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Police are pulling over loads of cars in my local town

431 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 26/03/2020 10:15

Stopping people and asking them where they’re going, is it essential, etc. Glad they’re taking it seriously.

And not local to me, but saw this “ticket” on fb. So police saying you can’t drive somewhere to exercise. I know that was being discussed earlier.

Police are pulling over loads of cars in my local town
OP posts:
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7
MrsNoah2020 · 26/03/2020 17:10

The exceptions are you may travel to work, it says nothing about travelling to exercise. So you can't do it

That is clearly not the case, as it would not make sense in the context. The full section on restriction on movement reads:

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living
without reasonable excuse.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need—
(a) to obtain basic necessities, including food and medical supplies for those in the same household (including any pets or animals in the household) or for vulnerable persons and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household, or the household of a vulnerable person, or to obtain money, including from any business listed in Part 3 of Schedule 2;
(b) to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;
(c) to seek medical assistance, including to access any of the services referred to in paragraph 37 or 38 of Schedule 2;
(d) to provide care or assistance, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(a), to a vulnerable person, or to provide emergency assistance;
(e) to donate blood;
(f) to travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living;
(g) to attend a funeral of—
(i) a member of the person’s household,
(ii) a close family member, or
(iii) if no-one within sub-paragraphs (i) or (ii) are attending, a friend;
(h) to fulfil a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;
(i) to access critical public services, including [etc]

All these exceptions to the restriction are likely to involve travel. It doesn't specifically say that you can drive to the supermarket or to donate blood, but obviously you can. (f) is referring to travel during the course of your work, as opposed to commuting, e.g. if you're a district nurse. It doesn't mean that you can''t travel for the other reasons listed..

StrongMama1989 · 26/03/2020 17:13

Thing is, we have groups of teenagers bloody hanging around outside where we live so it would be totally more dangerous for everyone if we went for a walk from home whereas if we drive to a woodland area we aren’t going to see anyone

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 26/03/2020 17:14

So many determined opinions on here this is my problem. I can see that people should not go to public beauty spots where others might go, but for one family to drive to my private land is much much safer than walking in the street. What we are doing is safer and has no risk of meeting anyone

MrsNoah2020 · 26/03/2020 17:16

What we are doing is safer and has no risk of meeting anyone

Exactly. I will obey a law, even one I think is stupid, especially in a time of crisis, in the interests of public order. But I'm not obeying an imaginary law that is stupid.

Smileyoriley · 26/03/2020 17:20

I'm glad they are acting. Most people are behaving responsibly but a small hard of thinking minority are selfish muppets who need to be told

Pigflewpast · 26/03/2020 17:24

What we are doing is safer and has no risk of meeting anyone
Agree, I’ve read the links, thank you for posting pp, nothing there says I cannot drive to a secluded area to walk my dogs. I will continue to do so until I am told with proof, that this is illegal.

herecomesthsun · 26/03/2020 17:24

Lymington Cops
1 hr · Public
PC xxxxxx has been assisting our Response team colleagues today so took the opportunity to visit some of our more remote forest car parks while out and about. A fair few car parks are still busy and though it does appear that most people are adhering to social distancing, travelling to exercise it is still an unnecessary journey. The exercise should be a walk, cycle or run from home not a car park in the forest or at the sea front. We know its sunny and perfect weather for it but this kind of behaviour will not help us to stop this devastating virus. Please stay at home unless you absolutely need to go out. Thank you #flattenthecurve #PC27640

Randomschoolworker19 · 26/03/2020 17:25

@MrsNoah2020

Sensible? We're trying to ease the burden on the NHS and emergency services. If you have a major RTC on the way to your walk you'll need fire fighters to cut you out, police to cordon off the area and make it safe, people to remove your car, paramedics on scene and maybe even a much needed ICU bed and ventilator when you get to hospital.

To put it differently, it would be perfectly legal under normal circumstances for me to go to my local play park and light up a cigarette next to a bunch of toddlers. It's legal.... Just not very nice, pleasant or sensible.

As I said again, quoting the current guidelines like they're so holy and special is moronic. We all know the government intended something else and I suspect they will be quickly changed.... Just like every other time when the fuckwitts haven't listened or been responsible.

cantfixstupid · 26/03/2020 17:29

@StormyClouds

Gosh you are a nasty, bitter person.

You've clearly had a bad experience with some sort of authority. Yes, that happens sometimes. It happens in every walk of life and in every type of job. I've had appalling treatment from shop workers but I don't view them all in the same light because of this.

In these worrying times no-one wants to hear your spitefulness. Let's just try and help each other through all this.

Pigflewpast · 26/03/2020 17:35

Watching tonight’s government update, the minister has just suggested everyone should take up running to become super fit whilst they have time on their hands. Fairly sure that will cause more strain on our NHS than me driving 5 minutes up a road I’ve done every day for years without an accident.
I’m so sick of people being nasty to each other, everyone is just trying to do their best, everyone seems to have different ideas as to what is right, how about we all try being kind instead of nasty

Waspie · 26/03/2020 17:35

I WILL TAKE UP THIS MANTEL TrainspottingWelsh

Oooh sorry, got a bit carried away there. I really won't Grin

StormyClouds needs his/her tin foil hat changing I think. And perhaps a leaf through "The Origins of the Second World War" by AJP Taylor.

UnionistMum · 26/03/2020 17:37

I think the stopping cars is useful to some extent but how would that work in London with all the massive cuts?

Waspie · 26/03/2020 17:39

I actually don't mind ramblers usually; it's just that they were parked on my drive. And everyone knows that a lady's driveway is her castle and I will defend it with every fibre of my being Grin

MrsNoah2020 · 26/03/2020 17:41

Sensible? We're trying to ease the burden on the NHS and emergency services. If you have a major RTC on the way to your walk you'll need fire fighters to cut you out, police to cordon off the area and make it safe, people to remove your car, paramedics on scene and maybe even a much needed ICU bed and ventilator when you get to hospital

As I explained above, it is far more dangerous to cycle than to drive, and driving a short distance for a walk enhances social distancing and reduces risk of pedestrian injury on dangerous roads.

I get that you are having a lovely time, frothing with indignation, but but why not get worked up about behaviours that actually put people at risk, rather than lawful behaviour that improves social distancing and pedestrian safety?

Alsohuman · 26/03/2020 17:50

We all know the government intended something else and I suspect they will be quickly changed....

Well all your crystal balls must be working better than mine because I’m assuming the government means exactly what it said, not what I want it to mean.

inuinnit · 26/03/2020 18:01

People should just be reasonable.

Drive a long way to a secluded and well known beauty spot - dumb.
Driving out of your local area to a rural area for your exercise - not in the spirit and obviously infuriating for locals.
Drive a little way so that you can walk yourself/your dog/your kid in more isolation - reasonable.

"That's what leads to crowds of w*nkers" - again, use your common sense. We drove 5mins to a local wood at the weekend, saw the number of cars and kept on going another 5mins to find a less pretty and deserted one. It's not too hard to avoid those issues.

Feel like some people on mumsnet are frothing at the mouth hoping they bring in stricter lockdown rules like France/Italy so they can be vindicated for their own amazing efforts at staying in or (the lucky ones) only walking through their own 30 acre rural backyard.

It's clear that the government was trying to be a bit more proportionate because they must recognise the long term effects of confinement will be hard on people and will ultimately start to erode these measures if this goes on for a while. Personally I'm not hoping for a stricter lockdown, I think it will be awful for everyone involved and I'm glad they've tried to keep some semblance of freedom to go outside in their measures.

I'm pretty sure that the people you see deliberately flouting the rules now and going around in massive groups etc are the ones who don't care about breaking the rules, and aren't the ones earnestly asking if it's ok on mumsnet.

TrainspottingWelsh · 26/03/2020 18:02

So mrsnoah can't drive here for instance, but it's ok for what must average at every household here to do the same journey in reverse for essentials once a week? Or did I miss the legislation that prioritised rural communities for food and prescription deliveries? Surely they would have mentioned that if the risk of burdening the nhs with a short drive was so high.

Let's be realistic, anyone that's working in the nhs, care, schools, supermarkets etc are far more likely to be carrying it than anyone else, isolated spots are the ideal place for them to exercise. Or maybe we should ban them on masse from going anywhere but work so we can sit at home and preen about our superior dedication compared to someone that merely works in the nhs.

Lollygaggles · 26/03/2020 18:06

I live in this authority and at the weekend apparently (I don't know as I stayed in the house) loads of tourists came in to use the beaches. As a result, the police have closed 9 coastal car parks and I really hope the out-of-townies stay away. We have an ageing demographic here. It's a place many people come to retire and our Drs and hospitals are busy enough.

DCOkeford · 26/03/2020 18:12

I'm with you @StormyClouds

A lot of people are very naive when it comes to civil liberties, believing that the State is some sort of benevolent, benign entity.

I'm honestly shocked at how easily people have agreed to give up their liberty.

These policies tend to be a one way street too - all this emergency legislation will remain in place once this is over, the State will be able to invoke it at will forevermore.

MrsNoah2020 · 26/03/2020 18:17

Totally agree lollygaggles. We should be stopping people travelling to beauty spots etc. But not stopping locals driving a couple of miles to a secluded field.

MrsNoah2020 · 26/03/2020 18:17

TrainspottingWelsh Did you mean me? I think we're in complete agreement.

Parker231 · 26/03/2020 18:23

@DCOkeford - what do you suggest? Members of the public aren’t following the regulations and are risking the health of everyone else.

I’m not concerned by the level of restrictions in order to prevent mass deaths.

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