If you're still sticking to ALL the rules/guidance - why?

[RaspberryCoulis]

Will start by saying I am not sticking to the covid rules any more. Obviously I can't go places which aren't open. But we have had people in the house, kids are going out with friends probably in larger numbers than are permitted, we're crossing local authority boundaries which is supposedly illegal in Scotland. Why? Because we've been in lockdown for a year, cases here are very low, and some things are more important than Covid.

But on every thread there are people claiming that they are sticking rigidly to every single rule and guideline, never breaking ANY rule. They would probably say I was a selfish covid-denier who was hellbent on murdering their granny.

So if you're sticking to all the guidelines and rules, without fail - why? People who are clinically extremely vulnerable (officially) I can understand in part if they're not vaccinated. But the rest of you? Is it because you're scared of Covid, or scared of your neighbours, or scared of breaking the law by mistake?

Because it's the law and I'm pretty law abiding.

I know it's fashionable to 'use your own judgement' on topics you know fuck all about but I actually prefer to be told what to do when I can't be arsed to do all the scientific research myself (because that would require years of scientific training anyway).

Err.

Because it takes all of us to do our bit to beat this thing?

Because with vaccines on the way there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

Your OP isn't 'helpful'. If people think others are sticking to the rules, they will too. If people think others are flouting them, then they will flout them too. If everyone ignores them, cases will go up.

Because

1. It’s the law
2. I don’t want to get it

3 I don’t want to pass it onto my family and friends, or indeed strangers 4 because I am thinking bigger picture, and am prepared to do what’s necessary for the good of all of us 5 because we are nowhere near out of this, and people like you make me cross

Because I’m not a selfish twat.
The rules are easy to follow and no big deal. It’s just a tiny bit of life to be mildly inconvenienced for the good of society.

Because it’s the law and we bring our children up to follow the law and be socially responsible. None of us would want to make someone else ill or worse and it can’t be risk assessed as people then go into work, shops, schools etc.

Because we will never get out of this shit show otherwise. Look at the post summer and Christmas peaks to see what happens when restrictions are lifted. Yes we have the vaccine now but not everyone has had it to make a massive difference

And this is coming from someone who lives and works on their own and whose parents live in a different council area (also Scotland) so yes I would love everything to be back to normal but I’m not going to risk the date of that being extended by breaking the rules.

I'm not breaking rules. I just don't think it worth it. I don't want covid. I don't want to spread covid. I don't want a fine

I'm not doing it to blindly follow rules and 'do as I'm told'.

It's because I am utterly fed up of restrictions and lockdowns. By carrying on and not following guidance the restrictions will never go away.

I want to see people able to go back to work and have a secure income. Socialising irresponsibly is going to stop that from happening.

I have followed the rules because I am not a selfish twat and I believe that there is nothing more important than beating COVID.

DH and I have been working from home for a year. We're not seeing relatives as they are quite some distance away. We're not using public transport, gathering in large groups.

In what way is it "risky" for DH and I to drive 30 minutes to the next council area for a walk rather than drive 5 minutes within our own council area? Makes no sense.

I'm law abiding too. Never arrested, never had so much as a speeding ticket.

For god sake 🙄
Why? Because I actually want this pandemic to end. People behaving like you are every time the numbers start falling, is exactly what gives us another spike.

I have mental health problems

I'm obviously really selfish too.

@ThePlantsitter

Because it's the law and I'm pretty law abiding.

I know it's fashionable to 'use your own judgement' on topics you know fuck all about but I actually prefer to be told what to do when I can't be arsed to do all the scientific research myself (because that would require years of scientific training anyway).

Exactly this. I am a scientist and I am concerned about the virus spreading and leading to more serious mutations emerging. Even if you think you won’t get seriously ill because you are young, healthy or vaccinated, until we are nearer to herd immunity, it will still spread. And with every case there is a new mutation opportunity. I genuinely don’t understand why that is such a difficult concept for some people. It is selfish to not follow the controls in place.

Sorry meant that's why I'm nit entirely sticking to the rules. A sentence got deleted!

Yes TeenMinusTests I do find this tone very a 'Boris's bullies' type of thing.

Ultimately I think everybody's doing the best they can with the rules and I don't care if people 'interpret' them a bit (and certainly wouldn't report them). But the whole 'why on earth would you slavishly obey the law' schtick reminds me of JRM jeeringly suggesting Grenfell victims were to blame for their own deaths for following instructions rather than what he calls common sense. And that creates a mistrust in consensus that is really damaging (and based on privilege).

It’s not risky for you particularly. You have to scale it up - these are public health measures that operate on a large scale. One person driving 30 minutes away won’t impact spread of the virus. A million people will. And we haven’t vaccinated enough people yet to prevent significant death and disability if we get further exponential growth of covid cases.

Also I do it because it’s the law and that’s important to me as well.

Because I believe in the social contract

Mostly just because I want this to end. I want to know that if we end up back in lockdown next winter, I didn’t put us there.

My mental health is on the floor. I’m an extrovert and I miss people so much. We’re stuck in a flat that’s too small because they’re not selling anymore. My business has struggled through. Our wedding was nothing like we thought it’d be, and our honeymoon didn’t happen.

I don’t think I can face constant restrictions. We can’t conceive - it’s selfish, but all the focus on schools hurts. I need pub gardens, friends, holidays.

I don’t want to be part of the reason that we’re not trusted to have those things, so everything is delayed

Because I'm choosing to believe the government and scientists that it's helping to save lives. There's also no rule that I want to break enough really.

This:

But we have had people in the house, kids are going out with friends probably in larger numbers than are permitted, we're crossing local authority boundaries which is supposedly illegal in Scotland.

puts paid to this:

I'm law abiding too.

Maybe you used to be law-abiding, but you’re not any more. Now, you put your own happiness above the law.

I'm letting my (primary age) DC's meet with friends in the park so I'm "rule breaking" in that respect. I genuinely think that the risk of them catching / spreading it outdoors while playing football with tow friends is tiny so the benefits outweigh the risks.
We haven't had anyone in the house / haven't been into anyone else's houses since lockdown began, as that is where the risks are.

I’m neither scared of Covid, my neighbours not the police. I simply have no wish to pass on a virus that may kill someone. I’ve got that wee voice in my head that reminds me the world doesn’t revolve around me and my wants.

Yep,sticking to the rules. Plenty of family and friends in the NHS and working as carers,imagine if I didn't then inadvertently gave it to them. Or if i gave it to the nurse doing my baby's immunisations. The knock on effects of my actions could be harmful of I were to be selfish and just do what I want.

Because the reason why cases are so low isn’t luck, it’s because people aren’t getting close enough to pass it on, and situations where they might are currently severely limited.

It’s too soon for the vaccination programme to be responsible for the sharp falls we’ve seen. And the stubborn figure of about 5k new cases a day means it’s not gone away on its own. In fact it probably points to children being responsible since the opening of schools.

So sticking to the rules (laws, in many cases) is responsible for having COVID increasingly under control.