Lauren Pineda
There are certain things we’re going to have to accept our society as places around the world start to open up. COVID-19 caused the entire world to follow the same few rules in order to get the pandemic under control. Common citizens are responsible for holding themselves accountable, as well as their neighbors.
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Social distancing and wearing masks while going out in public to re-up on your essentials have now become a global norm. And even though it’s the least everyone can do to own their part in fighting the pandemic, society’s reopening doesn’t mean those rules don’t just apply anymore. The coronavirus is an issue we’ll be fighting for a while, and at this point, you’re probably used to having a face mask in your car just in case you forget your main one.
Nevertheless, one of the best parts about following these two simple rules while out in public is how creative people get to balance functioning normally again and taking safety precautions. And this cafe in Germany has probably nailed it.
This German cafe, Cafe & Konditorei Rothe, located in Schwerin, Germany, is a famous pastry shop with many customers anticipating its reopening. Germany, as a whole country, has done exceedingly well in handling the coronavirus pandemic, regarded as the “second safest country in the world” by the London Deep Knowledge Group. And this cafe is proof of why.
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Cafe & Konditorei Rothe’s owner Jacqueline Rothe reopened the cafe with heavy precautions. Along with serving customers only outside, the tables were also at least five feet apart, but she didn’t stop there. Justifying it as just a one-time event for the reopening of the cafe, Rothe used pool noodles to keep the customers in line with social distancing. Yes, pool noodles. And, it’s honestly an incredible idea.
Rothe attached pool noodles to straw hats to give to the customers as they sat at the cafe. The pictures show these pool noodle hats effectively keeping the crowds of customers at a healthy distance away from each other while they enjoyed their pastries. But let’s be honest. I can go on and on about how commendable this is, but this is actually hilariously cute.
My initial reactions to first seeing the pictures were just questions that popped up in my head. Did the customers come with the hats? From the pictures, it looks like all the customers had the same pool noodle hats. Pool noodles of all colors are attached to what looks like the exact same straw hats. So probably not.
But did they reuse the straw hats? That would quite literally go against other possible health issues besides the coronavirus. I’m thinking lice and all sorts of other stuff that could be passed by using the same hat as a stranger. Hopefully not. I would hope that I would get to take my straw pool noodle hat home to remember the experience.
