The first thing that usually comes to mind when people think about the word ‘lockdown’ is probably that a usually busy city would turn completely quiet as everyone is fixed at home, as per the meaning of the word. Since no one is allowed to go outside without a proper reason, it is expected to find only a few people who walk past you, although why does it seem as if there are a lot more people outside than just that?
Normally, without lockdown, people tend to get tired of going to work or school, therefore trying to find more time to rest at home. This however is not the case during lockdown, as everyone gets put off by looking at their own furniture every day, wishing to look at something new outside of their house. This means that people will actively go outside to do their grocery shopping and get some exercise. As people also realise the importance of exercise during a time where very limited workout can be done outdoors, one becomes more willing to step outside their front door to get some fresh air. Sometimes it is more common to see people running than trespassers who walk, which gives the sense of more people being outside than there actually are.
The fact that it looks like more people go outside now compared to before the lockdown is more due to the government rules which have been put in place. Since only parks, shops regarded as essential or other sites allowed open by the lockdown rules are allowing trespasses, people have been crowding those places. This is extremely noticeable especially in front of large grocery shops, where one may have to queue over 20 minutes only to be able to enter. Although one may believe or even hope that more individuals are leaving their houses, it may just be due to limited sites and could perhaps just be that the roads look slightly different nowadays because currently, the most common use for them is to allow people to exercise outside, instead of going to school or work.
