Can I drive 5 miles to walk in the woods?

[R2221]

Just that really. We’ve been isolating for over a week and these woods are the only thing that kept us sane. Isolated woods - not many people there. Those we came across were mindful of distance.

With the current lockdown rules, are we allowed to drive there?

[Tonyaster]

I actually haven't bothered to action this because I have felt despair and disgust at the antics of some of the general public recently (the shouty, abusive competitive quarantiners) and this has made me feel ambivalence toward anyone who isn't my close friends and family

I feel the same.

[LolaSmiles]

LimitIsUp I agree there's some who genuinely need to.

I just think that the majority of people who would be inclined to travel deliberately confuse want with need and are liable to take the current clarification as a pat on the back (for example on another thread someone was shopping daily because that's what they like to do and it's not against the law, others were defending going out for chocolate and magazines because it's something they need and anyone who disagrees is a hypocrite if they've added anything nice to their main food shop. One person even went as far to argue that it's fine popping out to the shops all the time and nobody who owns a phone can express any concern for shop workers and Coronavirus because technology is made in Chinese factories. There's some serious desperation to defend selfish actions in places).

As ever, the reasonable people will be reasonable and the selfish piss takers will continue to do so.

[LimitIsUp]

"The number of people who genuinely need to travel to exercise or walk their dog is small"

There are however people in this situation (with a genuine travel need) and perhaps more than you realise, and the kangaroo court / vicious judgement on social media on local facebook groups is intimidating for these genuine cases.

This from a lady on a local police facebook page today:

"so pleased this is now sorted. I have mobility issues and live in a hilly area. Not good as a self propelled wheelchair user. At least i can now go out in my car to more suitable areas(locally) to take my grandchildren out for a walk. Have been to scared to go in case i get judged or worse told of by the police"

I was also pm'd by someone's who's father has had chemotherapy and he is concerned about being immuno compromised. He would however still like to get out and walk his dog once a day but doesn't want to walk the mile down his street to get to the huge green open space locally, because social distancing is hard to achieve whilst he is passing others along that street. He has been getting up at 5.30 for the past week to avoid detection and covertly driving the mile there. Incidentally the person who pm'd me is a serving police officer.

Another person has 4 dogs and can't safely manage them walking along the pavement. You could ask - why does he have 4 dogs, it was his choice. Yes it was his choice and a perfectly workable one until a week ago when heavy handed interpretation of the guidance (egged on by the public frothing) stopped him from loading them into his car and driving a short distance to take him and them out for a walk.

I think you know my situation - no pavement, 60 mph road and in some places not even a grass verge. Most drivers have been courteous whilst I have been trying to navigate this on foot, but I had a near miss last Sunday when a car cornered hard and fast into my road. He swerved to avoid me otherwise I could have been taking up the time and resources of emergency services.

I don't deny that there might be some people who just want to drive a short distance for a more scenic walk - but on social media people are assuming the worst of everyone and it has had a perfidious effect - as per the lady in the wheelchair that I referenced. She hasn't left the house in a week but mercifully now feels empowered to do so.

I registered to be an NHS helper and they checked my ID and sent me instructions to get started. I actually haven't bothered to action this because I have felt despair and disgust at the antics of some of the general public recently (the shouty, abusive competitive quarantiners) and this has made me feel ambivalence toward anyone who isn't my close friends and family. I might still complete my joining instructions - I need to reflect on it

Anyway, its time for the public to take a step back and wind their necks in. Leave it to the police who have the new guidance. They will still patrol car parks but can deal with individual situations in a nuanced way rather than making everyone feel like total shit

[GinnyStrupac]

I think most people are genuinely worried, or concerned. There's no shame in that at any time, but especially now, during a national and global emergency and pandemic. It shouldn't be used as a way of ridiculing a person's opinion. We're all in this together, it's just that some of us are more in it than others.

Driving on country roads is dangerous, even for those of us who know them well and know where all the accident blackspots are. Crashes out here are more likely to happen at speed - someone else's if not yours - and therefore are more likely to result in injury or death. We all need to do what we can to reduce risks just now to avoid diverting depleted emergency services away from the Covid-19 response. Even regular and experienced climbers and fell walkers, for example, are being strongly advised not to undertake those activities at the present time by their own organisations.

It is concerning that there has apparently been a rise again in cars on the road. Being away from home and home area should be the exception right now. We all need to pull together. If a rise of 563 tragic deaths in one day in the UK from Covid-19 isn't a sobering thought - that's 563 loved ones, gone before their time - I don't know what is.

[Whoopsmahoot]

Spoketoosoon

Not worried petal, just flamin common sense and thinking of others.

[LolaSmiles]

I think travelling locally to exercise over a reasonable distance is what most dog walkers wanted all along.
Not based on some things I've seen on social media.

There are some people still driving to local forests, woodlands and beaches despite it being perfectly safe to walk their dogs closer to home. They just want a change of scenery and to go somewhere nicer and the only reason the places they go are quieter is because the responsible majority are following the guidelines.

The number of people who genuinely need to travel to exercise or walk their dog is small. Others just prefer to and pretend that their want for somewhere nice is some sort of public service. I can think of lots of places near me that I could probably perform mental gymnastics to pretend that it's a reasonable local journey, but the reality is it's unnecessary so I wouldn't do it because an unnecessary journey is unreasonable.

A number of councils and organisations in my area have started blocking access to popular car parks because there's no need for anyone to be driving there, but people are. I totally support them in doing that.

[SpokeTooSoon]

The problem is not the drive - the problem is if u have an accident. You then risk the guy who comes to tow your car away, the police who attend the accident, the paramedics who come to check you out who are flat out anyway and then the hospital staff who have frankly better things to do

The inside of your head just be a worrisome place.

Be careful going down the stairs today - if you fall, you’ll be phoning an ambulance, the driver might crash on the way to yours, he might injure the scientist who was on her way to the lab to collect the only existing cure for Covid. She’s rendered mute by shock and unable to tell the world which drawer of her desk she’s hidden the antidote!!!

[Squiz81]

Well said @LimitIsUp the competitive quarantining and complete lack of common sense has driven me crazy the last few weeks.

[Whoopsmahoot]

The problem is not the drive - the problem is if u have an accident. You then risk the guy who comes to tow your car away, the police who attend the accident, the paramedics who come to check you out who are flat out anyway and then the hospital staff who have frankly better things to do. All because you couldn’t walk from your house. It’s a pain but it’s the sensible thing to do. It’s not for life people, just a short time. Walk from home please.

[vera99]

There are many experts in epidemiology and virology who are highly critical of the lockdown strategy. Few are willing to talk on record. There are public health experts arguing that suppression methods will kill more people than the virus. But they struggle to speak plainly, mostly out of fear of the social media mob. Many economists think it is mad to close down entire national production. But they tiptoe around their message because such opinions are threatening the mood of national cohesion.

www.spectator.co.uk/article/no-lockdown-please-w-re-swedish

[LimitIsUp]

GinnyStrupac - I think travelling locally to exercise over a reasonable distance is what most dog walkers wanted all along.

[GinnyStrupac]

The new police guidance talks about exercising locally and travelling a reasonable distance. It's still not ok to drive outside our own local areas to visit the seaside or the National Parks.

[Inkpaperstars]

Well said @LimitIsUp

Unless guidance has changed in the last few hours, you can drive to exercise. You can. It's just fact. People here might not think you should. But you can.

[LimitIsUp]

Emjaygal - I suggest you read the news. Start with my link. Dear God

[Emjaygal]

Wow. Read the news. Stay at home ! And you cannot drive your car to go for a walk !

[LimitIsUp]

Exactly LolaSmiles

[LimitIsUp]

"Actually I am gloating. I am sick to the back teeth of you lot"

I have to apologise for the confrontational tone of this ^^ - its just that the small minded busy bodies on our village facebook page who live closer to the centre of the village (where there is pavement & a 30 mph limit!) have been hectoring and lecturing the few of us not in their favourable position for the past week (and its rather got to me)

[LolaSmiles]

“Use your judgment and common sense; for example, people will want to exercise locally and may need to travel to do so, we don’t want the public sanctioned for travelling a reasonable distance to exercise"
Excellent.
So they can still keep the seafront car parks closed and block access to car parks near popular walking areas in order to prevent selfish idiots deciding they have to drive there, whilst those few who genuinely do need to be somewhere safer can drive a short distance and remain local.

[LimitIsUp]

Local 'neighbourhood' travel once a day to exercise - for those who can't just walk from the front door isn't going to present a problem. At least it won't in the rural areas of low population density as per my area

[LimitIsUp]

The reason they emphasise that in the briefing is to deter the chancers from driving 30 miles cross country to the seaside.

[babydogandi]

@LimitIsUp did you watch the briefing? I am repeating what was said by the government. In the last day or so the amount of people driving has gone up a fair bit. If you haven't driven all week to go for a walk and now start this is what attributes to the rise in cars on the roads 🤷🏼‍♀️ seems like OP doesn't have your situation at all so not really the same is it

[ErrolTheDragon]

Yes, that's the sort of scenario I was thinking of - short drive to somewhere safe is surely reasonable in that context.

Whereas a longer drive somewhere different because it's prettier or you're bored with your neighbourhood isn't reasonable. I'm getting a little bored with my patch but it serves the purpose so I'm not going to drive anywhere.

[LimitIsUp]

Actually I am gloating. I am sick to the back teeth of you lot

[LimitIsUp]

Not everyone lives in sterile suburbia babydogandi - my front door leads onto a rural road with no pavement and a 60 mph speed limit. I have had 2 near misses whilst walking along there in the past week

I am very confident that the police will now support my 1.5 mile drive to the Forest Common since the Senior Police officer was quoted in the article above as saying this to his constables:

“Use your judgment and common sense; for example, people will want to exercise locally and may need to travel to do so, we don’t want the public sanctioned for travelling a reasonable distance to exercise"

I need to travel to exercise (safely) locally, and now can. So sorry if this upsets the Covid 19 curtain twitchers and Prefects!

[LimitIsUp]

Back down ginghamfish, who died and made you Chief Constable