Spoken to by the police

[Foldinthecheese]

This morning my husband and I took our three children on a long walk/scoot to a local park that is probably two miles away. We had seen the recent police guidance that said stopping for a snack during a long period of exercise is allowed, so we packed some crisps, fruit and our water bottles, intending to have them in the park before heading back home. We have twin DSes, four, and a one year old DD.

While sitting in the park (in a green space, far from any paths, with no one nearby) two police officers approached and said we needed to move on because what we were doing was against guidelines and someone had called to report us. It wasn’t a problem to leave, but I was a little annoyed by the situation. I mentioned the guidelines regarding a snack during long exercise and they seemed unaware of this, and asked to see it on my phone. They then said that it was an issue of public perception, which I understand, but I’m not sure why that would impact the legality of our actions. One officer suggested that we should have gone to a park closer to our house, but the space isn’t really comparable and it’s more of a play park: lots of equipment that is currently covered in caution tape.

I don’t know really why I’m writing this, except I feel frustrated. We’ve followed all the guidelines for the past month and it’s annoying that the police seem unaware of the guidance that has been made publicly available that says what we did was acceptable. It was also just really nice to go slightly further than the one mile radius around our house and enjoy seeing the flowers in the park, and it feels like it put a dampener on the morning.

The disease is not being caused by a vengeful god who will take pity on humanity and end the pestilence if we all make ourselves sufficiently miserable for a few months. It is being caused by a virus which neither knows nor cares if you are enjoying a responsible socially distanced walk in the sunshine versus sitting at home panicking while your kids develop rickets or whatever

This! Just be sensible, don't go too far or for too long, and give other people plenty of space.

No I can't possibly tell but I can't remember seeing a single post full of concerned parents that their children were spending, god forbid, 5-6 hours a day in a classroom and not getting a 4 mile hike and picnic in on weekday and being mentally damaged and lacking in vitamin D 😱

5-6 hours a day in a classroom and not getting a 4 mile hike and picnic in on weekday and being mentally damaged and lacking in vitamin D

But you can appreciate that (for example with my children) that I didn’t fly them Into school or college, they walked, and on some days they did a physical activity outside of school

And...this will blow your mind

A packet of crisps is not a picnic

Well it's because so many folk protesting the legality of the previous guidelines rather than just getting on with it that as has them have to come out with more.

People expected the police to enforce the actual law passed by parliament rather than a mistaken interpretation put out in a rush?

The dirty bastards.

Sorry furlough

I should have put a smile in there...I understand your point

Parliament and society expected that the law wouldn't need to work for every scenario people could invent and that they'd maybe just try thinking about society and abide by the principle of "Staying at Home". Police wouldn't have to enforce anything if folk would just do what they've been asked rather than what can legally be enforced.

Maybe folk with severe health conditions have less of a right to protection than someone who fancies taking their kids to see the prettier flowers that are further away.

Every action taken in and of itself is not necessarily risky. OP on her jaunt has not really caused more risk however, it's the perception (back to that) to others who then do the same thing and before you know it distancing and staying at home has collapsed.

So, to maintain the right amount of distancing, we have to do more than simply what we are not allowed to do by a hastily drawn up and very generic law.

Parliament and society expected that the law wouldn't need to work for every scenario people could invent and that they'd maybe just try thinking about society and abide by the principle of "Staying at Home".

Parliament are VERY VERY aware of the crucial importance of drafting the law to say exactly what they mean. But you are right in that they recognised they couldn’t include everything; there could be reasonable excuses for leaving home that they hadn’t thought of so they drafted the law to allow for those too. They could have said ‘no driving’, or ‘only exercise once a day’ (as it says in Wales) but they didn’t. They could have subsequently amended the legislation to say this but they haven’t.

@Windyatthebeach 🤣 Yes I saw that! I SOOOOO hate her neighbours!! I'm longing for the update that they've been prosecuted!

They are used to limited time outdoors due to school

And your point is??

The OP has 4 year olds in many countries they'd still be preschool.
We have one of the highest obesity rates in the world and we wonder why?
We lack VitD made by sunlight.

Surely to goodness is some good comes out of this it will be rethinking school starting ages, maybe heaven forbid actually give kids longer school holidays. We are at least being blessed with decent weather. Enjoy it.

Can you image the threads if it was tipping rain all day to add to folks depression.

@dalmatianmad That's such a load of bollocks! It's on the .gov website and in the Police guidance! Nothing to do with Sky news! He's winding you up

So, to maintain the right amount of distancing, we have to do more than simply what we are not allowed to do by a hastily drawn up and very generic law.

There’s no evidence that we need to do more than the law stipulates. The issue isn’t with people sitting down in an empty park, it’s with people being in close contact with others (wonder how close the police got if they were looking at the OP’s phone. People don’t have to avoid making exercise pleasant, they have to avoid other people.

Enforcement focused on investigating work places that don’t require (or even discourage employees from) social distancing - would be an action likely to have an impact on spread.

but I can't remember seeing a single post full of concerned parents that their children were spending, god forbid, 5-6 hours a day in a classroom and not getting a 4 mile hike and picnic in on weekday and being mentally damaged and lacking in vitamin D

In school my kids got a walk to school, nearly 90 minutes a day running around in the playground, an hour of PE on some days, snacks and lunch at school, a walk home, swimming once a week, some trips to the park, and three or four hours walking, running, cycling, scooting at the weekend. I didn’t need to complain they weren’t getting hikes and victim D because they were.

@WaxOnFeckOff OP did NOT drive, she walked! The whole family did 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

Sorry to hear this. It's gutting to be talked to when you know you've followed and abided by the rules. I think when it comes to parks during the lockdown, the emphasis has been on moving people on and keeping them moving (we live opposite one). People are too easily swayed into doing the same, if they see others acting in a certain way. I think it comes across as 'having a picnic' when the whole family are sitting on a green together. Perhaps letting the children sit and have their snack, as they are so little, would be viewed as fine.

@AnneOfTeenFables she has t flouted any rules

I have to say it. Sorry.

Some posters in this thread need to get out more 🤣

And I took Ds2 on a 4 and a bit mile walk, today. He's a teen with longer legs than me and it's fairly cool here so no drinks and snacks required (though he got hot on the uphill leg of the walk, home, and, being autistic, wouldn't take his sweatshirt off) but we certainly stopped occasionally to take in the views, watch the orange tip butterflies chase each other, guess what the jackdaws had found to eat and enjoy the lambs frolicking. We even played pokemon go.

Sod being miserable because lockdown probably will be if this run of fine weather ends.

The police have always been bombastic bullies - Last Christmas I drove my Lupo - tiny VW to a local post box - I was followed by a police car - I though nothing of it at the time as I live in a very druggy area - so I assumed they were on surveillance for these criminals and miscreants. How wrong could an old fat law abiding biddy be - I pulled in to let him pass in a very narrow road and he blocked me in - gestured to me to wind my window down and proceeded to inform me he was concerned I may damage my ‘struts’ on the sleeping policemen - it was me he was watching - I put a formal complaint in about this and was told they couldn’t trace the officer responsible as I’d given the incorrect collar number 😡 The police in this country are completely unaccountable - too much power - too little IQ - 😡

but we certainly stopped occasionally to take in the views, watch the orange tip butterflies chase each other, guess what the jackdaws had found to eat and enjoy the lambs frolicking

This is so lovely and no harm to anyone. Good for you.

Why, in the midst of a pandemic, would you WANT to go for a full family outing and sit down having snacks. Just why?!

Because the op is capable of risk assessing. Has worked out that not only is it within guidelines, but it's also of negligible risk.
Why wouldn't you want to enjoy yourself as a family when the biggest risk is of a Corona copper getting close enough to check guidelines they should be aware of on your phone.

Haha pickachew
I have to say it. Sorry.
Some posters in this thread need to get out more 🤣

I think they just did. It was like prison break in the park this afternoon.
My god, there were people sat in the grass...eating, Sat on the benches admiring the flowers, feeding the ducks, kids were scooting and riding bikes

Only needed the kiosk to open and start selling ice creams and It was situation normal.

I think lockdown is over. Prewar
ThanK god for that

Phew!

My worry is what would happen if we all decided to drive to the same park,have a leisurely wander and then sit having our snacks?

You do what we did in the week before lockdown occurred, when we drove to the beach, realised it was busier than we were comfortable with for the social distancing we we're already doing and carried on to somewhere quieter.

Without trying to rock the boat here, these guidelines are stating that if you must, must have a snack after some vigorous exercise then ok sure. For all they knew you were sitting having a family picnic. Could you not keep walking or just wait until you got home? Not sure I'd want dc sitting around anyway op.

Yanbu. I stopped to give dc a snack as i had to feed tiny dbaby an impromptu feed