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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Driving miles to skateboard park

74 replies

HyacynthBucket · 16/02/2021 16:12

A friend of someone I know drove 27 miles to a city skatepark for her child to attend (and 27 miles back) even though there are skateparks near home, when we are supposed to be making essential journeys only. AIBU to feel this is so selfish when so many others have made big sacrifices to do the right thing, stay home and not spread the virus? The journey was completely unnecessary.

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 16/02/2021 21:14

I don’t think you can really judge given the lack of specific rules if you’re in England. In Scotland it’s quite clear that you stay within your local authority area and up to 5 miles from the boundary. So in some LAs this would be ok but in smaller ones it wouldn’t. I can’t really get upset about people travelling relatively short distances to do outdoor activities, I don’t really think they’re the ones spreading covid. And don’t even go down the “but what if they had a car crash or accident” route!!

sunshineandshowers40 · 16/02/2021 21:20

YABVU

You need to get out more! 🤣

Noranorav · 16/02/2021 21:23

Think you're BU. If they're struggling and that helped so be it. Low risk, in their own car. We'e going to try and go to a park locally but further afield. We've all coped pretty well, but the edges are starting to fray with the DC, anxiety fuelled tantrums, nightmares and not sleeping are taking their toll on us all. Obviously I don't know your friends rationale, but neither do you. She might be a selfish lockdown breaker, or just someone at the end of her tether.

2pinkginsplease · 16/02/2021 21:29

Would I do it? No.

I think the idea of staying closer to home is because you may be travelling to an area that has a higher rate of covid cases or you may he travelling to an area that has much lower cases of covid therefore transmission between areas is the problem.

Bar Dh who has been working throughout, the furthest we've been from the house in the last year is 11 miles to the hospital. However in scotland we have been asked not to travel into other council areas unless its essential .

poppycat10 · 16/02/2021 21:30

They are open in my area. As are the playgrounds. But the outdoor gym equipment is taped off...

BogRollBOGOF · 16/02/2021 21:38

Maybe they've already killed all the grannies hanging out at the nearby skate parks? Wink

250 miles and you might have a point, but "local" is guidence not law. Maybe they're bored rigid of the nearer skate parks. Maybe this one is more challenging. It's outdoor, exercise, socially distanced and low risk for vurus spread so who cares.

BogRollBOGOF · 16/02/2021 21:41

@poppycat10

They are open in my area. As are the playgrounds. But the outdoor gym equipment is taped off...
So much for staying healthy for avoiding complications of the virus. Outdoor gyms and sports courts really should not be obstructed. It's more harm to public health than benefit. Ridiculous rule.
alibongo5 · 16/02/2021 21:44

@peak2021

Local should have been defined- for exercise it should be walked, run or cycled from your front door. Even the Belgians who cannot agree which language to say it in managed that detail.
And supposing you live on a country lane with no pavement, traffic travelling at 60 mph and coming round blind bends? Would you fancy walking there let alone taking kids out to walk there? Not everyone lives within walking distance of lovely parks and footpaths.
AlecTrevelyan006 · 16/02/2021 21:47

@HyacynthBucket

A friend of someone I know drove 27 miles to a city skatepark for her child to attend (and 27 miles back) even though there are skateparks near home, when we are supposed to be making essential journeys only. AIBU to feel this is so selfish when so many others have made big sacrifices to do the right thing, stay home and not spread the virus? The journey was completely unnecessary.
chill out
Bayleaf25 · 16/02/2021 22:03

@BlueTimes @superduster - skateparks where we are (England) are open and the police have happily stopped to chat to DS to remind them to keep social distancing- no suggestions of asking them to leave or close the skatepark.

Brieminewine · 16/02/2021 22:06

Wind your neck in.
She’s taking her kid out for some exercise not raving at a party all night then licking grannies in the M&S queue for good measure.
This pandemic really has brought out the worst in people!

superduster · 16/02/2021 22:09

No, they are outdoor sports venues and should be closed. I don't think that is right but thats the what the government have said.

skateboardgb.org/covid19-update

Bayleaf25 · 16/02/2021 22:17

@superduster i guess our council, county police have decided to not enforce/interpret differently. I’m glad though as only exercise DS gets really.

superduster · 16/02/2021 22:21

Yes, I'm responsible for a skate park, we have had to put signs up saying its closed incase people get moved on by police and claim they didn't know but we have made no attempt to actually close it as its just not possible. The only thing we could do is put plastic tape or fencing around it and it would get pulled down in one evening anyway.

Its all ridiculous when last time we were allowed to open the skate park weeks before the playground... there is no obvious logic to it at all.

frugalkitty · 16/02/2021 22:24

A lad here was fined £200 for travelling four miles into town to skate. Wasn't local apparently although DH thinks it's more likely he got fined for being cheeky to the police rather than actually breaking any 'rules'.

Original poster
HyacynthBucket · 16/02/2021 22:33

sunshineandshowers40*
Yes, I do need to get out more, and I would love to, but I don't do it because we are in the middle of a national lockdown, and have been told to STAY AT HOME and that any journeys we make should be essential.
A lot of people on here are talking about what is local, etc, but the point is we should not be going anywhere at all unless absolutely necessary.

OP posts:
wanderings · 16/02/2021 22:39

Saint Boris himself told us we have to be fitter to resist the virus. So there we have it, exercise is good, from the mouth of the man who instinctively knows the best way to beat Covid, and who thinks nothing of travelling to exercise himself. Case closed, next slide please. Smile

AlecTrevelyan006 · 16/02/2021 22:45

@HyacynthBucket

sunshineandshowers40* Yes, I do need to get out more, and I would love to, but I don't do it because we are in the middle of a national lockdown, and have been told to STAY AT HOME and that any journeys we make should be essential. A lot of people on here are talking about what is local, etc, but the point is we should not be going anywhere at all unless absolutely necessary.
it is not against the law to travel for exercise
alibongo5 · 16/02/2021 22:47

Essentially, you should ask yourself "if I do x, do I realistically put myself or others at greater risk". Forget the rules, laws or whatever. That is what it essentially comes down to. Who was put at more risk by this act? No-one.

IloveFebruary · 16/02/2021 23:05

This is how the new variants are spreading though isn’t it? Because people aren’t staying local and containing the spread. It’s the unnecessary travel. People don’t know they have it, get a coffee, have a wee, stop to chat about their skateboard etc and pass it on.

RHS and NT keep emailing me ‘we are still open for exercise messages” but I live a 30 minute drive from them so I won’t go because it’s not within the spirit of the stay at home advice.

So YANBU in my mind OP.

BoomBoomsCousin · 16/02/2021 23:18

@HyacynthBucket

sunshineandshowers40* Yes, I do need to get out more, and I would love to, but I don't do it because we are in the middle of a national lockdown, and have been told to STAY AT HOME and that any journeys we make should be essential. A lot of people on here are talking about what is local, etc, but the point is we should not be going anywhere at all unless absolutely necessary.
People are going on about what is local because you made that the issue in your original post.

You indicated in your original post that it was a problem because they were passing nearer skateboarding parks.

If your AIBU is that exercise isn't essential you would need to be far clearer about that.

TrimmedMyBush · 17/02/2021 11:46

@HyacynthBucket

timeforabiscuit I guess I don't think it is actually an individual judgement call. We have been told to take journeys only if they are essential. As someone who has been taking this seriously, I find it hard to understand why not everyone does.
Because there are 7 billion people on this planet and we don’t all think or act in the same way. It’s not hard to realise this OP.

Ultimately the idea is that people do not mix. If they want to drive far away and not mix with people then let them be and chill out. You will be far happier for it.

I despise threads like this. I wish they could be banned, they make us all more miserable than we already are 😂

Hepsie · 17/02/2021 11:49

They certainly are miserable threads. Makes me feel like going and getting the skateboards out.

Sweet666 · 17/02/2021 11:59

The skate park they travelled to was probably a lot better than the ones you have nearby, the kid should still be allowed to skate and practice somewhere suitable so I think it's fine to travel

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