Would a dedicated time for older people to take exercise work?

[Carbosug]

It's been suggested a couple of times in the media here in Ireland that an hour a day should be set aside for cocooned people to be allowed go for a walk while everyone else stays indoors.

AIBU to think that this wouldn't work as you would have non cocooned people coming up with the usual selfish reasons as to why they are the exception to this rule?

Honestly, if people are that vulnerable they just need to stay indoors for a while. Yes, it stinks, my mum lives alone in a small flat with no garden, but she’s not leaving it at all.

We all need to do our part, and for the most vulnerable that means staying indoors.

No because what if they were morning people and their allocated hour was 7-8pm or something? Or the other way round? Plus people would find every excuse why they have to be out as well. Leave it as it is.

It would be impossible to police. And you will always have people needing to go out at weird times. Not because they’re all “selfish” but because they need to do something around work, or travel to a shift, or get something for a vulnerable neighbour.

What if the time chosen is the time when I am cycling to work?

It's just not necessary, feasible or enforceable unless we got to a point where we are in a much stricter lockdown. Even then I'm not sure it would achieve anything.

And what happens when its raining at that time??
It probably wouldn't suit a large number of people, whatever time you chose (too early for those who like to sleep in, too late for those who are up with the sun).

I could deal with not going out for an hour, but could quite easily forget.

It might make more sense so those WITH symptoms who still want to go out have a set time to do so .abd those of us that want to avoid them can do then !

No, they should just stay indoors.

I agree it would be very difficult to find an hour when nobody would need to be travelling to and from work, going to a hospital appointment or undertaking some other essential travel. Also a lot of elderly people would need a carer or family member to accompany them. Too awkward and messy to organise.

I don't think it would work but it's nothing to do with non cocooned selfish people

Shielded means no going outside or near others so how would that work

Well I think that would be part of the problem @onanothertrain. But obviously there would be other obstacles as well.

The other problem is that the virus can hang around for hours, especially on surfaces like park gates, or lifts/doors for people who live in high rises :(

So who gets to decide if the non cocooned people coming up with the usual selfish reasons are in fact selfish or just someone's perception?

So in theory the junior doctor/delivery driver/cleaner who’s just woken after a 5 hour sleep following a 12 hour shift has 1 hour in which to exercise before the next shift. This coincides with ‘vulnerable people hour’. They then go for their run and are tutted and yelled at by various vulnerable people who they’re breaking their backs trying to help. Fuck that.

Who's going to police it? Not the actual police of course, but more of the self appointed self righteous, who would of course have to be in this group themselves or they would be breaking this law.... And maybe they could get a special badge/high vis jacket to show their 'authority'... Have you not ever seen the threads where people who don't look 'disabled enough' get abuse for parking in blue badge spots?

Terrible idea

Lots of "selfish non-cocooned people" are still going out to work. They still need to go to supermarket or the chemist and out to get their own exercise...

Yes that's why it wouldn't work. People would still have to get to work and other appointments and the people who disregard the current restrictions would just disregard this one and insist on taking their exercise etc during that particular hour.

No. I’m shielding but look perfectly healthy. I don’t want to be tutted at, shouted at, beaten up or to have to explain my medical history to people who take it upon themselves to police these special hours. They don’t work and the encourage vigilantism.

Honestly, if people are that vulnerable they just need to stay indoors for a while What's you're definition of "a while". It's going to be 3 months to start with, and I suspect the "extremely vulnerable" are going to have to be avoiding all contact until a vaccine is found - perhaps 18 months or 2 years. That's a long time to cope with only the exercise that you can do in a small flat.

It'd be more sense to have a lockdown with exercise allowed only for those in flats or a tiddly garden. That would reduce the number of people out at any one time.