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?

The rule is in place to enforce social distancing. If you live somewhere very rural where you will not see a single person when out then you can go out more often.

It's obviously more dangerous for someone to take one walk a day along a busy London street than take five walks a day in an isolated spot.

We are rural in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and are noticing more people walking the long distance path clutching an OS map- although I took one myself yesterday as we wanted to try a path we were a bit uncertain about. DS and I were wondering when we would walk tomorrow as we thought part of the walk we did tonight could get busy if the weather stays good. Village FB page has pictures of strange cars and people unloading their rucksacks.

Hey, Concerned12345, I'm going outside again now, I've probably spent about 7 hours outside today, and have been in and out of the house more than 20 times.

Are you going to send someone to arrest me? It isn't the same for everyone, it never is, stamping your feet at MNHQ and demanding action is ridiculous. I hate the 'go and give your head a wobble' phrase, but sometimes it's just so appropriate.

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

I linked to it upthread if anyone hasn't read it yet.

How long is that stupid saying going to be doing the rounds on MN? The "Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools" saying which was quoted back on page 1 of this thread. I'm thoroughly sick of hearing it! Those quoting it must imagine they are ooooh so much more enlightened than others

So, what happens when the so called wise men disagree? For instance when they have opposing views or follow parallel schools of thought???

Personally, I agree with those saying 'stick to the guidelines'. During this lockdown, there have been many, many examples here on MN, as well as in the press and in real life, of 'wise' people bending and flexing the guidelines to suit themselves. For these few weeks, personally, I think let's keep it simple and why not all give it our best efforts and stick to the rules. Then that way, when this is all over, we can look back at this awful episode in our lives with pride and say we 100% did our bit.

You are being ridiculous. I live rurally, DH and I have been out for bikes rides, runs, long dog walks, all in one day, we haven’t seen a soul.

Use some common sense.

It does make me laugh that the quickest, and most robust/defensive, responses I get to my posts on MN are from those who've decided to do lockdown their own way. Very interesting. It's almost as if I've touched a nerve, or something. No matter. I say what I say because that's my point of view. End of.

It just goes to show that people do what they like cos they like what they do.

Of course it’s fine if you’re rural. If I lived in the middle of nowhere and didn’t see anyone else for miles, damn sure I’d be going out and about.

@Concerned12345 so if someone leaves their house & goes for a walk across a field three times a day they're breaking the law?
No- they're not. Esp not if they own the field.

It makes zero sense on a day like today to sit in a house in the arse end of nowhere and look at deserted fields through a window. Surely even the most vehement rule adherer can see that?

The virus can last up to 72 hrs on all sorts of surfaces. It's not about how many people you see. It's about the fence posts and gates you touch and then who touches them afterwards... You may never see them yes but this Virus spreads by touch and air (3hrs lingering airborne according to scientists).

Rofl 🤣 if its their field of course they can go in it up to a million times a day, its their property.

OMFG IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS THEY ISOLATE FUCK ME WE'RE THICK MN!!!

@TimeForDinnerDinnerDinner it's really quite straightforward. It doesn't matter what your opinion, or indeed anyone else's is on what you think the guidelines mean. It's the law that matters.

I imagine those of us living rurally that can and do spend most of the day outside are in a better position to say we 100% did our bit than many in densely populated areas, where regardless of how sensible and law abiding they are, they'll encounter more people in an hour than we do in a week, and often at much closer quarters.

I'm at a loss to know whether the problem is ignorance and a lack of common sense, or simply petty jealousy.

concerned please step away from the caps lock and read what the NHS guidance says.

If I had symptoms I would be isolating at home. Which would involve walking round fields.

purple I doubt she/he has the capacity to understand the concept that actual legislation exists, let alone the comprehension skills to understand it.

It looks like the nhs page has been updated to say that exercise if you have symptoms must now be taken at home. That’s new in the last couple of days. I’ll withdraw my previous post.

I think @Concerned12345 is sitting fuming in her suburb and her concern is primarily that everyone else, urban or rural, should have an equally restrictive time, regardless of whether they live in a crowded city centre where the shortest trip outdoors brings you into close proximity to people or in a remote rural area where you don’t set eyes on another person from one end of the day to the next, and where it is perfectly possible to move about without endlessly touching stiles lingeringly.

Spot on @Dilisk.

It's not about how many people you see. It's about the fence posts and gates you touch and then who touches them afterwards..

We've only been using stiles and gates that can be managed with no hands. A stick helps, sensible to carry one anyway if the ground is uneven.

It's not about how many people you see. It's about the fence posts and gates you touch and then who touches them afterwards...

But there is nobody here to touch my gates and fenceposts, can you really not understand that there is vast tracts of farmland with no footpaths, houses and people. If you're lucky to live in the middle of it you can rub yourself naked against every gate that you own safe in the knowledge that no one else will be touching it and nobody else will touch it. I won't rub my naked self against my neighbours gates as the nearest one is over a mile away and it's too bloody cold to wake that far. And they have cctv ...

walk that far even!

We've been taking an OS map every time we go for our local walks as we're quite new to the area (and I normally exercise in the gym.) Please don't assume everyone clutching an OS map is from outside the area!

On the plus side, we have found a number of great walks (been trying to do a different one each day). And we never see anyone once we've left the village where we live.

The rules are for social distancing purposes. If there's no one to be social with, then he's fine,the children will be fine.