Mass evacuation of London

[madcatladyforever]

just seen yesterdays videos of the mass evacuation of people from London to go and spend christmas elsewhere before it's too late.
Well done Londeners thanks for spreading the virus mutation ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
Now waiting for tier 4 all over the country in the new year.
Because your christmas is so much more important than anybody elses health.
This is how it all started, no action in Wuhan, a few days later it's been flown all over the world, fantastic.
Mark my words the new year will be hell.

Yes it’s not mass evacuation but those who are saying it’s already spread can also wind their necks in

The government is asking not to INCREASE the spread. And yes those who are doing so are selfish. It really isn’t difficult to understand

I lived in London for 5 years, then moved to the NW.
I think a lot of people who haven’t experienced living in London have no idea how huge and crowded it is, how many people commute or stay during the week and go home at weekends. I took a while to adjust to how empty Manchester was by comparison, and how small.
As others have said, these are people going home, not holidaying in random corners of England.

There was no mass evacuation from London. Traffic was normal in and out of London. People were going along with their business as usual. The only thing that was different was, people were rushing to complete their Christmas shopping. I have loads of friends on SM and a lot of them were in London to do shopping from out of of London, so I'm assuming people like them were trying to make it back home with their shopping. The A40 picture on the dailyfail saying London is evacuating, no, the A40 on a Friday night is way busier than that picture on the DailyFail. A lot of people have left work for Christmas and I'm assuming these people are going back home.

So @MadCatLady - you are putting the blame on Northerners who work or study in London and are going home. Rather than on the government. If the government hadn't done a last-minute U-turn, those northerners would have headed off on pre-booked, socially distanced seats as planned over the next 5 days. Instead, the government's backtracking forced them onto one or two crowded trains.
There are people in London with no food in for the next week (they were planning to be elsewhere, or eat out) and who are now queuing outside packed supermarkets.
More opportunities for transmission created by the government's U-turn.

I lived in London for 15 years, and me and everyone I knew always left London a few days before Christmas to return to parent’s homes. And that is what the hoards will have been doing.

My partner was working on a big project in London, and should have finished this Wednesday. After the announcement their boss told them all to get straight home, they weren't going to be responsible for leaving 100 people away from their families for Christmas. I expect there was a lot of this happening, so little guidance or notice that people have to make their own decisions very quickly.

@MrsGradyOldLady

Well it's been circulating since September so wind your neck in OP. They government have done exactly what they did before Eid - waited until people had put their money into the economy to prepare for their celebrations and then banned them at the last minute. What a remarkable coincidence 🙄

This ^^

Well this ‘new variant’ is already in The Netherlands from what I saw on the news this morning. There was no hope of containing it in the South East. Ridiculous plan.

It could just as easily be carried by the train drivers.

Not to mention all the hundreds of thousands of couriers, lorry drivers and the like, who are driving all over the country delivering parcels and essential food supplies.

You're also forgetting that London has international airports with arrivals 24/7. Many of those passengers have to use public transport via London in order to get home.

“Mass evacuation”?!! Do you write for The Sun? It’s not Dunkirk. If you tone down the hyperbole, it’s a few inappropriately (and predictably) full trains, caused entirely by panic generated by the government’s piss poor handling of the situation.

Well done Londeners

Clearly they aren't Londoners, they are people who come from elsewhere.

Also I hate the word evacuation, anyone else? It just makes me think of errrr emptying bowels. So ‘mass evacuation’ makes me feel a bit sick not envy

These aren't londoners, this was lots of people who consider somewhere other than London home, going home. If you look at the photos, its mainly people in their early 20s.

Let them get back to their families, most will stay put now.

The trains going the other way where heaving too, lots of people who were away trying to get back to where they want to stay for this next lockdown. Cant blame them.

If the government had just given us 48 hours notice, then this would have been averted as those people wouldn't all have to travel in the same few hours.

I travelled from London yesterday.
Do you know why? I don’t fucking live there!

This is just The Mail putting a thread together to quote in their fucking ghastly rag.

Don't fall for it, guys. And MN, time to keep your house in order.

My DD came home last night, but she would have come home on 23 anyway, she just came home early because she works in retail which is obviously now closed. We are a support bubble (both single) and have been in the same bubble since the start. I am Tier 2.

Her train was near empty by the way.........

Can we please stop the hysteria.

Its not just one day though is it? Its one day, then potentially another couple of months! My brother is 'fleeing' to come home to mum and dads for hols. He has been entirely on his own, in a tiny, tiny flat without a garden, for ages. I don't blame him at all. There are many, many young single people in London who are at risk of real isolation and loneliness.

You don't know anyones story and why they need to go. And if they didn't go yesterday, they were told they faced arrest!

I fear that empathy is sliding out of the window because of all this.

Erm OP I think you'll find the majority of them are Ex-northerners, returning to the family home for Christmas . Time and time again on MN you have this vitrol some Northerners keep directing at certain Londoners, ironically who happen to be Ex-northerners 🤣. Perhaps you're better off advising your young folk instead (before they migrate South for work or study).

A few random photos tells you nothing. Photos construct a story they are not necessarily the 'reality'. See this www.businessinsider.com/social-distancing-images-camera-trick-2020-4

Yes, some people will have chosen to travel round the country, it's human nature to want to be with family and each individual thinks they are no risk, and the aggregate of that will be some virus transmission.

However, you can't lump Londoners into one mass, in the same way you can't say Northerners or the like. I know people are stressed and worried, but people need to wind their necks in and practise a bit of human empathy.

Oh such relief, such common sense this thread has turned out to be.
OP, YABU with knobs on.

"Mass evacuation"? Have you ever been to kings cross on a Friday?

I get some posters are angry about christmas plans, brexit, the spread of coronavirus, etc. We all know who is to blame and it isn't those trying to get home for Christmas.

I suspect loads of the people have to work in London Monday to Friday but have a family home elsewhere. I know lots of people who have had to do this and in the pandemic construction and trades have still continued. Lots of men on construction sites have wives and children elsewhere (not gender stereotyping, just reality), do you really think they should stay in their digs and not be allowed home to their own homes.

Mass evacuation.. good lord! This is what happens when MN has had a year of no office drama, MIL's, wedding snubs. It's a build up of frustrated melodrama all being aimed at coronavirus. Have a cup of tea and calm down love it's Sunday.

Tbh all the threads have been blaming Londoners which logically make sense.

In what way?

Doesn't make sense! that was important word to leave out 😆