To be shocked at ndn having visitors?

[Blueswede]

Next door neighbours in their 70’s, had a visitor arrive on a bicycle yesterday and had a visitor arrive in a car today. I’m sure they’re just sitting in the garden so probably are keeping the social distance but given that I’ve not seen anyone since lockdown began I’m a bit about it! I don’t want to dob them in as I really like my neighbours. Just totally surprised! DH says well people are doing that, visiting friends and family but keeping the distance. ( to be clear - We aren’t visiting or having visitors!)

Fluffybutter

But clearly most people don’t think like this and do follow the rules. Not everyone is doing it - but I keep seeing these comments how ‘rule breakers are going to spread the virus and kill us all’, and it’s ridiculously hyperbolic.

Case in the point, the comment directly under yours insisting she report her neighbours having a socially distanced drink in an outdoor space.

And you get to risk assess and decide what’s right for you - same as everyone. Sure, no running up hugging and kissing - but what is the exact harm sitting two metres away from a friend in the garden?

The experts know that some people will stretch or rule break that’s why they are so tight factors in that lack of compliance.

Prohibition in the USA was for people's benefit: alcohol causes ill health, violence, addiction and immorality.

But it didn't take because people refused to alter their perception of their fundamental rights.

This is the same. Everyone acknowledges the reasons for lockdown. But ultimately, people do think that it's up to them whether or not to take risks. Stopping people from socialising, a most fundamental desire and right, is never going to hold for long.

Laws can only operate in practice if they are aligned with the majority view. We do not live in a totalitarian state (and even there people break rules). Whether it's in the public interest or not, people will always act in a way that they think is reasonable.

I don’t think the lockdown measures in this country were strict enough personally. If we’d all been locked inside and only allowed to leave to buy food once every week or so I think the outcome would have been different.

BoJo has tried keeping everyone on side because he loves to play the gormless best friend and as a result we have the highest death rate in Europe and second highest in the world. Giving people the right to exercise ‘once a day’ just opened up the possibility to exercise once a day for hours on end and secretly meet up with mates. The police can’t keep everyone in line, there simply aren’t enough of them (thanks Tory cuts).

I stick by my opinion. You carnt risk assessment with this virus. By doing so you are helping the spread. Visiting people on their garden is a non essential journey, why is that so hard to grasp? Thankfully we haven't noticed this at all in our quiet litte culdasac . I guess non of our neighbours are self entitled morons.

See, I would completely disagree with that. I think you absolutely can risk assess with this virus. And I think that it is okay that people do a risk assessment and decide that visiting someone but staying at a safe distance is something that they want to do. Maybe the difference between attitudes is people who think they can risk assess and those who think they can't?

The problem is visiting and sitting 2m apart in the garden is fine until one of you sneezes, touches then gets, doorbell, letterbox the delivery man, post lady touched. Sharing mugs/glasses if you don't take your own along and even then if.youre staying outside mug goes inside probably pit on the counter, maybe the milk carton or kettle.lip touches it. What if you need the loo, use a fork, spoon etc for a slice of cake ,ice cream etc.
The list of potential cross contamination is endless. Yes it's low but Its not zero. That's is why you should not be Mixing with other households or making non essential trips.

The second wave is coming and expected no matter what. By keeping the R rate as low as we can, will.slow the upsurge which helps because is another day closer to something possibly being available to help treat this awful virus such as knowledge, anti viral drugs etc.

But no, people flex what's been asked to suit them and try to justify it.

Sonjadog . You risk assesment might seem fine to you but it can be a very real risk to others if you haven't realised you have covid yet. It's the I'm alright Jack attitude at the moment. No one knows enough about the new deadly virus yet to be able to risk assessment themselves. Don't naked none essential journeys, don't mix households. It's pretty clear yet the snowflakes yet again think it dosent apply to them because it affects their human rights. It's a pandemic for god sake, when will people wake up?

There does seem to be an overriding element of posters not liking particular neighbours and this simply is another annoying thing.

I had one really annoying neighbour where I used to live, if they broke the rules it would just be more annoying behaviour and would rile me even more as it would be on top of the usual dickish stuff.

It's a psndemic. It's a new killer virus that even scientists haven't fully understood . It dosent make allowances for mental health unfortunately, or non essential journeys, or visits to tbe beach or little Jimmy 13th birthday party. You carnt self asseservice this kind of virus because if you do you are putting others people's lives at risk.

There are millions of people going to work everyday and mixing households. I can’t get worked up about this at all.

Which is exactly why the death figures are still nearing 400 per day. But don't u worry yourself sbout it 😠

@ElderflowerPotion accepting drinks etc..? I can’t imagine that’s very safe .
Yes I’m being over the top but those who think it’s a big hooha seem to be lax at hand washing etc..

Presumably, they are all meeting of their own free will? No one's being forced to do anything they're not comfortable with?

@my2bundles well I hope you haven't been going out at all then - even to the shop - if you're that concerned.

Which is exactly why the death figures are still nearing 400 per day.

No the death figures are still high because this virus is spreading like wildfire in care homes and hospitals. A situation that has grossly mismanaged. Blaming it on random mumsnetters who are social distancing really does show a lack of critical thinking skills.

I've given up being surprised at my neigbours breaking lock down rules.

One side are pretty stupid so wasn't really surprised that his brother has been coming round since about day 3 and not standing 3 metres away. Also they were supposedly on self isolation as their child had a cough and fever and yet the dad went food shopping at least twice. Why could his brother not go for him? Or his mum or stepdad who live within walking distance?

Other side I thought were more sensible plus she is a nurse. They had visitors round on her birthday and then yesterday visitors drove to them and they sat in the garden and certainly were not 3 metres apart from each other.

Various other neighbours have had visitors and the best one is the youngish couple who had her parents visit when I know they live 160 miles away!

Born to hula yes a I've been doing a once weekly shop because that's essential. Mixing households etc is not essential. Mixing households and shopping doubles the risk and spread, making another non essential trip triples the risk and spread. The more non essential trips you make increases the risk and spread. Are people really so stupid they don't understand this?

The thing is people try to justify it all the time. They see the risk as so low so that makes it ok. Other people.are working meeting and touching x amount ofpeople.every day at work so if thats ok visiting Fred and Joan and sitting at the bottom.if the garden is fine.

Any risk is an increased risk.
These people all consider what they are doing as fine. They are the special ones that know better than anyone else. And like I said they usually are the ones screaming the loudest about the ongoing lockdown and the rules relaxation of being of.little benefit to them, because no the rule relaxation is of no benefit to them because they were never sticking to the actual proper planning the first place.
I suspect few would go to an NHS Covid frontline worker and say Fuck Yoi to their face because they consider themselves decent people, and I expect a good numbe of these people doing this also clap.on a Thursday.
They just don't get it.

My neighbour smokes weed constantly. He also peddles it. He's a very quiet neighbour, though, and we've had some real neighbours from hell in the past, so I'm not bothered. He hasn't been socially distancing and he's been having, erm, visitors regularly.

The thing is people try to justify it all the time.

Actually most of them don't waste their time or effort justifying to sanctimonious hand-wringers, they just carry on living as they see fit. ]

Tea. I have family members who work on covid wards they would say that is bullshit. They see members of the public arrive daily on their wards who thought non essentisl trips and mixing households was ok. They have witnessed people die and tear family's apart who thought mixing households was ok. Not only are these people putting themselves and family's at risk they are also risking NHS staff and other essential workers in supermarkets etc plus the public in supermarkets this is why a much stricter lock down is needed. Because some people really are that clueless.

There's not going to be a stricter lockdown. Quite the opposite. Sorry to disappoint you, but people's wet dreams of a police state simply aren't going to become reality.

I'm not hand wringing actually nor do I now want a stricter or extended lockdown but it did seem ironic that those moaning the loudest about the extended lock down here in Wales and that the rule relaxation was pathetic and of no benefit are the ones that have done what they see fit for the past 7 weeks or whatever.

@my2bundles how long are you planning to live like that then? Are people really so stupid they don't understand that viruses don't just get bored and go away, disappointed that everyone is hiding?

Wasn't the point of the lockdown to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed? Not because CV is loitering outside our houses, ready to kill us all.