State parks reopen Saturday May 2nd.:

[NJ Dave]

I just passed a local park in my area. The parking lot is completely full of cars and they are people everywhere. Naturally we're going to screw this up and the parks will soon be closed again.

[peahbeez]

Originally Posted by Merle31483

Of course our governor stated in his briefing the other day the parks will open up this Saturday but dont let a few knuckleheads as he said ruin it cause he won't hesitate to shut them down again. WTF does he think is going to happen this weekend we have been all quarantined for 50+ days this weekend is going to be beautiful people are just itching to get out especially parents with multiple children I hope ot goes well but I think its gonna be a straight shitshow for our state

I think he’s putting his trust in that people will do the right thing. Wtf is he thinking. Lol

[Rich_S]

Took my kids to Manasquan Reservoir this morning. We got there a little after 9AM. Both the main parking lot and the little parking lot on Georgia Tavern Road were closed with Gestapo stationed at the entrances. I guess they never got the governor's notice re-opening parks. Had to park on a side street and walk. There were A LOT of people walking and biking on the trails, A LOT, only maybe 10% wearing masks and no one maintaining distance.

[Jigman13]

It's going to end up in a herd immunity situation and many many more will die bc we're not patient enough as Americans to self isolate the virus into suppression while science works out treatments and a vaccination. And you CANNOT count on others to take the required precautions.

Like I said in a previous post, science--not impulse. What would 3 more weeks mean in a lifetime?

[Merle31483]

Hit up 2 different parks today fishing with my father and my sons roosevelt park in Edison and colonial park in Franklin fisherman were all socially distant from each other except the people on the bike trails and walking paths it was very overcrowded and it's not like people walking down the path can just take over the roads the cars drive on pops wanted to go to echo lake this afternoon I said not a good idea we will be going there early tomorrow morning. If they really want this to work park rangers should be stationed at the entrances to these parks to get a head count on people coming and going just like they do at any Walmart, Costco, or any other grocery store.

[BT67]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

It's going to end up in a herd immunity situation and many many more will die bc we're not patient enough as Americans to self isolate the virus into suppression while science works out treatments and a vaccination. And you CANNOT count on others to take the required precautions.

Like I said in a previous post, science--not impulse. What would 3 more weeks mean in a lifetime?

Spot on assessment. 30 more days and I think we'd got a real handle on this

[Billfish715]

Approximately 1200 people can occupy 1 acre of land if they are each spaced at 6 feet apart. How many acres are there in the smallest state park? In a park that has only 50 acres (very small by any standard) 60,000 people can stand six feet apart and occupy the entire 50 acres. 60,000 people is a huge number. How many people are we talking about who are walking, biking, jogging and otherwise occupying space in your favorite local or state park?

So, who reports to Governor Murphy about the number of non compliant people in the parks? Does he have a corps of Corona Police who count heads at every park? It sounds like there are some Corona Police reporting on social media about their impressions. We are our own worst enemies is what some have implied. Aren't we defeating our own access to the streams and lakes by complaining about others invading our space. The parks are for everyone and not just for fishermen.

One sure way to close the parks again will be for those of us who use them for fishing to start complaining about over crowding by others who also share the open spaces. Once it gets back to Gov. Murphy, he will act on impulse and not science and shut things down. Let it go. Any comments that anyone makes on social media is pointless. Murphy will do what he wants to when he wants to for whatever reason makes him think that he is protecting all of us.

Let him show us how many people have contracted the virus while they were walking in a park or fishing. He can't! Yet, he can indiscriminately close ALL of the parks without any real facts or scientific investigatory research about the number of Corona cases that were contracted or might be contracted by someone walking or fishing in a park.

Go back to the numbers. How many of you have completely isolated yourself from anything and anyone outside of your house? If Governor Murphy and others would have their collective ways, even fishermen would be quarantined. Look what he did to golfers! He shut them down. He can do the same thing to anyone or any group whenever he wants to.

Be careful how loudly you complain about others. People, like those who report to the Governor, are reading and listening. If anyone is concerned about contracting the virus from others in the parks, then stay home. Stay home from Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, B.J's., Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, the doctor's office, Shop Rite, Acme, Foodtown, Kings, Whole Foods, any nursery or farm supply store, post offices, liquor stores, and public transportation to name a few.

Let it go. We will never be back to normal but we will get through this. People will still contract the virus but it won't be from talking to another fisherman or from a jogger passing someone on a path. The numbers are still in your favor to avoid contracting the virus and even better to survive without dying.

Sorry about the ramble but the frustration about all this has consumed all of us.

Billfish I have no problem with the number of people out today. I have a major problem with the number out without masks in areas where masks are mandated. With this virus if you take a risk infecting yourself, you're by default taking a risk infecting many others. No one has that right and people are dying because idiots are throwing caution to the wind simply because they feel they're governed by a different set of rules.

[Jigman13]

Originally Posted by dakota560

Billfish I have no problem with the number of people out today. I have a major problem with the number out without masks in areas where masks are mandated. With this virus if you take a risk infecting yourself, you're by default taking a risk infecting many others. No one has that right and people are dying because idiots are throwing caution to the wind simply because they feel they're governed by a different set of rules.

X2

[reason162]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

Approximately 1200 people can occupy 1 acre of land if they are each spaced at 6 feet apart. How many acres are there in the smallest state park? In a park that has only 50 acres (very small by any standard) 60,000 people can stand six feet apart and occupy the entire 50 acres. 60,000 people is a huge number. How many people are we talking about who are walking, biking, jogging and otherwise occupying space in your favorite local or state park?

This is incredibly fuzzy math. You would have to calculate the actual available, accessible areas in a park, ie the parking lot, trails, open spaces off of trails, shorelines etc that don't require bushwhacking to access.

And regardless of how much acreage there is available to park goers, there are bottlenecks within any space that people congregate. That is where social distancing + masks are vital...and I'm not seeing it. Other people aren't seeing it. Photos of blatant disregard for social distancing and mask wearing is all over social media.

With all due respect, people should absolutely report what they're seeing at parks and other public places, and hopefully the governor is indeed watching and keeping tabs on how people are behaving during this experiment. We don't know how many have been infected, we don't know how many are asymptomatic carriers, we don't have nearly enough antigen or diagnostic tests and everyone have vulnerable family members who are at risk.