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Original poster

Can I drive 5 miles to walk in the woods?

805 replies

R2221 · 23/03/2020 22:12

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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Astressie · 23/03/2020 23:22

Goodness gracious what a fuss. You are less likely to catch/ pass a virus in isolated place. You are not going to spread it by driving along. You are allowed to go out once a day for exercise. Very simple. Calm down with the entitled, selfish talk. Anyone else on here has the same option to take their exercise in a wood they have to drive to.

laughinglettuce · 23/03/2020 23:23

No!

  1. It's a non-essential journey.
  2. If you have an accident, you are a burden on an already over stretched NHS.
  3. Most RTAs happen on rural roads.

www.brake.org.uk/media-centre/1996-steer-clear-of-risky-rural-roads-to-help-our-nhs-workers-warns-road-safety-charity

SisterSist3r · 23/03/2020 23:23

No not a day trip an hours trip max.

No not popping out for biscuits as it was clear you should shop for food as little as possible so we do a weekly shop. The reason for the gov’s emphasis on this was that shops are full of people, the woods we use aren’t.

purplewolfie · 23/03/2020 23:23

Go for a walk not a drive. Just a walk.

Yester · 23/03/2020 23:25

My local.park is very busy (big city) surely for my exercise of the day me driving to the much quieter woods is safer.?

BreconBeBuggered · 23/03/2020 23:26

Depends where you live, surely? I live in a very rural part of the country and the dog is normally walked in woods a similar distance away, OP. It's not a tourist trap or a park; we choose that location specifically because it's isolated and we rarely see anyone out there.
I'm as law-abiding as the next sanctimonious person, but I'd want a bloody good reason why it's better to exercise myself and the dog around a housing estate than somewhere much much quieter.
If nobody can go out for exercise, that's another matter.

mummmy2017 · 23/03/2020 23:27

Well done OP. All exercise is cancelled by Wednesday morning. All dogs will have to stay in. We will have to prove we are going shopping. All because you want a walk in the woods, commonly knows as a day out.

SisterSist3r · 23/03/2020 23:27

Would like to add many of the heaving pictures of people congregating were in areas people had walked to.

Falacy · 23/03/2020 23:28

All the people saying no, what are u doing for your daily exercise?

I take my dog across the street to the field for the toilet.

I did my exercise in a gym before Coronavirus so now I do squats / planks / situps on my living room floor.

I let my kids turn the living room into an obstacle course (we've been "locked down" for over a week now).

If they really wanted to get out for a walk I'd take them a walk around the estate. I barely see a soul when I take the dog out. Probably all those people driving in cars to exercise 🤷🏻‍♀️

GiantRedPanda · 23/03/2020 23:29

The OP IS following the rules.

The OP is trying to find loopholes. Technically maybe following the letter of the rules but also blatantly undermining the spirit of the rules.

Im gonna really miss my brother while we are in this situation. I live alone and see him multiple times per week because I'm lonely. But, now, I won't see him. I won't try to find a way around it by "accidentally" seeing each other on a walk and being two people together so unlikely to attract police attention. Because this is bloody serious and trying to find loopholes (which absolutely exist) will simply cost lives.

Lumene · 23/03/2020 23:29

Of course, as long as no one who doesn’t live with you is in the car

SisterSist3r · 23/03/2020 23:29

Very much doubt it mummy.

A lone family walking in empty woods will not cause a lockdown. Hoards of people congregating anywhere will. She’s more likely to cause a lockdown adding to foot traffic in her busy town.

morriseysquif · 23/03/2020 23:30

Yes, better than bumping into lots of people going for a daily walk round the block and it'll keep you same.

LittleRootie · 23/03/2020 23:30

It's fine OP and I will be doing the same. The virus is not being spread by people walking alone in the woods. Exercise is essential for physical and mental health as the Gov have acknowledged.

Lumene · 23/03/2020 23:30

How is it a ‘loophole’? The OP would be observing social distancing and following the rules.

AuldAlliance · 23/03/2020 23:31

No.
If you drive, there is an increased risk, however small, of road accidents and hospital resources are urgently needed for things other than RTAs involving people who needed to "go to the woods".
It's not essential. Yes, getting exercise is essential, but driving to the woods is not. People are exercising in their living rooms, on their balconies, etc.
You'll find that once lockdown starts, there won"t be hordes in the streets, so you can go for a quick walk w/o worrying about being too close to others.
Some of us in other countries have been under lockdown for a week or more and it wasn't clear what was possible or not.
It's been made clear in France: it's 1hr max of exercise daily, within 1km of your home

AbsentmindedWoman · 23/03/2020 23:31

All the people saying no, what are u doing for your daily exercise?

Yoga in my living room.

Desperate to go out for a walk in local park, but if I do will get up at the crack of dawn and go then to avoid others.

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 23/03/2020 23:33

I'm expecting to see a nation of athletes and next to no overweight or obese people after all this dies down, you know, what will all the exercise they need to do.

What applies in Spain and Italy is exactly what's needed here because no one thinks he/she should be compromised for national safety or even their own.

Saitama · 23/03/2020 23:33

What about walking dogs? I live in the middle of busy streets and have 4 large dogs. I can’t walk them there. Normally we drive 10 min to a park/trail/forest and walk them there. I can’t not walk my dogs for 3 weeks!

Falacy · 23/03/2020 23:34

A lone family walking in empty woods will not cause a lockdown.

Still not getting the point.

If loads of people did this, the roads would be visibly busy. Doesn't matter if they're going to a deserted area, or a densely populated area, or to care for a vulnerable relative, or to the supermarket for an essential shop, or to a keyworker job.

The roads will be visibly busy.

With everyone working from home (who would usually be locked away in offices at 1pm) now deciding to drive out of the town and into the sticks to "isolated" places.... the roads are going to LOOK BUSY.

It's basically exactly what happened at the weekend. Places looked even busier than they usually would be. "It looked like a Bank holiday weekend"

It doesn't matter that everyone was technically following the rules because they were with their households and taking their allowed exercise.

The result is tighter measures.

How anyone cannot work this out by now is beyond me.

STAY AT HOME

Justwondered90901 · 23/03/2020 23:34

No its non essential. Even the national trust have announced they've closed their car parks to prevent people from travelling to their parks to do their exercise. It isn't worth it, there are so many variables.

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 23/03/2020 23:35

what are u doing for your daily exercise?

YouTube vids. I'm astonished at how many people with such high BMIs there are in the UK considering how they all do daily exercise. Hmm

GiantRedPanda · 23/03/2020 23:36

How is it a ‘loophole’? The OP would be observing social distancing and following the rules.

We all understand the point of the new rules. We stop, immediately, any non-essential contact with other people and try, as best we can, to reduce the pressure on critical care services within the nhs. The message is clear - stay home, stay safe. If you don't want to do your bit in that, fine. But it makes you a dick.

If these rules are loopholed into insignificance the government will introduce more serious measures. I'd prefer we all just stick to the sprit of the law, but whatever. We can go for full-on police and army on the streets if necessary.

Thekindofwindowsfaceslookinat · 23/03/2020 23:37

I think what this and all the other threads prove is that we need more guidance.

Everyone's interpreting it differently. We are allowed to exercise. 50 miles cycle ride? 2-mile dog walk? Short drive to somewhere less populated to be safer?

We haven't been told to dash quickly around the block wherever we are and be back in 20 minutes. Some people can't do that.

We're all a bit panicked and as usual, there's a shit-ton of lashing out. I haven't seen anyone suggest anything stupid here. The OP sounds sensible.

We have to apply common sense sometimes, in the absence of further guidance and perimeters.

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 23/03/2020 23:37

One person jumping in their car to go for a walk miles away is not really fair and you would have to make separate journeys if everyone in the household wanted to do it anyway

No, Boris clearly said you could exercise with members of your own household.

“Non-essential travel” refers to multi-day trips.

Being in the car will not spread the virus.

Of course it’s alright, as long as you stay 2m away from anyone you see when you are walking and leave if not possible to do this.

The hysteria and bossiness on here!