This lockdown really has brought out the power hungry little men

[Tibola]

Give someone a high vis and an ID badge and suddenly you’ve got a mini village dictator on your hands.

I give you the parish council. Headed by a man who has taken it upon himself to “patrol” the village looking for rule breakers. He likes to talk about his patrol a lot on FB. Two day’s ago they were given ID badges by the POLICE so people would know they were from the village response team when they dropped food parcels.

He mentioned the ID badges 57372772 times (with pics) and then refused them to anyone who wasn’t “frontline village response”. His patrol involves questioning why people are out of their houses. And watching for suspicious people. And generally walking around in a high vis.

Little fucking goblin (sorry I’ve had a hard day)

@Notdonna some police officers chastising shopkeepers for selling Easter Eggs as they’re non-essential items www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN21I0PS

It’s quite interesting that those who are witnessing “rule breaking” seem to be out and about quite a lot.

This same point was made on our local FB page when a photo of some teenagers sat together on a field emerged. First comment: "is taking photos part of your exercise or food shopping?"

It's really enlightening isn't it, how quick some people are to turn on others. I'm fascinated by it. I can see in some ways how a degree of peer pressure can be helpful and make people think twice, but it's when it tips over that barely perceptible edge that it's frightening.

I'm torn between ignoring the crazy or countering it, because doing nothing is well documented as tacit approval of bully boy/girl tactics but it's bloody draining to point out how wrong some people have it. If I see one more time that you can only go to 'essential' work - even on the BBC news last night so I went and checked the guidelines incase it had changed, but no it hadn't. If the bloody BBC get it wrong what hope do we have talking down these power grabbing goblins?

It's the fact that the self appointed enforcers spend all their energy on people who aren't doing anything wrong that is so worrying. Bet none of them have the balls to go and tackle the gangs of teenagers drinking in parks, but they're more than happy to torment the exhausted single mother who has no choice but to take her kids with her when she goes food shopping.

So funny, you've got to laugh at them really, it's like a plot from midsummer murders. We've got a few like it round here, they are absolutely loving this entire situation plus they have a captive (literally) audience now. Previously they were simply ignored!

@SpeckledFrogsLog Bizarrely having SIL’s three is making it easier than just having my lot. Her three age with my three youngest and it’s still a novelty so DS2 and DN are keeping each other amused, DD3 and DN2 etc.

The teens are just revelling in being allowed to be in bed later and watching a lot of Netflix (as long as their school work is done, they eat dinner with us and they’re nice to each other we’re not being overly ordered with them just now as they are properly spooked).

We lost FIL at Christmas time after several years with dementia. MIL has been utterly lost, but has got her determination back with this. She’s sorting breakfast for the little ones just now.

However it is early days! Give it until week 3 and I’ll probably be a crying wreck. At some point SIL’s 3 are going to stop feeling like they’re on holiday and will really start missing their Mum. They’re used to a week away in the school holidays, and odd nights because of her job, but this will kick in hard at some point

It's the local council where I am, closing every park and car park where anyone could possibly go for a walk. They've been told over and over that 's not sensible to squeeze people into smaller and smaller spaces, and walking in woodland is better than walking close to others on a pavement, but of course they won't listen because local government doesn't listen to its council tax payers at the best of times.

And the MOD is using the opportunity to fence off more of "their" land, too.

We have one - ours is a woman - on a local Facebook page who posts 'The Rules' every night to remind us before bedtime. Followed by 'Stay Safe Folks'. In my mind I replace it with a cheery 'That's All Folks' and have a little giggle. Some of these people are bonkers.

It’s quite interesting that those who are witnessing “rule breaking” seem to be out and about quite a lot

Yes I made the mistake of joining a local FB group (might leave it again) where someone was talking about us tracking the death rate in Italy and saying "but people are not listening". Well how do you know if you are staying at home as instructed? I went out for a run yesterday and everyone was social distancing.

I love ‘frontline village response’

I just saw a brilliant Hunsnetter proudly reporting her DH wanted to pop to the shop for some crisps and she told him he was welcome to risk his own life but not their families and if he went out, he would be locked out and unable to return.

And that's her DH imagine giving that one a clipboard and a hi vis

I've often thought that some mumsnetters would feel right at home in Nazi Germany, but have never dared point it out before

Is taking photos part of your daily exercise or shopping?

Brilliant that is pure genius reply. I think people should start replying to that to every busy body.

Not just felt right at home, would have set it up! It's always been the same, identify a group/s, tell the masses they are a threat to them in some way and people are falling over themselves to report their neighbours and thinking they can shout over the fence at 89 year old Doreen that her son shouldn't be coming into her house.

This sort of behaviour isnt new though. It's ride through society and always has been.

Plenty of different 'groups' have always been made out to be a risk to the locals.

Recently it's been kids (especially boys) wearing hoodies up. They are all gang members of course, carrying knives and would stab you at the slightest look their way in the wrong direction.
Every group of teens hanging around with a body was trouble. Pictures taken and put on FB. What are they doing?

Locally to me there was one that blew up. Group of 5 teen lads hanging around near to outside a McDonald's and a bike was stolen from there 20 minutes later. Maccy ds stupidly released the cctv picture to the parents of the boy who's bike was stolen. They then used the clearer picture which had 2 boys faces in and plastered it everywhere asking for identities.

The problem? One of the lads in the picture had been in the leisure centre training 5 minutes after the picture was taken. He'd been on his way to training when he'd seen a friend and stopped to say hello. He trained 6 times a week and was a dedicated child who became national champion a few months later.
By the time the parents could correct the absolute bitch who'd smeared his name and have her retract her statement and apologise it had already spread as she'd posted publicly.

So it's not just power that is dangerous imo but rather people thinking they have power over others which doesn't make them consider they have a right to privacy.

My local FB group had people calling for the army to be out on the streets the other day. For a small quiet town where hardly anyone’s out now and everyone that is seems to be keeping their distance appropriately.

Every group of teens hanging around with a body was trouble.

Well...
It does sound a bit "Weekend at Bernie's"

We have one (or several) too.

Took a photo of me and DS sat on a bench by the pond (from a distance but it was definitely us) castigating people out for pleasure walks. Posted it on our local FB group.

1. We hadn’t left the house for days prior to that.
2. DS who is Autistic was having a panic attack and needed to sit down.

So yes we were looking at the ducks and the ducklings...it helped calm DS down.

I pointed this out and he deleted it rapidly without any word of apology.

Definitely brings out the worst in people

I have to say, from seeing some of the behaviour there is around, you can see how the Nazis and Stasi did so well. Some people are way too eager to start throwing their weight around. Women as well as men.

Mars yes! That was an unfortunate typo

We have one of these in our town. Funny thing is I used to work with his wife and she always made him out to be a right bumbling prat. ‘Oh you’ll never guess what John’s(not his real name) done now?’ Followed my an eye roll, lots of DIY disasters and Once he even managed to set their kitchen on fire.

I think he’s like a real life Victor Meldrew.

God, the busy body, nosey, haven't got anything better to do, just doing it for the good of humanity, high off the power, circle jerk of people passing judgement on everyone else's every. single. decision is going to drive me crazy.

Actual, Michael Douglas in Falling Down crazy.

I am one more post away from screaming obscenities back at every person who calls someone "unbelievably selfish" or a "fucking twat" for buying a bar of chocolate or daring to admit they are finding any part of this fuck-show of a situation difficult.

People who until recently were probably posting treacle-covered memes about being nice and now are prepared to make someone feel less worthy than the shit on their shoe for daring to ask if it's ok to drive their distressed child around to soothe them.

People who berate every single concern because it's not as worthy in their eyes as the virus, despite the fact that they have a posting history of trivial fucking concerns that were being posted as people all over the world died from famine and war and poverty.

People who think their own children's shit doesn't stink but are quite prepared to reply to a FB post about children in groups right now with shit like "they should be slapped silly until they realise how selfish they are being".

Hunsnetters, is about right.

Phew!

Haha, yes if I see teens hanging around with a body I might call police too

The legislation doesn't actually limit anyone to one exercise outing per day

Serious question, as I might have missed something, but is it actually legislation?

Anyway, funny thread.

@VanillaGodzilla, yes, yes, yes.

In particular, this:

People who berate every single concern because it's not as worthy in their eyes as the virus, despite the fact that they have a posting history of trivial fucking concerns that were being posted as people all over the world died from famine and war and poverty.