No point in lockdown anymore

[LifeMatters]

All my neighbours seem to think that we are in a paid staycation by the government and social distancing are out the door.
Everyone around where I live has friends and family over, are having picnics together on the grass in front of their flats, the roads are busier than ever.
It's crazy! There's no point in making this country suffer any more so better all let's just go to work and what happens happens.

People are taking advantage of the paid time off and not staying indoors. What is the point of this lockdown if people are not following it anymore?

My next door neighbors had friends and family over all this week...it's crazy.

[boobmoob]

@theshoesa I agree that the lockdown would have been harder to enforce without deaths in Italy, you can't actually enforce it, people have to want it. Which is one of the reasons why I think the furlough scheme was generous, to keep people happy & compliant. I don't recognise the trope of furloughed people acting like it's a holiday, if I was furloughed I'd be very scared my job would be gone.

Perhaps this is the gov strategy, let people break themselves out of lockdown by choice so again they are on board with the decision.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

This is quite interesting. I live in a suburb of a northern city.

No crowds, lockdown strictly observed, social distance queues in all shops including chippy, roads quite quiet. Local shops are usually pretty much deserted apart from essentials.

I see loads of families on the hours exercise, but never anywhere else.

[IgnoranceIsStrength]

Also west Midlands and lockdown has never been taken seriously near me. So many people popping to local shop for an ice cream for example, going into woods and by canals in multi family groups, having picnics and bbqs in multi family groups. 2 out of the 3 closest neighbours have regularly had family over. I am probably bitter as I am still working full time from home with a 6 year and 3 year old and my family are 250 miles away.

[MrsNettle]

100% agree. It's pointless at this stage. I'm particularly annoyed with the hypocrites who apparently are scared shitless of CV and returning to work whilst going on 5miles walk every day, having meet ups with their family in the garden and ordering take aways. Yes, I know outdoor exercise and ordering food are allowed, and I support it, but if you think you are so at risk that return to work will kill you, maybe you shouldn't take any unnecessary risks?

[suzy2b]

Where are the Police in all these places they are suppose to be watching and people are suppose to be letting police know

[boobmoob]

The furlough scheme was over generous indeed.

What should the scheme have looked like? What figure isn't over generous?

[JemimaShore]

This is not my experience at all. Where I am, everyone still seems to be keeping to the rules tbh - roads still very quiet here when I go to drop shopping round to my mum. Eerily quiet, actually - last time I went around 6pm, and normally roads would be busy with rush hour traffic, and I just drove straight through on empty roads.

Also, I don't know many people who have been furloughed - everyone in my extended family is either working from home, or own their own business/self employed and can't work - but haven't had a penny from the government - and have their own money worries. So not treating it like a holiday at all.

[boobmoob]

The government have fucked it tbh we should have locked down sooner and stricter then we would not be in the mess!!

I see this a lot & in theory perhaps they should have but in practice how should they have done this?

[Peppafrig]

To those suggesting furlough was over generous have you ever tried to live on 80% of minimum wage ?

[Underhisi]

Pretty much everyone around here is sticking to social distancing. There are a few characters wandering and sitting around town ignoring it but that is about it. Everyone else seems to be trying to keep their 2m apart and not socialising in others houses.

[Peppafrig]

@TanginaBarrons that's what it's like in my part of Scotland too . Roads are dead and people are not out and about.

[CurlyEndive]

I agree OP. Lockdown is pointless now, because we're suffering the economic pain as people aren't going to work, but too many people are breaking it so we're not getting the full benefit in reducing transmission rates. It's the worst of both worlds.

[Bignet182]

Simple, people who are found to be ignoring the lockdown should have their furlough payments revoked, as well as being fined.

[Discobar]

Apparently mass redundancies is a better option than the furloughed scheme is the preferred option on this topic. Utterly clueless

[boobmoob]

I think it's huge misunderstanding of human nature if people think a strict lockdown would have had the majority of the population complying for months on end.

[Alsohuman]

To be honest, I thought Beth Rigby’s point was excellent. If a relaxation of the restrictions is going to be made, why not tell us now? What’s going to be different between Sunday and Monday?

[happyhuman123]

those of you who want to lift the lockdown, are you then going to blame "evil Boris" if the death rate shoots up again?

[Andorra155]

The majority appear to be abiding where I am. The oy difference I've noticed is more people going to work than 2/3 weeks ago, but that's always been allowed as long as not in the group that the gov listed as not being allowed to.

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

Boobmoob, everyone l know is strictly sticking to it, and want it to keep going. All friends, family and colleagues are absolutely complying with it.

Streets deserted around me.

[boobmoob]

I also find it odd when people say I had a medical app today & the streets were packed, or I went for a drive to the shops and the roads & shops were much busier. Do posters not consider others may be doing what they are doing?

[RaptorInaPorkPieHat]

I nipped into town earlier for a prescription, it's noticeably different to how it was a month ago (same time, same day, same prescription). Much busier, and that's on a Thursday afternoon, (half day closing - rural, market town).

I dread to think what it'll be like once they reopen the shops and the market it'll be mayhem

[Eeyoresstickhouse]

It's like party central at my downstairs neighbours. A variety of people and kids coming and going, drinking wine outside since 11am cackling and music blaring. Admittedly they are on benefits and don't work, so it is the same old for them they are just enjoying the extra benefits they are receiving and drinking them all up!

We are struggling on with working from home, with a toddler, having shopping delivered and going for one walk a day. I do wonder why we are bothering when everyone else is having a fabulous time, but then I realise I'm just not a thundercunt and I am kind of more compliant.

[MrsFogi]

I think that in the absence of a clear roadmap and convincing leadership from the government people will simply do their own risk assessments and set their own rules.

[bellinisurge]

Comical that papers are rabbitting on about the Blitz spirit and then whining because we have to stay in the house a bit.

[Rollercoasteride]

I dont know what some people are thinking!

I logged on to FB earlier, with my FB nhs friend showing a photo of her son and niece in a paddling pool together. ..at her mums house...her mum works in a supermarket. So that's three households. How ridiculous!
Next door made a coffee for a neighbor last week, and gave the kids across the road lollys (she is an ex nurse).
All we can do is protect ourselves