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??

Well you could do it. But you would be the subject of a MN thread!

London is a hot spot and people should not be dong this. There are areas that have no cases and it should stay that way. In other countries, badly affected towns are closed off. Why should Londoners think this is ok?

To those of you who think they are above the ignorant masses and can apply critical thinking

In that case you would argue Neli Ferguson did no wrong. Risk was negligible.
We have this mantra that people in hugh places should follw the rules, one law for the rich etc but I see a huge amount of people who are very much
"one law for me because I am an intelligent educated person, and another for you plebs who cant really be trusted to think, so we will tell you what to do"

There are virtually no areas with no cases. Maybe the Highlands of Scotland but the stats say everywhere has cases. Is it absolutely certain these people came from London? Lots of people with second homes already live in the countryside. Me for example.

Well you could do it. But you would be the subject of a MN thread!

Wouldn't give a flying one about that @BubblesBuddy

So much hewing and hawing and prevaricating on this thread.

Oh the risks are minimal
they've brought their own food
critical thinking
risk assessment
"still not getting your issue other than breaking the rules"
East Germany
Curtain twitching

FFS. Whilst these 'critical thinkers' get to have country side BBQs with their mates, The rest of us average Joes try to make the best of it home.

Lots of people having bbqs in parks and gathering on beaches are not the rich though are they? The rich just decamp and are quiet about it and stay on their own land.

If you help make the rules and sit in the advice panel (sage) then your behaviour will be critiqued. Most ordinary folk will just have a MN rant about them as “wrongdoers” and won’t even know about it.

Lots of people having bbqs in parks and gathering on beaches are not the rich though are they?
And I thought they were twats too.

The rich just decamp and are quiet about it and stay on their own land.
says it all .

so that's fine as their risk assessment is so much lower.

Lord Sumption is making huge sense on radio 5 right now. Thank God people like him are speaking out!

What’s he saying?

Yes. Their risk is lower. That’s quite true. This panic needs to calm down and a bit more sense needs to be applied. We cannot put our heads in bags for ever.

then your behaviour will be critiqued.

like I said round here, the police are "critiquing "
people who are driving from 3 hrs away for fun.

Turn on radio 5. He believes lockdown has been too severe. The government used their messages to frighten everyone. We risk becoming like China. We will have to live with the virus and the politicians have sheltered themselves from criticism. They have ruined business. The severe lock down might not have saved lives. The Swedes are less frightened than us because of government propaganda here. They don’t have the death rate. So we could have chosen another route. Some rules have been way to severe.

panic needs to calm down

I'm not panicked.

That's just another trope to add to East Germany and curtain twitching .

te. So we could have chosen another route. Some rules have been way to severe.

So It's been a shit show. we agree on something.

OPs critical thinking neighbours were obviously also in agreement.

He (Sumption) says the law is inflexible. It doesn’t allow for common sense. We have been very quick to be compliant and not questioned the outcome. Deaths of ordinary people without any health problems have not been huge.

He thinks the government should move to voluntary compliance. But larger venues and restaurants should be closed. He wants to live his life. We have scared everyone. People now will have to be persuaded to go back to work etc. The giver rent is boxed into a corner. Secure jobs and pensioners are fine. Others are very vulnerable and have no money. Millions will be unemployed. Small business won’t take loans because they cannot pay them back. We need to start the economy again.

That’s a decent summary of his views. I totally agree with him!!! Thank god for his brain, logic and sense.

People in the press who live in villages and coatal locations seem to moan a lot about second home owners potentially bringing the plague to their location but they forget that it was locals who selfishly sold their homes to rich townies from London and didnt think twice about their local neighbours and their upcoming youngsters who cant afford to live in the area they grew up in. Further and for example, there has been a lot of whinging about Gordon Ramsey staying at his holiday home in Rock but no one has ticket him, no police have visited him to advise him as they did with farage and ill bet most locals wouldnt dare reprimand him on the street or knock on his door because hes a big yelly block who would tell them to F%%k off,

thanks for that @BubblesBuddy

back to the entitled twats who've made their own risk assessment and enjoyed BBQs in the country whilst ordinary 'sheeple' mugs like most of us have had the basic decency to do what's asked of us.

oh that I had just done what I wanted to do and not just been compliant. Like I said it's BBq weather here today.

The problem with applying "common sense" is that some people don't have any.

I've a friend who has had Covid. So has her mum, who lives alone nearby. Friend can visit her mum without risk because neither can infect the other.

BUT the mum's neighbours don't know this, so just see friend visiting frequently and think "well, if she can do it, it must be ok for us". There's a general sense of "it's not that serious, they don't REALLY mean we're not allowed to visit people".

One person applying common sense is fine, if they're sensible. The problem is that others don't see the thought process and just blindly copy it.

Neil Ferguson had previously tested positive for coronavirus and recovered from it, hadn't he? As far as being a vector for coronavirus is concerned, he hadn't done anything wrong. (I won't comment on hos personal life.)

Seems a totally different kettle of fish from two different households travelling to mix at a third location.

OP, I think you are getting a totally unnecessary going over here, and it's really unfair.

I do't understand why people think that having a second home somehow makes them exempt from the rules. It's actually worse. You have the privilege of having enough money to have a second home, and this somehow entitles you to follow different rules from everyone else? Fuck this.

If anyone should be allowed to travel to a nice rural place and have a break it's NHS staff and care workers. Them first. Not people who have a lot of money, that gives you no rights - although apparently it does bypass both common sense and sympathy for others.

And is it OK to despite people with a second home? YES IT IS. It's a fucking obscenity in a country that does not house so many people properly, it ruins villages, keeps people in rented accommodation who are actually working there and - again - it's not a right. If you can afford it you should be taxed and taxed again on it until it evens up the area you are swanning into.

And no, I don't live in an area full of second homes.

But artisan, check this

2nd home owners have a lower risk as they can drive between their own properties and bbq on private land. And bring huge cool boxes of food with them. ( Though what llandrover goes 6 hours without petrol ? ) So criticality thinking here, there's not much risk.

So perhaps ONLY second home should be able to travel ! Bingo! I've got it!

second home owners

I'd report them. They are not obeying the rules and so potentially putting others at risk. It might be a very small risk, but risks are accumulative. For example, what if one of them only realizes they have the virus when they arrive? They'll expect to use the local pharmacy/doctors/hospital, won't they?

The rules are there for a reason.

"Weetam68

All you home owners - second or otherwise - are in for a serious shock further down the road.

You should prepare yourself."
Why Wheetam? Can you expand?

OP - I would be agitated about this also.