Lockdown - was I in the wrong?

[JigsawGirl11]

So today me and DH went out for a bike ride (I will admit straight away that we didn't ride at all before lockdown and bought bikes so we can take advantage of the daily exercise a little better)

We took a bottle of water and a little packet of 6 mini sausage rolls we had in the fridge. After around 45 mins we sat down at a bench had a drink and ate the sausage rolls, police drove past once, went about 200 yards to the next roundabout and came back and told us off.

The policeman was pretty polite and apologetic, he said that we need to move on as if his Sargent saw he would fine us on the spot.

Obviously we moved on, there's no point trying to push the boundaries and I know health and the general stay at home advice is important. Personally I am a bit put out by such an infringement of what's usually a basic human right and the common sense that it we didn't have sausage rolls we prob would have been able to have a break/drink of water whilst on the bike ride.

I hope no-one is going to jump on about scold me like a child, obviously I thought what we did was okay or we wouldn't have done it but I'm interested to hear other people's opinions.

They can stick that rule up their arse

We are in an unprecedented situation. All of us have to do things we don't want to do.

I would just have stood next to your bikes and had the drink and snack for a couple of minutes. I don’t sit down when I am out walking or cycling generally as I find it hard to get going again if I do so, maybe I am weird though.

I try not to touch anything outdoors these days but I can see perhaps that an older person or someone infirm might need to factor a brief stop into their exercise. Or should they just not exercise?

Why cant you just stay at home as requested, or go for a walk like other people

Firstly, a cycle is allowed every bit as much as a walk.

Secondly, even walking accidents can happen, I fell over my big flat feet on the pavement and have hurt both legs, both arms and my back quite badly! I think for my own sake I should cover everything in my house in foam and be done with it. I won’t be going near A and E though

Regardless of whether you should've been on the bench / eating sausage rolls or not, I'm pretty sure it's not recommended to take up new exercise when pregnant. If you already exercise, you can carry on (within limits, depending on what it is), but it's not a great idea to start something new.

@Amymayapple

I couldn’t give a toss if you lick every bench you see, makes no difference to me. However, your point about comparing countries is laughable given that Italy, France and Spain have much stricter rules than we do. This government try to give people some leeway and people take the piss. Everyone has an excuse as to why them doing what they want is acceptable. It’s such a short period of time. This will not last forever. It’s irrelevant whether I agree with bench sitting, 50 mile bike rides, walking to a friend’s house and chatting to them from the other end of their drive, picnics in empty fields and all the other things people have been doing. The rules are meant to keep people safe and avoid overwhelming the NHS. I have to trust that the govt are taking expert medical advice over a rando on social media.

They can stick that rule up their arse

Nice, how very altruistic of you. We should all comply to help the nhs cope and stop it spreading. But you’re right, they should stick it up their arse.

@Schuyler your government are taking expert medical advice?

So Ireland isn't taking expert medical advice?

Our Prime minister is a Doctor, and we are allowed to sit on benches.

Maybe , question the level of control in your country

@Bluntness100 do you just follow everything like a sheep?

People are arguing with me, when I am on your side.

I am trying to get you to see that the level of control in your country is ridiculous.

These threads are driving me to distraction and in general I'm a pretty live and let live person but I do not understand how people can't see the difference between leaving the house for exercise necessary once a day (i.e. jogging or walking around the block half a dozen times) and going on a scenic sodding bike ride and stopping to eat a fucking steak bake or whatever.

Massively in the wrong. And worst part is you came on and asked AIBU and when people said yes you are you've thrown out the "be kind" card and got angry that people are being "nasty". I've read the thread. They're not. They're just telling you the rules and explaining why you have been unreasonable. If you don't like this concept then perhaps don't post on AIBU.

You were in the wrong to think it's okay to be out the house long enough that you'd need snacks.
I'm actually astonished that anyone would consider eating on a public bench in these times! I can barely go for a walk (no touching ANYTHING) without constantly getting the hand sanitizer out and fantasising about washing my hands properly the moment I get home! I know it sounds OTT but we're in a bloody pandemic - you need to think about these things, particularly given you're pregnant and they don't quite yet know the risks to pregnancy.

Suggest you only ride for max 30mins in future so no need for snacks. This is also, incidentally, in line with the govs actual advice on how long exercise would be expected to last.

@Amymayapple

How many times are you going to repeat the same thing? We get it, you live in Ireland !!!! Your PM is a doctor !!! You can sit on benches!!!

The point is that, unfortunately, some people aren’t sensible and ruin it for the rest of us. They take it one step too far so there are blanket rules.

Perhaps the Spanish, Italian and french governments are stupid too? I don’t know. I know they probably know more than you or I, so forgive me if I trust the people who run the health service over a name on a forum. I’m self isolating for 12 weeks anyway, so couldn’t give a toss about benches or sausage rolls.

@Schuyler well If you are happy to live with police brutality, I won't say it again.

I just think that the police are completely out of control in England, I have been hearing stories from friends over there too. It is making me really angry

One word, stop being so pendantic and follow the rules!!!

You know bikes have a seat right?
You could have just stopped peddling, perched for a minute, had a drink and carried on your outing exercise.

I am trying to get you to see that the level of control in your country is ridiculous.

It's not really. The level of control that MNetters want to exert over other is.

What we have is the actual laws, that given the situation aren't too bad.

Then we have gvmnt guidance which is not law.

Then we have like Boris's opinion, Hancock's opinion , Gove's opinion etc and guidance.

Then it's the police that sometimes (very badly) interpret the law , quite a few have been made to apologise. Some take it too far, but overall it's ok. Even in OP's case , there was concern for her rather than them abusing their powers.

Then we have MN who made up their own rules and freak out every time someone breaks them. Then they come up with new rules and repeat.

Like I said I sat on a bench, the policemen said hello and moved on. Didn't even ask why we were out. Don't know if they used common sense, or if it was the lack of mini rolls or because there were no other people around.

Sounds ok to me, a sausage roll and a bottle of water isnt a picnic! It seems ott that the police are intervening on things like this. Saw the news earlier with footage taken from a helicopter above a park, just wondering if helicopters need a pilot, co pilot and cameraman to take these shots? and if they do are they practicing as much social distancing as the people they are looking at and judging?

@Amymayapple
“Police brutality?!“ Fortunately, that didn’t happen to the OP.
“Out of control” my left foot. She was asked to move. Nothing happened to her!
How offensive to those who do suffer disproportionately at the hands of the police
If anything, I’d call the police “pedantic” about sausage rollgate. Honestly, the drama.

Amy its not brutality theyre b eing very polite and asking people to move on theyre not dragging them away like in spain and arresting them

i think thi rule is very fair we'r trying to help our nhs cope

So is rock pooling frowned upon? Saw fb friend had posted a lovely family ‘walk’, that took all day!

There is no police brutality. You don't live here so you don't know, do you?

The way to protest against rules you disagree with is to lobby your MP, or write to the minister, or join a political party that has opposing views and support them and vote for them.

It's not just not do it.

And we are in unprecidented times, noone has ever been here before. Literally noone knows what to do, not even your super smart doctor PM.

You guys shut down earlier than we did. The fact we shut down later is why we have stricter rules. The two countries are at different stages and reacted differently so comparing them is pointless.

Leave the house only for:

1. basic necessities such as food or medicine;
2. exercise once a day;
3. to go to work where that work cannot be done from home.

There's obviously some room for interpretation but I can't see how in any world sitting on a bench eating a sausage roll is any of those things and it most certainly is not exercise.

@vangoghsdog? No police brutality?

It was on the news today that a man was handcuffed by a policeman in England, for being outside and bringing shopping to a vulnerable person.

Handcuffing someone is not police brutality

And I'm sure there's more to that story.

How are people not understanding SAUSAGE ROLLS INSNY EXERCISE