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Stay at home

Re: Stay at home

Postby al78 » Tue Mar 31, 2020 5:19 pm

Raize wrote:I went for a walk during the lockdown.
Once.
I met more joggers and walkers on that one walk than I'd previously met in the last three months of doing the same route.
Everyone giving each other death stares and exaggerated clearance distances, holding breath.
People literally getting into physical fights over the two metres.
Now I stay in my flat.


After eight hours in front of a computer, I decided to go for a short walk yesterday evening. I live yards from a bridleway which leads to the Downs link.

It started off ok, then I came up against dog walker after dog walker after dog walker after dog walker after dog walker. Why do so many people in Horsham own a dog? I managed to maintain separation by stepping off the side of the bridleway when we needed to pass.

I found out what I wanted too, the bridleway used to be a narrow overgrown rough soggy mess. Since Broadbridge Heath has expanded to the south, it has been completely renovated with a wide hard surface, easily rideable even on a road bike with skinny tyres. It means in future if I want to head south on my bike, I can completely bypass the A29 Bognor road.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby al78 » Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:29 pm

The acts of desperation some will go too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-52125782

It would be easier if he could use a bicycle, he could do the trip in two days, three at most assuming he has the fitness.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Sunset tripper » Thu Apr 02, 2020 9:57 pm

A bit of clarification from the government on question time. Matt Hancock says there is nothing wrong with driving your car a short distance to then go for a walk. He said the important thing is not coming into contact with others. Also he said people getting out for exercise is vital for their physical and mental health.

Their is no definition given of a short distance, because it is not law I guess. Most will use common sense - wont they? :roll:
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Mal Grey » Thu Apr 02, 2020 10:47 pm

Sunset tripper wrote:A bit of clarification from the government on question time. Matt Hancock says there is nothing wrong with driving your car a short distance to then go for a walk. He said the important thing is not coming into contact with others. Also he said people getting out for exercise is vital for their physical and mental health.

Their is no definition given of a short distance, because it is not law I guess. Most will use common sense - wont they? :roll:


I missed this. Wonder if there's a transcript anywhere. I've been very good so far but could really do with going to quieter places just a couple of miles away for my own sanity as well as it being safer for all. Round here, though, its very much felt like Surrey Police are recommending zero driving, so might print it out! I guarantee I would meet far fewer people, but don't want to be seen to be encouraging others to drive about lots.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Sunset tripper » Thu Apr 02, 2020 11:31 pm

Hi Mal, it's now on the BBC iplayer - near the end of question time at 53.5 mins.
I dont know if the link below will work. :roll:

Question Time, 2020: 02/04/2020: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000gxw2 via @bbciplayer
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Mal Grey » Thu Apr 02, 2020 11:34 pm

Sunset tripper wrote:Hi Mal, it's now on the BBC iplayer - near the end of question time at 53.5 mins.
I dont know if the link below will work. :roll:

Question Time, 2020: 02/04/2020: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000gxw2 via @bbciplayer



Thanks!
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Raynor » Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:29 am

Mal Grey wrote:
Sunset tripper wrote:A bit of clarification from the government on question time. Matt Hancock says there is nothing wrong with driving your car a short distance to then go for a walk. He said the important thing is not coming into contact with others. Also he said people getting out for exercise is vital for their physical and mental health.

Their is no definition given of a short distance, because it is not law I guess. Most will use common sense - wont they? :roll:


I missed this. Wonder if there's a transcript anywhere. I've been very good so far but could really do with going to quieter places just a couple of miles away for my own sanity as well as it being safer for all. Round here, though, its very much felt like Surrey Police are recommending zero driving, so might print it out! I guarantee I would meet far fewer people, but don't want to be seen to be encouraging others to drive about lots.


In my local area, the council are shutting the usual car parking spots to stop this happening. The police are also actively sending people away if they drive to then go a walk. It's hard to justify driving as the advice is no non essential travel. I think the big issue here is actually the sheep mentality. If one person does it, it will snowball and everyone will do it. Unless you live in a very sparsely populated rural area, there are probably another 100 people that have the exact same 'quiet walk' in mind.

I just go out at 5am now. Problem solved :lol:
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Mal Grey » Fri Apr 03, 2020 9:53 am

Raynor wrote:
Mal Grey wrote:
Sunset tripper wrote:A bit of clarification from the government on question time. Matt Hancock says there is nothing wrong with driving your car a short distance to then go for a walk. He said the important thing is not coming into contact with others. Also he said people getting out for exercise is vital for their physical and mental health.

Their is no definition given of a short distance, because it is not law I guess. Most will use common sense - wont they? :roll:


I missed this. Wonder if there's a transcript anywhere. I've been very good so far but could really do with going to quieter places just a couple of miles away for my own sanity as well as it being safer for all. Round here, though, its very much felt like Surrey Police are recommending zero driving, so might print it out! I guarantee I would meet far fewer people, but don't want to be seen to be encouraging others to drive about lots.


In my local area, the council are shutting the usual car parking spots to stop this happening. The police are also actively sending people away if they drive to then go a walk. It's hard to justify driving as the advice is no non essential travel. I think the big issue here is actually the sheep mentality. If one person does it, it will snowball and everyone will do it. Unless you live in a very sparsely populated rural area, there are probably another 100 people that have the exact same 'quiet walk' in mind.

I just go out at 5am now. Problem solved :lol:



Exactly my thinking so far.

In recent days though, I've been increasingly exasperated at the numbers of people I'm having to negotiate in my local area; a canal towpath is the obvious way to walk to get "out" of my local estates, other routes include lots of pinch points too. Once I get a certain distance, 15 mins walk or so, I can find very quiet spots, its just that first bit.
So it was interesting to hear what Matt Hancock says as its turned my thinking around a bit - basically saying the "distancing" bit is key. I will mull it over and monitor how things progress, so I'll stay as I am for now. As you say, its encouraging others by your actions that can be the problem. The spots I have in mind are little known though, and about 3 miles away. And yes, the car parks are closed in most of the spots people will know.

I fancy going out at dawn too. However, I can't yet face the fact that once I return, I will then literally be stuck in the modest front room of my flat from breakfast until bedtime, so am currently breaking it late afternoon to split the length of sentence! :lol:

I am very aware I am better off than many, hence toeing the line 100% so far. Its just that hearing that gave me a little hope, perhaps.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Sunset tripper » Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:47 am

Hopefully the views on this are beginning to change. Staying at home is not the most important thing. Staying clear of others is more important. Most people should be able to walk from home and avoid people, but for some travelling a short distance in a car will be a better option.

I'm not sure if closing car parks is a great idea but I dont know the individual circumstances. Its difficult for the police because they dont really know the rules themselves.
In Inverness they are still travelling in twos in cars, which will probably make them very likely to be spreading the virus as much as anyone. Not a criticism but people notice these things - probably more communication needed to explain how they are operating and what they are doing to stop spreading the virus amongst themselves and the public.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Billbobaggins » Sat Apr 04, 2020 10:06 am

Sunset tripper wrote:Hopefully the views on this are beginning to change. Staying at home is not the most important thing. Staying clear of others is more important. Most people should be able to walk from home and avoid people, but for some travelling a short distance in a car will be a better option.

I'm not sure if closing car parks is a great idea but I dont know the individual circumstances. Its difficult for the police because they dont really know the rules themselves.
In Inverness they are still travelling in twos in cars, which will probably make them very likely to be spreading the virus as much as anyone. Not a criticism but people notice these things - probably more communication needed to explain how they are operating and what they are doing to stop spreading the virus amongst themselves and the public.

I’m sorry but I will have to disagree fundamentally with the highlighted sentence in your post. Clearly from all the guidance staying at home IS the most important thing. For the sake of my wife and all others sh1tting themselves on the front line of the NHS I would urge people to follow the clear advice which can be found everywhere.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby mrssanta » Sat Apr 04, 2020 10:19 am

if I may post my two pennorth as a frontline NHS worker who has spent the last three weeks trying to reinvent my GP practice and whose head is spinning with advice, guidance, directives, how to stop the staff panicking etc.

STAY AT HOME

The half hour of exercise we are "allowed" is to try and keep us all healthy so when we come out the other side we don't all end up unfit, fat, out of condition, barmy, murderous etc etc. Please don't try and think of ways to get round it. I realise I speak from a position of privilege as I live in a village with woods behind my house and I have a garden which needs a lot of work - and also I have a job to go to and am still being paid. But I also live close to a "honeypot" walking site and I am still seeing people on the top of Roseberry Topping on a regular basis. Despite the car park being closed.

This is serious folks. It's not like trying to get away with speeding or parking on a double yellow.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby jupe1407 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:44 pm

Has anyone actually defined how long this permitted exercise is supposed to be? MrsSanta mentions half an hour, I've seen others say one hour. Any government advice just seems to refer to a number of times you can take exercise, is once a day.

I only ask because I was recently taken to task via PM by someone for going out for 35 miles/2 hour bikes rides two or three times a week. Personally I see nothing wrong with this. It's only a couple of hours of a type of activity i am easily capable of, on the roads which are a maximum of 8 miles from my home. It's probably safer now to cycle now than ever, roads are noticeably much quieter.

I think this is quite symptomatic of the government's fear/inadequacy to make firm statements on anything. When BoJo finally announced a lockdown the other week, he made it pretty clear what the exceptions to staying at home were. But then virtually every job imaginable then became a key job, now we have Hancock saying you can actually drive a "Short" distance to go for a walk. One is almost tempted to think all this loose and non-enforced decision making (lol) is simply an attempt at herd immunity without having the stones to declare it as a policy.

As a final moan, if anything demonstrates how utterly crap society has become, it's a crisis like this. I've seen stories of foodbanks being broken into, foodbank trolleys in Tesco being rifled, folk bulk buying baby food and sticking it on ebay at 20x the price and social media has become a depressing mix of idiotic conspiracy theories, racism and self-appointed public health officials screaming blue murder at their neighbours for not following "guidelines". Yes, this can also bring out the good in people, but sadly it seems to bring out chronic attention-seekers to an all-too depressingly high degree.

PS, did some daftie actually demand WH be closed down? :shock: :lol:
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Re: Stay at home

Postby al78 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:45 pm

Billbobaggins wrote:
Sunset tripper wrote:Hopefully the views on this are beginning to change. Staying at home is not the most important thing. Staying clear of others is more important. Most people should be able to walk from home and avoid people, but for some travelling a short distance in a car will be a better option.

I'm not sure if closing car parks is a great idea but I dont know the individual circumstances. Its difficult for the police because they dont really know the rules themselves.
In Inverness they are still travelling in twos in cars, which will probably make them very likely to be spreading the virus as much as anyone. Not a criticism but people notice these things - probably more communication needed to explain how they are operating and what they are doing to stop spreading the virus amongst themselves and the public.

I’m sorry but I will have to disagree fundamentally with the highlighted sentence in your post. Clearly from all the guidance staying at home IS the most important thing. For the sake of my wife and all others sh1tting themselves on the front line of the NHS I would urge people to follow the clear advice which can be found everywhere.


He is right. Telling people to stay at home is done because it is easy to understand and follow, and it achieves the objective of keeping people separated. If the message was "keep away from others", that is far more difficult to follow, and would likely fail in its objective, because there is no way of knowing if a planned destination is going to be heavily populated or not. Logically, the key is to keep away from others to prevent transmission, stay at home is an extreme way of doing that. If I drove to Dalwhinnie, parked near the station, hiked to Culra Bothy and spent the weekend Munro bagging without encountering another person, the risk of me spreading the virus is the same as if I stayed at home, but it wouldn't be right to broadcast that such activities are ok, because you might then end up with 50 other people doing that.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby al78 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:49 pm

jupe1407 wrote:As a final moan, if anything demonstrates how utterly crap society has become, it's a crisis like this. I've seen stories of foodbanks being broken into, foodbank trolleys in Tesco being rifled, folk bulk buying baby food and sticking it on ebay at 20x the price and social media has become a depressing mix of idiotic conspiracy theories, racism and self-appointed public health officials screaming blue murder at their neighbours for not following "guidelines". Yes, this can also bring out the good in people, but sadly it seems to bring out chronic attention-seekers to an all-too depressingly high degree.

PS, did some daftie actually demand WH be closed down? :shock: :lol:


Crapness is widely broadcast in the media, so it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking everything is going down the toilet. Humans have always had a subsection of scum, now, and in the past, I don't care what the nostalgia biased elderly like to claim.
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Re: Stay at home

Postby Sgurr » Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:26 pm

Careful how you cycle. We got out our bikes for the first time in 4 years and husband is now in the "not the orthopaedic ward" of the local hospital with a broken hip and arm. One of the bits of "collateral damage" of the epidemic. We would otherwise have been walking sedately in Grasmere and bothered no one. Feel very shamefaced at bothering the NHS at this time.
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