Police are pulling over loads of cars in my local town

[VivaLeBeaver]

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.

Bibibirdie Being polite doesn't help much
What I learned early on is never argue with them; doesn't matter if they are totally wrong

Exactly, same with custom's officials. Just comply (other than admit offences you haven't done of course in which case you need a solicitor if you might be going to get a criminal record)

In London, unless you go to a shop, it feels fairly normal. People are out, buses running and no police around (normally hard to find them...)

Azenor
@Azenor
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57m
"Police fined a bakery boss £80 for criminal damage after she put temporary lines outside her shop."

"The officer told the woman that she had graffitied the pavement and if police failed to punish crimes like these there would be 'anarchy"

I am very mc and have never been treated with kid gloves by anyone

Same in outer London fairy normal, except many fewer cars and about 10x as many people out on walks as I have ever seen in my life on local roads. I have not seen a single policeman this week although I have not been far from home. I just went to a garage local shop and it was not busy - one person and I were in the queue and Tesco had a new plastic glass over the counter and some signs in the very small shop about keeping distance. No eggs but I have 6 left and I don't need those to live. It's not a big deal.

People might want to print out this and put it in their handbag when going out as it is the list of why you are allowed to be out from the new law - www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/regulation/6/made

I am perhapsas muchconcerned by the number of MNetters actively falling over themselves to unquestioningly give away their liberty
Same here. Theres a lot on Facebook and here asking if they should report some minor infringement.

Police are representative of the whole of us. Good, bad, useless, stupid, clever etc.
Even I know some of them will be assholes for the sake of it.
And others will be kind.
I'm as supportive as the next person, but I'm not niave, they still only police with our consent.

Clearly there is an urgent needs for reading and interpreting the new legislation (including a clear message that of police act beyond the scope of their powers they are acting illegally). People also need to start complaining when they are mistreated. I was sent a link about a former police chief calling for police being given tasers and some kind of baton something to use. I’m not sure why he’s a former police chief (I wonder whether he did something mad) but if someone who once held senior positions can think something like that I don’t have much faith in your average PC just at the moment.

Thanks, Xenia.

The quicker the police clamp down on idiots still gathering in groups

Which is what they should be doing, not having a go at women (and it will be women) walking along the road on their own talking to their husbands on their phones and carrying a bag of shopping.

Ireland are extending their lockdown arrangements and people will also be allowed out for brief exercise within 2km of their own home,

Some of the new rules make no sense at all. It seems the authorities have more than one agenda. I can walk around my city, past dozens of people; but I'm not allowed to drive to an isolated spot for a walk in the countryside? How does that work exactly when trying to stop the spread? Something smells fishy.

I am starting to panic about all of this and its implications. I know lockdown has good motives at heart, but my God its scary. People have politely raised queries on a facebook page run by the New Forest Police and the visceral reaction of some posters to this is quite something. In Nazi Germany they would have been the informers, or perhaps the collaborators in occupied France - unquestioning obedience to authority. I am not drawing direct parallels with our lockdown & Nazi Germany since the intention of lockdown is benign and to contain the spread of Covid 19, I just find it alarming how many people will just do as they are told without even questioning it, and seem to be chomping at the bit to dob people in (as per the 'my neighbour's just taking his car off his drive, come and stop him' mentioned by Michelleoftheresistance above).

But we've had the opportunity to manage this ourselves and people just wouldn't comply so what else can the government do?

I can walk around my city, past dozens of people; but I'm not allowed to drive to an isolated spot for a walk in the countryside? How does that work exactly when trying to stop the spread? Something smells fishy

Because when they move in with their armored cars and tanks and guns, there won't be a resistance already built up in the countryside and it's easy pickings.

It doesn't smell fishy at all. The places people want to drive to are likely to be popular. If everyone starts doing it, they're going to be busy. Driving means accidents. Accidents means additional pressure on the health service and police. Driving means going to get fuel, handling petrol nozzles, money. Potentially taking virus from one area to another.

It's just not essential travel. They can't legislate for every single situation - people just have to use a bit of common sense, I guess, and stop trying to look for loopholes or different interpretations so that they can do the things they want to do. Things we'd all like to do, but can't.

Wake up and realise everyone has to make sacrifices. This is a global pandemic and people are whinging they can't drive to have a walk.... Beggar's belief....

This. Also, all the people saying their local roads are too busy for walking - why? Aren't people supposed to be making essential journeys only? I'm not in the UK, but I heard on the radio here the comment "Don't follow in the UK's footsteps, take the lock-down seriously". After reading many of the comments on MN I can see why they made that comment!

Limitisup - its not that people are just doing what they're told, its that they're making stuff up! Ive already seen posts from dickheads who are deciding what is or isn't essential food and telling people off for going out to buy milk!

Why are local roads busy? If you look at the list on the link I posted loads of people are and are expected to work. the NHS is the 4th biggest employer on the planet. Even in our family my son drives a grocery delivery truck so he drives to and from work every day from his house. Others are driving to care for a relative - permitted and indeed expected under the rules. Plenty are allowed to work - the list just tells shops to close and even restaurants can now serve take away food, but many many other businesses are not shops and are allowed to operate and we need them and their tax revenue. The list allows people to move house for example where reasonable.

Quite chilly and windy here today and a bit grey, (E. Midlands) hung washing out and it was not that nice and hope the weather may at least keep some people indoors today unless you have to walk the dog. I suspect supermarkets will be busier though as some are still working all week

I was pulled over a couple of days ago

I was on my way back from seeing to my horses. I take the dog up with me and she has a blast around the horses’ secure paddock while I poo pick

He was quite aggressive to start with, told me that tending to them wasn’t on the official government list so it wasn’t allowed. I did argue with him and he eventually backed down, although he insisted I’m not allowed to take the dog up with me anymore

Why not that is ridiculous, kill 2 birds with one stone? Reduces journeys. I’d carry on. Are horses supposed to die?

Tending to pets animals and livestock is most definitely allowed. The police are being dicks over this

Mike Leigh could make a fantastic film about this Pandemic...young love trying to reunite in the dead of night, neighbours on patrol, corrupt Police - a filmaker's dream.

@Songofsixpence Did he think you were supposed to abandon them to suffer and/or die? What about the Animal Welfare Act?!