‘Fuck the Covid rules.’ Really?

[Yellownotblue]

To all the posters (there have been many) saying they don’t plan to abide by the new rule of 6 - is your attitude specific to Covid, or do you generally don’t care about acting illegally?

For instance would you drink and drive ‘because you have a good reason’?

Or park illegally or drive without a seatbelt?

Would you drop litter on the streets?

I’m genuinely confused by the admission that so many posters see law-abidance as a “nice to have”, rather than some basic standard of life and morality in a society.

I'm about to play devil's advocate. If I go on an online date every week, and therefore (No this isn't real, it's for argument's sake) either kiss or sleep with someone every week, and dump them after a few dates, moving on to the next... surely the maths implies that I and the male online dater would be spreading the virus exponentially, but entirely within the law. Ergo: can't legislate against people dating, so they're doing this instead.

Surely the more people that say "well I'm not sticking to the rules" then the harsher the rules will get?
Just ruins it for everyone. I'm still not seeing my parents except from a very large distance to wave as they're socialising and I'm not. Crap but what can you do?
I managed to stay inside for 14 weeks on my own, seeing nobody, no food shops, nothing and people are whining about 6?

Is the rule possibly meant to get people out of the house to meet elsewhere? That's the only way it makes any sense to me.

Not unless it’s for work or school. Outdoor gatherings and pubs and restaurants are also limited to groups of 6.?

@Neron

How many deaths came about because of the BLM protests? Crowds that large I'm assuming whole families would have been wiped out. Oh and the beaches, all those people too.

Oh! Another one! That really isn't a Gotcha!

Let's see. They were outside. Many did distance, wore masks, were young, fit and healthy, may have been single, lived in small huseholds and so very many more variables.

That and we don't know enough about covid to be certain about its variances. We act on what we do know and update that knowledge as times goes by.

The only rule covid follows is if it can make contact with you it will. After that its pretty much Russian roulette.

This isnt really a legal question. Its a simple moral question. We know enough about transmission that you have a clear choice. To do something that increases the risk of transmission or not.

It would be far more honest of those saying they are going to indulge in higher risk behaviour (which may or not break the rules at any given time) to just say it - 'I accept that I am taking the chance I will get covid, and importantly, I accept that I will probably pass that covid onto someone else who may not survive.

Own this decision, and the morality of your behaviour. Don't try and justify it by citing confusion or illogicality from the government, general unfairness in life or the behaviour of other people.

Just to remind you these rules we are supposed to abide by were made by a government that has said it plans to break the law.

I can understand why people are angry and resistant but I just don't think we can have it all ways. To keep the economy going, schools open and pubs / shops still serving, as well as spending time with friends and family, things have to be compromised. People will never agree on what is compromised because their priorities are all different.
I just don't think life will ever be what it was before - when this is all over a new normal will emerge and I think instead of fighting for things to go back to the way they were we should all work on what we want that new normal to look like for us within the parameters available.

@TheGreatWave

Logistically I am unable to see my family, I'm sorry that some people are finding that so difficult to understand. So I will abide by the rules, at great personal cost.

But I really do not want further restrictions, do you?

Well, no, but as far as this one is concerned it is no different to when we were in lockdown.

It can stricter than this if numbers go up.

No socialising at home probably next.

Then worse if they close businesses and schools again. This would affect you too, I assume.

The six rule is meaningless to me.

I work with more than six people
I do home visits to large families
I exercise with more than six people
My children go to two different schools
My husband works with more than six people
We eat out at restaurants
We enjoy park trips/beach/farms etc
Thankfully we dont rely on pubic transport but that's about all we can avoid...
My mum lives with us so are a family of 5....I'm not going to not allow my sister and her child to come round.

Totally pointless

@Mayhemmumma

The six rule is meaningless to me.

I work with more than six people
I do home visits to large families
I exercise with more than six people
My children go to two different schools
My husband works with more than six people
We eat out at restaurants
We enjoy park trips/beach/farms etc
Thankfully we dont rely on pubic transport but that's about all we can avoid...
My mum lives with us so are a family of 5....I'm not going to not allow my sister and her child to come round.

Totally pointless

Will you be happier if they stop you working with more than six people, kids going to school, eating out a restaurants?

Because if the population are basically saying I won't comply with anything short of a full lockdown, that's where we will end up.

@Mayhemmumma perhaps if you DO follow the 6 people rule then you can continue doing all those things?

It’s probably already been said but if the govt are allowed to break the law “in a limited and specific way” why can’t I???!!!
Caveat- I’m not a natural rule breaker so won’t but Lord I am fed up of useless Boris and his cronies and their incredible ability to f*ck everything, other than their own enrichment, up.

Yes to total lockdown if this is about our safety. How are the government keeping us safe if we have to send our children to school, have to work and are being encouraged to spend money socially again.

Six isn't a scientific killer number. And the many groups of six I spend my days with are high risk and vulnerable ..its total nonsense if you think keeping away from loved ones is going to make any difference (within reason I'm not saying throw a party)

Jesus. Imagine if WW2 were happening now:

‘Apparently, I have to take my turn fire watching at work. They can fuck right off.’
‘Rationing? Fuck that. Not my fault if people can’t organise their own supplies.’
‘Join one of the armed forces? You’re not the boss of me - I’ll do what I like!’
‘I am writing to the council to complain that the noise of the air raid siren keeps waking me up.’
‘So, hang on, they expect ME to dig a hole, put this Anderson shelter together, cover it with soil and go into it in the middle of the night? They can fuck off.’
‘Black out?! If I want to put all my lights on with my curtains open, I will. What are they going to do?’
‘The ARP warden told us to get into the Morrison shelter because there were raiders overhead. Why the hell do they think they are? If I want to sit out the back with the kids in the middle of an air raid, that’s my right to do so!’

@Mayhemmumma

Yes to total lockdown if this is about our safety. How are the government keeping us safe if we have to send our children to school, have to work and are being encouraged to spend money socially again.

Six isn't a scientific killer number. And the many groups of six I spend my days with are high risk and vulnerable ..its total nonsense if you think keeping away from loved ones is going to make any difference (within reason I'm not saying throw a party)

En masse it makes a difference.

It means numbers go up, schools close and restrictions introduced. If you want total lockdown you’ll have to make choices to get closer to that by yourself. Feel free to stay in.

its total nonsense if you think keeping away from loved ones is going to make any difference (within reason I'm not saying throw a party)

there is another thread running where someone wants to sat 'fuck the rules' and hold a birthday party for a 1 yo so clearly others don't agree.

do you generally don’t care about acting illegally

Yep this ^

I'm ignoring it and using my own judgement to assess risk. A government urging people to get back on public transport and commute instead of continuing to work from home where possible isn't one with motives and priorities that I trust.

I'm usually more cautious about Covid than the average MNetter, but if I'd arranged a gathering of 7 or 8 people at home I wouldn't be cancelling it because of 'the rules'.

@Miriel

I'm ignoring it and using my own judgement to assess risk. A government urging people to get back on public transport and commute instead of continuing to work from home where possible isn't one with motives and priorities that I trust.

I'm usually more cautious about Covid than the average MNetter, but if I'd arranged a gathering of 7 or 8 people at home I wouldn't be cancelling it because of 'the rules'.

Another risk assessor. Do your dc go to school and would you prefer to see it stay open?

If you, and others, do as you will chances are higher that it will close.

Yes it's bonkers, it's all bonkers. But people saying Fuck the rules just think they're special. There's a lot of it about, you're probably more likely to encounter selfish entitled people than you are covid imo.

I'm usually more cautious about Covid than the average MNetter, but if I'd arranged a gathering of 7 or 8 people at home I wouldn't be cancelling it because of 'the rules'

Well one or two of your guests won't be going, if they're 'more cautious' or choose not to break the law

Schools/offices/pubs/restaurants/public transport/sport ARE en mass! And the government are fine with these mass gatherings for one reason only. Money.

Seeing your loved ones especially those that are lonely/old/ill is not going to contribute to a world wide pandemic any more than the above.
You can still keep your distance, wash hands and be careful in a family group.

And the war comparison I dont know where to start....but wasnt it love, family and social strength that got people through?

Dominic Cummings is to blame for the fuck the rules attitude.

He broke them
Then made up weird bullshit to “justify” it
Then was not punished

The shift in attitude was visible after that. My neighbours had people round etc.

The whole thing is pointless, we can’t carry on like this indefinitely, a vaccine could take years. Thousands of students are heading to uni this month, I wonder how many will have house parties with only 6 people?
The lockdown didn’t work, we are almost back to where we were in March. Spain had a full lockdown and now they are back to square one, with cases soaring!
Someone please explain how living like this for god knows how long is the best thing for the majority of people?

@Mayhemmumma

Schools/offices/pubs/restaurants/public transport/sport ARE en mass! And the government are fine with these mass gatherings for one reason only. Money.

Seeing your loved ones especially those that are lonely/old/ill is not going to contribute to a world wide pandemic any more than the above.
You can still keep your distance, wash hands and be careful in a family group.

And the war comparison I dont know where to start....but wasnt it love, family and social strength that got people through?

Honestly this idea that the government is not considering the economy first is crazy. Of course they are and as they should be. Are you working? The economy is people’s livelihoods it’s not some abstract idea. Surely the news of job losses over last months is a clear indication of this.

The reason the economy is a priority is that mass unemployment is unwanted and destabilising.