Would you be annoyed if someone did this?

[nightimebrowser]

Background:
Obviously been social distancing and taking all the necessary precautions (not seeing anyone outside household, staying in except for essential trips etc) for the past 9 weeks. My mental health has seriously declined due to this (already diagnosed with depression and anxiety) and the lockdown really has not helped plus being dropped by the adult mental health team as they don't have the resources right now.😣

My 2 friends have suggested meeting up for a walk tomorrow and having a picnic- we would obviously not touch each other and stay 2 meters apart at all times and we are going to a large, isolated open space. I know the rules are only 1:1 meetings though, would you be annoyed if you saw 3 people?

I really need this right now, I've been struggling so much. Obviously it's easier to meet as a 3 than do two separate meetings 1:1.

I would meet each of them 1:1. Then you’ll have two outings to look forward to as well.

@frillyfucks you don’t know they won’t spread it. Nobody knows that.

Some of the posters on MN will notice and no doubt post about it.

You do what you think is right for you and ignore the drama queens out there. There is such a thing as mental health which also needs considering in the middle of the mass hysteria of some posts on here. If you are social distancing ignore the doom and gloom merchants

This is so stupid. One minute, people are advising others to stay home as much as possible. Now it's leave the house repeatedly. What's changed THAT much, seriously?

Not being a drama queen...just would like ppl to follow the rules so we can get out of lockdown and visit our families.

Also ironic user name lol “weallhavevalidopinions” but calling us drama queens.

Hi. It doesn't really matter if a bunch of randoms on mumsnet support you or not, the bottom line is that this is not allowed. I sympathise with your issues but surely you could just meet each friend one at a time?

I wouldn't care less.

how would people know?

but agree, this is not allowed, mumsnet opinions do not mean diddly squat.
dont break the lockdown

i mean mumsnet opinions Mean nothing at all!

make your choice, do the right thing, which is not what you are intending to do by the way!

@B0bbin

If you all met up as 1:1, that would be 3 different meet- ups

Only if the OP (or one of her friends) goes to the field on her/their own 🤣

@YakkityYakYakYak

I would have said differently a few weeks ago but I think it’s okay for us to start to ease off ever so slightly.

You think now the R rate is starting to increase again, this is a better time to do this?

God help us.

@nightimebrowser

I'm sorry your MH team have had to stop seeing you. Do you not find any of the online options helpful?

Why do you need to see them both - why not just see the friend whose land it is?

If you must see them both together - why not, at least, walk there separately? That minimises the risk to others (by not being 3abrest on the footpaths) & minimises the chances of people upsetting you.

I wouldn’t be annoyed at all.

I've met up with one friend, in very deserted areas, but technically I'm breaking the rules. I'm a single parent, and while I can leave one child at home, the other is too young, so I've been taking her with me. This is against guidelines (it's meant to be 1:1 only, ofc) , but the alternative is not seeing anybody, and my already shitty mental health falling off a cliff.

Weve all been isolating, so risk is absolutely minimal anyway, so I've decided to go with it.

Do it. It's only a slight breaking of the rules, and as you're outside, the risk is low.

I wouldn't notice. Glad you decided to go for it. Good! I hope it does you the world of good and you enjoy it.

But if we all go out in our little groups of 3 x 2m apart there's not going to be room to slip a fag paper between them.

This would be the same if we all go out in groups of twos. It would be the same if we all went out with our households to exercise 3 times a day.

The argument of "what if we all did it" is a red herring.

Ffs it’s 3 people outside all sitting 2m apart, it’s really not an issue

People need to learn to use common sense not walk round like a sodding zombie following instructions no matter how daft

Meet your friends OP and enjoy it. A zoom call isn’t enough when your struggling mentally

Meet your friends OP and enjoy it. A zoom call isn’t enough when your struggling mentally.

Again, nobody is arguing for this.

Can you explain why the op needs to meet both friends at once?

Why is everyone telling to op to go for it ignoring this point?

As long as you are not impacting on other people trying to social distance I don’t care what you do really.

My local, usually quiet, space to walk my dogs have turned into the world, his wife and their kids taking over the narrow path with their picnics, bikes and scooters.

Today I drove 2 miles (yep a whole 2 miles!) to a woods. I had the woods to myself 😊 Driving for exercise in Wales is not allowed. Guess where I’ll be walking tomorrow 😉

Go for it OP. You won’t be putting anyone else at risk. Don’t forget the 2m rule though. Enjoy! 💐

@IncrediblySadToo

Yes, I do. From what I have read the R rate is increasing largely because of spread within hospital and care homes, not because of small groups of people sitting 2m away from each other in a field.

Makes me laugh that a whole street of people can all sit in their front gardens with a drink and have a safe distance party. The rules where that you could walk up and down the middle of the road to chat to neighbours further up the road (and done safely I'm in support of this) but if you don't know your neighbours or have no neighbours you have to be totally isolated.

The 'rules' don't allow for common sense or individual circumstances.

Its all very well for the people with others in their homes to interact with.

FWIW I live alone and am unfortunately shielding. If you think I'm not going to have a (very long distance) chat with any friends who come over with my meds or food, then you are mad and cruel.

OP, go and enjoy!

"The rules have always allowed for care and support of people who need it. Given that OP was involved with mental health services until recently (and clearly booted off their books due to demand, not because she didn't need help) then she could have been meeting people like this all along for support.

I cannot understand the mindset of people who think the risk of virus outweighs everything else. They're meeting outdoors. They're distancing. The risks are vanishingly miniscule of even passing it on, let alone being seiously affected if they all caught it.

It's breathtakingly cruel for people who are at home with their own families to try to discourage someone else from having this very minimal social contact. That's what's selfish. We should be easing the lockdown according to need - people who live alone should be allowed a little more than families/couples. Maybe the government are too heartless to realise that, but the rest of us don't have to be."

Thank you @TurtleTortoise
I honestly couldn't believe it when I got the email from my mental health nurse 2 weeks into lockdown. I'm early twenties and it took over 18months from turning 18 to even access the adult mental health services so it's been a long road to even get help and even then it's one session every few weeks and no other input/treatment (besides meds).
I've been under mental health services from the age of 12 so CAMHS where I live we're actually quite good with regular appointments but the adult sector is overwhelmed.

And to add- they both live with their parents and none have been to work or non essential trips + I live with my boyfriend who works from home so really really low interactions with other people aside from supermarket (which is a nightmare as we all know!)

Op perhaps you can explain why it has to be both friends not one at a time?

We don't live that close to each other and it would mean 2 separate trips driving 20-30mins each way. Also I don't drive so my boyfriend is driving me and I don't want to take the piss asking him twice a week.