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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:
Scarletoharaseyebrows · 27/03/2020 20:10

Winter Hill was on fire again this afternoon. Firefighters in their droves having to put out fires in the beautiful countryside on my doorstep because people wanted to come for a drive.
Go away.

SnakePlant · 27/03/2020 20:10

I live in a grotty area and I’m going out once a day for a walk. My goal is to get exercise rather than taking in the scenery right now. I’ve encountered about 10 people today in the hour I was out. When they didn’t budge out the way I was able to step into the deserted road to keep my distance. I’ve not used my car for over a week now. It’s not pleasant and I’d prefer to be in the park but I’m frightened of both getting CV and passing it on so I’m doing what I’m being asked to do.

JoshArcherStoleMyTractor · 27/03/2020 20:10

I live by the coast, five minutes walking distance from my house is the sea, I can't go there despite having spent two weeks now in absolute quarantine, before returning to front line work, because last weekend it was mobbed by idiots driving here. Our local council have now cordened huge areas off and have put out warnings regarding fines for anyone who even walks there. Stay where you live stop spreading things, only travel at all if it is essential. Not a tricky concept.

Teateaandmoretea · 27/03/2020 20:11

OP, don't bother, all reason left the building approximately seven days ago

^^totally agree

We are going to have to live as normal again at some point, god knows how their anxiety will cope

StCharlotte · 27/03/2020 20:11

I agree with you. But at the same time, if everyone did it it wouldn't work like that..

Which is precisely what happened last weekend.

Callcentreworker23 · 27/03/2020 20:11

I put YABU

People in our local town are coming to my area for their runs/dog walks as they want to be safer. Which means people around me aren't now going out as we don't want to bump into people as it is getting quite busy with runners and families on the paths.

Cohle · 27/03/2020 20:11

People only have an obligation to comply with the law.

Sure, if you want to be the sort of tosser who refuses to comply with public health advice during a pandemic.

The police were, it turns out, interpreting the advice perfectly correctly.

LaurieMarlow · 27/03/2020 20:12

You don't have a right to travel to a nice park or woodland or beach to do your exercise

Show me where that's stated in law.

Cherrysoup · 27/03/2020 20:12

Not an essential journey so yabu. The more cars on the road, the greater the risk of accidents. It’s a very simple equation and if people persistently demand their ‘rights’ and insist on travelling to whatever local beauty spot to exercise, police will turn you away or legislation will tighten up like in France where they’ve said 400m from your front door, I believe, plus only for one hour. Those deciding to travel for non-essential purposes will cause this to happen in the U.K.

LaurieMarlow · 27/03/2020 20:13

Stay where you live stop spreading things, only travel at all if it is essential. Not a tricky concept.

I'm much more likely to spread stuff if I stay where I live.

Genevieva · 27/03/2020 20:13

@Teateaandmoretea it seems you can't understand it though. The government has stated:

"stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily"

This virus is a silent killer. You might have it with no symptoms. It can survive airborne for 3 hours and on metal surfaces like gates for 3 days. Then someone else ignores the advice, takes the virus home unwittingly, passes it on and someone you don't know dies. All because you don't think the guidelines on avoiding all unnecessary travel apply to you or to rural locations.

cologne4711 · 27/03/2020 20:14

The police were, it turns out, interpreting the advice perfectly correctly

No they weren't. they have influenced a change in the advice,

But not the law.

Weebitawks · 27/03/2020 20:14

Unfortunately a lot of people were Muppets and driving to beauty spots in their hundreds and now everyone has to pay the price because as whole, our society generally lacks common fucking sense. It's unfortunate that people who aren't idiots have to suffer but I suppose it's for the greater good. It's easy for me to say though as we're lucky enough to live close to good walks, but it must be shit if you don't.

cologne4711 · 27/03/2020 20:15

stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily

my emphasis

Teateaandmoretea · 27/03/2020 20:16

Which is precisely what happened last weekend.

The problem is that most people who live in towns think there are only 3 places in each county to go for a walk - one of them is very near to where I live in our county.

Heading to the local walkers motorway is daft, going somewhere quiet isn't. But we have dumped common sense. Avoid Mam tor, seriously and find somewhere quiet preferably from your house but if not near to it. It's not hard, but mumsnet has gone mad totally.

I bet some of them were skiing where it has clearly been rife, now preaching to others they can't open a gate.

We need to follow the rules, not make additional ones

GinnyStrupac · 27/03/2020 20:16

You need to get a grip Hmm

Yes, of course it's not zero - there will still be viral spread but it's about reducing risks for everyone.

I agree that the government advice on exercise was muddy, but today's new clarification from them makes it crystal clear: we all need to stay local.

I could drive in to the nearest towns or cities to get my essential grocery items out of stock here, but I am not going to do that and for the same reasons.

I am focussing on keeping my vulnerable loved one safe, and everyone else's for that matter. For anyone thinking 'I haven't got a vulnerable loved one and I'm not vulnerable, why should I care, why should the restrictions apply to me and my family' - it's no longer just the at risk groups getting very ill or dying.

It's all bloody hard, for everyone, I get that.

We should be helping each other and pulling together, not turning on each other.

Xenia · 27/03/2020 20:16

I live on a quiet (usually) privae road but we let the public on with a wood, golf course etc. I would rather everyone who is not a home owner would walk up the main busy major road off our private estate for their walk but I doubt there is much chance of stopping them all coming up in their droves (and they don't park and walk - they walk from home up here)....... It does mean walking near my house is very crowded sadly.

On what you can do always go right back to the new legislation eg most work places can stay open lawfully and only a limited number must close contrary to what a lot of people are saying, you can move house - it is in the regulations etc etc Keep reading the regulations not just press articles - see www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/contents/made

oblada · 27/03/2020 20:16

At the moment it's pretty clear that it is perfectly legal to make a short trip in the car to go exercise somewhere. Whatever ppl think it is currently the case.

Scrowy · 27/03/2020 20:18

People are going to catch it the spread is not going to be zero. Someone driving to a sensible place for a walk is low risk to spread anything. You need to get a grip.

Except what we know about this virus is that the more you are exposed to it the deadlier it is. We farm on a popular walking route with lots of gates, all are opened by using a catch. Every time we have to touch those catches we are picking up the bugs left by lots of different people, day after day after day.

We have accepted we will get it, we just don't want to get it so many times from so many different people that we die.

Sorry if that spoils your walk, but it's not forever.

Miljea · 27/03/2020 20:19

God, all the hysteria.

We're nowhere near 'Brexit Ready' are we? 😂

adaline · 27/03/2020 20:20

Show me where that's stated in law.

I never said it was law.

I said people should stay close to home. Why do people think that it's acceptable to travel around the country unnecessarily during a global pandemic?

The constant arguing for this freedom to travel is the reason we're in lockdown at the moment, and it's the reason it's going to get stricter - because people are too bloody entitled.

Most of the people who are travelling to rural beaches and woodlands are people who refuse to live outside cities the rest of the time because they couldn't bare to live somewhere with so few amenities.

TheStuffedPenguin · 27/03/2020 20:20

As usual it is the idiots who spoil it for the rest . A "local beauty walking spot" near to me has had to be closed because of an influx of "outsiders" driving here and abusing the situation which was the local Estate allowing access on their private land to local villagers over the years . It has been closed and I don't blame them!

Cohle · 27/03/2020 20:22

Show me where that's stated in law.

Why are people standing on their rights when others are dying? The selfish arrogance is breathtaking.

Miljea · 27/03/2020 20:22

Scrowy wash your hands/ don't touch your face.

HTH.

For the record, it's getting exposed to a massive viral load that makes it bad, like someone in hospital on Day 5 of their infection. Bad enough to be hospitalised. Those HCPs are at risk of that load. Not from a farm gate.

Teateaandmoretea · 27/03/2020 20:23

Sorry if that spoils your walk, but it's not forever.

You can just not actually touch the gates?

The idea that catching it via a gate would lead to high viral load is in any case fantasy.