Any sign of a lockdown round your way? Cos there isn’t one here.

[Generalconfusion]

I’m in England. This morning the school run was the usual massive slog through traffic. Not just other school run parents, lots of people who looked like they were driving to work. Taxis. Full buses. Not one tiny bit quieter. At lunchtime I went for a prescription and town was bustling. People chatting in groups. Town has lots of shops like Poundland, the Range, B&M - all packed. No cafes but groups of teens from the secondary schools and uni sat on walls and steps in the square having lunch. Tonight - fireworks at the neighbours where a group are having a bonfire gathering - maybe 8? My kids were in school today in large so-called bubbles of several hundred each.

This isn’t going to work.

@Generalconfusion

So the OP goes about doing their normal business and goes to town, and then complains that there are others in town.

Schools are open so I have to take my children to them otherwise I get fined. I went to the pharmacy to get life-sustaining medicine for a member of my family - also allowed under the rules. I did not meet up with friends or browse the shops or have a party or go into an office.

Apart from the party, allthose other things are allowed. You can meet with a friend one on one (or more if the others are preschoolers) You can browse the shops which are open You can go to the office if your job cant be done from home

This lockdown isnt supposed to be like the one in March. People are encouraged to go our for exercise and recreation and schools are open. So of course it will feel different.

Maybe people don't care. By the time they realise they should have cared, it will be too late. A lot of people are just thick, tbh.

I’m not sure, but I will admit to being surprised that the firework shop in town was open. With a huge queue down the street. Essential retail?

Roads much quieter and less people out, so yes it's working here.

I was off yesterday and stayed at home other than school run and a walk. But my colleague was in our shop waiting for deliveries and manning the phone, they said that the town was dead quiet. Some people out and about first thing, heading to offices but once the working day had started there was not a soul to be seen.

If you have been out on the roads to do the school run, so will others, if you have been into town to open shops, so will others. IMO it’s school holidays that reduce the traffic on roads, nothing else.
I have no idea if it looked like lockdown yesterday because I worked from home and didn’t go out.

I have worked since March offering 24/7 service. Roads got noticeably busier when schools went back, they were quieter half term week and back again.
The time that lockdown makes the difference is after 7pm during lockdown I only see lorries and police cars after this time of day, whereas earlier in the week there were a few cars. 2am this morning there was no one on my 2 mile journey.

@Generalconfusion bully for you!!!

You really want everyone to stay locked in? It's not a lockdown it's 'restrictions' monitoring the roads etc is just sad.

It's not March!

I was wondering about national trust, should we be going or should we be avoiding it? They're open but we're told to travel as little as possible.

... it only started yesterday the covid Marshall's are already panicking!

@StealthPolarBear of course go - it's outside that's why they have remained open!!

But it's twenty mins away, arent we meant to be travelling as little as possible

@Generalconfusion bully for you!!!

You really want everyone to stay locked in? It's not a lockdown it's 'restrictions' monitoring the roads etc is just sad.

Goodness that seems like an overreaction to me making an observation about the lack of difference this so-called lockdown is going to make based on observing (not ‘monitoring’) my local town.

I live in the London commuter belt and it is generally much quieter on the roads in the morning due to people WFH. The current lockdown hasn’t changed this because many London office workers have been WFH since March. The only place that I get stuck in traffic is outside my DC’s school. It’s purely school traffic and as the school is still open that hasn’t changed either.

The main change as far as I can see is that all my DC's after school sports clubs are cancelled. So they're sitting around on screens in the evenings rather than being active. As if child obesity wasn't already enough of a problem

What's the problem with fireworks? We were going to have some tonight with our bubble but they've all sold out. Seriously do we have to sit inside crying to prove we're complying?

Of course the roads will be busy, the rules on going to work haven't changed since last week - unless you work in the very small number of places that are closed. The thing that's been cut is socialising - don't think many people going out at 8am on a Thursday are socialising. I'd expect the roads to be very quiet at the weekend.

Similar observations here. I have been told to still go in to work as it seems have so many. If you go in to work still and have to do your normal shopping at weekends then people who are home all day are finding excuses to go out to places that are open like garden centres, to collect takeaway and shops like B&M, Poundland then this lockdown is not going to work. It will be a pointless waste of people’s time and damage livelihoods for nothing. People will then rush out to the shops in larger numbers when they are reopened and numbers will be back up either in time for Christmas or in January. It’s very difficult. I wanted a lockdown to reduce cases but they have made too many excepts to make it effective.

This is nothing like the lockdown in March though. The main difference is the schools are still open. So people have to get out for the school run and older kids are going to be milling around before and after school.

We didn't know much in March and livelihoods hadn't yet been ruined. Some people were grateful for the 'holiday'. Now people aren't as scared of the virus and are more likely to want to support business and continue working. Whether that's at home or in their place of work.

So many 'essential' shops shouldn't be left open if we're trying to avoid crowds. On the other hand, at least supermarkets aren't the only ones lining their pockets.

For many of us here was already no socialising, which is why it's really annoying when people say it's just four weeks. And assuming we go back into tiers it'll be more of the same. Yes if the weather is good we can meet outside under tier 2 but that is very restrictive at the moment.

@StealthPolarBear don't go then!!

Stay in.

Can't see what harm driving to an open air place will do but access your own risk.

@Generalconfusion don't panic - only been a day - weekends will be quieter with nothing to do!!

You're missing my point. On the one hand these places are open. On the other hand we're being told to go out only if necessary. Which takes precedence?

@StealthPolarBear

But it's twenty mins away, arent we meant to be travelling as little as possible

Well then maybe people who are only 5 mins away should go. Just make your own bloody mind up.

Why shouldn’t the roads be busy, as long as people are not car sharing? It’s indoor gatherings that people should be avoiding - for their own sake as much as for anyone else’s.

Oh course there will be traffic at 8am because like you they are taking the kids to school .
When it's the school holidays the traffic near me is lovely and quiet ,
during term time it's horrendous some days .
It makes me laugh when people go out and complain that why are people are out, a bit of a contradiction I think .