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AIBU?

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Original poster

Crowds in the parks yesterday

409 replies

Mrgrinch · 31/03/2021 10:42

I've been seeing pictures and videos of the amount of people gathering in the sun yesterday and I am genuinely shocked.

Has nobody learned anything in the past year?
Do they want to continue going in and out of lockdown forever?

I really do understand the people who just want their freedom back, I want mine too. But the pictures of Hyde park yesterday look like something from a music festival. Not to mention the mess left behind this morning.

Should I just shut up because transmission is low outdoors? Or is this a sign that warm weather means people ignore all the rules?

OP posts:
diwrnachoflleyn · 31/03/2021 15:11

@MiaChia

Question for those of you who are ‘so over Coronavirus’ - do you leave a load of shit behind every time you go to the park? If so, why?

Also, I wish my family friends who’ve died could get out into the sunshine but it’s too late for them to be ‘over Coronavirus’ 😢

My father died from coronavirus. They are in a country with lower restrictions and chose to meet up with friends in restaurants. He knew the score. He was 'over it' himself and never once blamed anyone for wanting to live a bloody normal life; it's a virus, they have existed since time immortal and are going nowhere. Time to have a choice of what risks we want to take as adults, especially those of us who have been vaccinated twice.

Still in Britain, where it's now 12 degrees and raining.

Sansaplans · 31/03/2021 15:17

I'm disgusted by the mess left behind though, if you manage to carry it with you on the way (which you do unless it levitates magically) then take it with you FFS. So fucking lazy and selfish.

Flowers24 · 31/03/2021 15:23

I agree with OP, people are idiots, do they want to go back to a lockdown again?

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 31/03/2021 15:37

People should obviously be taking their shit home - but some are too lazy and with nothing else to do this will just get worse..

I’m afraid they are not, and we are talking literal shit here.

Who are these people? Who raised them at home? Who taught them in school? Who taught them it’s acceptable to do that?

MinnieMous3 · 31/03/2021 15:48

@Flowers24

I agree with OP, people are idiots, do they want to go back to a lockdown again?
Why would there be another lockdown? The elderly and vulnerable are vaccinated. It won’t overwhelm the hospitals.
nokidshere · 31/03/2021 15:49

I agree that littering is a disgrace, but my local council seem to make no provision for a lovely sunny day and do no extra litter pickups in the parks, so the bins are all overflowing, then the foxes and crows (and god forbid rats) arrive and it is chaos...

If people can carry it to the park they can certainly take it home again. Provision for lazy disgusting people should not need to be an option. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for not taking your litter back with you.

MitheringSunday · 31/03/2021 15:57

AcornAutumn - 'My understanding was that you can still meet indoors even under the toughest lockdown, is that correct?

Our dropping figures and high vax rate don't change the fact that it's illegal to meet indoors.'

Where I am, meeting indoors is not specifically banned (unlike in the UK - probably from a pragmatic realisation that it can't possibly be policed), but meeting itself, be it in- or outdoors, is restricted - to one household + one other person during most of the last lockdown.

cyclingmad · 31/03/2021 15:57

@Vargas

Perhaps what the OP is actually saying is 'someone is having more fun than me and I need to make them feel bad about it'.

I agree that littering is a disgrace, but my local council seem to make no provision for a lovely sunny day and do no extra litter pickups in the parks, so the bins are all overflowing, then the foxes and crows (and god forbid rats) arrive and it is chaos...

Why can you not take it home or throwing in another bin you come across?

Its not like you are heading to a club etc that you cannot take your rubbish with you.

I'd love to know your excuse for not taking it with you?

Sansaplans · 31/03/2021 16:03

@nokidshere

I agree that littering is a disgrace, but my local council seem to make no provision for a lovely sunny day and do no extra litter pickups in the parks, so the bins are all overflowing, then the foxes and crows (and god forbid rats) arrive and it is chaos...

If people can carry it to the park they can certainly take it home again. Provision for lazy disgusting people should not need to be an option. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for not taking your litter back with you.

I agree with this, the thought process of someone thinking ah I'll just leave it here, someone else can pick it up is disgusting to be honest. If the bin is full just take it with you, it's not hard- councils don't magically have money to send out additional pick ups when they sense the bins are full.
Vargas · 31/03/2021 16:16

@cyclingmad I'm not actually talking about myself, I don't take anything to parks and I would certainly never litter. Our local council seem incapable of emptying bins at the best of times, which of course gets exacerbated by good weather and lockdowns. Of course people should take their litter home, but if they don't then it makes sense for the council to put out more bins or empty them more frequently. Shouting on MN is not going to clear up the litter. I have a feeling that people who leave their rubbish in a park are not reading this thread...

Notimeforaname · 31/03/2021 16:16

I know someone who's classed as vulnerable. All they've spoken about is ''the fear...the rules...disgraceful all those people gathering outside tut tut ..dont they know they will all die etc''....and in the same breath asked me and some other people to their house for their birthday, has had their hair cut several times in lockdown, has been in taxis,let childs friend into the house, had me over on a number of occasions...yet still tells us all that they are sweating with nerves,cant think straight..needs this all to he over...ConfusedHmm

Notimeforaname · 31/03/2021 16:17

Be over*

Vargas · 31/03/2021 16:18

@nokidshere

I agree that littering is a disgrace, but my local council seem to make no provision for a lovely sunny day and do no extra litter pickups in the parks, so the bins are all overflowing, then the foxes and crows (and god forbid rats) arrive and it is chaos...

If people can carry it to the park they can certainly take it home again. Provision for lazy disgusting people should not need to be an option. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for not taking your litter back with you.

Perhaps it 'should not need to be an option' but how do you suggest the litter gets cleared up?
trappedsincesundaymorn · 31/03/2021 16:21

And then there is people like yourself selfish narcissists who find the bereaved and their families an inconvenience to their lives

Please don't use the bereaved and their families to try and score points. Some of us are getting sick of being used to try and emotionally blackmail others. Oh and FWIW I'm sick of the whole shit show as well.

AcornAutumn · 31/03/2021 16:32

@MitheringSunday

AcornAutumn - 'My understanding was that you can still meet indoors even under the toughest lockdown, is that correct?

Our dropping figures and high vax rate don't change the fact that it's illegal to meet indoors.'

Where I am, meeting indoors is not specifically banned (unlike in the UK - probably from a pragmatic realisation that it can't possibly be policed), but meeting itself, be it in- or outdoors, is restricted - to one household + one other person during most of the last lockdown.

It's a big point though

Risking a fine to see loved ones over here.

PuppyMonkey · 31/03/2021 16:37

They’ve shut two of the parks featured in the Nottingham incidents now to prevent any more crowds gathering.

When do students usually go home for Easter?

Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor · 31/03/2021 16:37

[quote Vargas]@cyclingmad I'm not actually talking about myself, I don't take anything to parks and I would certainly never litter. Our local council seem incapable of emptying bins at the best of times, which of course gets exacerbated by good weather and lockdowns. Of course people should take their litter home, but if they don't then it makes sense for the council to put out more bins or empty them more frequently. Shouting on MN is not going to clear up the litter. I have a feeling that people who leave their rubbish in a park are not reading this thread...[/quote]
I totally agree. Our beaches were packed yesterday. Well forecast nice weather, lockdown easing, Easter holidays. So predictable there would be crowds.
Of course people should take their rubbish home, but they don't. Its the same every time.
One way to solve this would be to provide more bins and litter pickers.
Once rubbish starts accumulating, people who wouldn't normally litter, do. More bins would help.
Also our beach public toilets not open yesterday. I mean, come on.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 31/03/2021 16:39

Once rubbish starts accumulating, people who wouldn't normally litter, do

They don't, really.

Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor · 31/03/2021 16:41

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Once rubbish starts accumulating, people who wouldn't normally litter, do

They don't, really.

They really do. Its the broken window effect.
Daydreamsinglorioustechnicolor · 31/03/2021 16:44

There were bags and bags piled up around the inadequate bins at the entrances to our beach today. If there were more bins, the rubbish would have been in them.

More bins would be better and reduce the problem. I don't see the downside. Yes people should take it with them, but they don't

IcedPurple · 31/03/2021 16:46

Should I just shut up because transmission is low outdoors?

That would be my suggestion, yes.

MinnieMous3 · 31/03/2021 16:48

@toffeebutterpopcorn

I was in Hyde park yesterday (I walk there a lot). It was absolutely mobbed - lots of large groups and even some parties (complete with tables). It was hideously busy.
Well, you were there as well.

The irony of these types of posts, is never lost on me.

toffeebutterpopcorn · 31/03/2021 16:51

I walk there most days - it’s outside my flat
so often I walk through to get the the shops. So I know what a ‘normal’ Tuesday is like - and it was absolutely mobbed yesterday.

HandyHarry · 31/03/2021 16:54

What have you learnt in the past year OP?

nokidshere · 31/03/2021 16:55

Perhaps it 'should not need to be an option' but how do you suggest the litter gets cleared up?

I have no problem with it being cleared up by people who are paid to do so, I have a problem of people doing it in the first place.

The solution shouldn't be councils having to do more or pay more people, the solution should be that people don't do it in the first place.

I have no idea why it's even a problem. I don't know a single person, as I'm sure you don't, who doesn't teach their child not to litter. So at what point in their lives do people feel it's acceptable?