Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Kit Malthouse wants people to call the police if they see more than 6 people eating supper next door

142 replies

Jourdain11 · 14/09/2020 12:07

Is it not dangerous to encourage people to behave like vigilantes?! I mean, okay, call the police if there's a massive house party - but if there were a group of people next door I'd personally want to give my neighbours the benefit of the doubt.

This is just encouraging snoopers and also is going to result in a massive waste of police time! I have a friend who is a police officer and she said during lockdown, the phone was ringing off the hook with important issues such as "I've seen Mrs James going out of her front door three times today"....

OP posts:
FudgeBrownie2019 · 14/09/2020 12:37

During lockdown a few neighbours in our road had more people over than was strictly permitted. Not once did I consider grassing on them because a) it's not my place and b) it's a standard distraction technique and I'd like to believe we're smarter than that.

Anyone who phones and grasses up their neighbours for this is a dick. We are all adversely affected by this, we are all trying to find our way through. Use your time positively and leave the curtains alone.

Iwantacookie · 14/09/2020 12:38

No I wont be ringing the police if my neighbour has 7 people over not 6.
If they are having a very obvious party with a lot of people then I probably would.

ANoTail · 14/09/2020 12:40

So, will Mr Johnson be able to see all his children at once or not?

Vintagevixen · 14/09/2020 12:41

Tories have consistently underfunded the police for years and reduced numbers, no way they are going to be able to enforce this bar the odd case.

They couldn't even send out anyone when someone tried to kick my door in, they just didn't have enough police on duty at the time in my then borough!

So yes let's keep an eye on the Cummings and Johnsons, see if there are any violin recitals going on (wink.)

sashagabadon · 14/09/2020 12:42

No he doesn't. Stop being so ridiculous!

NinewhileFive · 14/09/2020 12:42

"It's a well used method.
Get people to turn on each other instead of looking at you with critical eyes. Divide and rule."

  • it worked with Brexit.
Batshitbeautycosmeticsltd · 14/09/2020 12:43

Kit Malthouse can get tae fuck.

awesomeaircraft · 14/09/2020 12:45

Who is Kit Malthouse?

Well Awesomeaircraft wants people to give her diamonds. Let the world know.

zigaziga · 14/09/2020 12:45

Apparently it was always said that the UK would never needs an equivalent of the Stasi because we are so ready to judge each other.

I’ve heard this said a lot. I’ve not witnessed any of it in real life as my neighbours generally don’t care what anyone else does and there was no increasing competitive clapping for the NHS here but going from MN and social media I can well believe it.

There was someone on my Facebook a few months a go posting that she was worried her neighbour would see his family after returning from abroad. He hasn’t done anything. He wasn’t even in the country but she was worried a “crime” might happen.

What's being discussed here is the same as calling the police if you know someone is drink driving. They are committing a criminal offence which may or may not result in harm to other human beings.

Oh come on, how is someone coming to my house where we are a family of 4 with their husband and newborn baby for instance, so making 7, more dangerous than not bringing a baby and making 6? 6 is a completely arbitrary number. It was plucked from thin air and is probably big enough to allow most families to do a little bit of socialising. That’s it. Let’s not pretend 6 is a magic number.

I will generally make sure I have no large parties and will stick to seeing friends and other families individually rather than all in a massive group (which have mostly been doing anyway) but that’s about it.

awesomeaircraft · 14/09/2020 12:46

Oh wait, I have a better one:

"I only care for Kit Kat".

Padam!

PS: will still accept diamonds.

PickAChew · 14/09/2020 12:49

Unless someone is obviously having a big party, I'll be minding my own bloody business.

RuffleCrow · 14/09/2020 12:50

Really?! What happened to the "you can't expect us to be actively POLICING every little infringement of lockdown" response that they put out in May? June? It's the constantly shifting guidlines and tone that I think is actually designed to make us all feep disoriented and seasick.

Original poster
Jourdain11 · 14/09/2020 12:50

@zigaziga

Apparently it was always said that the UK would never needs an equivalent of the Stasi because we are so ready to judge each other.

I’ve heard this said a lot. I’ve not witnessed any of it in real life as my neighbours generally don’t care what anyone else does and there was no increasing competitive clapping for the NHS here but going from MN and social media I can well believe it.

There was someone on my Facebook a few months a go posting that she was worried her neighbour would see his family after returning from abroad. He hasn’t done anything. He wasn’t even in the country but she was worried a “crime” might happen.

What's being discussed here is the same as calling the police if you know someone is drink driving. They are committing a criminal offence which may or may not result in harm to other human beings.

Oh come on, how is someone coming to my house where we are a family of 4 with their husband and newborn baby for instance, so making 7, more dangerous than not bringing a baby and making 6? 6 is a completely arbitrary number. It was plucked from thin air and is probably big enough to allow most families to do a little bit of socialising. That’s it. Let’s not pretend 6 is a magic number.

I will generally make sure I have no large parties and will stick to seeing friends and other families individually rather than all in a massive group (which have mostly been doing anyway) but that’s about it.

Actually, I don't usually like to compare things to the Stasi, but this is actually exactly what they did. It was called Community Informers or something. Of course they were supposed to report on a range of things, including disloyal "thoughts", and the consequences were more far-reaching than just wasting a bit of police time...
OP posts:
SVRT19674 · 14/09/2020 12:51

Nope I wouldnt report it. ´Normal people getting on with their family life. If it is a rave, then yes.

Original poster
Jourdain11 · 14/09/2020 12:52

The really depressing thing is that people actually voted this lot in and KNEW what they were like.

And the really really depressing thing is that they probably felt that they had no option because of the er, quality of the alternatives.

OP posts:
Greensidepark · 14/09/2020 12:52

I will be training my telescope on the Cummings household.

PhilCornwall1 · 14/09/2020 12:54

It's divide and rule. I won't report anyone, but I'll not be trusting anyone either.

Vintagevixen · 14/09/2020 12:55

Yes it sets a precedent, even after the pandemic is over. Normalises it.

There are lots of other "things" that could be "classed" as in the best interests of the community....and you should report them for the good of society.

We're not there yet but it has to start somewhere.

BrightYellowDaffodil · 14/09/2020 12:55

Kit Malthouse wants people to call the police if they see more than 6 people eating supper next door.

Well Kit Malthouse can shove his wants up his arse.

PhilCornwall1 · 14/09/2020 12:57

@ANoTail

So, will Mr Johnson be able to see all his children at once or not?
He doesn't know them all, so it's not a problem.
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 14/09/2020 12:58

To anyone who thinks reporting your neighbour's is a good idea,

Most people know roughly what their neighbours are like. They already know who their local "snitches" are.

And they will remember for a very long time.

Heffalooomia · 14/09/2020 12:58

The whole thing is an absolute shambles
Yep!

shesgonebatshitagain · 14/09/2020 12:59

@PhilCornwall1Grin

Vintagevixen · 14/09/2020 13:00

I talk as a child of the 1980's whose phone was tapped as my dad was very active in CND! That was also considered for the good of society as my dads views were bad for "society."

FabulouslyFab · 14/09/2020 13:00

@Averyyounggrandmaofsix

Thie argument was lost back in April at Barnard Castle. Boris and his merry band of marshalls can fuck right off!
Exactly this