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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To carry on as though I'm in a different tier because...

96 replies

GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 07:44

I (and I'm not exaggerating), live next door to the sign between a tier 1 and tier 2 area? And is anyone else in this situation where they literally live on the border?!

I've been visiting my mum who lives 5 minutes down the road on the 'tier 1 side' however, we (on the dark side of the sign!), have recently changed to tier 2 as it technically comes under another county.

The sign between the borders is literally no more than 2 metres from my front gate.

AIBU to still act as though I'm in tier 1 and see my mum? It seems stupid to me that because she lives on one side of a sign and I live on the other I can't see her now!

OP posts:
Original poster
GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 07:45

And I mean see her indoors (I know we can still meet outdoors).

OP posts:
ShesMadeATwatOfMePam · 23/10/2020 07:45

Yep just do it.

EatDessertFirst · 23/10/2020 07:47

My mum has this in Essex. She lives in a Tier 2 area but works/socialises at bingo in a Tier 1 area. Its ridiculous.

Original poster
GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 07:50

@EatDessertFirst

My mum has this in Essex. She lives in a Tier 2 area but works/socialises at bingo in a Tier 1 area. Its ridiculous.
It is crazy. The main town/city in the county I live is miles away. In the local community, we all class ourselves as part of the town right next to us which is another county and in tier 1. It's where I'll be doing all my shopping etc...
OP posts:
cruellada · 23/10/2020 07:52

I wouldn't shout about it but yes I would carry on as you were

flaviaritt · 23/10/2020 07:54

Personally I think it’s better to err on the side of caution.

CorporeSarnie · 23/10/2020 07:56

Too many other factors for a simple answer, if you behave responsibly the rest of the time does this not come under support bubble rules? But if you're going to the pub, not wearing masks etc perhaps deal with that first. I live in a similarly disparity area and need to travel to tier 2 for work purposes but will not be going to a long-planned small group birthday meal in tier 2 next week as it's not ok.

Original poster
GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 07:57

@flaviaritt

Personally I think it’s better to err on the side of caution.
I don't really get this though.

Everything I do that requires leaving my house is done on the tier 1 side because that's the town that's right next to me, as in a stone's throw. All my shopping will be done there, the kids school is there, if I ever go to a cafe or restaurant it's there, my pets vet is there, my doctor's surgery is there, I work there as does DH etc...

The technical town that is for my county is miles away and I literally never go there.

OP posts:
flaviaritt · 23/10/2020 08:00

Well, I guess if you don’t get it you don’t get it. For me, you are in Tier 2. If you lived one or two houses over you would be Tier 1, but the likelihood is you wouldn’t physically be experiencing a lower case rate. So it’s a decision as to whether you are wrongly in Tier 2 or wrongly in Tier 1, given the actual case rate around you. And that might be impossible to say. So ‘erring on the side of caution’ means assuming it might be worse than you think, rather than better.

NichyNoo · 23/10/2020 08:00

We have this too. In Wirral West which officially comes under Liverpool city region but we’re miles from Liverpool and just metres from the Welcome to Cheshire sign.

Porcupineinwaiting · 23/10/2020 08:03

I live on the boundary bw Tiers 2 and 3 but in T3. We will follow the T3 rules. In your case I'd think less about where you live but how you live - are you back in the office, shopping, socialising etc It is certainly the case that areas next to higher risk areas experience "leakage " from people moving between the two- look at Derbyshire.

Original poster
GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 08:05

I guess the part I don't 'get' is what additional risk factor I pose considering everything I do is done in the tier 1 area and if I lived in a house a few metres away I'd be fine.

Personally, I feel our small village which is what we count as, is wrongly being lumped in with a tier 2 area which stems from a large town miles away. The town we all use (the centre of which is a 10 min walk away from our doorsteps), is tier 1 and has a low number of cases and is the town we all use!

OP posts:
Gatr · 23/10/2020 08:05

The boundary has to be somewhere though.
I think this will be the downfall of the tier system where lots of people (understandably) are frustrated when they live on a border, work, shop, school on the other. If there was flexiblity in corridor between the borders to allow for this then people would still be say its unfair because they only live 20 doors up from that area

The only alternative is the whole country has the same rules

Original poster
GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 08:06

are you back in the office, shopping, socialising etc

I don't go to the pub or anything but yes, I am shopping and working.... In the tier 1 area!

OP posts:
Acerred · 23/10/2020 08:06

@EatDessertFirst

My mum has this in Essex. She lives in a Tier 2 area but works/socialises at bingo in a Tier 1 area. Its ridiculous.
Why is it ridiculous? Many people are in that situation, surly your mum can do bingo in her own area if she absolutely has to go ?
BruceAndNosh · 23/10/2020 08:08

Your Mum's Tier 1 area will be Tier 2 within a matter of weeks anyway

Gatr · 23/10/2020 08:09

@GrootDeservedBetter
Surely though if your village was exempt then anyone who worked, had kids in that school, lived within a few miles would be saying they felt they should be exempt. You are just moving that feeling of unfairness and border up the road

As long as there is a border then there will be people caught on one side of it.

AlternativePerspective · 23/10/2020 08:10

The boundary has to be somewhere.

Personally I think they should ban all household gatherings that way there is no room for ambiguity. Then they can just increase the other rules e.g. pub closing times etc etc according to which tier people are in.

LastGoldenDaysOfSummer · 23/10/2020 08:11

Call it a welfare visit. They are allowed.

Original poster
GrootDeservedBetter · 23/10/2020 08:11

Yes I appreciate there has to be border somewhere.

My AIBU was more whether you'd bother following the tier 2 rules in my particular situation.

OP posts:
Laiste · 23/10/2020 08:12

Thousands of people live near or on the boundaries of counties. I do (Oxfordshire/Northants) and i did in my last house as well (Warwickshire/northants). Boundary lines wiggle all over the place especially rurally.

Just use your common sense. Is it that hard? Sorry to be blunt.

Do as you're meant to be doing where ever you physically are at the time.

AlternativePerspective · 23/10/2020 08:13

And let’s be honest here, these kinds of issues arise regularly.

You could for instance be two houses away from the catchment for the local school, or out of the postcode for a certain dr’s surgery or for certain nhs treatments.

The cut-off has to be somewhere.

EatDessertFirst · 23/10/2020 08:14

@Acerred There are no bingo halls in her area? Its the only place she is allowed to see her friends and if she didn't go she would be totally isolated except for the three people she works with. I can't visit her, nor can my brother. Not everyone lives in massive towns with all amenities.

Its ridiculous because Southend (where bingo and her work is) is Tier 1 next to areas in Tier 2 (such as the tiny village where she lives).

Sometimeswinning · 23/10/2020 08:16

Nope. Carry on as long as you can. I would!

RevolutionRadio · 23/10/2020 08:17

Is it a choice of somewhere beginning with 'M' or 'W' for towns?

If I'm thinking of the right place I'd go with tier 1. I've always found it weird having that boundary.