AIBU to think its wrong that people can congregate on London bridge to clap (negating the whole point of lockdown) while a person sunbathing in the park ( 20m from anyone) runs the risk of a fine?

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Sorry if youre bored by another post about clapping but Im just mainly trying to highlight the hypocrisy.

I made another related post about the sunbathing in parks thing a few days back. I was a bit tired and stressed and didn't explain myself very well but what I was trying to get at was the double standards of it all.

Essentially, people who dont live in London are unnecessarily having their rights curtailed simply because, right now, its essential that people in London must endure restrictions to fight this virus. And God forbid the prospect of a politican appearing to limit the freedoms of Londoners while letting the rest of the country make the best of a bad situation and allow them to go to the park to sunbath while they having nothing better to do because their works been cancelled.

A few days back, when I made my original sunbathing related post, all I had to go on was a feeling. But now, after the London Bridge clapfest, I have STONE COLD PROOF that everything I was alluding to does have factual basis.

Politicans have a very London centric outlook. No one with half a brain whos aware of whats going on right now, could see the London Bridge footage and think otherwise.

PS, on my other post, some people chimed in with comments along the lines of "Here we go, more bashing on people who live in London". I dont have a problem with people in London, I just have a problem with the fact that politicans believe if the people who live in London have to suffer, then everyone else in the country should suffer also.

The Westminster bridge fiasco had several appalling issues:

1. It was a gathering of people doing something they are supposed to do from their front door - not make a journey elsewhere to do.

1. Police not only permitted such travel, they permitted the gathering and even joined in with it - including the Met Commissioner herself.

1. Social distancing was not only ignored by many, it was ignored by many police.

it's time for this virtue signalling to end - NHS staff themselves pointed out that here and in other places (such as outside hospitals), this activity is putting them at more risk.

Enough. Support the NHS by obeying the rules.

So the message should now be

Stay at home
Stay safe
Save lives

Dont congregate to fucking clap you morons

Keep the clap at home

YABU, plenty of people in London are being harassed and fined and prevented from going to work or shopping. We are not being “allowed” to sunbathe!!! Police in London are just as vigilant if anything probably far more vigilant about fining and breaking up sunbathers than police outside of London. It’s just the press who print photos taken last year and lie that it’s Londoners breaking lockdown, but don’t print stories of disabled people in London being hassled by police for sitting on a bench to rest for 1 minute on their way home from the supermarket.

You really think these restrictions are only outside of London, and London is some paradise where we can trot around and do whatever we like?? That’s completely false.

Yes, the Westminster Bridge incident is disgusting. But it does NOT represent London or what life is like for most Londoners.

And non-Londoners are not being restricted for no reason - the virus doesn’t magically know if someone is a Londoner or not and there are major virus hotspots outside of London too. Plus many more rural areas lack the medical facilities that cities have, so it’s even more essential that those areas don’t have outbreaks.

YANBU to say the London Bridge clap was wrong

YABU to say that people outside of London should be able to sunbathe

Also do you know that people travelled there to clap? Many of my friends live within walking distance of Westminster Bridge and walk past on their way to the supermarket or as part of daily exercise.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I assume at least some of the bridge clappers live there.

Still wrong and appalling of course!

They are two separate issues though?

I agree that the highest ranking officers in the met apparently endorsing a large gathering of people for the clap when they spend the other 99% of their time penalising people for gathering together is utterly ridiculous, and have no idea what was going through their heads.

However - the clap lasts for two minutes, once a week.

I agree - one or two people sunbathing alone 20m from each other isn't an issue. BUT if the police didn't bother stopping the odd one or two people sunbathing then a few more people would do it. Then some more. Then people would bring their kids to the park, not for a quick walk but for a few hours play and a picnic. Families who have been isolating away from their friends and families would suggest a meet up at the park. All of a sudden all these parks, beaches, mountain walks (whether in London or out) would be absolutely rammed with people, not for two minutes once a week but for 12 hours every single day the sun comes out.

Surely you can see the difference?

The whole over zealousness of policing the lockdown is based on the premise that no, one person doing something against the spirit of it, whether sunbathing, going to the shops just to buy a bottle of wine, or going for a drive to a nicer walking spot, is unlikely to cause an issue. But if everybody does it, there will be a problem. So they have to crack down on everyone despite their circumstances. Otherwise people will soon find reasons as to why they are special and should be accommodated.

The bridge clapping was ridiculous, But so is sunbathing in the park .
They are both not essential and that's the point .
If you want to clap for the nhs and sunbath probably not at the same time both should be done at home in the garden .

I haven’t seen police stop the gags of lads I see hanging a nice get together in the park (6 last night, 7 the night before) but they were haring across the grass in their panda car to a man sitting alone under a tree to shoo him along.

Yanbu about the Clappers.
Yabu to think the rest of the UK can sunbathe and visit parks, beach, holiday home etc.
London may be hit badly ATM it will spread to all cities and rural areas. There isn't much here in Co.Cavan rural county it is flooded with coronavirus. some of it most likely brought back from Cheltenham's festival

Sunbathing could well be essential. Vitamin D deficiency is a factor in deaths from respiratory disease and sitting in the sun with exposed limbs is the best way to increase your VitD. It is easy for me to get my sun, I have a lovely garden but if you're a Londoner in a tiny flat then you need to get out to exercise and to get some sun exposure.

I have friends who live in the Midlands (major C19 hotspot) who see mass rule breaking like parties yet these things rarely get in the press. Photos of Londoners walking 2m apart in a park cause outrage even though they aren’t breaking any rules.

People should be more sympathetic overall. It must be horrible couped up in a flat no balcony. Risking your life to exercise. I hope their landlords are reducing the extortionate London rate as lack of amenities.

Police not only permitted such travel, they permitted the gathering and even joined in with it - including the Met Commissioner herself

The clapping phenomenon is becoming increasingly bizarre. One poster is boasting about publicly denouncing their neighbour for failing to appear at the clap. To have the upper echelons of the police participate and endorse crowd clapping on Westminster Bridge whilst attempting to enforce lockdown the rest of the time? This is doublethink at its finest. It undermines the social distancing message which people are understandably finding onerous. As for
the clapping? There is a kind of fanatical vibe which seems to be intensifying. Very strange times.

I hope their landlords are reducing the extortionate London rate as lack of amenities.

What? Landlords aren’t responsible for the current lack of amenities.

What? Landlords aren’t responsible for the current lack of amenities No they're not though lots of business people will suffer.
They should take 20% off to match the reduction in wages of those furloughed.

The group clapping is a disgrace. They've doomed not helped the NHS by gathering.