Am I missing something? Everyone seems to have gone back to normal?!

[Aberforthsgoat]

So much traffic here today, we live on a main road and it's been quiet for weeks now but today it's suddenly back to how it was pre lockdown.
Loads of people out on the streets, in quite big groups, a massive load of runners in a group just gone by and earlier a huge group of cyclists
And I've not been watching out particularly we our living room looks out over the road and I've been stuck under DS with the windows open and just looked up when I've heard noise.
Do you think people have had enough and just gone back to normal after all the media articles this week?
Did I miss an announcement? Not being disingenuous honestly wondering, I can't find anything online

What can folk do in small town centres - everywhere is closed. Why go there? A big park it's easy to stay 2m apart, at least.

More or Less pointed out that, some news story about 3000 ppl in some London park on some specific date, that 3000 total was at least 3000 fewer visitors than the same park normally gets on a nice sunny day. And how much space there was for each group in that park, very easy place to keep 2m apart.

* we are not living just existing at the moment. *

I am most definitely “living”. Been put for editorial run, children been on trampoline, I’ve sorted out summer clothes, read in garden, we’ve had lunch in the garden... lovely day.

Editorial should read beautiful!

No real increase here, still quiet

If the government have released Priti Patel from lockdown... it's over. I thought after her last stellar press conference she was the one person sure to be in lockdown long after the general public was released and free.

Payday weekend as well - people are out topping up shopping from the stores they don't visit regularly - we go to the butcher about once a month to sort out the freezer for meat... things like that. Last payday weekend saw the same rises in people out and car trips and the same outraged hand wringing and faux confusion over why people would do it on here too.

I was walking my two boys yesterday after 3 days inside and them on the verge of killing each other.... and people were mocking the rules "OH we're not supposed to be out together but you know, pfff, it's ridiculous!"...

So thanks to people like that more people will die, the schools will be closed for longer - as well as everything else!

I am desperate to get some normality back before my mental health completely collapses. CV is deadly, but so is depression as a LP with two young boys. I have no support whatsoever. Not even a "you're doing well" message.

Everyone is behaving well where we live. Lots of social distancing etc.

A little more traffic here too. I think this is because of the lack of clarity around next steps. People need direction.

It's unlikely to spread the virus walking around outside.

Everyone is using the same gates.

I went out for a walk this afternoon and came through town on my way back. There were more people around, but nobody was breaking the rules. Admittedly I didn't walk through any parks. I saw two people who were obviously out on a bike ride sitting on some grass but when I went by on my way home they'd gone.

I have noticed a huge number of people passing my house in the last few days (cycling, running, family groups out walking... and it's just a suburban road) and several people (window cleaner, odd job man) have contacted me to say they're back working now

All of which is fine, and allowed, and has always been allowed.

I also hate B&Q. No way would I queue for the privilege of getting in there!

Went for my dog walk a while ago, everything looks exactly the same here as it has for the last few weeks.

Lots of cars still parked, so people not travelling anywhere, no groups of children or teenagers playing on the green spaces.

Only people out seem to be dog walkers, some alone, some in family groups and everyone keeping their distance.

What difference is it going to make to infections if people drive to go for a walk, or walk straight out the door

See the "people should pay £100K more for a house if they want to walk in OUR village" thread for why. People want their local streets/paths to themselves (not altogether surprisingly, it is annoying having to dodge people all the time) and so don't want the plebs being able to drive to their location to walk. A few weeks ago there was a BBC South Today item about West Wittering and the locals all spoke with a plum in their mouth and just avoiding using the word plebs.

I would actually quite like it if people would drive elsewhere for their daily exercise because then I can go for a run on my local streets without meeting millions of couples joined at the hip and families out with their scooters.

I do agree with Toffee on a rash of these threads though.

I think the fairest solution is those who want to "go back to normal", ignoring the fact there's a highly contagious virus circulating, should sign something confirming they consent to being at the back of the queue for any medical care if there's a second wave."

Yes good thinking!

And everyone who is ordering non-essential things from Amazon.

And everyone who is going on walks when they could clearly just do a Joe Wicks video.

Oh overweight people, them too. Should have gone on a diet, shouldn't they? And smokers - fuck them.

Can I ask... how exactly are we supposed to know if these people caught it from the "normal life" they've apparently gone back to, or from their weekly trip to Asda for the prescribed bare essentials?

Yes people here are taking themselves out of lockdown
Roads are busy like normal. Parties and barbecues happening. People gathering together outside houses or arranging to ‘accidentally’ meet up

It’s got to happen. There’s no way lockdown is sustainable if we want jobs and lives to go back to
That’s why b+q. (And apparently macdonalds). are re opening

I think the issue about driving for walks is that most of the countryside isn't like Julie Andrews skipping over empty fields. There are paths, mostly narrow, stiles, gates etc so it's actually quite hard to burrow 2m into a hedge or fence when you need to walk past someone.

I am most definitely “living”. Been put for editorial run, children been on trampoline, I’ve sorted out summer clothes, read in garden, we’ve had lunch in the garden... lovely day.

Fucking good for you.

If you can't see that this is so far from reality for huge swathes of the population then you need to walk a mile in someone elses shoes.

Some people live alone. Some people are single parents. Some people have no garden. Some people are still working, or having to work from home whilst home schooling children.

Let me guess, you want the lockdown to continue.

I think everyone who wants lockdown to continue should state their living arrangements and the risk factor to them and their family, before they judge others for "getting on with normal life"

They can't see that for a huge number of people the cure is far, far worse than the cause.

What difference is it going to make to infections if people drive to go for a walk, or walk straight out the door

Ask that question to the woman who was taking her dog for a walk and chose to drive to the beach, but crashed her car on the way and has ended up losing an eye. That meant police, paramedics, air ambulance, A&E an operation, and a stay in hospital. All those people put into risky situations because a woman wanted to drive to walk her dog! That's THE difference!

I live in a residential area and Easter weekend there were loads more cars parked around than usual. Also last couple of days lots more people out and about.

@Noname99 Vaccines are created in such way to provoke the maximum antibody response in the individual, unlike natural infection. The WHO statement says no immunity resulting from natural infection is guaranteed.

My DD has just come back from work (Superdrug) and she said it was like a normal Saturday. The manager wasn't even controlling the numbers coming into the shop (although DD was when it was her turn on the door)

walk a mile in someone elses shoes
Yes indeed. One month temporary half hearted lockdown doesn't compare to the life of the many permanently housebound. It's really rather insulting to them when people suggest it's a life not worth living.

I've not seen anyone on any thread argue for a neverending lockdown. Who's said that? Some, like me, share the view of the Bank of England governor, epidemiologists, and scientists like Angela Merkel (who's so far had a lot of success in keeping Germany's death rate low). We believe a slightly longer lockdown now is preferable to the deaths and economic damage we'd see with stop, start, stop, start. I expect some other posters also think it's bad enough we already have one of the highest death rates in the world. With over a hundred HCP deaths so far. That encourages me to favour a more cautious approach. Others clearly disagree.

Everything has NOT gone back to normal. A few people walking on a street is nowhere near normality

Coffee shops and cafes are still shut. So are food places like KFC and McDonalds (if dominos can do it why cant they?)

Pubs are shut.

Were banned from seeing our friends. Were banned from seeing our families.

People have massive fear of economic insecurities.

Tbe twats in government seem entirely happy to cost through this.

You cant get sanitizer anywhere

Everyone is so fucking bored.

Peoples MH is nosedicing

Peoples chemo has been cancelled as though it's not essential

Schools are still shut

This shit show has been going on for over 4 weeks and we are nowhere near normal. I dont blame others for getting pissed off and stretching the rules. I ernt to the shop earlier for 2 cans of baileys latte, m and m chocolate bar and some lettuce. I feel no guilt whatsoever.