Wendy ventures out to see her stylist, mechanic and massage therapist - BradfordToday

[massage]

We are slowly but surely entering into the different phases of Lockdown 2020.

I had a few different experiences in recent days and thought I would share. You have likely had similar appointments, or you may have them soon.

I’ve determined that I am willing to take the possible COVID-19 risk (with precautions) depending on how vital I consider the service.

I admit that, shallow as it may be, a haircut and styling was of utmost importance. After three months or so of looking like a Beatle, I was ready. As soon as it was allowed, I made the call.

In my case, my hairdresser works out of her home, so there was no worry about going into a more public salon setting. I wore a mask. She wore a full facial visor. I pre-washed my hair just to avoid her having to be right over me, but I don’t think it was necessary. With just the one chair in the room, everything had been wiped down between her last client and me.

I waited in my car until I was called in. The actual cutting/styling experience was just like every other time. The conversation was a bit different. It is usually about the latest movies or Netflix offerings, but that was replaced by the latest news we’ve heard about the virus and just how odd the world is right now.

I paid cash. I left feeling completely safe, but with a newfound spring in my step. New hairstyles have that effect on people.

I also had a therapeutic massage, which understandably was going to present different issues. Pretty hard to distance when you are receiving skin-to-skin contact.

Again, I waited in my car to be greeted and escorted into the office. Both of us wore masks. I signed in and sanitized my hands. There were a series of health-related questions, both at the time of booking and 24 hours beforehand.

Have you been out of the country?

Any fever, aches, illness of any kind?

Have you been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID?

Then, it was business as usual.

It was a bit hot and awkward wearing a mask while also having your face sticking through the hole in the headrest. It made breathing a bit tricky, but honestly, it was not as bad as I’d expected.

The therapist wore gloves the whole time.

I paid with a charge card.

The only other thing I did was do a contactless visit to the car dealership for winter tire change. I figured June was safe, even in Barrie.

Despite the fact it became a bit of a sitcom, as do most of my outings, it was problem-free.

I had an appointment, parked in the designated spot and approached the garage entrance. I was told to put my keys in an envelope and push it into a slot. There was a poster and a lot of instructions, but no sign of an envelope. I walked around the poster board, looked up, looked down, looked around and then stood there like an idiot. I looked into the key slot and there in a secret treasure box was the envelopes. Success!

However, they were a litany of questions to answer.

Hard, almost impossible questions like:

Today’s date? I haven’t known today’s date for three months. I guessed. I was wrong.

Odometer reading? Well, I would have known that if you’d told me I needed to know that before I parked. I made it up. (They’re going be in the car in minutes why can’t they look it up?)

Model? Year? My brain has been affected by COVID isolation.

All I know at this point is it's a red car.

I filled in what I could, ditched the keys and ran away. I swear I heard snickering from the mechanic bays.

I wanted so much to ask how many people knew where the secret envelopes were hiding.

Anyway, the car was left for the day and I was called to come back at return.

This is where it got interesting.

So, they couldn’t take my keys from me directly in the morning, but by the evening, the service person (masked and gloved) could come outside and tell me what they’d done and take my credit card?

It didn’t bother me, but it just seemed to defeat the purpose of offering no-contact service.

So, those were my three recent experiences. Everyone was doing their very best. I felt completely safe.

Wishing you all quick, efficient and germ-free experiences in the weeks to come.