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Original poster

So I can't go for 2 walks but I can go to a garden centre

247 replies

AliceAbsolum · 04/01/2021 21:26

Don't understand the once a day rule. Never have. A little afternoon walk keeps me sane.

Moan moan moan.

OP posts:
Wheresmykimchi · 04/01/2021 23:33

@LastTrainEast

All the rules are intended to minimise contact. They are not perfect rules and they don't cover every situation, but it's like when you were kids and your mum would say "Stop kicking the table" and you'd kick the chair because she hadn't actually said said you couldn't kick the chair so that was allowed.
Love this analogy
BonnieDundee · 04/01/2021 23:33

Every single person who wilfully breaks the rules, or bends them to suit themselves, is responsible for this shit show.

Please dont tell me that you honestly believe that going for a walk by.yourself is.spreading the virus

Nothing at all to do with care homes hospitals, schools, and factories where social distancing isnt possible

Lifeispassingby · 04/01/2021 23:34

I was bought up to think you don’t follow rules because you’ll get punished if you don’t, you follow them because they’re there for a reason and it’s the right thing to do

Swearlikemalcolmtucker · 04/01/2021 23:34

So we aren’t allowed out for two walks but it appears people can still travel to and from South Africa where there is a new strain that is causing a lot of worry. Figures.

AdobeWanKenobi · 04/01/2021 23:34

@Olivere

Why are garden centres deemed essential anyway? Confused
Maybe read what @PattyPan explained above.
EcoCustard · 04/01/2021 23:35

I was shamed and moaned at on the local village page for exercising more than once a day during the first lockdown.
I used to walk the dogs by myself or with baby in sling at dawn for an hour around our rural lanes, only ever encountered wildlife or the odd car. I would then go out later in the day with children and dogs for a walk. Someone actually snapped me and posted a moan about it. Hmm
And garden centres should be closed, we garden a lot, and have a veg patch for food, but don’t feel it is essential in this climate. If schools cannot open, and the message is to stay home, popping out for a bag of compost and seeds isn’t essential. Neither is elite sport but I feel a bit pissed off with it all tonight. My business is now gone with these current restrictions after last year, kids are off school after one effing day and DH is disappearing into a void of worry over whether he will survive, oh and it’s my 40th next week and I can’t even go for a walk to the beach with my dogs Sad.

Wheresmykimchi · 04/01/2021 23:35

@BonnieDundee

Every single person who wilfully breaks the rules, or bends them to suit themselves, is responsible for this shit show.

Please dont tell me that you honestly believe that going for a walk by.yourself is.spreading the virus

Nothing at all to do with care homes hospitals, schools, and factories where social distancing isnt possible

Not the point.
vminkookie · 04/01/2021 23:35

I live semi rural and if I want more than one walk a day I will! Probably won't have time with working and sorting kids school work etc... but not the point. Can walk for miles and not see a soul. No risk at all!

I would say avoid the ice though. Don't want to end up in a&e with a broken wrist like some have this week end !

PhilCornwall1 · 04/01/2021 23:36

@GravityFalls

It does say once a day in the new guidance but...are there police for that?
Yep, many will be posting about it on here for the next few weeks. You just know those threads will start again. Should be a giggle.
XmasSkies2020 · 04/01/2021 23:36

All the largely rule abiding people on this thread won’t make a jot of difference to infection rates nationally. It’s not people going for socially distanced walks who are spreading Covid-19

It’s those who would never think to read or take notice of the rules. Don’t watch the news and don’t give a shit that will keep us locked down longer. Loads of people mixing households still and it will continue even though we’re in full lockdown.

Wheresmykimchi · 04/01/2021 23:39

@XmasSkies2020

All the largely rule abiding people on this thread won’t make a jot of difference to infection rates nationally. It’s not people going for socially distanced walks who are spreading Covid-19

It’s those who would never think to read or take notice of the rules. Don’t watch the news and don’t give a shit that will keep us locked down longer. Loads of people mixing households still and it will continue even though we’re in full lockdown.

The people saying 'i don't care what the rules say I wil d as I like and don't care about the legality' are no better than the household mixers. Maybe seeing their mum is as important to vulnerable people as mentioned by pp as walking.

What about granny who can't go walking? Does she get a rule bend too?

Ontopofthesunset · 04/01/2021 23:44

Well, obviously going out for two one hour walks or one two hour walk are precisely as risky or not risky as each other, assuming I pass the same number of people each time. I am not increasing anyone's risk by coming home to do some work in between. So clearly going out twice a day instead of once a day is not condemning anyone to any longer in lockdown.

Wheresmykimchi · 04/01/2021 23:48

I agree in principle.
I disagree, perhaps biased through my own experiences of relatives in care homes , with people being cavalier and I'm alright jack.

Robbybobtail · 04/01/2021 23:52

It is impossible to police going out for exercise more than once per day. Especially as there are several other permitted reasons for leaving home. It wouldn’t be in the public interest to even try and police it. I will continue to go out 3 times per day. I literally have no shits left to give about the alleged legality or otherwise of this

Great.
But everyone thinking like you is why we are in this position

But it really isn’t. Going for one walk or three walks makes no difference. We are in this position because it’s a virus doing it’s thing. It’s winter. It’s spread and mutated. It has nothing to do with how many walks someone takes ffs.

BonnieDundee · 04/01/2021 23:54

Every single person who wilfully breaks the rules, or bends them to suit themselves, is responsible for this shit show.

Please dont tell me that you honestly believe that going for a walk by.yourself is.spreading the virus

Nothing at all to do with care homes hospitals, schools, and factories where social distancing isnt possible

Not the point

I think it absolutely is the point that we shouldnt have unjustified rules that make people's feelings of hopelessness and desperation worse

Timbucktime · 04/01/2021 23:55

[quote 2020out]@calmandmeasured1 that's a fair point. However, garden centres are permitted to stay open! I wonder who will be going to them Confused[/quote]
Quite a lot of people I think, because there will be bugger all else to to.

Robbybobtail · 04/01/2021 23:55

I was shamed and moaned at on the local village page for exercising more than once a day during the first lockdown.
I used to walk the dogs by myself or with baby in sling at dawn for an hour around our rural lanes, only ever encountered wildlife or the odd car. I would then go out later in the day with children and dogs for a walk. Someone actually snapped me and posted a moan about it

Wow, I cannot believe some people - what kind of sad bastard would actually take the trouble to do that?

Wheresmykimchi · 04/01/2021 23:57

@Robbybobtail

It is impossible to police going out for exercise more than once per day. Especially as there are several other permitted reasons for leaving home. It wouldn’t be in the public interest to even try and police it. I will continue to go out 3 times per day. I literally have no shits left to give about the alleged legality or otherwise of this

Great.
But everyone thinking like you is why we are in this position

But it really isn’t. Going for one walk or three walks makes no difference. We are in this position because it’s a virus doing it’s thing. It’s winter. It’s spread and mutated. It has nothing to do with how many walks someone takes ffs.

It's not about walks.

It's about bending rules on your own judgement.

As I said upthread I'm perhaps biased through my own experiences of relatives in care homes , I get irate with people being cavalier and I'm alright jack.

Notcontent · 05/01/2021 00:03

I do think it’s weird to have gardening centres open. Why can’t people do click and collect for “essential” gardening supplies. Let’s face it, going to a supermarket or pharmacy is not an enjoyable “outing” - you are not going to linger and arrange to meet a friend by the toilet paper isle at Tesco, but going to a gardening centre is a leisure outing for most people!

WeatherwaxOn · 05/01/2021 00:04

I understood it to be guidance.
Guidance = best practice.
Best practice isn't the same as law.

Wheresmykimchi · 05/01/2021 00:05

@BonnieDundee

Every single person who wilfully breaks the rules, or bends them to suit themselves, is responsible for this shit show.

Please dont tell me that you honestly believe that going for a walk by.yourself is.spreading the virus

Nothing at all to do with care homes hospitals, schools, and factories where social distancing isnt possible

Not the point

I think it absolutely is the point that we shouldnt have unjustified rules that make people's feelings of hopelessness and desperation worse

I agree in principle. But I'm far more angry about people being locked in care homes, my pupils who need school and vulnerable people (who cant walk) not being allowed a visitor to cheer on smug posters who will have five walks if they fancy.
SlopesOff · 05/01/2021 00:08

Last time, the garden centre was the only place we could buy eggs, they also sell fruit & veg. It was useful. However there was no wandering about, you picked up your order and buggered off.

When we were allowed in, we had to follow the arrows and keep our distance. It was the only thing that stopped me cracking up completely, just being outdoors somewhere quiet with plants around me for a little while, it was all I had, just 3 visits, all outside, when walking meant trudging round the block trying to avoid all the neighbours doing the same thing, and constantly getting into the road because the families stayed on the pavements. Not a bit of joy to be found.

I have barely left the house since it began, not sure how much more I can take, so if I see a garden centre without a queue on my rare trips out I will walk around it and keep away from everyone else because otherwise I really have nothing left.

megletthesecond · 05/01/2021 00:10

I have the joy of exercising each dc separately. One run and one walk in our part of town.

namethatrandomlychanges · 05/01/2021 00:12

scotland unfortunately,

BoJoHoNo · 05/01/2021 00:14

The people saying that no-one is enforcing this are wrong. The police find it very easy to visit countryside and hang around the car parks issuing fines to people they don't consider 'local' enough - this is tricky where I live since it is on a county border and does worry me that I can drive 5 miles to another county and get in trouble or 15 miles in my own county and not get in trouble. I've seen quite a few of these 'stay in your tier, don't come here or we'll fine you' posts doing the rounds on local Facebook Police pages over the past few weeks. I hope people challenge them as the Police should never be able to issue fines on the basis of their personal incorrect interpetation of the law. No way would a lot of these 'Covid' fines hold up in court. I even read about one where they issued a fine to someone for not wearing a mask in a supermarket despite them being except. They claimed the individual needed to have a Doctor's note to confirm this and this has simply never been the case.