Anyone feel like, “what was the fucking point?”

[OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow]

We’ve stuck to guidelines as I’m vulnerable and dh and ds are key workers. Today, on one of our usual walks, groups of people walking abreast down the middle of woodland paths (we pulled off the path), kids running down the path close behind people, joggers taking the middle of the path then coming home across a bridge about 3 metres wide (which has arrows telling you which side to walk on) a couple stood on the wrong side having a good long stare over the water. People were coming over the right side and we were waiting to go over the opposite way. In the end, dh went across the right side and asked them what they were playing at. “Well , you can get by can’t you?” Not very safely. It’s like people think the virus has just vanished because lockdowns been lifted a bit. And walking down the small Main Street home is like hopscotch.Sorry, I’ve tried to be as positive as I can, but this level of dickheadedness just makes me thing the sacrifices we’ve all made will be for naught.

So you’re ok to go out but no one else!
It’s this attitude that doesn’t help!

you’re vulnerable = you need to stay in

This.

I think there's a lack of perspective at the minute with regards to lock down. Everyone is so busy looking at people doing things "wrong" they aren't seeing those doing things "right". The reason we are here is due to very slow government decision making. People walking 3 abreast and a neighbour having friends over isn't good practice but is nothing compared to thousands coming into the country without being tested for months and months! I assume most of those out and about don't care if they catch it?

I only walk my dog every other day now. I was getting so fed up of people! It's very rare to get a thank you from anyone if I 'gave way' to them and I was finding myself having to walk in the road WITH MY DOG AND IM PREGNANT! I don't go shopping anymore either cos I would probably tell everyone to EFF OFF away from me!

One of the functions of MN is to allow people to vent.
The OP wasn't venting about people being out walking, only about those who were being inconsiderate arseholes.

Why defend such people? Unless you are one of them.

No, but they have to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.

And that’s what the OP is trying to do, but other people are behaving like inconsiderate wankers and preventing her from being able to socially distance. Do you blame someone walking on a footpath, if they get hit by a car, because they should have known the driver was careless? Do you blame women for walking up dark paths if they get attacked. Stop blaming vulnerable people for other people’s dickish behaviour.

Exactly:

"Frokni Sat 16-May-20 15:53:46
I think there's a lack of perspective at the minute with regards to lock down. Everyone is so busy looking at people doing things "wrong" they aren't seeing those doing things "right". "

The vulnerable group aren’t shielded! The shielded are extremely clinically vulnerable, it’s a different guideline.

Shielding is to protect the nhs, it isn’t to protect the shielded, that’s a by product. If the nhs is overwhelmed by vulnerable patients there will be many more deaths across the board, not just from the virus, reaching across the general population.

I totally disagree with those who say that everyone who is vulnerable should stay in. Why should they be prisoners in their own homes so that other people can be inconsiderate arseholes?
Having said, that I doubt that you will get infected by being near someone else outside very briefly.

I'm aware of people doing things right ... it seems to be the norm hereabouts. Which is perhaps one of the reasons I've not got much patience with those defending people being dicks. It's not necessary or inevitable.

I live in a huge city that has actually seen relatively few deaths.

I was in the city centre at 5pm yesterday and it was absolutely dead. Were the few people I saw 2m away from each other at all times? Maybe not, but you can't get away from the fact that it would normally be a packed city centre at 5 pm on a very sunny Friday.

Would normally be full of commuters (I was the only person on my bus stop which would normally have 50+ plus people at any one time from 5-7 pm). Shoppers (now the only stores open were supermarkets/M and S food with socially distanced queues). And usually thousands of people sat outside and inside bars and pubs (all closed).

Nothing has gone 'back to normal'. Lockdown has done and is doing what it was supposed to.

A few people in parks, seeing their Mum or not socially distancing on a walk were never that important in the grand scheme of things but the real risks involving threat to populations have been hugely, hugely reduced and this is reflected in infection and death rates from CV so there certainly has been a point to it and its been effective.

People shouldn't be labelled as 'dickheads' because they are doing the things they have been doing all their lives and forgetting to follow some very questionable guidelines about walking outside.

These 'dickheads' have been stuck in their homes, maybe with their 'dickhead' children, many facing financial hardship, many facing loss of their jobs, many facing serious mental health issues. The 'dickhead' kids have had their education severely disrupted and impaired.

And what, as you ask, was the fucking point? The fucking point was to protect the vulnerable like you OP. So instead of lashing out in a petty way perhaps try to dredge up some gratitude in your soul. And use your common sense to go out at a quieter time of day - if you think following the 2m rule is so simple you should have no difficulty with that even simpler measure.

Yabu if you are worried go earlier in the morning or evening or not at all .
People want to go out for a walk so do you . There are no where to go expect parks / country walks so everyone is doing the same thing . Tbh after 8 weeks of this most people are careful and like me if I catch it I catch it 🤷‍♀️.

Yep, even here in Wales, where there's no relaxation of the rules, some people are being more reckless. It's a minority though, thankfully - most people seem to still understand that you respect distances to help keep vulnerable people safe. There's a handful of belligerent people though.

People shouldn't be labelled as 'dickheads' because they are doing the things they have been doing all their lives and forgetting to follow some very questionable guidelines about walking outside.

Right enough, it’s not as if there have been news reports, talked about in every live program on tv and radio, on leaflets dropped through doors, etc for months. If they’re too thick to follow distancing rules, then they ARE dickheads and maybe THEY should stay indoors in order to protect others.

Going outside should be a pleasure and you sound so angry op I’d say that it would be better for your mental health to stay home or go out at quieter times.

If they’re too thick to follow distancing rules, then they ARE dickheads and maybe THEY should stay indoors in order to protect others

As it happens almost everyone I meet on my walks (with the exception of runners) are following the guidance, it seems to be the people who enjoy slating others who are looking for every little chance to do that.

It was quite possible early on that the govt would decide not to lock down. They could have adopted a 'shielding' policy but were unable to make up their minds and eventually took the decision to shut everyone in.

The toll on our country is enormous so excuse me if I don't want to slag people off for some petty shit that doesn't even matter.

The toll on our country is enormous so excuse me if I don't want to slag people off for some petty shit that doesn't even matter.

It matter to those that are vulnerable and to the families of the 16 dead people in the nursing home beside me. If it doesn’t matter to you, then why comment?

I'm with you OP. My little rural village has had a constant stream of people walking through with rucksacks on today. Not people we recognise. How is that helping the elderly and vulnerable who live here? If they want to go for a walk, not only are they sidestepping others but more people have touched footpath gate fastenings.

In addition, our local seaside town is busy despite public toilets being closed. Local cafes and coffee shops are all offering a 'take away' service of drinks and hot and cold food galore. Some staff are wearing masks and gloves and some are simply not bothering. People we know full well are from different households are walking together.

On Dartmoor today, they had to shut car parks as lunchtime as they were overrun.

Looks like those of us who care about getting Covid are more locked down than ever in order to avoid those who don't care who they get close to.

It matter to those that are vulnerable and to the families of the 16 dead people in the nursing home beside me. If it doesn’t matter to you, then why comment?

I am talking about the petty complaining about people walking past too close for the OP's liking and against The Rules.

I expect you knew that anyway but, hey ho, any excuse to try to guilt-trip someone eh?

any excuse to try to guilt-trip someone eh?

You mean like the posters are doing to the OP? Not a nice, is it?

God covid really brings out the sanctimony.

Not hard to extrapolate from Boris Johnson’s speech on 3rd February that UK lockdown has always been halfhearted all along. We only locked down at all because literally every other seriously affected country was doing so and it would have looked a bit off if we didn’t.

“.... when there is a risk that new diseases such as coronavirus will trigger a panic and a desire for market segregation that go beyond what is medically rational to the point of doing real and unnecessary economic damage, then at that moment humanity needs some government somewhere that is willing at least to make the case powerfully for freedom of exchange, some country ready to take off its Clark Kent spectacles and leap into the phone booth and emerge with its cloak flowing as the supercharged champion, of the right of the populations of the earth to buy and sell freely among each other.

.... (the right to buy and sell freely - with the elderly and vulnerable as collateral damage). No time for any more Coronavirus nonsense in the middle of the great Brexit adventure I’m afraid!

If you don’t like it then stay in. More people are going out because we have been told it’s ok to do so, this means we are going to bump into people whilst walking, some paths are impossible to pass leaving 2 metres.

I have seen 3 different people going into neighbours house this morning, this is how the virus is spread rather than people getting a bit too close on a walk.

I genuinely and truly hope that anybody not respecting social distancing catches Covid19. Sadly of course they'll infect decent people with it too. Go ahead and screech at me, I won't notice or care.