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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's nonsensical that I'm allowed to go to the pub but not the local beach?

194 replies

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 02/10/2020 09:56

I'm in one of the Welsh areas of local lockdown, so we're not allowed to leave the local council area without a "reasonable excuse"

The beaches have just reopened to dogs after the summer, and normally I'd take DDog to the nearest local beach, which is 7 miles away. DDog loves the beach. However, this would take me across a county border, so my planned trip is now illegal.

However, it's still totally legal to go to my local indoor pub.

I really can't see how a trip to a breezy beach to walk the dog, keeping 2m+ apart from other people is higher risk than going to the pub. This rule feels like a complete nonsense to me.

OP posts:
Janevaljane · 02/10/2020 09:57

Yes, it is nonsensical.

Janevaljane · 02/10/2020 09:59

But I expect you'll be inundated with replies saying that even THINKING about wanting to cross county lines to go to the beach makes you single handedly responsible for all the deaths this week.

SoupDragon · 02/10/2020 10:00

They have to have general rules though. They can't have rules that cover absolutely everything people might want to do. This one has to cover people staying within their county border, they can't start adding exceptions like "unless you want to go walk your dog on a beach" (what if you don't have a dog? What if it's a forest? How about riding a horse...?)

The rules about about limiting mixing, not eliminating riskier things.

AgentJohnson · 02/10/2020 10:04

This one has to cover people staying within their county border, they can't start adding exceptions like "unless you want to go walk your dog on a beach" (what if you don't have a dog? What if it's a forest? How about riding a horse...?)

This

CounsellorTroi · 02/10/2020 10:05

We are in local lockdown and it seems all it means in practice is that you can’t leave the area or meet up with people from another household. Everything else seems to be continuing as normal - shops, pubs open etc.

Lindy2 · 02/10/2020 10:12

Unfortunately the rules can't be tailored to each individual circumstances. You know it's really to stop unnecessary long journeys but unfortunately as you're on a border it limits what is actually local travel for you.

Personally I'd only allow outside dining/drinking or takeaways at pubs and restaurants and I'd not limit travel within the country. It should be unnecessary international travel that is stopped as I feel that is much higher risk.

It's a bit sledgehammer to crack a nut but whatever is put in place will annoy someone. Maybe this could be an opportunity to discover new dog walking places for you.

MoggyP · 02/10/2020 10:16

I'm sure there are other places you could walk the dog in the next few weeks.

SantaClaritaDiet · 02/10/2020 10:22

I am not sure what else you expect? A special dispensation to cross the county border but then what are the points of any rule at all then?

I get that it's really annoying, any lockdown is a nightmare but there's a logic here. The pubs are still open because no one really wants them to go bust , businesses and schools will remain opened as much as possible.

Your trip to the beach is not a necessity.

If people were respecting restrictions AND COMMON SENSE we wouldn't be in this mess. I fear it's only going to get worst.

Don't get me wrong, I would be annoyed too - and I get the logic behind closing the beach last spring.

Porcupineinwaiting · 02/10/2020 10:22

They're not saying you cant go to the beach though, they are saying not to leave your local area. If your local area had a beach you could go to it.

At the end of the day, the rules need to be clear and easily understood so they need to be simple. "Dont leave your area except if x/y/z or a/b/c " just doesnt work.

Original poster
AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 02/10/2020 10:23

Maybe this could be an opportunity to discover new dog walking places for you.

The beach is special to us, both because
A) he likes to dig in the sand (I don't think digging up the park is quite so acceptable)
B) he's still trying to understand waves
C) you always get loads of other dogs there at this time of year, and he loves to mess about with new dog friends

And, tbh, we've already done all the good walks in our local authority area - it's a geographically fairly small urban area.

If it was just a case of going to a different sandy beach then I'd be fine with that - but there are zero beaches (sandy or otherwise) in our local authority area.

I'll probably just go anyway tbh. Apart from slavish adherence to the rules, I can't see any reason not to go. We already lost the end of last winter's dogs on beaches season due to lockdown, and as local lockdown appears to be Hotel California (ie you can check in but never leave) I can see us losing the entire winter season this year too, for no logical reason

OP posts:
amusedtodeath1 · 02/10/2020 10:24

I get that it seems totally unreasonable at first glance but if you look at the bigger picture it helps prevent people from high infection areas spreading it to low infection areas.

Original poster
AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 02/10/2020 10:24

@MoggyP

I'm sure there are other places you could walk the dog in the next few weeks.
Do you really think we'll be out of local lockdown in the next few weeks? I don't.
OP posts:
August20 · 02/10/2020 10:24

Neither is perfectly safe, although the beach is probably much safer than the pub.

The reason the pub is allowed is not because it is safe, it is because it generates revenue.

Porcupineinwaiting · 02/10/2020 10:26

as local lockdown seems to be Hotel California

Oh the irony. Do you think that might be because people dont stick to the guidelines?

AllesAusLiebe · 02/10/2020 10:30

OP, I'd just do it if I were you. You're right, it's stupid. Try and get some enjoyment from the little things like seeing your dog running around having fun.

It's about time that people started applying their own common sense to these 'rules'.

SantaClaritaDiet · 02/10/2020 10:31

I'll probably just go anyway tbh. Apart from slavish adherence to the rules, I can't see any reason not to go.

here we go.. That's why we have more and more restrictions, because of THAT attitude.

Thanks a lot OP, and all the others like you.

Do you really think we'll be out of local lockdown in the next few weeks? I don't. I think it will become harder and harder - and a lot more expensive- to break the rules because people don't care.

DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 02/10/2020 10:32

Its a bit frustrating but its to contain the spread from high risk areas, and limit long distance travel. Theres got to be a limit, its not illogical.

Your dog has no sense of time, he has no idea how long its been since he last went to the beach. Just walk him closer to home, walking your dog on the beach on pretty low on the necessities list tbh

Doveyouknow · 02/10/2020 10:32

Most people are inconvenienced in some way by the current rules. Most people can make perfectly good argument about why the inconvenient rules shouldn't apply to them due to their particular circumstances. There may be some correlation between this and the high rates of infection we have in the UK....

StripyHorse · 02/10/2020 10:35

YANBU

Although the 5 mile rule we had in the summer was more limiting, it did prevent these daft situations where someone can't go for a walk a mile from their house, but can drive 40 minutes in the other direction.
Even if the radius was increased to 10 or 15 miles- I suppose the danger is though that it means some of us close to the English border can then go over the border and then follow English rules.

It doesn't seem right that you can't travel 7 miles, but at the same time, someone from Liverpool, with covid figures nearly 5 times as high as ours, can drive through 3 restricted counties and go to Anglesey.

The only thing I am looking forward to is the fact that the country park in my town has been inundated with day trippers from the North West lately, should hopefully be a bit quieter so locals can actually enjoy a day out there. (And before someone comes on to rave about the benefits of tourism... with the exception of people buying the odd ice cream or hot chocolate there is no financial benefit).

Quaagars · 02/10/2020 10:39

@SoupDragon

They have to have general rules though. They can't have rules that cover absolutely everything people might want to do. This one has to cover people staying within their county border, they can't start adding exceptions like "unless you want to go walk your dog on a beach" (what if you don't have a dog? What if it's a forest? How about riding a horse...?)

The rules about about limiting mixing, not eliminating riskier things.

Exactly this
covidiotidiot · 02/10/2020 10:39

"I don't think that lockdown rules intended to restrict unnecessary travel at population level throughout my region during a pandemic should apply to me, because my precious doggy is going to miss his doggy pals. AIBU?"

There, OP. FIFY.

I'm frontline NHS, for what it's worth. So sorry that you and precious doggy are being inconvenienced.

Janevaljane · 02/10/2020 10:40

Just go. Enjoy the fresh air, seeing your happy dog and boosting your immune system.

StripyHorse · 02/10/2020 10:41

@amusedtodeath1

I get that it seems totally unreasonable at first glance but if you look at the bigger picture it helps prevent people from high infection areas spreading it to low infection areas.
If it was applied across the whole of the UK this would be correct. But it doesn't - Welsh people in restricted areas are restricted to their counties, and people cannot visit those counties - but people elsewhere in the UK can travel from areas of high incidence to areas of low incidence.

We also seem to have a lower trigger point for local lock down than parts of England. For example Chester/ Cheshire West recorded 66 cases in the last week (not locked down) but Denbighshire had 40 cases and is locked down.

Emeraldshamrock · 02/10/2020 10:42

It is not personal.
Maybe they should shut down indoor pubs too although not sure if it helps.
Pubs have been shut in Dublin since March now all indoor restaurants have closed again numbers are still growing. Some pub/food establishments weren't really doing food other than a basket of chips they broke rules by letting regulars sit all day instead of the 1.5 hours.
My Dbro was in his local for 6 hours.

Janevaljane · 02/10/2020 10:42

All the people I know who are frontline NHS would absolutely support someone getting out and about in the fresh air, putting zero people at risk.

Keeping pubs open is nonsensical from a vital point of view, it's an economic decision.