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.

The main issue here is that in smaller locations with less infrastructure (hospitals and policing) a few idiots can have huge impact on daily life.

We have one community support officer and ambulances come from 35 miles away, which is also to closest A&E.

Most people in the village know each other and respect each other’s boundaries- like not picking flowers out of the garden, peering through the windows, pissing in the hedges, stealing signs (has happened), doing long photo shoots on someone’s front step, harassing pets, feeding livestock (and making them sick). I could go on and on about the stupid, selfish behaviour we have witnessed all Summer long.

This is a small place with less than thousand permanent residents. The thousands of tourists who have turned up since March have had a lasting impact of attitudes towards visitors. The shop keepers have just about made money but it has cost the village in cleaning up mountains of rubbish, livestock deaths, stolen property, removing guan waste from verges and made people a lot less welcoming.

It’s sad that people can go into another community and treat it like a toilet.

@AiryFairyMum

Yes it’s pathetic. People can walk near where they live.

We are, by and large with notable exceptions, a nation of belligerent arseholes.

I won't argue with that.

City folk can’t do right for doing wrong, it seems. Just yesterday there was a tweet from the Met Police with a picture of a busy park in Tower Hamlets with a comment that the coppers were “monitoring the situation” and would be sending people home if it got too busy. Tower Hamlets! Where many, many people live in flats that don’t even have balconies, let alone houses in country villages with gardens and access to fields and forests on foot. What are these people supposed to do? They stayed in their own area and were told it’s “too many people” and if people drive to the great outdoors the locals get upset.

They are taking a walk outside in the fresh air, not cooking meth or making bombs. What’s the harm? It’s not the worst thing in the world. Country folk who are scared can stay indoors over the weekend (like the city folk are doing all week) and enjoy the countryside when everyone else is back in the city.

@ThePlantsitter

Obviously they shouldn't have parked like that. But we are going to go collectively mad if we have to stick to the same hemmed-in streets with the same houses and exhaust fumes and dog shit on the streets. Where I live it's actually impossible to socially distance in the park because it's so busy.

So if you live within walking distance of a beauty spot you should think yourself lucky all us living in built up areas agree to pay tax to stop it being built on and share a bit.

This. Lockdown 1 I would have fully agreed with you, but it's now 9 months on, and I , like.many others, may actually lose my mind if I have to walk around our tiny, crowded local park or narrow and crowded local pavements again for the millionth time in 9 months. I can't see why it is so much less safe to drive for 20-30 mins once a week to a place that is beautiful, and far more spaced out.

We are all hanging on here and trying to get through. Feel lucky to live somewhere so beautiful and save your rage for the fools who landed us here.

@CoronaIsWatching

I'm going to guess that you don't live in an inner city flat

I lived in an inner city flat share in the first lockdown and I didn't travel anywhere for exercise between March and June..I walked around the streets. If it's more than possible if you have any sort of resilience and self discipline

Exactly this. Many seem to be lacking any self-discipline - particularly those parking on pavements by double yellow lines and relieving themselves in farmers' fields.

I live in a very built up area and don't drive. If I had a car I would definitely drive to a beauty spot. It's dark and depressing and my eyes are desperate for greenery.

@BlueGreenDreams

This all just shows how bloody minded people from the UK are, particularly the English.

Go back twelve months, before all this arrived proper, we were told outdoor exercise was good and healthy. Most folks response for various preferring indoor pursuits at home reasons, "nah, fuck that".

Tell those same people to stay in the house and do the stuff they used to prefer to exercise and all fucking hell has broken loose. Now they want to be outside because of their new found love of green spaces/water/sand/snow speckled rocks which has been ignited by telling them they cannot go there.

We are, by and large with notable exceptions, a nation of belligerent arseholes.

Well perhaps. But maybe these people were shopping, eating out, at the gym, visiting friends, visiting farm or entertainment parks, at soft play, swimming, on holiday, or many of the other things they are now not allowed to do. Maybe these people were more complacent about their health, but now want to lose weight to improve their chances if they do catch covid, or are keen to up their vitamin D levels to improve their chances. Or maybe they're just being bloody minded. But not necessarily.

Yawn. Another thread about things other people think others shouldn't be doing!

@ThePlantsitter

Obviously they shouldn't have parked like that. But we are going to go collectively mad if we have to stick to the same hemmed-in streets with the same houses and exhaust fumes and dog shit on the streets. Where I live it's actually impossible to socially distance in the park because it's so busy.

So if you live within walking distance of a beauty spot you should think yourself lucky all us living in built up areas agree to pay tax to stop it being built on and share a bit.

Which tax are you paying to stop the country being built on? And do people living outside the city not pay this tax?

We have been out walking more in this lockdown than we did in the first lockdown.
In the first lockdown we were happy to sit in the garden, play in the garden, eat lunch in the garden.
This time it's cold, dark and often wet so if we go in the garden we are back in the house 10 minutes later.
We have to go out out to get our fresh air and exercise.

@Lastbonestanding

Bore off! The police will sort out dangerous parking. Just worry about what you are up to e.g. setting up threads like this. People need to get outside. The virus does not spread outside.

So how do you explain the fear of the deer in the Ashdown Forest , who are fleeing to the edge of the forest and into peoples gardens because of vast numbers of 'daily walkers?' As long as you do you, eh?

I'm finding it strange the residents near Dovestones are using a retired local hack as their mouthpiece then this post pops up. Very strange

@Beaniecats

I'm finding it strange the residents near Dovestones are using a retired local hack as their mouthpiece then this post pops up. Very strange

You're welcome to check my posting history if you like. I have no idea what you're talking about.

@beaniecats Which retired local hack? What are you talking about?

[quote Honeyroar]@beaniecats Which retired local hack? What are you talking about?[/quote]
Most people in Oldham and saddleworth know exactly who

Parking like idiots aside, I don't see what the problem is. Look at beaches and blm marches in summer. They said oohh second wave it did not happen due to these outdoor gatherings.

I lived in an inner city flat share in the first lockdown and I didn't travel anywhere for exercise between March and June..I walked around the streets. If it's more than possible if you have any sort of resilience and self discipline

Yeah because young children - having had school and all their friends taken away from them - are renowned for loving walking around the streets for an hour or two. And if they don't, well, they just need to work on their self discipline.

Have a fucking biscuit.

@AiryFairyMum @CoronaIsWatching and between march and June many of us did just walk the local streets. But at that point, it was only a few months in, the summer days were long and most people weren't working.

It's now 9 months since the first lockdown, we've walked the streets to death, our tiny gardens (if we have them) are cold and churn to mud if kids try to play there, so garden play doesn't get them much fresh air, and the streets are more crowded and not safe after dark. Local parks are even more cro

I've followed the rules and am locked up with no other adults and 3 young children. Driving to a national trust place for a run around once a week or once a fortnight is allowed under the rules and keeps us sane. Maybe instead of focussing on your great self discipline you could work on some empathy?

I'm excited to find out what issue we'll have to try and police each other about once COVID is gone

@Beaniecats do you mean that silly Ken bloke?? It’s been all over the national tv, to be fair.

I lived in an inner city flat share in the first lockdown and I didn't travel anywhere for exercise between March and June..I walked around the streets. If it's more than possible if you have any sort of resilience and self discipline
....... and no children who are lively and active and NEED to get out and run about

Well even someone who lives locally to Dovestones (in Greenfield say) would still probably drive because it's about 3 miles up an enormous hill on a busy road with no pavement. So who's to say how far these people had come?

For what it's worth, I don't think people are being stupid driving to beauty spots. It's unfortunate that these places are crowded but they always are.

I have been walking in the local woods and they are packed with huge gangs of students, often up to ten of them in a big group and often smoking weed. I'd rather take my chances at Dovestones, thanks.

There are loads of footpaths to Dovestones from other local places that don’t involve the main road.

@garlictwist

Well even someone who lives locally to Dovestones (in Greenfield say) would still probably drive because it's about 3 miles up an enormous hill on a busy road with no pavement. So who's to say how far these people had come?

For what it's worth, I don't think people are being stupid driving to beauty spots. It's unfortunate that these places are crowded but they always are.

I have been walking in the local woods and they are packed with huge gangs of students, often up to ten of them in a big group and often smoking weed. I'd rather take my chances at Dovestones, thanks.

We are over the valley, oldham residents and about 3.5 mile away, told not welcome Townie, (we are semi rural lol) apparently.