Am I being a complete idiot? Help me see the issue

[quicknamechangearoonie]

My issue is exercise.
The guidance is so bloody murky. Conflicting advice all over the show.
Police in England publicly shaming people for taking their dog a walk in the Peak District.

Now, if these people had "decamped" to their second home in the Peaks, putting unnecessary strain on the shops and resources, fell ill and had to be taken to hospital there (again, putting extra strain on resources that hadn't accounted for these extra numbers), then I certainly see the issue. Also, the potential of bringing the virus with them when they "decamped". Irresponsible and selfish.

Now, sticking the dog in the car with a few sandwiches and drinks and driving say an hour to walk in a massive national park where it would be fairly easy to stay two meters from another person they may encounter, then driving home again.
To me, the likelihood of spreading the virus this way is very low.

1. Your outside
2. You take everything home with you
3. You're unlikely to be touching anything (unless you have to open a gate)
4. It's secluded so your interaction with others is reduced.

If everyone around where I live was to only walk around their streets/area, people would have to stand on the road to allow others to pass and maintain their distance, we're walking beside noisy main roads (I have a 4 year old DD who loves her scooter) and the same route everyday gets very grating.

I could drive for 5/10 minutes to walk in a fairly secluded area with my children where it's safe, a change of scenery and easy to maintain distance. But is this frowned upon?

I'm so confused!!!!!!!

The problem OP is that you are not the only person to think like this and lots of others think the same. If everyone thinking like this goes ahead then the easy to get to places where the whole family can do a relatively short, easy walk will quickly become crowded and social distancing becomes impossible. You only have to see the footage of Brighton and Hove from yesterday. Also Mother's Day weekend outings were what led to the restrictions in the first place.

It's really not confusing or difficult to understand. The govt has clarified you should exercise from home, not drive elsewhere first. Surely that's clear enough for you?

Most kids are up early - go out early when it's less busy.

Is there any evidence that Brighton and Hove had anything other than locals? Any actual evidence?

You may break down
You may be in an accident
You need to go buy petrol
You may need an ambulance to travel to you if they fall.

One post I saw today a lady counter 200 people opening a gate to a park because they thought they were the only ones

It’s not essential you drive for excercise so don’t do it

If your car breaks down you are then putting the rescue services at risk. If you have an accident you put the emergency services at risk, as well as taking them away from other emergency calls.

Is it so bloody difficult for people to understand this.

If everyone's out on the roads there will be more accidents taking up police and ambulance time. People might need the loo or to buy petrol which either brings them into contact with other people or things they have touched. Tiny increases in risk become bigger if lots of people are doing it.

OP - MN is the last place to seek a balanced or kind response. Do what is best for your mental health

JUST. STICK. TO. THE. RULES.

Stop trying to find a 'Loophole' to the exercise rules.
You are NOT more important than anyone else.
The rules DO apply to you.

My point about Brighton and Hove was that the footage has been shown on the news because it was so busy. I'll happily accept everyone out was a local, but it was busy - social distancing will have been difficult to impossible.

The posts about breakdowns and accidents are conjecture. The point is we've been told to exercise from home, not drive somewhere first.

I’m conflicted about this as for people living in built up areas I would have thought it was safer for them to travel to a large open space rather than all walk on the same busy streets but I do accept the point that the more cars on the road the more chances of accidents which puts pressure on the emergency services and the more people using petrol stations.
Having lived by the sea in hove and along that way the problem is that the only place really to walk to which isn’t built up streets is the sea front so of course that’s where people will go otherwise you’re on the busy high street or residential streets where it’s difficult to keep 2m from anyone:

This made the news the other week:

Snowdon and other Welsh mountains have now been shut off to the public because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Snowdonia National Authority Park Authority (SNPA) announced the decision after hundreds of people were spotted walking on the mountains at the weekend.

From now Snowdon, Cader Idris, 'Ogwen' - Y Garn, Glyderau, Tryfan and Cwm Idwal, Aran Benllyn and Aran Fawddwy are closed to the public.

It follows unprecedented scenes at the weekend, with the Pen y Pass car park at Snowdon and nearby roads, jammed with traffic as hikers piled up Snowdon.

This was despite government guidance over social distancing, which urged people to stay at home and not take unnecessary journeys to stop the spread of covid-19.

People trying to find loopholes need to understand that Covid doesn’t give a shit about loopholes. It can infect you even if you are Technically “allowed” to do what you are doing . Without going into too much detail because of a voluntary position I hold I have a letter that allows me to visit a local beauty spot as often as I like for animal care purposes but as I have to drive there I don’t go more than once a week and then on my own (which is technically wrong for safety purposes). I could in theory go every day for some fresh air and a walk and if I was questioned I have authority to be there and proof of that. I doubt Covid would be very interested in seeing my letter of authority.
The less you go out the better

It's for all those reasons. It's a problem of scale. What may be ok for one person to do becomes reckless and dangerous behaviour when you get fifty people doing it.

It actually reminds me of the government advice regarding alcohol in pregnancy. The advice is not to drink any, even though small amounts are safe, because everyone's interpretation of what is 'small' differs so vastly.

The only way to ensure people follow the advice and keep themselves and everyone else safe is to make the rules as clear as possible. You are always going to get people who think 'Well surely what I'm doing is ok' but by making it very clear - don't travel to exercise - most people will follow it.

do what is best for your mental health

What? No! Please don't!
My mental health is taking a battering. Aside from PND I have never had any mental health problems. I am now crying every night and morning. Loud bubbly mummy is now mentally isolated too. Luckily my DP is taking charge of the children and trying to keep things good for them.

What do I need to feel better? To go into a field and scream, to see my best friend, to see my wonderful colleagues. I miss my mum, my dad and sisters with every bit of my heart. I cannot eat...as a size 16 this has never been an issue for me.

Things will get better if people play by the rules. My mental health is seriously low, but I know if I stick to the rules then this shit will end sooner!

I am sick to death of reading the 'loophole' theories!! They remind me of the 'I did it because you didn't tell me I can't' crowds!
My daughter once got hold of paint, I asked her why there was paint all over my walls her reply was 'you didn't say I couldn't get the paint out'
Difference is she was 4 and paint can be cleaned up, you are an adult and the lives put at risk cannot be brought back!

we're walking beside noisy main roads
It wouldn’t be as busy if you stopped driving on it to go for a walk.

Did you ever see that ad campaign: ‘you aren’t in traffic, you are the traffic’?

The posts about breakdowns and accidents are conjecture

Really? My partner is a breakdown mechanic. Why should he have to risk his life rescuing idiots who think the rules are there to be broken. His job should be making sure keyworkers like doctors and nurses can get to work, not fools who get in their cars for unnecessary journeys.

Those posts are conjecture because the posters citing those as reasons not to drive to the countryside, etc to exercise are missing the point. The reason we're told not to is to avoid making places crowded so social distancing cannot be properly observed.

What you describe ie driving for an hour, taking food and drinks is not going out to get exercise. It’s a day out
Exercise by walking round your own neighbourhood. It is busy when you look out the window try a different time of day. Go for an hour, take a bottle of water if you really need to but there should be no need to take food.
Yes you may be finding this hard but why do things that will make it last longer and therefore be harder??

Its not really to the spirit. The spirit isn't 'well I don't see the problem' or ' find ways to fit your needs', it's 'do as little as possible'.

IF that means walking around your block on EXACTLY the same circuit once a day for 12 weeks, so be it. You could, for example, vary it with a different podcast or train for the NHS couch to 5km in 12 weeks.

The only thing near me is a nature reserve, it is about 15 minute walk. I walk there once a week and the rest of the time I pound the street.

A large number of people do not have cars, why is it fair that those with cars get to drive out to places.

When you do you inevitably touch things- gates etc. Now is lambing season, do farmers need to be off with CV, no.

It really cannot be clearer

1. If you go then chances are hundreds of people are thinking the same

1. If you go and are alone then you are being silly because as PPs say you could become ill, stranded, broken down etc. There was someone who had to be rescued from a hill on the news. You never think it will happen to you but as recent news shows it can and does, now is not the time to be testing waters.

I can see it's an emotive topic.

I'm not sure how to answer each post directly (I'm using the app) so I'll try to reply best I can here.

More cars on road = Increased chance of traffic accidents. I get that, it's logical and a fair point.
You may need petrol = I have a half tank. I filled up on my way home from work about two weeks ago and have been working from home ever since.
You could breakdown and need recovered = My car is pretty new (November 2018). It's in great shape. I take onboard the point though, you never know what might be going on under the bonnet.
You may need the loo = I'm one of those annoyingly organised people who always has plasters, painkillers, a phone charger etc. I actually have an emergency potty/toilet thingy in the boot of my car with a miniature bottle of hand sanitiser (all bought before hand sanitiser became as rare as hens teeth!)
(Link below is the one I have)

MultiWare Baby Travel Potty Chair... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07N3PJMV4?ref=ppxpoppmobappshare

You could become injured and need rescued = I could become injured and need an ambulance (which I assume you mean by rescued) on the walk around my house too. I would be going anywhere that would require mountain rescue.

We really are trying our best here. As soon as the risk seemed to be ramping up, I instructed all the staff I manage on a small project to work from home and gave them more admin work to enable them to do so.
We haven't been near our parents except to drop off groceries and essential medications.
We haven't seen friends or family except via FaceTime.
We don't leave the house except to do our daily exercise or for either me or DH to go to the shop for essentials. We haven't been buying compost/plants/decorating supplies etc. Just food, toiletries, medication required.
We haven't been hoarding food. Only buying what we need as we need it.
We haven't ordered anything online so delivery people and posties aren't making unnecessary deliveries.
We pay for a Tesco delivery saver (well tbf it's actually been frozen for the time being) but we haven't used it to allow people who are at risk risk to use the slots.

The poster who referred to us "being the traffic".
My apologies if I was unclear. When we walk around the streets surrounding our house, we have to walk past the main road.

Totally take on board that it's about volumes of people and if everyone did the same, then it wouldn't work.
I by no means, believe me or my family to be special or looking for loopholes or to be exceptions to the rules. I'm just trying to understand the logic and keep me, my family and others safe during this uncertain period!!

Thanks for everyone's replies, some decent points made.

The poster who referred to us "being the traffic".
My apologies if I was unclear. When we walk around the streets surrounding our house, we have to walk past the main road.

Yes, but you will be the traffic when you drive to the countryside for your walk.

You will be the crowds at the countryside walk.

When cars are on the roads and people are outside this won’t be other people, it will be you.

The problem is that others have the same brilliant idea of flocking by car to local beauty spots and social distancing is then impossible.

If you've thought of it - so have dozens of others. If you're relying on them following the rules and staying away so that you can breach them 'safely' then you don't need me to tell you how selfish that would be.

So you are driving an hour from where you live to another area potentially taking COVID with you or taking it from where you visited back home. Have some respect and consideration for others and stay in your own locality which is very kind and thoughtful of you. Ok so potentially but highly unlikely that you might not encounter a single soul on your day out but you might touch a gate, sit on a bench, use a public toilet or just walk in the path of someone ahead who has coughed and this is how this spreads. Everyone should behave like they are already carrying the virus.