To wonder what all the walkers would usually be doing

[CloseSchoolsProtecttheNHS]

I live in a small village near a lovely green open space for walks. I walk every single day and have done since I moved here many years ago. It's always been very quiet - many, many times I've been the only person out and have walked for an hour+ and not seen a soul.

Since Covid - and particularly since the summer - it's been mobbed! I'm dodging people constantly when out walking and although the size of the space means I can keep 2 metres away, I now often have groups of people behind, in front and to the sides of me which makes me a bit uncomfortable. Most are considerate but some are arseholes that want to brush past you so you have to be aware and it's a lot less relaxing. I'm pretty sure that they are local people as it's not a 'day out' place or anywhere people would know about let alone go to, and it's nice that more local people are out walking but... why have they all just discovered walking? It's not like it was a closely guarded secret before and we are quite rural. What would they normally be doing (for example today on a Saturday afternoon) that they now can't do that leaves walking as their only option??

(Yes I do kind of wish they'd bugger off and yes IABU for that as I don't own this piece of land! But mostly I'm just really perplexed as to why so many people are now out walking!)

My kids are really bored of going for a walk... but what else is there to do that gets us out of the house?! 🤦‍♀️

I'm sick of this shit. You don't own the outdoors. Other people can bloody walk there too.

I’m sure a lot of these people haven’t just magically discovered walking.

We normally walk a lot with our young DC. Probably once or twice a month we’d spend a weekend day on a proper day out to an NT place or something and walk a good few miles. On holidays we walk a lot.

Other weekend days we’d be visiting friends, swimming, parties, or just good old mooching round the house as the DC get plenty of exercise walking too and from school and in the playground.

None of that is happening at the moment but we all need some fresh air and exercise so trudging round the local park with hundreds of others is literally all there is to do.

I can’t wait to do proper walks again where we go and explore somewhere new, with a map and a picnic and the DC get excited about it. Not shuffling and dodging round everyone else in the same local park yet again.

I bet OP you’re from a village next to mine where the locals have taken it upon themselves to ‘close’ the place by making homemade signs saying “xxxx is closed, go home”.

I hate that some people think they own the green spaces.

Many others have answered your question about why so many people are out walking but I’ll just reiterate - there is NOTHING else to do!

How selfish are people when the begrudge others walking on ‘their’ routes.....

There are people who genuinely think we should all lock ourselves away inside our houses for months. I suspect OP is one of them.

Well fat chance I'm keeping my 4 year old indoors.

And honestly, many of the people I see out doing their 'exercise' when I'm out for my daily run (something I've done for the last 10 years or so), well - I think a lot of these people definitely need to walking a lot more. Clearly, for a some people exercise has been a closely guarded secret no-one told them about ...

Well aren't you a delight...why don't you mind your own fucking business

When covid is over and places start opening up I will gladly never ever go for another walk EVER. Well at least for a couple of years. My kids actually cry sometimes when I say we're going for a walk 😂 I'm so bored of cleaning muddy boots and wellies

You haven't suffered in this pandemic unless you live in a flat imo

Pre-pandemic I'd have a 30 minute brisk walk to work every day. I loved it too, headphones on, day dreaming and getting ready for the day. Same on the way home, winding down from work and ready to enjoy my evening. Kids would be at school / nursery, active and stimulated all day. Now we're all stuck in the house all the fucking time. I can assure you as soon as I can stop walking them like dogs at the weekend I will.

Wow Op - fucking hell

I’d normally go on big walks in more interesting places further from home - can’t travel to those places anymore! Also I’d usually be at various gym classes a few times a week! Usually I cycle to & from work daily and get exercise that way!

There’s not a single thing to do now in lockdown except fo for a walk locally

Ffs

This has to be a joke?
I do think there are more people out walking than during the first lockdown. I suspect because with the good weather many could sit in the garden or dc would play in garden. But not now, so another walk it is. I also think many will continue walking after all of this.

Honestly, do you really have to ask.

People are walking because there is fuck all else to do.

HTH.

I could have written this post, as we are in an identical situation. Do you live hear me OP?

However, I’m looking at it from a different perspective. Yes, the folks who are now walking in “my” countryside area are people who normally would be working or doing other things. But, through meeting them out walking, often with dogs but not always, I have discovered that my neighbours are a friendly, interesting and generous group of folks. I’ve make lots of new friends - people I’ve lived within 200 yards of for 20 years but not met until this last year, got to know them as people and feel happy to have as neighbours. Many are people who are WFH or been furloughed, so are around when they would otherwise have been commuting to work somewhere.

So, why not try chatting to them next time you go out OP. You never know who you might meet, what you can do to get involved in your community and what friendships you might develop. Something extremely positive that has come about as a result of the pandemic.

So um, what else do you suggest people do just now?

Normal saturday for us would be football and dance in the morning for the kids and then nearly always seeing family or friends at their house or ours for a meal and drinks. Also the week would have been more busy usually, out at work and school, after school clubs, gym, playdates. We might have just crashed on a weekend and watched a film or gone to the cinema. Or a walk... sometimes! But much much less a walk pre lock down. Now we walk both days of the weekend. Nothing else to do after being stuck in working and homeschooling all week. Don't worry OP I'm sure you'll have the space back once there is ANYTHING else to do!

OP hasn't returned

I'd be walking.
Because I'm usually prelockdown a walker anyway

I just can't go and do the mountains or remote locations anymore so I tend to do 5 or 6 miles locally.

But as there us nothing to do these days, kids have no football, can't see their friends so now walking is our only exercise.
In fact me and dp are off on a 7 miler this morning, my kids are at their dads

Also it's always these people who live in small villages near green spaces who like to whine about people 'driving to exercise' and 'bringing covid to our village' with absolutely no idea what it's like to live in the middle of a city with no green space, no gardens, at home with kids in a small house. It is perfectly legal for those people to drive to 'your' countryside and all power to them imo.

Working?

How dare they usurp your sole rights over walking in your naice village

@partyatthepalace

Um well they are working from home during the week, and during the weekends they are at home rather than going shopping, going to friends, playing sport etc

Did you really not know the answer Op?

This! Honestly it’s not rocket science as to why more people are out walking.

We go for a walk on Saturday afternoons if it’s nice weather, before we would have been out further afield, NT, RHS, shopping, seeing friends and family, pub, cinema, bowling.....we can for a walk right now, that’s it, so we do.

i dont think the poster was being rude they were just interested.

I do wish people would show some consideration to other walkers though. So many people are walking in groups across the paths and spreading out showing no consideration to people coming the other way. I'm getting really fed up having to step into the scrub/bushes to get past them. what is wrong with some people that they cant move over/walk one in front of the other?

Others have said most of the things people would be doing. In my case helping my mum some weekends, watching football on Saturday afternoons, theatre, and holidays.

OP should be positive about those taking exercise, and being considerate about social distancing.

Ah the Walking Cunts. Poor loves. I see them wandering around our locality like they’ve had a bump to the head. So many of them look completely lost and confused. No idea what they would be doing otherwise, I assume retail therapy or eating a carvery.

In the gym?
Shopping?
Seeing friends for lunch?
At the pub?
At the football, sporting events?
Walking but somewhere further away where you don’t normally see them. Now they’re too scared of being fined to drive there.

I remember quite a few people back in the spring likewise took it upon themselves to police the outdoors and the amount of exercise people were taking. People who 'always go for a 15 mile run 5 times a week' or 'keen cyclists' looking down their noses on mere mortals for daring to get in their virtuous, self righteous way.

In the spring we were able to cycle to a nearby country park with the children. Dd is now 4 and too big/ heavy for a bike seat, but she can't cycle 4 miles herself so we're forced to walk locally instead.

Seriously op, a whole plethora of reasons why people are now outside in your space when the weather allows. We don't even have the option of gardens at this time of year, unlike before. And even back in spring, not everyone is blessed with a garden or nice, local outdoor space!