I didn't do anything wrong....did I?

[Funkyslippers]

DD desperate to see her friend who lives a few streets away. She made brownies and we dropped them on her doorstep, went back onto the pavement around 12 feet away, DD called her and she came to the door, took the brownies and said thank you.

They then call each other while we're walking home (social distancing all the way but not many people around) and her older sister shouts in the background "her mum let her do that? That was stupid!!!" meaning we shouldn't have brough the brownies round to her house. I couldn't see anything wrong with it. I mean, the postman delivers mail to houses each day. Am I missing something? Or is she worried about eating contaminated food - we washed our hands thoroughly during the process.

I wouldn't be eating them during this pandemic, how do they know you haven't touched them since coming out the oven!?

This is a time for supporting one another. It feels sad that we are sometimes being a bit too harsh to one another in our interpretation of the social distancing rules

I agree - but we are supporting people in the best way possible by not putting anyone at risk unnecessarily. You can show support from a distance - and it also means the lockdown ends sooner! This is the best thing you can do for anyone, surely!

Ethel avoiding this specific situation won't change the duration of the lockdown, unfortunately.

It's just not where the risk is.

@Cissyandflora OK. My intelligence (which you may be belittling, but you're so passive aggressive about it it's hard to tell: easier if you just tell me I'm thick, if that's what you're thinking?) tells me that the fresh produce in the shop has probably been handled by many human hands. All potential contaminants. So nobody should be buying or selling fresh produce.

What d'you think? Yay or nay? Everything should be pre-packaged.

I personally think people are deluded if they think they aren't going to catch it. Most of us will catch it. We are locking down to stop us getting it at the same time.

It is a really kind thing to do, and even if they don't eat the cookies, the thought was there. You were walking as part of your usual walking/exercise time so no worries there.

@Ethelfleda - thank you. I am getting seriously fucked off with the mentality of a growing list of people!

I am a practical person, not prone to histrionics, and do not catastrophic possible life scenarios. Nor am I a curtain twitcher or itching to report all and sundry for a billion scenarios in everyday life.

But the level of stupid threads/comments/posts makes me frigging despair. SO many people finding little ways to justify why doing anything outside of that simple statement. Yes, this whole thing is a total pile of shit for everyone - whatever your family/non-family situation. I don’t have kids, but can try to imagine how hard it must be to be so restricted with them, they must miss their friends horribly and are going through a surreal period of fear and uncertainty.

We are being asked to do a very very very simple thing. Unfortunately, it seems that some very very very simple people cannot push themselves to do this.

I’ve seen on MN before the sarcastic/joking phrase along the lines of “oh, but think of the children”. Well, in this crisis I’d actually say this seriously. Because otherwise, the future lives for your kids is going to be seriously fucked - more people will sadly die, the virus is going to be around longer, restrictions are going to be around longer (and probably get even more restrictive).

Just watching the coffins being loaded on army trucks in Italy. I don’t want anyone on here to go through having that be the reality for anyone they know and love.

Again, in the greater scheme of things, what is being asked of us is NOT difficult. But the more you guys find those little kinks and bends, the more you are guilty of devastating every single person working on the NHS frontline.

I said this before on another thread - I couldn’t give a flying fuck through a rolling donut how people try to justify things - it’s completely selfish.

There is also ZERO evidence of covid 19 being transmitted through the consumption of food

No it is just commonsense! It could be transmitted for the reasons I gave above. I am not waiting for a study to prove it is OK or not - which is hardly a priority at the moment.

Furries

I agree with almost everything in your post....

- it’s completely selfish

But my caveat: it's completely selfish if it causes a risk. This didn't.

@Eckhart no I’m not saying you are stupid. But I suppose I am saying that not everyone is taking this seriously. We haven’t been given instruction to go out. It’s a concession. Because the government doesn’t want people fighting back. They are appealing to people’s common sense and asking that people stay home whenever possible.
Re the fruit and vegetables- absolutely was everything you can. Throw packaging when you can. This is very contagious. That’s all we know so we need to do our best.

You are allowed a walk a day. There is no government advice that I have seen that says you are not allowed to eat something someone else made? Maybe I'm wrong, but as far as I know I'm following the advice perfectly.
I've actually just been googling like mad, and the only stuff I can see is things like 'easy meals to cook for your elderly neighbours' and 'is take away safe' type things.
I'm going to ask at work tomorrow. Genuinely don't want to make anyone ill, obviously, but I have never heard that you can't eat home made food.

It wasn’t essential was it? Sometimes we have to tell our children “NO”

That family could be doing everything they can to reduce risk, but then you hand-delivered yet another thing for them to negotiate right on their doorstep. For some it would be well meaning but a bit daft, for others downright annoying.

Cissy

This is very contagious

What's very contagious? The virus, absolutely.

Packaging for food. Very much less so.

The actual scientific, public health advice is: wash your hands. Avoid touching your face.

Yes, you need to be careful but not to the extent of being neurotic. Just follow the advice. Wash your hands.

The going outside isn't a concession. It's actually recommended we watch our physical & mental health at this point. Specific points about the dangers of isolation for vulnerable & older people have been made in this country. (Of course technology helps but people staying indoors totally is NOT recommended or sensible.)

I can appreciate your worry but your posts and unfounded advice are a bit worrying.

I think the thing is what happens if everyone decides to start making cakes for their friends and dropping them off at their houses?

So, Cissy, you're saying that we should be more cautious than the government guidelines, because we should have more common sense than that?

And could you rephrase this:
Re the fruit and vegetables- absolutely was everything you can. Throw packaging when you can. This is very contagious. That’s all we know so we need to do our best

I don't understand.

You shouldn't be taking brownies round to house, it isn't essential.

This.

Also, any post that arrives stays in a quarantine for a day. And I certainly don't eat my post (unlike your brownies)!!

@EarringsandLipstick yes, the virus. Contagious.

Yes Lippy

I think the thing is what happens if everyone decides to start making cakes for their friends and dropping them off at their houses?

Then we probably have a problem. But it's unlikely. Really really unlikely.

So the point stands: OP (long gone, God love her 😂) did nothing wrong, today.

Of course it's fine but YABU for asking on here!

Cissy
yes, the virus. Contagious.

Not via packaging, significantly. Just wash your hands. All that's needed.

@EarringsandLipstick - thank you, it may not be a high risk, but it is still a risk and it’s not essential.

That is what is worrying me - all the little small risk and not essentials going on, multiplied all across the country. They all add up and I would much rather that everyone reined it in to try to help stem this.

I really really really am not an alarmist, and I much prefer everyone be left to live their lives their own way as I try really hard not to judge anyone’s life choices, but I also really really really want everyone to try to help as much as possible.

Taking the risk of dropping of essential food/medication to vulnerable groups is ok - it’s a risk a lot of people are having to take and accept. Baking brownies to drop off is not an essential risk. That’s the difference in my eyes.

I’m feeling sad today. There are so many ways I want to help those I love, but I’m just trying to minimise my impact on everyone around me and in my life.

Think I’m going to leave it here now. Don’t want to be seen as a joy-sucker or a preacher. And to those being driven mad by trying to keep your kids happy and stimulated - I send you stack loads of gin (I’ve heard it’s great for helping them to sleep) 🤣

Earrings makes an important point about physical and mental wellbeing.

I’m on the continent, so in lockdown under different rules. But we are all in this for the long haul. The purpose of the lockdown is not to stop people catching the virus - it’s been quoted that 80% of us will get it. The purpose is to avoid the vulnerable getting it and stop too many people getting it at once. The chances that schools will stay shut in the UK until September is very real. Some of the people on this thread suggesting we should stay at home and not go out at all are being very unrealistic as to how achievable that is in the long-term and neglecting the impact that has on our mental and physical wellbeing. A vaccine isn’t going to be available for 12-18 months (unless you believe Donald Trump) - are you going to stay indoors and only get online food shops until then?

Those of you who say no to brownies, what would you do in this situation - DS' friend's mum dropped off a birthday present on the doorstep for DS' 6th birthday early next week. (I have no idea whether she made a special trip or was passing en route to supermarket, either is plausible). Would you let DS have the present, or destroy it as non essential?