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AIBU?

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Original poster

To go to Whitby beach tomorrow

662 replies

BubblyBarbara · 12/05/2020 18:31

I’ve gone to Whitby every year for the past decade or so and I’m missing it dearly. I’ve read Boris’s PDF and it says you are allowed to drive any distance to “open space” from tomorrow so my plan is to go to Whitby and spend the day on the beach - social distancing of course.

But I did a search on Facebook about car parks etc (it’s ok the parking inspectors are furloughed so I can park anywhere I like) and found lots of angry posts on local groups about how the people of Whitby don’t want people coming into their town yet Confused

It’s legal for me to go tomorrow but the locals don’t want us to go.. who is BU here? I say the law is more important than what the locals say.

OP posts:
Pavlova31 · 12/05/2020 21:19

Whitby is full of narrow old fashioned streets so i can't see how people could observe social distancing if many turned up.
Why not wait until lockdown is over Op ?

Pavlova31 · 12/05/2020 21:22

I would love to go there but certainly not until then or to any other similar town .

XingMing · 12/05/2020 21:22

TBH bubblybarbara. by now you should feel unwelcome in Whitby.

No matter how much you love the place; come back later, when the pressure is off, or go somewhere much less destination-y. There are no loos, or ice creams, or coffee shops open. 300 miles away from Yorkshire, I walked around the lovely market town seven miles from home while my car was worked on, and only the butcher was open.

You may not not think this is a big deal, but there are a million people who disagree with you, and everyone else who's egging you on. It isn't all about you and what you want.

Mittens030869 · 12/05/2020 21:25

I grew up in Whitby and I remember how crowded it could be when the tourists flocked there in the summer and parking can be a nightmare! I can understand why local groups aren't happy about it. It will make it hard for local people to go out for their own exercise whilst also maintaining social distancing.

I know that what you're proposing is allowed technically, but there are other places where you can go for exercise that won't cause problems for local people. Imagine how crowded places like Whitby could become if a lot of other people had the same idea as you.

As others have said, there will be no cafes open and no public toilets, they're not geared up for tourists right now.

feelingfragile · 12/05/2020 21:28

Of all the places, Whitby would be last on the list. It's so crowded. You can't possibly socially distance there.

monkeysox · 12/05/2020 21:29

Yes we should get the mayor to use my slogan. Thick bastards would understand that

Pinkyyy · 12/05/2020 21:30

So the residents of Whitby can’t use their own beach

Haha. I never knew that when you bought a property in Whitby you get a private section of the beach included. I always thought it was a public beach. 🙄

LolBeansandSalad · 12/05/2020 21:35

Can't see the benefit in owning the road if the only way to stop folks parking on it is to move your car to it. That's just like 'parking on the public road' surely.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 12/05/2020 21:35

It sounds like many of the people on this thread have only ever been to the old town, which is not how you get to the beach.
I know Whitby pretty well and can think of several places to park on a busy day which could get you to the beach without narrow streets.
If it is packed you might have to shock horror get within 2m of other people, but I doubt it will be.
As for the claim it will make it impossible for locals to exercise, well, they could even go somewhere other than the beach if they have to exercise in peak hours! Most of us don't have deserted beaches to exercise on but we somehow manage.

Mittens030869 · 12/05/2020 21:35

I have to say, I never quite understood why Whitby was such a popular tourist resort despite growing up there (maybe that's why I feel that way! Grin). Why would you go when there's no fish and chips or coffee shops, or even public toilets??

VickyEadieofThigh · 12/05/2020 21:36

I live in an East Coast seaside town. We do not want tourists here - nothing is open, not even public toilets and as we have so far had no deaths from C19, we fear tourists bringing the fucking plague into our town.

Seaside and other resorts have nothing to gain from tourists and everything to lose at present. Please stay away.

MarieQueenofScots · 12/05/2020 21:37

Can't see the benefit in owning the road if the only way to stop folks parking on it is to move your car to it. That's just like 'parking on the public road' surely

It’s never usually an issue. The odd occasion in Summer but people are happy enough to move. Unfortunately since lockdown that hasn’t been the case so far easier to avoid a confrontation.

It wasn’t really a “benefit” when we bought to be honest, just a title quirk that neither particularly enticed us/put us off.

Ontheboardwalk · 12/05/2020 21:37

Another vote for Don't be a dick. What if you need a shit becoming the new official slogan

I’d love to drive 30 mins to my local tourist site but am staying at home.

Oh and the traffic wardens in my city aren't furloughed, they are still doing the rounds

oneforsorrow29 · 12/05/2020 21:39

Dp and I were chatting about a drive to the seaside (not Whitby) and concluded the following:

Other than a walk there'll be fuck all to do.
There are no public toilets and as an IBS sufferer I don't fancy getting caught short and having to shit in a bush.
Many people - local and otherwise - will be thinking the same so social distancing might be hard.
If we want food we will have to most likely queue in a long queue where social distancing will be hard and then eat our food outdoors on our laps.

None of this sounds appealing so we aren't bothering. Ask yourself given the constraints is it really worth the risk? I suspect many people think it will be and there'll consequently be another spike after this weekend.

YinMnBlue · 12/05/2020 21:39

I was at a rural / coastal location for work today. All the car parks and lay bus were closed/ taped or coned off. Paths to beaches closed, and popular inland walking spots.

I think this whole thread is a wind up to flush out Whitby Facebookers (no one would call the locals ‘riff raff’ otherwise) but anyone thinking of heading to nice spots.... you might not find what you hoped for.

And of course communities which have been pretty isolated do not want people from high infection areas desporting themselves in their midst.

This is where Boris and co have ducked up wrt the public mood.

Saladmakesmesad · 12/05/2020 21:39

Have a lovely time, OP. No reason not to go and absolutely no danger to the locals.

Chloemol · 12/05/2020 21:48

It’s not legally wrong to do it. However if you are thinking about doing this so will lots of others so it’s possible it will be crowded

Then think about how you would feel if lots of people suddenly descended on where you live, so social distancing was no longer possible and you were forced to stay at home in your house, unable to go out for exercise because lots of people decided going to the beach for a day is the most important think to do and sod anyone who actually lives there

You maybe desperate to go to the beach because it’s something you do each year, but it’s hardly necessary and you are being selfish to those who live there and who are rightly concerned people may bring Covid with them

SnackSizeRaisin · 12/05/2020 21:49

@adoptadatimprove

Lol at this We have two small grocery shops, but some people have to go further afield for groceries: if we all shopped here there wouldn’t be enough space to stock what we need.

I'm guessing you don't own any of these shops? More likely you all usually shop at a supermarket cos it's cheaper and your local shops rely on tourists to survive. Now it suits you to shop locally you are suddenly worried about the local shops

XingMing · 12/05/2020 21:50

I like Fowey, and it's within an hour's drive, but am I going there? No way in hell.

It's an hour's drive between the two hospitals serving the area with A&E facilities. In summer you'd have to pay me to go there, even mid-week, because it's busy. The parking is at the top of the town and there's no parking within in level walking of town, and you could not pay me enough money to use public transport right now. So I'll give all the tourist destinations a huge swerve until this calms right down.

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 12/05/2020 21:50

There must be plenty of parks between you and the beach at Whitby, some very near your home. Can't you just forego a bit of sand and stay local?

But hey, you love Whitby so just carry the fuck on why don't you, it's all about you and what you want to do after all

Sunshineandeggshells · 12/05/2020 21:50

"Local riff raff?" That would be me then. ...

Please don't come. We love tourist usually but there is a...what do you call it...a panfuckingdemic. I

We have covid here but a relatively low count due to locals isolating and tourist staying away for a while. You may not need the hospital when you are here but if you 're carrying the virus we might need it after you leave.

I live 5miles down the coast and wouldn't drive to Whitby to use the beach.

Washyourhandsyoufilthyanimal · 12/05/2020 21:51

I’d go! I love Whitby beach.

Mittens030869 · 12/05/2020 21:53

*I live in an East Coast seaside town. We do not want tourists here - nothing is open, not even public toilets and as we have so far had no deaths from C19, we fear tourists bringing the fucking plague into our town.

Seaside and other resorts have nothing to gain from tourists and everything to lose at present. Please stay away.*

I no longer live on the coast, but I can really understand this plea. Why would you want to risk spreading COVID-19 to places where there haven't been any cases? (Bearing in mind that you could spread the virus without realising it.)

I now live in Leeds and COVID-19 is a fact of life (I have it and it's impacted on my life in ways I would never have anticipated and I know of people locally who have died, including a former colleague of my DH) and I would never want to knowingly risk spreading it to a place where they have been free of it up to now.

ScubaSteven · 12/05/2020 21:54

Ah this thread is full of fucking idiots.

AIBU to go to Whitby?
Most posters: yeah actually, its hard enough for the locals to social distance without the tourists turning up. Why don't you wait?

OP: I'll do what I want, Boris said I could. That pack of riff raff better not key my car.

Most posters: But Boris was expecting everyone to use their common sense; only travel somewhere that wont make social distancing difficult. So YABU if you go there.

So many links and sensible comments later and we still have 'have a lovely day OP, those damn locals don't own the beach'.

FGS.

I hate this place sometimes.

Fromthebirdsnest · 12/05/2020 21:54

Im.actually really shocked that they have said that people.can drive to beauty spots.and beaches as they will be packed I really feel for people in seaside towns etc as there.are.lots.of older.people.that retire to these places it.puts.the m in danger .. (Sorry about random punctuation my 4year old broke.my tablet 😣,newone on the way!)