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People felt the pains of covid differently. For some, it was the isolation and for others it was the services they were used to getting. Here is a list of things people said that covid ruined forever.
1. Dollar Menus
Prices have had to increase at many popular fast food joints and people are feeling the pain when paying at their go-to places.
“I’ve stopped going to McDonald’s because at that price, I might as well go to a fast casual restaurant.”
Costco food court combo pizza.
“Costco take and bake pizzas.”
2. McDonald’s All Day Breakfast
“Yes!!! I remember the disappointment well. It was summer 2020, and I had just had one of my first cautious outings with a friend. My food absolutely sucked, so I didn’t eat it. On my hour drive home, I was fantasizing like nobody’s business about getting a bacon egg and cheese biscuit. Then pulled up to the window and…such disappointment has never befallen me, lol.”
3. My Dating Life
With all establishments locked up and nowhere to go, many people had a hard time dating. Some people feel like socializing has changed altogether and dating has become more difficult.
“but the thing is, do you understand the difference between having a healthy dating life and then going to zero, and never having dated at all?”
4. Cinemas
With so many streaming services available while people were homebound, many are starting to see that movies are not worth the high costs anymore. Also having to sit with a crowd, many of who disturb the experience with talking and using their cell phones.
“If anything, the END of Covid ruined movies. I have a decent home theater setup, I love movies, but I don’t like paying to go to the movies, never did. It’s ridiculous to pay upwards of $60 for 2 people (with popcorn) to see a movie the moment it comes out. Sorry, but it blows my mind.”
“Cinema was already ruined by cell phones.”
“The movies, not completely but it isn’t really necessary to go there anymore. The idea of going to the movies is alluring for nostalgic reasons.”
5. Spontaneity
If outing aren’t pre-planned and booked in advanced, you might be stuck staying at home.
“Everything seems to need to be pre-booked now. Really ruins surprise days off.”
6. 24 Hour Walmart
Losing access to 24-hour businesses really affected shift workers and night owls.
“This hurt me the most. I used to work 12-16 hr nightshift, so I slept during the day. On my days off, I would do my grocery shopping during the hours I’d normally be awake and working. Once that changed, I’d have to rip myself from bed, try to not crash my car going to Walmart for groceries and again going home. All the while, every annoying old person stopping in the most trafficked area to have pow wow family reunions and I’d be trapped waiting as my patience was highly diminished.”
7. Buffet-style Restaurants
Some people desperately miss buffets and others say their eyes have opened to the germs and ability to spread them.
“Sweet Tomatoes closed all together. Their official closing statement even mentioned they saw no way to reopen as a buffet and meet Covid protocol so it would close the whole chain.”
“The classic Las Vegas buffet. For decades, the AYCE buffet was a staple of the overindulgence and opulence of a stay at a Las Vegas strip hotel. Now, there are very few left and the thought of perusing food that so many others may have touched / breathed on has limited interest.”
8. School Cancellations
Many people were upset that snow days are no longer a day to just relax. Now kids and online working instead of enjoying the time outside.
“Before COVID, teachers posted all of their assignments on one website for students to get done sometime throughout the day. Since COVID we have to do zoom for each class, not for too long for each class, but doing zoom sucks because you have to wait around for your next class. Before you could just get all your assignments done in an hour if you could and go outside afterwards.”
“And sometimes you just needed that snow day, almost like a mental health day.”
9. Small Family Owned Businesses
Many small family owned businesses had to shut down permanently. They weren’t able to recover from the forced closures and loss of money.
“We had to close after just 7 months in business. Before COVID-19 we were growing exponentially but when the lock downs came we went from crowds of customers to no customers. A business cannot exist without customers. We lost our life savings we had put into the business.”
“In my city a ton of awesome smaller bars didn’t survive the pandemic and it makes our downtown seem like a shell of what it used to be.”
10. Employee Morale
This was true in many industries, but especially highlighted with healthcare workers.
“My partner is an RT (respiratory therapist, AKA front line), and I would say the morale of pretty much all of healthcare workers. The burnout is so real, and it’s gotten monstrously worse since covid.”
11. Coughing in Public
Many people are paranoid to cough or sneeze in public now as people may suspect that they have covid.
“Just as covid was beginning (Feb 2020), I was waiting in Melbourne airport at like 5 in the morning for a flight up to Darwin for work.
I sneezed.
All of a sudden a small family, sitting at the same gate a few rows from me, get up and go wait at a completely different gate because they “don’t want the germs”.
12. Camera-free Conference Calls
“Gone are the days where you can just have a conference call at work without needing to have your camera turned on – and now if you don’t have video turned on, everyone questions why. I don’t always need to be on camera! The Zoom burnout is real.”
“God yes. I used to pace on calls and get like 15k+ steps a day. Now I’m stuck in a chair with my camera on like a damn hostage.”
13. Going on a Cruise
Many people used to love taking cruises to relax and see parts of the world. Some people’s perceptions about cruises have completely changed now and they would rather avoid them:
“Hundreds or thousands of people on a multiple day excursion, in an enclosed space will probably get sick. Any indoor activities will likely put you physically close to strangers, or you’ll at least be sharing the same enclosed air with everyone around you. A person is usually clean, but large numbers of people are usually unhygienic. Think of a stereotypical public park bathroom. Some of the same people who cause that would likely be in the conga line with you.”
14. Compassion and Neighborliness
With people being used to remaining isolated, some people feel like the sense of community in the world has been lost.
“I feel like Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Oscars was a clear example of how the Pandemic had just straight up depleted everyone’s compassion reserves. It just seemed like a clear indicator to me how much we, as a society were burnt out and on edge.”
“It should have gone the other way. When we were in the early stages of “we‘re all in this together”, I had some hope. Unfortunately it has gone in the complete opposite direction.”
15. Shared Uber Rides
Sharing a ride with strangers isn’t worth the cost savings anymore for many people.
16. Reason to Go into the Office
Many now see going into the office as a waste of time. Workers across the globe are permanently ditching the commute and opting for jobs that allow them to continue to work from home.
“I’m a low-level manager at Fortune 500.
I’ve got an insane amount of empty time now. I waste like 3 hours per day in meetings, and then like 2 hours on just kind of noodling on things. And literally nothing else to do during the day. No meetings? No deliverables on the near horizon? Then I have nothing to do.”
17. Sick Days
“Now the expectation is that I can stay home but still call into all meetings.”
“I absolutely HATE this. I’ve been asked to come back to the office 5 days a week but when I’m sick I have to login from home.”
18. Blowing Candles Out on a Cake
“That was always kind of gross. We are just more aware now.”
19. Tolerance for Stupid People
With social media at our fingertips, many make comments without thinking much about what they are saying or taking the time to articulate their thoughts properly,
“With the emergence of the internet and text messaging not only realizing that people have some really stupid thoughts that previously were kept to themselves and the epiphany that so many people cannot spell. (rechecking post for spelling errors)”
20. The Gym Steam Room and Sauna
Going to the gym in general is difficult with all the heavy breathing and sweating. But going into the steam room and sauna is even less popular now.
21. Airbnb Cleaning Fees
Places like Airbnb took the opportunity to increase cleaning fees and keep them there since covid.
“And it is still dirty from the previous people.”
22. Tipping
“Tipping is RAMPANT now. 20% at least. I remember when 15% was standard. Culturally in the US, even if the service is bad, I’m STILL supposed to tip well.
“Tipping now when I grab a coffee? Or grab takeout? Way more common to ask now. It’s ridiculous.”
“Restaurants are easily 40-50% more expensive now, and practically require a 20% tip on top of that. It’s so ungodly expensive to eat out I never do it anymore.”
23. Comfy Armchairs at Bookstores
Many people enjoyed going through bookstores and sitting down in a comfy chair with a few books. Some stores removed that chairs completely.
24. Free Peanuts and Snacks at Bars
Many bars couldn’t maintain the costs of giving customers free snacks after being shut down for so long and losing money.
25. Grocery Shopping
“I used to love grocery shopping. I’d go a few times per week and buy what I needed for my next meal and I’d do it happily. Now it’s a huge chore to go once per week. I hate it now. I used to love it. I want to love the grocery store again. I think waiting in line ruined it for me. I haven’t had to wait in line for a long time, but it’s still ruined.”
I actually enjoyed it before, to a degree, but paying someone else to do it for you is just so much more convenient and saves a ton of time.”
26. Trust in Extroverts
“They were going out partying when literally lives were hanging in the balance. They showed me in no uncertain terms that they not only would rather die than not socialize for a bit, but they also would rather bring an illness home to their ‘loved one’s’ than stay home.”
27. Restaurant Printed Menus
“Now it’s a ton of QR codes. Which I hate, it means having to sit at dinner with loved ones with your phone our all scrolling.”
28. Free Access to Dipping Sauces at
Many restaurants used to leave condiments and utensils open for the public to take. Places like Chick-Fil-A have removed access to their dipping sauces and placed them behind the counter.
“Now they are behind the counter and you have to tell them how many you would like.”
29. Shaking Hands
Some people are actually happy that this practice of greeting new people by shaking hands has ended since covid.
“And I’m happy about it, never going back.”
30. Wearing Jeans
Sweatpants and yoga pants are the new uniforms for many. Too many people are accustomed to the flexibility of lounge wear and can’t go back to the days of wearing restrictive clothing like jeans.
31. Bowling
“My friend refuses to go bowling now because other people touched the balls and she thinks it’s dirty now.”
“Don’t forget a pair of Shoes. Not sure if a spritz of Lysol is enough on those rentals.”
“Sticking your hands into the finger holes of a ball that countless other people have stuck their fingers into and that has never been washed at a place that seems to serve foods that you use exclusively your hands to eat.”
32. Public Transportation
Many people feel like they are too close for comfort with people on public transportation now.
“Public transportation, I can’t touch anything in a subway/Bus/Train/Aeroplane without getting my OCD triggered.”
33. The Supply Chain
“Ever since, this has been every manufacturer go to excuse to sell their product at a higher price.”
33. Hot Yoga
“The heavy deep breathing in a small room at high temps… I just can’t do it anymore.”
34. Potlucks
“I’d only eat food prepared by someone I trust enough to let them lick my eyeballs, and there’s no one who meets that bar.”
35. Free Food Samples
Costco used to be the place to go for the best food samples. Some have resumed providing them but it isn’t at the scale it once was.
36. Bobbing for Apples
This practice really should have been banned, covid or no covid.
37. The Phrase “Avoid it Like the Plague”
It’s still true but nobody wants to hear it!
This article was produced by This Mom is On Fire.
Comments were curated from Reddit