This blind following of 'The Rules' is going to backfire when lockdown ends

[OtterPotter]

I have been really concerned at the attitudes I've seen on here and in RL of people's blind following of 'The Rules'.

The mentality I have seen here including outrage at people dancing in a park, or refusing to go for a picnic with their own children in a secluded spot because it's "AGAINST THE RULES!" demonstrates a complete inability to risk assess and interpret the guidelines.

What worries me is that same mentality will prevail when lockdown is lifted, and those same people will blindly follow the new rules and fail to appreciate that the risk is still real.

The day lockdown is lifted, the risk to yourself of catching it, and the risk of you spreading it to others remains exactly the same. The only thing that will have changed is that the government will have decided that the peak has passed, and the pressure on the NHS is lower - so they can allow YOU to risk catching it now. It can still kill you, it can still kill your family.

I'm deeply concerned that I'm going to have to have this battle with my rule obsessed family to try and convince them that they are still very much in danger.

In countries where they ‘follow the rules’ they have managed to handle this crisis much much better than us. Risk assessing yourself doesn’t work.

Totally agree OP
And this thread shows it

In countries where they ‘follow the rules’ they have managed to handle this crisis much much better than us.

In some of those countries the rules have been made absolutey clear - none of this muddle of the law saying one thing but the government guidelines saying another.

But then, some of those countries seem to have needed to weld people into their homes, use forcable house searches, shoot people for being outside, use tear gas, beat people up in the street (all different countries) so maybe the people were not so benevolently compliant as it might seem?

Short of forcibly locking everyone into their homes and forbidding ALL movement out of one’s home, there isn’t a lot that can be done about the inevitable instances of actual, not imagined, non-compliance (depending on degree, of course). There will always be a cohort of idiots/dummies/scumbags and sadly that just has to be accepted. It makes no difference at all to screech and bay and call for further punishment and/or voluntarily give away more powers of self-determination. All plans and strategies take into account a sizeable percentage of non-compliance. The alternative is too dangerous/destructive. Added to that, a full lockdown with absolutely no freedom of movement would be wholly counterproductive when it comes to the overall aim of the exercise. Never mind the fact that the country would literally grind to a halt.

However, people still seem to be very confused about what ‘following the rules’ means. So I think I’m done with this discussion as it’s just way too frustrating to deal with that level of misinformation, misinterpretation and general misguidedness, however well-intentioned it might be. I have wasted enough time banging my head on the table as it stands!

You can only ever control your own actions, the sheer effort people are expending concerning themselves with what others are doing must be exhausting. Assess your risk and that of your household and base your actions on that. Accept that everyone outside your immediate sphere is an adult, with volition and allow them to make their own decisions.

This is pretty much what my housing associaiton have told me. Mind your own business and don't bother about anyone else. If they are stupid enough to break the rules they will get sick and die and have nobody else to blame but themselves.

The only problem with this is that I have to share a laundry and corridors with other tenants and that some other tenants are meeting up with relatives outside of the property, meeting up with each other in their flats and at least one has covid symptoms (obviously I cannot stae 100% that she has covid, I really hope she does not) and is wandering around the communal areas coughing.

I cannot buy online food I have spent hours trying but I can't get a delivery. I am 100s of miles away from my friends who might usually help with shopping etc. I need outdoor exercise. I have no choice but to use the laundry. I tried to hand wash my things but it isn't possible to do it and to stay clean.

It really is as simple as that. The mad vitriol at the behaviour of other people is far more destructive than any virus.

I agree 100% that there is a lot of mad vitriol but it's not more destrutive than the virus if you have an infected neighbour coughing all over communal areas that you are forced to use to get food and wash your clothes.

Some people will see this message and just hide at home, very irresponsible

twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1250077841653477378

This thread tells me a lot about some people's low opinions of their fellow citizens.

My opinion of my fellow citizens is based on years of experience in dealing with them. Yep, it's low.

It is my experience that this crisis is bringing out both the best and the worst sides of human nature.

Some people are being kind and heroic in their ordinary lives. Not seeking attention, not posting about it all over social media, just being genuinely kind, caring and decent.

The people who have acted badly before and got away with it are now pushing the envelope to see just how low they can go.

Totally agree. There has been a culture of risk assessment being transferred from the individual to the state for many years.

This thread tells me a lot about some people's low opinions of their fellow citizens
I have low opinions of people who behave selfishly, be it people who choose to make inconsiderate levels of noise all day, or people who decide their desire to have chocolate trumps the staff crying out for people to follow the law and shop as infrequently as possible.

Coronavirus doesn't suddenly excuse selfish behaviour.

I'm not trying to excuse the police but really so many people and organisations have been caught with their pants down here

Totally agree. Fortunately, the police seem to have developed some guidelines that will (hopefully) help officers take a more consistent approach to what is 'allowed'...

www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constitutes-a-reasonable-excuse.pdf

Those new police guidelines are a welcome bit of common sense. I feel vindicated to see it written in Black and White that my daily dog walks are 'allowed'

However I feel just as frustrated at the demonstrable lack of understanding and critical thinking. Since the new guidelines have been issued I've seen several people complaining that the 'experts' have changed their advice and it's not fair, and how can anyone be expected to know what to do?

It is really simple - there are laws which we must follow to maintain social distancing. How we interpret that for our own behaviour depends on our own individual circumstances. It really isn't rocket science - stay away from other people!

So my original fear of a complete inability to risk assess remains!

I suspect those complaining would like us all to have our front doors nailed shut for the foreseeable future.

otter I agree!!

I also hope that when some relaxing is allowed of the rules it pertains to
those without a garden first. As I think that must be so difficult

My greater fear is that our civil liberties are not properly restored. I would rather than a greater risk of death than keep the coronalaws in place.

I also hope that when some relaxing is allowed of the rules it pertains to those without a garden first. As I think that must be so difficult

I really feel for people without outdoor space. I can't imagine how difficult it must be