The packed beach brigade..

[Bol87]

Why am I seeing a resurgence of the packed beach brigade whinging on social media? And still harping on about it being Cummings fault 🥴

The last packed beach horror has resulted in no spike in case whatsoever. Cases have been flat & fallen over the last couple days (although I’m expecting this to be a bit temporary & them go up a bit & flatten again). This is alongside schools opening back up, meeting friends & family outdoors etc. And that day those on Durdle Door had to pack together due to air ambulances landing.

It strikes me that it’s pretty obvious the virus does not easily spread outdoors. Even the beaches that looked rammed, everyone will be a metre apart at a minimum. You don’t sit immediately next to each other.

Can we not get over people going to the beach?! Stop calling them idiots when in fact, they are simply doing something they are allowed to do & actually, if they’ve made a risk assessment the evidence suggests it’s an OK thing to do.. I mean, rather them than me, a packed beach is my idea of hell in normal times but c’mon! 😩

Well our beach was declared a major incident due to lack of infrastructure for the half million or so who descended today - because things can't open properly till July 4th according to the government. The virus spread potential is one factor - the fights, littering and traffic carnage plus pressure on emergency services were the others.

But I'm sure the invocation of dispersal orders and stand by requests for extra policing from out of town were an over-reaction that will be chuckled about in years to come......

Spain's death figures are low due to the fact they only report numbers of people that died from covid if they are registered within 24 hrs of dying. Any that take longer than 24 hours to register are not put on the daily figures, so their figures are not accurate.

That’s interesting, I remember hearing that Germany were recording their figures differently to us. I suppose it’ll be once this is over and we have each countries data for excess deaths before we will know how well or badly we did.

I live in Bournemouth. I don't care if you want to sit like sardines on the beach. I do care at the utter carnage being left behind. The absolute grid lock being caused. The fights breaking out because people think they can piss and shit on locals gardens.

It took 4 hours for people to get off sandbanks last night in scorching hot cars. How miserable.

Totally batshit to choose to go there. There are other options nearby that were probably much less busy.

We went to Hayling Island over half term - we had to go to 3 carparks before we found one we were happy with, but then no one came within 15m of us. Why do people congregate around each other? Weird.

This enough evidence... word fail me today!!!

Given there are literally thousands of miles of coastline in the UK, why do people feel the need to go to the obvious locations? Are people so lacking in imagination that they have to go to a Southend or a Bournemouth?

Totally agree, like the Peterborough family crying because it's a 400 mile round trip and they weren’t let through. Why didn’t they go to a Norfolk beach?? Less than a 100 mile round trip.

Personally I am giving the beaches a miss this year.

It's not just the spread of the virus.

People were parking on a cliff too in Dorset yesterday that had locals laying on it and having a picnic. They couldn't find space in adjacent car park.

That's pure stupidity, selfishness and just down right danger.

Go to the beach. That's fine. But it's common sense once car parks are full it's pretty over crowded. Find another car park or go a few miles down the road to a different beach.

People just think their want to go to the beach and their right to go to the beach trumps everything.

I don’t understand how people can walk away from a pile of rubbish they have just left there. All round the Parks where I live are trashed every hot day. We never used to behave like this, we had slogan keep Britain Tidy. Now it seems you can’t tell people to clean there own mess up in case they get offended.

Can we not get over people going to the beach?! Stop calling them idiots when in fact, they are simply doing something they are allowed to do

Agree but people are angry about them pooping where they want and leaving it everywhere and leaving litter and causing a nuisance and abusing local council workers and on and on... and no it’s not the councils fault for toilets not being open, if you had common sense you wouldn’t travel hours from home to somewhere there’s no toilets and where you can’t just pop home to use your own. I love the coast as much as the next person but it’s over an hour drive and until toilets are open Im staying in local parks and woodland.

Given there are literally thousands of miles of coastline in the UK, why do people feel the need to go to the obvious locations? Are people so lacking in imagination that they have to go to a Southend or a Bournemouth?

I said this, we are an island people are crazy.

I recognise that north Devon beach

People aren't being forced to go to beaches they are making their own choices.

As someone who is shielding I'm risk assessing everything but I'm not stopping the economy because of my personal situation

I feel the same. Whenever its particularly hot (at any time, not just this year) there is always obligatory pics of Bournmouth or Brighton beach absolutely packed. It always makes me wonder what, shoreham or Worthing for example are like? Brighton and Bournemouth cant be the nearest beach for everyone...? Some friends posted a pic of themselves on a beach yday and there was barely anyone there. She didnt disclose where it was.
One year we went (in the school holidays) to a beach in Somerset - I think it was Burnham. it was a lovely day and there was noone else there. We couldnt understand it! (But I guess a few miles away there were some packed beaches...)

I don’t understand why people flock to the busiest beaches. You could just drive 20 mins or so down the road from some of these places and find a beautiful quieter spot. It’s not like there’s much open at the busier places to explain it either! Herd mentality. It’s very odd.

We live probably 2 hours from any beach so possibly wont go this summer. We'll go to parks locally at least then can try somewhere else if its overcrowded

Yeah it's less about covid risk (to me anyway) and way more about people packed together, behaving like jackasses, losing all sight of reason and respect for the environment and people around them. It just highlights what selfish wankers we are. I walk through my local park and routinely smell human waste, puke, there's rubbish everywhere, booze bottles scattered. It seems most people could pick a fight in an empty room these days. Everyone's on edge and they don't really give a shit. That's the problem. Honestly, do what you like but pick up your shit and your rubbish and show some respect for the locals. They'd have their asses handed to them if this were California or Hawaii! That's where I'm from. You'd have the surfer vigilantes after you!

@BlusteryShowers

The littering is reprehensible, but good on anybody getting outdoors in the beautiful weather. There are more health concerns than just COVID, and if people can boost their mental health with a bit of sunshine then that's a good thing.

We can't live in this fear forever. We should be taking responsible steps to protect ourselves and others of course, but we need to live our lives as normally as possible.

Absolutely agree with this

I had to stop my dog from eating human shit off our beach the other day.

’& actually, if they’ve made a risk assessment’
If part of that risk assessment means they knew toilets weren’t open but travelled anyway then I don’t trust their judgement on anything.

I live right by a beach here but avoid on hot days because it’s just rammed. Videos of drunk kids fighting, photos of rubbish everywhere and cars parked inconsiderately everywhere today. Not bothered at all about any COVID risk it’s just despair at people who behave in such ways.

""I remember hearing that Germany were recording their figures differently to us. I suppose it’ll be once this is over and we have each countries data for excess deaths before we will know how well or badly we did."

Deelish That is a myth

• that keeps being trotted out to explain away the UK's high death toll, rather than government bungling

I live in Germany

Germany has included care home deaths from the beginning - the UK only did since late April
and excess deaths in Germany (i.e. those above historical average for this period) were nearly the same as their COVID death toll

The UK excess deaths are about 20k higher than the official COVID toll

Germany includes even accident and murder victims with a positive COVID test

Belgium includes even deaths without a positive test if a doctor thinks there is a sniff off COVID
every other Western country - including the UK & Germany - require a positive test

The UK has 66k, which is one of the highest excess deaths / million population in the world

< and no, I don't expect a 2nd peak from crowds outdoors, but the 40 tons of litter left and the abuse given to council workers clearing it away was disgusting >

People get piled on here if they leave their dog's shit lying around

If you go to someone else's town, don't leave your shit all over it

We went to West Wittering yesterday. You have to pre book to get into the car park and numbers are limited. Toilets, bins and cafe are open (cafe for take away, ice creams etc). It was busy but not packed and almost everyone was being pretty sensible. The DC had a great day!

Mostly people are being sensible, imo

The crowded beach at Bournemouth with all that shit left is headline news because ... it was the exception

@BigChocFrenzy sorry that's just not the case. I live in a big seaside area. We have many beaches and Thursday was horrible. I love seeing people at the beach having a lovely day out but it's estimated we had over 40,000 in one day we don't have room for these people and the rubbish they've left behind is just awful. Locals were out in the early hours cleaning up before the tide came in and swept it all out to sea.. I've had people pissing behind my beach hut for weeks now (which I'm still forbidden to use). Last night another brawl broke out and riot police were drafted in.. our beautiful beaches littered with beer bottles and plastic inflatables. Words fail me! So thankful for today's windy cloudy weather..

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