Sorry, I need to vent. Second home owners!

[Querlouse]

I live in a small village in a quiet farming area. One of the old cottages was bought by a family from London about 18 months ago, they spent a long time getting planning permission but have now started works.

They are coming down and meeting mates there every weekend. Yesterday I walked past (footpath runs alongside house) and there were two massive flashy Landrovers not really relevant cars outside and three blokes, at least two women and four kids all hanging out in the big garden. The house is currently uninhabitable so they aren't staying there permanently.

Dh says just forget about it but its really annoying me! Our village is generally really old and we've had no cases of cv so far.

It's not OK to drive 3 hours from London to a village then meet mates is it??

"If what these people are doing is OK.. I presume mnetters have no problem with me going off to spend the day with my friends walking on the beach and stopping for a bbq.. Cus we will stay a 2m distance from anyone else and the liklihood of us needing any assistance from nhs or fire brigade is low... Thats OK then isn't it?"

I'm actually starting to think that's fine. As long as you are nowhere near anyone else and keep 2 metres away, how is that any different to standing in a Tesco queue and getting near to people shopping?

Thing is shopping for food is a necessity and unavoidable. Having a BBQ on a beach isn't and if you do it others will too - why not? Then it gets more difficult for people to maintain a 2m distance as everyone has relaxed the rules and are carrying on as normal. One family having a BBQ on a beach fine - but if they're there doing it then everyone is allowed to do it so we're back to a situation of less control.

Yes lizzie, but then often in quiet places you would be the only person on the beach.

How are the one family having a barbecue on the beach disposing of the barbecue afterwards?

Between people disposing of actual barbecues by burying them, creating scorching hot sand, and the scorching hot sand beneath where the barbecue originally stood before it was (even safely) disposed of, it's not like barbecuing on a currently deserted beach has zero potential for harm to others.

"How are the one family having a barbecue on the beachdisposingof the barbecue afterwards? "

Sand puts fire out. So they could be emptying the embers into the sand and adding water. Not sure why this is relevant?

Sand puts fire out. So they could be emptying the embers into the sand and adding water. Not sure why this is relevant?

Sand stays hot for bloody ages [technical term].

Every year, people and animals sustain serious burns from stepping to the burning hot sand left behind by barbecues on an apparently deserted beach.

It is relevant because it is relevant any time people discuss beach barbecuing and it is especially relevant now, when both people barbecuing and people walking on the beach will be lulled into a false sense of security by the absence of other people.

It would annoy me. It's against lockdown rules

Wow. All those years spent on beaches and never knew this danger was even there. (because its not)

Just because it hasn't happened to you hardly means hot sand from improper disposal doesn't burn the people who are unlucky enough to come along at the wrong time.

Every year local and national newspapers run calls to holidaymakers to dispose of their barbecues safely because of people who didn't cool their area adequately and left.

Here, one of my first results on google just now.

Town hall chiefs fear a repeat of two years ago when, according to medics, five children in two weeks were burnt after running over scorching sand where barbecues had been placed.

Two of the children, a four-year-old girl and a six-year-old girl, were rushed to hospital, suffering from burns to their feet.

[...]

Mayor Maddie Chapman said the problem was that once hot barbecues had been moved, there was ‘no evidence’ they had ever been there. She suggested that water could be poured onto the sand to cool off the area.

Cllr Nash added: “Someone suggested at the meeting, if you have a portable barbecue, use some of the millions of gallons of seawater to put it out.

“The chap from the fire brigade nearly fell off his chair and said ‘no, never put water, especially seawater, on hot coals’.

www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/hot-barbecue-disposal-warning-after-children-are-hurt-on-beach-1-4125197

ANOTHER govt adviser / appointee caught breaching lockdown. At least he has had the decency to resign

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8289921/Scientist-advice-led-lockdown-QUITS-breaking-restrictions-meet-married-lover.html

No wonder 'normal' people aren't taking it seriously

Am I missing something - if the UK is in phase 2 (as Bluntness said) and you’re supposed to use common sense as to meeting people etc, Why that epidemiologist has been sacked for having a romantic liaison with an established partner?

No wonder it’s such chaos there when people can’t agree on the rules!

He hasn’t been sacked, he’s resigned. Because he’s a hypocrite.

Am I missing something - if the UK is in phase 2 (as Bluntness said)

We’re not in phase 2 (and in fairness she didn’t say that, she said “if we are moving into phase 2”) but we aren’t there yet.

Still social distancing, still not mixing households.
Absolutely no excuse for what he did and good that he’s resigned

YANBU. It is really frustrating seeing people break the rules when you are not. I heard these people are called free riders- they are only able to break the rules because they rely on everyone else following them.
If everyone travelled around the country having meet ups with multiple families the virus would be out of control.
It is most definitely selfish behaviour, and is therefore v annoying.

@mouldygrapes

Oh I see. Still doesn’t make sense though - why would you break the current rules in anticipation of some imagined future rules?

Hmmm and people are confused as to why we have one of the highest death rates in Europe ?

Yes lizzie, but then often in quiet places you would be the only person on the beach

Yes tabby but most people would need to travel to get to a deserted beach so, again, it highlights why is that one person special enough to do it and not others? The police have been stopping people travelling to places like beaches - why? To discourage hordes of people going to beaches. It's like a leaking tap.

People can risk it but the more that do the more others will then the point of lockdown crumbles a bit.

"Yes tabby but most people would need to travel to get to a deserted beach"

I'm starting to wonder why this is an issue? If people are sensible and social distance

"so, again, it highlights why is that one person special enough to do it and not others?"
You know before covid, busy beaches werent really a thing. Near me you can walk for miles on a beach and not see a soul. No BBq's either!!

"The police have been stopping people travelling to places like beaches - why?"

Because they got a bit carried away with the rules.

"To discourage hordes of people going to beaches. It's like a leaking tap"

I've only ever seen hoardes of people on beaches in the main tourist towns. In most beaches, its quiet.

I'm starting to wonder why this is an issue?

Because tabby driving a car would increase the risk of an accident, taking resources such as police, ambulances and paramedics away from where they might be needed. It's lockdown. Accidents happen and sometimes they're not your fault but if one person decides to travel to a beach by car, others will follow, then there's no lockdown and the risk of traffic accidents increases.

In most beaches, its quiet.

Not everyone lives near you though. Most would have to get in a car to travel to a beach - see my previous posts above about the risks involved in that during lockdown.

Beaches will still be there next month or 3 months' time. People can go then.

"Because tabby driving a car would increase the risk of an accident, taking resources such as police, ambulances and paramedics away from where they might be needed."

That's incredibly unlikely to happen. Plus the Government have clarified that the nhs is working with bags of capacity.

"It's lockdown. Accidents happen and sometimes they're not your fault but if one person decides to travel to a beach by car, others will follow, then there's no lockdown and the risk of traffic accidents increases."

Not necessarily. Not everyone goes to beaches. Most of the time they are empty. There has been a gradual increase of traffic as the weeks have gone on, and as it's been clarified that that can travel to exercise.

"Most would have to get in a car to travel to a beach"
Most people dont bother.

I wrote: "Most would have to get in a car to travel to a beach"

You wrote: Most people dont bother.

You've missed the point - most people don't live near a deserted beach and would have to travel by car to get there. It's nothing to do with whether they could be bothered or not.

it's been clarified that that can travel to exercise

Yes, as long as the travelling doesn't take longer than the exercising. You can't travel 4 hours by car to a beach for example then spend 2 hours walking to get in a car for another 4 hours.

You also can't have a BBQ while there - which is what we're talking about.

That's incredibly unlikely to happen.

Increased traffic on the road will increase accidents. Very likely to happen, not incredibly unlikely. Travel by car introduces risks - it's logical it would do.