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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Seadide stupidly busy

576 replies

mummydoris2006 · 20/05/2020 16:22

I live in a seaside resort (Slegness) and today it is absolutely heaving with people. I understand new guidelines say you can drive and enjoy the beach etc for the day but people are really taking the Mickey!

The beach has human excrement on it, the queues for supermarkets are worse as people are queing hoping they can use the toilet and one person even knocked on a residents door and asked if his pregnant girlfriend could use the toilet. Upon being told no he told the homeowner they were out of order as she was pregnant and they'd drove from Essex.

I keep seeing threads where people that live by the sea etc are being slated for not welcoming visitors but the reality is due to the amount of people flocking to the coast we can't safely enjoy our own hometown, the streets are far to narrow to be able to stay 2m away from people with the influx of visitors.If any local dares to comment we are immediately hit with the "you wouldn't have jobs if it wasnt for us". Neither my own or any of my families jobs are tourist reliant and amazingly we manage to keep our economy going well enough during the winter months.

I understand people want a bit of normality and it's really hard on children but surely you should respect the place you visit and as people that live here all year round we should be able to safely enjoy our own hometown.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
maddening · 20/05/2020 16:47

It is the toilet situation that people seem to have forgotten, your travel is limited by your bladder as there are no toilets around, all the cafes and pubs closed etc. It is disgusting to go outside as you fail to take it into consideration and leave human excrement!

Tableclothing · 20/05/2020 16:48

embracelife

The pic lost a lot of detail in the uploading. I assure you it is unusually busy and that on the pavements and streets nearby there is no chance of maintaining social distancing.

OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow · 20/05/2020 16:48

People need to use their common sense. The fact that someone is acting lawfully, doesn't mean it's not stupid...

By now EVERYONE must surely know public toilets are closed. Everyone must realise that there is probably another thousand people having an idea of going to the popular beach, as they did...

The fact that you could do something, doesn't mean you should...

Chloemol · 20/05/2020 16:48

@LemonPudding

You do understand why toilets are not open don’t you? A little thing called Coronavirus?

Living near the sea and visiting is one thing, travelling miles to get there is another. Most people are aware public attractions are not open, and that toilets, pubs and lots of the shops also won’t be open, so to be honestI don’t really get why they are going, I couldnt go all day without needing the toilet.

It maybe lawful to travel ( I think you can travel as long as you spend longer at your destination that it take to travel there and back), but the op has a point about the fact that shedloads descending on these places means they are stuck inside as social distancing is impossible, and that’s not fair, especially as nice weather could mean this going on for days.

I really do think a limit should have been placed on how many miles you can travel

Original poster
mummydoris2006 · 20/05/2020 16:48

@GinDaddyRedux thanks, I didn't think you were being rude, this is only my second thread I've posted and thought maybe I had missed something and had to have a solution.

There has also been a car garage owner who has been getting people constantly asking if he has a toilet this week. He felt he had to let people use it as the all had children but if you look at posts on here by people saying they're visiting tourist locations they all have bladders of steel and require no toilet Grin

OP posts:
GreytExpectations · 20/05/2020 16:49

I understand its frustrating but people can't get annoyed when nobody is breaking the rules. Boris Johnson said we can travel for a day out, no limit. Unfortunately if you live in a tourist area this is something that you have to put up with but you can't blame people for following guidance. I find it odd that a couple from Essex would travel that far for Skegness as opposed to a nicer, closer beach.

LaurieFairyCake · 20/05/2020 16:52

It should not be allowed without toilets being open

Completely the governments fault - don't tell people they can drive everywhere without telling councils to open toilets

IF ITS NOT SAFE TO OPEN TOILETS ITS NOT SAFE TO TRAVEL (further than about 20 minutes)

IF ITS NOT SAFE TO LET KIDS PLAY OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS ITS NOT SAFE TO OPEN SCHOOL OR ALLOW THEM ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT

this govt is an utter SHIT SHOW

Defenbaker · 20/05/2020 16:52

mummydoris2006 posted:

"I would be more than willing to discuss this with Boris or anyone else interested in my opinion. I think there should be a mileage limit on how far you can travel therefore fencing in the amount of people in any one area. I apologise for not expressing this in the original post, I wasnt aware I needed to have a solution."

YANBU, and your suggestion re mileage limit makes perfect sense to me. The police can see from the reg plate where a car is registered, and were using that info to give on the spot fines at one stage.

OP, I completely agree with you and totally understand your anger at the selfish thoughtless people spoiling your area when it is not fully opening/functioning for tourists. Also agree with others saying that if you arrive at a popular beauty spot and it's already crowded, you should just move on, not make the situation worse.

I love the sea, and in normal times have been known to drive 20-30 mins to a lovely beach, to walk along and take in the sea air. But these are not normal times, so right now I'm staying local. I'm lucky that 10 mins walk away there is a little shingle beach near the river, no facilities apart from a few benches, so I sometimes walk along there, but on a lovely sunny day I don't go there, as I know many others will have similar thoughts and maybe some of them live in the nearby flats, with no garden.

I hope Bojo gets his act together on this issue soon, either the tourist spots need to be fully opened up, with toilets and shops/cafes open, and measures in place to restrict numbers so that social distance can be maintained, or they need to be shut. This "open but not visitor ready so please don't come" approach won't work with the sort of entitled morons that are crapping on the beach or demanding that locals let them use their toilet. This must be horrible for you OP.

Pelleas · 20/05/2020 16:55

Just reading this BBC article - Bournemouth looks crowded.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52743749

Everytimeref · 20/05/2020 16:55

Blame Boris. He knows what he is doing. Wants to be able to "blame the public" when the second wave happens for not " using their common sense".
Same as the schools. No real plans just guidelines which mean teachers are blamed for being worried that they won't be able to product their students or themselves.

Inkpaperstars · 20/05/2020 16:57

It's ridiculous. The whole idea that you can travel to places provided you can social distance was a pipe dream and they need to change the guidelines around it. Whether they need to stop it entirely or change the way it is managed I don't know.

ShortAndSharp · 20/05/2020 16:57

fuckinghellthisshit I too live in a popular rural area, and have witnessed this type of behaviour. It is truly disgusting and massively disrespectful.

Everytimeref · 20/05/2020 16:57

*protect

Pasghetti · 20/05/2020 17:00

YANBU. I am dreading the same here. No toilets or cafes open. People will end up shitting on the beach. Things have not been thought through.

LemonPudding · 20/05/2020 17:00

@Chloemol You do understand why toilets are not open don’t you? A little thing called Coronavirus?

Your sarcasm is wasted, dear.

I know how to use antiseptic wipes and how to wash my hands. I would wipe everything down before I used it. Wouldn't everyone?

GreytExpectations · 20/05/2020 17:01

Wants to be able to "blame the public" when the second wave happens for not " using their common sense".

@Everytimeref Do you know Boris personally or work in the government and therefore are part of the decision making? Because I can't understand how you seem to be able to make assumptions like that unless you fit into either of the above categories. I doubt you are an expert in viruses either Hmm

OmgThereAreNoPlanesAboveMeNow · 20/05/2020 17:01

I would wipe everything down before I used it. Wouldn't everyone?

😂😂😂😂😂
No. People are generally pigs. That's why I carried hand gel and wipes way before coronavirus.

Twigletfairy · 20/05/2020 17:01

I went to my local beach this morning for the first time in months. I took my children and my dog so got there for 9 30 before it got too hot. It was relatively busy when we got there, but was noticeably getting a lot busier when we left at 11:30

The toilets were open, I noticed a little seaside shop was open too. One of those that sells things like buckets and spaeds, fudge and inflatables. I didn't go in but there's no real way of social distancing in there. But I was genuinely surprised to see both the toilets and the shop open.

The other thing I did notice was that there appeared to be a lot of people from multiple households around. The only reason I noticed that is because as they was walking along, they were maintaing large gaps between them. Which is great, except it means they're taking up a huge amount of space.

My daughter loves the beach so we will go again, but I think we will try and get there even earlier next time

Jobseeker19 · 20/05/2020 17:02

And the government is tweeting about social distancing for Eid. When this is going on.

The80sweregreat · 20/05/2020 17:02

I do understand why your upset about this : any other time and it would be great for the economy and the people working in tourism It's sods law the weather is so nice this week when we could do with some rain to put people off driving too far.

MrsSpenserGregson · 20/05/2020 17:03

I live in a seaside tourist town (I'm not telling you which one!) and the council here has opened some toilets, and beachfront cafes for takeaway ice cream etc. Whenever there is a penny to be made, our council will make it.

People are still shitting behind the beach huts though Angry

vanillandhoney · 20/05/2020 17:04

I know how to use antiseptic wipes and how to wash my hands. I would wipe everything down before I used it. Wouldn't everyone?

I think you're greatly overestimating how clean the general public are!

SockYarn · 20/05/2020 17:05

YANBU, and your suggestion re mileage limit makes perfect sense to me. The police can see from the reg plate where a car is registered, and were using that info to give on the spot fines at one stage.

I'd be buggered then. My car was registered in Southampton and I live in Glasgow.

SunflowerSeedsForever · 20/05/2020 17:06

I would wipe everything down before I used it.

You would wipe an entire public loo cubicle? Fittings, seat, floors, doors and then the sinks? Professional cleaners get danger money for public loos, excrement and urine central.

lynsey91 · 20/05/2020 17:07

Well so many people are just idiots so not surprising really is it?

Anyone sensible will just keep away from beaches, popular places etc. Me and DH have not changed what we are doing in the slightest since the start of lockdown.

I have been out 3 times in 9 weeks each time to buy food. DH has been out slightly more times.

We are now managing to get a click & collect from Sainsbury's when we need shopping (about every 2 weeks) so have no need to actually go into a shop.

We need to take responsibility for our own health and let the idiots get on with it