people would complain about someone who had cut them off in the local CVS parking lot or vent about dog owners not picking up after their pets.

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Those functions still exist on the forums, but the coronavirus dominated most of the Facebook groups reviewed by Patch. And in many, the line between helpful reminders and holier-than-thou attitudes has been obliterated.

"This message is for parents of teenagers and school-aged kids who are letting them hang out with friends still ... you are making our lives more difficult!" one frustrated Swampscott mother wrote. "The kids that ARE actually sheltering in place are seeing YOUR [kids] chilling together on social media and making our lives more difficult than they are already during this time!"

In some community groups, the new coronavirus has given new life to old debates. The state order to lift bans on shopping bags to help slow the spread of the coronavirus has been reignited in communities where the bag bans were hotly debated last year.

Meanwhile, leaf blowers, which are often ridiculed in the online forums for the noise and environmental harm they cause, are now being targeted as a potential spreader of COVID-19. A contractor who posted about openings in his schedule on several Facebook groups serving Merrimack Valley communities for springtime power washing was accused of potentially spreading the virus to neighbors. Neither accusation has been scientifically verified, as epidemiologists are still trying to understand how COVID-19 is transmitted.

In Swampscott, selectmen issued a shelter-in-place order last week, one-upping the state's shelter-in-place advisory. But not everyone in town is happy to see people using online forums to tattle on their neighbors.

"I think posts shaming and criticizing our neighbors here in Swampscott for their behavior while outside are doing more harm than good," a Swampscott resident wrote on Facebook. "This is a time to come together, to do charity work, and to tell stories of community strength and how people are adjusting to a new, safer way of socializing. I'm not going to check this group just to end up seeing another WHY AREN'T PEOPLE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY? post. I want to see joy and inspiration. I want to see people helping others, and making things happen."

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).