Page 11 | To keep framing foreign travel as a holiday?

stopgap · 2021-03-21T12:50:05+00:00

I haven’t seen my parents in 14 months, as they’re in the UK and I’m in the US. I know it’s only semantics but I’m truly tired of UK politicians referring to foreign travel only in the context of a jolly. There must be thousands upon thousands of people in my position, desperate to see family, desperate for grandparents to see their grandchildren, and I resent the situation being presented from one perspective only.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 30/03/2021 19:45

Pokercomic but you chose to make the op and other ex pats and emigrants and immigrants feel crappy.

When my dc1 was a baby I lived a 6 hour adult (8-9 hour with baby) drive from parents and now I live in the EU and they live in the UK. Now I actually can't visit - if it were a drive in one country it would be a choice.

You are choosing. You are twisting your situation to tell people with no choice that your situation is the same. That is a lie.

diwrnachoflleyn · 30/03/2021 19:46

Spot on, Until.

Pokercomic · 30/03/2021 20:10

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme no I didn’t around page 4 I said I would give up a flight abroad as I completely understood why family is important and completely different to a holiday. I would do that in a heart beat for others.....

I was just pointing out that just because we have family in the UK it me not all sunshine and roses

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 30/03/2021 20:19

Pokercomic its not all sunshine and roses for anyone, anywhere, but some people (you) do have choice and some people (those who can't travel without crossing an endorced legal boarder) don't, and you (and others) are trying to fictionalise that to make a point which is not remotely factual.

OnGoldenPond · 30/03/2021 20:33

DM is early 80s and lives alone in Spain. Not been able to visit her since November 2019.

Very worrying not being able to go over and check she is coping ok. Can only keep in touch by phone as she can't get her head around Zoom.

Last few calls she has sounded really low and I'm frantic with worry about her but no way would I be allowed to visit her

This is a welfare issue not a bloody jolly

SchrodingersImmigrant · 30/03/2021 20:37

@OnGoldenPond

DM is early 80s and lives alone in Spain. Not been able to visit her since November 2019.

Very worrying not being able to go over and check she is coping ok. Can only keep in touch by phone as she can't get her head around Zoom.

Last few calls she has sounded really low and I'm frantic with worry about her but no way would I be allowed to visit her

This is a welfare issue not a bloody jolly

Book few viewings with estate agents...

On a serious note, wouldn't this fall under compassionate grounds?

SuperCaliFragalistic · 30/03/2021 20:40

Travel to see family is definatly a holiday unless you are going specifically to care for them or carry out some essential task. Having family that lives abroad doesn't make you special. Some people don't have much family at all or have strained relationships. Some people live next door to their families - why are their desires to travel less important than yours?

OnGoldenPond · 30/03/2021 20:42

@SchrodingersImmigrant , sadly probably not as I would have to have documented medical evidence of serious illness for that. Even if I got through UK customs Spain would probably send me home, they are being very strict.

A feeling that your elderly mother is not coping on her own just doesn't cut it

SchrodingersImmigrant · 30/03/2021 20:45

@OnGoldenPond then I would genuinely go the property route and wouldn't even be ashamed of it.

Unicornflakegirl · 30/03/2021 22:06

@OnGoldenPond Spain lifted their travel ban on UK travellers at 6pm today.
Your mum's doctor may provide a letter for you to travel as backup.
If she is British there are some expat charitable organisations that may help (not sure if there is a language barrier).

Hesma · 30/03/2021 22:09

Whinge whinge whinge... I haven’t seen a lot of my UK based family either, you’re no worse off than the rest of us!

Unicornflakegirl · 30/03/2021 22:24

Of course they're worse off @Hesma.
Plenty of UK families can now meet (and could meet at various points in the year).
If there's an emergency in many cases people can drive or get public transport or a domestic flight and be there when needed if they are in the same country.

diwrnachoflleyn · 30/03/2021 22:33

@Unicornflakegirl

Of course they're worse off *@Hesma*. Plenty of UK families can now meet (and could meet at various points in the year). If there's an emergency in many cases people can drive or get public transport or a domestic flight and be there when needed if they are in the same country.

Shh, doesn't fit with their agenda to make sure everyone is as miserable as they are and punish all who don't live the way they do.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 30/03/2021 22:41

Your choice Hesma - you could have seen them.

SuperCaliFragalistic · 31/03/2021 07:02

Foreign travel was allowed for long periods last year. I know lots of people who went abroad last summer and early autumn. Why didn't you all see your families abroad then? This is ridiculous- we haven't been in lockdown for a year you make choices to live in different countries to your family and restrictions won't be forever. Everyone has made sacrifices.

PandoraP · 31/03/2021 07:08

@SuperCaliFragalistic, many countries including my home countries had quarantine rules. I would have to quarantine for 10 days before I could see family and friends. Personally I also would not want to travel abroad just because I can. I think we all have to wait at the moment.

PandoraP · 31/03/2021 07:10

Also - not sure where to start with “make choices to live in different countries to your family”. There are many reasons why people live in different countries to their families and the choice to do so not made during a global pandemic either.

EileenGC · 31/03/2021 07:35

@SuperCaliFragalistic

Foreign travel was allowed for long periods last year. I know lots of people who went abroad last summer and early autumn. Why didn't you all see your families abroad then? This is ridiculous- we haven't been in lockdown for a year you make choices to live in different countries to your family and restrictions won't be forever. Everyone has made sacrifices.

It’s so easy to say this when you probably have no idea what the testing and quarantine requirements for the countries of destination were. Unlike the UK, other countries adopted such a system early on in the pandemic. By the time June came, you couldn’t enter X country without many tests (still not available privately at that time in some areas), and a 10-14 day quarantine, sometimes in a government hotel. Add several flight cancellations and not being able to take 4 weeks off work and no, it wasn’t so easy to travel abroad.

I was one of the people going abroad because everything worked out regarding all of the above, but I know a lot of people who weren’t so lucky. It’s not as easy as getting on a plane.

I’m guessing the people you know who went abroad were going to Tenerife or similar. Traveling abroad isn’t as easy as that.

EileenGC · 31/03/2021 07:36

you make choices to live in different countries to your family

And this is just pure gold. I’d love to know how having a job and earning a salary - impossible for my profession in my own country - is making a choice 😂

SuperCaliFragalistic · 31/03/2021 07:45

You chose your profession presumably? If being physically close to your family at all times was a priority for you you would have looked for other jobs. I'm not stupid, I understand that some people are not separated from family by choice and I particularly feel for children in this situation but in general, for most cases, visiting family abroad is a holiday and can wait a couple more months.

SuperCaliFragalistic · 31/03/2021 07:48

I’m guessing the people you know who went abroad were going to Tenerife or similar. Traveling abroad isn’t as easy as that.

No. Various European countries mentioned on this thread already, France, Spain, Greece, Germany. Also the US which someone upthread was claiming they haven't been able to visit for over a year. I'm not saying it's easy but it's been possible for lots of people.

notimagain · 31/03/2021 07:57

You chose your profession presumably? If being physically close to your family at all times was a priority for you you would have looked for other jobs.

Priceless..if only we were all blessed with 20/20 foresight.

Lets say for example, that in Autumn 2019, somebody was looking for promotion or a way of improving their career

They found that promotion was only available if they moved to another location, maybe less than a couple of hundred miles distant from home but in another country.

In 2019 there were maybe several dozen flights a day between the country of origin and the new country, plus trains, plus perhaps ferries.

Do you honesty think the individual should have had the foresight to have turned down promotion/career opportunity because of the risk of politicians introducing travel restrictions due to a global pandemic ?

diwrnachoflleyn · 31/03/2021 08:08

@SuperCaliFragalistic

Foreign travel was allowed for long periods last year. I know lots of people who went abroad last summer and early autumn. Why didn't you all see your families abroad then? This is ridiculous- we haven't been in lockdown for a year you make choices to live in different countries to your family and restrictions won't be forever. Everyone has made sacrifices.

I did go last summer. Since then, my father has died. I had no crystal ball to see that travel was going to be restricted as much as it has been when I came here 20 years ago. Funny that.

But alas, I can use one of the loopholes to still get there so will do if the restrictions aren't lifted in July.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 31/03/2021 08:11

@SuperCaliFragalistic

Foreign travel was allowed for long periods last year. I know lots of people who went abroad last summer and early autumn. Why didn't you all see your families abroad then? This is ridiculous- we haven't been in lockdown for a year you make choices to live in different countries to your family and restrictions won't be forever. Everyone has made sacrifices.

As pps said. Dofferent rules in different countries.

I wennt for trips around uk with overnight stays though. So if they were here it would be no bother.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 31/03/2021 08:13

And as explained earlier in a thread. That choice was made based on the fact most of us can quickly get back to the family.
Kind of like the choice to move tp uk was based on language and no need for visa.....
Things change, doesn't mean se can't moan about it.