Where is the risk in going out for country walks?

[OatMilkAddict]

I've been very careful to limit social interaction (apart from food shopping once per week for me and elderly family members isolating elsewhere), but I have been out walking for an hour or two most days since lockdown.
I head on foot to secluded woods and fields where I only rarely see people (and give them a wide berth if I do). I don't touch a thing while I'm out, nor sit down or brush against anything. As soon as I get home, I remove my shoes and wash my hands, phone and keys.
Without being goady, I am curious to hear from the most vehement "stay at home" advocates precisely how my daily walk is going to get me (or anyone else) sick, because I literally don't understand where the risk is!

There are literally hundreds of places near me that you could drive to and never see another person. I think this has proved that there are a lot of people who don't understand how the countryside works. It's not all beauty spots and tourist attractions.

If you don't live in an area you'll be unnecessarily on the roads for a significant amount of time which entails risk. Driving a short way if it avoids a bit that's dangerous or impossible to walk for whatever reason, might be reasonable in some cases.

If you don't live in an area you probably can't make a sensible assessment of how busy it's likely to be, where to park that's both uncrowded and safe. If you do manage to find a deserted path you're more likely to get lost, or discover it's deserted because of the bull, or whatever. Or find that it really wasn't worth the drive to an ordinary bit of countryside to walk on a muddy path with no view.

yes, I think a lot of people hear "walk in the countryside" and think "day trip out to Lake Windermere", rather than "30-minute amble in my local area". There's a lot of countryside, it's very big. We aren't all going to be crowding onto the same footpath if we go out for a walk in it.

Just been out for a run and seen that someone in the village has put loads of signs up telling non locals to stay away!

A few people in this thread have talked about whether canoing is still permitted.

DH canoes and knows a lot of instructors with professional qualifications or are serious paddlers.

They have ALL stopped paddling. This is because of the insurance issues or because if they have an accident they will be putting pressure on the NHS / putting themselves in a position where they might be more likely to catch Covid-19 because they are attending A & E unnecessarily.

There are also issues over which waterway you are using. It depends on the water way which you use. Some (like canals) require you to have a permit to use them. Many people are not aware of this. If you are paddling on one of these without a permit you could be stopped. Normally you might well get away with it, but under the current circumstances you might be challenged. Others have been officially 'closed' by those who run the waterways.

The Canal and River Trust and the Environment Agency have asked boaters to avoid all non-essential travel on their managed waterways. This is the advice that has been put out via Canoe Wales, British Canoeing

www.canoewales.com/covid-19-guidance-for-clubs-and-course-providers

www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2020/british-canoeing-coronavirus-update-on-paddlesport-activity
26th March Update

In addition the canal and river trust have said
"Use of canal tow paths should now be limited"
canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways/coronavirus

So no you SHOULD NOT be canoeing. Even if it does not disrupt anyone else.

At present it does depend on where you, and technically it is something of a grey area, you should be aware that some police forces are being very aggressive over how they are dealing with people who go against guidelines, but you might find that they ARE able to deem what you are doing as non-essential and can not be counted as a form of exercise because the owners / those who are responsible for those waterways have put out advice stating you shouldn't be doing it. If the police did decide to take a hard line against you, you might have a hard time defending yourself, again because those waterways are 'closed' for leisure purposes.

I hope this answers the question one and for all, and that people are now clearer on what the position is with regards to canoeing.

Thanks for that RedToothBrush

Useful re towpaths, that's our local pleasant walk. We didn't go at the weekend because we thought it might be a bit busier than usual (weekday early mornings it's often me and a heron)

Similarly we (British Sub Aqua Club members) have been told to stop all scuba diving so even if you live by the sea and can dive by walking into the sea out of your house with a member of your household it's not sanctioned by BSAC as there's the risk of needing rescue by the coastguard or air ambulance to a decompression chamber.

A new issue is the rise in speeding because the roads are empty.

135mph in a 40mph zone yesterday.

Exercise locally to save risk of accidents in the middle of no where, others having the same idea and hence you are not alone, risks of car accidents. All of which might put additional stress on emergency vehicles. The travelling time would also be part of your time to leave the house to exercise I believe?

Amusingly a woman has just kicked off at DH after he posted on social media that he'd done a 20 mile cycle today.

She ranted at him being irresponsible and how he was disrespecting the NHS as it was non-essential travel.

DH didn't get further away from the house than walking as far as the decking where his bike is hooked up to his computer...

Unsurprisingly, the sailing club I used to belong to is closed - united utilities have closed access to their reservoirs anyway.

It's crazy. So many people are being good!
So many and yet the stasi in some people want us all shackled.
I used to live in a beautiful place. I wouldn't have minded at all seeing lots of people coming there as long as they kept to social distancing

What’s the problem with driving somewhere. We have an electric car so no need to get petrol. I really fancy driving to the next village for a change. I have three little kids and They are getting bored of the same walk. Too young to cycle.

😂

A new issue is the rise in speeding because the roads are empty.

One of the specific reasons for 'closing the lake district' at the weekend was bikers converging at Devils Bridge in Kirby Lonsdale. It's always a magnet for Sunday bikers, but presumably the weekend before they were out in force.

I've also seen cyclists ridiculing people driving to country side near by to walk and yet telling us all they can't help but cover miles because that is the nature of cycling?

There is definitely a rise in speeding in our town, I noticed this last week and DH also commented on it

A new issue is the rise in speeding because the roads are empty.

135mph in a 40mph zone yesterday.

Yes I hope there is a crackdown on this. Lots of idiots near us who think the roads are now a racetrack.

The local paper has reported on a couple of accidents which don't appear to have any apparent explanation other than speed.

What’s the problem with driving somewhere. We have an electric car so no need to get petrol. I really fancy driving to the next village for a change. I have three little kids and They are getting bored of the same walk. Too young to cycle.

North West Tonight reported yesterday that someone was summoned to court for 'driving around cos they were bored' and the police took a dim view of it...

@robinjr2 - no don't. DH Tried to go and have a surf. Alone in an empty sea. He was followed filmed and yelled at. People really are enjoying tring to control others.

North West Tonight reported yesterday that someone was summoned to court for 'driving around cos they were bored' and the police took a dim view of it...

TBH I would be amazed if anything came of it...

amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/mar/30/uk-police-guidelines-coronavirus-lockdown-enforcement-powers-following-criticism-lord-sumption

Lead story on the BBC Breakfast is about the police must be consistent and some forces have been too heavy handed, there seems to be particular mention of a certain police force...

Police near National Parks eg The Lakes, The Peak District will be seen as heavy handed. Police in cities so no handy places to drive to, will be seen as reasonable.

So will it be ok for a few special snowflakes to go to the National Parks to walk? Or will they go to the National Parks get a warning from the police which they ignore and go the next day and the next.

One person's reasonable is another's draconian treatment. Police can't win.

Yes but surely stopping people buying Easter eggs would be the same all over the country.

It seems to be one extreme to the other with different police forces, neither DH or I have seen a policeman for at least 2 weeks and probably won't for the next 2, but we don't really live anywhere nice, just muddy fields and small towns round here. Shame they are not out catching the speeding drivers though.

@cabbageking there is NO time limit on how long you can be out for. I keep seeing this trotted out - it is just not true!

Shame they are not out catching the speeding drivers though.

Last weekend DH was walking along a road when a police car shot by at high speed after some bikers.