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

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

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.

*viral

Of course your dog's like of digging in the sand means it's fine! Why didn't you mention this earlier? 🤦🏻‍♀️

It's this "I don't give a shit" attitude that causes lockdowns and seemingly nonsensical rules.

The idea you are allowed to go to the pub but not the beach isn't quite correct.

You can go to a pub and a beach in your area (if any).

You cannot go to a beach or a pub in another area.

(Do I think one person visiting a beach outside of their lockdown area is going to cause a problem? No. The point is what happens if everyone does the same though. It's the mixing outside of the area, not mixing with others full stop)

What do you suppose they do? Make a rule that you can’t leave the county unless you are walking a dog?

They need to draw the line somewhere with these things and they can’t make the rules just to suit you.

@covidiotidiot

"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.

As you're apparently frontline NHS (and I'll assume you're a nurse / doctor or similar, not a cleaner or GP receptionist) please can you explain to me the exact way in which I might catch or transmit covid on a breezy beach walk while staying far in excess of 2m from other people?

Trouble is, there are no tills at the beach 🤦‍♀️🙄

I live near a beach that was rampacked when lockdown was lifted. It didn't raise cv cases here at all. I'd say being outside on a beach is one of the safest places you could possibly be.

I can see this from both points of view tbh. Yes, there would be very little risk in you walking your dog on the beach. However, I do think the welsh government's 'stay in your county' rule is generally a good one. There is a massive variation in cases from one county to the other. It makes sense for us in lockdown areas to stay put as much as possible. I don't suppose it would be easy or helpful to add a load of caveats to that.

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

Simple rule - 15 miles, but not out of Wales, meets your requirement for simplicity and not going into England, removes the nonsense of only being able to travel in one direction.

It's a poorly thought at rule, that encourages non-compliance by being a nonsense, anything that encourages non-compliance normalises it and results in more risky non-compliance.

@StripyHorse

I don't disagree that some areas in England need stricter lockdowns, however, Wales is devolved - blame your leaders for your greater restrictions, not ours for not trying to over time yours or match them.

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages

I'll probably just go anyway tbh 🤦🏻‍♀️

Look. Each rule cannot be personally tailored to each individual

Yes your personal risk is lower at the beach than the pub, but it's your choice to limit it & not go to the pub. On a nationwide level - restricting movement makes sense & the easiest way to enforce it, is to make it by county/region.

Your title is deliberately misleading.

Just go and don’t tell people. No one is being put at risk so your conscience is clear. I live facing a border, as in the other side of the road into the forest. It would be silly to turn around and walk down the busy high st along the alternative route

And, tbh, we've already done all the good walks in our local authority area Walks aren't like pieces of cake, they don't disappear when you've done them once.

Yes, it's annoying that there is a beach so near that you aren't allowed to go to. I understand that. I'd love to go to a beach, but my nearest beach is a four hour round trip. But we're all being deprived of things important to us.

We also seem to have a lower trigger point for local lock down than parts of England. Well, that's part of having a devolved government. You won't necessarily have the same laws as the English.

They are guidelines. Use your common sense! Enjoy the beach

It's this "I don't give a shit" attitude that causes lockdowns and seemingly nonsensical rules

No, it isn't and I can't believe how many people have fallen for this dangerous narrative.

The nonsensical rules are the hallmarks of a government which has lost control.

Then don't go to the pub. The whole point is restricting people travelling outside their area and spreading it, if everybody from your county went to the beach it'd no be so quiet.

YABU because you don't need to walk your dog on the beach just like you don't need to go to the pub. There are alternatives.

There is a massive variation in cases from one county to the other

But that's an artifact of the recording being specific to counties, the variation is not specific to counties purely the bucketing of cases into the place. If you're in the eastern border of the Vale of Glamorgan, your risks are much more similar to Cardiff, than those of the west, travelling to Ogmore by Sea is more of a risk of spreading covid between areas of high/low than a person in Ogmore by sea travelling over the border to Ogmore village.

They’re just trying to limit people moving around and mixing as much as possible in ways that aren’t going to trash the economy. So your local pub is open basically so the owners don’t go out of business, then can carry on paying tax, don’t go into benefits, the local and national economy is as badly effected by all these things closings etc. It’s not because it’s been judged safer than driving a few miles for a walk.

So yes in your circumstances you want to do something that’s probably safer than something that’s allowed. But as others have said, rules have to be general and easy to understand. They can’t be tailored to individuals.

please can you explain to me the exact way in which I might catch or transmit covid on a breezy beach walk while staying far in excess of 2m from other people?

It's not all about you!

There NEEDS to be rules. The virus is spreading & needs controlling.

The General Public is easily confused. We cannot fine tune it down to 'if you have a doggy who wants to go for a day out to the seaside, then you're exempt'.

FFS

Yes, OP, I'm a doctor. I agree, the risk of you catching covid with precious doggy on the beach is pretty damn minimal. However - right now, there are umpteen other people also thinking that the rules don't apply to them. It's not just about YOU, on an individual level.

Right in the middle of the pandemic, I had an accident whilst exercising outside. Far away from anybody else, where I was quite sure I presented no risk to anybody and nobody would present a risk to me. I wasn't badly hurt, and got myself home okay. But it's not beyond imagining that something like this could happen to you on your precious bloody beach, where you shouldn't even be in the first place. Perhaps you might be rather more badly hurt than me - and people would need to come to your aid - presenting a transmission risk. Because it's just not about YOU, OP, it's you and a million other people thinking how the rules don't apply to them. And, really, "my doggy likes the waves" is one of the most selfish and stupid reasons for breaking the rules I have heard so far.

Do I sound angry? That's because I am. I'm bloody sick of this, and I'm sick of selfish people like you perpetuating the situation. Selfish and self-centred to the max. But hey - who cares, just as long as precious doggy isn't lonely. Pathetic.

Everyone has to stay home apart from you? Of course "hun". You do you. Literally what you want to hear.

It’s people like you that are the problem and why it won’t be “weeks” until restrictions are lifted.

Yeah and they've mitigated that where they can sirfred i. E. Like Llanelli being locked down but not carms. How far can they realistically break it down in each county?

I can't say I'd be rushing to report or tut over someone doing what the op is considering doing but I wouldn't choose to do it myself.

I would just go if I were you OP. the risk to yourself or others is negligible.

This reminds me of the playground episode of Peppa Pig where each DC has a special reason why they shouldn’t obey the rules and chaos ensues.