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Original poster

The “I just had a sit down in the park with crisps” brigade

906 replies

Candodad · 21/04/2020 07:56

You are the problem. The rules are simple. Go out and exercise and then go home. Just that, nothing more than that.

To be fair then problem is actually bigger than that and has been brewing for years as we increasingly become a country with rules but almost everyone has an excuse for why that rule shouldn’t apply to them/their child/family.

OP posts:
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6
goshdarnitjanet · 22/04/2020 13:04

Unless you come along and lick the fecking bench the chances of you catching it via your backside are infinitesimal. tbh the risk of catching anything but splinters in your tongue if you lick the bench is also probably infinitesimal

InTheShadiws · 22/04/2020 13:05

The Government have made it really clear that people in the shielding group can use their gardens if they have them or sit on their doorsteps so long as they socially distance. It's not saying you can't go outside.

They've also made it clear that it is guidance only and if you feel the restrictions are too much, that is a personal decision and if you decide to not follow the shielding guidance, just use the general guidance.

Willow2017 · 22/04/2020 13:08

The way you do a risk assessment is to first identify the risk. How can you do that when no one will tell you what the risk is? What is the risk in just going outside? They aren't telling us to stay away from people even. They are saying don't go outside. Why? What is the risk? You can't do your own risk assessment when you don't know what the risk is

I have a shielding letter and pages and pages of info. It states clearly You can go out into your garden or on your doorstep as long as you stay 2m away from other people And they ARE saying stay 2m away from people. Which parts of the letter did you not read?

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 22/04/2020 13:15

hammeringinmyhead

Yep, I know all of that because I have the letter.

My point is the bit about do not leave your house why? I understand no face to face contact etc. But do not leave your house? Why? What is the risk there? Is it safe to leave the house if I avoid all contact with people? I don't know because I don't know what that specific risk is.

Smilethoyourheartisbreaking · 22/04/2020 13:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 22/04/2020 13:19

Willow2017

I've read all of the letter.

My question is about do not leave your house why?

Why can't we go out for a walk, if we stay clear of other people? Why doesn't it state that if that would be safe?

Clearly, they perceive a danger in us going out for a walk, but what is that danger if it isn't coming from contact with other people?

hammeringinmyhead · 22/04/2020 13:19

Oh no. Don't backtrack now. You said They aren't telling us to stay away from people even.

How bored are you?!

Drivingdownthe101 · 22/04/2020 13:21

Clearly, they perceive a danger in us going out for a walk, but what is that danger if it isn't coming from contact with other people?

Surely it is more likely that when you were asked to shield, at the beginning of the pandemic, they (like everyone else) had no real idea what the risk is. And therefore the best course of action was to ask you to stay inside to avoid any risk as much as possible.

Willow2017 · 22/04/2020 13:22

Probably because you will meet more people out on a walk than you will find in your own garden?
It actual sensible risk reducing as opposed to the made up 'risks' spouted on here. Not hard to figure out really.

Laniakea · 22/04/2020 13:24

But you can go out for a walk if you want They haven’t locked you up, it isn’t against the law, they’ve just advised you not to.

They know that there will continue to be virus in the population, it is dangerous for you to catch it therefore advice = stay at home.

For everyone else the risk if we catch it is low so the only issue is us catching it all at once therefore advice = social distance. The risk of us catching it is outweighed by the benefit of activities such as eating a packet of crisps on a bench, for you the reverse is true.

Where’s the confusion?

HavartiToSeeYou · 22/04/2020 13:24

Why can't we go out for a walk, if we stay clear of other people? Why doesn't it state that if that would be safe?

Because they can’t 100% guarantee that you would be able to keep away from people, and because they have to make a blanket policy for everyone. If you’re shielding in the rural highlands, you can reliably avoid other people much more easily than if you’re shielding in central Birmingham.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 22/04/2020 13:25

I'm not backtracking. My whole point is that they are saying do not leave your house. If the risk is coming into contact with other people then I could understand them saying

"You can go out for exercise but make sure that you avoid contact with other people".

But to say do not leave your house implies a risk in just being outside in the street. But where is the risk? Is it that there is a possibility that this is airborne? Or is the risk that whilst standing in an empty street a person might just happen to run past?

That's what I mean when I say they haven't explained the risk so that we can assess something for ourselves and decide how much of a risk we are taking. If they explained that the risk was solely to do with proximity to others than you could work out risk and how much you were willing to take. But that hasn't been explained. There is a danger in leaving your house - what is that danger?

InTheShadiws · 22/04/2020 13:27

It's guidance HearHooves. And up to you if you go along with it or not. The guidance says it's YOUR decision and if you don't want to shield, you don't have to and follow general guidance. COVID hasn't been classified as a high consequence infectious disease by Public Health England since mid March.

The consequences for people in the shielded group are likely to be higher but that's a probability, not a guarantee hence the guidance.

They've given you guidance. If you want to go for a walk and you won't come into contact with anyone then go for a walk.

There's literally nothing to stop you.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 22/04/2020 13:27

HavartiToSeeYou

So are you saying that it's safe for me to go out for a walk, as long as I don't come into contact with anyone?

Smilethoyourheartisbreaking · 22/04/2020 13:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WilburIsSomePig · 22/04/2020 13:29

@Shitsgettingcrazy I disagree. I think some posters have got far too personal to be honest. I'm not saying that Hooves is right in what she's saying all the time but it's made for uncomfortable reading. So I'm out.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 22/04/2020 13:29

InTheShadiws

I'm perfectly aware that no one will stop me doing it.

What's stopping me from doing it is the fear that I might catch it, be seriously ill and die without seeing my children again.

I'm not about to take reckless risks because I want to.live.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 22/04/2020 13:31

When's the last time you went to for a walk, HearHooves?

Drivingdownthe101 · 22/04/2020 13:33

A friend of mine is shielding.. she has CF. She also has a 1 year old. She is going for a 5k run early every morning in which she doesn’t come into contact with anyone, as she has decided that the risk to her of becoming unfit and reducing her lung capacity is higher than her risk of contracting it on that run. That’s her own personal risk assessment:

Willow2017 · 22/04/2020 13:33

But to say do not leave your house implies a risk in just being outside in the street. But where is the risk?
Oh fir God's sake stop being deliberately obtuse.
If you are a high risk of getting something then you avoid places where large numbers of people are out and about as there is no guarantee you can avoid all of them at a safe distance.

You really cant be telling us you dont understsnd something so simple.
But hey nobody is forcing you to stay in. Go out its your choice its not compulsory.

Drivingdownthe101 · 22/04/2020 13:35

That's what I mean when I say they haven't explained the risk so that we can assess something for ourselves and decide how much of a risk we are taking. If they explained that the risk was solely to do with proximity to others than you could work out risk and how much you were willing to take. But that hasn't been explained. There is a danger in leaving your house - what is that danger?

As I said above, isn’t it more likely that when they asked you to shield, at the start of a pandemic of a novel virus which has only been in existence since November, that they didn’t actually know exactly what the risk is? And therefore the guidance is based on avoiding as much risk as possible? Rather than that they know you have a risk of catching it from the air and just refused to tell you.

InTheShadiws · 22/04/2020 13:36

HearHooves: You do realise that a lot of people in the 'social shielding' group HAVE to go out to attend medical appts or have carers come into their homes.

And even if you don't have to go out or have carers in, you can still go outside.

And that it's just guidance and up to you what you do based on your personal circumstances.

You need to read past the first few lines of any guidance.

HavartiToSeeYou · 22/04/2020 13:36

So are you saying that it's safe for me to go out for a walk, as long as I don't come into contact with anyone?

That depends entirely on where you live. But yes, if you live in an area where you can confidently state that you have 0% chance of coming into contact with anyone else, or touching anything, then going outside would be completely safe.

The reason the government are saying “don’t go outside” is because very few people live in an area where they can reliably avoid people (and people with life threatening illnesses are unlikely to live in isolated cottages miles from the nearest person), not because simply being on an empty street can kill you.

There is a danger in leaving your house - what is that danger?
That an infected person will come up to you.

PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock · 22/04/2020 13:36

So are you saying that it's safe for me to go out for a walk, as long as I don't come into contact with anyone?

Yes it is. However unless you live in a fairly secluded/rural area that would be pretty hard to accomplish. Out at 10 pm not seeing anyone ,not touching anything would be safe.

However , just like in the non shielding group the risk increases and decreases depending on your attitude,risk assessment, activities you chose to do and so on. Because you risk dying if you get it, or -the gvmnt's main worry -overwhelm the NHS by having a huge amount of people getting very ill, the blanket advice is to stay at home.

Laniakea · 22/04/2020 13:36

Fortunately Hooves no one is forcing you to lick a park bench so the entire argument is pointless - as you well know!