'Partygoers breaking lockdown rules said they "never watch the news" so were unaware of the global coronavirus pandemic'

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-55705272

I'm with Hampshire police here, who tweeted about this with the hashtag #ThereAreNoWords. Pull the other one! Never heard of the pandemic, ten months in? Puhleeze.

That sounds like a toddler's excuse

Yes! Or a teenager's.

It's just a 'dog ate my homework' lie.

Nice try!

I have an ex-partner who never went near anything news-related. Never watched or read the news. I wondered how long it took for him to realise there was a global pandemic.

Everyone doesn't watch the news. The same as not everybody reads books or newspapers. There's an element of classism in a response of doubt toward these people here. Sure it could be a lie, but is it honestly so surprising that not every person in the country reads the news?

It’s plausible if they don’t watch the news, are hermits for the majority of the year apart from this one party, have no family or friends that they talk to and don’t go on social media ever. So not very likely.

To say they are unaware of the pandemic is obviously ludicrus but when considering it takes sensible people pages and pages on threads on the internet to disect the rules and these are people that watch the news etc it is not beyond reasonable with 64 rule changes to date that some of the younger generation are not aware of some of the specifics of the rules.

I don’t watch much news mainly because at present it’s depressing but you don’t really need to watch the news do you , social media and other popular forums will always be discussing the latest issues and tbh you’d think they might have noticed half the shops and bars etc etc being shut and everyone walking around in masks 😂😂😂

Nothing classist in my response. You don't need to watch the news to know about the pandemic. It's been all over social media, shops and bars are closed, schoolkids not at school, loads of people furloughed or working from home. A hermit living in a remote corner of the Highlands entirely off grid might be unaware of the pandemic. Nobody else in the UK could be, surely?

I don't know every single law in the UK, doesn't mean I can therefore break them all.

Oh come off it even if you don't watch the news you'd probably question other people as to why everyone was suddenly wearing face masks, why most of the shops were shut etc

It's not just watching, listening to, or reading the news, though is it?

It would mean almost total absence from social media (where it's discussed all the time), no contact with any services or shops with restrictions, total lack of curiosity in why people are behaving so differently, few (and equally cut off) friends and probably no family - eg knowing no-one school age

Or, in other words, a pile of improbably horseshit

Twats who take no responsibility for their actions.

I'm sure even Love Island and I'm a Celebrity have referenced the pandemic.

Plenty of posts on Instagram as well.

IANAL, but ignorance of the law is no defence, is it?

I think they jumped the shark with 'hadn't noticed the pandemic' as you can't leave the house without seeing signes of it (masks, distinsing signs, closed shops). I might have believed it if they said they didn't know about the latest lockdown, still unlikely that no one has mentioned anything in the last few weeks, but more plausible.

You’d think they’d have noticed nothing is open?

Fucking idiots.

My goodness - how could they be unaware??? They even talk about it on the Archers!!

Obvious twaddle.

@faerin

I have an ex-partner who never went near anything news-related. Never watched or read the news. I wondered how long it took for him to realise there was a global pandemic.

Everyone doesn't watch the news. The same as not everybody reads books or newspapers. There's an element of classism in a response of doubt toward these people here. Sure it could be a lie, but is it honestly so surprising that not every person in the country reads the news?

I'm April, yes. In January, no.

So these people haven't been anywhere and seen people on masks? Haven't wondered why the pins and schools are closed? None of th have been furloughed or made redundant or WFH? Their little lived are all exactly as they were a year ago?

Ignorance is no defence but also don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.

Twats.

@faerin

I have an ex-partner who never went near anything news-related. Never watched or read the news. I wondered how long it took for him to realise there was a global pandemic.

Everyone doesn't watch the news. The same as not everybody reads books or newspapers. There's an element of classism in a response of doubt toward these people here. Sure it could be a lie, but is it honestly so surprising that not every person in the country reads the news?

That is true. It's probably why the PM sent out a letter to every address in the UK at the start of the first lockdown then.

@Dadnotamum72

To say they are unaware of the pandemic is obviously ludicrus but when considering it takes sensible people pages and pages on threads on the internet to disect the rules and these are people that watch the news etc it is not beyond reasonable with 64 rule changes to date that some of the younger generation are not aware of some of the specifics of the rules.

The STAY AT HOME bit has been fairly consistent They've not been caught on the way to open their non essential businesses

That made me

I know I should be outraged but it was a funny excuse

@SmudgeButt

My goodness - how could they be unaware??? They even talk about it on the Archers!!

Obvious twaddle.

'Obvious twaddle' made me laugh.

I think they've largely stopped even trying to keep up with the pandemic on TA. The odd vague reference is slipped in here and there. I mentioned this on our long-running discussion thread recently and was told firmly that it was refreshing to find a Covid-free space. So I've shut up about it now.

However, I suspect that people who never watch the TV news are even less likely to be tuning into Radio 4 for The Archers. (That's not classist either! Factual. No judgement involved.)