Just got reported to police for breaching lockdown. WIBU?!

[saylor]

For context: I have 2 toddler DC (tiny age gap!), we live in a flat and we have thus far abided by all lockdown rules, and it's been fucking hard!

This morning, at 9am (!!!!), I took DC to the park across the road and let them play in a sandpit which forms part of an un-gated playground. All the play equipment is roped off with police and hazard tape and we didn't go on the equipment, just played in the sand with buckets and spades. First time in 9 weeks and no one else was there.

After literally only being there for 5 minutes a police van pulls up and tells me I'm breaching lockdown rules, took my details, and gave me a warning. She stopped short of fining me. I apologised and started packing up the buckets and spades and older toddler had an absolute meltdown that we had to leave. The police woman took pity on me and said she was sorry she had to move us on but because someone reported me, it was her job.

So someone saw a mother and her two young children playing in the sand and decided to call the police at 9am and tell me off. This is after a bank holiday weekend of huge groups of people socialising all over the park and no one told off.

I'm livid. AIBU? Or WIBU to take my DC to the sandpit after 9 weeks of lockdown hell?

I don't know whether or not you broke the rules but whoever reported you has a vindictive streak. Unless they were being noisy - which is still no defence but something about children squealing really rubs up some people the wrong way.

So you can sit on grass in a park but not sand?

You can sit on sand on a beach but not in a park?

Bonkers.

Play equipment is taped off because of the concern the virus may stick to swing chains, etc. Don't think it sticks to sand.

It's very unfair - I live in a coastal area and apparently our local beaches were chokka over the weekend - no one was worried about transmission via sand then .
I salute all parents going through this that have no private outside space.

Why would anyone report this? What kind of pleasure do they get out of it?

Its really sad someone reorted you.

Yes technically you may have been breaking the rules but have some common decency ffs! No one else was about and I dont think sand is going to transmot the virus anymore than ground. If your dc had been playing in mud it would be fine

I think the issue is with being in a children’s play park. They should all be shut but no you weren’t really doing anything wrong if it’s easily accessible. Not much different to a be beach. It’s not like you were touching the swing ropes, slide handles, climbing frame etc.

Laughable though. They aren’t doing anything about all the parties, bbqs, gatherings I’ve seen around and people just being assholes yet approach you who is just spending time with your children!

Sorry that this happened to you - I would have found it really upsetting. Yes you were in a playground but I would have thought the fact playgrounds and outdoor gyms are grouped together in the “things you can’t do” section is to get at the fact that it is the actual equipment / surfaces that aren’t supposed to be used. What you did seems no different to sitting on a beach, or “spending time outdoors” sitting / picnicking/ enjoying the fresh air, which is explicitly allowed. Hope you find some other ways to keep the kids happy - maybe get some bubbles and let them run around in the park?

Beaches are covered in sand, I’m assuming that kids can play there so not sure why a sand pit is more risk if the kids are distanced and you wash hands and don’t let them eat the sand (my dd would have)

But I can also see the side that play equipment is out of use and that could include the sand pit.

YANBU. You need to live near me OP. Our local park is still technically closed but people are using it every day, no one bats an eyelid, the police drove past the other day and said nothing.

The same way you transmit anything through touch. It's the same reason the swings etc are off limits.

Contrary to what we were told in the early days of the pandemic, surface transmission is difficult and quite unusual, even from the riskiest surfaces (like metal doorhandles etc.)---most transmissions are coming from aerosolized droplets being breathed in. The idea of someone catching CV19 from SAND is a complete joke. The virus is not going to spread like this.

It seems unfair OP when tens of thousands of people descended on the beaches where I live at the weekend, sand wasn't a transmission risk then. If the sandpit is included as part of the play equipment it should be taped off like the rest.

I don’t understand the logic. So you can go to the beach, but not play in sand elsewhere. We have makeshift swings in some trees near us and nobody has roped them off, but the play parks have been. You can flout the rules if you’re Boris’s mate, but not joe pubic. Full of inconsistencies. (I do genuinely get the logic behind small steps, but the government have made it a bit of a joke now)

Technically yes you broke the rules as the sandpit is still part of the playground, doesn’t matter whether or not it’s taped off.

However for someone to report you just shows how petty some people can be. Glad the policewoman didn’t fine you. I also think it must be awful to have DC and not have outside space for them to play in without fear of someone reporting you! So I really do feel for you in that sense.

YANBU. Nothing to do with DC. But I am baffled at the lack of consideration for those that live in homes with no garden. At that age, your children need play and time outdoors. The mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of children clearly means nothing to some people.

Whatever about the person reporting you, the police could surely have ignored it? I cannot understand how they even have time for this shite!
In ROI one of the ministers told people to use their 'cop on', and I think the police could have used some here.
Ridiculous.

@kahronah did you read the OP, they live In a flat. How do you use a shell pool inside?

This is horrible OP. Whoever reported you needs to take a long hard look in the mirror and think about what they gained from doing so. Are you within a travellable distance of a beach? Not that I think everyone migrating to beaches for the day is a wise idea, but it might cheer your DC up for an afternoon. If not have you head of moon sand? It's really easy to make with flour and baby oil, could maybe make them up a tub of that to play with indoors, or our some in the empty bath so they can play with it (just make sure you get it all out before running the taps!!). X

I wonder who felt the need to report that? People are so disappointing.

I’m a massive hide-in-the-house lockdown type who does plenty of tutting about what others are up to, but that’s crazy. Poor you, OP. I would be upset too.

Make a cup of tea and open the windows and console yourself with the knowledge that whoever that miserable fuck was is always going to be a miserable fuck, whereas lockdown restrictions (real and imagined!) are not permanent.

Meanwhile our local skate park, which has been barriered off for further works (and do quite obviously closed even apart from Covid) is busy every evening.

Unfortunately some people are pathetic OP, and probably reported you whilst relaxing in their garden.

Can’t believe someone would report this!! What a sad sack.

Some people are arseholes. It’s been fucking hard on kids, even with ones who have a garden!
Technically you did break rules as it’s public/shared equipment and I guess could be a thing which can carry/transmit the virus.

On a side note, I think sand play/play doh play was stopped pre lockdown at DDs nursery so I think stuff like this is seen as holding germs (I could be wrong, just more as a cautionary thing for you than anything)

Contrary to what we were told in the early days of the pandemic, surface transmission is difficult and quite unusual

I know. Nevertheless, that is why it's "out of bounds" like all the other play equipment.

@SmileyFaceSadFace