Outside walks and people

[CharlotteRose90]

No hate please but I’m hoping I’m not the only one.

So me and my mum have been going for walks with the dog and it’s making me so angry what people are doing. Walking so close to us and not keeping distance. We’re both in the vulnerable category and I’ve said so many times to people to move away.

I completely get you don’t have to wear a mask but don’t walk next to or behind people you don’t know. The park we choose today had a massive path and people still did it. I ended up shouting at this woman for standing next to my mum and coughing.

Rant over. I’m hoping I’m not crazy

saraclara

The NYT article you linked to is several months old and prior to the newer more virulent strains

a more recent piece on outdoor transmission

www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/face-coverings-should-worn-outdoors-19533786

Guidance is 2m
It's not difficult.
YANBU, OP.
Too many self entitled dickheads who think you are the problem going outside and getting in their way. I'm not asking people to jump into hedges - just walk bloody single file past each other rather than 3 abreast towards me and expecting me to jump in a hedge.

I normally stand aside from the path to let people pass

So the basic outcome of this is only the fit and able and under 50s allowed out or to exercise - what a bunch of wankers

Frankly we all just need to be considerate young or old and take into account others frailties that may or may not make them more vulnerable, mental health is just as important and a daily walk or outdoor swim is hardly taking the piss unlike those travelling miles to walk in wales or the lake district or hogging footpaths with cycles or running groups or electric scooters or just kids scooters and bikes

Just have consideration for each other and be inclusive ffs

The dog walkers take up four times as much room as anyone else. They always move out of the way for me. You must be the problem.

I agree op, in march people made a real effort to avoid each other in the street, now not at all!

We've tried to keep to less populated places but it's hard because of less day Light hours eg in summer we would get excersise after 7.

It was pretty dead.

We have to walk through some busier areas to access quieter ones (I'm not going back) and no one is making any effort to avoid each other!
Huge families hogging pavements, standing chatting across gates... Gathering outside take away places, no awareness that we are in the tigers mouth.
My own family breaks into single file, heads down... Walking by as quickly as possible!

This is fundamentally flawed reasoning.

You may wish to make the it sole objective of your life to cheat your own death if you genuinely wish to pursue such a futile endeavour.

Your post is a fundemental misunderstanding of my comment

I am less concerned about cheating death (I am much more aware of my mortality than most people for reasons I will not go into here) and more concerned about maintaining a functioning society where people look out for one another.

Your expectation that the whole of the rest of the country (millions and millions of people) should also make the sole objective of their lives the avoidance of your death is, however, wholly unreasonable.

I have no expectation at all that millions of people will "make the sole objective of their lives the avoidance of my death", I would just prerfer to live in a society where people treat others with consideration, within reasonable limits.

Giving each other plenty of space, where possible, seems like a good and reasonable thing to do in a pandemic. Obviously.

You're welcome

I am vulnerable and we walk single file if we see people ahead we also make sure I move off the path as I don’t own it. But agree most people don’t walk single file and don’t move off the path which is why I do. More surprisingly its so obvious I have moved off a path as I am struggling to walk in the mood or walking on a road etc. But only about 5% of people ever say thank you.

I'm with the OP. It's really not hard to understand that EVERYONE should be keeping a distance of 2 metres from everyone else. I struggle to understand why so many people seem completely unable to do something so basic and simple. It's incredibly selfish.

I stay in as much as possible to avoid contact with anyone because SD seems out of the capability of the majority for some unknown reason. But it's very unfair to restrict the vulnerable more than they are already restricted because people can't follow a basic rule that would allow PUBLIC spaces to be available to the majority.

[quote hoodathunkit]saraclara

The NYT article you linked to is several months old and prior to the newer more virulent strains

a more recent piece on outdoor transmission

www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/face-coverings-should-worn-outdoors-19533786[/quote]
We are calling for social distancing to be two metres at all times and for masks to be worn in any situation where you are meeting people who are not in your household or bubble - indoors or outdoors.

So "meeting people". Like the two men in China who met outdoors and chatted for more than 15 minutes.
If you go for a walk and pass someone on a path, you are not 'meeting' them.

By all means where a mask if you want to. And avoid people if you're more comfortable that way.
But when people are going for a walk and trying to feel 'normal' they sometimes forget themselves and walk too close for a second or two. It's not ideal, but it's extremely unlikely that it will cause you to get Covid.

@hoodathunkit

This is fundamentally flawed reasoning.

You may wish to make the it sole objective of your life to cheat your own death if you genuinely wish to pursue such a futile endeavour.

Your post is a fundemental misunderstanding of my comment

I am less concerned about cheating death (I am much more aware of my mortality than most people for reasons I will not go into here) and more concerned about maintaining a functioning society where people look out for one another.

Your expectation that the whole of the rest of the country (millions and millions of people) should also make the sole objective of their lives the avoidance of your death is, however, wholly unreasonable.

I have no expectation at all that millions of people will "make the sole objective of their lives the avoidance of my death", I would just prerfer to live in a society where people treat others with consideration, within reasonable limits.

Giving each other plenty of space, where possible, seems like a good and reasonable thing to do in a pandemic. Obviously.

You're welcome

The trouble is, keeping you ‘safe’ means others, with nothing at all to fear from the virus, losing literally everything - livelihoods, relationships, homes, the entirety of their children’s futures, everything.

That’s just not reasonable, when you have the choice to just stay at home.

It's not ideal, but it's extremely unlikely that it will cause you to get Covid.

To be fair you might be right. Or you might not.

With the new variant the jury is still out and I don't have time to do a thorough search of the literature.

Surely, given that none of us wants to get sick or die or ot cause others to get sick or die the sensible option is to hope for the best, but take all reasonable precautions to protect others, even if it causes us some minor inconvenience?

I wear a mask if there are going to be people around, even outdoors. I don't wear one to exercise in the park. The virus always was more contageous in cold weather and with the new variant why not just do the best we can to take care of ourselves and others?

Besides which I have bought some big, cotton, reusable masks and they are comfy and warm right now. I wouldn't want to wear one outside in the summer but right now they are great.

Re masks I am building up to wearing them more outside in view of the new strain but they steam up my glasses (so I guess a lot of breath escaping!). I would rather wear glasses than contacts at the moment. I need to pinch the nose bridge more.

YANBU
In case people haven't noticed, the pandemic isn't over. We are supposed to maintain a 2m distance from others as much as possible, even if the risk outdoors is low. How hard is it for people to keep to one side of a path?

We were out at a park today. It was busy, as we expected. We moved into single file when people were coming the other way. There was very little in the way of reciprocation, the majority of them swanning past three and four abreast as if we were clearing a path just for their benefit. Total dickheads. Why not think of others for just one small window of time? In a few months people can go back to rudely barging past others and standing within a hair's breadth of total strangers. They'll still be dickheads, but at least the rest of us won't have to worry about catching Covid.

You move out of their way then!! Simple isn't it !

OP, as a PP said it’s up to you to research suitable walks but if you’re in the Manchester area, you might be within reach of the Peak District? Huge and absolutely beautiful. Some busy hotspots but definitely easy to find quiet areas. Couple of Ordnance Survey maps and some time on Google.

that glasgowlive article is about one surgeon's opinion. I can't even understand why they put "expert" into plural.

It's not an evidence review.

He's not an infectious disease expert

He's speculating that mask-wearing outdoors might be highly protective (like this thread is)

You sound paranoid. If someone needs to go past you and you’re walking with another person, then it’s common courtesy to move into single file. If a slow walking couple won’t move into single file, then I will walk close to you. I’m not walking into the busy road or muddy grass at either side of the pavement.

@MiriamMargo

You move out of their way then!! Simple isn't it !

No, it's like a slalom if people aren't doing the decent thing and respecting the need for social distancing. Have you not read the thread?

You are overreacting.

But if you worry so much, most people I know like you choose to walk either very early mornings (6am) or evenings. That tends to eliminate families at least. And again, choose less picturesque walking routes where you won't encounter as many people.

Most footpaths are not wide enough to fully social distance and yabu expecting people to for a fleeting outdoor pass carrying very little risk.

On a dog walk in the park three days ago, there was a large group of folk all walking and chatting together. I counted..11 people!!! And we're in Tier 4!!!
I despair.

I agree OP. I have to jog on the road most of the time because even if I’m coming towards people, they would make no attempt whatsoever to move a few steps over to the side or walk single file. ‘Stupid cunt/s’ has became my mantra .

What really pisses me off though are people who won’t pull their dogs in so the lead is across the path so I have to slow down and the dog will try to jump up or sniff me. I mean ffs I don’t want your dogs filthy wet nose on my leggings . I do love running up behind people (especially people with dogs) and shouting excuse me so they jump out of their skin though.

Unfortunately people are cunts, period.

“do love running up behind people (especially people with dogs) and shouting excuse me so they jump out of their skin thoughgrin.

Unfortunately people are cunts, period.”

Hmm yes people ARE cunts aren’t they🤔

The trouble is, keeping you ‘safe’ means others, with nothing at all to fear from the virus, losing literally everything - livelihoods, relationships, homes, the entirety of their children’s futures, everything.

OK, now we are getting to the crux of things

The virus has caused a lot of misery, pain and financial hardship to many people. As your post suggests it has also highlighted divisions in society.

There is definitely a sense of simmering grievances and resentments.

I can understand this and I think that the government could have handled many things better - but of course hindsight is a wonderful thing.

As for me personally, my health and wellbeing suffered terribly over the first lockdown. Prior to it I was fairly healthy, am very keen at sports and had gotten a bit out of shape while trying to help a vulnerable person. My return to the gym was thwarted by lockdown. I couldn't access outdoor swimming as to use the bus would have put my elderly neighbours at risk.

I was less then thrilled when the lockdown eased and I got on the bus for the first time in weeks to discover that the same elderly neighbours I had been protecting and suffering for had been using the bus every day, not for exercise or health but to just enjoy travelling on the bus.

I have lost a lot of condition and am in pain and I no longer look like She Ra however I am not a frail old lady. I am a big, powerful, older woman a heart condition and asthma.

That’s just not reasonable, when you have the choice to just stay at home.

I don't have a choice just to stay at home. If I stay at home and don't exercise I get very, very ill and suffer extreme pain. Which I would prefer not to endure if I can help it. I am also at increased risk of the virus if I cannot exercise.

I live in a housing association flat with many very elderly neighbours almost all of whom are completely ignoring the lockdown rules. Some have dementia, some mental health probelsm some learning difficulties and some are just furious and have a "I don't give a sod!" attitude.

Because of the behaviour of my neighbours it is fairly inevitable I will contract the virus this winter. I have to use a dirty communal laundry with 3 washing machines between 70 or so tenants.

This is not about "keeping me safe". I am not at all safe I am at extreme risk. I just want to be able to exercise and walk outside in the expectation that people will be as mindful of my welfare as I am of theirs.

I am not asking you to do anything other than be mindful of giving other people space. We all fall down sometimes if tired, stressed, exhausted and I would hope that we all do our best to cut each other some slack, you if I asked for a bit of space and you if you accidentally bumped into me while stressed.

Giving people a bit of space by walking in single file on a narrow path or stepping to the side does not mean that you lose everything does it? It is a small thing to ask.

The new variant appears to affect younger people more adversely than older strains so it may not be the case that younger people are not at risk.

Things are difficult for so many people and we all really have to try to look after ourselves and others and I am thinking of younger people as well as older people.

Because of the high risk behaviour of my neighbours with whom I am forced to share communal areas, I need to socially distance, not just for my benefit but for the benefit of others.

The world has officially gone crazy, and this thread is proof!

Vanishingly small chance of getting it outdoors on a walk in the park, even the WHO says that. Even a light google will bring up creditable evidence.