Coronavirus, gardens, 'sunbathing' etc.

[ShootsFruitAndLeaves]

You can legally sunbathe in your private garden all day long. But some people don't have gardens.

There are people complaining on social media to the police about people sunbathing on municipal land. Not large numbers of people, literally two people enjoying the sunshine and minding their own business. There are people replying that they will go out and assault them, etc.

There is in fact no law against sunbathing. It just seems to be bringing out the neighbourhood arseholes to try to enforce non-existent rules. Nobody is going to die because someone went out to the shop and decided to stop to sunbathe on a 16 acre meadow on the way home. Nobody. The 'but 1000 people died today' stuff is not related to that. Keep to your own household, don't mix with other people, don't leave home without a reasonable excuse.

[DeathByBoredom]

Just call it yoga

[P1nkHeartLovesCake]

You can leave your home to

Work
Exercise
Medical need
Food
Care for the vulnerable

What category does sunbathing come under?? It doesn’t because it is not allowed

The longer people do stuff that isn’t on the list to leave your home, the longer this lockdown lasts.

[TiredofSM]

“16 acres is not that large, and nearly everyone will have such a space in walking distance”
Do you honestly believe this OP?
I certainly don’t.

[HainaultViaNewburyPark]

The law is clear that a reasonable excuse to leave your house is:
to avoid injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm.

If being somewhere with no outside space affects your mental health, you are leaving your house to avoid illness. As I said, the police may disagree and ask you to return home - that’s the sanction for not having a reasonable excuse. But I’d take that risk if I had no outside space of my own.

[Bearbehind]

But I’d take that risk if I had no outside space of my own.

And if everyone in every city centre did that.......?

[lifestooshort123]

I live in a flat. We have private parking in front of the block and I have a car with a sunshine roof which is parked in front of my window. I put the seat back and imagine I'm in Spain (which is where I'm meant to be). It's good for my mental health. Go on, dob me in.

[Bearbehind]

This isn’t a competition lifeistooshort

No one is going to ‘dob you in’ for that

[ShootsFruitAndLeaves]

Wouldn't want to bet on it

[Hopefulmidwife]

I don't have a garden. I live in a one bed flat; lounge and living room together and one bedroom measuring 1.5x1.5m. It's hot in here when it's hot outside, and the same when it's cold. Me and my partner are going fucking loopy. The people who rant and moan and berate others are the ones with gardens and lovely big houses because they don't understand what it's like.

Before anyone says anything - I understand we are lucky because we haven't got the virus, people are dying etc. We know - I work for the NHS albeit now at home - and my partner is a radiographer. He in particular struggles with a really shit day with coronavirus patients and when he comes home we cant even unwind the same others are. I don't care anymore that there are people calling others like myself selfish. I really don't. Mental health is fucking important and a lot of people are struggling with theirs. I certainly am.

[Hopefulmidwife]

Sorry 2.5 by 2.5

[Bearbehind]

OP, what is your problem?

What do you think would be a better solution here?

I do wish all those who think they’re special enough to be exempt from the rules could live in their own little community and leave the rest of us to do the best we can to mitigate the risks here

[MajesticWhine]

I agree with the OP that sunbathing in itself is a low risk activity, on an individual basis. But if everyone decides to do it then the parks are full, the picnics come out and then social distancing is not being followed. So that means it isn't fair for the two people enjoying the sunshine.

[TruffleShuffles]

I’m still baffled that people are trying to find loopholes and reasons why they are the exception to the rule when so many people are dying. Schools are closed, shops are shut and the government is having to throw out billions, do you think this has all been done for fun?

Why can’t people just follow some simple rules for a few weeks? If everyone had your selfish viewpoint that one person won’t hurt then the slowing down of this virus wouldn’t happen and that is the whole point of these rules. Christ we have had endless summers without sun and no chance to sunbathe, one more won’t hurt.

[Thripp]

U might die, I certainly wouldn’t fancy any meat that the sunbather left in a shopping bag for hours while they topped up their tan

I'm loving the idea of a sunbather offering his meat around to strangers.

'U might die' of shock in that situation, I suppose.

[InglouriousBasterd]

It was interesting on Question Time last night - the virologist actually said that stopping and sunbathing would be beneficial as we know it kills the virus. Cue panicked covering by the government rep on the panel saying how easily it can move from one person to two, three etc. So that’s really the reason why it’s a no-go. A slow walk seemed to be the outcome of the discussion!

[HainaultViaNewburyPark]

1. Doing something the law permits is not “finding a loophole”
   
2. The more unpleasant you try to make lockdown, the less likely people are to be able to tolerate it for a sufficient period to have a significant effect. People in a privileged position (large houses, private gardens, etc.) would do well to show a little compassion towards those less fortunate than themselves. And leave the policing to the actual police.

[Bearbehind]

1. Doing something the law permits is not “finding a loophole”

The law doesn’t permit going sunbathing right now

What part of that is unclear?

[ShootsFruitAndLeaves]

The law doesn't prohibit any activities.

It prohibits leaving home without a reasonable excuse.

What part of that is unclear?

[HainaultViaNewburyPark]

The law permits you to leave your house for any of reasons (a) to (m) specified in regulation 6(1). The way this is enforced is also specified by law:

(3) Where a relevant person considers that a person is outside the place where they are living in contravention of regulation 6(1), the relevant person may—
(a)direct that person to return to the place where they are living, or
(b)remove that person to the place where they are living.

All of that is perfectly clear.

However there are plenty of things not defined in the law. For example, there is no definition of “basic necessities” or “exercise” or what constitutes “avoiding illness or injury.”

Therefore we cannot know whether a specific activity is illegal or not under regulation 6(1) unless someone takes it to court. That’s how our legal system works - parliament makes the law and judges interpret it.

The law gives “a relevant person” the power to send people back home. Parliament decided that this sanction was proportionate. You may disagree - you can always lobby parliament to change their law. Although I think they might be a bit preoccupied right now.

[Bearbehind]

Are you honestly saying you think sunbathing is a reasonable excuse OP?

The ‘excuses’ are essential

• work
  
• health
  
• food
  

TBH, you and others are really not doing yourselves any favours in attempting to dispute this

[Scruffyoak]

I have been in my garden all day and I feel for those that do not have a garden :( I think it's just been easier to have a basic set of rules to adhere too given the urgency but yes It does feel tough for some if they are sunbathing in a huge field....

[DeathByBoredom]

I sat in my garden too. Thank God I have a garden to relax in. It was lovely.

[RoseAndRose]

The law doesn't prohibit any activities
It prohibits leaving home without a reasonable excuse

Sunbathing is not listed, not is it remotelymsimioar to,any permissible activities.

What part of that is unclear?

[ELM8]

I don't understand why anyone thinks this is OK? We have been instructed to stay at home apart from a list of exceptions of which sunbathing is not one.

Case closed surely.

[Bearbehind]

Case closed surely.

You’d think so, but as the OP and others have proven, there’s a raft of people out there that refuse to acknowledge that and insist on doing their own thing - because they’re special.