Page 16 | Crowds in the parks yesterday

Homegirl1 · 02/04/2021 08:47

Dont worry, we will all be needing to show vaccine passports soon to be able to leave the house. I'm sure that will make you feel better....

AlecTrevelyan006 · 02/04/2021 09:33

There's just been a Derbyshire Policeman on the TV telling the people of Derbyshire not to go out this BH weekend and specifically not to go to Matlock Bath, to avoid parks and local beauty spots. He warned that Officers will be on patrol. The most surreal thing was that his advice on what they would rather people did not do was basically a list of things that we are absolutely now allowed to do and none of which is prohibited or contravenes guidance or law.

WTAF?

WouldBeGood · 02/04/2021 09:45

That’s really terrible @AlecTrevelyan006

Alsohuman · 02/04/2021 09:55

@AlecTrevelyan006

There's just been a Derbyshire Policeman on the TV telling the people of Derbyshire not to go out this BH weekend and specifically not to go to Matlock Bath, to avoid parks and local beauty spots. He warned that Officers will be on patrol. The most surreal thing was that his advice on what they would rather people did not do was basically a list of things that we are absolutely now allowed to do and none of which is prohibited or contravenes guidance or law.

WTAF?

So Derbyshire police are covering themselves in glory again. They’ve made tits of themselves for a year now, what’s the matter with them?

Abraxan · 02/04/2021 09:59

Many of the pictures look a little less crowded using a drone picture than ground level.

Some groups look larger but are still 'allowed' - two households of students for example can involve a lot of young people. DD's 'household' is 8 people. If they join another it's a big group but still allowed.

I have absolutely no issue with lots of people. Tbh driving past one of the parks mentioned in the news, I was initially surprised at the business but then. it just made me feel happy to see so many people, of all ages from babies and toddlers toddling about to much older people in fold up chairs with flasks, enjoying the sun and each other's company. The risk outside is minimal.

I do absolutely have an issue with the horrendous littering, damage to the memorials in the park, using the wooded areas as a toilet and the antisocial fighting, and sadly a potential sexual attack, which took place later in the night,

Abraxan · 02/04/2021 10:10

@PuppyMonkey

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?

Many are only getting 1-2 weeks max this year.

And, living in a student town and having a student daughter, plus driving past one of the packed parks - it wasn't just students and young people out there in the parks.

I think it is very important that people don't just blame one group of society.

I've read on our local social media so many people blaming 'the students' but when I drove past the groups were of all ages. The two people I saw going for a wee in the woods were middle age blokes. The group I saw stand up, fold their blankets and walk off leaving their take away cups on the ground were a family group. Yes, I'm sure students littered too but they most certainly weren't the only ones.

mum2jakie · 02/04/2021 10:14

MIL in Derbyshire has been terrified by leaflets posted through her door about police 'cracking down'. So much so that she has called off the planned meet up this weekend (two households, meeting outdoors all perfectly within current rules.) She is panicking because we would be driving an hour to get to hers which she feels would be a breach of the mythical 'stay local' law.

In terms of risk, all the adults have had at least one Covid vaccination and the kids are getting tested twice weekly. No one CEV or in poor health so...

Sad because the kids haven't seen their grandparents for over a year and had been looking forward to this.

Frazzled2207 · 02/04/2021 11:59

@mum2jakie
That’s such a shame. Especially as the risk would be absolutely minimal. Matt Hancock actually said the other day it was absolute fine to go as far as you want within England for a day trip as long as it’s otherwise within the rules.

Alsohuman · 02/04/2021 12:05

Derbyshire police have been absolute bastards for the whole of the last year. I thought after their last insanely overzealous misinterpretation of the rules they’d been put back in their box but they don’t seem to have learnt. The chief constable should be fired.

BoJoHoNo · 02/04/2021 12:54

@Alsohuman

Derbyshire police have been absolute bastards for the whole of the last year. I thought after their last insanely overzealous misinterpretation of the rules they’d been put back in their box but they don’t seem to have learnt. The chief constable should be fired.

Ridiculous. I'm all for the Police upholding the law when it is the actual law and not just PC Plod's intepretation of what he thinks the law should be. It gives decent Police Officers a bad name and feeds into the current Covid fearmongering of scaring law abiding people from doing something which is perfectly legal and sensible.

bemusedmoose · 02/04/2021 13:21

Where I am people have decided the new easing means no masks, no distancing, pile into the park and trash it, be bloody rude, selfish and overly entitled to have everything exactly as they want. No respect for other, the area or being a decent human being. It's pretty sad and pathetic.

JFD0201 · 02/04/2021 19:36

People are allowed out

SamW98 · 02/04/2021 19:53

@Alsohuman

Derbyshire police have been absolute bastards for the whole of the last year. I thought after their last insanely overzealous misinterpretation of the rules they’d been put back in their box but they don’t seem to have learnt. The chief constable should be fired.

Was that the police force that said a cup of tea is a picnic?

crosstalk · 02/04/2021 20:22

Sort of lucky here - smaller parks. Less litter and the council are promising bigger bins for any events. Have no problem with people enjoying themselves in open air but people leaving their own or dogshit around is not okay.

Would be interesting as a PP suggested just to leave the litter and see what visitors thought. Possibly on one section of Brighton or Bournemouth?

UrAWizHarry · 02/04/2021 20:32

"Was that the police force that said a cup of tea is a picnic?"

Yup, and sent drones out over the hills to shame people in going for perfectly legitimite walks. Bunch of twats.

DenisetheMenace · 02/04/2021 20:35

I wouldn’t want to be in a crowded park, personally, but I’ve no idea whether that’s justified or not.

The litter really pisses me off though, whatever circumstance. Just no need and no excuse.

Starlightstarbright1 · 03/04/2021 17:27

I live in DErbyshire...it is bloody rifdculous...However Matlock bath is usually heaving with bikers on a B/H not a chance you can socially distance ..

I have no concern about going to a park..Matlock bath I would avoid...I equally expect my FB to be full of pictures of Matlock heaving.. with people stating ffs.. but I think we have been fed so long we need to lockdown, then it will be ok, we need to get through winter, we need to vaccinate.. It will never end so I don't blame anyone for enjoying the life they are allowed.

itsgettingwierd · 03/04/2021 18:10

Well done OP for reading and considering others opinions - a rarity on MN and especially AIBU? (Where the OP is convinced they aren't even though they ask )

I totally agree the litter is disgusting. I also hated the defacating in take out boxes that occurred last year and the parking illegally and blocking in residents.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 03/04/2021 18:18

@diwrnachoflleyn and @Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow same here. Life is too short and over 50% of adults have been vaccinated so let's crack on with living.

DenisetheMenace · 03/04/2021 18:44

SamW98

I have to say my mum is 76 years old and thankfully in very good health. She's had enough. Unlike many of her age, she's not prepared to sit at home and see out her twilight years shut away. She's been sensible but she's got out and about as much as possible, Her and my aunt (also over 70) meet up in the park and sit having sandwiches and coffee. Despite it being 'against the rules' no one moves on a couple of older ladies with sticks “

Is it “against the rules”? I thought it was fine now? If they were each other’s support, it’s been allowed for a while, hasn’t it?

Okbussitout · 03/04/2021 18:47

@Mrgrinch

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?

Yes you should just shut up because the transmission rate is ver low outside.

Don't think you want to hear this though.

Allabouttheangles · 04/04/2021 01:39

I live in a city and the amount of people I’ve seen complain that it’s busy in the parks is unreal. I don’t think hundreds of people arranged to meet up at once. It’s just sunny and we’ve been stuck inside for a long time. It’s like Christmas shopping or trying to get barbecue food from Asda on a hot summers day. We don’t all intend for the shops to be busy but we all have to go somewhere! People in cities generally have no outdoor space but the local park. These people live in flats and can be really squashed in. A high concentration of them. Not like the suburbs or the country. They can’t travel elsewhere just now either so it’s that or stay home. The park will be busy now on warm days for the foreseeable. Do they just stay home forever? And I’m fed up of people being called rude for not wearing masks outside. You don’t have to wear one outside, you never did, anyone moaning, give it a rest, please- these are rules you’re making up in your head. However - the big meet-ups that are against the rules are bad and the littering a disgrace.

Claraoclara · 04/04/2021 10:33

[quote BeakyWinder]@Paquerette I know people may have underlying conditions they don't know about, I don't need to look it up. Equally I don't think restrictions should continue just because some under 40's might have underlying conditions. I could have an underlying condition, and I am not worried about covid at all. So my point is, those who are worried can make their lives as restricted as they like, but don't wish that on the rest of us.[/quote]
I have been shielding for a year now and before Covid I had a really fulfilling active life. I am assuming you are not afraid of Covid because you are perfectly healthy and you think you know better than the scientists. You are not immune to the effects of Covid. I am assuming you don’t live in a bubble where you never meet older people or people with underlying conditions? If you’re lucky you may be old one day. Also ,If we keep having to go in and out of lockdowns then the economy will find it difficult to recover. Or are you independently wealthy as well ? If you live as part of a community then it is important to look out for each other. I really appreciate what the community has done for me over the past year. My family , friends and colleagues have protected me and the government too ( most of the time) . Congregating in parks is lovely and everyone needs to get out but the scientists are worried when there are crowds of people together and I tend to listen to them.

Abraxan · 04/04/2021 10:52

@DenisetheMenace

SamW98

I have to say my mum is 76 years old and thankfully in very good health. She's had enough. Unlike many of her age, she's not prepared to sit at home and see out her twilight years shut away. She's been sensible but she's got out and about as much as possible, Her and my aunt (also over 70) meet up in the park and sit having sandwiches and coffee. Despite it being 'against the rules' no one moves on a couple of older ladies with sticks “

Is it “against the rules”? I thought it was fine now? If they were each other’s support, it’s been allowed for a while, hasn’t it?

Most of the older people I know have done similar.

Tbh those who seem happy to remain shut up in lockdown seem to be younger, and often not those in vulnerable groups,

MakeMathsFun · 04/04/2021 11:40

@ClarkeGriffin

The mess left behind is what pissed me off most. If they want to go out and potentially catch a virus that may kill them, more fool them. But do they have to leave behind shit tons of rubbish? No. They aren't animals, they have brains, they just don't use them.

@ClarkeGriffin

Totally right. Last year too seemed to bring out slobs who had not one sense of eco-awareness nor respect for other people, the environment and wild animals. I saw beer/wine/spirits bottles/cans trashed all over the place (I mean at least 5 items every square metre as far as the yey could see). This was in an alcohol-free penalty zone. A large part of the reasons for these penalty zones is to prevent such littering where children also play.
While I perrsonally don't agree with alcohol penalty zones, I certainly don't want broken bottles and 'infected' sharp metal cans (including soft drinks cans) lying in the grass where my kids could otherwise play.
I don't want to impose on people's freedoms, but it is uneccessary to leave rubbish behind - and it then imposes on the freedoms of others, such as small children who cannot play there afterwards.
Also, the beach was similarly littered with plastic bags and bottles etc, being death traps for sealife and birds. Its as if these ignorant selfish litter-leavers had no knowledge of global pollution. No understanding of keeping a park in a pleasant condition for others to use either.
As for this derail (which I am very passionate about), I return to the main thread. Yes there are many people who comply with distancing in the great outdoors, and it is important we keep this freedom. However, there are also hoards of rule abusers who don't seem to realise that their selfish stupidity just means that lockdowns will just recur and these freedoms may be curtailed for prolonged periods.
I say, enjoy your freeddoms within the rules and SELF-REGULATE your behaviours regarding both distancing yourself and putting litter in the bin. If the bins are full, take your litter home with you. If you had the means to bring the food/drinks/cigarettes to the park/beach/countryside, then you have the ability to take it away too. Not difficult, even for someone with diminished intelligence. Afterall, the litter you take away will be lighter than what you brought with you, after consuming most of it.
Keep distant and keep friendly to your environment, so everyone can remain free.