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Original poster

Can I drive my DD13 8 miles to meet her friend for walk in park?

137 replies

bathsh3ba · 08/01/2021 14:06

I'm confused about the rules now after reading about two women being fined in Derbyshire.

We live in a rural village, my DDs go to school in the next town, 8 miles away, where most of their friends live. My DD has been invited to go for a socially distanced walk with her friend at the park by her friend's house. I'll have to drive her there, then walk separately with my younger DD elsewhere in the park.

Can someone clarify if that's allowed please?

OP posts:
saraclara · 08/01/2021 17:56

@Everleigh2021

Just because it’s ‘allowed’ doesn’t mean you should! No wonder it’s spreading

Sounds dodgy to me

What exactly about being in a car for 8 miles and then walking in the fresh air, do you think is going to spread the virus?
GoOnTwo · 08/01/2021 17:58

No. It's a stupid idea.

Stay home, facetime or Zoom instead FFS.

Littlewhitedove2 · 08/01/2021 17:59

Yes of course if they are keeping apart and it’s all outside. There is no law against that and the risk of catching if outside distanced is very small.
The stories in the press (ie 2 ladies not breaking any rules being fined) are put there to scare everyone, just the same as last time.
It’s inside groups that are the main transmutation source, not people going for a walk at a distance in the park, and not people driving to a park in the next town. If people didn’t meet inside, we wouldn’t have a problem right now.

Littlewhitedove2 · 08/01/2021 17:59

Transmission

saraclara · 08/01/2021 18:00

Clearly some of you don't understand what 'living rurally' can mean.

OP has already said that her daughter's school is eight miles away. So yes, that must be VERY rural.

956806416ak · 08/01/2021 18:01

Our guidance is a ten mile radius.

Edgeoftheledge · 08/01/2021 18:02

Yes

Toocold · 08/01/2021 18:06

I’m getting angrier and angrier at the people saying certain miles isn’t local, what is local then?! As in my village we’d all be living off of bread and whatever the pub currently has in for its pop up shop, what if you need the pharmacy, dentist or god for bid your child wants to meet a friend for a chat and a walk, kids have lost so much in this last year, a walk and fresh air with a friend will do their mental health a world of good. I don’t for one second believe the holier than thou attitudes on here have never broken a rule, unless you’ve not left the house at all!

Toocold · 08/01/2021 18:07

Besides which it isn’t breaking the rules!

Bigtom · 08/01/2021 18:11

It’s perfectly legal. That’s good enough for me. Hope she goes and enjoys herself.

MrsWombat · 08/01/2021 18:19

If you asked your local council for guidance on what they think is a reasonable journey for exercise and shopping they would they agree with you?

Yes, it is perfectly legal, but for your own conscious I would combine it with your weekly supermarket shop and your own daily exercise. Enjoy.

Pastanred · 08/01/2021 18:19

i would

to pp who said their kids haven't been out for weeks - sorry but that's seriously shit parenting and should be illegal

Method · 08/01/2021 18:31

We will be having this conversation in 10 months' time despite people claiming " to follow the rules".

It clearly isn't within the guidance. You say you live in a rural village, 8 miles is way out your village as the guidance say. And even if it was acceptable in a remote area for your daughter to travel for exercise, what is your excuse for travelling?

wantmorenow · 08/01/2021 18:33

Pastanred I really wish the be kind thing was more listened to. Please remember that you are directing your knee jerk judgemental cooments at real people whose lives are complex and you have no inkling of personal circumstances.

I am not guilty of shit parenting. Kids are older teens and young adults who choose to limit their contact hoping to see their GP at Christmas, not my family. Since then I have tested positive for covid and we are all isolating. I only went out twice. Once to supermarket at 6am and once to get my flu jab.
They are muddling along without a grumble as they know how fortunate we are in the grand scheme of things. A school friend lost their father to cancer at Christmas and another 2 lost GPs to Covid. They consider themselves lucky enough given what they see around them. They are respectively studying and working hard and know it's just the way life is at the moment. I'm proud of them for not whinging and being responsible in their actions.

Mamamia456 · 08/01/2021 18:33

Katie517 - Are you saying that you don't believe the death figure reported today?

Katie517 · 08/01/2021 18:41

@Mamamia456 no I’m not saying that I am saying that it’s the number reported today not the number that died today and there is often a backlog in reporting that gives higher figures on some days than others. There are a lot of caveats with the death numbers and reporting that a lot of people choose to ignore as a way to get their point across. Example here quoting 1400 people died today as a way to shame a parent into not letting her teenage daughter go for a perfectly legal walk with her friend.

wantmorenow · 08/01/2021 18:47

It's not shaming, it's highlighting we have a health crisis and limiting all bar essential social contact and travelling helps society. For most people it is doable but many are looking for reasons and justifications why their needs allow bending the rules or following the letter rather than the spirit of the guidelines.

Mummyoflittledragon · 08/01/2021 18:50

I would take your dd. Her mental health is important. Dd (12) hasn’t seen her friends much at all like a lot of children. But she’s ok, if she needed to meet up with a friend, I would drive her somewhere. She is an only child. She also has friends in the locality and they were going for dog walks in the holidays, just haven’t done it since the start of school etc. We met my friend and her ds at the weekend maybe 3 miles down the road last weekend and would do it again some time in the future. Her ds is also an only child. It’s important for children to see other children. Dd obviously didn’t see another child for months in the first lockdown.

Original poster
bathsh3ba · 08/01/2021 18:55

Well this snowballed since I last checked Mumsnet...

She can walk in the village but it's a small village and I wouldn't feel comfortable with any of us going off on the footpaths through fields in this weather, not to mention there was a sinkhole nearby recently.

We are equidistant from two towns, both 8 miles away. That is our nearest supermarket. I've not been able to get a delivery slot so I have to go to the supermarket once a week and frankly that feels less safe than driving her to the park. We do have a village shop but it's much too expensive to get everything from.

I suppose her friend, living in the town and next to the park hasn't really thought through the invitation but she wouldn't have, she is 13. And my daughter will now be very upset if I say she can't do something that is legal but arguably against guidance. I can't win either way really...

We live in an area with relatively low cases at the moment. We don't know anyone who has had it, certainly noone who has had it badly. So I guess to my DD the threat doesn't seem very real.

OP posts:
JanuaryChill · 08/01/2021 18:56

[quote Katie517]@Mamamia456 no I’m not saying that I am saying that it’s the number reported today not the number that died today and there is often a backlog in reporting that gives higher figures on some days than others. There are a lot of caveats with the death numbers and reporting that a lot of people choose to ignore as a way to get their point across. Example here quoting 1400 people died today as a way to shame a parent into not letting her teenage daughter go for a perfectly legal walk with her friend.[/quote]
But you also have to know that the deaths reported tomorrow, the following few days and even a month or two later will also include deaths that happened in the last 24 hrs. So it basically evens out. Most deaths are reported within about 3 days of occupancy.

OrangePlumGrape · 08/01/2021 18:57

Not allowed in Wales, mo driving to exercise or meeting other households. In England I think you’re ok, in Scotland am unsure. Grin

JanuaryChill · 08/01/2021 18:57

*occuring

MrsMiaWallis · 08/01/2021 20:57

She can walk in the village but it's a small village and I wouldn't feel comfortable with any of us going off on the footpaths through fields in this weather

Who are all these people who live rurally but can't go for a walk from their house?!

bloodywhitecat · 08/01/2021 21:06

@MrsMiaWallis

She can walk in the village but it's a small village and I wouldn't feel comfortable with any of us going off on the footpaths through fields in this weather

Who are all these people who live rurally but can't go for a walk from their house?!

Me. We are one of four houses on a 60mph B road used by lorries, we live on a blind bend, last Easter a motorcyclist was very lucky to get away with his life when hit by a car pulling out of the driveway we live on as the entrance to the drive is on the apex of the blind bend. There are no footways along the road, when two lorries meet one has to stop to let the other past. I have a baby in a buggy and a dog that come out for exercise too.

Rural dwellers exist. We do not all live where pavements and parks are aplenty.

MrsMiaWallis · 08/01/2021 21:09

Rural dwellers exist. We do not all live where pavements and parks are aplenty

Yeah, I'm rural but can't think of any houses in situations you describe. That sounds shite.