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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:
Laiste · 02/10/2020 11:59

The idea of restricting travel around covid hotspots is about cutting back on a million and one possible situations where a person might come into contact with another. You can't list them all. It just dampens down loads of opportunities for the virus to spread.

You could sit here and come up with loads of ways you personally could probably cross the boundary with a very low risk level. But the rules have to be very basic and simple.

They can't say
''no one is allowed out of this zone unless:

  • they have a dog who just loves waves,
  • a blood relative which is less than 10 miles outside the zone and is a lovely person,
  • there's a shop you really like which is less than 5 miles outside the zone and you can park right by it,
  • there's a walk you REALLY love doing and you promise you wont call an ambulance if you hurt yourself,
  • you need to nip to a relatives house to let their dog out and the dog is over 8 years old and really really has some history of bladder issues.

..... i mean come on !

DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 02/10/2020 12:00

The risk isnt 0

Risk of breakdown, might need to fill up with fuel, might have an accident on the beach, carpark metre potentially, dog gets in a fight, are there any gates/styles, elderly person falls over - might be the only person around etc.

The beach is pretty low risk, but its not a 0 risk trip. The rule is stay within your area and really I want to walk my dog on the fucking beach is very very low on the reasonable excuses so just walk the dog near home.

I cant think of anywhere in wales with no beach but 7 miles from the beach and no nice countryside to walk the dog in

Emeraldshamrock · 02/10/2020 12:00

@12frogsincoats That was a low comment for *covidiotidiot
I'm sure it's extremely frustrating from someone with experience trying to explain it to other's who don't listen or care.

covidiotidiot · 02/10/2020 12:00

@12frogsincoats

Worry not. My frustration and anger right now is reserved for those who are making my hard job harder by refusing to wear masks with no good reason/peddling absurd conspiracy theories/putting doggy's wave tuition above public health orders.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 02/10/2020 12:00

The beach is special to us, both because

I am a dog lover, but man. It's special to you. Your dog would be super happy with a rain piddle and mud as long as you are playing with him too.

As pps said, there has to be rules. This is to contain areas. So don't be a dick, so we can eventually stop having these rules 👍

pollypork · 02/10/2020 12:01

rather than stopping the OP from taking solitary walks on a beach?

but she's only prevented from that because it's outside of her "zone".

@TheKeatingFive what would your plan be?

DishRanAwayWithTheSpoon · 02/10/2020 12:01

The whole point is containing the virus in the high risk areas and stopping it spreading between areas. Its like talking to a brick wall!

pollypork · 02/10/2020 12:02

Does it turn you on to bully random people on Mumsnet who have done nothing wrong?

Who's bullying?

AllesAusLiebe · 02/10/2020 12:02

Just do what you're bloody told for once.

And therein lies the problem. The population DID in the first instance. We still have a high rate of infection and people walking dogs are not in any way responsible for this. Do you not think that at some point it is natural for adults to question this notion of 'do as you're told'?

Frazzled2207 · 02/10/2020 12:02

It is nonsensical yes but with any kind of local lockdown you're going to have these kinds of issues. What is definitely wrong is that you guys can't go to Anglesey right now but people from GM where I am where the rates if far higher than anywhere in north wales can drive straight through your counties to go to Anglesey. The FM is right to say that's not right. Similarly, I am on the edge of GM but there is nothing stopping me whatsoever from doing things I'm not allowed to do here, half a mile away in Cheshire.

With regards to North wales the one that has really annoyed me is that my parents now can't see their grandchildren (I'm in GM and they are in north wales). This is despite the fact that they are not seeing ANYONE else, doing all shopping online etc, specifically to keep themselves safe but although it's risky to them personally, they feel they want to keep seeing the grandchildren. Right now they can't but the risk to north wales of them seeing their grandchildren, is practically nil as they don't go anywhere else. If they were coming to see their grandchildren and then mingling in the pubs in north wales of course, that would be very different.

Totally daft, but unless there is some kind of consistence with these local restrictions, I'm not sure what the answer is.

Laiste · 02/10/2020 12:02

@covidiotidiot breathe :)

BrewWine

cologne4711 · 02/10/2020 12:03

OP, if it's only 7 miles, just go. It's a stupid rule anyway and devised by people who never have to cross county borders. I live in an area where there are three counties together.

RuffleCrow · 02/10/2020 12:04

"do what you're told for once"?!

Like the rest of us, the op has been living with serious restrictions on her personal liberty for over six months! And like a lot of us, I imagine she's sick of the nonsensical contradictions and double standards. Her driving to the beach, walking her dog and meeting no-one is going to have fuck all effect on infection rates.

AmaryllisNightAndDay · 02/10/2020 12:04

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.

^This.

There are lots of different ways of doing covid restrictions and none of them work perfectly for everyone. That doesn't make them "nonsense".

Do you really think we'll be out of local lockdown in the next few weeks? I don't.

If everyone bends the rules and even insists on showing off about it and saying how nonsense the rules are so that lots of other people are encouraged to do the same, then you can be darned sure we wont be out of local lockdown anytime soon.

Or we might be out of local lockdown and into a country-wide tightly policed and highly penalised lockdown. If everyone fannies about with the existing rules and encourages everyone else to disrespect them too while the numbers keep going up then what else do you expect to happen?

pollypork · 02/10/2020 12:04

I really hope if I'm ever ill or injured I don't get such a nasty, aggressive doctor such as yourself.

Are you simultaneously calling posters nasty & aggressive but accusing them of bullying? 👌🏼

TheKeatingFive · 02/10/2020 12:05

what would your plan be?

Much more targeted monitoring and enforcement of regulations in situations that we know are high risk for the spread of Covid.

SantaClaritaDiet · 02/10/2020 12:07

It's only 7 miles

It's only 7, 8, or 25 people gathering

It's only 1 small pee in the sand dunes, it's only 1 small child having a poop there

It's only popping to the shop when coming back from holidays

It's only having a party and discover later you are a super spreader, whoops

Remember that one?
It's only one straw
said 8 billion people
🤷

covidiotidiot · 02/10/2020 12:08

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages

Don't worry OP, I get it now. The rules simply don't apply to you. It doesn't matter how many times I, or any other poster, tries to explain how individual efforts shape a population-level approach. Doggy's wave tuition is simply much more important. I'll be sure to let all our ITU covid patients know. You crack on. I've read some pretty disgusting self-justification on here over the last few months and rarely comment, but this takes the cake. Or maybe it's the prospect of round two and no end in sight.

AllesAusLiebe · 02/10/2020 12:11

Much more targeted monitoring and enforcement of regulations in situations that we know are high risk for the spread of Covid.

Woooaaahhh, behave yourself! Such radical ideas don't belong here.

(Have I nailed British sarcasm yet?? Wink)

Original poster
AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 02/10/2020 12:11

@covidiotidiot So instead of engaging with the point that all of those risk factors apply equally when staying in my own area, you've opted for the personal attack instead?

Grow up

OP posts:
12frogsincoats · 02/10/2020 12:11

@pollypork

I really hope if I'm ever ill or injured I don't get such a nasty, aggressive doctor such as yourself.

Are you simultaneously calling posters nasty & aggressive but accusing them of bullying? 👌🏼

Yep 👌🏼
pollypork · 02/10/2020 12:12

🤣

Sockwomble · 02/10/2020 12:12

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

We have more and more restrictions because people behave in ways that spread infection not because someone takes a dog for a walk on a beach.

pollypork · 02/10/2020 12:13

@TheKeatingFive and what does that look like in reality? How would you monitor & enforce?

SchrodingersImmigrant · 02/10/2020 12:13

[quote AvocadosBeforeMortgages]@covidiotidiot So instead of engaging with the point that all of those risk factors apply equally when staying in my own area, you've opted for the personal attack instead?

Grow up[/quote]
It's about the area. They are trying to contain the spread to other areas. It's not a difficult concept to understand...