To be worried about being stopped

[prickledgherkins]

I have to drive to work soon as I am a key worker. I have anxiety and am worrying about being stopped. Wibu to print a note explaining my journey and details of my work place and my managers phone number to show through the window with my ID card in case the police stop me ? I haven't been on shift yet so this is the first time

If it makes you feel better, do it.

Work ID badge plus one other piece of work paperwork (rota, contract, letter of some sort) would probably do the same job, if you want to save time.

The police aren’t routinely stopping people (yet). They don’t have the resources, they are more focused on people flagrantly breaking guidelines eg groups of people in public, not a single person driving.

As you’re a key worker, you clearly have a valid reason to be out if that helps to ease your anxiety

I doubt the police will even bother to look at your paperwork if I’m being honest. Lockdown hasn’t been that strict in my experience.

Not everyone has work ID badges or paper rotas, nor would I want to carry my contract around frankly. At this point, no one has been told that they must carry around these documents in preparation to present to the police - so it’s an unnecessary thing to do now.

Thanks, I'll just stick with my id then and try not to worry. I do have to go as it's providing care for a vulnerable person stuck at home.

May I ask where you live OP and have you seen police stopping people yet ?

I only ask as I’m in London and where I am I haven’t been stopped nor seen any police questioning people on their journeys

I haven't been out for a fortnight so i haven't got the foggiest what it's like out there.

Im in London. Haven’t seen a police officer in about two years, so I’m not worrying about being stopped quite yet.

If it reassures you then yes, do that.

Yesterday the police blocked off a main road into the city where I live and stopped every car to ask why the person was going in or out of town. It was on the local news. I think this will happen more and more.

I'm due to go to work today, I have my work ID card (NHS) so am hoping that's enough if I get stopped.

I drove 200 miles on Saturday from East London and back, didn't see any police to stop me.

The police stopped a pal who's a builder the other day.

I got stopped yesterday morning, explained why I was out (morning exercise with dog) they were fine.

I will say, I don't think I was stopped because of the lockdown, I think they were looking for someone and I matched the description, but I am not 100% and its not something I wanted to get into a conversation about

You can do that if you want but it isn't necessary and it would probably be a good thing not to let your anxiety control you so much.

Even with the current law, anyone who can't do their work at home is allowed to travel to work. It's not just key workers. Lots of workplaces are open and many people travel in order to do their jobs. No one requires papers. If the police ask where you are going you can just tell them in the normal everyday manner by saying "Oh, hi. I'm just heading to work."

Even if you had an extraordinarily singular experience and were stopped by some police officer on a TV-show inspired megalomaniac power trip who decided not to believe you all he's going to do is give you a ticket and you can then protest that. Maybe he'd tell you to turn around and you could do that and then take a different route in to work and put a complaint in about him.

It's an entirely unlikely situation and still really just annoying rather than any kind of catastrophe.

It wouldn't be a bad idea at all, to do this.

I carry at least one card in me with medical info on, which isn't technically anything lifesaving, but would explain to someone why I couldn't speak or was melting down or behaving irrationally or oddly in situations others wouldn't.

I don't get them as often as I did, but I've suffered panic/anxiety attacks so bad I've been unable to talk for ages, I've also passed out.

So knowing that in this scenario I could be stopped, it could be a good idea to have it written down as simply as possible because you can't judge that the person stopping you will have the necessary training and such to recognise you are very anxious and about to get ill about it.

Safe is better than sorry. This is a new situation and I'm guessing a few of the PPs haven't experienced anxiety attacks which manifest in such a way that a note like this would be more beneficial than a crutch

A colleague was stopped on his way to work, so we have all been told to make sure we have our ID to show, just in case

I’m a key worker, and was given a letter in case I’m stopped. I haven’t been stopped yet though.

I have two keyworker jobs... For my shop job I have to carry a letter. For my carer job its a minute from foot to door. Hope I don't have to take a police officer to my 80 plus year old client to confirm. It might frighten him!

foot door!

Police are stopping people. They have stopped alot of our staff. All support staff are WFH. But the people on the ground are key workers with what we do clearly displayed on the van.

They are simply showing their work ID and telling the police where they are going, what work they are doing and that we have been classified as key workers.

It's a quick stop and then move on.

*The police aren’t routinely stopping people (yet). They don’t have the resources, they are more focused on people flagrantly breaking guidelines eg groups of people in public, not a single person driving.
*
They have started stopping people including flagging down vehicles. Maybe not all areas, but definitely around this area (Yorkshire), started over the past week.

You only really need your ID. We're told right from the beginning to make sure we had our pass at all times.

Keyworker letter (if you haven’t got one, ask your employer for one) & work ID.

There’s a lot of stopping in London round where I live and also approaching the rough sleepers to arrange for accommodation. Shame it takes a pandemic for the homeless on the streets to be (temporarily) housed

Presumably you have some work i.d. and could not work issue a note or something explaining where you work?

We had to do something similar during Carnival so we could get through! (Happier times!)

I've been told to wear my work name badge while commuting, but you'd need the eyesight of a hawk to be able to read it from two meters away.

My dp is a key worker and his company have provided everyone with a letter confirming this and with contact details if their is an issue

I got stopped coming back from the hospital at the weekend. Pootling along in my 1 litre. There was groups of people hanging around on the street but I was the one stopped.

I just flashed my hospital wristband at them.