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!?

YABU. It’s 17 days, you’ll manage.
No one knows if it’ll work. Like no one knows if the Tier system in England will work. Nobody knows what they’re doing, otherwise the virus would have fucked off already. It’s a tactic. If it works, I’ll get over not being able to buy a toaster to replace mine that just broke. I’ll manage by grilling bread for 17 days. No biggie.

So if you need a pack of underpants, you can either buy them in couple of weeks when the local shops would get a fair chance of your business.

Are there many local shops that sell underwear (ideally affordable)? It depends where you are, but there aren't loads of indie stores selling cheap underwear or baby clothes- 'boutiques' maybe or chain clothes shops, but not many direct competitors with supermarkets.

How does it protect public health to stop people buying kettles in supermarkets, particularly given that they can easily get them from other shops that are permitted to stay open?

Once again. The closure of non-essential shops is there to protect public health. The prevention of big supermarkets from selling non-essentials is to stop them from capitalizing on the lack of competition from other shops - to create fairness.

When we had countrywide lockdown there were none of these stupid distinctions and covid numbers came down quite successfully

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52090441 Coronavirus Easter Egg Crackdown.

Yes. There. Were.

@Sandybdnas

- I distinctly remember people complaining on here back in March

Er well yes, people were complaining as that was also ridiculous, so I don't think that proves your point in the way you think it does

It proves my point that it happened UK wide in the first lockdown.

I'm not saying people didn't complain! They did complain... because it did happen!

We never had bans on Easter eggs here. Just morons on mn telling us we shouldn't.

I'll just leave this here as seems relevant..

www.adsoftheworld.com/media/digital/bbdo_malaysia_be_a_chicken

It didn’t happen in my area. The non essential shops were closed but
You could still go to sainsburys, tesco, b and m, wilko. Do your weekly shop and pick up some garden stuff, craft stuff and stationary to occupy and home school the kids.

Which was very helpful as someone paid in cash (tax paid!) without amazon prime.

I live in Llanelli, I've just been to tesco, its ridiculous. My mums kettle did actually break yesterday, thankfully yesterday. She'd be a bit annoyed if it was today! I don't believe its only for 17 days. I also find it very scary how we have zero choice about these things.

The mega rich boss of Amazon must be rubbing his hands with glee.

I wish people would get a grip, although I appreciate that many do love the opportunity for flinging themselves about being melodramatic.

It’s 17 days without buying shit you mostly don’t need. And if you do need it, you can order it online. Or just go without ( you can boil water in a pan, if your kettle breaks, you know). All this emotive stuff about children’s clothes....just layer them up, squeeze them into last year’s coat. You’re not going anywhere for 17 days, anyway!

Christ.

For all those raging about Mark Drakeford - I distinctly remember people complaining on here back in March that they were prevented from buying Easter eggs in their local shops in England because they were deemed non-essential.

But crack on and blame the Welsh.

That wasn’t government policy, though. It was some heavy-handed police officers if I remember rightly, and the government was quick to emphasise that police officers don’t get to determine what constitutes an essential item, as what’s essential differs to different people. And also because, you know, having police officers make that sort of decision is what a police state looks like.

No one is ‘blaming the Welsh’, I don’t really understand your point. But this is a bizarre restriction on Welsh people’s liberties. If there was solid evidence that people shopping was a significant driver of infection, that would be different - but as far as I know there isn’t.

It won't be 17 days.

It wasn't 3 weeks in March and it won't be 17 days now.

The "slow boiled frog" was written precisely for what we are experiencing now. How would 2019 you react if they arrived here today? They'd be appalled - not by the virus, but by the draconian (and at the same time both ineffective and economy destroying) measures people are quietly accepting, and which go on and on until they become "the new regime".

People should be terrified by this, not by the virus.

@Armi

I wish people would get a grip, although I appreciate that many do love the opportunity for flinging themselves about being melodramatic.

It’s 17 days without buying shit you mostly don’t need. And if you do need it, you can order it online. Or just go without ( you can boil water in a pan, if your kettle breaks, you know). All this emotive stuff about children’s clothes....just layer them up, squeeze them into last year’s coat. You’re not going anywhere for 17 days, anyway!

Christ.

Aren't some schools opening! And people have to work you know?

If you're going to be so patronising at least get it right.

@Armi

I wish people would get a grip, although I appreciate that many do love the opportunity for flinging themselves about being melodramatic.

It’s 17 days without buying shit you mostly don’t need. And if you do need it, you can order it online. Or just go without ( you can boil water in a pan, if your kettle breaks, you know). All this emotive stuff about children’s clothes....just layer them up, squeeze them into last year’s coat. You’re not going anywhere for 17 days, anyway!

Christ.

I suspect a lot of the people outraged on here don't actually live in Wales.

I do. Everyone I know here is pleased that the lockdown has happened because we were worried about the increasing cases. Sideshows like bloody plastic wrapping over a Tesco aisle doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.

I resent having to order toothpaste online.

@Noti23

I resent having to order toothpaste online.

You can get that at the supermarket. Health & Beauty is “essential”

@Buddytheelf85

For all those raging about Mark Drakeford - I distinctly remember people complaining on here back in March that they were prevented from buying Easter eggs in their local shops in England because they were deemed non-essential.

But crack on and blame the Welsh.

That wasn’t government policy, though. It was some heavy-handed police officers if I remember rightly, and the government was quick to emphasise that police officers don’t get to determine what constitutes an essential item, as what’s essential differs to different people. And also because, you know, having police officers make that sort of decision is what a police state looks like.

No one is ‘blaming the Welsh’, I don’t really understand your point. But this is a bizarre restriction on Welsh people’s liberties. If there was solid evidence that people shopping was a significant driver of infection, that would be different - but as far as I know there isn’t.

The OP did - or more specifically the Welsh First Minister, calling him a "Power mad dictator" and accusing him of one-upmanship.

You're right, it wasn't government policy the first time around and did end up being clarified. But it certainly did happen - which is what I was pointing out to those who appear to be claiming that such things could never happen under the UK govt.

I agree its not the most sensible or logical policy, but I can see the reasoning behind it and I trust that it has been made with the best interests of controlling the virus whilst attempting to be fair at heart.

@TrustTheGeneGenie as far as I’m aware, the vast majority of people already have clothes to wear to work and school. If they don’t, I would imagine some leeway would be granted until the shops re-opened. I imagine most people have more than one pair of knickers and it’s unlikely that every item of clothing you own will unravel over the next 17 days.

Patronising? Rather be patronising than utterly ridiculous, but that’s just me.

[quote Armi]@TrustTheGeneGenie as far as I’m aware, the vast majority of people already have clothes to wear to work and school. If they don’t, I would imagine some leeway would be granted until the shops re-opened. I imagine most people have more than one pair of knickers and it’s unlikely that every item of clothing you own will unravel over the next 17 days.

Patronising? Rather be patronising than utterly ridiculous, but that’s just me.[/quote]
I was correcting you on the fact that you said nobody was going anywhere. They are.

Literally turning into a dictator.. When are people going to stop accepting this shit

Does everyone in Wales get everything at supermarkets or small independent shops then, if my kettle broke I would be buying it at John Lewis online, Amazon or Argos, I wouldn't be getting one from Tesco as they might not have the one I want, its easier to see what there is online. I ordered a birthday card from Amazon last night and it arrived today, though I am not in Wales, maybe its different there.

What's the sigh for @Mooseflake? Picking up a pair of pants won't make me 'linger'. If that's your logic, maybe they should start timing how long people stay in the shop just in case they linger too long in the fresh veg aisle debating whether they have cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes in their salad. (I literally stood five minutes today while two women discussed the merits of different flavours of canned soup. Five bloody minutes. Eventually I said can you let me in please, grabbed a can of Heinz tomato soup and said thank you breezily)
As for your second point about it being fair on other businesses, that's nothing to do with achieving a public health goal so it's irrelevant to the argument.

@Mondaymanic

Literally turning into a dictator.. When are people going to stop accepting this shit

By ordering a two week lockdown?

Is Boris literally a dictator for forcing Greater Manchester to do the same? Or for ordering a UK wide lockdown in March?

@MissEliza

What's the sigh for *@Mooseflake*? Picking up a pair of pants won't make me 'linger'. If that's your logic, maybe they should start timing how long people stay in the shop just in case they linger too long in the fresh veg aisle debating whether they have cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes in their salad. (I literally stood five minutes today while two women discussed the merits of different flavours of canned soup. Five bloody minutes. Eventually I said can you let me in please, grabbed a can of Heinz tomato soup and said thank you breezily) As for your second point about it being fair on other businesses, that's nothing to do with achieving a public health goal so it's irrelevant to the argument.

As for your second point about it being fair on other businesses, that's nothing to do with achieving a public health goal so it's irrelevant to the argument

It's entirely relevant to the argument since it is the reason MD has given.

Sorry, the sigh was because its a bit exasperating having to explain the same thing over and over again.

I wouldn't personally have chosen to close any retail, as the evidence suggests that retail outlets are not covid hot spots.

However, I understand the logic here. If you've mandated that businesses must close if their main purpose is the supply of non essential items, then its only fair to restrict the sale of those items at other retailers who are allowed to continue trading.

You can't put that in place for online trade, but equally those smaller or specific businesses are also able to trade online should they wish to.