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

[GrootDeservedBetter]

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!

@CatNoBag

If you're following the letter of the law, then I think it's perfectly fine for you to go into your Mums house as in England you're free to travel from one area to another, and then presumably once you do it's the rules for that area that apply. So you can travel from a Tier 3 area into a Tier 1 area and you're no longer in lockdown.

Which is a bit mental, but there we are...

Your rules follow you and the legislation states you need to keep to the highest set.

So if you live in a tier 2 area you follow tier 2 rules if you go into a tier 1 area, or if you choose to go into a tier 3 area you follow tier 3 rules.

I can't imagine that it will increase the risk much in terms of transmission, even if ALL the people who live right on the boundaries break the rules in this way.

What it does increase, though, OP, is your risk of being penalised. Be careful.

Surely you can use your common sense?
The most important thing is to avoid putting your mother, and others, at risk. So think about where you go and who you interact with on a day to day basis and work it out for yourself.

FatGirlShrinking - interesting... I have lots of family in Wales, and they've been complaining about people coming from Tier 3/Lockdown areas in England to rural areas with very low numbers. Once they are there, they have been able to go out to restaurants, pubs etc whereas they can't do that at home. I think if you're going to have this system of different levels for different areas, then the way it's been done in Wales makes more sense - if you live in a lockdown area you stay there, rather than travelling across the country to an area that has very low numbers.

What if you have an English postcode and live in Wales ?

Beeb had a news segment about Hay onWye this morning, a town that straddles England and Wales - that might be the prize winner for weirdness!

There have to be boundaries, and it's bound to seem anomalous at the edges. But I think the idea that you should adopt the higher tier rules is sound, because we need transmission to be as low as possible. And there is the possibility of forming a support bubble to avoid single-person households having no company, and so those who need additional support/care can get it.

I live a 5-minute walk from the GM boundary, lots of services we use are in GM Also people in the neighbouring villages can easily access our pubs, betting shops etc as all in walking distance. The difference between the tiers 2 and 3 does affect me much unless they close none essential shops etc in T3 or increase travel restrictions. I need to travel to GM for health and education reasons. The coffee shop I visit is also in GM and a 7-minute walk from home. Most of our family live in GM however we are in T2 so can't mix with them.

The NHS app says I am in a high and very high risk area.

@decoraters

That's not really what I'm trying to say. Although yes I do think we've been wrongly classes as tier 2 personally, that wasn't what my original post was about.

I was asking if you personally would bother not seeing your mum because you lived 2 metres on the wrong side of a sign. I'm not asking about the officialness of it all, I understand that there has to be a border somewhere obviously.

I, and many others seem to have completely misunderstood your post then. Otherwise you have chosen to take what suits from responses. If you understand there has to be a border then you are able to understand you need to stay at the right side of yours.

I don't think my question was that difficult to understand personally.

I know that technically the rules mean I can't because of the side of the border I live on. I was asking if I were being unreasonable to do it anyway due to the circumstances i.e. live so close and do everything in the tier 1 town anyway.

I understand that there has to be a border and I understand that technically the rules on my side mean I'm not allowed to do X Y or Z.

Essex is a rather strange one though as they elected to go into tier2 despite the numbers not reaching the cut off point.

I don't think my question was that difficult to understand personally.

Neither did I, but you told me when I responded that it wasn't what you were asking so I must have misunderstood, along with the all the other posters that have replied similarly.

I know that technically the rules mean I can't because of the side of the border I live on. I was asking if I were being unreasonable to do it anyway due to the circumstances i.e. live so close and do everything in the tier 1 town anyway.

Of course YABU because when you say 'technically' you mean 'actually'. The rules mean you can't. Your own words.

I understand that there has to be a border and I understand that technically the rules on my side mean I'm not allowed to do X Y or Z.

Again, there is no 'technically' about it. The rules mean you are not allowed to do X Y Z.

[quote JellyBabiesSaveLives]Soupdragon, that is correct. It’s if you are in tier 2 or if you live in tier 2.

OP, have a look at the map and see what cases are like in your postcode, and your mum’s, and then decide. For reference, Manchester stopped households mixing when cases were at 30 in a 100,000.

coronavirus-staging.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map[/quote]
I’m just reposting Jellybabies link because it’s so interesting.

Like the OP I’m in tier 2 Essex county, but my actual postcode is white for no data (in my public health days, this used to mean fewer than 5 cases). Meanwhile my “safe” neighbouring tier one town is in the blue zone with 100 - 200 cases.

OP - look up the postcode for the bingo hall and compare with your own “dangerous” area. I’m willing to bet you aren’t so dangerous afterall.

@GrootDeservedBetter

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.

Yes you should follow the tier 2 rules. I'm in exactly the same position, except currently both counties are tier 1. If everyone ignores the guidance as they're an exception, what do you think will happen?

Everybody has a bloody excuse for not complying. Just follow the rules.

Where I live the rules have been applied by Health Board area. My county has a very low rate (we would be in tier one if that applied), but we're lumped in with the much larger City. That's just how it is. No restaurants, no pubs, none at all. No household meetings indoors. I could justify several ways in which I might break the rules, but I don't. Even though I don't think they are all sensible.

But actually it does look like there's a positive impact in our health board area. So something's working.

do it anyway due to the circumstances i.e. live so close and do everything in the tier 1 town anyway

This is a bit of a daft argument as it justifies coming out of a higher risk area and circulating in a lower risk area, AKA 'How to spread a virus'.

@Eckhart

do it anyway due to the circumstances i.e. live so close and do everything in the tier 1 town anyway

This is a bit of a daft argument as it justifies coming out of a higher risk area and circulating in a lower risk area, AKA 'How to spread a virus'.

What are you supposed to do when everything you need locally is in a tier 1 area? Drive 40 minutes to another tier 2 town for your shopping or go to the tier 1 down the road? Keep your kids off their tier 1 school because you happen to live across the border in a tier 2, a few minutes away?

This is why it doesn't work really.

If one or other of you is a single adult household then you can bubble and see each other anyway.

The whole thing is ridiculous. Go for it.

@WhyOhPie

That's a good point.

What are you supposed to do when everything you need locally is in a tier 1 area? Drive 40 minutes to another tier 2 town for your shopping or go to the tier 1 down the road? Keep your kids off their tier 1 school because you happen to live across the border in a tier 2, a few minutes away?

This is the same for my mum. Her village shop is in tier 1, but she is in tier 2. Does she walk 5 minutes to the village shop or drive 30 minutes to the nearest shop in tier 2? She works in tier 1, the post office, her doctors surgery, the nearest chemist, her vet, the nearest supermarket etc, is in her closest town which is still tier 1.

The border has to fall somewhere, but the cases in her actual post code are far lower than in her closest biggish town which is in tier 1

But going to a shop rules are the same for tier 1 as tier 2 - so it would be fine to go a tier 1 shop when you live in tier 2. It would be fine for a household in tier 2 to go for a meal in a tier 1 restaurant, but not for that family to dine in doors with another household.

Tier 3 however should not be leaving their areas at ll unless for exceptions such as work, caring responsibility etc.

@WhyOhPie

What are you supposed to do when everything you need locally is in a tier 1 area? Drive 40 minutes to another tier 2 town for your shopping or go to the tier 1 down the road? Keep your kids off their tier 1 school because you happen to live across the border in a tier 2, a few minutes away?

But you are allowed to go shopping and schools are not closing? So to answer 'what are you supposed to do?' You take your kids to school as normal and go shopping wherever you want.

I would use my common sense and make my own risk assessment. Just like Cummings et al.