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Original poster

'Snitch on your neighbours '

215 replies

Namechanger20183110 · 14/09/2020 09:50

Lots of sound bites in today's MSM from the policing minister suggesting pretty clearly that if you see your neighbours in groups of more than 6, ring the police.

The government are not even trying to hide their blatant tactics anymore to create divisions and animosity so that we stop focusing on the fact that they are a complete fuck up. There is already so much negativity out there. When I venture out, I'm more intimidated by somebody saying something to me about me unknowingly breaching a rule than I am of covid itself!

Will you snitch on your neighbour? I certainly won't be.

OP posts:
dannydyerismydad · 14/09/2020 14:15

Nope. I don't have 20-30 minutes spare to queue to speak to a 101 call handler. Who does?

RepeatSwan · 14/09/2020 14:16

@OpenlyGayExOlympicFencer

At the end of the day, the democratically elected government have made a law, unopposed by the opposition

And via the use of piss-poor governance. Not just the lack of parliamentary scrutiny, although obviously that's a really significant flaw, but published mere minutes before they came into effect. We should be talking about this.

Yes agree.

The appropriateness of the law itself is worthy of debate.

Once something is a law, it is likely people will report illegality.

RepeatSwan · 14/09/2020 14:18

@dementedma

You are no longer allowed to gather at home You must report your neighbours who do so You must download a state app to track your whereabouts We are considering a curfew Police action will be taken if you do not comply . . any of this bothering anyone? Is it me?
It is bothering me, yes.

We are in something of a mess. People keep saying they favour a Swedish response - but they had very high voluntary compliance.

We don't get high voluntary compliance.

Not sure what the answer is.

But yes, am personally concerned.

BogRollBOGOF · 14/09/2020 14:19

My neighbours are safe from me. They are welcome to continue letting cousins see each other which is a non-issue in Wales and Scotland anyway.

This is the type of way that Maoist purges broke down the bonds of society. Friends and family turning on each other and losing the trust of social bonds.
I don't think that is our government's agenda, I think it is basically inept rather than malicious, but the damage will still be done anyway. I shall treat this poxy rule with the same reverence that Dominic Cummings, Neil Fergusson and the Scottish CMO did for the initial lock down.

Am I special. No. Absolutely bog standard 2 child family. It's basically denying the majority of families the human right to a family life with their extended families or the opportiunity of informal friendship.

People should have been allowed to meet outdoors and in public spaces. I understand the increased hazards of socialising in a home, but if people are too afraid to meet somewhere low risk like a park, they will try to do it secretly at home which will cause more damage.

Bad laws harm society and deserve to be challenged.

BogRollBOGOF · 14/09/2020 14:20

We had a high voluntary complience early on. Much higher than the government expected. Fat lot of good it's done us now.

1dayatatime · 14/09/2020 14:35

I have suspicions that my neighbours are also hiding a Jewish family in their loft - should I report this as well?

RepeatSwan · 14/09/2020 14:36

@BogRollBOGOF

We had a high voluntary complience early on. Much higher than the government expected. Fat lot of good it's done us now.
The lockdown was not voluntary, there was law.
Kaktus · 14/09/2020 14:37

@1dayatatime

I have suspicions that my neighbours are also hiding a Jewish family in their loft - should I report this as well?
If it makes more than 6 of them in total, of course. The law is the law after all.

(Just to be clear I don’t really think this).

annabel85 · 14/09/2020 14:50

People keep saying they favour a Swedish response - but they had very high voluntary compliance. We don't get high voluntary compliance.

If people just followed guidelines (which are there to slow the spread of a dangerous virus, not for nothing) then they wouldn't need to be enforced. Some people just won't listen.

PhilCornwall1 · 14/09/2020 14:54

If people just followed guidelines (which are there to slow the spread of a dangerous virus, not for nothing) then they wouldn't need to be enforced. Some people just won't listen.

Considering experts have come out today and said this new rule is a nonsense as there is no scientific evidence behind it, I'm not surprised people aren't listening.

U8myufo · 14/09/2020 14:57

@BigSpringy

TheVanguardSix exactly right. The scariest part of the whole pandemic has been the illustration of how willingly some people will hand over their freedoms and turn on each other rather than hold their governments to account.
Spot on. This is the scariest thing for sure.
annabel85 · 14/09/2020 15:01

@PhilCornwall1

In reality, it's a gesture. July and August people have been mixing and doing what they want and this government tbf has been actively encouraging them to go back to the office, eat out to help out and to help the travel industry by going on holiday. As a result people have become lax over the summer holidays and extended their socialising while parliament was on its own summer break.

Now shools are open, parliament is back and cases are starting to go through the roof. Therefore this is how the government have chosen to issue a reality check to people. If it was science led then they'd shut the pubs, enforce social distancing at schools, tell people to work from home - but the economy takes precedence where possible.

Snog · 14/09/2020 15:07

I would definitely snitch on Dominic Cummings

PhilCornwall1 · 14/09/2020 15:08

but the economy takes precedence where possible.

And so it should.

But the stupid rule is far from a reality check on my book.

jasjas1973 · 14/09/2020 15:21

By the time you've contacted the police and they send a car round, it'll be 3 days later...

So take photographs, video and have witnesses, preferably more than 6.....

PhilCornwall1 · 14/09/2020 15:26

So take photographs, video and have witnesses, preferably more than 6.....

The perfect loophole right there.

Police: Excuse me, why do you have more than six people in your property?

You: Thats easy Officer, we are keeping an eye on the neighbours from every angle, to make sure they follow the rules.

Police: Ah, very public spirited of you, keep up the good work!!

Mamabem · 14/09/2020 15:32

No way!

Funkypolar · 14/09/2020 15:42

No. Snitches get stitches.

The police don’t come out if you get burgled. Why would they investigate having 7 people in a house?

rookiemere · 14/09/2020 16:04

There was a police interview- sorry can't remember who with - that said they scarcely have the manpower to investigate serious crimes, so they don't want people to ring up and tell them that their next door neighbours have 8 people inside.

They did say to notify them about large scale gatherings.
I'd be very reluctant to report anything- it brings me back to earlier lockdown where I ended up leaving the house twice in the day because I needed exercise over and above walking the dog for the sake of my mental and physical health, but was worried I might get reported. But a large scale group of say 100+ people is very different from a small number.

Interestingly when DH and I were out for dinner on Friday in Scotland, there was a table with 10 people at it, which is against the at the time guidelines of max 8 from 3 households. So it looks as if public venues are turning a blind eye to the restrictions. I certainly don't expect them to police the number of households, but I would have thought they'd stop gatherings above the allowed numbers. But Nope - I didn't report them either.

ZiggeryZaggy · 14/09/2020 16:14

The poor police and call handlers. They are busy enough, without having every busy body in the land calling up, breathless with excitement, to say they suspect their neighbours of having visitors.

“999, what’s your emergency?” Hmm

Kaktus · 14/09/2020 16:15

Haven’t seen a police officer in our large village/small town since they closed the police station 5 years ago!

nonchalantbee · 14/09/2020 16:22

But it's ok to break the rules and drive to your elderly parents to test your eyesight. Why do they get away with the rule breaking and we're encouraged to snitch on each other? My child will be going to his nana's house where there are already 6 people. Just as my younger sister has been coming to my house everyday from the same household. One is breaking the rules and one isn't, the risk is no more or less.

rosie39forever · 14/09/2020 17:31

Absolutely not it's not our job to police one another, we should be holding our so called government to account not our neighbours and friends.

Ginogineli · 14/09/2020 17:38

No why would I police don’t care anyway

I read a post the other day which sums this up perfectly

If you ever wandered how people complied with hitlers regime - now you know

Snooper22 · 14/09/2020 17:42

I was reported to the police by our neighbours for not self isolating after we came back from France. The fact of the matter was that we had to go food shopping. I didn't expect 2 police officers to turn up asking us if we knew the rules as we did! We even told the officers we had been shopping. We work from home so it wasn't an issue for us. To say it has left us very bitter about them is an understatement. Next time they're kids are screaming I shall be calling social services and see how they like being questioned...!

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