To think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator?

[LittleLapwing]

Half the shops covered in plastic. Can’t buy clothes, duvets, books, DVDs, tins but not tin openers.
All the Halloween and bonfire night stuff that’s just been stocked is behind a cordon. Presumably now destined for landfill.

Autumn half term after a shitty year and I can’t even do a few seasonal treats for the kids.

AIBU to think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator, and that his ridiculous game of Covid oneupmanship with Nicola and Boris needs to stop!?

Mooseflake - obviously COVID is the only thing to matter. Fuck everything else.

@MaxNormal

By that argument why not just lock everyone in their homes forever?

Or why not just shoot everyone and be done with it? Dead people can't spread viruses. Look at all the selfish bastards, daring to be alive, filthy disease vectors that they are.
And as the deaths wouldn't have covid, they won't count as sad.

Exactly!

They can't shut all shops forever any more than they can lock people in their homes or shoot them all! It's a ridiculous argument.

You’re all very trusting if you think it’s guaranteed it will only be for 17 days. What were his exact words?

"Mark Drakeford has stated categorically that this firebreak will end on the 9th November."

Yeah, and then the "new regime" will start. Which will probably mean they lift one restriction so that they can say they've ended the firebreak.

I live in Wales and during full lockdown all the supermarkets were selling their usual range of products. None of the homewares were cordoned off. I had no reason to assume that this would be any different.

@MaxNormal

By that argument why not just lock everyone in their homes forever?

Or why not just shoot everyone and be done with it? Dead people can't spread viruses. Look at all the selfish bastards, daring to be alive, filthy disease vectors that they are.
And as the deaths wouldn't have covid, they won't count as sad.

😅😅

@110APiccadilly

"Mark Drakeford has stated categorically that this firebreak will end on the 9th November."

Yeah, and then the "new regime" will start. Which will probably mean they lift one restriction so that they can say they've ended the firebreak.

Then the next firebreak starts on 10th November. Just for 2 weeks, nothing to worry about.

Its quite obviously nothing to do with kettles and such and about civil liberties. However the kettle argument just pisses people off as its such a non issue in the grand scheme of things. If you state your cause of despair in a more coherent way then the support will be there. Everyone is entitled to feel how they feel. What are you going to do about it is the question? There will be no support for stampeding tescos but maybe for signing a petition as a start ?!

People really need to stop saying it is good what MD and NS are doing because it is better than BJ. Seriously that is no achievement.

There is a petition in change.org

I would be raging if I lived in Wales. Completely batshit. In fact I'm raging and I DON'T live in Wales.

I've got a spare kettle! In my defence I live in an area where we get lots of power cuts so I've got a kettle I can use on the gas cooker when we have no electricity. I know I could use a saucepan, and I have in the past, but I prefer a kettle.

If people believe the lockdowns to be of no use then there should be an uprising to stop the tyranny.

@justchecking1

* justchecking1 I don't understand the rage here.

The bottom line is we're not supposed to leave the house unless for essential reasons. If something is available on line then it's not essential to leave your house to get it, is it?

You can still have all the frivolous shit your heart desires, you just can't go out to buy it!

I'm not sure what the issue is? 

a) because there's no logic or scientific rationale behind it

b) it's not just "frivolous shit" it's duvets, raincoats, umbrellas, socks, baby clothes, kettles, etc. Yet real "frivolous shit" like wine, chocolate, lottery tickets and fags are freely available.

c) some people don't easily use the internet. Even for those that do, if you don't have amazon prime then it can take 4-5 days for something to be delivered. That's if you are at home all day and not, for example, a nurse working night shifts...*

A) Of course there's logic. The logic is "don't leave your house as far as possible, and the virus won't spread". It's not a case of "while I'm here, I may as well buy...", it's a case of not being in the shop in the first place. We had plenty of notice, we should have stocked up on a couple of weeks of long life food so we don't need to go out. Those who didn't have the money to get any stocks in probably won't be able to benefit from having a spare £20 to replace a kettle anyway. Even if a few people absolutely have to go out to the shops, the vast majority won't/shouldn't need to. Stopping selling non essential stuff will mean people don't just go to Tesco for an afternoon out.

B) Not much call for umbrellas, raincoats, hair dryers, wellies and all the other stuff mentioned if you're staying in your house. Just wait the 2 weeks or order online if you can't.

C) oh the horror of having to wait 4 days for something! I just can't get that worked up about that. It's a pandemic FFS, we need a bit of perspective.

The whole problem is people are far too focussed on worrying about what they can and can't do, and how to get around the rules, and why the rules shouldn't apply. No one is stopping to think about whether they should be doing these things or whether it's in the spirit of the message of lockdown

But nobody is suggesting we have to stay in our house 24/7 for the next 17 days, in fact it's been actively encouraged to go out and exercise thus the need for raincoats etc. But apparently you are one of the competitive misery engagers....the spirit of lockdown????

I have literally never seen anyone go to tesco for an afternoon out.

As for all those maintaining the supermarkets cornered off all their non essential aisles in the first lockdown, well, the ones by me didn't....as others didn't according to this thread
and also during the first lockdown literally all cafes, restaurants etc. were closed whereas now greggs, mcdonalds etc. are all staying open, so it's not the same as the previous lockdown...

@halcyondays

You’re all very trusting if you think it’s guaranteed it will only be for 17 days. What were his exact words?

First Minister said the two-week fire break will not be extended beyond Noverment 9th but warned that any benefits of the 17-day lockdown will not be seen until later down the line.

“The period will end on the 9th November, it is a fixed period, and will end on that Monday.”

“Can I make one other point to the avoidance of doubt, we will not see the benefit of these two weeks by the 9th of November, the benefit will be seen in the weeks that follow.”

“I’ve heard some people say that the figures [infection rates] won’t come down by the 9th of November so the period will have to continue, that is not the test we set.”

“We know now that we will not see the benefit within the two weeks of the fire break period.”

“So the period will end 9th November, and we will see the impact it will have beyond the fire break period itself.”

I heard him say it. He was very clear.

Ancient you will surely lend the kettle to your neighbours in case of need, won't you?😁
For me it is about leaving people without quick access to things that they may need urgently, for no reason related to covid, and it will not save any small retailer. I said before, I would be ok if access to these items in the supermarket was restricted, but you still could buy an item you needed by asking customer services. That of banning the sale is madness!

@CounsellorTroi

it's not just "frivolous shit" it's duvets, raincoats, umbrellas, socks, baby clothes, kettles, etc.

It’s not so long ago you wouldn’t have been able to buy any of this stuff in the supermarket anyway.

what, more than 20 years ago? I remember doing all my 'new for uni' shopping in the supermarkets mid 2000s and it was far from a new thing to have them available there then.

I mean 'not so long' ago duvets and kettles weren't invented, what the fuck has that got to do with anything at the current time.

quite possibly the most irrational (out of some strong contenders) comment on a batshit high thread...

@flowerbombVR

Its quite obviously nothing to do with kettles and such and about civil liberties. However the kettle argument just pisses people off as its such a non issue in the grand scheme of things. If you state your cause of despair in a more coherent way then the support will be there. Everyone is entitled to feel how they feel. What are you going to do about it is the question? There will be no support for stampeding tescos but maybe for signing a petition as a start ?!

Yes. I have had my civil liberty to buy certain items from certain shops curtailed.

I can still buy them from other places, but I cannot buy them alongside my fruit and vegetables. And THAT is an outrageous curtailment of my civil liberties.

We are in the middle of a global pandemic. It's shit. We're all trying to cope. Tesco shutting the halloween aisle really isn't a big deal.

We were told the current restrictions in central Scotland were time limited. Temporary restrictions lasting for 16 days... repeatedly.

Then they were extended by another week until the new tiers come in. It's not yet been confirmed which areas will be in which tier, but I'm expecting central belt to be sufficiently high that the restrictions aren't really lifted. Tweaked a tad, perhaps.

The scottish government doesn't have a great hold on this at all. Everyone I speak to is fed up and it seems like the proportion complying is falling.

In our area nothing was off reach during the first lockdown in supermarkets/ corner shops, but all other shops were closed

This thread is hilarious, very entertaining.

As an aside is the incubation period of covid not around / up to 14 days?
makes so much sense..

@justchecking1

* justchecking1 I don't understand the rage here.

The bottom line is we're not supposed to leave the house unless for essential reasons. If something is available on line then it's not essential to leave your house to get it, is it?

You can still have all the frivolous shit your heart desires, you just can't go out to buy it!

I'm not sure what the issue is? 

a) because there's no logic or scientific rationale behind it

b) it's not just "frivolous shit" it's duvets, raincoats, umbrellas, socks, baby clothes, kettles, etc. Yet real "frivolous shit" like wine, chocolate, lottery tickets and fags are freely available.

c) some people don't easily use the internet. Even for those that do, if you don't have amazon prime then it can take 4-5 days for something to be delivered. That's if you are at home all day and not, for example, a nurse working night shifts...*

A) Of course there's logic. The logic is "don't leave your house as far as possible, and the virus won't spread". It's not a case of "while I'm here, I may as well buy...", it's a case of not being in the shop in the first place. We had plenty of notice, we should have stocked up on a couple of weeks of long life food so we don't need to go out. Those who didn't have the money to get any stocks in probably won't be able to benefit from having a spare £20 to replace a kettle anyway. Even if a few people absolutely have to go out to the shops, the vast majority won't/shouldn't need to. Stopping selling non essential stuff will mean people don't just go to Tesco for an afternoon out.

B) Not much call for umbrellas, raincoats, hair dryers, wellies and all the other stuff mentioned if you're staying in your house. Just wait the 2 weeks or order online if you can't.

C) oh the horror of having to wait 4 days for something! I just can't get that worked up about that. It's a pandemic FFS, we need a bit of perspective.

The whole problem is people are far too focussed on worrying about what they can and can't do, and how to get around the rules, and why the rules shouldn't apply. No one is stopping to think about whether they should be doing these things or whether it's in the spirit of the message of lockdown

Either you are batshit crazy, incredibly dumb or deliberately provocative- can’t make up my mind which.

I am RAGING for the good people of Wales. Elected officials should not act like this. Whether you want to buy a kettle as yours has died or whether you just want to take a look at the homeware section when you’re buying your mince, this should be no concern of government. During the first lockdown, I made a trip to our local Tesco superstore one Friday afternoon shock horror, just to browse. It made me ridiculously happy and improved my mental health no end.

I haven’t checked the legal position and whether this is guidance or law, but I am very surprised that the supermarkets are going along with this. I would have thought they would have resorted to the courts by now 🤔

Pass it round a few family members cosily at home (after the party time seen e.g. in Cardiff on Friday) all ready to unleash a new batch in Wales in a couple of weeks time.

And of course, they have said people who can't work from home can still go to work, (often the poorest) so will still be around in key workers, care home staff, etc etc

While the likes of Drakeford and cosy public service staff and sit on the sofa. (some of them incubating, perhaps)

Christ knows what it'll be like trying to do some Christmas shopping this year.

Tiny Tim and the Spirit of Lockdown