Page 16 | Two Women fined for walking for Starbucks

Superketchup · 2021-01-08T13:17:29+00:00

What rule have they broken? I don’t understand. Two of them met - yes can meet one other person - they’d driven 5 miles - surely that’s ok?! - and they had a Starbucks each which the police said was a picnic?! Why are they keeping takeaways open if it’s agaisnt the law to get one? I took my kids to the park, the coffee shop was open for takeaway. It was freezing. We got a hot chocolate each. I’m too scared to do so again!

Worst · 08/01/2021 20:15

I think I missed the memo explaining how a 5 mile drive, alone in the car, contributes to the spread of covid . Does it get on the car wheels or something? Is it like the foot and mouth outbreak where you had to drive through disinfectant on some country roads?

Because unless that’s the case, I can’t see anything else that they were doing that should have been a problem.

Xenia · 08/01/2021 20:17

I agree and driving to where you walk is definitely not banned. If the state wants to stop that then it needs to pass a law saying so.

CarlottaValdez · 08/01/2021 20:23

Exactly Xenia. It would be perfectly easy to have included that and they certainly could have left out the right to meet another person.

I find police making up laws absolutely chilling.

Againstmachine · 08/01/2021 20:28

I find police making up laws absolutely chilling.

It is and people excuse them by saying it's not their fault, these are new laws to them. So it's okay they don't know the law but it's not okay if Joe Public don't.

We now live in a world where sitting on a bench is against the rules. This is shocking what we have become.

VinylDetective · 08/01/2021 20:42

@Gwenhwyfar

Does this mean these two women have a criminal record now, or would that be only if they're charged?

No criminal record because the CPS will rightly throw it out. The idiotic policemen have wasted their time as well as making their employer a laughing stock - again.

imamearcat · 08/01/2021 21:10

I think it's ridiculous. I get that it's not sensible to drive to a crowded beauty spot or drive miles away to somewhere in a different tier but what they did is completely within the law and not at all 'taking the piss', it's not how the virus spreads for gods sake.

I bunch of police hanging around l, dishing out fines is more of a risk to spreading the virus. Absolutely outrageous!

AlecTrevelyan006 · 08/01/2021 21:14

so, the police were wrong... no apology, but it's a start

twitter.com/DerbysPolice/status/1347650871824412673

We have welcomed new guidance from the NPCC around people travelling and exercising during this lockdown period.

RichardMarxisinnocent · 08/01/2021 21:17

@HundredMilesAnHour

I meet a local friend for a walk once or twice a week. We meet halfway between where we live (so no driving) or we occasionally cycle. One of us (usually me) brings along 2 flasks of hot drinks and at some point in our walk, we usually sit on a (typically wet) bench while we have our drinks. We may push the boat out and eat a snack too (I usually bring a surprise cake each). And then we carry on with our walk. Our average walking distance per trip is 17km. I class that as exercise. Yes we talk, yes we drink hot drinks and yes we eat (I'm wondering if the Snickers bars we shared on Mon evening has turned our exercise into a picnic ha!)

Next week is my friend's birthday. A big birthday. We both live alone and I'm damned if I'm not going to try and make our 'birthday walk' as special as possible for him. There will be flasks of hot drinks, there will be cake (and I have a sparkler to put in it) and there will be savoury snacks. We plan to walk for 3 - 4 hours as usual. My friend can't see his family (he was even alone on Christmas Day) and I haven't seen any of my family for over a year now. We both have high pressure jobs and supporting each other (as 2 singles who both live alone) is how we've got through the past 10 months. We're not breaking any laws. We're not putting anyone at risk. We will exercise AND try to enjoy his birthday as it's one of the few things we have left before we all go bloody insane.

If we get quizzed by the police, it will not go well for them. My birthday friend is a criminal barrister for the CPS. Let's see them try and fine him.

Forgive me if it isn't possible because one or both of you are already in a support bubble with others, but couldn't you and your friend become a support bubble? Then you could celebrate his birthday indoors (and could of course continue to go on walks as you're obviously walkers if you're doing 3-4 hour walks)

Scaredshitlessagain · 08/01/2021 21:19

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HundredMilesAnHour · 08/01/2021 21:34

@RichardMarxisinnocent I'm already in a support bubble with a close friend (and her DH and 2 DC) so unfortunately my birthday barrister friend and I will have to continue our very cold walks outside.

I have some battery powered Happy Birthday fairy lights that I'm taking with me (he'll HATE them). But hey, they're legal! Lockdown is certainly making us all be more creative with our time. I had my own big birthday alone at the start of the very first lockdown last year so I know how miserable it is (and that was when we weren't even allowed to exercise with one other person) which is why I am so determined to make it a fun day for my friend. We've become simple people. A walk, a talk and a hot drink....it makes all the difference to our mental health. Shame Derbyshire police don't seem to care about that.

PyongyangKipperbang · 08/01/2021 21:41

Stop getting so hung up on the "going into a different county" thing!!

I will say again....I live where this happened but in a third county, Staffordshire. I live a few minutes on foot from the Derbyshire border and a few minutes in the car for Leics border. Where these women live are literally either side of the border between S Derbys and Leics, Ashby is one side, Woodville the other. So if they are to meet for exercise one of them has no choice but to cross the border. The Woodville lady will probably drive over the border to do her shopping.

When you live where 3 counties meet, you have very little choice but to cross the border when you go anywhere.

imamearcat · 08/01/2021 21:50

@PyongyangKipperbang, exactly! We are other side of Derbyshire but our village is literally on the Staffordshire border with the local town being in Staffordshire. Are we breaking the law to drive into Staffordshire to go for a walk.. or to Tesco or Starbucks or McDonald's?? No. The virus doesn't know where the county borders are.

benedicto · 08/01/2021 21:56

[quote imamearcat]@PyongyangKipperbang, exactly! We are other side of Derbyshire but our village is literally on the Staffordshire border with the local town being in Staffordshire. Are we breaking the law to drive into Staffordshire to go for a walk.. or to Tesco or Starbucks or McDonald's?? No. The virus doesn't know where the county borders are. [/quote]
And more significantly in the case of taking daily exercise, the law does not specify that you must stay in your county. For me 'local' does mean the nearest bit of quiet countryside that I know about which is less than 10 miles away, but potentially in a different parish/county/borough - I don't know because these are administrative formalities and not physical boundaries. If the law were to say I had to stay in my county, I would understand this and I would follow the law (although it would be of no benefit to virus suppression or my health or other people's health, and the people who live in that countryside would not be able to do their food shopping in their nearest town as that is in a different borough/county/parish etc.).

HecouldLickEm · 08/01/2021 22:32

every single moment plod talks, you and they are put at risk.

HecouldLickEm · 08/01/2021 22:34

Hundred- get bday pics too - ask a daily mail reporter to accompany you for the fall out and sad faces

CarryOnFestiveNamechanging · 08/01/2021 22:47

I tried to walk locally today, staying in my village. I bumped into 30 people (roughly) all of whom wanted to stop and chat.

Dh drove 5 miles away and walked around fields. He saw one other person at a distance.

It’s clear who had the ‘safer’ walk.

Tmpnamechange · 08/01/2021 22:47

@Againstmachine

I find police making up laws absolutely chilling.

It is and people excuse them by saying it's not their fault, these are new laws to them. So it's okay they don't know the law but it's not okay if Joe Public don't.

We now live in a world where sitting on a bench is against the rules. This is shocking what we have become.

When the new restrictions were announced I had an anxious wait until the legislation was released, then I read it thoroughly. I would have anticipated that someone responsible for enforcing the law as their job had already aquainted themself with it too..

whittingtonmum · 08/01/2021 23:13

The police has been disgraceful on this occasion. I had my own encounter with two police officers when someone reported me for alleged breach of restrictions. I explained I had done nothing wrong and pointed them to an eye witness who could confirm my account. The officers were really horrible to me and proceeded to treat me like I had acted recklessly even though we had established that I hadn't. Absolutely awful. They really need to get a grip and police where it really matters and where the virus spreads. By going on a socially distanced walk while drinking a coffee is not risky behaviour at all.

PyongyangKipperbang · 08/01/2021 23:19

[quote imamearcat]@PyongyangKipperbang, exactly! We are other side of Derbyshire but our village is literally on the Staffordshire border with the local town being in Staffordshire. Are we breaking the law to drive into Staffordshire to go for a walk.. or to Tesco or Starbucks or McDonald's?? No. The virus doesn't know where the county borders are. [/quote]
And yet according to the frothers, you would be fine driving from where you are to Woodville, which is metres away from the Leics border, or Bretby which is literally on the Derbys/Staffs border. Both of those are miles away from where you are but as you are in the same county, deemed ok.....its madness!

I wonder if there is a second virus doing the rounds that we dont know about. Covid knocks out sense of smell and sense of taste. This mystery virus seems to knock out common sense!

Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople · 08/01/2021 23:25

@Shaniac

The fines aren't legal and wont be paid. Same as the first lockdown nearly all fines were overturned because they werent based on any rulebreaking.

This. The police have overreached. They travelled a short distance in two separate cars and went for a walk whilst clutching a coffee. It wasn’t illegal. So if they challenge it they will win. But the police really should have got their act together by now, it brings the police into disrepute and makes people feel that “whatever I do will be illegal so may as well give up” which is completely counter productive to what they are trying to achieve.

Quaagars · 08/01/2021 23:35

This mystery virus seems to knock out common sense!

That'd explain a lot about the world today if there was such a virus lol

PyongyangKipperbang · 08/01/2021 23:49

@Quaagars

This mystery virus seems to knock out common sense!

That'd explain a lot about the world today if there was such a virus lol

I reckon its been doing the rounds for years, and there is a particularly bad strain that has affected America.....first hit about 4 years ago.

nowishtofly · 09/01/2021 00:26

@CarryOnFestiveNamechanging

I tried to walk locally today, staying in my village. I bumped into 30 people (roughly) all of whom wanted to stop and chat.

Dh drove 5 miles away and walked around fields. He saw one other person at a distance.

It’s clear who had the ‘safer’ walk.

This!

My local city centre park is heaving at times, it's the only place to go after all. Now I'm a bit nervous about driving for 15 minutes to go to a quieter spot, where I would be safer because there are fewer people around.

I would support the police clamping down on people gathering in large groups, having parties, travelling miles across the country - but common sense has just gone out the window here. They were within the guidance.

LouiseHumphreys81 · 09/01/2021 00:28

It actually says further on in the guidence on gov.uk under travel 'you should stay local – meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live '

I think the police were way too heavy handed, and if they thought they were breaking the law they should first have explained why and asked them to go home.

I was surprised to see in the guidence that it did sort of define local area though, would have been helpful to do that in the exercise bit not just the travel bit!

merrymouse · 09/01/2021 08:14

'you should stay local – meaning avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live '

I think lots of people will be doing that anyway, but apart from the fact that many people have to travel to get to a supermarket, 10 months later more people need more support.

The first lock down was scary because it was so unexpected, but for many 6-12 weeks of isolation seemed manageable. Now things are really starting to fray at the edges.