There are two kinds of social distancing.

1. An effort to prevent the spread of the Wuhan Virus by encouraging people to maintain physical distance from each other.

2. A totalitarian social hysteria which has seen people arrested for surfing and a crackdown on drive-in church services that has nothing medical or rational to it. The “Stay at Home” shrill hysteria is not medical. It’s hysterical.

How, some Marylanders are asking, is boating a threat to anyone?

“It’s completely safe to be out on the water by yourself if you’re taking the normal boating precautions,” said fishing guide Steve Chaconas of NationalBass.com.

Chaconas is among the fishermen and boaters who have been inundating Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources with appeals and comments asking for modifications of Governor Larry Hogan’s stay-at-home order.

“How am I violating social distancing when I go fishing, by myself, on my boat, from my house?” wrote Maryland fisherman Scott Sewell to his state delegate.

Maryland Natural Resources Police Superintendent G. Adrian Baker said officers are taking action and have written citations to alleged violators who do not comply with requests to obey the orders.

So we’re back to the farce of somebody in a boat being stopped by an officer who are violating actual social distancing in the process.

Yes to biking, jogging, hiking, walking, and kayaking for exercise – keeping your distance and wearing a mask in public

No to golf, recreational boating and sport fishing 

So kayaking is allowed, boating isn’t. Jogging is allowed, even though you’re much more likely to encounter people.

These aren’t rules based on firm evidence. This is social hysteria.