erbfarm

was going great guns on my move towards car free living when I came down with a really nasty cough/cold combo and the last thing I could imagine was stomping on the pedals for the 5 mile trip to the dentist yesterday morning. I got in the car and wondered what would I do if I didn't have a car to fall back on? It's not like a can call a cab as I live in a rural area and there isn't any public transportation either. Just wondered what you 100% car free folks do when you have to get somewhere but you just don't feel up to the task on your two-wheeler. thanks

tsl

If I'm sick, I stay home. That's what sick days are for. Besides that, it's rude to spread your germs and mucus around.

Recovering from being hit by a car earlier this year, I used the bus for about a week. The driver's insurance company was paying so I could have used a cab, but I prefer the bus.

If I just plain don't feel like riding, I suck it up and ride anyway. That "don't wanna ride" feeling goes away after a few miles.

Artkansas 

Well,

Basically, you have no other choice, so you ride. I've ridden to the dentist, and then did an 80 mile ride while waiting for the novacaine to wear off.

But as I get older, I will take a bus when it's appropriate. And if you are just too out of it, you can probably get a ride from a friend or have them call you a cab.

Llamero

Being a biologist, I agree that if you're sick, stay home. When you are elderly, you're immune system becomes more or less non-existant so it's dangerous and a huge burden to become ill. Therefore, if you start to feel a bit under the weather, do everyone a favor and stay home. I doubt your dentist would be at all disappointed at not having you come in while you're infectious.

daven1986

I go for it, however I am still young (22). I find that riding makes me feel better! However if I was REALLY ill and had to stay in bed or something then obviously I wouldn't ride.

genec

If sick... stay home... Don't infect the rest of us.

daven1986

I only go for a ride. Although I will go into work with a cold because it isn't that big a deal, however I wouldn't go into work with the flu.

Cosmoline

I rode a little when I had the swine flu last month, but not during the high fever period.

Artkansas 

Tell that to your co-workers who are busy trying to figure out good tactics to avoid catching it from you. Colds should be kept at home when possible.

AsanaCycles

i don't own a car
every day is on the bike

daven1986

tbh colds are just annoying, if you get seriously ill from a cold you have bigger problems and should see a doctor. As long as you have basic hygiene people will rarely catch colds from you.

tsl

Spoken like a man who doesn't work with the public. Come work at the front desk of the public library for a day. Or maybe just sit in the Children's Room for a while. Then see if you think sick people should be out and running around.

I had a woman come in on Saturday, looked like she met the criteria for "basic hygiene" (clean clothes, recently bathed, probably uses TP), but she was coughing, sneezing, wheezing and stuff. Told me her son was in the hospital with swine flu, but dammit, she had to return her books. She never heard of calling to renew, or maybe using the book drop? She and her viruses have to come in and hand the books to me?

cerewa

Honestly, I might have done more than my fair share of spreading swine flu.

I didn't know what I had at the time, but I was sick with nasty cold-like symptoms for a couple weeks, and went to work every weekday, aside from two wednesdays where I felt too worn-out to work. Biking wasn't too hard because I just went slow and I only had to travel 3.5 miles each way.

I don't work with the public; I sit in front of a computer all day at work... but I work in a cubical fairly close to 15 other people.

bigshew

I don't ride If I'm feeling really sick or have a pounding headache because I'm probably not as alert as I should be. No sense in making a bad day worse with a crash.

DX-MAN

OK, I know about the "wash your hands frequently" recommendation, and the communicability of diseases -- but geez, when did we become so frickin' germophobic? The human body is a literal cesspool of bacteria AND viruses; 90+% do nothing harmful. The feared H1N1 (I call it 'hi-ni', as in high-knee) is less deadly than the standard flu that's flying around every year. So WTF, peeps?

If I feel well enough to work, I ride to work. (No car here, either) If I can't ride, I can't stand up for more than a minute or two.

Jtgyk

EDIT: Oops! I thought I replied with quote to tsl. Oh well...read on.

I cringe at the thought of the filth that we can see on the items returned in the book drop.
I try not to think too much about the number of people reading on the toilet or coughing/sneezing directly into their open book.

At my library, we alternate working in the back room, scanning in returns, and working the Front Desk.
Lots of hand washing, hand sanitizer, and avoiding touching eyes and nose can help, but will not protect anyone from the thoughtless boobs who have the audacity to lean on the counter and cough/sneeze directly into your face.
Can you tell that I've just made it back to work after nearly a month off with pneumonia?

What?..........Me?..........Bitter?

You betcha!

gerv 

I was out riding around last week even though I felt something coming on and continued to do so even after something arrived. It took me a few days to figure out that it really was the H1N1 ....just no fever. I can easily see this could have turned into pneumonia... or worse. Pretty brutal.

tsl

https://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20090519

Jtgyk

Heh.
Unshelved
one of my favorite webcomics.

Are you one of them full blooded Librarians
or one of us free range clerks?

daven1986

Yep, I refuse to work with the public - I did it once and hated it!

tsl

Clerk at two different city neighborhoods branches.

Dewey is my hero.

Artkansas 

To be naive perhaps. Colds are far more than annoying. They wreck your attitude, they run your defenses down, and some of the modern colds seem to be able to reinvigorate themselves so that you may go through 6 weeks to two months of the cold almost going away and coming back with a vengance. I'm not worried about spreading colds, I rarely get them and when I do, I try to take off as much time as possible. With a cold, I'm usually not up to my normal performance standards anyway.

And you generally don't go to the doctor for a cold. They can't do anything. Antibiotics won't touch a virus. It seems just good common manners to try to prevent the spread of it. Wise employers will send you home if they catch you bringing a cold to work.

Platy

The H1N1 fooled me & my partner into thinking it was just a mild cold so we were caught unprepared when it developed into a cough-yer-internal-organs-up type of flu. Don't underestimate this year's bug just because it starts slow and easy. Like gerv said, it's brutal.

Ekdog

I agree, but many Americans aren't paid if they miss work due to illness, and there are those that can't afford to call in sick. That's why mandatory sick leave is once again being considered.

https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...l/6716198.html

freighttraininguphill

I did that last year. I will NEVER do that again!

I went on a 40-mile ride after having a rather deep filling put in. About halfway through my ride the anesthesia started wearing off. From that point on I was hit with agonizing, throbbing pain that came on every few minutes and lasted for about a minute each time. The last few miles of my ride were so painful I had to pull over every time (and pray that nobody saw me and became overly concerned). I
called a friend and had him bring me some food so I could take some ibuprofen without causing stomach upset, then I rode home and went to bed.

I ended up back at the dentist a couple days later because the filling needed to be redone. From that day on I have done the following whenever I get a filling:
1. stop at the store on the way home and pick up some soup
2. go home, take ibuprofen, eat soup.
3. go to bed

Chances are my pain was caused by an improperly done filling, but I'm not willing to go through that misery again. I just go home after fillings. I can always take a long ride the next day.