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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:
InFiveMins · 08/01/2021 21:10

It's absolutely fine. Hope your DD enjoys her walk with her friend Grin

956806416ak · 08/01/2021 21:37

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

Can't you? That's odd, if you're rural. I'm in a nearly identical position and can think of lots of others.

MrsMiaWallis · 08/01/2021 21:39

What on the bend of a busy road with no footpaths? Literally can't walk anywhere from your house? Nope.

956806416ak · 08/01/2021 23:04

MrsMiaWallis

I'm not sure what you mean by nope. Your 'noping' doesn't make a difference to the blind corner with no footpaths etc where I live and there are plenty of others in similar circumstances in my area. Perhaps you cannot imagine scenery different to your own? I understand there are parts of the UK with large flat expanses and very long straight roads...it's not like that everywhere.

MrsMiaWallis · 08/01/2021 23:07

I am not saying they don't exist silly Grin I'm saying I don't know any. It sounds horrible not being able to set foot outside your own house

BoJoSecretGF · 08/01/2021 23:13

It is 9 miles to my nearest supermarket. There is rural and really jeffing rural.

friendlycat · 08/01/2021 23:14

It’s a no from me. If you do it once then it will happen again and again. In these circumstances it’s two young friends meeting up to socialise and not essential. I’m afraid things are so bad at present that this is just not what we are being asked to do. What if all parents decided to do this?

IDSNeighbour · 09/01/2021 00:48

Wow. I consider myself to be very much a Covid rule follower and I wouldn't think twice about doing this. In fact, I am doing similar tomorrow. 15 minute drive (Not sure on miles - 8 or 9 probably) to some woods to meet a friend for a walk. Genuinely never occurred to me that anyone could say that isn't local. I live in a tiny village. Don't really have any friends in it. Every journey in my life is at least a 15 minute drive. I would say a 40 minute drive is just starting to be not local!

I cried all night when lockdown was announced. When I read in the morning that you could still walk with a friend it was like a tiny light in the dark. I live on my own and need some social contact. I'm sure teenagers feel the same. Obviously, the govt must know that their '1 other person' rule is to allow a bit of socialising. Otherwise why have it? Exercise can be done alone. They've allowed another person to give us a very small and safe social life. I'd let her go.

SheilaFentiman · 09/01/2021 00:54

This is fine and good for her mental health.

Fancycrackers · 09/01/2021 01:04

@StatisticalSense

No. You don't do that as you need to stay local. It is a complete and utter joke that many of the same posters who are calling for further economic restrictions that will see the collapse of the NHS due to a lack of funding cannot tolerate the existing social restrictions that are far less damaging in the long run.
This.

If you need to ask if this is "allowed" you probably know that this isn't a great idea whilst the pandemic rages on. You are likely to do it anyway though so why ask for validation from the Internet.

bloodywhitecat · 09/01/2021 13:46

@MrsMiaWallis

I am not saying they don't exist silly Grin I'm saying I don't know any. It sounds horrible not being able to set foot outside your own house
Not horrible at all, like everywhere living where we do has its pros and cons. For us, the pros outweigh the small con of needing to use the car most days. This is the road we live on, taken this morning turning back into the drive we live on (DP was driving)
Can I drive my DD13 8 miles to meet her friend for walk in park?
peak2021 · 09/01/2021 13:50

There is can (probably) and should I (my view is not).

MrsMiaWallis · 09/01/2021 14:05

Can you not cross the road and walk along the side of the field until you get to a footpath?

bloodywhitecat · 09/01/2021 15:27

@MrsMiaWallis

Can you not cross the road and walk along the side of the field until you get to a footpath?
There is a ditch on that side and that he nearest footpath is 3 miles in away in the village. There are no pavements until we get to the village. I am pushing a baby in a buggy and have a dog. On my side of the road there are woods (privately owned).
MushMonster · 09/01/2021 15:52

This is a silly thing in the middle of the massive crisis we are in.
They are asking us to stay home!
Yes, we can exercise, local is best. If not possible, you can drive to the nearest park.
Forget about meeting anyone you do not live with. Why such a rush of posts about the same? It is only a few days of lockdown. It is not the 3rd month. There is such a thing as video calls and so on.
It is infuriating!
Look at the numbers, and please forget the my area is low. It is spreading in the areas with low numbers and it will soon hit you there. Do your best to keep to the rules and the spirit of the rules.
And use your common sense.

Setal · 09/01/2021 16:07

Wow. Some of these responses are crazy.

OP take your DD to meet her friend.

Setal · 09/01/2021 16:08

@SheilaFentiman

This is fine and good for her mental health.
Someone with some sense on the thread
whoamitojudge · 09/01/2021 16:24

No as it’s not local ( sorry )

starfro · 09/01/2021 16:26

Coronavirus transmission is not stopped by self flagellation.

MrsMiaWallis · 09/01/2021 16:43

@Setal

Wow. Some of these responses are crazy.

OP take your DD to meet her friend.

Have you seen the news?

I am normally quite laissez faire about these things but unless you can guarantee they will socially distance then its a fat NO from me

MushMonster · 09/01/2021 16:45

It is not the distance.
It is meeting people outside your household, when you can do without. At the time the graphs keep climbing.
Why can you go for that walk when they get back to school in February? Or at the end of Jan if numbers are getting better by then?
Instead of right now? They have seen their friends not so long ago. We are climbing that curve. Numbers are either huge or about to take off all around UK. Do you really really have ro ask this?

Watermelon999 · 09/01/2021 16:49

Yes it is perfectly legal if being done for exercise.

People are putting their own spin on it to suit their own opinions.

My friend is doing my head in as she has told me I was not allowed to drive 10 mins to walk the dog earlier on my own (where I feel safer). She said I had to stay local.

She has now texted everyone else in our friendship group to reiterate her point and tell them all they’re not allowed to drive to exercise, which is her opinion not the law. I knew it was ok as I researched before I went.

PlanDeRaccordement · 09/01/2021 16:49

So long as you are not in Wales, I would do it. Mental health for teens has been completely ignored and so long as you are not doing it every other day, I think it is acceptable. You can lower risk by having teen DC “bubble” with one friend for ALL these exercise outings. So they are not meeting different friend every week.

Forgetmenot157 · 09/01/2021 16:52

It's the classic pont of

Yes you could... But think about if you should.

I see an argument for both sides tho so if you dd is struggling then yes get her out for a walk with her friend :)

bloodywhitecat · 09/01/2021 16:53

@whoamitojudge

No as it’s not local ( sorry )
Define local.