Why are the roads still busy on a Saturday night?

[User158340]

It's a rhetorical question because the answer is obviously that too many people are still household mixing.

Back in the Spring there was barely a car on the road.

Have to admit I went for a 5 mile drive last Sunday to run the car because mines 10 years old, am WFH, so need to keep the battery charged. Went to Waitrose this pm, first supermarket shop since Crimbo. Other than that we go no where except our daily walk. So bored.

I went to do a click and collect because despite having a priority pass due to DH needing to shield, I can't get a delivery for weeks. Lots of other cars were there waiting in line.

Is that okay with you?

We could only get a slot after 9 for click and collect. Hence a late night journey.

Didn't realise I had to run that past you!

Our car is a similar age. Just replaced the battery after it arsed out on us in the first lockdown. Didn't cost that much.

@SquirtleSquad

No idea, I was in a taxi on the way back from a house party just now and was surprised how busy the roads were.

🤣

Hundreds and thousands of construction workers going to work daily . Hundreds of thousands of people in manufacturing going to work daily . This lockdown is nothing like the last . Most people I know are going to work.

I mean, why can't these people just stay the fuck at home? There is no reason why anyone could conceivably need to leave their home! In the Black Death they weren't whining about needing support bubbles and daily exercise, they were welding sick people into their homes, and the pandemic ended, so why don't people see that's what's needed?

@TheGreatWave

We’ve had local police warnings that the parks are too busy today, on their social media pages and the main police website. It’s crazily busy.

Bloody hell everything is closed and then people are surprised when parks etc are busy. WTF are people supposed to do? Honestly this life is shit,

Agree. I'm sick of the moaning about busy parks. We can't be prisoners for ever.

Oh dear op, your life is going to be very empty when you haven't got things like this to worry about, isn't it?

I’d imagine a few could be going to work or for essential journeys on an evening.

I’d imagine lots are mixing and breaking the rules, bubbles galore everywhere it would seem, daily shopping as a social activity, takeaway or alcohol run etc.

I went to do my voluntary task yesterday afternoon (permitted on animal welfare grounds) and there were loads of cars out and people on the pavements, it’s very different from the first lockdown.

Lots of reasons,more places open than last time,Macdonalds etc,more people working,and the weather
We live about 20 minutes from Waitrose and first time around we always walked there,weather was nice and it out some time in
But weather too miserable now ,I drove there today to do some shopping and DH went later as we wanted a bottle of brandy
And rightly or wrongly some people have just had enough

I went to the supermarket in the early evening, as I thought it would be quieter then - and it was.

Here the roads are normal.

People are fed up with the lockdown and never ending restrictions and seem to be quietly ignoring them

I live in a local tourist spot and it’s been pretty busy over Christmas, though quietening off now- though that could be the fact that most local roads have been snow covered or sheet ice for 3 days.

I’ve been surprised by the number of large groups of adults out for walks. No issues with households/pairs etc. but do think the big groups of adults is very inappropriate, particularly as the paths/footpaths are hugely narrow and nobody really seems to social distance.

I went out on Friday night and I was surprised at how quiet the roads were around here. We're not on a main road though so I don't know what it's like on a Saturday.

I definitely think there is a different vibe this time round. I know that lots of things are still open that weren't back in March but it just seems more normal somehow if not actively busier!

I hate this whole vibe of your can't comment on things being busy because then you must be breaking the rules yourself too!

I live rurally in a forest and my house is directly opposite one of the parking areas. Its heaving, I mean literally heaving. Its busier now than a usual summer. Both sides of the entrance to the parking area and bumper to bumper with cars, cars are parked on the road. Now on one hand it is better for people to be wandering through the forest with loads of space but at least 50% of the people I see are clearly meeting up not in the rules. For example there is a local BMX club meeting once a week for a cycle before all standing round chatting not socially distancing, couples hugging goodbye to other couples before they get into their cars are drive off. There was a group of 25 youngish adults yesterday evening having a party. They brought several outdoor heaters, a BBQ and were all standing round having a fantastic time. They looked a bit sheepish when I took the dogs out past them but carried on anyway.

Some people are clearly breaking the rules, some people are not but it does seem different this time round here especially.

My mum visited me last night (support bubble). Hope that’s ok with you

For gods sake, not this again.

No, lots of people arent mixing or ignoring the lockdown rules!
However, compared to March/April lots of people are now working. Manufacturing is open for example, it wasnt before. That's often a 24 hour operation. Shopping, utility workers, emergency services workers, carers, support bubbles, social care basically all sorts of things that wouldn't stop just because you decide saturday night roads are too busy.

They are busier than lockdown 1.0, they ARE NOT anywhere near normal levels.

I occasionally hit the supermarket Saturday evening for the big shop because it’s usually empty. I drive there in my motor car.

Why are people being odd about the OP being out and noticing the cars ?

I took DDog out for a walk for my daily exercise last night a d I happen to walk past the town centre and to the beach in under a 20 minute walk (sorry ddog but it was cold). I vaguely noted that it was quite busy on the roads.

That's it . I didn't judge or get upset or really even question it too much. I was well within my needs to be out of the house and I vaguely noted it. Good lord can we not even ask a musing question anymore ?

Except the OP wasn't musing as they said it was because people were mixing households

I'm not sure but daytime traffic is bad as ever and all the retail car parks are packed such as the range.
I drove DD to asda opticians (nearest is 20 miles away) and noticed this on the way home.
I walk daily and note that the stench of exhaust fumes is prevalent again.

Look, I know that meeting people outdoors is Wrong, and all the posts about 'I saw groups which weren't families outside' are of course correct. But look at it this way - those are people who aren't meeting indoors. If you crack down on the groups of people outside, what are they going to do? They're going to meet up inside, and that is potentially much, much worse.

• takeout delivery drivers
• grocery shopping delivery drivers
• online shopping delivery drivers
• care workers finishing the evening visits
• warehouse staff finishing the late shift
• shop staff finishing work

in fact many of the millions of people who are out at work every day
while rich office workers sit at home
judging