Should Boris Johnson be fined for not staying local to exercise?

[MyBossIsATwat]

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-cycle-7-miles-downing-street-olympic-park-b827961.html

It’s like deja vu back to March again on here. I hope all these people posting about others doing this and that have all volunteered to be vaccination Marshalls , that’ll keep you busy

@Icanseegreenshoots

This is the problem with divisional messaging, it encourages endless toxic sniping.

This.

At the point we are all arguing over whether you need to drive a short distance to walk or whether a coffee really is a picnic, then we've all gone mad with cabin fever.

"Most London parks you can only cycle through, not around. ie the paths in them are mostly for pedestrians."

You can cycle round Hyde Park and Victoria Park. Not Regents Park, sadly (although not so sad for the non cyclists!)

I am actually glad Boris is getting out and seeing the situation in other parts of London than just Westminster to be honest. I would rather he sees the situation before making decisions on whether or not to tighten lockdown.

The only park he may have gone near is Victoria Park and that was far too busy to cycle in yesterday as they had the food market on.

7 miles on a bike is local

No, you can’t be fined if you haven’t broken the law. There is no law to say you “must” stay local for exercise.

I am actually glad Boris is getting out and seeing the situation in other parts of London than just Westminster to be honest.

Yep. Another 'can't do right for doing wrong' situation.

(Can't believe I'm defending the man, not once but twice!)

Yep, I'm glad he is prioritising his physical health, which will aid his mental health, and it's a good example to us all.

I have no time for Boris at all.
However I really can't see the problem with him going on 7 mile cycle ride from his house.
Exercising is important for mental and physical health and it isn't far on a bike.

I feel exactly the same @saraclara, it’s not my natural position.

I am about to drive for eight minutes to go for run. I will report back whether I get arrested or not.

@PurpleDaisies

I feel exactly the same *@saraclara*, it’s not my natural position.

I am about to drive for eight minutes to go for run. I will report back whether I get arrested or not.

Why? Can you not run nearer to your home?

Why? Can you not run nearer to your home?

Because it’s safer to run along the bridleway there. And still local.

I easily did a 7 mile round walk from home yesterday. If I had been cycling, I would have done about 20 miles also in under 2 hours - and I am really not an experienced cyclist.
7 miles out on a bike is perfectly reasonable (and you won't hear me using that adjective often in conjunction with BJ).

I don't see the point of this - I thought all the "legal experts" decided that the police fines by that particular constabulary were incorrect anyway ?

So he admitted he was overweight and because of covid he was trying to do something about it and yet still you all want to have a dig at him

For all his faults he looks absolutely exhausted .

Just give it a rest .

If all the downright Nasty posts had been about a woman no doubt you would all be outraged .

@Em777

Just read that his father has already had both doses of the vaccine too.

Are you actually trying to shame someone for having had the vaccine?

@PurpleDaisies

It's been made quite clear that driving to exercise is only an exception for a small group of people...neither of them fell into that category.

Not in the guidance or the law. I presume you’re not in England? We have nothing about exercise needing to start and finish at home.

I'll hold my hands up and admit that I assumed the English guidance was as robust as the Welsh guidance...

Welsh:
There are no limits on the distance you can travel during exercise, though the nearer you stay to your home, the better. Your exercise should start and finish from your home and generally, this should not involve people driving to a location away from home. However, we recognise that some people, such as those with specific health or mobility issues, may need to travel from their home in order to exercise

vs the more ambiguous English guidance:
You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.

Which frankly make Derbyshire police look even more bloody stupid because there's no official rules/guidance to suggest that driving is only for worthy exemptions. However still doesn't make Boris' exercise comparable because he didn't drive somewhere to exercise.

SIgh, here we go again.

He could have cycled to Penzance and back and not been fined. The legislation does not state that you must remain local, that you can only go out for an hour, that you can only go 10 miles etc. etc. etc. It only states that leaving your house to exercise is a reasonable excuse for leaving home.

No, he should not be fined, and yes, the fines for the women in Derbyshire will be rescinded.

@bigbluebus

For one thing he has had covid - so very unlikely he will catch it again himself

Secondly if he did not go around the country promoting the vaccines no doubt people would moan that he only cares about London

he cant win can he .

Derbyshire police

^^ yes they do confrontational and awkward.

We went for a 5 mile walk from home yesterday. It's in country lanes and a route often run and dont normally meet another person(unless I am running with someone) Yesterdsy we must have met maybe 10 or 12 sets of people out for walks/bike rides which made me think that people are exploring their local areas more instead of all cramming to the same parks and more obvious footpaths.

@Em777

Just read that his father has already had both doses of the vaccine too.

And why is that important. Lots of other people his age have

Did he cycle all the way to the cycle Park from Downing Street or did he travel there by other means and then cycle around the park does anyone know. If the latter then he should be fined the same as the Derbyshire women, but if the former then no, he shouldn’t be fined.

@JustCallMeGriffin

Can't stand Boris in any way shape or form but sounds like he followed the rules to the letter. His exercise started and finished at home. Even my unfit arse knows that 7 miles is bugger all when cycling, especially somewhere as flat as London.

Those women purposefully broke the rules to exercise. It's been made quite clear that driving to exercise is only an exception for a small group of people...neither of them fell into that category. That being said Derbyshire police reacted very heavy handed to guidance/rules being broken rather than a law.

YABU for comparing the two. It's not like he drove to Barnard Castle to test his eyesight!

They didn't. They did not break the law, the police however did by fining them for something which was not illegal. The police have no power to fine for a breach of the guidance.

@badpuma I've acknowledged that I didn't know the English guidance is not as clear as the Welsh guidance (which I have to abide by). Plus I didn't say they broke the law, I purposefully used the word rules.

If you're going to correct people, at least try to correct the right stuff!

No, because he did not break any law. If the government want us to stay local, not drive etc then they should make it law.