AIBU to think lockdown includes rural areas?

[Henbird]

My DCs dad lives in the middle of nowhere - fields, farms, a few houses around. The DCs are going to visit him over Easter and he is planning on going on several walks. He already goes out at least twice a day - once with his other DC (who has asthma and he has said is high risk) for exercise and once for his own exercise. My DCs are up in arms as this breaks the exercise once a day rule but he says it's fine because he lives in the country. AIBU?

Same as @maddening. I live in a rural area and the local farmers are furious about the constant stream of walkers trundling through their fields, touching gates and styles. If they catch the virus from those going for nice walks who will feed their livestock?

This is why the guidance has been kept relatively vague compared to some countries. Of course it's different for someone living in an isolated place who doesn't see a single person when they take their walk, compared to someone living in the middle of a city.

The guidance is there to ensure that people don't risk their own health or that of others. The OP's ex can't pass the virus to anyone, not can anyone pass it on to him, when he goes for his walks.

I understand why a13 and 16 year old's might think as they do though. So it needs explaining in an empathetic way to them. They're scared, not just being awkward.

forget how many times he goes out each day - if ultra rural, unlikely to be social distancing problems and he isn't driving to get there - BUT

The DCs are going to visit him over Easter - why? essential? WTF?
yet your DCs are "up in arms" - maybe they should look at their own behaviour more closely - what part of stay at home, essential journeys only do they not understand?

Why can't people just engage their brains ? That goes for those angry at people going for more than one walk/cycle/hop a day as well- as those trying to wheedle their way out to the seaside..

If you live in a really rural area where you will see no one /couple of people in a 2 acre area then you are at NO danger of passing the virus on / catching it from anyone. Providing you don't TOUCH anything. This includes stiles, lamp posts, benches , fences etc that another person could touch/may have touched.

I have 140 acres of farmland that I can walk on as it's part of my property. The legislation allows me to be one my own land'. Therefore I can go out all day everyday for as long as I like. If someone has access to rural space there is no increased risk as the virus doesn't check with the land register before infecting someone.

This ADVICE were put in place for the population who need to social distance. Those who aren't currently social distancing. In rural area we are already social distancing. We do it everyday. It's how we live most of the time unless we go to town. The LEGISLATION however is deliberately vague to allow people to use their common sense.

I live rurally and luckily the only people I have seen are the other people in my village. We have a local shop (for local people ).

I don’t know how we are doing it, but I see almost everyone going for a walk or bike ride and we somehow all manage to go at different times.

My DD and I have gone for a two hour walk every day and managed to see two other people each time and that is it.

IF I WRITE IN CAPITALS THAT RULES ARE RULES then all I do is make myself appear quite mad.

The rules are there for one reason and one reason only: to ensure social distancing. They have not come down carved in stone from Moses on the mount. If you are socially distanced already by virtue of living miles from anyone then you clearly don't need to worry about going out only once a day. I am horrified by the apparent inability of vast swathes of the population to apply any semblance of rational thinking to the matter. The government who have happily ground the NHS to a husk over the past decade get record approval ratings, while the nutters bay at people like poor Barry from Cambridge, who had the misfortune to be snapped by a Daily Mail photographer while sitting alone, minding his own business, on a riverbank, miles from anyone. According to the facebook vigilantes, Barry is apparently a murderer (even though the people dying now caught covid three or four weeks ago when we could all merrily head off, with government blessing, to gatherings of 1000s). Because ROOLZ R ROOLZ. Boneheaded idiocy.

@EveryDayIsADuvetDay it had been explained many times on this thread, that children of separated parents are allowed to travel between them and continue their access arrangements. The teenagers are doing nothing wrong in staying with their father.

The legislation states: "One form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with other members of your household."

It doesn't. All the legislation says re exercise is:

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living
without reasonable excuse.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need

...

(b) to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;

There have been various guidelines as to what may be 'reasonable'. And while the form of exercise isn't specified, many are impossible as either they involve more people or facilities which are closed etc.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/pdfs/uksi202003500_en.pdf

Do you think farmers in the UK are locked inside their houses?

Farmers are a bit of a red herring in this context, they're just going about their business, in the same way as many others (eg gardeners can still work).

I live in the middle of nowhere. Who is going to stop me going out? And who would even notice?

They don't. There's a general somewhat vague law at the moment, there could be additional laws specific to areas that need them.
London has laws for some things which don't apply everywhere (not CV related). Local bylaws are commonplace - because there are all sorts of things where one size doesn't fit all.

I'm thinking more about the constant mentions in the daily briefings. I don't think the general public are studying the new legislation. Bylaws would not be helpful in communicating a clear message in this situation, which is why government spokespersons are sticking with the "one form of exercise, locally, every day" line. They need a simple and concise instruction, not an endless list of different guidelines for different situations.

I'm in rural Ireland in a place with a lot of second homes. The Gardaí were given enhanced powers yesterday and apparently there are going to be checkpoints aimed at trying to stop people travelling to the coast/second homes for the Easter weekend. I think that's the primary concern here with rural areas -- where we are, everyone is taking social distancing seriously, and the roads and beaches are deserted.

Like another poster said..there's rural, rural and very RURAL... We're middling, live on private 2000 acre estate but feck me have we had more pisstakers than ever with a 'don't give a shit it's not a footpath' attitude.

My husband is a farmer. Had to extract one idiot's dog from an electric fence the other day, they were miles from the footpath because they "wanted to see what was up there"and "are doing no harm"

How would these folk who drive here from town like it if we decide to come into their back garden one day for a mooch because we wanted to see what was up there and surely it's our God given right???

They need a simple and concise instruction, not an endless list of different guidelines for different situations

It’s probably going to get worse. There was a discussion on the radio that suggested coming out of the current situation there may be different restrictions based on locality and/or demographic. MN will wet its collective knickers if that happens!

MN will wet its collective knickers if that happens!

Only the judgeypants hoiking subgroup.

Can you imagine, something everyone wants and needs, but awarding it to rural areas first, followed by towns, then other cities and London last in line. The government, and indeed some Londoners, would spontaneously combust at such a reversal of the natural order.

Went for a walk in the woods yesterday about five minutes from where I live, did not see a single person all afternoon.

I do not touch anything with my hands when I'm out, the styles are the swing type so I can use my feet.

Nearest Police station is about 30 miles away, not seen any police at all for over three weeks now.

@alibongo5 i would say not to be honest.They are more the retired generation not younger people .They are just walking in the middle of a narrow road and look at you like you shouldn't be there .

@ErrolTheDragon i agree i think they have drove .It is only a small village and lot of them have hiking sticks .Just massively wrong .I am trying to keep myself and those i care for safe .

Hiking sticks aren't necessarily damning evidence - DH and I are taking ours for our local walks because some of the paths are uneven, and they're useful for getting over stiles without hands.

@ErrolTheDragon true just makes me very suspicious because even in the lovely weather last summer i never saw it which convinces me it's visitors.

@MNHQ This needs to be addressed by you. These are not guidelines this is law people are breaking.

concerned perhaps you should read the actual legislation before you accuse people of breaking it.

Your interpretation of the guidelines or what Karen on Facebook said is not the same as the law.

I don’t know who (apart from my husband) would even know whether we were exercising more than once a day. We never see anyone when we’re out.

concerned you need to look at what the legislation actually says.