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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:
TheGreatWave · 13/05/2020 10:13

No one going to Whitby today will be going to the beach. (Unless maybe to walk a dog)

Booboodisney · 13/05/2020 10:15

@OrangeSamphire where do you live, Royston Vasey ?! How do these shop keepers know exactly who is local or not. Sounds awful to be honest. Not somewhere I’d like to be associated with.

Wtfdidwedo · 13/05/2020 10:16

I'm in Wales so we don't currently have this problem but I live in an area enjoyed by walkers and tourists, and personally I couldn't care less if all the cars flocked here. If I was that concerned I'd just lock myself away I suppose. There are plenty of territorial locals near me though.

Ginfordinner · 13/05/2020 10:24

@OrangeSamphire it might be stunning in Cornwall today, but Whitby is a long way from Cornwall. The forecast for Whitby is a maximum of 8 degrees with light rain showers (Brrr).

The ignorance and self entitlement displayed on this thread is unbelievable. Just because the bumbling idiot says we can travel to exercise doesn't mean we should. We are fortunate enough to live in a rural area, but we have studiously avoided walking where we know it will be busy. The reservoirs are too popular, and the TransPennine trail (which is my choice for cycling on under normal circumstances) is so busy that we have had mounted police out to make sure that people are observing social distancing.

The local Facebook page is full of people complaining about how inconsiderate different trail users are towards each other - mainly about cyclists who use the trail as a racetrack and dog walkers who don't keep their dogs under control or pick up after them.

I live in a village (not in a touristy area), and yes our shop will recognise locals who come in regularly. I think people who live in large and busy urban areas just don't get that this is possible.

OrangeSamphire · 13/05/2020 10:25

It’s lovely @Booboodisney. A beautiful seaside fishing village. A close knit community, yes, but also a place loved and enjoyed by people who live inland, and holidaymakers too.

When this pandemic is over, the beach will be full of people on sunny days, and the shop will be open to all again. I’m sure everyone is looking forward to those days when they come.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 13/05/2020 10:35

@Crowdedhouseinquarantine - I can assure you that it's not rubbish. I've read the reports, the stats, from the local NHS trust - who have been able to track precisely the source of the virus in a very small village where no previous cases had been reported. Every single one of the subsequent cases after the London couple had been hospitalised had been in direct contact with that couple. How popular do you think that couple are right now? It's not gossip, it's fact.

Hobbesmanc · 13/05/2020 10:40

Aww I adore Whitby. We were there for our annual end of dry January binge this Feb. As a child we spent every summer in Staithes.

It just seems a odd choice. The beach isn't the nicest and it's not that accessible. Surely if you want to park and walk enjoying the coastline there are much better places where you minimize contact with locals? Runswick for example?

FleecyMoo · 13/05/2020 10:48

Sorry your piles are playing you up OP but perhaps it works out better for the residents of Whitby that you are suffering on a purely individual basis? I mean what can possibly be wrong with thousands of people who live an hour's drive away suddenly crowding into a small seaside town during a global pandemic?

Does anyone else wish that we could discover a small, very pretty island off the coast of the UK and let all the Covidiots/entitled twonks pile down there on a fleet of overcrowded coaches? We could allow to holiday there indefinitely and come back ourselves in a few years to clean up the mess they've left? We wouldn't need to bring them back obviously as they'd have long since perished ....

Booboodisney · 13/05/2020 11:13

Sorry but anyone who uses the word Covidiot just sounds like a cringey, middle aged daily mail reader. Vom.

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 13/05/2020 11:44

Sorry but anyone who uses the word Covidiot just sounds like a cringey, middle aged daily mail reader. Vom.

I suspect they tend to talk about remainiacs too Grin

Methtones · 13/05/2020 11:50

Remoaners goat!

Mouldiwarp1 · 13/05/2020 11:57

I live in North Norfolk. I think we have the oldest population in the UK. We also have a lot of beaches. I’m about a ten minute drive from my nearest. I have to say that many of the coastal villages have been very concerned about people going to the beach - quite hostile in fact. My daughter had to go to one to work and was challenged as to what she was doing there. The thing is, our beaches always seem to get rammed in the summer, but in fact if you walk five minutes in either direction you hardly see a soul even on a hot August BH, so it’s perfectly possible for people to visit the beach up here and not get anywhere near the locals. Equally the locals can quite easily get to a quiet area of beach. I realise this won’t be there same everywhere as most of our coastline is beach, but I do feel there seems to be a degree of smug nastiness going on around here - sort of ‘It’s mine and you can’t have it’. Obviously, I’m only speaking of my area.

TwentyViginti · 13/05/2020 12:04

So what happens in the local shop if a non local goes in?

After a day or two, the local shop suddenly has a lot of 'special meat' for sale Grin

olympicsrock · 13/05/2020 12:14

Just don’t. Whereas it may be legal it’s stupid and irresponsible to risk streaming the virus around the country. We should all stay local ( 20 miles of home) . I pity the residents of tourist areas if people can’t show common sense and a bit of respect.

usernotknown · 13/05/2020 12:16

It sounds bloody awful. I'm imagining a load of locals with pitchforks chasing the non locals out of the village.

Maybelatte · 13/05/2020 12:20

Probably not many people there today, it’s bloody freezing. Once the weather picks up again I’d imagine the beach will get quite full and difficult to socially distance. Shops won’t be open and cafes will be take out only so doesn’t sound like a great day out to me.

FleecyMoo · 13/05/2020 12:37

Erm, I'm 25 and read The Observer so your insults have missed the mark somewhat. Do you read The Sun. Or perhaps you just look at the pictures?

Bluesheep8 · 13/05/2020 13:03

Everything is shut. Including public toilets.

Clymene · 13/05/2020 13:08

I'm amazed there is anywhere in the uk where public toilets are open @Nottalotta

The risks to the public are enormous

Booboodisney · 13/05/2020 13:09

@FleecyMoo hahaha. So funny you are. Do you want a gold star? Your da sells Avon.

Sparrowlegs248 · 13/05/2020 13:25

@Clymene Norfolk coast. They are definitely open. I know one of the cleaners.

FleecyMoo · 13/05/2020 13:29

@Booboodisney I've heard of Avon and I'm guessing that's where you buy your scent? You've lost me with 'da' though? Is it your local dialect or does it stand for something? Your insults are really not on point if I don't understand what you are saying Confused

Sn0tnose · 13/05/2020 13:30

YANBU, bollocks to the locals quite frankly

I wonder whether you’d feel the same if all the residents of coastal towns and rural areas decided to up sticks and come and stay in your town because the shops were bigger and there were more hospital beds? Demanding their rights to exercise in your parks, shop in your supermarkets and queue up in your takeaways? Would you still think it was ok that you couldn’t safely go for a socially distanced walk or buy dinner without having to queue for two hours because hundreds of rural and seaside residents thought that their right to travel where they liked and use supermarket toilets trumped your right to just live your daily life?

Or would you think that they were massively selfish arseholes?

Talulahbeige · 13/05/2020 13:35

I’ve spoke to 5 different people (none of whom would be going together) and they are all going the east coast this weekend! All will be social distancing on the beach.
I don’t know that many people and I I can come up with 5 who are doing it how many more are!
It’s going to be a very busy beach

Jeffersona · 13/05/2020 13:41

I think a lot of places in the coming weeks are going to be weather dependent in terms of visitors

Ultimately you can't really do anything indoors at the moment outside your own house or workplace, so entertainment is basically outdoors but with businesses shut. All there is to do is either exercise or sit. Really, we need a few weeks of iffy weather because another heat wave and the beaches and the tourist places will get absolutely swamped and its not fair.