06/09/20

I was attending an event that was only a few miles from downtown so I decided to make a quick pass through downtown.  It was going to be the first time I had been downtown in a couple of months.

"I should not have done this," was my first thought as I exited the freeway and could already see and feel the sadness.  I could see the indicators of the protests that had been taking place including the barricaded police station.  I turned onto 6th street and observed what appeared to be an abandoned town.  There was no one.  The bars and restaurants were all boarded up and the inevitable tagging had taken place.  Businesses closed, no one in the cafes and restaurants, none of the usual foot traffic from all of the office buildings, hotels and restaurants.  No scooters, no taxis, and no Ubers.  The only activity was around the construction sites.  I turned on Red River to get towards Caesar Chavez street.  As I passed the Fairmont I could see people setting inside at what appeared to be a restaurant.  That was a little encouraging but a very far cry from the quantity of people that would usually be seen.  I turned right on Caesar Chavez and headed for Mopac.  I had seen enough.

The contrast to what downtown was before, is saddening.  Downtown is dead.  I sincerely hope that it can be revived and that the vibe that was always in the air before, can return.  I can now say with 100% certainty that there will not be a big rideshare demand for some time.  I had stated with optimism before that I would continue rideshare driving once everything returned to normal, thinking that normal would be in a matter of a couple of months at the most.  That simply cannot happen.  I wont say "impossible" although I probably should.

It is very likely that this will be the last entry in this blog.  It is unfortunate but I can say that it was interesting and fun.  It made a lot of stories, in fact, the only thing I regret is that I did not start doing the blog sooner.  When reading this blog, be sure and click on the older dates as well.  I noticed that those don't always expand out so they can be selected for reading.  There is a lot of stuff spanning several years.

Thanks for reading and I am hoping that this is not the end although its nice to know that every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.