The Right Way to Pass Fellow Pedestrians, and Other Social Distancing Tips

Say you’re walking down the street to get some fresh air while you’re practicing social distance. You’re attempting to stay six feet away from those around you, as public health experts advise. You pass someone on your right. You want to give them a smile and a greeting, but you avoid eye contact for fear of some accidental spray of droplets, however asymptomatic you appear to be. Then you see as they walk by that they’ve dropped their hat. You bend to pick it up — but wait. The germs! Your normal impulses are totally thrown into disarray.

For many, the long-developed norms about how to be a good neighbor and urban citizen have been entirely upended by the rules of coronavirus. When we develop habits, the simple gestures we’re accustomed to happen without effort, and redirecting them requires a conscious recalibration. The very term “social distance” suggests that you not engage in normal interactions with other people. And yet the strains of a global pandemic demand that we give our best selves to other people if we can.