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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To drive for a walk? What even is our t4 'local area'?

25 replies

namesnamesnamesnames · 27/12/2020 11:38

Is it the village we live in? The local town? Next village along? How far is the local area in tier 4 restrictions? Can we drive 9 miles to walk somewhere else? What does everyone else think?

OP posts:

CharlotteRose90 · 27/12/2020 11:39

To be honest I’d do it but with just my family. No one else is listening to the rules anymore.

Nowaynothappening · 27/12/2020 11:40

Honestly, I don’t think many people are bothering with the rules. Going out for a walk is fine so unless you’re planning on a 250 mile trip to Barnard castle then go for it.

movingonup20 · 27/12/2020 11:55

Don't think there's any specific distance as long as it's reasonable for your location eg if you live in a city driving 30 mins to a decent place for a walk that's not crowded is perfectly reasonable whereas driving from a place with lots of nice walks close to your house to a popular beauty spot an hour away less so. We go into the National park to avoid the crowds (exmoor)

BiggerBoat1 · 27/12/2020 11:56

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. As long as you use the drive to test your eyesight!

Bookworming · 27/12/2020 11:57

Sounds reasonable to me, enjoy.

InTheDrunkTank · 27/12/2020 11:58

90 miles is too far, 9 miles is fine!

landoshalo · 27/12/2020 11:59

@CharlotteRose90

To be honest I’d do it but with just my family. No one else is listening to the rules anymore.

That's a ridiculous thing to say

just because some people are being stupid and selfish doesn't make it ok for the op to be.

TheSockMonster · 27/12/2020 12:01

Wasn’t there something in one of the lockdowns about keeping your travelling time shorter than your outdoor exercise time. I can’t seem to find it now.

I’m driving short distances to walk our dog. I stayed home and tried to walk the dog along the busy pavement-less country road by our house during the first lockdown. It was absolute hell and I will not be doing it again!

OhOkayThenx · 27/12/2020 12:04

Surely you know who is in T4 and who isn't?
You're not actually allowed to leave T4 or enter T4. We are in T4 and couldn't go to the next town as they were T2. It made it a bit difficult trying to go places but we got on with it and followed the rules. Police were actually stopping and fining people in our area.

Spongebobsquarefringe · 27/12/2020 12:05

We like to go to a couple of nice places for a walk, but means going to another county we are in T4 so I wouldn’t cross the border, whilst it’s like this I wouldn’t leave my borough just making use of what I have for now.

ShatnersWig · 27/12/2020 12:12

You're not actually allowed to leave T4 or enter T4

Untrue. Why do people keep spouting this as fact? There are LOADS of exemptions where it is perfectly permissible to leave or enter tier 4.

LostInMoab · 27/12/2020 12:21

We are allowed to go 5 miles from the boundary of our local authority area in Scotland. Since I live about 3 miles from that boundary, I could drive up to 8 miles to go for a walk. I live in a geographically small county though, if I lived in a huge one then I could drive much farther...

EvilPea · 27/12/2020 12:25

We’ve been talking about that today. We live in an area with a few parks and green spaces that are rammed this time of year without it being the only thing we can do.
So we want to go somewhere out a bit, where there’s also less chance of bumping (socially distanced bumps!) into people we know to keep it safer.

I think you can if it’s reasonable distance and within tier, but if your in an area like Ours finding that quiet spot could be difficult

EvilPea · 27/12/2020 12:26

@TheSockMonster

Wasn’t there something in one of the lockdowns about keeping your travelling time shorter than your outdoor exercise time. I can’t seem to find it now.

Yes in proper lockdown you couldn’t travel for exercise.

vanillandhoney · 27/12/2020 12:26

@ShatnersWig

You're not actually allowed to leave T4 or enter T4

Untrue. Why do people keep spouting this as fact? There are LOADS of exemptions where it is perfectly permissible to leave or enter tier 4.

Yes, but I don't think going for a nice walk is one of them!

OP, just stick to your T4 area. I don't think driving within your area should be a problem at all.

Coasterfan · 27/12/2020 12:29

We are tier 3 and getting ready to go to a national trust place about 20 miles away still within our county. I think this is fine it’s outside safer than going to primark or the Next jumble sale both of which are permitted in tier 3. I do the same if we were tier 4 which no doubt we will be in the next few days!

Splodgetastic · 27/12/2020 12:41

I think it’s probably safest (if you don’t want to have a challenge from the police) to interpret it as the local area as defined in the legislation. I would like to go to the seaside on my bike like I normally do at this time of year but unfortunately that is in the next borough (also tier 4). I’ve decided to leave it for now.

Brighterthansunflowers · 27/12/2020 12:43

Yes there are reasons you can leave tier 4 but driving for a more scenic walk when you have alternatives is not one of them!

9 miles staying within tier 4 is not unreasonable. 9 miles travelling into a lower tier is unreasonable.

Shinylikeglass · 27/12/2020 12:45

This is what the guidance says:

"If you need to travel you should stay local - meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live - and look to reduce the number of journeys you make overall"

Forthispostonly · 27/12/2020 12:46

@LostInMoab, I don't think that's correct for Scotland.
you must, by law, remain within the Level 3 or Level 4 part of your local authority area unless you have a reasonable excuse

Original poster

namesnamesnamesnames · 27/12/2020 12:54

Thank you. The entire county is in tier 4, we don't want to break rules because others may be. We've stuck to them well up to now, just trying to do our bit you know?

OP posts:

LostInMoab · 27/12/2020 13:25

@Forthispostonly If you click through to the guidance on travel and transport you get this "local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running (in groups of up to 6 people, plus any children under 12, from no more than 2 households) that starts and finishes at the same place (which can be up to 5 miles from the boundary of your local authority area)"

LostInMoab · 27/12/2020 13:26

I agree it seems to contradict itself...

Forthispostonly · 27/12/2020 13:31

Ahh, I see that part now @LostInMoab, thank you. That's useful to know as so many nearby streets bridge 2 authorities.

Fiddlersgreen · 27/12/2020 14:51

Tier 4 is now massive.
This is about more than travelling into a different tier.
I could drive 150 miles from where I live and still be in tier 4 but it’s not the right thing to do is it?!

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