To wonder why my garden is more risky than a park bench?

[Iamnotusuallyconfused]

I’m confused about the rules - I’ll admit that and I know it’s boring constantly hearing ‘can I do this’ But I’m confused.

So under the new rules, I can meet my mum in a park and sit on a park bench 2m from her - and probably loads of other strangers.

But I’ve been informed I cannot have her sit in my back garden or drive way 2m away?

AIBU to think my garden is not more risky than a park and do it anyway?

And her and my dad live together, why can I not see them together? If she has it, so does he? Is it breaking the rules if he sits in the car while I walk with her and then they switch? What is this madness?

[Thisdressneedspockets]

Fgs, the guidelines say outdoors. Last time I checked a garden is outdoors. All the pearl clutching is getting really annoying

I agree, however, the legislation gives very clear definitions of a public open space, so gardens are excluded.

Initially, we had a problem with people being given fines when they hadn't broken any laws, as many police forces were erroneously following guidelines and this only improved over 3 weeks in when this was pointed out.

Now we have a situation where by following the guidelines, we could be breaking the law. They've increased fines, so clearly intend to enforce something. How are we to know which version they are now following!

[GrapefruitGin]

There would have to be so many exceptions to the rule and it’d be very difficult to police for example, you can only have people visit you in your garden if you have a front garden, or access to the rear garden without going inside, a garden large enough to observe social distancing and in relation to the amount of people in the garden. It’s much easier to say it’s all or nothing, no in betweens.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Fgs, the guidelines say outdoors. Last time I checked a garden is outdoors

I agree with you, but it doesn't change the fact that any time the government is pressed on this matter (eg when Louise Minchin asked Matt Hancock the question whether she can visit a friend/relative in their garden) he said gardens were not allowed and it had to be the park, and stuck to this despite repeated questioning 'because not everyone has gardens'.

He wouldn't even say that if you had a spacious garden that is accessible without entering the house you could meet there, he just said you had to meet at the park.

[BarbaraofSeville]

you can only have people visit you in your garden if you have a front garden, or access to the rear garden without going inside, a garden large enough to observe social distancing and in relation to the amount of people in the garden

And? Anyone who can extend their tiny mind outside a London-centric city mindset will realise that many people, maybe even most, can meet these conditions easily, including ground floor flats or those with large communal gardens.

My first house was a back to back terrace with only a small front yard and even that allowed two people to sit in the front yard more than two metres apart.

[StrawberrySquash]

The logic makes sense at a population level. We need to reduce the overall number of contacts and saying two people at a time does this. As soon as you say more you end up on average with bigger groups from more households and more spread. Yes, you meeting your mum and dad together probably isn't more risky than meeting one, but if you can meet as a three then I decide I'll meet my friends who live separately, the three of us in a park, and all of a sudden it's logical for three households to meet. If that's okay then three bigger households can meet, etc, etc and you end up with big groups, kids mixing physically etc.

Even if your kids are in school, if you aren't seeing other people that is still less overall contact and less virus spread than if the kids were in school and you were seeing people too.

As a society we can only handle so many total contacts. We are 'allocating' those contacts where they are needed most, hence why my my friend's can see his carers, but not his daughters.

[StrawberrySquash]

I think the garden thing is because then you feel like you want to offer a cup of tea, loo visit etc. For a lot of people in a terrace a quick walk through the house to get to the garden won't feel like much. And if you are very careful then it's probably a v small risk. But it leads to you feeling less careful overall.

But yeah, it's really hard. If I bump into a neighbour in the park and then another person stops to talk to us do we break the law? Obviously we all stay 2+ meters apart.

[Fluffybutter]

As a family we have been following the guidelines since they were given but Monday we will be going to sit in my dad and stepmum’s garden .
We will use common sense such as 2m apart , hand washing and hand gel.
Think it will do us all good ,mentally!
They only live a 5 min drive away so we won’t be travelling far

[adellaranger]

I’m seeing family in my garden. If I can go to work then I can see my parents. We’ve lived strictly by the rules previously but in this case I just don’t see the point or the sense

[mumwon]

the thing that makes this even less sense is that you employ someone to do gardening....

[somenerve]

Please don't make a grand gesture of standing to the side for me on the pavement though it makes you look like a passive aggressive tit. Especially when I'm jogging up bank and then feel obliged to hurry up. I don't care if you move or not.

I’m not moving for you – I could care less about you – I’m doing it for me. Feel better now?

[somenerve]

Or even couldn't care less.
I am my own grammar nazi.

[Bufferingkisses]

The thing is the legislation does not say no gardens. It doesn't matter what someone says on TV that is not legislation. It says outdoors. Yes it is under the heading "public space" if you look on the right document at about 33 pages down, however it is still worded outdoors. Should it get argued in court (which I highly doubt as the police seem to be exercising more common sense now, it wouldn't hold up for a second.

If there is a specific requirement then they have to be specific about it. The wording, if that were the case, would be "...meet others outdoors in a public space...".

[Pepperwand]

adellaranger

I’m seeing family in my garden. If I can go to work then I can see my parents. We’ve lived strictly by the rules previously but in this case I just don’t see the point or the sense

This is the EXACT problem. It is about reducing the number of contacts on a population level. People have to go to work to ensure we can fund little things like the NHS and housing. Seeing your mum is nice to do, not a need to do and we have to lift lockdown gradually starting with necessary activities. What exactly is it that people don't seem to be able to grasp?

[Teateaandmoretea]

It is about reducing the number of contacts on a population level

So many people don’t get it. It’s like the ‘my kids will go back to school when we ram 500 people in the HOC’ brigade.

You would be better off seeing your mum when you weren’t going to work as it was much lower risk you had it. But if you are sitting 2m away, not drinking tea or using the toilet then it’s very low risk anyway

[Teateaandmoretea]

FWIW I’ll be visiting my dad while I’m out on my bike this weekend and having a chat in his garden.

[Gooseygoosey12345]

I may get flamed for this but I've sat in my mums garden and had a chat. My friend came and sat in my garden for a chat. We've all been isolating, not working etc. and we were 2m apart. I think it's illogical and as long as you use common sense and aren't all over each other it's no different to sitting on a park bench, in fact it's probably safer