To drive to take dog for walk

[Chimpd0g]

Before you hurl abuse, please hear me out

I have 2 choices of where to take dog for walk locally:

1. small busy park within walking distance, getting there by walking along pavements therefore risking infecting others or getting infected myself or
2. driving literally 5 minutes up the road and walking in a bigger open space where I won’t see many people, and if I do I can easily go the other way and avoid them

Surely it’s better for everyone if I go in the car?

why not ask you dog where they prefer

Might as well as you don’t think the guidelines apply to you so let the dog choose

Ffs this is exactly why we shall be going on a stricter lockdown

Would be no issue*

But nae bother I'll pay attention to you lot on Mumsnet as opposed to a policeman who works directly in my area

there would be an issue

So you shouldn’t be driving to walk the dog.

I quite clearly wouldn't drive on a busy road or spend longer than 5 minutes driving somewhere

This is not clear to me at all, given the attitude to the rules you've already shown. Are you really saying you wouldn't go if the dog walk was a 7 minute drive? Or a 10 minute drive? Because it doesn't sound like it to me.

I couldn't realistically go out for an hour around my estate. That's not possible.

Why not? I’m trying to picture that.

Pay attention to the government, your policeman friend sounds misinformed. It is not an area by area suggestion.

Yes of course your friend the policeman told you that

Right maybe you should report him for not understanding the guidelines apply to us all

Or ask your dog

I can’t go at less busy times because even at 7am it (the park) is full of dog walkers or joggers.
Walking to the 5 minute drive away place would mean walking along busy pavements past shops etc.
I do get the less people on the roads thing but it is a 20 mile an hour route in a built up area.
I also get the cross the road to avoid people thing but I live in a built up area and it’s not as easy as it sounds. I went for a walk with my daughter last week and couldn’t cross the road because of the cars (or because there were other people on the other side too). It was really stressful so she hasn’t actually been out of the house for a week.

I really want to know why we aren't supposed to drive to walk dogs

Because the more people that have this mentality, drive to popular beauty spots, leading to a lot of people driving to the same place to walk their dog, leading to people congregating.

What don't you get?

Today someone crashed there car driving 10 min to walk the dog, it pulled ambulance and police of from where they are needed.
They rolled the car because of a bug a stag beatle type thing.

I went for a walk with my daughter last week and couldn’t cross the road because of the cars

Read that back to yourself, and think again about what you're saying.

You want to be in one of the cars that is effectively making it harder for people to walk close to their homes. Do you get it yet?

Ffs, totally loving the driving to exercise police! I think the idea is that we don’t drive to/congregate in beauty spots.

From another forum:

Latest drip feed of information, this time reported on tonights BBC 6 o’clock news. Matt Hancock says that up to a 5 minute drive from home in order to exercise is acceptable.

If Matt says you can, then you can.

What the hell is the point of posting a thread like this when you won't listen and think your needs are more important than instructions from the government, police, WHO etc etc?
You silly selfish women and others like you are the reason it spreads so quickly. You make my blood boil.

Has anyone considered people with mobility issues? A 5 minute drive is a walk too far for me-I can drive 5 minutes and stand and chuck a ball for the dog in the nearest park, tho.

Yambabe fair point

I will still see loads of people on the pavement though. I am not risking taking my daughter out as it’s just too busy. The park and the streets around us don’t look a lot less busy than a normal pre lockdown day!

Our entitled and very special neighbour takes her dog in the car 3 times a day. No need as empty park at the end of the road. Truly selfish individual who acts superior. No time for her tbh.

Tilly I still stand by that there is more risk of spreading the virus to others or others to me if I DON’T drive 5 minutes up the road.
I accept the point about less cars on the road though

Cherrysoup at the point the government are making is that the exercise is for you, not the dog. So if a couple of minutes outside your house would be sufficient for you then that’s what you do, not drive so your dog has a nicer time. I understand, I have a dog, but these are desperate times and travelling moves the virus, driving increases the strain on the resources we need.

If people just follow these rules for a few miserable weeks then it’ll be over with quicker.

So all of the special people on here who have decided are allowed to drive to exercise means that enforced lockdown is more likely because of the risk they pose. Why can’t people just follow the rules so that this is over with? It’s not a game, if we keep travelling then we spread the virus, if we get caught out we don’t just get a slap on the wrist, people become very sick and possibly die.

It’s a few miserable weeks, I absolutely despair at how many people think they are above the rules for this.

If walking the dog is too crowded then you just don’t walk the dog.

Sorry but that’s the reality of this situation. So many people seem to be struggling with this idea of not getting to do what they want. It isn’t a case of skirting round the rules go get what you want. The same with walking with your daughter- if the pavement is crowded you Just don’t go. You don’t stick her in the car and drive somewhere else. That is literally what they have told you not to do.

Exercise your dog at home, in the garden, in the house, brain games, hide and seek in the house. It requires a bit of thought and extra effort but so what? Suck it up. There are people working in hospitals right now who wish a hyper dog was the worst thing about this situation for them.

Tilly I still stand by that there is more risk of spreading the virus to others or others to me if I DON’T drive 5 minutes up the road.

No because if you don’t drive up the road you stay at home.

This isn’t a choice of park or drive. It’s a choice of park or home. Drive isn’t an option.

Yes, literally 5 minutes in the car is walkable surely?

Potentially passing more people on the way. How would that be better?

So if a couple of minutes outside your house would be sufficient for you then that’s what you do, not drive so your dog has a nicer time.

The OP has said it's easier to avoid people in the location she's proposing to drive to. Surely this is a no-brainer?

I really do think some of the letter-of-the-law types on MN at the moment are allowing common sense to fall victim to prescriptive diktats.

I live in a 'secluded quiet area.' It's been like Piccadilly Circus round here the last couple of weeks! Everyone thinks that no one else will have had the same idea, but carloads of dog walkers turn up at all times of the day.

BTW here's the news story about the giant flying bug causing a dog walker (and their carful of mates/family members) to crash into a tree. It's a notorious stretch of road, and the police, ambulance and fire crew needn't have been called out to treat 4 injured people if they'd not been driving to walk their dog.

Article

As I said earlier I’m not taking my daughter out anymore, not in the car either.
But yes, you are right about the hyper dog thing. No garden unfortunately but tough.
It was a genuine question my original OP. I just want to do what’s best for everyone. My DH was saying we have to walk from home and I was saying that driving meant no contact with others so wouldn’t that be safer. But you are right Juan