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?

The place you travel to doesn't have it. They have fewer ICU beds than your city because they have a smaller residential population, despite your neighbour been older and more vulnerable (on average). You travel there, leave your virus on the door handles, coffee shop worktops etc. Local residents touch those surfaces. Local residents get sick and need hospital care.

Well, I won’t be in a coffee shop because they are not open. And the issue around going to another place with fewer cases is not about using cars in itself, it is about going further away than your local hospital catchment. The car itself may facilitate this, but the risk is created by the length of the journey and the actions you take when you get there. If you are going to a deserted wood, not much more risk created there.

The car itself may facilitate this, but the risk is created by the length of the journey and the actions you take when you get there. If you are going to a deserted wood, not much more risk created there.

I accept the normal risk which comes from living in a rural area. I know my chance of survival of a heart attack is less than the same patient in an inner city. It wouldn't half be nice if city folk understood that without us rural folk you would not have enough flipping food to survive. We all need farmers, and farm labourers, to keep working because without them our food supply would dry up. Every time you drive to a rural area you increase the risk that the virus spreads to the absolutely necessary food production sector.

Rural life is really important. We don't get the hospital care you get. We don't get the school subsidies you get. But without our way of life you would not cope. Put pressure on our health services and we really will run in to trouble. (Well, actually, not me. My family will always be able to ensure I have enough food to survive, without relying on shops - can you say the same?)

Should have called it a daily excuse not daily exercise

"I will. I want to walk in the woods and I will drive to get there."

So abhorrently selfish. Just stay at home. Walk near your home.

What you want doesn't matter more than people's lives.

fairfat40 and if you need petrol? Breakdown? Have an accident in your car or in the woods? All National Park car parks are closed (here at least) so where will you park?

We’re having a corona outbreak here so if you come to our woods you’re sure for a big surprise! Ahh wait til you hear a death rattle, so much fun. Anyway enjoy your walk and being filmed by any locals, something trending on our local twitter page :)

You believe is safer for you. Because you are assuming the local hospital has the ability to care properly for you

If I was to have an accident at the woods, I'd go to my local hospital should I need emergency treatment.

@Pinkarsedfly

Jesus fucking Christ on a crutch. Which bit of ‘stay at home’ is causing the confusion??

The bit that says it's perfectly acceptable to use parks and open spaces for exercise.

If I was to have an accident at the woods, I'd go to my local hospital should I need emergency treatment.

I think we are all going to accept the new normal where our hospitals can't cope the way we would hope. But, yeah, keep trying your out-of-the-way care centre, see how well you'd cope. While spreading the virus to local farm labourers who provide your food. As I said - dick.

Ffs we are permitted to go out once a day to exercise. In order to exercise my dog without having to touch gates etc I have to drive a couple of miles up the road and I will do so, once a day. I'm less at risk by doing that and so is everyone else as I can get straight out of the car and I'll be out for less time, in an isolated place, without touching anything.

Fuck me!

There really are people who just cannot accept they need to STAY THE FUCK HOME as much as possible.

The whole point of the new measures are to minimise everything we do. To minimise contact with others but risk as well. Just accept the fact you'll have to have a walk around the block like everyone else. FFS Just do your bit like everyone else.

I'm sick of people twisting everything to do with this virus to thier own selfish desires not needs.

The only things we should be doing is what we NEED to do. Not what would be nicer/more fun.

Please don't tell me you're also planning on doing a bit of shopping every day to help pass the boredom instead of once a week or when absolutely necessary. Or that you're going to turn it into a great big family outing instead of just one of you going.

Everything we do from now on must be minimised to reduce risk to ourselves and others!

Why the fuck are some people struggling so hard with this??

Ok we all stay home but can someone explain why flights haven’t been grounded for 3 weeks as this was the picture from Heathrow yesterday from a flight that had landed from Thailand. Also flights still arriving from coronavirus hotspots.
Seems utter madness to state no gatherings of more than 2 people allowed and yet this is going on.

If you will not interact with other humans, why not?

Vegas. I agree it's madness but not a reason to not do our bit.

Our ports will be closing very soon (too late imo) judging by the FCO advice earlier tonight to Brits abroad.

I just took a look on the Heathrow arrivals for today and even though a few flights have been cancelled there’s around 20+ flights landing every hour and that’s just Heathrow.
I despair 😩😩😩

I can't believe I'm reading this. No, you can't drive 5 miles to walk in the woods. It involves a non essential journey.

I don't get why people think the rules don't apply to them. I'd much rather drive the 3 miles to my local common and go for my daily walk there. But it's not allowed, so I'll just walk around the streets near my house.

People in Spain aren't allowed to go out and exercise at all. For a month. Please don't let it become like that here because some people won't do what they're being asked to do.

63 flights landing between 6-7am this morning alone at Heathrow so imagine that the rest of the day and week etc. How does Boris justify this?

From the Telegraph...

Walking dogs in quiet areas is unlikely to spread the virus. Robert Dingwall, a professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University and a government adviser on the social dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks, urged common sense, saying: "If you have a dog, take it out for walks – but don't stop to hang out with other dog walkers. If you usually walk down to the local convenience store, keep doing that – just pick a quiet time to do it."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/03/23/government-coronavirus-advice-walk-friends-gp-gym/

Loophole Sallys, are going to find out they get fined by the police.
Because their friends and neighbors, will see them drive off each day and report them.
How does a £10,000 fine sound.
And everyone who knows the OP will laugh at how much the little trip to the woods cost.

The thing is LoopholeSallys (love it) don't actually think they'll get fined. They don't seem to have grasped these measures have been put in for a good reason.

Why not take a picnic whilst your at it! FFS.

What if everyone in a five mile radius took a drive to those woods? You’d find a large collection of morons.

We all need farmers, and farm labourers, to keep working because without them our food supply would dry up.

British farmers don't produce as much of Britain's food as you seem to think. I wish they did.

(Well, actually, not me. My family will always be able to ensure I have enough food to survive, without relying on shops - can you say the same?)

Wish I could. But that's actually a fair bit of privilege showing there. It's not easy for all the people who want to to get to that point. Especially if you can't afford to buy.

(I live rurally also.)

I’m leaving mumsnet. What a twatty place it’s becoming. The way people speak to each other. Yuck. Good luck everyone.

It's a no. The government guidance published yesterday clearly states that 'even when doing these activities you should be minimising time spent outside the home'. If you are driving a round trip of ten miles and then there is the walking time on top, then you are not taking the minimum time to achieve the allowed exception of getting some exercise.

We all need to stay close to home, unlike last weekend and before when selfish fools tripped off to the countryside, seaside, second homes and on holiday. They are the reason we are in lockdown now.

We have been warned that the restrictions will get even tougher if we don't respect the current ones. Personally, I don't fancy that. And I would prefer that the police and army who would be brought in to enforce it were using their time to help us all, especially the vulnerable, not having to stop and arrest or round up selfish fools.

Because if we don't, more people will die.

Is a walk in a certain woods worth all that?

If you were driving the 5 miles to provide essential care to a vulnerable person, then that would be allowed. It's not allowed just because you fancy a nice walk somewhere. No non essential travel means all of us.

No op because obviously that's other people's thought too. Then times that by 50 and you have a gathering.

Think about why we are all having to do this!

By the end of the week, all exercise will be banned including dog walking because of the selfish people going for a drive for their daily walk.