North End restaurants not following Covid-19 requirements? Licensing Board to hold emergency hearing

and dangerous, to boot. The restaurants in Boston's North End whose owners/workers are disregarding the 6-foot separation of tables, social distancing of people, and the requirement that all people who enter these restaurants wear masks is setting a dangerous precedent, first because it puts everybody, including restaurant workers, patrons and neighborhood residents, as well as their friends, family and neighbors at risk, and secondly, it could very well set the Bay State back, regarding progress in stemming the spread of Covid-19.

I believe that the restaurant owners/workers alike who wantonly disregard the 6-foot separation of tables should be forced to comply with the rules of face coverings and social distancing, or to go out of business, at least until they're ready to comply with the rules.

if there isn't enough room now to keep the separation in place.

If the customers don't care or aren't turned off by the lack of distancing, that's notable too. If restaurant patrons got mad and left when they see crowding, the restaurants would be less inclined to push the limits. But from what I've seen the people going out to eat don't think it's a problem.

Basically, if you think a restaurant is unsafe, just leave. If it becomes crowded while you're there, just leave without paying and tell them you'll return to pay your bill when they enforce the distancing. (Invite them to call the police.)

Really, this can't be entirely on businesses. If the public doesn't care, neither will business owners. MA's infection levels haven't been increasing as the state reopens and lots of people are using that as their own guide for when it's safe to go out.

"My family has been doing this for 47 years and [huge leap of internal logic] I don't know why some pencil pusher with a public health degrees should be able to tell ME how to run MY restaurant."

Cutting the BPD overtime budget, except we need 48 hours of OT per day to keep Hanover Street closed to all but emergency vehicles.

But also have to allow construction/contractors working on all those condos and restaurants and the utility work in the street, and the vans that take seniors and the disabled to and from the health center on Hanover, and then of course, each and every restaurant gets a dairy delivery, meat, dry goods, fruits and veg, beer and liquor, refrigeration service, beer taps, etc. it adds up. If you restricted deliveries to before noon, say, that could help. Designate some curb space along each block for contractors and others with permits for that particular day. The only real traffic you could keep out are tourists (not many right now), residents (very low car ownership) and, wait for it...RESTAURANT PATRONS. If they could be taught to park in the relatively empty garages nearby, enticed with validated discounts perhaps, walk to Hanover, sit at a table in the now vacant street parking. voila! Or rather, ecco!

Yes, this makes the sidewalks too small, but if you remove car traffic from the street, the pedestrians can walk there instead.

I'm OK with the restaurants trying to make up for lost time. If this experiment is successful in the North End, it can be replicated in other neighborhoods throughout the city and suburbs. We're trying a version of it in Davis Square now, and I've also seen it in Winchester Center.

I have some bad news for you then...