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Covid

Overreacting about Walker getting too close?

6 replies

Secondchild2019 · 20/04/2020 09:47

Yesterday I went for a walk around where i live with DH and 3 year old DS who was on his bike. We encountered a few fellow walkers or cyclists, the majority of who either crossed over or we did the same to keep a good distance.

We saw one lady in the distance who crossed over. Just as we got close to where she was on the other side of the road, she crossed over so she was directly in out path meaning we had no time to move other than stand as far as we could to the side on a narrow pavement. She then stopped and started asking for directions. DS is naturally friendly and inquisitive so rolled his bike towards her to say hello and I had to try and pull him back. She started to make a joke about how he needed to keep his distance - after she'd walked right over to us Angry I tried to keep as far away as I could whilst managing DS and politely let her know we didn't know the address. She then kept engaging in conversation with DS and made a joke about me eating all the ice cream (heavily pregnant...) Hmm

I just don't understand why you would do this int the current situation. Especially when we've got a young child who won't fully understand what to do. I'm probably being overly cautious due to pregnancy but it's made me really cross and worried in case she has passed something on?

I was probably about 2 metres from her, DS maybe got a little closer and conversation no more than 1 min.

Not long later, someone else did similar but didn't stop to talk. Think that's my daily walk over and done with as far too stressful!! Grin

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SophieB100 · 20/04/2020 10:10

Oh OP, don't stop your daily walk because of this one off lady!
I'm sure you are both fine, but I understand your anxiety, of course I do.
My dad is the same, when I drop stuff off on his doorstep. He keeps coming towards me, and I have to end up stepping back! Ended up in his hedge last time! I think some older people (and I'm not having a go at them, just speaking from the ones I shop for) really struggle to understand the 2 metre thing. I went to the Co Op this morning, and an older man in there was chatting to the checkout lady, and kept walking in front of his 2m line. I don't think it's personal, just tricky.
But please keep going for your walk, and if you do encounter this again, be a bit more forceful if you need too.
Hope you're pregnancy goes well x

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User2764689 · 20/04/2020 10:13

How do you think she'd have passed something on?

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WorraLiberty · 20/04/2020 10:20

Unless she was touching your DS or coughing and spluttering, I can't see her being able to pass anything on in that situation.

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Secondchild2019 · 20/04/2020 11:39

Thank you @SophieB100, I need to work on my assertiveness! Will try not to let it put me off my walks Smile

I'm sure she wouldn't have passed anything on, I've just become over paranoid about the 2 metre rule you keep hearing and have mainly been cocooned in my bubble at home so anything outside of that is causing far more anxiety that it should!

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P1nkHeartLovesCake · 20/04/2020 11:47

Blimey this crisis is really getting to some people. The paranoia some are experiencing

Having picked anything up from this women in the situation you describe is so unlikely, just forget about it.

She didn’t lick any of you
You don’t say she was coughing
You don’t say she hugged your DS
Presumably you and DS washed your hands properly on the return home

God yes still take the poor child out for a walk, fresh air is good for him, maybe buy a mask for yourself if it would make you feel better? You can even get ones for dc if you think he’d keep it on?

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Deelish75 · 20/04/2020 14:18

She might just be a bit socially unaware, but I find what she said to you about “eating all the ice cream” and about your 3 yr old “needing to keep his distance” quite a strange (almost goady) thing to say to someone. Unfortunately there are people who take pleasure in rubbing people up the wrong way and I think the current situation is feeling this pleasure. I had a similar situation in my local park a couple of weeks ago, both DS (10) and I felt it was deliberate and it we did feel uncomfortable afterwards.

I think (even if she was infectious) it was probably too shorter time frame for her pass anything on to you - I believe you have to be standing close together for about 15mins to stand any real chance of catching anything. And she didn’t make physical contact with you and you didn’t touch anything that she had just been touching - which is the most common way to catch Covid.

Keep taking your child out, don’t let her spoil it for you.

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