Is drive-thru the new face of social gatherings in Corona times?

Life never stops, it goes on! Though the world is terrified by the deadly Coronavirus spread, humans still find a way to live and enjoy the situation as it comes. Amid all this, the bygone trend of drive-thru has made a comeback and how! What used to be a thing of the past is now keeping people safe and entertained.

People across the globe are rejoicing the same experiences they used to before COVID-19 triggered lockdowns. Nothing has stopped merrymakers from exploring zoos, enjoying strip shows, and even attending the church services and disco parties. But all this is happening from inside the cars!

Here is how drive-thru experiences have refined the way of living for people post the Coronavirus spread:

The famous San Antonio Zoo in Texas came up with this super exciting idea of a drive-thru zoo experience. Visitors to the park can now enjoy watching animals without stepping out of their vehicles. The zoo is home to lions, bears, a wide variety of birds, leopards, and monkeys, among others. Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, zoos have suffered a massive decline in revenue and this is one way of earning for the zookeepers.

Now drive-thrus are not just limited to fast food. Recently, a strip club in Portland, Oregon, introduced a drive-thru experience for its customers after suffering a huge financial loss due to the Coronavirus lockdown. The Lucky Devil Lounge in Portland came up with the idea of introducing a new drive-thru lane in the club’s parking lot and transformed the whole parking area with tents, stages, music and barricades.

The pandemic has made sure people maintain a proper distance from each other. Considering this, Miami has introduced a drive-thru model for food banks wherein people can remain sitting in their cars and people at the bank would load the bags of grocery and other necessary items in the back of the car, without any human contact.

All the malls and cinema halls have been shuttered given the current situation. However, to make things normal for its residents, Lithuania, in collaboration with the Vilnius International Film Festival and Vilnius Airport, launched Aerocinema - The Journey Begins for the movie lovers. The empty airport was converted into a drive-in theater and the festival kicked off with 160 vehicles on April 29. Each car was parked at a distance of two metres from one another with a maximum of two persons per vehicle.

Now church priests are offering drive-thru confessions after the blessing ceremony. The parking lot of St. Edward Church in Bowie (a city in Maryland, US), Father Scott Holmer listens to the confession every day according to the church's schedule. With a band covering his eyes, he sits on a chair, cars pull to him and people confess to him anonymously sitting in their cars. A six-feet distance is maintained between them.

This is the new way of getting blessings! Recently, more than a hundred parishioners in Maine, Bangor and Portland had the chance of getting blessed and seeing their clergy face to face for the first time in months. More than 125 cars turned up for the ceremony.

The best part of drive-in concerts is there’s no pushing and getting hurt! People sit in their cars and enjoy the concert through the big screen. Music lovers in Denmark can just park their cars at the designated venue and enjoy the music. Besides music, the stage also plays host to comedy shows, lectures, and other live events.

Who would have imagined dancing and swaying to the disco music in their cars ever? But it is happening in the German town of Schüttorf, where germans are partying from their cars while maintaining social distancing rules. The automobile disco trend is something new and innovative. Only 250 cars, with two people in each, are allowed to enter the venue.