Is this breaking 'the rules'?

[stella139]

If my friends and I were to go to a park and have a picnic, all spaced out 2m apart, is this within the guidelines?
I don't understand why Boris has said that you're allowed to meet one person outside of your household while socially distancing but you do this with dozens of strangers while in a supermarket/park etc?
What's the difference between being 2m away from a friend or 2m away from a stranger?

You are allowed to meet ONE person from outside your household.

It's to stop large gatherings I think. I can't see a problem (unless there's 10 lots of you or something) but technically yes, it's breaking the rules.

One person can meet one other person. It's really not that hard to understand (even though it is completely arbitrary).

It is rather ridiculous. You can sit on a beach with 100’s of people at 2m intervals. But not if you know them.

Yes - one person

Technically yes you'd be breaking the rules. You can meet 1 person that is all

This drives me mad I have been dropping shopping off to my parents leaving it out side the front door, today I went to have a cup of coffee with my mum in the driveway then to see my dad in the back garden and my Nan through a window they all live in the same house, so technically I've broken the rules but how do you choose which parent to see .

To avoid social gatherings - sort of give an inch take a mile. But that said the guidance has been abysmal - Hancock and Gove spluttering all over TV unable to explain the guidance coherently so no wonder people are tired and fed up.

@VladmirsPoutine I second that, the longer this goes on without clear advice and an exit strategy the more people are going to feel that they should take the matter into their own hands, and break lockdown rules

Also, with being allowed to sunbathe in a park etc, doesn't that imply that we could be distanced from friends in a public space without cause for concern?

Yep the guidance doesn’t make any sense.
So we can sit 2m apart from groups of strangers but not if they’re our friends?

We should get up and move?

And sitting in a busy park is different and safer to a large private garden ( just don’t go inside and use the loo). I think people are just starting to use common sense a bit now. Especially with risk assessment.

@Delatron there's definitely been a shift recently into using more of a common sense approach than the stringent adherence which took place before

How much more clear can they be? You can meet one person. That's it. What do you not understand about that? And they have already published their exit plan. Did you want Boris to come round to your house and explain it you personally? Christ, take some responsibility!

One person. Singular, not plural.

Becuase your more likely to maintain 2m from strangers at a shop than with your friends having fun at a picnic. Start showing pictures on your phones to each other, sharing music and tasting each others drinks. You dont do that with strangers.

You're * damn!

I don’t think the rules themselves are difficult BUT they seem so arbitrary and that’s why people are seeking clarification.

This rule does make sense (as much as I don’t trust this government more generally to keep us safe). Imagine the space even a group of three would take up moving around the place with 2m between each other, and if they encounter another group of three, etc etc. It’s about logistics as well as it being less likely we’ll keep order in a group bigger than two.

It's ok to have gatherings, if the police come along just all start clapping or dancing for the nhs...people have been fine doing that for weeks, gatherings of more than 2 were banned, but is ok if you stand in a big group clapping!!

Well if you go to a park you will see that people meeting in big groups aren’t observing any form of social distancing. They are clearly not one household. They are sharing food and rugs. They are incapable of managing their own risk.

Same thing is going to happen if they agree to meeting in gardens. But then it will spill over into the house. The most likely way you will catch this virus is when socialising with family and friends inside. The government and scientists want to prevent cross household Social gatherings.

Of course it’s breaking the rules; you know full well it is and you even say one person only in your post so cut the disingenuous bullshit.

This rule does make sense (as much as I don’t trust this government more generally to keep us safe

Tbf, it did stop making sense when someone went on TV and said you could make different people on different days. A one other household bubble would have made more sense.

*You can sit on a beach with 100’s of people at 2m intervals. But not if you know them.

Exactly.

Technically yes, it's against the rules. In practicality it makes no difference to virus transmission whether you know each other or not. Personally, I would - and have - meet up with more than one person as long as household groups stayed more than 2m away from each other.

In practicality it makes no difference to virus transmission whether you know each other or not.

This is the only part of the guidelines that seems strange, since if you are meeting two or three friends in an empty field 2m apart, it is no different to seeing strangers in the same place

And I think that is the reason people will be loose with the rules. Sitting next to strangers ok but 2m from friends not ok.