82 year old woman reported to police

[Dragisnotacontactsport]

For having a socially distanced cup of tea in the garden with 2 neighbours.
Honestly, who on earth would report somebody for this? It's hardly hundreds of people having a rave. Not sure what the world is coming to, the fact that the police actually travelled there and issued her with a warning too. An 82 year old for goodness sake.

The link is on the DM for anybody interested.

Ah well as it’s the DM it must be true....

It’s absurd. Both the person reporting and the police reaction. I actually don’t understand the police reaction at all. I’m in London and we can see Covid-law-breaking everywhere but it’s understood they police do not have the capacity to deal with any transgressions. I can’t understand why they got involved here.
This 82year old was alive during the Second World War, for goodness sake. I can’t imagine what they made of this..

What would your reaction be if it had been a 20 year old woman?

People voting YABU.. scary..

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4195738-Pensioner-gets-visit-from-police-over-socially-distanced-cup-of-tea

Long thread yesterday.

I'd think it were OTT to warrant a police visit even if it had been a 20 year old.
There are so many actual crimes happening that police should be dealing with.
However I think it's cruel towards an 82 year old particularly.

Ah sorry I didn't see yesterday's thread on it.

@LApprentiSorcier

What would your reaction be if it had been a 20 year old woman?

I would like to know this. What difference does it make that she was 82 and ‘lived through WWII’?

I wouldn’t have reported her or cared about this gathering at all but that has nothing to do with her age?

Rogue ? at the end of my post.

Age is irrelevant.

We’re allowed to meet 1:1 to socialise outside now. I really couldn’t care less about someone choosing to do that in a garden rather than on the pavement outside their house.

I find it weird that so many people think her age makes a difference. Lots and lots of people are finding lockdown hard, it's not exclusive to the elderly. And the whole thing is being done for the benefit of the elderly, the least they can do is follow the law.

I wouldn't have bothered to report it either, to be clear, but I do think it's strange to apply different standards to the elderly. If this had been two teenagers, ot wouldn't have made the news, even though many teenagers are struggling

I think maybe it's because an 82 year old may be very frail and something like a police visit could be very frightening.

I guess it’s more difficult for many 82 year olds to get to a park to meet someone and have a government sanctioned cup of tea compared with a typical teenager.

I wouldn't have bothered to report it, as much as I've been bothered to report my young next door neighbours who's definitely had a mate or two around.

However, it's still against the rules, 82 or not. If everyone decided to do it 'just because x, y and z reasons', it would all be pretty pointless. She broke the rules and got a warning. Pretty simple really.

Well it appears from the link on the other thread that the woman was having a cup of tea in her communal garden with her own neighbours who were also in the garden. A communal garden that they share & are entitled to use.

Beyond ridiculous, I agree OP, YANBU.

I wouldn’t have reported her or cared about this gathering at all but that has nothing to do with her age?

Yes, that's how I feel. I don't think she should have done it, and if she were my mother I would have given her a stern talking-to, but it's not worthy of reporting in my opinion. I would rather the police resources were used on larger gatherings.

@PurpleDaisies

I guess it’s more difficult for many 82 year olds to get to a park to meet someone and have a government sanctioned cup of tea compared with a typical teenager.

This. I haven't seen my mum of this age in 6 months because of the risk of hypothermia, and guarenteed aggravation to her arthritis of legally meeting outside and for exercise. The ratio of 2 hours of driving to 10 minutes outside is very poor.

I have been out walking/ running with friends because 30-40 yos are physically able to cope with meeting the legal requirements.

82 year olds had their first round of vaccinations a while back and the risk of vaccinated pensioners spreading the virus over an al-fresco cuppa is close to non-existant. (Not that I'm alarmed by a small outdoor cluster of young people either)

The police are clearly well funded and meeting all targets to have the resources to squander in this way.

@Dragisnotacontactsport

People voting YABU.. scary..

So you didn’t actually care whether anyone thought it was reasonable or not - you just wanted a chorus of agreement.

My mil has done the same after having her vaccine. They are group of elderly women that meet up (very rural). They don't go anywhere else or see anyone else. They only see friends that have had the vaccine. Its against the rules. But they have all had the injection. I'm not telling a group of elderly ladies who had been isolating for the last year that they can not enjoy a slice of cake and a cup of tea with their friends. My DH is not happy about it.

The link is here. She had a cup of tea in her communal garden with her sheltered housing neighbours also in the garden. I see nothing wrong here.

www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2021-03-18/pensioner-given-covid-breach-warning-over-socially-distanced-cup-of-tea

@ImAncient

Well it appears from the link on the other thread that the woman was having a cup of tea in her communal garden with her own neighbours who were also in the garden. A communal garden that they share & are entitled to use.

Using a communal garden doesn't mean socialising in it. I lived somewhere with a communal garden in the first lockdown, we all used it but didn't pull up chairs and socialise together, that seems pretty obviously against the law

Ok I was under the impression they socially distanced? I’m trying to think what I would do? Would you need a rota? It’s years since I’ve had use of a communal garden.