To think going on holiday at the moment is selfish and unnecessary

[OverTheRainbow88]

I think it’s totally unnecessary and selfish for people to go abroad on holiday at the moment. I’m not talking about people that need to go abroad for other reasons, such as ,work or to see ill relatives etc. I think getting our children back to school trumps a holiday.
However, lots of family and friends are going away abroad for holidays, do others agree with me or am I being unreasonable?

@pickpickledpeppers - and if everyone behaved like you, the only option in future years for holidays would be messing up a muddy field with their tent peg holes (for those lucky enough to be able to afford tents to live in!).

I have to say I don't see why it is so important to go abroad at this time, particularly as we have had some gorgeous weather here, but some people do :-).

Not everywhere has had gorgeous weather.

We had some nice days back when we were in full lockdown but only handful of days since restrictions were lifted. I've not been abroad but we seriously considered it. Both of us have been working full time at home with a 5 year old to homeschool and zero childcare. We're completely burnt out and a week in the sun would have done us the world of good. I don't judge anyone for wanting a break abroad providing they're sensible.

People have been quick to judge but they seem completely unable to see things from a different perspective.

Jesstan2

You do know that the UK is a fairly big area and the weather can vary massively from one area to another?

The last 2-3 weeks we've had so much rain m and wind. It's been sunny a couple of times but I've had to wear a jacket most days and take a waterproof out on the odd journey I've taken. We've not sat out in our garden for almost the whole school holidays.

I do admit that we have some glorious weather in May though possibly into June.

@pickpickledpeppers - yes, it is a good job you haven’t done what you don’t want to do anyway!

I can control my coughing due to allergies but can do nothing about my sneezing and loss of smell. I haven't been able to smell anything for several months. My asthmatic MIL can't control her coughing. It's a good job we haven't tried to go on a plane!

In that kind of scenario, I would have thought you would be able to get something from your doctor to verify that you are safe to fly.

I agree with you. I think people have got their priorities wrong. The more people exercise unnecessary freedoms such as holidays (especially holidays abroad), the greater the risk to essentials such as opening schools and businesses. People are selfish and short sighted.

@Toptotoeunicolour - one could argue that you are short sighted if you think “unnecessary freedoms” are actually entirely unnecessary in a capitalist world economy.

People have to make their own risk assessment and judgements. I don’t personally have the appetite for foreign travel at the moment, but I don’t judge anyone who feels differently.

Unless there is a complete travel ban, we are all free to make up our own minds.

[quote Walkaround]@pickpickledpeppers - and if everyone behaved like you, the only option in future years for holidays would be messing up a muddy field with their tent peg holes (for those lucky enough to be able to afford tents to live in!).[/quote]
Not at all. Farmers who run campsites on their fields rotate the fields to stop them getting muddy. As for tents, they are available for the same price as a taxi to the airport (Our 5 berth tent was £50). As you have seen, we don't mess up the field.

Lots of people don’t have kids and aren’t impacted by schools going back. If I didn’t have kids I doubt I’d give a shit about schools.

I do hope the people that condemn others as selfish for going on holiday haven't taken advantage of Rishi's eat out to help out scheme. Lots of people in enclosed spaces, but unlike with flying, no hepa filtration and no masks and no quarantine, regardless of risk, when you get home.

you can go anywhere you like just dont moan if quarantine comes into effect whilst youre there-thats all on you

[quote Walkaround]@pickpickledpeppers - yes, it is a good job you haven’t done what you don’t want to do anyway![/quote]
I do want to do it, I love foreign travel and have done it often. It's selfish to do it this year though.

@ChangeThePassword

I do hope the people that condemn others as selfish for going on holiday haven't taken advantage of Rishi's eat out to help out scheme. Lots of people in enclosed spaces, but unlike with flying, no hepa filtration and no masks and no quarantine, regardless of risk, when you get home.

No, we haven't eaten out at all since this started.

Please keep people are selfish to yourself. My daughter is a single parent in a extremely high pressurised job. She has a young son, and had to cope with many other problems.
She not only wanted a break, she needed a break, so she flew abroad, best thing she did as she feels better.
I wish people like you would stop judging, everyone's circumstances are different. Or better still worry about your own family.

@pickpickledpeppers - well, yes, selfish if you’re going to sneeze all over everybody wherever you go...

@walkaround I used the term "unnecessary freedoms" to highlight that it is a question of priorities, and was not entering into a debate about the relative necessity of being allowed to travel for fun abroad when there is a global pandemic going on.

Toptotoe

My priories were to my dh who needed a complete and utter break to grieve for his father and process the horrific couple of years he's had after a lockdown of working long FT hours whilst also trying to look after his bereaved mum.

My proirity was also to my Dd who has lost her beloved grandad after a horrid couple of years or more of him battling a serious illness, followed swiftly by losing her two great grandmas, having not been allowed to see any of them for weeks whilst also being isolated from her boyfriend and friends, the rest of her family, missing her 18th birthday and having her eduction screwed up.

My priority was also to myself who has also been grieving my beloved FIL and two nanas over lockdown, supporting my Dh in his grief. Crying for my grieving MIL at our home, supporting my 18y who has lost theee close members of her family whilst not allowed to see her closest friends and having everything important to her seemingly fall apart, and whilst also working long full time hours from home whilst feeling concerned due to being clinically vulnerable and having a health flare up.

We took precautions. We travelled in a SDed manner, we stayed SDed throughout. We stayed safe and well. We took precautions on our return, despite quarantine not being needed, to keep our loved ones at lower risk.

Next week my priorities will shift to the children I will be in charge off - hundreds each week with no SDing and no masks. My own health will again be sidelined to care for other people's children.

So yes, sometimes our priorities do change. And we do sometimes chose to put ourselves and our loved ones first, even if it's just for a few days or weeks.

I won't apologise for holidaying in a safe manner abroad.

I put no one at any fester risk than if I'd been on holiday in england, or if I'd been going to the pub and restaurants in town.

What about the people who booked and paid for their holiday before Covid had been heard of?

Insurance won’t pay out unless the FCO says no travel so I either went on holiday or threw away over £2.5k........ I’d been away for nearly two weeks before the rules were changed!

I always find these travel threads strange.

Between dh and I we have around 70 odd friends, apart from two everyone either stayed at home or took a holiday in the UK (all of them usually travel extensively) I actually know of no one else that would consider travelling at the moment.

Out of the two that did travel, one went to see their elderly parents in France, and the other couldn't cancel as they would have lost so much money, they didn't even want to go (and in fact felt very nervous throughout their holiday - and are now having to quarantine reluctantly)

I don't think these threads are in any way reflective of the mood and choices on the ground and in real life.

Just a few people justifying their consciences very loudly it would seem.

People are selfish and short sighted.

People seem unable to see things from a different perspective. People are so blinkered.

I’m also fed up with this constant berating of people as “selfish” for every little thing. What will be next?

Going to a shop more than once a week - selfish
Going to a shop to buy wine and chocolate - selfish
Someone on here back in lockdown said pensioners walking to a newsagents for a paper were “selfish cunts”
Driving 10 mins to go for a walk somewhere uncrowded - selfish
Using online shopping - selfish
Wanting schools to go back FT - selfish
And now going on holiday - selfish

Fucking sick of it.

@pickpickledpeppers - I think you’ll find you woefully misinterpreted my post about tent peg holes and muddy fields. The point was, if zero people went to restaurants, flew overseas, stayed in hotels, visited museums, etc, this year, they won’t be there for them to use next year, and so many people will be unemployed that they won’t be able to afford to even buy a tent, let alone pay for a taxi to visit a deserted airport. Hence the balancing act that is required, where some people continue to do these things and should not be prevented from doing so.

Between dh and I we have around 70 odd friends, apart from two everyone either stayed at home or took a holiday in the UK (all of them usually travel extensively) I actually know of no one else that would consider travelling at the moment.

Travelling within the UK is still travelling. They didn't stay at home to ensure they didn't transmit the virus elsewhere.
Why is travelling to a tourist, or even no tourist, location within the UK much better, especially if you compare it to travelling abroad by Eurotunnel or a SDed train?!

I assume none of your 70+ friends have eaten out, visited a local attraction, done unnecessary shopping trips, been in a pub, etc either have they?!

No, we haven't eaten out at all since this started

Yeah, you are probably not alone in that (I haven't either to be fair, but I would consider flying as its less of a risk imo), but I bet not everyone can say the same.

In fact a quick search proved that at least one of the people criticising those going on holiday has posted on here about going out to eat with friends this month. I'm not surprised.