To think it's ridiculous that people are still flocking to 'beauty spots'

[AiryFairyMum]

Last weekend parking tickets were issued because of all the selfish parking at Dovestones reservoir near Manchester. Lots of pavement parking etc.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/drivers-slapped-fines-people-flock-19596560

This weekend the same thing happened again. AIBU to think people should just walk near where they live, and not drive to walk, then park badly because the car parks are full with others doing the same. Yes, I understand the need for exercise, but no-one NEEDS to go on days out.

I walk the dog every day through an area that’s no ‘beauty spot’ but is council maintained with woodland, lawns and paths. On Sunday I had to go off piste and tromp through fields instead because the paths were busier than a high street right before Christmas. There can’t be any social distancing when there are too many people in too small an area. The weekend cyclists have been staying away for the past few weeks because you can’t physically get a bike through the mass of people.

Even on weekdays it is much busier than normal (understandably) but there is space to social distance. People aren’t even bothering to try.

People have been talking about what they’ll do when things get back to normal and all I can dream of is being able to walk the dog in relative peace again.

I am not sure shopping for food and driving to a nice spot for a walk are the same thing at all!

What about parking up and if there is no parking you go home because wardens are out and WILL fine you if you are parking on double yellows!

Word gets around very quickly and lots of signs warning you will do it.

I used to go to Brighton with the kids back in the day. We went early and arrived about 8.30. Could always park easily. The number of people who used to turn up at the weekend or on a Bank Holiday at say noon bemused me. If we were returning to the car to get say our packed lunch people would literally be circuling around looking for a space with a car load of people looking fed up and miserable and asking whether 'we were leaving'!

Just get up earlier. Its MUCH easier.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Nobody is following the rules at all. I don't have a shop in my village so I have to drive to the supermarket in the nearest town as I can't get an online slot. It's on the way to the hospital I work at anyway so I go in the morning before work. I only go once a month and buy long life milk. I'd have to walk three miles to get to an interesting wood or beauty spot so I just walk round the village a couple of times.

"Nobody is following the rules at all" Do you think you may be exaggerating a tad there? Do you mean "a minority of people are breaking some of the guidance in a limited and specific way"? Because driving for a walk is not against any rule, only guidelines.

No I don't think it's ridiculous. All there is to do at the moment is go for a walk, so naturally people want to go somewhere nice and have a bit of variety. The risks of catching covid outdoors are minimal and I've never understood the reasoning behind limiting people to a certain geographical distance.

I have to post seeing mention of Dovestones as local and know the real story. There is a hardcore group who live nearby who do not want visitors to Dovestones they are using a local retired journalist as a mouthpiece to report things that aren't true. I was at Dovestones yesterday the situation wasn't as described at all I think they got their ally to feed in a distorted view. They are interpreting lockdown law to suit themselves and taking photos of people they perceive as committing transgressions and posting on Facebook. They are telling people from Oldham they cant come to Dovestones as saddleworth isnt Oldham, this is not true and local police have confirmed this. Saddleworth is Oldham. If you post anything on Facebook they send you abusive messages. They are vile people

@Bathroom12345

I am not sure shopping for food and driving to a nice spot for a walk are the same thing at all!

What about parking up and if there is no parking you go home because wardens are out and WILL fine you if you are parking on double yellows!

Word gets around very quickly and lots of signs warning you will do it.

I used to go to Brighton with the kids back in the day. We went early and arrived about 8.30. Could always park easily. The number of people who used to turn up at the weekend or on a Bank Holiday at say noon bemused me. If we were returning to the car to get say our packed lunch people would literally be circuling around looking for a space with a car load of people looking fed up and miserable and asking whether 'we were leaving'!

Just get up earlier. Its MUCH easier.

Sshhhh!

I agree with you about getting up earlier, but don't let everyone in on the secret. I too will only go to the beach, supermarket, Ikea Christmas shopping, or anything else that's quiet first thing, but hell on earth a couple of hours later, but we need most people to keep up with the madness of arriving at noon on a sunny weekend to leave it bearable for those of us that go early.

Also not sure those pictures were even taken yesterday

We are staying local as we have four local country parks on our doorstep (literally) and lots of open space as we are quite rural.

However, I would absolutely NOT begrudge other people from travelling to go walking out in the open countryside. I know how much of a toll lockdown is taking on people, particularly children. If travelling to a large open space helps them to cope with this way of living, I wouldn't hesitate to encourage them to do it.

Before lockdown, we went hiking every single weekend and we miss it but we know we'll be going again soon so we are making do with the local areas we have.

I do not understand these threads.

The risk from outdoor transmission is TINY. It's been proven time and time again. Remember the packed beaches last year? Cases did not increase. Have we really not learned that in almost a year?

@Beaniecats

I have to post seeing mention of Dovestones as local and know the real story. There is a hardcore group who live nearby who do not want visitors to Dovestones they are using a local retired journalist as a mouthpiece to report things that aren't true. I was at Dovestones yesterday the situation wasn't as described at all I think they got their ally to feed in a distorted view. They are interpreting lockdown law to suit themselves and taking photos of people they perceive as committing transgressions and posting on Facebook. They are telling people from Oldham they cant come to Dovestones as saddleworth isnt Oldham, this is not true and local police have confirmed this. Saddleworth is Oldham. If you post anything on Facebook they send you abusive messages. They are vile people

So is the photograph of multiple people parking dangerously and illegally fake then?

Visitors to places such as Dovestones are mostly limited by the amount of parking available and distance people are willing/able to walk, as getting there by other methods will be limited. So in this case, I don't see it as an issue of 'local reservoir for local people only' more that people choosing to park illegally rather than going somewhere else instead.

It stands to common sense that if you don't get there early, there's a good chance you won't get a parking spot, although you might get one if you wait a little while. Perhaps there should be space for a short parking queue, a few cars that can wait for a space, that is likely to be available in 10/20 minutes. If the parking queue is full, you might as well go home, or go elsewhere, as the wait will be too long. Parking on double yellow lines on a narrow twisty roads is never acceptable.

@Waxonwaxoff0

I do not understand these threads.

The risk from outdoor transmission is TINY. It's been proven time and time again. Remember the packed beaches last year? Cases did not increase. Have we really not learned that in almost a year?

It's not about transmission in the outdoors

It's about car accidents, breakdowns and petrol stations
It's about respect For other people and not parking dangerously

Its vile what is happening they don't want people there simple as. I'm not saying the pictures are fake but they were not taken yesterday there were car park spaces. Worrying is some of this unpleasant group have appointed themselves wardens at Dovestones

@Beaniecats

Also not sure those pictures were even taken yesterday

The combination of the large amount of overflow parking and snow would suggest that they are very recent.

This year is a first for this amount of people visiting the countryside because there is very little else to do outside the home.

midgebabe yeah, the parking bit is understandable.

But these threads are so boring now. They've been going on since last March, repeating the same things over and over. Moaning about it continuously isn't going to achieve anything.

I'm planning on doing exactly this later in the week.

I will, however, park the car appropriately. That's conflating two issues here as far as I'm concerned.

I live near a supposed beauty spot and it's routinely flooded with visitors every weekend. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

There are issues re Dovestones but the nastiness from residents is awful who deny they live in Oldham and say they are Yorkshire it is almost funny but not quite.

Maybe if you live in a nice area with lots of lovely parks etc in walking distance, sticking to them would be fine. I don't and I am sick to the back teeth of our local (tiny, boring and rammed) parks. I haven't driven anywhere since lockdown restarted, but I will have to soon or me and the kids will lose our minds.

YABU to talk of “flocking”, and to post this government-encouraged blaming the public outside the Coronavirus topic.

It's ok, we know the country folk hate us townies and also then like to tar us all with the same brush. We're ok with that and will continue to welcome you to our towns.

I have had abusive private messages from these people

I think that whole article is from January 10, but there was a follow up yesterday. It wasn't residents complaining, it was the police and the owners, United Utilities. The situation is dangerous, in terms of lack of social distancing and also the risks of RTAs with people having to walk on narrow roads due to pavement parking. I'm sure they all set off thinking it would be quiet, but when they got there and there was no safe parking, why didn't they return home? www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dovestones-reservoir-rammed-againdrivers-being-19642782

I think 10 miles generally is fine
So do I.

People shouldn't park like idiots, so you're not being unreasonable about that. However, being cooped up in a tiny flat in a bad part of town is the reality for a lot of people. For the sake of their mental health, I see no issue with driving to the countryside to get exercise.

[quote AiryFairyMum]I think that whole article is from January 10, but there was a follow up yesterday. It wasn't residents complaining, it was the police and the owners, United Utilities. The situation is dangerous, in terms of lack of social distancing and also the risks of RTAs with people having to walk on narrow roads due to pavement parking. I'm sure they all set off thinking it would be quiet, but when they got there and there was no safe parking, why didn't they return home? www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dovestones-reservoir-rammed-againdrivers-being-19642782[/quote]
I was there, it's a huge area there was social distancing
I am 3.5 mile from Dovestones and been told not welcome
The MEN report was factually incorrect

@Beaniecats

There are issues re Dovestones but the nastiness from residents is awful who deny they live in Oldham and say they are Yorkshire it is almost funny but not quite.

Well of course they're going to want to say they live in Yorkshire if there's any tenuous chance that they might be anywhere near or historically that place might have been there.

It's like when people say they're on the borders when in reality they're in the much less desirable place three streets over from the posh London place.