Mournful Musings of a Melancholy Melburnian...

I am, along with every other Melburnian I have spoken to, finding Lockdown 2.0 a lot harder, and a lot more depressing, than Lockdown 1.0. One of the many things that's making it so depressing is the fact that so many businesses and companies that did their best to make Lockdown 1.0 more bearable seem to have given up on trying to help Victorians through Lockdown 2.0. To give three examples that I have experienced:

• Virgin/Velocity. Lockdown 1.0: 35 Status Credits per month (I'm Velocity Gold) to go towards maintaining my status while we couldn't travel. Lockdown 2.0: nothing.
• Foxtel. Lockdown 1.0: Unlocking all their extra channels even for those who hadn't paid for them (I subscribe to their Sport package and they let us watch Drama, Movies etc for free). Lockdown 2.0: nothing. (Though, in Foxtel's defence, at least live sport is back on TV).
• American Express. Lockdown 1.0: Lots of extremely generous bonus point offers, as well as a $400 credit for everyday spending at supermarkets etc. Lockdown 2.0: nothing.

I'm absolutely not saying that I'm entitled to any extra perks/benefits because I'm in lockdown. But the first time around it was nice. The perks really helped, and increased my feelings of loyalty/gratitude to the above companies. This time around the silence is just adding to the sense of gloom. Mine, anyway.

Which leads to my question: has anyone in Melbourne/Victoria experienced any business/company being as encouraging/generous during Lockdown 2.0 as they were in Lockdown 1.0? I'd love to hear about it -- not least because I'd like to give them my business if I can!

I am not in Melbourne but if it's any help Foxtel just offered me half price sports for 6 months, good luck with it all down there .

I live in regional Victoria. Whilst we don't have the same restrictions as Metro Melbourne & Mitchell, the effects filter through the whole state and I understand and share your frustration of lockdown 2.0 and not knowing where/what the future holds. I think one main difference this time is that it's not a national lockdown and the whole 'we are all in this together' message is somehow lost a bit. And this could be why the big corps aren't giving away the same offers as last time because each region is facing a different scenario.

I think the best thing you can do is to give those companies a call and ask for help if you are struggling in certain area. There's nothing to loose by asking, but also don't have any expectations so you won't feel as disappointed if you don't get anything.

Best of luck, stay safe and know that there are people out there sharing the same feeling as you and we are still in this together !

Short of free McDonald's delivery with Uber Eats.... not much else. We are on our own.

Build a wall situation surely!

Just joking hopefully the downturn released today continues.

Maybe they're waiting for lockdown 2.1 (expected next week) or 3.0. Hang in there everyone - this is going to last for a long time.

Most of these businesses are slowly going broke, they can't afford to give freebies!

Given Lockdown 2.0 was caused by Victoria (relax, I'm one of them too), we're lucky the rest of Oz didn't reach for the Nuclear codes and press 'Launch' !!! We came so close .... SO $%#@ing CLOSE to a resumption of air travel within Australia. Not only cabin crew and pilots, but I suspect 3-4 others for every airline employee in the air. Honestly Sibelius I'm less melancholy and more angry at the 'human errors' that were made down here. Talk about kicking an 'own goal' !

I want a return of con trails in the sky, and I want them NOW !!!

How am I surviving? Foxtel, Grill'd burgers and single malt Scotch whisky. But I get frown's from 'Mrs Happiness' the minute I even look at my modest cigar humidor.

Carry on, good travellers! Pip Pip

Yeah, I've poring through catalogues each week to find out who has Glenmorangie on special and jumping on every Uber Eats discount offer that comes through. The problem is that I was going to wait until After Lockdown to start to lose weight again ... but now that it's become clear that lockdown will actually last until the end of recorded time, I need to bite the bullet and go easy on the comfort food (and drink)!

Needless to say I share your anger and frustration.

Buy Australian, buy Australian, Buy Australian we have an inept PM who has no clue of manufacturing (not his fault, he is an ad exec etc) our country will never recover unless we encourage local manufacturing, anything from locally roasted coffee to locally owned dairy. As an example PURA, yoplait and Big M Chinese owned. Meanwhile Pres Trump has record high Dow Jones. Buy Australian. Buy local. Do not support Chinese owned food services and energy. Otherwise, thank your kids for bearing the debt for the next fifty years.

Not a Victorian but: Actually surprised you didn’t mention the Qatar One World status match offer during the lockdown of the world, considering even now no one really knows how VA is going to be like out of the woods.

Not answering your questions but do take note how certain states treated interstate tourists already in their jurisdictions (not those trying to get in, I understand the need for movement restrictions when it matters), for example those interstate tourists in TAS being told to get out of TAS in MAR/APR. and how about those political rhetorics and public spats using “health expert advice” to justify their actions? And frankly in more than a few states the border closure relationship with the upcoming state election is not a coincidence.

Answering your questions: there are a few shops that sells the masks and santisers without the price gorging before stage 4 closed most retail activities, like $25 for box of 50 Softmed (TGA approved and the same sold at Chemist Warehouse for $35) masks at Footscray Pharmacy and plenty of charity and ethnic restaurants giving veg meal for free (sometimes even delivered) to homeless or unemployed no evidence required, before movement restrictions pretty much shut them down as well. Sure many of the food stuff is happening long before the COVID-19 pandemic but the fact they continue to do so despite the economic uncertainty and shutdown (which no doubt hurt their business or charity donations) is a far out generous gesture and consistency during these time.

Greetings to all of you Fellow Melbournians suffering in Lockdown Mark 2 , thanks to the botched efforts of our political lord and Masters of Victoria.

Just a word of caution, as a Medico , I am seeing a decline in not just Mental Health, but Non Covid related Chronic diseases like diabetes are out of control.

So please hold back on the big Macs , the bottles of wine and scotch, the cakes andMuffins. Let us take advantage of the “generous” 1 hour of outdoor exercise time that has been gifted to us

Thanks Doc, you've inspired me to get out for my daily exercise. So true everything you said, and of course the quiet monster is suicide, make sure all of your mates male or female are ok if living alone everyone!

Not a good legacy left by the incumbent Premier, his kids must be ashamed.

What a lot of whiners you are. You can still live healthy lives, exercise, eat sensibly, wear a mask, sleep well and amuse yourselves whilst stopping the spread of the virus. If everyone did the right thing, restrictions could be relaxed and we could get back to a near normal. SA,WA and Tas have done it and QLD and NSW are doing OK. We could learn to live with it, if everyone stopped thinking of me me me and thought more of the wider community. End of sermon😤

Supertech, Victoria's number one Andrews ticket holder