AIBU to think they should just ban going to the parks in London?

[ForbiddenFromNaples]

The difinitive park going experience in London is very different than that of the rest of the country. We've all seen those pictures of people crammed together sunbathing in Hyde park.

I dont have a garden so this issue is a big deal to me. Where I live (a fairly big city in the SW), there are numerous parks scattered about and its perfectly possible to go there, chill out and read a book as you catch the sun, all the time maintaining social distancing.

When it comes to the police, they seem most of the time to be pretty sensible about it...... Mostly. Except one or two people have told me horror stories.......

Someone I know who took their autistic child to play football in a park (so officially that should have counted as excersise), then the police turned up and moved them on (which was unnecessarily distressing for the autistic). Im not trying to bad mouth the police here, this is new so theres a lot of all round apprehension in regards to precisely what is allowed. Im just saying, when it comes to the issue of going to the park, the government should have a rethink as to whether everyone else in the country has to have their rights curtailed, simply because of how things are in London. And it would be nice to hear the government admit a one size fits all solution isnt always going to work.

I really believe this is a health issue, both physically and mentally. I bet divorce rates will spike after this, police are already seeing more domestic violence, substance abuse will rocket (ive seen loads of drunk people on trips shopping, so I bet theres even more people getting wasted at home), its not unreasonable to assume people will end up self harming and it could even lead to suicides.

Just to clarify, Im talking about people going to the park ON THEIR OWN. Im not talking about going down the park with their friends to have a picnic.

When the Government said, 'we're all in this together', for the first time ever, it felt true. But now the suns came out, it sort of feels that the poor are getting stung by these restrictions way more than those fortunate enough to afford property with gardens.

YABU, how do you prevent folks from taking exercise.
As it stands councils have employed people to enforce the restrictions in parks.

No one should be 'chilling out, reading a book.' This is the whole issue. It's execise if you must and you keep moving and then you come home.

I don't understand your post OP. Your title says that you want to ban people going to the parks in London and then your post is all about the benefits of going to the park.

Why should only Londoners be banned from parks as that can often be the only outdoor space that they can go to apart from walking around narrow pavements on the street?

It's perfectly possible in London to go to small parks aswell. Which is what I have been doing. The packed parks are not a reflection of London.

I live in North Kensington in a two bed flat with 5 of us, 3 being children. No garden, no balcony.

The parks we go to are mainly empty. If there were no parks to go to we would be walking around the streets to get our exercise and for our mental health or driving to areas where they weren't banned, maybe your area.

I wonder how many people in the packed parks are photographers or tourists.

Playing football, sunbathing etc are not walking/running/cycling and in actually or potentially crowded areas you can’t have different rules for different groups.

You can - if you have a supporting letter from medical professional - have some activities which fall out with the general population rules authorised - such as travelling to a quieter area.

Some London parks have been closed for a while (Brockwell) others the council has made please for locals only (Battersea) with threat of closure if it becomes too busy.

Other places have additional restrictions (walkers only on stretches of the Thames Path, even though it’s a year round popular place for runners)

I watched the Chief Nursing Officer pleading with the public not to go outside this weekend unless for an essential purpose or actually exercising.

Just being in the open air can be achieved in places other than in parks.

There is no excuse to be in a park anywhere other than for the types of exercise mentioned daily in the press conferences

It would of course be deeply hypocritical for those who are going against what is so clearly pleaded for by NHS workers at all levels to join in with The Clap

We’ve got a real chance to smother the (first) peak.

If we don’t, the consequences (including the MH consequences of living through catastrophe) will be increased

Im sorry but why? Why shouldn't I chill out? I abide by social distancing rules, and I have no job to go to. Ive applied for volunteering positions but so far, nothings come through.

Do you really think its reasonable to expect families without gardens to be crammed together 24/7? . Im not saying all the bars restaurants and shops should reopen. All Im saying is that the government is devising rules based on the situation in London, then applying them to the rest of the country without taking into account a bunch of other factors.

the autistic ??

You lost me right there

No one is saying your can’t chill out

It’s perfectly possibly to do that within the rules

I’d go mad. Small flat, no garden. That’s is the fuckers opposite don’t drive me mad first - windows wide open braying to the wee small hours (every night), and the the people one along having bloody guests for drinks in the evening (also windows wide open, hollering). All short lets and air B&B in that block.

Do you really think its reasonable to expect families without gardens to be crammed together 24/7?

Well, that’s what you seem to think Londoners should have to put up with?

I’m in Zone 4 & going to my local park first thing in the morning, when there’s no problem getting exercise (what we’re supposed to be doing) while social distancing. Chilling with a book is not exercise.

Sitting on the grass drinking and having picnics isn’t either. Nor is a large family spread across the path feeding the parakeets! I’m becoming the ‘go home’ police! I also see plenty of people trundling suitcases along and people hopping into Ubers. It’s business as usual around here - and the park is as busy as usual.

I'm nowhere near London, but there are parks in London, parks in London and parks in London.

Moving around in green spaces, experiencing the seasons developing is so important for good mental health as well as physical health. If everyone moves through the spaces, it gives far more people the chance to get out with appropriate spacing than if people sit and sunbathe/ read/ picnic for a couple of hours, which is why those activities are unfortunately not acceptable.

If there is an issue with behaviour at any particular park, that needs managing at a local level. Last week the main park of my town had the car parking closed off because it was too busy. That does not transfer the issue to some of the lesser known parks that are more community based.

I could have worded it better..... If circumstances allow, if it doesn't increase the infection rate, then people should be allowed to go parks and get a little sun. Unfortunately for people in London, its not really possible (or at least its more difficult). But thought the rest of the country it is perfectly possible.

So why should the the restrictions on sunbathing in public parks (as long as social distancing is maintained), be applied throughout the country?

Im sorry but why? Why shouldn't I chill out? I abide by social distancing rules, and I have no job to go to

Because A) that's the rule
B) because if everyone did that, places would become overcrowded c) the virus lingers and if you have it, you're creating a lingering amount of virus for someone else to potentially walk though & inhale.

I don't have a garden. I'm exercising a few days a week at the crack of dawn where I see no one.

I have a beautiful park across the road from me, it's empty, it was empty all day yesterday bar the odd person waking /running through it.

Do you not think loads of us would like to be sitting in the sun at the park, but we don't because we're not idiots.

This post is in regards to sunbathing in parks, not so much excersise. I dont think they should ban excersise in London parks but if because of the increased population, it makes sense to ban sunbathing in London parks.

But it does not make sense to ban sunbathing in parks throughout the rest of the country.

@iVampire not in a park you can't.

I like seeing all the wee dogs getting their poor legs walked off! I imagine everyone in the household offering to take the dog out and the neighbours offering too!

Sunshine boosts your immune system. Also sunlight is a good disinfectant. Any talk about the disease lingering is ridiculous.

🙄🙄 'circumstances allow'

Jesus wept. Circumstances allow YOU now because everyone else is sticking to the rules! If everyone did what you're selfishly doing, circumstances would not allow for social distancing

Can't you see you are taking advantage of others sticking to the rules!

@ForbiddenFromNaples

• ForbiddenFromNaples

Sunshine boosts your immune system. Also sunlight is a good disinfectant. Any talk about the disease lingering is ridiculous*

Oh you should have said you were a virologist.

Oh what you're not...
😊🙄

Unfortunately for people in London, its not really possible (or at least its more difficult) have you been to a London park in the last three weeks or are you judging on some hazy pictures you’ve seen online? Most People in London are maintaining social distancing the issue is people flouncing the rules to read a book and sunbathe- a rule you think you are exempt from because?!

I live near a big and well known park in London and we've taken the kids every other day to the park. No issues with overcrowding whatsoever. We are avoiding it this weekend just in case but I think the right-wing media have over-egged the park issue and taken photos that deliberately make it seem like people are close together. It's been very civilised and safe in the park here as far as I can see.

Anyone reporting this post?

Stop taking the bait!

In London there are parks of various sizes, greens, commons, paths along rivers and even random fields.

Apart from the parks the other spaces don't have fences and are on people's run and walking routes. OP how do you propose these other green spaces are locked up?

I think they should fine groups, but otherwise exercise common sense. I plan to take my kids on a cycle ride today, I plan to pack a picnic to eat midway through the cycle, and we’ll eat it in one of the parks because that’s a space they can be socially distant when doing so. I might take some mini easter eggs and have a mini egg hunt in one of the wooded areas, if it’s empty. This is exercise and a picnic (fuel for exercise!) and a small adventure for young children (also exercise). We’ve done this a few times and I’ve seen other families doing similarly. I think this is a perfectly acceptable use of the park. No-one is on top of anyone else. I live in London. There aren’t long glorious walks we can easily go on - getting an hour’s cycle ride necessarily involves roads to a green space.