While driving to exercise might be unwise it is not prohibited by emergency legislation--new guidance for police.

[BreathlessCommotion]

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

They don't make the laws they make people abide by them

@changename5000, the issue at the moment is that the police aren't enforcing the law, they're enforcing government guidelines as if they were written into law. But they're not. Thats how the police are overstepping.

I'm sure most officers aren't trying to abuse the powers and are trying their best to do an already challenging job in an extremely challenging time where the situation is developing daily. But while the police can advise the public on the latest government guidance, they shouldn't be issuing legal sanctions for non-crimes.

That is the inconveniences for farmers, other key workers are wresting with far bigger issues. Oh! I was only joking about CORVID Top Trumps!

That has to be the most ridiculous thing I have read on here!

I think farmers and landowners need to think ahead too. I for one won’t be buying local when all this is over if walkers are abused and drawbridges are pulled up. So far in our area this hasn’t happened and we’re seeing the reverse- friendly owners happy to share. I hope it stays that way otherwise you can forget me frequenting farm shops and cafes in the future.

@CuriousaboutSamphire oh bless you. It’s Covid not Corvid

So sweet! There there

@Lem0nandg1nger same here thank goodness. All supporting each other. The way it should be

Wouldn’t want to die feeling bitter at everyone & anyone.

CORVID - Crow Flu.

MN joke from a while back!

All supporting each other? Seems not to include farmers....

*The BMC have advised against hill walking and climbing during this time, not because their members are incompetent but because it's about the spirit of the guidance and it's not following the guidelines to make non-essential journeys to drive places for a walk.
*

I think that guidance is more to do with a greater risk of injury while climbing. You could live at the foot of the mountain you wanted to climb...they still don't want you do climb it.

Oh I’m not that old apologies

I do support farmers. But some farmers don’t seem to understand the risks other key workers face (especially as some don’t have basic PPE). And can’t do their job while socially distancing (such as nursing).

But never mind. I’m off for a walk

Have a nice walk.

But some farmers don’t seem to understand the risks other key workers face (especially as some don’t have basic PPE). And can’t do their job while socially distancing (such as nursing).

There is no direct comparison.

Nurses nurse, lives at immediate risk

Farmers farm - provide food for us all later in the year.

Different but of equal importance. All requiring second and third thoughts at the moment.

I think that guidance is more to do with a greater risk of injury while climbing. You could live at the foot of the mountain you wanted to climb...they still don't want you do climb it

No it isn't.

They say:
The BMC advice to all climbers and hill walkers is now simple: climbing and hill walking are not activities requiring essential travel. Stay local, and put your climbing and hillwalking on hold. This applies to all types of climbing and mountain activities, from bouldering to ski mountaineering
Elfyn Jones, BMC access officer and member of Llanberis Mountain Rescue said:
“There's been a lot of talk about justifying why we can still climb or hill-walk safely within our capabilities and that, somehow, we can do this without affecting anyone else or impacting spread of the virus. The simple fact is - we can't. Please stop.

“Stay in your home area. We all owe it to everyone else to do everything we can to help stop or at least delay the spread of this disaster. Please put climbing, mountaineering and hill walking on hold until it's safe to do so.”

They're rightly pointing out that nobody needs to drive places for a nice walk so don't do it.

This thread had me laughing my tits off

Well that BMC advice does seem to be saying don't climb or hill walk at all, but doesn't cover the people who literally live at the foot of a mountain, eg in Llanberis and can walk out of their front door and up Snowdon.

Are they allowed to do this or not? It's their local area, not a particulary adventurous walk for an experienced hillwalker and doesn't require a car.

@turkeyontheplate
"frothing?" Really. One of the problems is (virus aside) is that many people come to the countryside without understanding it is not a leisure park, it is a work place. In my area it is quite shocking how many "professional" dog walkers appear with 5 or 6 dogs , many off lead. They run as a pack. Many many dog owners have not trained their dogs adequately and do not keep them on a lead near livestock. This is not "townies" This is irresponsible dog owners. Lets aim for less tribalism. Its the behaviour, not the person

Sorry, @LolaSmiles not sure of your info. source. I have been watching the debate, which has been going on all over the place, about driving to walk or in my case walk the dog with interest. i am gobsmacked really at people's reactions and can't believe people's interpretation of government guidelines. Driving a short distance to walk away from crowds seems quite sensible. Now that they will be put into law we will get some clarity.

Police should be putting their efforts into dispersing groups of individuals usually the young or perhaps deploying more police into actually dealing following up calls about contraventions. Although, of course, this is quite scary and brings to mind a Police state. However, they seem to be putting huge efforts into driving into the countryside, probably having a lovely time, to disperse walkers. i thought it was disgusting the time and effort/money put into dying the water of a local beauty spot black!!!

The dying the water incident does seem particularly sinister, the message seems to be: we are prepared to spoil a beauty Spot just to punish you, we will stop at nothing, the ends justify the means etc

That 'blue lagoon' is a dangerous quarry. It gets dyed often to stop people swimming in it, it is not safe, the water is, essentially, poisonous.

The pictures are just headline grabbing. There is far more to the story than that!

The biggest risk I pose to the NHS is from suicide I do not say that lightly. I actually do cycle, but have mostly stopped due to the greater risk of serious injury, than say running or walking.

For me the issue being able to find some space, outside, alone for a period each day. I don't run to be slim (I'm not!), not really for the physical health. For me it is like a form of meditation that I haven't been able to find in any other sort of exercise.

I'm not managing at all well with the current situation. I have a husband I was going to separate from, who I'm now locked up with 24/7, a child with ASD who is not coping and another child to educate and I'm trying to work from home too.

Logic and common sense tell me that going out once a day with dog/and or children and then once in my own (every other day) is in the spirit of the legislation and guidance.

But according to many I am selfish, entitled and my family don't deserve a ventilator if they get ill. That's why I'm glad of this clarification.

BarbaraofSeville
I'm not sure what their advice on that would be specifically. Given they're concerned about mountain rescue being thin on the ground as well I'd imagine when they're telling everyone to avoid it then that would also be included.

To be perfectly honest though, it's unlikely that competent walkers and climbers will be irresponsible and selfish because most of them will probably take the guidance on board and listen to the BMC. They know they can, and will, go for many lovely walks once this is over.

I'd be willing to bet most people suddenly decideding they want to walk in the country are people who don't normally walk much, know the guidelines on avoiding non-essential travel but have decided that their family and their dogs are the exception so they'll drive up someone where nice, park up, go for a wander and maybe call in at the village shop to do a top up shop as they're already out. They'll then justify this because they might have seen someone on the other side of the road at home so going for a drive was public service, and topping up their fridge from the village shop was also a public service because they're now not going to the shop near home.

Astressie
I agree on dying the water black. It was petty.

You know that for a fact Lola

I think op that there are many people who are struggling now. They could all, I'm sure, find reasons why the new rules don't apply to them and could argue that them just doing X isn't that a big of a deal, which, if it's just them doing it then it probably isn't a big deal. The problems occur when everyone starts doing X, and why shouldn't they?

People on MN have been arguing that they don't have to abide by anything apart from the law. Which therefore means that anyone who chooses to can drive around the country, can visit wherever they like, can go out as many times a day as they like for as long as they like. Shall we all do it then?

I'm desperate to see my children who live 70 miles away and I know that my parents are too so apparently nothing in law stopping us all from driving down there and waving at each other in the city centre is there, as long as we maintain social distancing? Of course, we live in London which is the epicentre in the UK and no doubt will go into a shop or at least toilets while we are down there, possibly passing it on if we have it, but it's not against the law right, so it's fine according to some on MN.

By the way we won't be doing it - I'm shielding and we know that we have a collective responsibility to do the right thing, even if apparently the law doesn't reflect that.

But the water is routinely dyed black to stop people swimming in beautiful but poisonous water.

It would be bloody cold at this time of year too, so a high chance of someone getting into difficulties if there's unseasonably warm weather that makes people think they should go open water swimming.

If the EU is the upholder of liberal democracy it says it is, Hungary should be expelled after Orban has been given unlimited power of decree.

Here we go again.< yawn> Nobody was proclaiming their rights to break rules. They were following rules.

Lem0nandg1nger

It really depends if you are talking about the rules or the law.

I've seen lots on MN saying that they are breaking the rules, because they aren't law.

Lots of people are struggling yes. But it sounds like you are saying that my suicidal thoughts and plans are less important than the greater good?

I'm not asking to do what I want or even drive somewhere. I'm looking at my circumstances, my local area (low population) and making a common sense decision, still within the legislation. I don't think you driving somewhere to wave at someone fits that criteria. Because you yourself have highlighted the inherent risks.