To ask genuinely if you aren't following the rules

[MrsKingfisher]

Why? I'm genuinely curious to know why those who can't get to grips with what's been asked of us all at this time or those who need to find a loophole are doing it.

Not key workers etc etc I'm talking about those who simply cannot do as they've been asked. It's mind boggling how simple rules can be so unclear to so many!

Some of my friends just cannot seem to stay at home, just carrying on as if the rules don't apply to them. I don't get it.

Some of my staff have been grumpy because I questioned why their kids were going daily to the shop.

Or their teenage kid who goes to his girlfriends every other day.

They also had a big hoo ha when asked to only have one person in the tiny staff room at a time.

They also all think it's overblown and not an issue I think they're getting it now but I've had to come across as an absolute ogre

I've been out the last few days to get essentials as each time I go out there is something I can't get. I finally have all I need apart from having to go out once a week to get milk. I do need to head out tomorrow to collect a thermometer that I've managed to order as I've been trying to get one for 2 weeks, I've lost mine and would like to keep track of our temperatures should they rise. Not to mention, with a young child I feel the need to have one anyway. After that, that's it. I don't go out unless I need something essential or will need it very soon so I'd be going out regardless at some point in the near future.

I was a bit lax at first but not now have not been out since Wednesday when I Picked up a weekly prescription, I will go out again on Wednesday to pick up another week prescription and get shopping for the next week, it's not easy only going out once a week but we have no choice the quicker we all observe the rules the quicker this will be over!!

I know a few who aren't, and it's honestly mainly due to people's work.

They need to say all nine essential work shuts down.

On Sunday we went for a drive. Needed a change of scenery. Went to Lytham had a walk, kept our distance from people. My neighbour dropped off muffins on my door step. Made my day

As for naming and shaming offenders in newspapers (which these threads are vilifying people for buying - the irony!): as Oscar Wilde said, there's only one thing worse than being talked about, and that's not being talked about. There are probably people who are posting their jolly japes on social media, and then smiling at all the frothing on MN. Probably a few newspaper editors among them, and some of Boris's spies, thinking "ah good, they're nicely distracted".

On the one hand we're supposed to be on a lockdown apart from key workers going to work

No, he never said only key workers could go to work. He said if you can work from home, then do. If you can’t work from home, then you can go to work (unless of course your industry has been closed down).
He’s also never said it’s a ‘lockdown’. Just that you should only leave your house for one of the 4 reasons listed (which includes exercise either alone or with your household).

You’re allowed to go to work if you can’t do it from home and you are able to follow social distancing whilst at work. This is why many workplaces are splitting the workforce in two and alternating who is in.

My neighbours went out for a drive and a walk, not sure if that is the idea, sounds unnecessary to me, their reason was they needed a change of scenery, not a necessity imo!

I think it's of that none of you are discussing why there are no tests available so that people who treat positive can then inform their contacts. Why noone is discussing why can Boris and mates are being tested while noone in the NHS got tested, they should be tested everyday. So those untested people in the NHS are infecting vulnerable people everyday. That's why do many people are dying. The fact that Boris hasn't made tests available is killing people, not that you've had a conversation with a friend 6 feet away.

I went to supermarket and drive my car to get there first time I’ve left my village in a week despite daily walks

I was petrified in the supermarket people would come to close and don’t want to do it again for a long time.

Can I just ask, is there now a formal government stipulation that you can only go food shopping once a week? Or is that a new MN “rule”?

If once a week is now the max then I’m definitely breaking it because we have opted to do quick top up shops at local Tesco express type shops every three to four days, rather than wait in hour long queues to get into the larger supermarkets and then find that shelves are empty anyway. I can be in and out of the Tesco express in ten minutes max and go at about 7 in the morning when they’re more or less empty of people.

We are ordering as much as we can via amazon (cleaning products, toiletries etc) and trying to get veg boxes delivered but won’t get online supermarket deliveries as we’re not in the vulnerable category. But even if we did I think we would struggle with only buying milk, bread, fresh fruit/veg once a week or fortnight, with five of us we get through a lot of it.

So on that basis I’m probably breaking the rules. Well the mumsnet ones anyway.

It’s just a MN rule FlyingPandas. Alongside the MN rule that you can only exercise for an hour a day and that only key workers can go out to work.

The rule is shop for essentials as infrequently as possible.

Ah ok thank you.

Thought I was going mad for a moment.

There is going to be a whole new trend of competitive ‘ability to exist without ever going shopping’ now isn’t there?!

@urkidding You've hit the nail on the head. This is what I mean about keeping the general public "distracted": all this frothing about our neighbours, people popping to the shops for a paper, Easter eggs, grassing and spying on each other is exactly what the government wants us to be doing, instead of looking at them.

Why indeed, about tests?

And, for good measure, why is Boris touching his face in that meme "you gave me no choice, I have to ground you all"?

I'm breaking the rules.
My baby is in hospital so I'm here with her and leave a for a few hours a day so that DH can spend some time with her. I just sit in the entrance on a chair. I'm pregnant and was advised not to come to the hospital. The rule is only one parent in the room at one time because of covid-19. Otherwise I wouldn't leave the room at all. I think it makes no sense to send me out for him to come in.

I've broken the rules.
I've only been shopping once a week, I've self isolated by working from home for the last 2 weeks and not seen a soul. However, I've gone to my boyfriends for the weekend the last 2 weekends . We've stayed in all weekend but thats still a rule break

I’m not sure about anyone else but I’ve not left my house for 8 days now, nor my children. Only the husband is the designated food shopper which we try to limit to once a week but do find we need to top up as there’s not enough stock on the shelves.

We both work from home, play tag-team looking after the kids, try to keep them suitably entertained, fed and clean, do the cooking, washing, cleaning etc etc we don’t actually have time to go out!!

Miss family and friends of course, even the teachers and the freedom to do as we wanted. Just a walk to the park would be nice. And fresh fruit! But I think in the grand scheme of things, it’s such a small price to pay. Please stay home. Contain this virus. Save lives.

Pinkwiththewhite that's so sad, hope they make a speedy recovery and you're all soon reunited

I’ve been so good with all the rules, but my husband is working constantly, out of the house for 14 hours a day. Today I made a cup of tea in a flask put the kids in the car, and drove round and round and round my village until they fell asleep, and then I parked up and cried and drank my brew. Afterwards I drove to my grandmas house and parked about 4 metres from her front door and we shouted/told each other we loved and missed each other. I went home and cried again.

I miss my family so much it hurts, I normally go to my grandma and grandads 3/4 times a week, my parents the same. I see my sister twice a week and my nana and grandad twice a week.

Seeing no one is difficult. I love my children but I feel like I’m drowning, I’m so lonely I feel like someone is sat on my chest.

I could post hours and hours of all the complete self centred arses who are still shopping in pairs or with flat mates... risking my colleagues &my health.... dosily strolling around aisle after aisle not paying any attention to the other people around them ... well if you are one of these idiots I hope it is you that catches it ...because it’s the only time you will wake up ..and realise this isn’t a game and lives are being lost and some us actually really give a shit about the NHS & our doctors,nurses,paramedics,etc

Ps ... thank you to all you decent guys that aren’t coming into shops unnecessarily... honestly it’s scary being in the front line and you are not adding to our anxiety by staying home ... unless you have symptoms or underlying health reasons you can talk to neighbours on the door step or in your back gardens ..just keep your distance.. and be safe ..

A perspective on this blaming of people. To the best of my knowledge written by Nathan Williams:

As this crisis deepens and the death toll mounts, a narrative is going to emerge that will be very seductive to many of us. It will all be the fault of “the people.”

The people who failed to practice social distancing.
The people who hoarded.
The people who didn’t listen to the government.
The people who didn’t listen to the science.
The people.

Those selfish people. Look at them in their parks.The government will start trotting this out. Right wing media will push it hard. Police forces have already begun assigning blame to “the people”.Many of us will feel the tug of this seductive reasoning. Our brains will be tempted to lash out at “the people.” When we do, we must remember some things:

• The government had 3 months to prepare. This was a train coming down the tracks.

• At first we were told the plan was herd immunity. Then it wasn’t.

• As the first few people started to die, Boris Johnson boasting of shaking the hands of hospitalised coronavirus patients. This was a week before the lockdown.

• Why weren’t we in lockdown like other European countries, some asked. Trust us, they said.

• Then we got the lockdown order. What did they say? The initial government advice was only “essential workers could travel to work”. A day later this was changed to “essential travel for work.” See the difference? There are screenshots of this.

• They told us to practice social distancing as MPs crowded around each other in the House of Commons.

• They said only the old and immuno-comprised were at risk. Then healthy twenty-somethings started dying.

• They said the NHS could cope, then they started building field hospitals in stadiums.

• They said the NHS had the protective equipment it needed, then we logged on to social media.

• They said we were in it together, then they got tested before the frontline workers.

• They said there was no such thing as society and it was survival of the fittest, then said we needed to show solidarity.

• They clapped when they voted against a pay-rise for NHS nurses in 2017, then they clapped for the NHS.

• They spent a decade telling us cuts were needed to save the economy, then they said the only way to save the economy was to spend trillions.

• They spent a decade insisting £94 was enough to live on, then admitted it wasn’t.

• They got us to vote for Brexit by rubbishing “experts,” then told us to trust experts.

• They told us retail workers were low skilled, then said they were key workers.

• They said homelessness was sad but inevitable, then they order it ended overnight.

So yes, “the people” ended up a little fucking confused.Because our so-called leaders have utterly failed to lead.

They don't know what they stand for; they couldn’t believe the world could change so quickly; they resisted “alarmism” when the only proper response was to be alarmed; they had no idea how to use the power of the state, having spent a decade dismantling it; they were arrogant and complacent, wallowing in privilege.

The fundamental duty of government is to keep us safe. That’s what we pay them to do. They have failed.

As the death toll mounts, remember that our leaders are to blame, not “the people,” and we must resist the temptation to blame each other.

I don't know anything who isn't following the rules. People just like getting all got under the collar about what other people may or may not be doing.