People angry at others exercising within the guidelines

[CochonDinde]

Has anyone else seen such behaviour? All day I've seen posts commenting on people 'walking about' and absolute venom spouted at their 'selfish behaviour' as they should be staying at home I'm all for following government guidelines, but this is exactly what these people are doing! Stretching their legs or going for a run. I saw one woman who was foaming at the mouth as apparently she'd seen a cyclist go by - the sheer horror of it!! Am I missing something? I don't get it. Or is it just the (nobhead) mentality of my small town?

I apologise unreservedly.

Duchess. Thank you.

I often go with my kids only very long hikes. Do geocaching etc. This weather is perfect for it. We usually do it most weekends if the weather is nice. If it's not nice we don't. I admit I'm a fair weather outdoor exerciser. Does that mean I can't go out because I won't go out in all weathers?

Some posts are bonkers. And exactly the reason I don't want to go out as a family with all my teenage boys - I'm sure we'd end up on Facebook or Mumsnet being flamed for it, even though we're allowed out as a family household group.

@AlexaAmbidextra - so only “serious/regular” exercisers are allowed out now, in your eyes? Do they need to provide some kind of proof to you that this is not a new pursuit? 😂😂

We were on our bikes today and saw a woman with 3 children on scooters approaching on the pavement. Realising we’d be close to them kerbside, we decided to cross over the pavement onto a grass verge to wait & give plenty of distance. She stopped & said ‘I appreciate that you are giving us space but you should be on the road.’ obviously.

The kicker is that there were pedestrians walking down the middle of the road. We couldn’t do right for doing wrong today. It’s all just gone a bit weird. People know better than everyone else and their high horses are bigger than yours.

so only “serious/regular” exercisers are allowed out now, in your eyes

It’s not a case of me allowing or not allowing people to do anything obviously. It’s obvious though that some are using suddenly discovered ‘exercise’ as an excuse to have a nice time out in a pretty spot. Which I’m sure many would like to do but some are more responsible. Look how thousands were ‘exercising’ at the coast and NT sites last weekend. Hardly fair on the local communities was it? This affects all of us so I’m entitled to disapprove. But let them all crack on because if people continue to flaunt the rules then we’ll end up with even more strict sanctions like other countries.

Flout ffs, not flaunt. 🙄

When I took the dog for my - government approved only one of the day - walk, there were more people than I'd normally see at this time of day including some fairly obviously new joggers. Obviously a bit trickier from a social distancing perspective- but not really that hard more like 12 sets of people in twos or family units, rather than the one or two I normally see.

I think good on them for using their one outing of the day to take an opportunity to try out a new type of exercise. Of course there are more people out as usually these people would be in work, in the same way no wonder we're buying more from the supermarkets when we aren't having lunch and meals out.

People exercising and doing what the government has allowed is very different from throngs of people all parking and walking at the same beauty spot at the weekend. Although I would guess for those folk say working in care homes or stacking the shelves at Tescos, they may wonder why social distancing doesn't seem to apply to them when they have to do their minimum wage job, but does at other times.

I have just arrived home from taking the dog for a walk. I took the same path that I did yesterday. Yesterday there were more people walking the path than I’ve ever seen. Today there were more. Most were abiding by the rule of two people, who live together walking together. Others were people on their own walking the dog, some were mum, dad and their children. Everybody gave everyone a wide berth as they passed. Then I came upon a group of children (aged approx 10-14) SPITTING at people! What is wrong with people? Why are these kids outside in gangs? Where are the parents?? 🤬

Thank you Jenny Harries!!

She just said that if people and whole families are fitter than going into this virus because they use the ‘one a day’ exercise outing to do this, it is a good thing!

Dear God! Just come in from my morning run. Do people truly think that they are special and don’t need to keep the distance or do they just not know what two metres looks like?

Just having a rant. I finished my run just as the crowds started to build along the community towpath. The amount of couples and families who walked all over the path (2.5 m) without regard to 2m. And they were put out when asked to maybe walk single file til I got past (ie. just while they are passing someone).

They seem to expect others to get off the path to the uneven grass to avoid them so they can still walk abreast (just like they normally do in fact, but that is for another time!!!). There is room for people to pass safely on the path of groups keep single file.

It is NOT HARD to do and so simple. And if it means that we can all get out, surely that is a good thing!!!

Sorry rant over. Thanks to all who do the right thing.

Cardiovascular type exercise is essential for the normal and healthy function of the lungs.
I am very grateful that I can still go out running walking or cycling, I have been able to do this whilst sticking to the guidelines, I do not have a car there is no driving to somewhere to do the exercise activity, I'm running to the trails and then running on the trails etc.
From what I can see many people's version of exercise is driving to the local beauty spot and sitting in their car for a period of time I'm happy getting out of the car sitting on a bench eating their sandwiches enjoying the view, then driving home again.
When I cycled to a local nature reserve to ride my bike it was clear from the number of parked cars that most of the people there had driven their cars to get there so those are all unnecessary car journeys surely.
Then again one could argue that cycling is risky and we should not be risking injury when the health service is so overburdened?

I feel there is a certain amount of resentment that people who are into running or cycling (already often considered 'smug' by people who aren't into fitness) now have government permission to indulge themselves.

SPITTING at people
obviously this is very shocking and disturbing perhaps the best response is, without saying anything I'm from a safe distance, to take a few photographs of them?

@Winesalot I also tried to take a walk along the towpath (presumably not the same one!) and people were NOT keeping their distance. It frustrated me so much that I don't think I'll be doing it again any time soon. It's somewhere I walk frequently and is usually fairly quiet but very busy now, which I don't mind, but people just didn't care about the distance thing.. So annoying, now I don't even want to go for a walk.

Yes spitting is now a criminal offence so with a picture and a specimen for DNA if it lands on you for evidence watch out .

All of you agreeing with the op here are the ones who should be ineligible for nhs treatment.

Sorry, did you just say that people deserve to die for following the government's rules?

Jesus christ.

I also tried to take a walk along the towpath

I live very close to a towpath (2 minutes run away) but I just wouldn't bother trying to run or walk along it at the moment, it's a shame as it would be lovely while the weather is so nice. You can't just disappear into the water if someone is coming towards you. At least if you are on the pavement you can walk in the road, or on a grass verge or whatever.

As for exercising within the guidelines people should mind their own beeswax. I'm not sure going out for a 4 hour bike ride is quite in the spirit, but nothing to say you can't. I'll be out this afternoon for a half hour run.

It’s obvious though that some are using suddenly discovered ‘exercise’ as an excuse to have a nice time out in a pretty spot.

People used to go out and have busy social lives. Now that is gone, they need to replace it with something positive so they don't have a total breakdown and MH crisis. Exercise is allowed so people are now going for walks in nature to calm their nerves, improve their mood, and improve their lung function/Vitamin D levels which greatly helps immunity.

How can you not understand this. People are trying to cling onto something positive to do, within the allowed rules, and you are having a go at them for it!

Lucky can you find another route where there are fewer people, even if it's an urban area it's still good for your state of mind to get exercised and it keeps your lungs healthy.
I feel that in these early days of the lockdown people are still trying to to figure things out, I'm not making excuses for people who aren't following the guidelines but over time I feel more will get the message and comply.
Very frustrating but isn't the best thing to set a good example by sticking to the guidelines but keep your temper ....as hard as it is🙈

One could argue that lack of exercise is part of the reason so many of us are are more susceptible to the virus because of underlying health issues, so I feel that Boris is doing a good thing by encouraging people to exercise, he's encouraging us to prioritise our physical health, to make the nation healthier and stronger as a whole.

Vitamin D, better mental health, lower levels of cortisol, improving heart health/lung function and losing weight will probably have a way more positive effect on death rate than if exercise wasn't allowed and we all just sat indoors shrivelling up.

Yes LuckyAmy it can make it difficult particularly if the path is really narrow. I am lucky my towpath is a proper path for cycles and pedestrians and is wide enough.

But I did think if the issue continues next week I will run through the streets instead. Lucky there are plenty of streets around here.

Somebody pipped their horn at me yesterday whilst walking, I'd even made a point of wearing active wear so it was clear I was walking for exercise purposes. It didn't make sense as they themselves were not staying at home, if they were driving for what we're allowed (food shopping, medical needs) then they will have encountered more people at their destination than I did on my walk. The entitlement is ridiculous.