What's good, Joe? You are listening to CoSWitch. I'm Gene Demby.

And we are entering the second autumn of this global COVID pandemic, which is a while they

need to consider. Schools are opening up again. Kids and college students are returning to their

classes. Movie theaters are screening. Restaurants are up and running. Or at least the ones that

survive lockdown are. And a lot of establishments have signs, posted that say, people who are fully

vaccinated don't have to wear masks when they enter. Of course, a lot of those places ain't

checking for what the people are fully vaccinated. And so it's not really clear how we're supposed to

be in relation to each other when we're in public. Like what are the rules for being outside right now?

And who was in charge of making sure people follow those rules? Like maybe sometime over the last

almost two years, you were in a place where everybody was unmasked. Except for you,

but you didn't feel comfortable taking your mask off. I've definitely been that dude at the gym.

Or you've seen people throwing tantrums about being asked to wear a mask in public spaces.

Maybe you're one of those people that will be unfortunate if you are. Don't be that person.

The thing is, you're even before this new normal, we're all trying to adjust to and figure out. Being in

public was always contentious. Because public space and how we show up in it is always on some level

political. Are you a trans person who wants to use a bathroom? Depending on where you live,

that might result in a cops getting called. Are you a black kid who sagged their pants? You might

have to talk to a police officer in one of the many jurisdictions that have passed laws against

your sartorial choices. Are you a Latino person that's out of the west? Maybe some sheriff's deputies

pull you over and ask you to prove your citizen. You see where I'm going with this.

Over the last few years though, you've seen a popularization of this name for a certain kind of

person who takes it upon himself or herself as a concerned citizen or just a nosy AF citizen

...