A 28-year-old living in Brooklyn has put a new spin on dating as a number of states across the U.S. have imposed social distancing and stay-at-home orders due to coronavirus.
When photographer Jeremy Cohen saw a girl dancing on the rooftop of a building across the way in Bushwick, he wanted to say hi to her. So he taped his phone number to a drone and sent it over.
“It was really nice out that day, so people were chilling on their rooftops exercising, doing their thing,” Cohen told Good Morning America. “[I saw] this girl dancing and she’s on the rooftop right across from me. I had never met her before. I yelled over... but she couldn’t really hear and we just wave at each other.”
The woman on the receiving end of the drone was 23-year-old Tori Cignarella. “I was actually hanging out with my roommate … and I was actually doing the dance from High School Musical,” Cignarella told the show. She was apparently doing the dance to the song “We’re All in this Together.”
“I was not expecting to get a phone number out of it,” she continued. “We could see his balcony pretty clearly from where we were on the roof and he basically just kind of shouted over to me.”
After Cohen sent over the drone, Cignarella texted him. Since then, the two have been texting and even went on a date earlier this week. Cohen observed social distancing and outfitted himself in an inflatable bubble.
“We’ve been talking and it’s kind of crazy, but we’re going to go on a virtual date or something… I’m still trying to figure out if I’m trying to be romantic about it, but also clever about it for the internet,” he told GMA prior to the bubble date.
“[The response] feels surreal, especially since I’m quarantined all alone in my apartment,” he said “This story can bring positivity out of a negative situation.”
On Sunday, New York City announced that it will issue fines to people who don't follow social distancing guidelines, particularly because it's become a COVID-19 hot spot. Fines will range between $250 to $500 and will only be used as a last resort.
