'We will decide when the lakes are open' AIBU to be irritated?

[Aberforthsgoat]

Just been on the phone to my cousin who lives in the Lakes. We were discussing how Cumbria has been really badly hit; I was saying how gutted we are to miss our Lakes holidays this year but how I hope it gets under control for the residents, and we are so looking forward to being able to go when we can.
My cousin said 'IF you can come'
And I acknowledged that of course, we would absolutely not come until it's safe for everyone to do so and government says we can; even then we would make our own risk judgement
My cousin responded by saying, quite smugly 'it doesn't matter what the government says,the people who live here will decide when its open, we are keeping people out at the moment'
She proceeded to tell me how much they all hate tourists and how they would blockade to keep people out if the government lets people visit too soon

I understand it must be scary and I would be worried if I live there too but AIBU for thinking this is quite a nasty reaction?! It's made me feel like actually maybe I won't go back, which I know is petulant and cutting off my nose to spite my face, but it's left a bad taste.

I had no intention of finding a loophole so I could go, I was talking about next year or the year after hopefully!

I used love drop the dead donkey.
Wonder if it's on Amazon Prime. I must have a look.

Me too @ToffeeYoghurt. Its free on All4!!!! Hurrah. Next few days entertainment sorted.

@ITonyah it might not be correct of course. But at some point freedom to travel and stay places is going to be allowed and it's really not up to residents to police that as much as they might like to.
I can't block off my street because I'm worried people might spread the virus and overwhelm my local hospital as much as I might like to. In the same way I can't stop people gathering in the park that backs onto my house even though they leave litter, are noisy and often obnoxious and I'd really like to.

I really hope this virus burns itself out and we can have some version of normality but part of that normality is surely accepting that if you live in a tourist hotspot, tourists are eventually going to come back

She's not done a great job today then, apparently Ullswater was really busy..loads of cars in the carparks and laybys. People on the beaches and swimming, and campervans everywhere. I can see it from both sides.

I've found the far north-west, Cumbria and north Lancashire both, to be insular, intolerant and quite self-important tbh. I have heard that Cumbria was one of the earlier vector points for the disease, due to the concentration of wealth there; local well-off people insisting on going on fancy skiing trips in Italy well after the problems there were known. So they've got no business complaining about the rest of the country visiting, it's their own they need to sort out.

Jesus
That's a nasty post

That's true. I read officials believe Cumbria's high infection rate was down to people returning from ski and other holidays. Locals spreading it to other locals.

On All4? Brilliant! Thanks @longwayoff!

All the first cases would have been spread to locals from other locals

@itonyah it wasn't supposed to be nasty, just responding to your earlier post - I was trying to keep it factual. I'm really not talking about visiting soon here, that's a whole other issue, I'm talking about next year or the year after and the fact that she was still behaving as though locals would decide it would remain closed. I was trying to demonstrate that residents anywhere can't decide to remove access to anything they don't own as much as they might like to. And believe me I wish I could prevent access to the park near my house sometimes

Why nasty? I speak of my own experience, but the initial high infection rate in Cumbria is fact, and there's only one way it spread here from the other side of the world.

Sorry @ITonyah I think you reply wasn't directed at me, I missed the other posts

I don’t live in Cumbria. I live in a city within driving distance.
If everyone in my city went to Cumbria for the day they’d still be much better able to socially distance than they would at home.
They wouldn’t put strain on Cumbrian hospitals, they’d return home and be treated here given the time for symptoms to show.
Plus it Cumbria that’s the hotspot right now, not us! It has way more cases per 100,000 than us.

I can’t comment on the Lakes, but some close friends of mine live in Penzance. Both are key workers. According to them, feelings are running very high against tourists who come down from ‘up country’ bringing covid with them to infect local communities.

There is genuine concern that with one proper hospital in the entire county and an elderly permanent population, the local NHS could be overwhelmed and local people could die due to the selfishness and entitlement of incomers. If large numbers of tourists insist on visiting this summer despite being clearly and repeatedly asked to stay away, things could get very, very ugly indeed.

Presumably your friends in Penzance will welcome Londoners. Given the infection rate is lower in London than elsewhere in the UK. Mind you any Londoners who visit other parts of the UK had better Stay Away from London. Can't risk them bringing back infection from the SW or anywhere else more infected. Got to protect the UK's largest elderly population. Which is of course in London. Where the hospitals really didn't cope.

If large numbers of tourists insist on visiting this summer despite being clearly and repeatedly asked to stay away, things could get very, very ugly indeed.

They won't be able to visit if there is nowhere to stay. If hotels etc are allowed to open and tourists are treated badly if they visit and that will be the end of tourism of Cornwall.

things could get very very ugly indeed

This is what I don't understand, what are people going to do?!

So the people of Cumbria go skiing in Italy, you know, being tourists, but don’t want tourists in Cumbria? Case of do as I say not as I do?

All Cumbrians lumped together. You are nasty, bigoted and incapable of holding any conversation that isn't littered with expletives. Pathetic doesn't come close. Bore off!

I was on a similar thread about Cornwall, where I was told that they might shout at me in the streets, and possibly damage my car.

T’was a bit ‘local.’

Cumbria isn't driven by tourism alone. We produce the food you eat (farming) , the milk you drink, the paper (Croppers) you write on, the power to light your home (Sellafield), the water turbines (Gilkes) that power not just the UK but the world. The mintcake for expeditions and the nuclear subs (BAE) to protect against enemies.

Cumbria isn't driven by tourism alone.

Of course it isn't, but it's still a significant part of the county's economy - as it is for many other counties/towns/cities and indeed the UK as a whole. However many essential world-class resources the place supplies, it would still be a poorer county without the tourism as well. Plus, places like Bowness and Grasmere don't so much lend themselves to major industry without significantly destroying their particular character - for the locals as much as the incomers.

I hate it when threads like this end up a point-scoring slanging match, pitting all people from one place against all people from another (or every other) and wholly pointlessly seeking to find a 'winner' and a 'loser'.

I've experienced the odd sour attitude (from locals and other tourists) when I've been to traditionally touristy areas in the UK, balanced out by a warm and pleasant welcome/treatment from the vast majority. I hope I've also come across to them as the respectful visitor I always want to be.

My mums side of the family are from Cumbria ,going back many generations, we have a house there, in the village where most of the family live. I love it more than where I live the rest of the time.
Tbh I've not encountered such nastiness from locals, The tourist industry keeps the money pouring in, I take it this attitude isnt from the thousands of bed and breakfast places that operate there, nor the hotels and tea rooms.
It wont stop me going back, when safe .

You need to stop reading the Daily Mail. There are no signs anywhere that I have seen nor any road blocks.

Tourism isn't the be all and end all. Far more Chinese visit here than English. They spend more, stay in the better hotels and aren't pooing outside the church in Bowness. They also have impeccable manners.

A cataclysmic recession is coming. Mass unemployment, homelessness. We shall allsoon have more pressing matters to worry about. Save your energy.

I don’t live in Cumbria nor have I ever been there but I do think some of you are being quite nasty about the local population.

From what I can see Cumbria wants tourists but not quite yet as they are not ready and do not feel they can cope with a large influx of people.

Cumbria’s first infected person was 3rd March when we were still being told that the risks were low and three weeks before lockdown so it is no wonder Cumbria has been so badly hit. Yes the infected person had just come back from Italy so was a tourist themselves but it was still during a time when the WHO was telling the world that Covid was controllable and not a pandemic.

Cumbria will still be there in a couple of weeks so why not wait? Holidays abroad are likely to be a lot more than we are used to paying. And Many will be priced out of them altogether so plenty of people will be looking for U.K. holidays. A small percentage throwing their toys out their prams saying if they are not wanted and can’t go now then they will not go later is not going to end the Cumbria tourist industry.