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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think clapping obviously stops the virus spreading - scene from Westminster Bridge

153 replies

chomalungma · 17/04/2020 04:49

twitter.com/d_rafi1/status/1250864574984867856

Great video near St.Thomas' Hospital. Lots of the public and police all gathered together clapping.

And for some reason, London has a lot more cases than elsewhere in the country.

Clapping is great. But I wonder how many people will catch it from others at this gathering?

OP posts:
GrimmsFairytales · 17/04/2020 08:56

You can see why people are thinking about breaking the rules when they are faced with scenes like this.

Original poster
chomalungma · 17/04/2020 08:58

I wonder if any of the police there thought it was a bad idea or looked bad - but couldn't speak up because of peer pressure.

Imagine being the person who says 'Are you sure we should all be here with all these people on the bridge, considering everything that has been said about social distancing'

OP posts:
Wired4sound · 17/04/2020 09:00

Totally agree op - Here is the footage from Barnsley District General Hospital where someone had the bright idea of inviting Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes Safer Neighbourhoods Team up to be “clapped as well”

www.facebook.com/barnsleychronicleonline/videos/158413535522368/

Fucking disgraceful.

cologne4711 · 17/04/2020 09:03

Completely stupid. A lot of these videos are clearly fake but I don't think this one was. What was in peoples' minds? They didn't look like hospital staff, where had they come from? There are a few residential areas in the locality I suppose but it's very strange.

Also very unhelpful. The next time a police officer says someone shouldn't be doing yoga in the park, all they need to do is show them that video and say one rule for you and one for me?

The clapping nonsense has to stop. And why are people hoarding fireworks? They can't have bought them recently, and it's very dangerous to keep them stored for too long. I have to say I dread this ending in some respects, we're not going to be able to sleep for a week with all the bloody parties.

cologne4711 · 17/04/2020 09:04

Also agree with peer pressure in the police - people don't want to look miserable. I'd never admit to being anti-clapping in real life (though my neighbours will have noticed that we don't go out).

GalactiCat · 17/04/2020 09:05

Well we had photos of Captain Tom with his daughter and granddaughter next to him as well. Do they live together? I don’t think so.
Apparently she does live with him and has done for a few years.
But these people, what a bunch of twats.

feelingverylazytoday · 17/04/2020 09:06

So I guess all these people are volunteering to be part of the herd then. Lets hope one of them have 'underlying conditions' then.

ChessieFL · 17/04/2020 09:14

The problem with this clapping thing is that now it seems to have become almost an official thing, people seem to think that the social distancing doesn’t apply for it. It’s almost become one of the excuses for breaking the social distancing/lockdown rules. It needs to stop.

MrsLangOnionsMcWeetabix · 17/04/2020 09:19

This has made me so angry. Fucking idiots all of them.

Lexijayde44 · 17/04/2020 09:24

It's the same as takeaway services delivering food to hospitals. It's surely better to prep lunch for yourself right now? A greasy pizza would leave me feeling sluggish too! I get the kindness behind it all. I really do. But other people breathing near and handling your food. Then different staff in the hospital's touching it. A random delivery driver touching the boxes etc.

Makeitgoaway · 17/04/2020 09:29

If only there'd been some police there who could remind people of the rules.....

Makeitgoaway · 17/04/2020 09:31

"Well we had photos of Captain Tom with his daughter and granddaughter next to him as well. Do they live together? I don’t think so"

I'm guessing the swimming pool (with ladder to enter) and the basketball hoop in the garden don't belong to him Grin

RiftGibbon · 17/04/2020 09:33

I live near a school. Quite a lot of parents are key workers and most people live locally.
The NHS clap has been done locally on doorsteps/in front gardens and I am aware that a number of the key workers have heard and appreciate it.
Does irritate me that some of the clappers will have voted for a party that has cut funding to essential services.

Miraclescometrue · 17/04/2020 09:35

Some of them might live near Westminster bridge but the idea is you just clap from your doorstep, not make a journey with hundreds of others to do it.

Original poster
chomalungma · 17/04/2020 09:36

If only there'd been some police there who could remind people of the rules

If only...

OP posts:
WeAllHaveWings · 17/04/2020 09:53

I have no problem with the emergency services being there and clapping for their colleagues. The police/fire service etc have to sharing cars etc every day while working and have different rules from the rest of us.

But now it the public are ruining it by joining in when they should be at home they need to rethink about doing it. It is a shame as I know some NHS nurses who appreciate the gesture from their emergency service colleagues.

Kazzyhoward · 17/04/2020 09:57

Why were those police not slapping fines on the general public all stood around, not social distancing, doing something non-essential?

They can't go round fining people for having family picnics when it suits them and turning a blind eye at other times.

Anyway, I thought we were short of police numbers - seems to be plenty around doing unnecessary things at the moment.

LakieLady · 17/04/2020 09:58

I'm thinking of taking a magic marker to a t-shirt and standing in the window next Thursday with "Scrap the Clap" emblazoned across my norkage.

Original poster
chomalungma · 17/04/2020 09:59

Why were those police not slapping fines on the general public all stood around, not social distancing, doing something non-essential

Would it look bad fining people who are clapping in support of the NHS?

Optics......Hmm

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 17/04/2020 10:03

"Well we had photos of Captain Tom with his daughter and granddaughter next to him as well. Do they live together? I don’t think so"

He lives with his daughter, son in law and granddaughter

GrimmsFairytales · 17/04/2020 10:03

Why were those police not slapping fines on the general public all stood around, not social distancing, doing something non-essential

They can hardly fine people for doing exactly the same as they are.

HedgehogHotel · 17/04/2020 10:07

You aren't wrong.

And I'm amazed at much like the thoughtless poppy brigade this is becoming.

Procrastination4 · 17/04/2020 10:09

The clapping thing didn’t take off here where I live in Ireland and, and, looking at those clips above, I’m SOOOO glad that it didn’t! Those scenes posted above by various posters are absolutely ridiculous.

amehh · 17/04/2020 10:10

I'm getting really irritated by it now anyway - the first weeks clap was fine and a nice gesture but every week since I've had neighbours blasting music, banging pots and pans, whooping and cars beeping horns at 8pm just as the kids are going to bed and it gets progressively louder every Thursday. I know you can't restrict normal noise levels but honestly, its excessive and isn't actually helping - go inside and donate some money if you want to make a difference.

I hardly ever comment on threads but this is really grinding my gears!

Namechangervaver · 17/04/2020 10:11

I think we have utterly over estimated our capabilities in just about every way possible. We don’t manufacture enough of anything so we don’t have our own supplies of anything. Whether it’s tests, masks, clothing and it will be food shortages next if we don’t get the crops picked.

It was reported yesterday that 150 Romanians were flown in to pick fruit and vegetables Confused