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.

Dowser: You took crisp, fruits and water op?
You were hardly cracking open the bbq
I could weep at how petty my beloved country has become.

Brexit terrifies me, now, more than Covid.

These are Britain's finest.

This is what we are.

We are pathetic.

Well actually @littlefawn it does.

They cannot provide specifics for every scenario. If people can't make a decent interpretation of the guidance, then they will have to be more stringent. Which is why people need to look at the spirit and intention rather than trying to fit the guidance round every thing that they want, rather than need, to do.

Romeo
Quite
It's about perception though isn't it? The thin end of the wedge. If people see other people sitting and snacking then things will get slack and people will start spreading.

And then that’s the time for police intervention

Not when a family is having a rest for a short while in an almost Empty space.

*Give the police a break. In these unprecedented times (yep that annoying word) they are doing their best, like everyone else.

And it’s a two way street...the police need to cut law abiding families a bit of slack also.
They need our support in the fight against crime. It would be wise for them to remember that

@WaxOnFeckOff I really need to go to bed now, so I’m going to stop replying after this, but I do disagree. We didn’t push the rules. It was a snack, not a picnic, and the walk/scoot was our exercise. It was also very much in line with the fitness of our children. They have often done walks far longer and more challenging than what we did today, but I don’t think it’s unusual to encourage them along with the promise of some grapes at the end.

I’m really not having a go at the police. It was a pleasant enough conversation and they thanked us for sharing the guidance I had on my phone because they said it was useful to be able to pass the information on to the people above them. One then started a conversation about a totally unrelated topic, so in the end we were probably in the park much longer than intended while he chatted away. My only point is that the guidelines exist, it would be nice if then were applied consistently, and it made me feel a bit down.

That should’ve said
Romeo..quote
I wasn’t agreeing with Romeo

can i take a ball for my two kids to chase around?

Yes you can - ‘exercise’ is not defined and chasing a ball around is exercise

Glad all’s well that ended well op
It was worth mentioning just to see how so many people here think what you did was almost criminal..

How did they see the info on your phone without breaking social distancing rules?

@RedRedScab They weren’t following them. They came right up to us. I handed my phone over and then freaked out a little (In my mind) and backed up, but they didn’t seem bothered. Genuinely going to bed now. Will regret this when the baby wakes in an hour.

I wondered that red scab

@JudgeRindersMinder - i was asking the question because i didn't know if my two small children were allowed to take a ball to the park.

Not because i think i'm fucking special as you so charmingly put it..

My god op..just crazy
They should not have been doing that.
It’s just awful when the public has to educate the police on what their own police chief council‘S guidelines

Every police office should’ve had that as a download to their phone or a print out so they could refresh their memories.
No wonder op had it on her phone because she was worried about some incompetency ..like I would too

I don’t think judge rinder is a police person..well maybe I. Their mind they are.

Their attitude sounds all wrong, officious and just wants to rub the public up the wrong way.
Not the sort of person you want in these diffitimes.

Difficult times..yes bed time here too
Making too many typos
Please MNHQ...can we have an edit button

YABU to complain about the police having a chat with you.

If they'd arrested or fined you, yeah.

How are they to know you have just stopped for a snack before walking back? If they assume everyone is doing that and talk to no one we go back to the situation a few weeks back, where people pitch up at the nicest park and camp there all day.

They are just doing their job.

Just to be clear: the guidance changed to comply with the law. Police can only enforce the law not guidance (unless it is statutory guidance, which this is not)

There is no prohibition on driving to exercise or the supermarket, or a funeral if you are a close relative, or the doctor.

Things do not need to be ‘essential’ before you can do them; you just need a ‘reasonable excuse’

There are 3 of us in our family. We never go out as a 3. DD and I have a walk and DP has a walk separately. It stresses me trying to safely pass large family groups and I don’t want to be the person that does that to others.
We don’t travel for our walk. We would never sit down, even for a few minutes. Sitting is touching, therefore potentially contaminating that area.
I can’t understand why people think they should do anything different to the above. Why not work to avoid infection and infecting others?
That said, I see room for flexibility (within guidance) when home circumstances don’t allow for fresh air and exercise and children are small e.g. a trip to the park to let off steam or a single parent of small children can’t leave them at home.

I swear it’s the opposite here (East Kent). We left the house for the first time in 5 weeks to avail ourselves of the new clarification that you can drive for a short distance into the countryside for a walk. Driving through my town for the first time in ages and it was buzzing, close to busy as always! Loads of people strolling on the beach path eating ice creams. Could have been any other late spring day...

Just to be clear: the guidance changed to comply with the law. Police can only enforce the law not guidance (unless it is statutory guidance, which this is not)

In other words, you don't need to do what is sensible and recommended, just as long as you comply with the high level law....just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.

Then you end up with the situation described buy PP above. Where everyone can justify their trip within the new guidelines but the cumulative effect means that people are not behaving in the spirit of the law, just the actual legal words.

Doesn't matter to me, I've had it. More upset for neighbours who can't go and see their DF who has been diagnosed with cancer as they are shielding their baby granddaughter who has a heart condition. They couldn't even take in his personal items to the hospital (my DH did this for them). But fine, feel free to go on long drives to the seaside and have picnicssnack breaks 'cos that's all allowed in the law eh?

Would the OP have gone for long walks that required a rest and some lunch normally?

WTF does that have to do with it? The guidelines aren’t “if you normally exercise you can, but I’d not then say home”

They are to get your arse off the sofa and outside once a day for the good of your health. These are not normal times. What she or anyone else normally does is irrelevant. I don’t normally sit in my house fearing death if I go out, should I not be doing that now?

I think you should be more annoyed at the people who reported you, the police didn’t do anything wrong. In fact they seemed quite reasonable as they took the time to check your information.

I would say that 4 & 1 year olds can’t particularly exercise though, so let’s be honest it was more of a fun family outing instead of exercising, hence why someone thought to report you. You even admit that you don’t like the park nearer to you, so went to this one just because it’s nicer. The reporter probably did think you were just having a picnic in the park.

I’m not saying you should, but I think you would be less likely to attract negative attention if you and your partner went out separately.

Of course 4 and 1 year olds exercise! Their exercise is just not quite like adult exercise. Are you saying that a long walk or a cycle ride isn't exercise for a young child? I'd say it is - and even more so than it would be for an adult @brownzinggs

The one positive thing that I've seen coming from this virus, is whole families doing things together. Every time I go for my walk, I see parents and young children walking together, and I think it's great. It's probably quality time that they wouldn't normally get, with parents at work etc.
No-one should feel that they have to exercise separately. It's not required or even suggested in the guidance. Again, people are making up their own rules and expecting people to follow them

What kind of mean minded so and so reports a family with two young children stopping in a quiet part of a park ?? It’s not a big get together, it’s not different households. What minute additional risk to anyone’s health does this busybody think is being created ?