Just Stay Home

 Just Stay Home
 Written by,  Sharleen Cainer, BSW RSW
One of the interesting things about the lockdown on this pandemic is that large corporations, Enbridge, Bell, Summit Energy, just to name a few, are having a spectacular difficulty understanding the crux of the matter, which is we are supposed to stay home.
I saw the Premier of Ontario hollering at the constituents just on the national TV stations, "Just Stay Home." He then reiterated for those who were confused, "There should be no confusion, just stay home." Then like an irritated authoritarian, he stomped off, probably muttering God-damn-it under his breath.  So along comes my Bell account, which is in the process of being cancelled. It is impossible to get this right on the 1st attempt. Apparently knowing your account number, your name, the round about amount you paid, on the last bill and the approximate day you executed this action is not enough to clear your own security. The customer service person in his sing-song voice happily resolved the situation by issuing me a directive to attend the Bell store in the shopping mall. Two things crossed my mind immediately. Is the Mall not closed? Are we no longer on lock down? So, I said. "Sir, with all due respect I am wondering if you are aware, there is a pandemic, and with this pandemic Ontario is on lock-down and I believe the Mall is closed." I was incredibly happy to hear that he had heard about all this, but he insisted I must leave my home to bring a resolution to this matter. I reiterated that the mall was closed. Before the gentleman gave me an alternative address, in an attempt to reiterate the seriousness of the situation, I informed him that a woman here was fined over $800.00 because she left her house with her children with the intention to leave them at her father-in-law's home for babysitting. I had no response from the customer service person on that comment. In an attempt to ignore my comment, he confused the name of a street with the name of a mall, as he was trying to tell me there was no street number for the street name he was mistakenly providing while still trying to send me out into the wilds of a lockdown. Once that confusion was cleared, and he stopped shouting, he provided me with the phone number of the store front. I asked the customer service man if there was an alternative to going in person to close this account as I am a senior citizen with a respiratory condition. I had the distinct feeling that his English vocabulary did not provide him with a clear understanding of the sentiment I was bringing forward. I gave up, and I called the number he provided. It was the wrong phone number.  After locating the correct number and calling the store, I was informed that they would not be receiving the equipment I was sent to drop off to them, because apparently they do not do that sort of thing at that particular store. She then in a somewhat condescending tone informed me there were certain restrictions because we are in a lockdown-and-you-should-know-that-madam kind of tone.  One may only visit the store by appointment. I thanked her very much and I then called Bell again. With another run a round, similar to the ones I had experienced on previous occasions, I managed to land in an office where someone agreed to disconnect my account. However, it was not to be disconnected until Bell Canada received payment from the bank and I was informed for about 1 millionth time that the bank can take 5 business days to send them bill payments. If I wanted to expediate the process, I could go into a Bell store. I declined the offer. This whole event was in fact a two-day process.
This is how so many people in Ontario are so confused about why they must stay home.  Small businesses are going out of business. Doors are closing daily. Others are fighting for their lives. Small businesses are being fined into oblivion but corporations such as Bell believe they are above reprisal, and the rules do not apply to them. Bell Canada directs people to go shopping, while the country issues a state of emergency, because the corporate reality is that something like the state of an emergency it has nothing to do with them, and that they may press anyone they wish into servitude, with punitive fines should their lone customer not comply. How many people has Bell Canada sent out into the community this last month, despite the directive from the Premier to stay home? Was Bell Canada fined for their complicity? Not bloody likely.  So many people are having to give up so much, can Bell Canada just please be creative and help out a little?  Bell Canada  continues to make a spectacular profit. Wouldn't it be fantastic if Bell and other large corporations pooled some resources and helped keep Canadians alive?  Bell Canada is not the only guilty corporation. There are many. Bell is just the only corporation I delt with this week.
We all want the numbers to drop. We all want to get off lock down. We all need to pull the weight. That includes the major players in the economy. So many small businesses are gone now. Those businesses were owned by someone. Those someones are now unable to pay their bills. Those someones, have now joined the downward spiral to an unwanted personal experience. There are many pathways that intersect and create the roads that lead to loss and homelessness.