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AIBU?

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Original poster

Are we know in a totalitarian regime or something?

347 replies

Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 21:37

10 years in prison for a lie. Of course a lie a out this is reprehensible, but..... Wtf.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/covid-travel-rules-red-list-prison-b1799698.html

OP posts:
Original poster
Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 21:37

*a lie about

OP posts:
Jackieweaver2024 · 09/02/2021 21:39

I agree 10 years is harsh but it’s so sad to think that anyone would lie about this when it’s clearly to protect public health

sadpapercourtesan · 09/02/2021 21:40

No. We're not in a totalitarian regime. We're in a global pandemic.

Honestly, I understand why people are freaked out by the strength of the measures needed to control this virus - for most of us, a pandemic is pretty much the ONLY circumstance in which we'd countenance our civil liberties being limited in this way, and none of us thought we'd actually see one.

But it's happening, and we all need to do our part. Whining about totalitarianism and conspiracy theories aren't helping.

Scbchl · 09/02/2021 21:41

Considering paedophiles get lesser sentences I think its bloody shocking.

DareIask · 09/02/2021 21:41

@sadpapercourtesan

No. We're not in a totalitarian regime. We're in a global pandemic.

Honestly, I understand why people are freaked out by the strength of the measures needed to control this virus - for most of us, a pandemic is pretty much the ONLY circumstance in which we'd countenance our civil liberties being limited in this way, and none of us thought we'd actually see one.

But it's happening, and we all need to do our part. Whining about totalitarianism and conspiracy theories aren't helping.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Original poster
Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 21:42

@Scbchl exactly. Plus rapists get less as well as manslaughter. Wtf is going on. I'm shocked.

OP posts:
littlepattilou · 09/02/2021 21:44

This shocked me too.

Especially as the ones laying out these rules and laws constantly flout the rules themselves. Hmm

I am actually getting scared to even go to my local market town - 4 miles away, (even though my closest shop is there!) I am scared the police will stop me, find out I live 4 miles away, and say I should have done my food shopping online! (And then dish out a £1000 fine to me.)

I am getting paranoid now.

I am entitled to go to the bastard shops though, at least once a week. Especially if I need to go to the pharmacy, the post office, the bank etc etc, and other shops that sell stuff the main supermarket doesn't sell...

@scbchl

Considering paedophiles get lesser sentences I think its bloody shocking.

Agree. A 10 year prison sentence is crazy!

TinaYouFatLard · 09/02/2021 21:44

It’s fucking chilling.

Original poster
Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 21:51

@Jackieweaver2024 but what if someone made a genuine mistake on their form. What if someone misinterpreted the rules. The possibility of injustice is extensive.

OP posts:
Katie1784 · 09/02/2021 21:53

I'm not a lockdown sceptic by any means - I've been quite happy to comply with measures to date - but I am starting to feel a little uneasy about some of these huge fines and punishments.
I have read several accounts of 19 year olds being fined £10k for student parties.
I know there's one way to avoid a fine and that's don't have a party, but they're so young and how will they ever hope of paying off £10k? At that age, it's an utterly life changing amount. While someone like Rita Ora who has a birthday party and is fined the same which she can pay without even noticing.
I guess these are supposed to be deterrents rather than fines which will be regularly enforced, but my view is that if you have to take the people with you if you want good compliance.

IceIceCoffee · 09/02/2021 21:56

I find it very concerning.

Original poster
Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 22:00

I feel like it's enough to stop us travelling out of pure fear!

OP posts:
snowydaysandholidays · 09/02/2021 22:00

I was really shocked, and I work in the judiciary. I am minded to now think the new variants are just about to become much more dangerous or already are, and there are ‘details’ we are not yet aware of. That is the most likely reason.

Or the entire civil service and government have totally lost their minds. Ten years....

IDKNABYBIF22 · 09/02/2021 22:03

"Up to ten years in prison" is very different to "ten years in prison".

Original poster
Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 22:03

Thanks for your perspective @snowydaysandholidays... It seems massively disproportionate.

OP posts:
felineflutter · 09/02/2021 22:03

I know this is a little worrying considering I wanted our borders shut when schools came back from skiing in Italy back in March. Now we have a problem with new variants and face could face 10 years in jail coming back from infected areas. Bloody hell my neighbours came back from Rome 2 hours before they locked down and was free to carry on as normal.Confused

This makes me worried for the future as these variants are going to bugger us up by the sound of it.

Wildswim · 09/02/2021 22:04

Wtf is going on. I'm shocked.

Me too. But I've been very disturbed by the increasingly draconian lockdown measures and the suspension of our human rights for quite a while now.

Chloemol · 09/02/2021 22:05

It’s like anything else, if you do t want to pay, go to prison etc then obey the rules

I have little sympathy with anyone travelling abroad in a pandemic ( and none for those who whinge when rules are changed when they are away which is always a possibility).

And think about it, they bring a virus in, spread it and people die as a direct result, then 10 years is not a lot of time

Original poster
Lastfreakinglegs · 09/02/2021 22:06

www.lawtonslaw.co.uk/resources/what-is-the-sentence-for-manslaughter-how-many-years-could-you-face-in-prison/#:~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20severity%20of,between%202%20and%2010%20years

Less for manslaughter potentially.

OP posts:
harridan50 · 09/02/2021 22:06

Has anyone watched the handsmaids tale chilling

jasjas1973 · 09/02/2021 22:08

There should be a closed borders response to these new variants or they are not as serious as the Govt is saying they are.

A new vaccine immune variant could come from anywhere and we are still allowing travellers from the vast majority of countries to still come here.

I think this is just PR ahead of the May elections.

Mintjulia · 09/02/2021 22:09

Perhaps it's in line with knowingly endangering other people's lives.

Anonanon12 · 09/02/2021 22:09

But people have the choice to self isolate in a hotel remember, they can still go and come back, but they need to factor in paying for the hotel and isolating. Alot of people would probably say they would skip isolation and pay a fine... But they won't do that if it's a jail sentence.
However, I think the 10 year thing is a sign that it won't ever go through like that, they know nobody will go to jail for 10 years! If they said people will go to jail for 3 months then I'd believe them. But then the jails would become stretched and the variants would run wild in jails!! So of course they can't do short sentences that would have to be dished out. I think it's all bollox... And it's OK for Boris to go to Scotland for a work visit is it?

felineflutter · 09/02/2021 22:10

I think I'm going to live in a cabin in the woods with Ben Fogle...this is all getting out of hand and the speed of all this is breathtaking.

peak2021 · 09/02/2021 22:11

I suspect once the detail of the laws to support this are published you will find out that the maximum sentence is probably only for repeat offences.