AIBU to think this lockdown is pathetic

[Applepea1]

Why are so many places still open and not enforcing social distancing? I went to the garden centre today and they had a whole big Christmas section and it was packed, including a tractor for the kids to play on. There was no queue system to get in and all the Christmas displays were so close together it was impossible to keep a distance anyway.
I know I obviously could have stayed at home and will be in the future (apart from my local shop, one trip to Primark and a quite few trips to the pets shop for dog food I've done all shopping on line since March)
Most of my socialising is with school mum's and although everyone is aware we are only allowed to go for a walk in pairs they all stand together chatting in the playground. The primary school is next to a large secondary school and we have to fight our way through crowds of teenagers before pick up every day. The whole of year 11 are in self isolation as there's so many positive cases. My adult daughters boyfriend is allowed into work as they all tested negative last week. It just seems a limp excuse of a lockdown for me.

Cases are plateauing. If it’s working without destroying the economy, good.

But they need to come down significantly not plateau.

Why is Primark open?

You could have stayed at home but chose not to.

But they need to come down significantly not plateau.

They do. And if they are plateauing it means they are coming down, because the infection rate is coming down. Like many things, this is a balance.

Well you’re not helping OP, contributing to make it “pathetic”.

The lockdown is fine. People's thoughts on what a lockdown means are not fine.

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince it isn’t open, as far as I am aware. The OP was listing places she has been since March - presumably that was in summer?

Why were you there? If it isn't ok for others to go there?

Better for everyone to stay home.

OP how do you reckon it is ok for you to be out but not everyone else?

It's one thing when people comment on this when at supermarkets, etc. But a garden centre? Ffs. Hypocritical much?

You went to a bloody garden centre you massive hypocrite!!

The lockdown is bringing the infection rate down. That's the best we can hope for.

Stay home then op.The garden centre is not essential shopping is it?

Completely agree op. I could accept garden centres being open as the majority of the browsing is done outside and then if you have a mask on and go in and pay it's no different to doing a supermarket shop.

Bending the rules so that you can have crowds of people standing close to each other is so wrong.

I bet you also complain about traffic while sitting in and contributing to said traffic.

I can’t understand the thinking behind forcing small businesses to close again for 4 weeks when they’ve likely spent a fortune making their premises ‘covid secure’ when everyone piles in to the shops that actually are open.

Primark is open in Wales OP. Where they've just ended their lockdown.

This reminds me of that woman in the summer on the tv complaining about all the people on the beach, when she was also ion the beach 🙄🤷‍♀️
Why is the garden centre allowed to be open anyway?

I can’t get over some of the stuff on Mumsnet, people criticising others and their doing the exact same thing and don’t realise their part of the problem.

I agree with you OP. The shops that are open are supposed to have covid safe measures in place and how can you know whether they have until you go. I’m like you I’m going out as little as possible and to as few places as possible. Schools have no control over what happens off their premises and heads I know have repeatedly asked parents to comply for their own and the children’s good. Many do comply but not enough.

I always find it funny when people complain about somewhere being crowded or whatever when they're there too! 🤣

I thought the Garden Centres were open as gardening is good for mental health/wellbeing or something. But they (conveniently) sell Christmas tat and household goods so people go for a browse out of boredom probably.

God I hate these kinds of posts, if it’s not ok by you then you shouldn’t be there either.

Why didn't you walk out when you saw it was too busy? Can you change your journey route/time to avoid being in close contact with the Secondary school pupils? Can you point out to the school that parents should leave promptly and not chat?

There are things you can do to keep yourself and your local area safer.

I went to my local garden centre the other day. It was all well organised and socially distanced with hand sanitiser and screens in place. Everyone was wearing a mask.

Our Primary school has a strict keep moving round the one way system when taking or collecting children. Everyone wears masks and if waiting to go in, yes there is some chatting, but only until the gates are opened and everyone stays 2m apart.

Our Secondary school has staggered start times for year groups and a number of suggested drop off places about 5 - 10 minutes walk away from the school so children are spread out as much as possible.

It's a delicate balance of limiting contact between people but whilst also maintaining education and some of the economy. I think it poses the best longer term solution. The not meeting up and socialising with other people inside is likely to make the most difference to infection numbers.

It does involve common sense and people being able to act responsibly though for it to work.

The lockdown itself looks like it may be starting to help as cases are starting to plateau.

I personally haven't been anywhere except work (I'm a teacher so can't work from home) and the supermarket for a weekly shop. Normally I do click and collect but as soon as lockdown was announced there were no slots available

I went to the supermarket alone only to be surrounded by family groups -2 able bodied adults with a number of children/teens - why?! Why can't one adult stay home with the kids or wait in the car if transport is an issue. Obviously if someone is a single parent it's different.

I thought the Garden Centres were open as gardening is good for mental health/wellbeing or something

No, the justification is so you can grow your own food (although of course few new plants are needed in novemeber…) but the reality is that they're places frequented by middle england tory voters so obviously the government panders to their only hope of being reelected.