People of Rochester at the Rochester Public Market

The Rochester Public Market is one of my favorite locations in the city. I love the cultural diversity, and the variety of shapes, sizes, and styles of people.

I hadn't visited the market since before the coronavirus lockdown. Saturday, May 2nd, was a beautiful spring day, and I decided to check out the market. I wondered whether any vendors were selling produce, and if so, how many people would venture out to shop. I imagined that the market would be all but deserted.

I was surprised to find that the place was bustling. The pavilions were buzzing with activity. There were plenty of vendors and shoppers, and most of them were wearing face masks. But most of them were also ignoring social distancing guidelines, and I saw over a dozen people who weren’t wearing any kind of mask, even though public market officials had posted several signs around stating that face/filter masks were required.

To be fair, it's difficult to maintain social distance at the public market because of the arrangement of vendor stands in the pavilions. I was hyper-aware of others and found myself constantly jockeying for position to avoid them. But most of the shoppers I observed made no effort to keep a distance between themselves and anyone else. They appeared to be oblivious as they crowded in to tables to examine and/or purchase produce, even if others were already there.

I don't imagine I'll be returning to the market anytime soon.