Two Women fined for walking for Starbucks

[Superketchup]

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!

Well I drove to a national trust place, met my friend and had a walk today. As far as I can see that’s within both the law and the guidance. If the police had stopped me they’d have had to explain to me what law they thought I’d broken.

Another week and we will be like Spain were from now until May. I don’t think we will be permitted out at all.

@Wherediditgo

I went for a walk with my friend the other evening - all wrapped up. She with a flask of tea and me with a flask of whisky. Police presence in the town, plenty of others doing similar. Police didn’t stop anyone!

I am doing the same tomorrow with a friend. Flask of tea and warm clothing.

Another week and we will be like Spain were from now until May. I don’t think we will be permitted out at all.

But why? Given it didn’t mean Spain ended up any better.

@CarlottaValdez
It's not all - or even mainly - about where we end up, though, is it?
It's about where any country could be at that moment in the pandemic without those measures.

I didn't know about this but it does sound silly when we all probably know people committing more blatant breaches

I'm guessing the each travelled five miles maybe to meet half way

Well we locked down in March and it made no difference? It will make no difference this time either and we are still doing it.
People won’t be happy until no one is allowed out anywhere. Easy to police if no one is allowed out as do obvious if someone is.

@Fragileandcomposed of course it made a difference! Why would you think it didn’t?

Well it made a difference THEN. In the same way spain’s Lockdown maid a difference then.
But then it comes back.
So we know that.
But it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to lockdown harder now, like Spain did. I don’t think we will be allowed out our houses this time next week. Probably until May.

@fragileandcompoded Please stop with these hysterical and totally out of proportion forecasts. It could be enough to push someone who is struggling over the edge. I realise you may be suffering yourself, but the answer does not lie in hashing out worst-case scenarios on this board.

@Aglet

Oh my God! I despair of you who don't think they broke any rules. You are the ones keeping us in this mess.

So tell us which rules (i.e. which laws) they broke. Bearing in mind of course that the police now accept that they didn't.

You say hysterical flowers but let’s bear in mind that women are being arrested or fined for sitting on benches. For breastfeeding on benches. For leaving their house more than once.
If you’d said that last year no one would have believed it.

@Fragileandcomposed

You say hysterical flowers but let’s bear in mind that women are being arrested or fined for sitting on benches. For breastfeeding on benches. For leaving their house more than once. If you’d said that last year no one would have believed it.

Of course it's hysterical to suggest that noone will leave their houses until May! Cases in Wales are continuing to drop since our lockdown started on December 20th and England's will follow eventually. Add in the vaccination of the people most likely to end up in hospital, and there's no way we will be confined to our houses for that long without even being allowed to freely exercise.

Yes and has Wales relaxed the lockdown? Nope. Because as soon as it’s relaxed cases will go back up.
Hence lockdown is now a permanent feature.

@Arobase

So tell us which rules (i.e. which laws) they broke

So, those that believe they are clever and are calling for rigid and granular rules, it should be clear 10 months on that this type of framework is not workable (think mask exemptions or people who have their nearest supermarket 10 miles away)

The government have bent over backwards to be flexible perhaps with the view that they were dealing with mature adults who would apply the guidance with common sense. Instead they face a horde of tantrummy men-children/women-children who insist on playing the 'catch me if you can' game.

If the situation continues to deteriorate you will finally get your 'law', but it's likely to be a Wuhan-like militarised lockdown. Don't blame the government when that happens because they will be left with no other choice. Is that what people really want?

But if we can’t do those things anyway - then they may as well have a Wuhan style lockdown. What difference does it make? If you are allowed to do things but they don’t want you to actually do them then make it against the law to do them.

"If the situation continues to deteriorate you will finally get your 'law', but it's likely to be a Wuhan-like militarised lockdown. Don't blame the government when that happens because they will be left with no other choice. Is that what people really want?"

Actually yes. If it is banned and people can receive criminal penalties for breaking the rules, it should be properly included in the law. No one should be penalised for doing something which is not against the law.

Personally, I think the consequences of the police making up the law in the hoof at their convenience and imposing illegal fines on people is more damaging to the country than a hardcore lockdown which has been approved by parliament and which is subject to parliamentary scrutiny. This goes to the heart of what it means to live in a parliamentary democracy.

Don't blame the government when that happens because they will be left with no other choice. Is that what people really want?

So you’re saying that I should guess the government doesn’t want me to meet a friend despite specifically allowing it? So I shouldn’t meet a friend because if I do they’ll make it illegal? If i’m not doing it either way why would it matter?

@Fragileandcomposed

Yes and has Wales relaxed the lockdown? Nope. Because as soon as it’s relaxed cases will go back up. Hence lockdown is now a permanent feature.

No of course not, because the numbers are still high and not enough vaccinations have been administered yet to keep the NHS moving. People keep forgetting that the lockdowns are to protect the NHS and keep it functioning. We will not still be in lockdown in May and certainly not a Chinese style one, primarily because we are not a communist country and it would never work.

The Derbyshire police might have been a bit OTT but I can't see them welding people's doors shut like in Wuhan.

www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/nature-and-mental-health/how-nature-benefits-mental-health/

There's something about the health benefits of the outdoors on Countryfile now.

If genuine, this would be stupid.

It isn’t though. BBC reporting it was a set up by lockdown protesters.

@DenisetheMenace

If genuine, this would be stupid.

It isn’t though. BBC reporting it was a set up by lockdown protesters.

No that was the bench video that emerged from Bournemouth.

ImAllOut

DenisetheMenace
If genuine, this would be stupid.

It isn’t though. BBC reporting it was a set up by lockdown protesters.

No that was the bench video that emerged from Bournemouth””

Where’s this then? So I commented on a case about which I know nothing?
I’ll get my coat 😁

Where’s this then? So I commented on a case about which I know nothing?
I’ll get my coat

😀 you funny!

We need funny