Nobody likes a snitch, but New Yorkers may have gone too far this time. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently set up a tip line for residents of the Big Apple to report those flouting social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.
How do you report places that aren’t enforcing social distancing? It’s simple: just snap a photo and text it to 311-692. #AskMyMayor pic.twitter.com/WQdCcVf1Rl
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 18, 2020
“Sending that photo in is going to help make sure that people are kept apart, and that’s going to stop the disease from spreading. And that’s going to save lives,” he told the public. Fines for repeat social distancing offenses were set as high as $1,000.
Immediately dubbed the “New Squeal” plan, naysayers bombarded the tip line with dick pics, erect middle fingers, and Adolf Hitler memes. Fake tips also poured in, like one from a caller who claimed that de Blasio was engaged in oral sex “in an alleyway behind a 7-11” and “coofed” (the new slang term for a person with COVID-19 coughing) on them.
Twitter was even harsher. Here are just a few of the 24K-plus responses.
— Lizzy Lou Who (@_wintergirl93) April 18, 2020
DON’T. BE. A. KAREN. #SaturdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/YVKqTvcOJB
— GirlBot (@AMErikaNGIRLLL) April 18, 2020
— Jason Hirsh (@JHirsh5280) April 18, 2020
The tip line was temporarily shut down due to the onslaught of offensive messages. This won’t be the last time an elected official tries to tell New Yorkers what to do, but maybe next time the mayor will give them less of a platform on which to broadcast their dissent.
Cover Photo: John Lamparski / Contributor (Getty Images)
Coronavirus club: 15 Celebrity Tweets That Will Calm You to Know We’re All in This Together
MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS:
Not-so-secret: 10 Ways to Tell One of Your Friends Has Coronavirus (But Isn’t Telling You)
Help Prevent the Spread of the Coronavirus
Visit the Centers for Disease Control at CDC.gov or the World Health Organization at Who.int for the latest information on the coronavirus and learn what you can do to stop the spread.
Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Coronavirus Stories March 2020
-
Everything Coronavirus Has Ruined So Far
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: mediaphotos (Getty Images)
-
The Mandatory Guide to Dating in the Age of Coronavirus
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Gerard Fritz (Getty Images)
-
This Coronavirus-Fighting Device Guarantees You’ll Wash Your Hands Long Enough, If You Finally Decide to Wash Them at All
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Charday Penn (Getty Images)
-
Hilariously Inventive DIY Face Masks That May (Or May Not) Keep Coronavirus Away
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Alexander Short / EyeEm (Getty Images)
-
Coronavirus Porn Is the Latest Guilty Pleasure, Quaran-Teens in Your Area (Legal Ones, Of Course)
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Fuse (Getty Images)
-
Shame Cone is the Latest Coronavirus Prevention Product (For You, Not the Dog)
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: globalmoments (Getty Images)
-
Toilet Paper Alternatives to Cover Your Ass During the Coronavirus Panic
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Darren Fast (Getty Images)
-
Young American Forced to Find a Hobby Without Work, Sports and Travel Weighing Him Down, Thanks to Coronavirus
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Oppenheim Bernhard (Getty Images)
-
Mandatory Staff Picks: Comfort Movies to Keep You Calm During Your Coronavirus Quarantine
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: CBS Photo Archive / Contributor
-
Hand Sanitizer Prices Skyrocket Amid Coronavirus, Our Cheap DIY Suggestions to Avoid Getting Scammed
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: matspersson0 (Getty Images)
-
Coronavirus Movie Marathon: The Best Sick Day Films When You Have a Lengthy Quarantine Ahead
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Warner Bros.
-
Tito’s Vodka Urges Drinkers Not to Use Its Booze as Hand Sanitizer (But You Should Definitely Stockpile It for Your Quarantine)
For more coronavirus news, click here.
Photo: Rawpixel(Getty Images)
