COVID DIARIES NYC.

• Author: Sullum, Jacob
• Position: DOCUMENTARY

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, recently described a psychological experiment that found "moral judgments Impact perceived risks from COVID-19 exposure." The HBO documentary COVID Diaries NYC, which assembles contributions from five young filmmakers, provides further evidence to support that hypothesis.

Late one night, 21-year-old Marcial Pilataxi Is hanging out on a Manhattan street with a few friends when they are accosted by an angry, inebriated cyclist. After stopping and throwing his bicycle down in disgust, he berates them for congregating without face masks, thereby endangering their grandmothers.

The rant is comical, since biking while intoxicated is hardly a model of safe behavior and the drunk guy is not wearing a mask either. But Pilataxi takes the admonition to heart and later tearfully apologizes to his grandmother at the apartment they share for not thinking of her welfare. He promises to stop going out with his...