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.

I fully admit that I'm wrong about the bench, until my fitness improves ( which not expecting tremendous things due to my current situation) I'll stop and have a rest stood up when required

No, just do exercise you can manage.

Well sitting eating sausage rolls isn’t exercising is it.

Exercise = moving..not sitting

Stop for a moment to sip water, quick minute stand up rest fine

Sitting to eat, not fine

Why do adults find it so difficult to understand? The police must feel like they are dealing with a load of over grown toddlers

It's one of those things. On an individual level, you did nothing wrong and the chances are you weren't putting anyone at risk.

But if you multiply that by millions doing the same thing, then there's a problem.

Police can't say 'OK, x amount can do this' so they have to say 'noone can do this'.

It's the same as doing ninety down a motorway. Sometimes, the risk of accident is low and it wouldn't really be a problem. But if they let everyone do it, it would be a disaster.

Everyone knows that in England eating sausage rolls outside constitutes a picnic so you were definitely in the wrong imo.

This is why I love mumsnet!

That is quite simply not the point 'OhLook. how long an adult can or cannot go without a snack. And how is what OP and her husband did a picnic? It was a hastily-consumed snack.

Innocent mistake OP.

Taking up cycling isn't an issue. I used to do 7k steps just walking to and from my car park and office, now I'd do 100.

I've started bike riding as well and it's good for mental health. I'd choose a less visible spot for a picnic or snack next time. We will go for a walk in the countryside and find somewhere deserted.

I have no idea why people post any ever so slight transgression from the new orthodoxy on Mumsnet. It's full of nutters at the best of times, and these are not the best of times.

I thought you were supposed to keep your exercise down to an hour - so half an hour there and then half an hour back. If you bring a snack then it implies you intend to stay out longer, perhaps? I think that the thinking is that the less time you are out then the less time (and opportunity) there is for people to infect each other, wittingly or unwittingly.

So yes, op, you were in the wrong.

You're allowed to eat, but not lol about. So eating and drinking whilst walking is ok

Ds and his dad walked 13 miles yesterday along the coastal path, they got a chocolate bar and drink half way then carried on walking. But if they'd been sat down with a blanket out theyd have rightly been moaned at.

@JigsawGirl11 Not especially fit, no. But your reason for being out is to exercise. In any other exercise scenario, stopping to consume a sausage roll would be laughable.

Just stay the fuck at home.

There hasn't been a time limit put on exercise, not in the UK at least.

There is no time limit ffs.

Can we please get that clear!

I'm in Ireland and even I know the benches in the UK are off limits. It's constantly on the news and online.

Human rights need to take a back seat while a pandemic is happening. People are dying. If every one demanded their human rights then you'd have full streets and parks with everyone passing the virus to each other. I'm sure you don't want that.

The bike ride rules are the same as here, no getting off and sitting down on benches, greens in parks, etc do your bike ride and you can have a drink either during or stop for a few seconds while holding the bike.

Assuming this is real, if you are pregnant this isn’t the right time to take up cycling. You are at risk of having a fall. Going for a brisk walk would be much safer for you. If you can’t manage without stopping for a snack due to nausea you need to stay at home

It was actually on the news last night. If exercising -walk, cycle, whatever- but do not take food and drink. Just do your exercise then go home.

Well it was a pretty silly thing to do, heading out for a picnic. Which is what it was, a bike ride and a picnic. Once people start seeing one person doing it, they think it's ok, then others do it. Then before you know it, there are about 30 families all sitting having picnic. Once the rules start sliding, that's it. Please use your brain.

Clearly, there is currently a disparity between what is ok in the eyes of the law and what is logically ok.

It is not practical to have dozens of temporary rules covering all reasons that one might sit on a bench, so even though it is clear that you weren't really doing anything wrong, the guidelines have to be simple and apply to everyone if we are to get through this quickly. It's just easier that way.

People who feel the need to go against advice and the post about it on this website are really starting to frustrate me, as if they are somehow finding a genius loophole by explaining exactly why their situation means they don't have to comply. No, you're just being an attention-seeking twat and you know it.

A few posters here seem to think that the problem is actually that you will contaminate the bench by eating on it. This could well be true but this is not the reason guys!(hilarious) The reason is that if you stop and chill, others will stop and chill and then all of a sudden people are chilling rather than exercising and the rules are then relaxed. Well anyway.... I'm sure you have found out that this is not allowed and can now be rest assured you won't make the same mistake again. Don't worry about it!

OP I would feel the same as you, and some people need to stop and pause in the middle of exercise.
When I live there seem to be plenty of people sitting on benches/grass - as long as everyone keeps their distance which mostly they are I don't think it's a issue. If you need a snack in future maybe just be less obvious with it. I don't think there is actually any official guideline against sitting down. And everything I've read suggests it's highly unlikely viruses are transmitted by a bench.

The rules in the UK are much more relaxed than here in Spain, but people always trying to find excuses and "infringement of basic human right" means you'll end up with the same rules as here.

NO leaving the house except supermarket (1 person, no children) with a mask, gloves and an authorization slip. Also to visit doctors or pharmacy with authorization slip.

The parks have been cordoned off. The benches have had the wood removed so that people won't sit.

You think you're healthy: you could be in the 2 week incubation of the virus. You have sat on the bench, touched it with your hands, clothes etc, where it can survive for up to 3 days until disinfected. If allowed, other people would be coming to sit on the bench

Can you really not spot the problem? Stay. Home.

What is frustrating about this is that I think our government have not been prescriptive about exercise because they see us as adults who can use common sense. If you're going out for a bike ride where you need to stop and snack then it's too far. If everyone sat on a bench snacking it makes a mockery of the freedom we've been given.

Why can't people just go out for a walk/run/cycle and then come home? Why is this so difficult for people to get?

OP a pp has said it, if you'd stopped for a moment and had a drink and food it would have been fine. It was sitting on the bench that was the issue. I think the pp who called it a "picnic" was stretching the definition of a picnic though and I think the police should have used their common sense, seen your bikes and gone on their way.

Benches here are all taped off. Of course you're not meant to be sitting on them. The virus is transferrable on surfaces I think catching it by sitting on a bench is vanishingly unlikely. Councils doing that are just on a power trip.

You sat on a hard surface touched by lots of other people and then started putting your hands in your mouth?

Sausage rolls are not a “basic human right” (although I can see the argument..)

Op. If you took sausage rolls with you, you clearly intended to stop and have a little picnic some where.

The guidelines are simple. Go out do your exercise come home. So only cycle as far as you can and and are able come back then eat your sausage rolls at home.

Why can’t people just comply. Why do they have to try to find a way round it. They didn’t say you can go out for your exercise, but stop at the beach, drink beer, sit on a bench, eat sausage rolls, lay on the grass sunbathe, on your way.

You’re pregnant. Someone could have been on that bench five mins before you got there, sneezed on it, sneezed in the air, coughed on it, and you could get ill. It is perfectly feasible. What part of they are trying to protect the nhs and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable is confusing? Which part of the guidance saying you can go out for exercise once a day led you to believe this also included taking sausage rolls, and cycling to a bench so you could sit and eat them?