Is anyone applying actual LOGIC to Christmas or just blindly following covid rules??

[Christmasisallaroundus]

I’m not changing my Christmas plans. I’m due to go to my parents 50 mins drive away. Myself & DH WFH full time. No DC. We’ve been isolating for 2 weeks in advance of Christmas. We are getting private covid tests on 21st - waiting for presumably negative results on 23rd then will travel home. Parents also not working and have been isolating pretty much since March. Will be home 24th-27th. No plans to leave the house. Then straight back to our house to isolate again for the foreseeable as no plans to see anyone.

Why would we change our plans and not go just because ‘it’s against the rules’. I don’t understand those saying they can’t go how due to rules changing.

If you are working out and about you shouldn’t have been mixing in the 1st place as you’re higher risk! Why are the rules influencing what you do - surely you should be using common sense!

@Notanotheruser111

Having been through the Melbourne lockdown, my opinion is following the rules is important even when you know your not at risk or a risk. When people see others out and about, it lessens the effectiveness of the lockdown.

People start justifying breaking the rules, and people start making stupid decisions. Conversely when everyone stays home and the shops are empty it’s harder for people to justify breaking the rules to themselves. It’s less about the risk and more about a unity.

I agree with this, and in the first lockdown we did just this.

And then Cummings did whatever the fuck he wanted, and Boris supported that decision and in one fell swoop it was one rule for them and one for us peasants.

From that day on, COVID anarchy has ruled, and too many people will ignore the rules forever more.

So much damage was done on the day Dom decided to drive to Durham, but will the government ever admit it? Of course not.

People have just been told they can't see others for Xmas and you write this. So to help you see family at Xmas you have taken up delivery slots that others may have needed.
And you are saying tough shit to all of those with kids or risky jobs, or medically vulnerable, we should of been staying at home anyways.
Tell you what, let's just hope you don't catch it and meet up with an NHS worker you just rightly pissed off. The problem is all of those that have no common sense and been breaking the rules and spreading it just to suit themselves and you dont have to be a child, in a risky job to have been spreading it but your now saying they are to blame and should stay in

It's not people following the rules, but people following the law.And am assuming that you might actually like to live in a society that follows the law.

Cos you might not want someone to apply the logic that our capitalist system is defunct and anyone who can afford private tests is clearly too rich for their own good and burgle your house.

The assumption that people should apply logic go the law is nice...but seeing as to how unequal our society is at the moment this might not go your way. Remember the riots of 2012....

@Christmasisallaroundus

A lot of people replying here who seem to be confused.

I’m sorry if you work in job where it’s not safe for you to mix. But if that’s your reality you should be making Christmas plans accordingly.

Again it’s not fair but that’s how it is this year. I just can’t get over the numbers of people here who were quite happily going off and mixing until the government told them they couldn’t - even if they are working in risky areas. And on the converse side people like me who can go home safely now cancelling because of the rules.

If it makes you feel better to rant at me because you’re not in my position then by all means go ahead. My post was about the following of the rules instead of thinking logically about your situation and risk level.

@JaneTheVirgin yes if you’re risky you shouldn’t leave your house and mix over Christmas as you can spread covid. From sitting in my house with my DH 24/7 not seeing anyone I am in a safer position to mix. I’m sorry you are having a difficult time but unfortunately that’s just how it is.

Blimey. Even after people posting before this, explaining (fairly politely for Mumsnet!), you really aren’t reading the room are you?!

There was no point to your first post, and your follow-up responses are just emphasising even more your smugness. There are lots of people who, luckily, will be in the same position as you - it’s just that they’re not coming on here to post about that fact. They’re quietly getting on with it, rather than announcing to the world that 1) they’re in that lucky position and 2) that anyone in a front-line role (whether it be NHS, working in a supermarket etc etc) should just suck it up and be LOGICAL.

Your kind of attitude actually annoys me even more than those who post stuff along the lines of “I don’t give a fuck about the rules”. Because, as much as we see that on here, I (hopefully) think they’re in the minority irl. But your smug post actually isn’t needed and rams a shit situation further down the throats of many ordinary people with circumstances/jobs/disappointment that don’t match your own situation.

Wishing you a very logical xmas.

I suggest everyone read the guidance on the Govt website. Despite what was announced at the press conference and repeated on the news, travel in and out of tier 4 is NOT banned if you have a support bubble in another tier. This may help thousands of single people who aren't aware.

I think for a lot of people they do feel a pressure to follow the rules their government have asked of them. Plus there is an assumption that the rules have been set for their own good, and the greater good of society (by teams of people who have access to all of the information).

Personally I'm nervous for my vulnerable family members because of the new strain, so decided that the calculated risk we thought we were taking, is now actually too great.

Based on your circumstances, you sound as risk-free as you can get so I think you're doing the right thing too.

And then Cummings did whatever the fuck he wanted, and Boris supported that decision and in one fell swoop it was one rule for them and one for us peasants. this is bullshit. People need to take personal responsibility, Cummings was 100% an arsehole, but just because he broke the rules doesn’t mean everyone else had to. If Cummings jumped off a cliff would other people follow?

The judgement should be against Cummings for breaking the rules himself, not seen as permission to do the same.

As for the OP, you are incredibly disingenuous.

In your first post you asked if anyone was following the Christmas rules and then went on to smugly say that you’re having tests (I’m assuming you’re paying for them thus meaning people who actually need them won’t be able to get them,) and then saying that people who have left their houses were already at risk and shouldn’t have been mixing anyway.

you’d better hope you’re not in a car accident on the way to wherever it is you’re going and don’t need to go into hospital where you might, per chance, contract COVID... or that you’re not going to be walking into a test centre which will be full of COVID positive people..

IF you haven’t been able to 100% self isolate over the past two weeks, so that’s no going to shops even, then you’re taking a risk going to your parents and common sense means you shouldn’t have been going anyway...

You’re going to break the law.

Is your job contingent on you not having a criminal record?

I completely agree with you. People can't apply logic and common sense clearly.

I’m applying logic. Due to see parents Boxing Day, with none of us mixing anywhere on Christmas Day or any other day. I don’t see how us seeing them 24h later is any different.
I totally see why they’ve restricted mixing to 1 day only. But I don’t see why we can’t choose the day. What about those working Christmas Day who have their Christmas on Boxing Day?

@Mummysgonetobed

I’m applying logic. Due to see parents Boxing Day, with none of us mixing anywhere on Christmas Day or any other day. I don’t see how us seeing them 24h later is any different. I totally see why they’ve restricted mixing to 1 day only. But I don’t see why we can’t choose the day. What about those working Christmas Day who have their Christmas on Boxing Day?

That actually does make sense, as you are not seeing them on Christmas Day. Which is an entirely different thing.

But for those of you who have been saying, "We're only doing it for ONE DAY!" in general, I would remind you that COVID-19, as with pregnancy, it only takes one time. It is not a cumulative effect.

What I find frustrating is that people will have left Tier 4 areas yesterday to go to their 2nd homes/ see family etc even though they may have be mixing all the time.

I have been self isolating since schools finished on the 10th as has my siblings in prep of having Christmas day with our parents. We wanted to self isolate to ensure we were clear. We are all within a 20 min walk of each other but now we can't meet for Christmas lunch.

Logic isn't always all it's cracked up to be.

I have heard many people argue twisted 'logic' to basically get what they want during the pandemic.

I do understand the blanket ban because it's not fair for those who can wfh etc.

@middleager
I’m actually very glad about the OP post because I find this sheepish following the rules a lot more concerning than the virus itself.
Merry Christmas, give hugs to your family.

My mum is a keyworker for NHS, she's working Christmas day. So we won't be able to see each other now. I don't see why it can't be just 1 day over the period instead of prescribing it has to be Christmas day. All the clapping for the NHS and they've been conveniently forgotten. Laughable.

If I see one more person using the word “sheep” in a post, I think I’m going to spontaneously combust!

It’s the flipping “sheep” who are ensuring that the numbers aren’t even higher than they currently are.

Did op mention the tiers they are all in?

I completely agree about the logic, it's ridiculous that it's ok to see family on Christmas Day but not Christmas Eve or Boxing Day. Can't stand the ridiculousness of it all. We weren't going to be seeing ILs because they are vulnerable but we were going to be seeing my DPs on boxing day. The reason we now aren't going to do so now isn't because we're 'sheep' or blindly following rules but, I suspect like a lot of people, we can't run the risk of being fined, can't afford it and if we were then DH would have to notify his employer and would be in trouble. It's not a long journey but it passes through a few different counties and where we are has had traffic police stopping cars on and off, so it is a risk.

I'm just pissed off it's happened like this, if they'd have banned mixing to start with then we wouldn't have planned anything and so wouldn't be disappointed now. Instead we just told DS a couple of days ago that he'd be seeing his GPs and Aunties and he was so happy and excited. It's shit.

@millymokk
We are all within a 20 min walk of each other but now we can't meet for Christmas lunch.

Put your shoes on and walk?

I don’t think many people are in possession of much logic, really. You only have to look at mumsnet to see that on a daily basis!
“My DH left the toilet seat up”
“That’s indicative of wider psychological abuse, LTB”
“My MIL sent a gift I’m not keen on”
“Set it alight and place it on her doorstep”
“My daily walk was 1 hr 10 mins”
“YOU are responsible for the DEATH of MILLIONS!”

Everyone seems to think worst case scenario instead of taking a deep breath and attempting to be reasonable. I won’t be changing my Christmas plans because I’ve made them as “safe” as can be.

I’m absolutely using logic and common sense for my trip. It’s been difficult though because I’m pretty much a rule follower. I’m going to stay in a rented cottage, for four days at Xmas, from a tier 3 to tier 2 area. While there we will be indoors, or outdoors in the countryside enjoying walks. We are basically self isolating at the moment as we are wfh. We are not a threat to anyone and the person who we are renting the cottage from is happy for us to go as they have covid cleaning in place for before and after. Therefore after much thought, we are going.

Having been through the Melbourne lockdown, my opinion is following the rules is important even when you know your not at risk or a risk. When people see others out and about, it lessens the effectiveness of the lockdown.

People start justifying breaking the rules, and people start making stupid decisions. Conversely when everyone stays home and the shops are empty it’s harder for people to justify breaking the rules to themselves. It’s less about the risk and more about a unity.

I agree with this.

Yep. The government is always slightly behind so you need to be one step ahead. This new strain is scarily quickly spread. I could easily have it from the shops much more than the original strain. No way am I putting my family at risk moments before a vaccinne.

Come on op.

In tier 3, still having people round on Christmas eve tea, then different people round for Christmas day lunch, don't care.