Friendly signs and uneasy feelings. This is the ‘new normal’ at Fresno’s Fashion Fair mall
“Welcome back friend,” read the sign inside the entrance to Fashion Fair mall. “We missed you.”
Can’t say the feeling’s mutual. Indoor shopping malls and I are not particularly chummy – not since the 1980s – and over time we’ve seen less and less of each other.
Still, this week’s reopening of Fashion Fair following two months of COVID-19 closures piqued my curiosity. If things are truly getting back to normal, at least in the capitalistic sense, there are few better places in Fresno to witness what the new normal looks like.
Plus, after months of staring at the same walls, a change of writing scenery was needed. So these words are coming to you from the best section of any mall: the food court.
And, yes, these words were typed with a cloth mask covering my mouth and nose. Even though a few local politicians surely would’ve preferred a muzzle.
After walking around both sections of the mall (the normal pass-through that is JCPenney remains closed, necessitating a stroll in triple-digit heat), I settled into an empty, socially distanced table near Hot Dog on a Stick – after making sure an air-conditioning vent didn’t lurk overhead.
While research shows how coronavirus-laced droplets move through indoor spaces carried by airflow from AC units, there’s no escape from the bland soundtrack of pop hits. No matter where you sit.
Besides the friendly signage, the first thing you notice is that many stores, if not most, are still closed. And shops that are open (clothing boutiques and footwear, mainly) limit the number of customers inside, which in a few spots resulted in lines.
The longest? Some 20-25 people queuing for fruit cups and agua fresca at the Chavez Delicious Fruit Co. kiosk.
Gotta admit I was tempted to join them – while at the same time making me a little wistful for Orange Julius.
How not to wear masks
The second thing you notice are all the masks: cloth masks, surgical masks, neoprene masks, N95 masks, masks with vents built into the sides.
Despite signs stating “masks required,” about half the people were wearing them. By that I mean people who were properly wearing masks. There were also quite a few who didn’t seem to understand the concept.
Common indiscretions included:
● Tucked below the nose
● Pushed above the chin
● Covering beneath the chin
● Dangling from one ear
Some of the less common:
● Hanging from a belt loop
● Draped across the forehead
● Cupped between the fingers
● Wrapped around the bill of a baseball cap
Gotta love humans. Some of us can’t help but do the wrong thing even while meaning well.
Besides people, the only other mammal I saw was a bat. Yes, a bat. It lay on the ground, barely moving, outside Hollister Co. Whose company logo is a black silhouette of a seagull.
“Don’t touch it,” a mother implored her young son.
“Not unless you like rabies shots,” I muttered beneath my breath.
Not unsafe but a little uneasy
It was interesting to sit near the mall entrance and observe people as they came in. Even though there are automatic doors, some people opted – curiously – to press their hands against metal and glass. Some took tentative first steps, glancing around with anxious expressions. Others walked in seemingly unconcerned and care-free.
At no time did I feel unsafe. Yet, similar to the experience of being in a crowded aisle at the supermarket or Home Depot, there is a little unease when encountering a large group in a small spot and no room to maintain 6 feet of separation.
When will that feeling subside? Probably not until there’s a COVID-19 vaccine, or at least an effective form of treatment.
Before packing up my laptop, I considered getting a corndog and lemonade from Hot Dog on a Stick, the only restaurant open in the food court.
But since neither employee was wearing a mask, as opposed to every other food and drink place … scratch that idea.
Exiting the mall, the back of the sign that greeted me on the way in now thanked me for visiting.
So long, Fashion Fair. See you again a few days before Christmas. Or when my iPad goes black.
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 12:20 PM.
