It's deathly quiet in MI.

[roamer65]

We are under the stay home order now. I haven’t heard a car nor any other noise on my street outside all night so far.

It’s eerie. Very different not having some sort of commotion.

[Delphinus]

1. I was thinking

the same thing too, here in Indiana. We've a train near us, so not totally quiet, but not a lot of street traffic to be sure.

[roamer65]

2. I have music playing to compensate.

Relaxing music.

[LSFL]

12. I have trains too..

Usually over 50 a day. There are fewer now. I notice them more by the absence.

[dotism]

3. It is strange, isn't it?

A very similar situation here. I was out on bike rides throughout the city these past couple of days and the desertion is bizarre.

What is even more unnerving, to me, is that everyone has become uncommunicative, standoffish, and suspicious when passing each other on the sidewalk. This is not how things normally are... It makes me feel wilted and distressed, as the lack of smiles and kindly regard makes an unfortunate situation take the form of direness.

[Journeyman]

5. I'm in California. Been "distancing" for some days now. I refuse to be negative . . .

I walk my neighborhood streets every day. Lots of different hours. Very few cars on the roads, but lots of people -- walking dogs, riding bikes or playing in their yards with their kids, gardening, just sitting on the porch. I smile and wave to them all. Most respond in kind.

There's an equal sense of community on the local webpages and elsewhere on the streets. People are volunteering to help shut ins and overwrought parents, extending a hand of friendship like I've never seen before. Someone set up a food exchange on a corner in the middle of the neighborhood. They built something that looks like an old peddler's cart and placed a wide range of canned goods and bakery products on it. Everyone's invited to take as they need and add if they're able.

I've never seen the like of it before in South California. It's quite refreshing. It's moved me to engage with others, both on the web and on the streets. I have no idea how long it will last -- I hope for the duration -- but for now I'm encouraged and I continue to encourage others by my demeanor and engagement. It can't hurt and it may be our salvation.

[dotism]

7. Yay!

That is so refreshing to read, thank you for sharing.

It seems like many are experiencing a revitalization of community spirit and it makes me so happy to know of it. I live through all of you, vicariously. It makes me yearn for my home state of California.

I wonder why things aren't fairing so well here... Perhaps it is a lack of concrete and sincere leadership, locally and otherwise, mixed with all of the underlying tensions that so many here try to ignore.

[Journeyman]

8. Where are you? . . .

[roamer65]

9. Yes it is.

Very different.

I am used to it in area of MI where I grew up, but not here.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

4. I think everyone in America should come out of our homes....

say, at 5pm or whatever time could be agreed upon and in good weather, stand in our yard and wave and speak to our neighbors.

Would do our souls good.

At least once a week, perhaps?

KY..........

[roamer65]

10. I would agree.

Very much so.

[misanthrope]

6. I live on a very busy street

I wish it were as quiet as you describe. About 10 years back, we had a long-term maintenance project up the street that closed it to through traffic for a couple of months and it was wonderful. We stopped having to clean the exhaust build-up from the doors and and windows. No dead cats, raccoons and opossums in the road, no litter to clean up every day and most of all the most dominant sound was the birds in the trees that spring.

I used to like to drive through town on late on Christmas Eve because it was cool to see how deserted the streets were, how easy and relaxing it was to get around.

We're supposed to be under recommended social distancing right now and it hasn't made too much of a distance. When the county ordered bars and restaurants closed last week, there was outrage voiced among the populace.

[roamer65]

11. A side street here.

But I went out to listen and not even noise from the main road near me.

[gibraltar72]

13. Guv. Whitmer is doing a great job. With the exception of allowing the snake handlers to assemble.

Most of the legitimate churches were shut down anyway. Was on conference call yesterday with her and 17,000 close friends. She sugar coated nothing. She told us we have the choice. Do what's needed or end up like Italy. She also told some guy who said there were no positive cases in his county why should they be closed, that no cases meant no testing.