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Why are people booking holidays?

40 replies

Nquartz · 12/03/2020 06:24

Saw a friend on Monday, they always go away in the Easter hols for their birthdays but hadn't booked anything yet, they have since booked a week to a Greek island.

Chose it based on current number of cases (I'm assuming low/zero) but I don't understand the logic.

So many people say that they'll go on a pre-booked holiday unless told otherwise because they can't afford to lose money/booked it months ago etc but why would someone book a holiday now?!

OP posts:
DoubleAction · 12/03/2020 08:14

8 deaths in a population of 60 million. There have been more than 100 suicides in UK in that time and financial hardship increases suicide rates. You could just as easily argue that those refusing to carry on as usual and send businesses into liquidation/ leave self employed people without an income are selfish arses

Purplewhitelie · 12/03/2020 08:14

Dalmatian. That’s right let’s implement the superior race theory that will help and go on holiday.

Kazzyhoward · 12/03/2020 08:24

There have been more than 100 suicides in UK in that time

You can't catch suicide - it's not contagious.

Only 8 deaths SO FAR - we're looking at exponential growth rates of the virus, so that could be 16 by next week, 32 the week after, then 64, 128, 256, 512, 1012, 2028. Anything to slow that down to allow the NHS to cope a little better and allow time for vaccines has to be a good thing. It's all about flattening the curve so that people get it over a longer period of time to reduce death rates.

DoubleAction · 12/03/2020 08:34

Suicide can be contagious actually but what we do know with absolute certainty it's that the economic downturn that the "lockdown now" brigade would have, would lead to an increase in suicide now and an increase in mortality rates over the long term too.

I really don't understand why people can't get that the protecting the economy protects health too, in much bigger numbers long term, even if this does turn out to be as bad as the worst predictions. I'm not generally a fan of Boris but I do understand what he's trying to do now (and I'm glad I'm not him!)

Kazzyhoward · 12/03/2020 08:36

Suicide can be contagious actually

Not by close proximity, poor hygiene, etc it can't!

DoubleAction · 12/03/2020 08:39

One of the reasons the NHS may struggle now is that we're still recovering from the last financial crisis but that will be nothing compared to the effect of closing the economy down for any length of time.

missyoumuch · 12/03/2020 08:39

The people booking holidays haven't considered the following risks:

  • airline cancels flights back to the UK before your return
  • holiday destination imposes mandatory quarantine on arrivals from the UK
  • UK imposts mandatory quarantine on arrivals from holiday destination

I'm not talking about self-quarantine either, but being sent to some government facility or camp for 14 days.

It is absolute madness to book a holiday for Easter right now, I honestly can't understand how anyone could be so short-sighted.

Purplewhitelie · 12/03/2020 08:46

Why do people keep on quoting other death rate such as suicide?

Have you not heard about trends or percentages?

I urge you if you have not already to google worldometer coronavirus.

It’s about the potential for perhaps 14% of the population dying. If your not good at maths it breaks it down for you.

AlternativePerspective · 12/03/2020 09:06

While I’m not going to be booking a holiday (wasn’t planning to anyway) and sure as hell wouldn’t want to be going on a cruise at this point in time, people are being incredibly naive over the threat to the economy.

The “I’m alright jack” mentality applies just as much to those who believe the entire country should go into lockdown as it apparently does for those who are still going to work and going about their daily lives.

It’s interesting how remainers were talking about the long-term damage to the economy that was going to be brought about by Brexit, when the damage to the economy if the country shuts down over Coronavirus will potentially be irreversible and on a much bigger scale than Brexit would ever have been.

And in truth we don’t know what the impact of Brexit on the economy was going to be. The impact from lockdown is a fact. Hundreds of thousands of job losses, perhaps even millions.

The travel industry collapsing, the childcare industry collapsing due to closures meaning that people will have to give up work to look after their children, and the impact that in turn is going to have.

The numbers of other companies who will go out of business,and likely the obliteration of the NHS and the social care system because it won’t be able to cope with lack of funding (on the part of the NHS) and the increase in numbers of people needing financial help due to the obliteration of the economy.

I was a remainer FWIW, but it seems that people choose when something is important and when it isn’t.

During Brexit people were quite happily accusing those who voted leave of signing the death warrants of millions of citizens because of the damage Brexit was supposedly going to do, now those same people are saying it’s a small price to pay.

DoubleAction · 12/03/2020 09:15

Because it's relevant Purple. Shutting down now may reduce deaths from this problem but it will increase other deaths.

If someone found a cure for cancer that would mean equal or more different people died from something else, would you still want the cancer cure? (on a societal level, I'm sure there would be some individuals who'd say it was a price worth paying)

moolady1977 · 12/03/2020 09:20

I have holidays booked at work as we are meant to be going away for my birthday at the end of may but I'm putting off booking the hotel until we know what's happening as I'd hate to pass something on or catch something just because I wanted a holiday even though we only going in this country

Double3xposure · 12/03/2020 22:09

I’m a bit Hmm at all the middle class professionals saying that everyone should stay at home. When what they mean is

“ I’m ok, I can work remotely so won’t lose any money. But I’m expecting that all the working class people will remain at their work - van delivery drivers, bin men, retail staff, farmers, Lorry and taxi drivers , NHS cleaners & admin staff, council employees, Road sweepers, everyone who keeps our public transport, gas, electricity, water and sewerage running, everyone in the oil industry, petrol station staff, all the emergency services, the armed forces, anyone who works in the media”.

“ Of course they should all stay at work ( even though their kids are off school ) because otherwise it would be very inconvenient for me. “

Rhubarbpeony · 12/03/2020 22:11

Because it’s incredibly cheap and (depending on the destination) no more dangerous than staying in the UK.

GrumpyHoonMain · 12/03/2020 22:13

A lot of people have booked Hawaii not realising it’s part of the USA lol

MauriceandAlec · 12/03/2020 22:17

I'm booked to travel in the UK in April, May and June. I will drive if things are cancelled and none of us is ill, it's just to visit friends.

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