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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

'Stay local to exercise' is rubbish

655 replies

ThePants999 · 27/03/2020 18:56

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52062209

Taking public transport to start your exercise is obviously counterproductive.

Driving to somewhere where loads of other people are also going to exercise is not exactly ideal.

Driving to somewhere in the middle of nowhere to go for a walk? Not only is that perfectly safe, I'm going to assert that it's BETTER than walking from your house, especially if you live in a built-up area.

AIBU? And if I'm being U - why? How am I endangering anyone by going out to the countryside by car instead of walking round my town?

OP posts:
waterlego · 29/03/2020 22:04

I walked my dog on the beach today in a hailstorm. Hardly saw anyone, funnily enough 😆

RarePackOfLooRoll · 29/03/2020 23:22

" If I break down ( unlikely, my car is 3 months old) I can press a button to summon help. If I get in an accident there’s an emergency button. I won’t be interacting with anyone."

Really??? And then what happens after you press the button??? A robot comes to your aid or people??

susandelgado · 30/03/2020 02:09

@RarePackOfLooRoll I stay in my car with the windows shut and communicate through the glass Wink

nononever · 30/03/2020 08:22

Ican see there will be a big increase in births from the end of the year

Either that or divorce lawyers will be busy.

I haven't read the entire thread but can see the poll results. All car parks at beauty spots near me have been closed but some idiots have ripped down the barriers. We have been advised to stay local for exercise and that's what we are doing as well as exercising at home. My husband has to carry a letter in case he gets stopped by police enroute to work and back as he is unable to work from home and classed as an essential worker.

nononever · 30/03/2020 08:25

I stay in my car with the windows shut and communicate through the glass

Well let's hope in your smugness that your car doesn't break down to the point it needs towed to a garage, the horror of not being able to communicate through glass in that scenario Wink

Xenia · 30/03/2020 08:47

By the way it is not just essential workers who should work - it is everyone unless they are on a limited list in the regs or where they could otherwise work from home - www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/contents/made

billysboy · 30/03/2020 08:55

A friend of mine out riding her horse yesterday , I cannot believe it really

Think through the scenario of falling off and injuring yourself then the ambulance out and a trip to a n e Utter selfishness

I accept you are not going to fall off every time but if you dont get on you wont fall off , simple

Xenia · 30/03/2020 08:59

We live right by a local riding stables. They have to exercise the horses or would you rather we shot and ate them?

NemophilistRebel · 30/03/2020 09:02

Expiry date on the new legislation is 6 months Shock
Please say it could be lifted before then

Willyoujustbequiet · 30/03/2020 09:05

Yabvu

Its about the risk to others and the strain on emergency services if you were to break down/have an accident

Are people really this clueless?

jasjas1973 · 30/03/2020 09:08

If you can't ride a horse, then don't jog, ride a bicycle or do any DIY oh and don't walk the dog... you might trip over the lead

Horses need exercise.

CarlottaValdez · 30/03/2020 09:12

We’ve seen loads of horses being exercised round the roads this week. I think because the park they normally ride round is busier. I can’t see any problem with this, it’s exercise for the rider and horse.

Xenia · 30/03/2020 09:13

Nemo, it will be in terms of lock down but there may need to be future lock downs which is why the Government wanted 2 years but to get it passed in Parliament it had to provide for a review after 6 months. Also there is the Coronavirus Act 2020 and then separately some Feb 2020 regulations and then the main regulations about lockdown Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 and probably more and will be more to come as situations change. Solicitors will be trying to keep checks and balances as usual on the state in case power is abused although it is very difficult times eg in world war 2 I think people had to carry ID at all times - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Registration_Act_1939 probably the only time in British history that as ever been required but it was lifted after the war.

NemophilistRebel · 30/03/2020 09:19

So they know we will be lockdown for 6 months but only offering mortgage holiday and furlough of 3 months? What happens at 3 months? Sad

bodgeitandscarper · 30/03/2020 09:19

Horses can be turned away or lunged/free schooled, riding is not essential. I'm not saying that horses shouldn't be ridden, but I know more horses that are rarely ridden and certainly fewer that are ridden daily that will suddenly keel over if they dont get their daily exercise!

cloudspotter · 30/03/2020 09:20

The would-be fascists are showing their true colours over corona.

I think this too. I have tried both. We don't live near any "beauty spots" but there are quieter places to walk and exercise within 5 minutes drive. I've also walked from my house. It is much safer for me (and others) to seek out an open space than to stick to the very busy areas and have to constantly cross the road to avoid people on pavements - or worse - not manage to avoid them.

I'm desperately trying to avoid proximity to people, so if I see somewhere is rammed with cars/people I would drive on to somewhere quieter but also local.

To those whingeing about their private space/village I have very little sympathy I'm afraid. It's not so much what you are saying, it's the way you are saying it. You are dehumanising people from elsewhere as though they are virus-carrying rats.

They are no more or less likely to have it than you. It seems to have brought out selfishness and NIMBYism, which are common human traits, but that doesn't mean they are right. If we are all supposed to be locked down in our homes almost all day, how does other people walking in your village affect you? If you're indoors like you are supposed to be, it's an irrelevance.

However, the damage that is being done by the nasty sentiments will last much longer. It shows how many misanthropes live out there in the country.

And there are massive shades of grey in this discussion. The common sense of closing the Lake District with its one hospital does not compare to stopping people living in flats in densely packed areas from seeking out a quieter place to walk or cycle.

Dulra · 30/03/2020 09:27

It does sound really logical what you suggest op but the point of the restrictions is to contain a virus. For all you know you could be living in an area that has a cluster. You are driving to an area that, as yet doesn't have the virus. If you meet even one person on your walk 15 miles away you have spread it to another area and thus started a new cluster. I know it seems so unlikely but even still it could happen. By getting people to stay local they are keeping the virus out of areas where it isn't and containing it in areas where it is.
Fgs it is only a few weeks of your life - Stay home and stay local!

babydogandi · 30/03/2020 10:00

@NemophilistRebel as at the moment it is still only the 3 week period I'd imagine that rules will be changed when the government have a better idea of what they are going to do. At the moment the 3 month period covers the 12 weeks people were asked to self isolate for. If we are made to self isolate for longer it would make sense they will review this. But put it in place now and people will panic thinking we will be in lock down for the number of months they have given relief for

LittleRootie · 30/03/2020 10:14

To those whingeing about their private space/village I have very little sympathy I'm afraid. It's not so much what you are saying, it's the way you are saying it. You are dehumanising people from elsewhere as though they are virus-carrying rats.

Totally agree

TheLadyAnneNeville · 30/03/2020 10:15

@LittleRootie, agreed. It’s awful.

LittleRootie · 30/03/2020 10:19

If you meet even one person on your walk 15 miles away you have spread it to another area and thus started a new cluster

But the point of going to the other area is to avoid people and, if you do see someone, it's easier to avoid having any contact with them.

If you stay in your area with the 'cluster' and more people competing for space, you are far more likely to pick up the virus yourself and pass it on so increasing the number of cases.

The purpose of the measure isn't all about not spreading the virus to other areas, it's about 'flattening the curve' - i.e. trying to limit the speed of spread/number of cases overall. From the above two examples it seems obvious to me which presents the greater risk.

LittleRootie · 30/03/2020 10:20

And I haven't seen anyone here say they are driving 15 miles - you have pulled that out of nowhere.

bodgeitandscarper · 30/03/2020 12:11

Except in our village it was actually impossible to get out of our home and go for a walk because it was full of visitors, dog walkers, cyclists and people having barbecues, the path is only a metre wide in places, so made distancing impossible. Why should residents not be able to go outside in their own area because its full of people having a good time?

OtterPotter · 30/03/2020 13:07

I completely agree with OP and PP on this. I've really been struggling with it.

I live in a rural area. Lots of walks around my village, but given that many of them are up a hill, I have been driving literally 5 minutes to park up the hill, then doing my walk from there. I have literally never seen another person on any of the walks that I do.

My friend - who up until the lockdown was still going to the pub, and who goes to the village shop 3 times a day and meets up with friends, has been telling me I'm wrong for getting in the car to go for a walk.

She says that it's against the rules (it really isn't, I've checked the legislation, it says NOTHING about driving). My argument is that if I walked within the village, I risk coming into contact with lots of other people, children etc, whereas by driving out of the way I'm keeping myself and others safer.

She's also decided that it's immoral for people to walk on any public footpaths that involve opening gates or going over styles "because it might cause the farmers to panic". In our village, surrounded by farmland, ALL of the public footpaths involve gates and styles apart from one. So I asked whether she really thinks it's better for every person in the village to walk that same path... or whether it's better for people to spread out and find a quiet place away from everyone.

I'm avoiding footpaths that go directly through a farm out of respect for the residents. But footpaths that use gates that farmers may use, well I'm afraid I can't see any problem with that. We ALL have to assume any gate we touch might be contaminated, and im afraid farmers will have to wear gloves and wash their hands just like the rest of us do whenever we touch a shop door or a shopping trolley.

Her constant criticism (it's happening every time I tell her about a walk I've been on), is really grinding me down. My DH is a frontline emergency services worker, about to return to shift, and I just wanted to enjoy some nice walks with him before he went away.

RarePackOfLooRoll · 30/03/2020 20:39

According to my local social media pretty much anywhere pretty has been sealed off with cones and tape by our local police.
Woodland walks, beach, coastal walks, commons and parkland. Foot paths haves also been closed. All the car parks and laybys/parking bays by these places also closed by the police.

Some aren't even recognised neautybspots just little places locals know.

I'm assuming in my area this means they dont want people travelling to these places.