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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

‘Fuck the Covid rules.’ Really?

765 replies

Yellownotblue · 10/09/2020 00:37

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.

OP posts:
kungfupannda · 10/09/2020 08:03

The thing is, if household to household contact is now a major risk factor then, arguably, it shouldn't be happening at all. Those social meetings shouldn't be taking place with five, six, seven or ten people.

If we reach that point, then we will comply completely, as we did before. But while it's a numbers/enforcement game, I am comfortable with seven people in my house, rather than six, with all the other precautions we have been taking and the relevant risk level in our area.

This rule change is about enforcement of major infringements, but is affecting many ordinary, generally law-abiding people in a very big way.

MarshaBradyo · 10/09/2020 08:03

[quote CulturallyAppropriatedName]@Mrsemcgregor
Exactly. I really worry about the thinking skills of the population sometimes. If I see one more "magic virus you can't get at work but can in aunty Pat's conservatory" posts I will scream.
However I guess that it's a failure of government messaging that people haven't grasped this simple fact.[/quote]
I know. So shortsighted.

Hopefully people who think the same are in the same areas. Non compliant apart from people who get it.

m0therofdragons · 10/09/2020 08:05

I have friends who were shielding who have totally given up with the rules. Just because you want covid to go away doesn’t mean it has!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/09/2020 08:06

I think many people are bored, overwhelmed, sick of following rules that chop and change according to an ever changing situation.

Many burrow deep into apparent contradictions and see them either as proof of something or an excuse not to know how to behave.

Others focus on their personal wants and what they have missed. Anyone who has not had much/any contact with covid will view visiting friends and family are more important.

Yet others just won't take any notice because, whatever!

But most people wil just trot along, doing their best to remain inside the rules, making risk assessments if a situation is a bit unique (I go into many houses over week and don't wear a mask - have to dicate reports and no typist can work with muffled voicefiles).

I don't care which prominent figure has not kept to the rules. Let the government deal with politicians, other employers do the same. I'll do what I can and won't be phased by the changes. If in a couple of years time we find out none of this was needed I won't cavil then either - currently this is an unprecedented situation....

Well, it's a bit like equating stealing a pint of milk off a doorstep to murder. They're both illegal but... You seem to have forgotten a few deaths there!!

mrsnorrismeow · 10/09/2020 08:06

Plenty of us get it, blessed as we are with braincells. Doesn't mean we need to agree that a gathering of 7 people from 2 households is equivalent to a 30 person rave.

Itisbetter · 10/09/2020 08:06

You will go far in life Jenny. But you will not be well liked. grin

Sad
Youngatheart00 · 10/09/2020 08:06

@mrsnorrismeow I see why you feel the risk is low. However, they have to draw a line somewhere. If it was set at 8 people would think 9 or 10 ‘doesn’t matter’

Will you risk a criminal record, effecting future employment and international travel, just for this? Much simpler just to stick to it.

Nanalisa60 · 10/09/2020 08:10

Every one thinks they are safe as they are now wearing masks!! And as I have said before if you think that every one in those masks are lovely New clean ones every day then you are a fool, people will just pick up the first one to hand!! (Especially men) They will just turn into germ masks.

Secondly when I hear Covid Marshall’s I just think off the Cold War movies, and movies about the Nazi party , when normal people turned on there own family, neighbours, friends and colleagues and informed on them to the party (Ruling government) Very dangerous !! And very distasteful!!

Planetaryexplorer · 10/09/2020 08:12

I agree with many people on here. 6 is an arbitrary number which makes no sense. As a family of six it means that we can see no one outside our family. However, my daughter can spend her day with her friend but she can't bring her home as it takes the number up to seven. My in-laws can visit but only if one member of the house is out so we don't break the rules. It is ludicrous.
We will continue to observe social distancing, we will wear masks, we will be diligent with our personal hygiene and we won't attend large gatherings but we will not isolate our entire family based on a arbitrary number which is meaningless.

Mjstjs · 10/09/2020 08:13

Also listening the radio phone in with an expert and someone asking re the number 6- it is not clear why this exact number has been selected. The suggestion being that this number was selected originally and to keep/simplify the message it has stuck to. Now we don’t have access the model that they have used to decide that number and this may not be true but given each country in the union has different numbers I would love to the see the data to know why 6 and not 8 or 10, which would cover a lot more families (those who seem disproportionately affected by this new rule) were able to continue to have reasonable social contact and thus more likely to comply overall.

mrsnorrismeow · 10/09/2020 08:16

Will you risk a criminal record, effecting future employment and international travel, just for this?

Yep 🤷‍♀️

fiftiesmum · 10/09/2020 08:16

In march and April there were probably will over 50,000 new cases per day. Only those who were sick in hospital got tested plus a few privileged others such as Boris and footballers.

anxiousanna75 · 10/09/2020 08:16

When it reaches your family you realise how REAL this is.

Neron · 10/09/2020 08:17

The reason people are pissed off, is because of the hypocrisy and farcical rules.
What makes one building covid secure, but not another? Why encourage people to start doing things (that generates income for the government) like eat out to help out, where people don't wear masks - but you cannot meet family in a field for an outdoor picnic for example?
People look at the beaches earlier throughout summer, the raves, the BLM protests - where are the 2nd/3rd/4th waves that were going to come from them but hasn't.
You have a government that don't even follow the rules.

Youngatheart00 · 10/09/2020 08:18

Families of 6 CAN see other people, it just involves them not all being together at all times!! For eg - Dad plus 3 can meet another 2 at any time.

Still agree with the point re 6 being arbitrary though suspect there is some science around exponential spread. The more additional people the more exponential. I suspect 6 was the lowest they reasonably felt they could get away with.

mrsnorrismeow · 10/09/2020 08:18

When it reaches your family you realise how REAL this is

It already did.

TinySleepThief · 10/09/2020 08:20

I would love to the see the data to know why 6 and not 8 or 10

That would indeed make interesting reading. I'm also curious as to what age a baby needs to be to count in the numbers.

Itisbetter · 10/09/2020 08:20

each country in the union has different numbers I would love to the see the data to know why 6 and not 8 or 10 I’m pretty sure the data from the different models is looked at very closely and then we shift to the least intrusive most effective option. Of course this is presented as a horrifying “U-turn” without really considering that you make uturns when the road you’re on isn’t taking you where you want to go and you want to quickly get to the optimal path.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/09/2020 08:20

@fiftiesmum

In march and April there were probably will over 50,000 new cases per day. Only those who were sick in hospital got tested plus a few privileged others such as Boris and footballers.
Well yes! Because those tests were few and far between and quite a few were a pointless waste of time and money!

It's called progress....

MorrisZapp · 10/09/2020 08:20

Why do MNers insist on doing everything with their DH/DP and discount even the concept of doing things without him? Unless he's needed for caring or driving, leave him at home and visit your family. If you've got multiple kids take a few of them.

If you have loads of kids and no DH/DP then mix and match who you take to visit family or have some family round when the older ones are at school etc.

It's a pain in the arse, obviously. But I don't get the 'well there's six of us so we're fucked' responses.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 10/09/2020 08:21

The thing is they think that by not sticking to the rules they are sticking it to the government, so that's OK.

RichardMarxisinnocent · 10/09/2020 08:21

@mumof2exhausted

I have followed all rules during covid. But like most people I just cannot get my head around this new 6 rule. So as a family of 5 I can no longer meet my sister and nephew in a park (as that would be 7). But I could meet a different 5 people every day from 5 different households and go for dinner so therefore coming into close contact with 35 different people in a week. So personally I will he making my own decisions on risk levels for my family.
But if you're following the guidelines you wouldn't be in close contact with those 35 people, you'd be social distancing from them at 1m plus, or 2m.
MarshaBradyo · 10/09/2020 08:22

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

The thing is they think that by not sticking to the rules they are sticking it to the government, so that's OK.
It is pretty juvenile. But then get upset when school closes again.
Potterpotterpotter · 10/09/2020 08:22

It’s a bloody stupid rule. Which is why people won’t follow it.

6 different people from 6 different households can meet but 2 family’s that equate to 7 cannot ? Fuck that.

I just plan to carry on and do as I want. Heaven forbid my family of 4 turn up at my parents house and my brother is also there. 7 people Shock

Let’s all have a shit Xmas because we can’t go see our family... it’s not going to happen. I see my family weekly. We have events already booked and paid for in December together. So it will make no difference.

nosswith · 10/09/2020 08:23

rookiemere I agree about a curfew on bars and restaurants. I'd also have fast food places be takeaway only. Eat Out to Help Out required you to eat in, which given it included places such as McDonalds, may have helped spread the virus as people ate in not going home or to an open air space to eat their food.