Interpretation of travel and exercise

[Doctorwho9]

I’ve got a slot at a National Trust property, intending to have a nice long walk outside.

It’s about 10 miles away (I live in the suburbs of a City).

It’s within my Local Authority area, I don’t have to pass through another.

I feel safer at a place that caps attendance, there is a small park where I live but it’s about the same size as a football pitch, it’s a free for all.

Reasonable to go to this NT place?

@annevonkleve

OP, just go. It's fine. 10 miles is fine. You won't break down if your car is properly maintained and accidents aren't that common.

Don't let people goldplate the rules for you.

What do you mean by 'goldplate'?

I guess the OP is perfectly capable of a)looking the rules up and b)making a decision without randoms on the internet giving them permission to travel.

I’d do it. Agree with the “exercise should be longer than the travel” idea and that driving more than an hour should be avoided, I’d personally not go beyond about 20 minutes but I’m lucky enough to live next to an AONB.

@Fuckingcrustybread

Here we go again, let's hear it for the I Want to go out wherever I Like brigade, then we have the You'll kill the grannies, if you move more than 10 feet away from your house lot. Don't forget the "milk and bread are not essential" idiots, and a special mention for the Put Cheese in your coffee twat.

😂

Don’t you know there’s a global pandemic on OP? Stay at home rocking back and forth in sackcloth and ashes!

I am a keen runner. I am quite happy to run alone, but it's also good to run with another person.

The people who are similar pace to me live in the town 2 miles from my village.

When restrictions have been looser I have driven to town or they've driven to me and we run.

I am not sure if it's still OK for us to do this.

we've got to drive two hours to pick up our puppy in 10 days. We've followed the rules; cancelled Christmas meets ups; no unnecessary trips since being tier 3, let alone tier 4. I'm bloody well getting in that car and picking up our long awaited puppy. It's not technically in the rules but the rules around animal welfare are suitably vague.

Yes yes we will single handedly be killing many grannies with this bum move.

So OP go on your trip. It'll be fine. There are people on Mumsnet who won't be happy until we are all stapled to the floor in our houses and fed gruel.

I think that regarding anything Covid related, if you have doubts about what you are wanting to do, the answer is probably don’t do it .

I've been driving for 40 years. In that time I've had to call out the breakdown services ONCE for a flat tyre. Never broken down. Never had an accident.
I really wouldn't consider driving 20 miles a massive risk

I run long distance, quite happy on my own, always go remote, run is always longer than my drive to said remote place. Park in deserted lay by, if I break down I'll ring my DH to pick me up. It's literally all I've done for months, I think I'd go insane if I couldn't but the dementors just don't understand how important exercise is if they don't care about it themselves.

"You could be going to the NT property to just have a cup of tea on a bench with a friend-not exercise at all. It's all very grey isn't it."

I don't think that bit is grey at all - it literally says not for leisure such as picnics.

You're supposed to stay in your village. They should've put postcode - that would be clearer.

@Grandtheft

Oh I’m so glad we’re back to the ‘what if your car broke down’ shite. OP don’t you know that if you want to do anything beyond trudging round a yard for your exercise you are personally responsible for many deaths and are a selfish selfish human being. FFS what have we all become?

Oh god I totally agree, so bloody depressing isn't it

Oh God! We're back to having people who don't understand the reasons for the restrictions. Presumably the pandemic has gone over your head?

Just do what you want. Every other fucker does and there is noone there to stop them. Its not worth the angst. Throwing yourself at the mercy of mn is pointless as opinions are so polarised. Someone will always accuse you of killing grannies and berate you for not bleaching your shopping.

When you stop caring what everyone else does, you'll feel much better.

@Purplethrow

I think that regarding anything Covid related, if you have doubts about what you are wanting to do, the answer is probably don’t do it .

Exactly.

@Oneofthosedreadfulparents

Is it just me who's bothered by the use of the word 'excuse' in the latest guidelines? I've always interpreted that word as being a more dishonest version of a 'reason' - so 'you should have a good reason', rather than 'a reasonable excuse' would be a more appropriate phrase?

(sorry, didn't mean to derail!)

You're right, its an odd choice of word and it must be for a reason. Normally the word "reason" would be used, so to pick "excuse" instead appears to be put more onus on the individual to justify their local travel.

Its very strange legislation, as "local" isn't defined either, and the examples given don't cover someone who lives in the countryside.

Generally, good legislation should be clearer than this, so that people have a reasonable chance of following it and not breaking the law. I can only also assume its written like this to give individual police forces choice as to how to intrepret it - which isnt very great either, as the law should be certain and not open to interpretation when it covers basic rights and freedoms...

@UghNotThisAgain36

Just do what you want. Every other fucker does and there is noone there to stop them. Its not worth the angst. Throwing yourself at the mercy of mn is pointless as opinions are so polarised. Someone will always accuse you of killing grannies and berate you for not bleaching your shopping.

When you stop caring what everyone else does, you'll feel much better.

It's that kind of brain-dead attitude that is causing the virus to spread so fast.

It's 10 miles, I honestly don't see an issue. What's that - 15/20 mins by car?

I'm travelling 200 miles at the weekend to visit my partner (support bubble) which I'm sure is considered to be totally U by all the frothers...

I'd go, if they didn't want people travelling there they'd close the grounds. You're within your local authority area so to me that's local!

@tenlittlecygnets

I feel safer at a place that caps attendance.

Hmm. We were at a NT property on Sunday (before lockdown) and there were NO staff on site. We had booked a slot. Place was pretty busy. You can also access it from footpaths outside, but there was no way of stopping anyone who liked from visiting. Have never seen it with no staff before.

We live near a NT site like this - people were parking on surrounding roads in their hundreds and just walking in.

OP in your shoes, I wouldn't go. I'd go somewhere much nearer to home instead.

@Grenlei

It's 10 miles, I honestly don't see an issue. What's that - 15/20 mins by car?

I'm travelling 200 miles at the weekend to visit my partner (support bubble) which I'm sure is considered to be totally U by all the frothers...

That's a permitted reason iirc.

I would consider 10 miles to be local, I don't see the issue at all.

The guidance counts local area as your village, town or part of the city that you live in so no one should really be travelling out of area for access to exercise. However if you don't have access to an open area without travel then it is reasonable to do so. I imagine most people have somewhere local within the guidance to access exercise, just use common sense, for example my nearest suitable area is walkable from my house but its a national trust property which has been swamped with people in cars who walk three abreast on the footpaths and have jolly little get togethers or stop and chat in groups, i feel uncomfortable in this scenario so will sometimes drive 15 mins or so to the nearby moorland where once away from the car parks you can easily distance from any other human. Much less risk. People should work out for themselves the measure of risk, act like everyone has it including yourself, stick to the spirit of guidance rather than trying to interpret it a a rule, the idea is to discourage large groups of people mixing so obviously if your very local area is overrun and you have own transport. ( car or bike) to a less busy area then that is a sensible option.

This thread.

Well here in SW London the choice is either:

1. Walk to a very crowded park (and I mean very) where it is very difficult to socially distance. Or

1. Drive to somewhere quieter (within 10-15 miles). Or

1. Walk on pavements/roads breathing traffic fumes (still busy but not as busy as park). Or

1. Don't leave the house for any exercise.

Six days a week we are doing 3 or 4.
1 day a week we will try to do 2.

I'm sure a poster will be along shortly to tell us we should keep dd locked up in the house or pound pavements every day until March.

It's not about 'killing grannies' ffs.

It's about not taking any unnecessary risks or contacts to stop the nhs becoming so overwhelmed, something that is imminently going to happen if people don't stop dicking around, preventing others being treated for non Covid reasons.

Hurrah for the poster that said in the 73 million years of driving they've never had an accident or broken down. So fucking what? If and I stress IF either of those things happen at the moment then you're just adding to the pile of deep shit were already in.

@Splodgetastic

I love the way everyone seems to be able to distinguish between the law and guidance when the legislation hasn’t even been published yet, just the guidance.

It really shouldn't matter. People should be heeding the "stay at home" message to reduce the spread of covid. It's not about what's allowed or not, it's about reducing risks.