DH wants to drop gifts off in tier 4area

[Joditaylorfan]

We are fortunate enough to be in tier 2.

He claims it will be a doorstop, well distanced visit (with 4 households).

He also claims that it will be safer than me visiting a supermarket, here.

He's pretty determined. Fairly sure he will silk if I absolutely insist he doesn't go, he's grumpy enough and I don't need that.

Posting for a handhold really!

@Genderwitched

Mil and Fil drove over yesterday, we are both tier 4, pilled up outside the house, popped the boot open, and Dh took the present bag out and put ours in.

The kids stood 1m away from the sealed car and I took pictures, the Grans appreciated them and I am sure that they will give us all a laugh in the years to come. It was too late and the presents too heavy to send. I am all for following the rules, and indeed we have, and the Grans are sticklers, so we are comfortable with it.

We did this too. Very easy to be judgemental from the luxury of lower tiers about gift exchange when you’ll still be able to have a pretty decent Christmas with other family members, presents, food and drink you’ve ordered and sorted whereas we are all stuck indoors with no presents, no other company, limited or changed food and drink and being judged for even stepping out of our front door.

I agree that the rules are stupid. But I've followed them since the start. And made personal sacrices to do so. And I'm not able to see my family at Christmas either. We have posted our gifts.

@Bluesheep8

I agree that the rules are stupid. But I've followed them since the start. And made personal sacrices to do so. And I'm not able to see my family at Christmas either. We have posted our gifts.

I’d have posted ours if it were possible, but alas amongst the 34 items included:

A large standing toolbox complete with tools
An already assembled Ikea toy kitchen plus all the accessories
12 bottles of champagne, 2 port, 2 sloe gin, 1 cognac
A balance bike
A chimnea

Not exactly easy to post this late in the day..

@MedusasBadHairDay

I do enjoy the, "oh no its dangerous to see people outside at a distance, go to the post office instead".

I understand the posters who are saying "don't do it, just don't bother with presents until it's all over" more, at least they are consistent.

Agree. The people suggesting posting clearly a) have 0 idea that the post won't get there in time b) are quite happy with people spending hours queuing with randoms....

Doing a quick doorstep drop from the car must be a lot less risky than joining that queue

Me and the folks are in two neighbouring tier 4 areas. DF will drive over on boxing day and we'll do a present swap from a couple of metres apart.

Compared to queueing in the Post Office, I'm sorry, but this is safer, and while I'm going to stay socially distanced from everyone like they've asked, this is one thing we're just going to do.

@Joditaylorfan

Yes he is sensible, and will keep his distance.

Could you all go in the evening and look at the lights too? Then you'd know he's been sensible!

@Megan2018

Yes, I see your issue from that list. I think the difference here is that myself and my family (we live a 3 hour drive from eachother) had made the decision that we weren't going to see eachother over Christmas, even when we all thought the 5 day window would happen. DP and I are working up to the end of the day on Christmas eve so the window was reduced anyway. This meant that I was always going to post presents.
I do feel very sorry for those who fully intended to make use of the window that had been promised and bought gifts accordingly so yes, I can understand your predicament now.

I’m in a similar position; I’m 30 minutes drive from my parents but they’re in tier 4. I deliberately chose the cheapest delivery for an online gift which won’t get to me til Christmas Eve; my plan had been to drive on Thursday for a quick gift drop off.

Realistically it could be months before I’m allowed to enter their area officially. I could spend more than the entire drive in a post office queue.

I have stuck to the rules, I’m not planning (and nor had I) anything organised over Christmas break.

Normally I can handle mumsnet crazies but this thread makes me want to cry. People would rather people queue inside a fucking post office to spend ridiculous amounts of money on postage for something that won’t arrive on time than allow someone to drive to drop off some presents with no contact. Fuck me I’m speechless.

Actually, no I’m not. Yesterday I had DPD deliveries x2, the postman, AMAZON x2 AND DHL deliver to my house. In one day. Where, pray tell, do you think these people have come from and are going? I can tell you for free I watch them drive over the border to a Tier 2 area with zero fucks given. My parcel was labelled 101. Back and forwards they go. With their face masks on their chin or still in their van. But you’re happy to tell someone they can’t deliver a present to their parents. Get to fuck.

@CheckMyLeftPhalange

Normally I can handle mumsnet crazies but this thread makes me want to cry. People would rather people queue inside a fucking post office to spend ridiculous amounts of money on postage for something that won’t arrive on time than allow someone to drive to drop off some presents with no contact. Fuck me I’m speechless.

Actually, no I’m not. Yesterday I had DPD deliveries x2, the postman, AMAZON x2 AND DHL deliver to my house. In one day. Where, pray tell, do you think these people have come from and are going? I can tell you for free I watch them drive over the border to a Tier 2 area with zero fucks given. My parcel was labelled 101. Back and forwards they go. With their face masks on their chin or still in their van. But you’re happy to tell someone they can’t deliver a present to their parents. Get to fuck.

Agree with you. It’s nuts.

@Bluesheep8 we never planned to do anything in the Christmas bubbles either-it was always going to be everyone sticking to their own household as we never thought it was safe. But we always planned a socially distanced present swap with a video call opening. So we can still do that now

There is no law stopping anyone from entering or leaving a tier 4 area actually - no mention in the regulations at all about travel restrictions. Perhaps it should be illegal, but it isn’t.

All the tier stuff is mental. It's not the bloody hunger games.

It is illegal to leave a tier 4 area unless for one of the stated exceptions @ceeveebee.

It is illegal though

@sofiaaaaaa most if us thought we were spending xmas with our families just a few days ago so it wasn't stupid not to send them
They could be in a tier 2 area just a few miles from the drop of to tier 4
I am a tier 2 area we dropped presents to some at weekend and plan to drop some tomorrow as with work etc we have been busy
I love on border of 2 counties so if one suddenly went in to a higher tier without warning then I would be screwed , no one see tier 4 coming

Dropping gifts off on a doorstep is less hazardous than queuing up to spend 5 minutes in a stuffy, busy post office.

He technically shouldn’t but I think it sounds safe and I’d let him given the absence of viable alternatives this side of Christmas

@CheckMyLeftPhalange exactly and how many people have touched that parcel
Im not one to wipe my parcels down even but can't see how putting presents on someone's doorstep is more unsafe than going into a post office with others and then that parcel being handled by multiple people , plus like you say delivery drivers will be going in and out of tiers I imagine especially if you are just a few miles from a different tier

Posting the gifts means going to a post office and thus more risk than a socially distanced drop off, so in this instance I'd be inclined to use common sense.

@MinnieMountain

It is illegal to leave a tier 4 area unless for one of the stated exceptions *@ceeveebee*.

Have you read the regulations? There is nothing in there about travelling to or from a tier 4 area

It is illegal for a person living in tier 4 to leave their home other than one of the exceptions. It is not illegal for a person to leave or enter tier 4 areas.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374/schedule/3A

Hence why the guidance uses “should” not “must”

“Travelling to a Tier 4 area from a Tier 1, 2 or 3 area
You should not travel into a Tier 4 area from another part of the UK

We are tier 4. My sister is my parent's one household. household

I'll take down the presents we have bought jointly. Put them outside, ring the doorbell, go out on the road and my sister will take them in. I'll then speak to them from the road.

I assume my presents will be placed outside. They will go in, I'll put my presents in my car, wait on the road, they'll come out and then I'll go home. It will be a bit difficult as my DM is deaf but if that is what must be done to keep them safe then so be it.

can you do it without stopping anywhere? No fuel, no snacks, no toilet stop?

will you drop off and stand WELL BACK before they open the door? Will you remain at least 2 metres away? (there is some maths in this)

this thing is incredibly contagious and a reminder that it can be carried on surfaces. And you do not have to be old to get very ill.

So I can’t drop off some presents on my parents’ doorstep but I can drop my child off on the same doorstep for childcare one week later and drive from a Tier 4 to a Tier 2, spend 8 hours working and drive back again. Hmmm