'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.

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

But even if they don't watch the news, are we expected to believe that they've not noticed anything on social media, or all those billboards that are up, or in shops, or that half the shops are closed for that matter.

Or that people are wearing masks, their work or education setting has told them to work/study at home, or if they're still going to work, their workplace hasn't suddenly become full of hand sanitisers etc? The roads are much quieter or if you go on public transport, you have to wear a mask.

Or that all the pubs, bars, restaurants, gyms, cinemas and nightclubs have been closed for nearly a year, oh and that having a party in a forest in January is seen as a normal thing to do right now?

Pull the other one, it's got bells on.

@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 can absolutely believe people don’t watch the news. But it’s obviously nonsense to say they didn’t know about the pandemic, none of them have noticed closed restaurants etc? None are working from home or furloughed?

They must have been bewildered at the great pasta and loo roll shortage of 2020!
Seriously though, what massive bellends.

I find it very hard to believe that they didn’t know. You don’t have to watch the news these days because everything topical is discussed on social media. So I’d argue that people are better informed now than they used to be.

Of course it’s rubbish , not everyone watches the news/ reads newspapers but in 10 months have they not :-
Worked
Been in a shop/ pub / restaurant
Public transport
Spoke to anyone
Looked on social media
Watched tv/ listened to the radio
So they are all hermits who have suddenly got together for a party .
Yeah nice try I’d fine them extra for the most ridiculous lie .

it's like these people being fined now for travelling a hundred miles for a takeaway. They did no such thing, but they know that you can collect takeaway so when stopped by the police this is the excuse and they aren't forced to give their mates' names or admit they were off to a house party.

@inquietant

That made me

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

I agree. Made me smile on a crap lockdown day.

You'd have to be on a par with that scene in Shaun of the Dead where Simon Pegg wanders through the street so distracted he has no idea is surrounded by zombies but for ten whole months!

I really want this to be true!

They must think the police are thick.
Don't watch the news
Or have eyes to see the masks and signs
Or notice that certain shops, plus pubs, gyms and other things are not open
Or use any form of social media
Or tried to book a holiday
Or have any friends or family members who do watch the news, see masks, notice signs, see pubs gyms etc are closed...

I mean come on! Yeah, I'm sure lots of people never watch the news but anyone who actually thinks that means they had no clue for over a year is probably more daft than they are

Sorry, should rtft.

Maybe it's me, wandering around oblivious!

Or maybe they just panicked and made up any old stupid excuse without bothering to think of a plausible one. It worked for Dominic Cummings.

Utter bullshit

I'm going to put my hand up here and say I haven't watched the news in years. I couldn't bear the presentation of it so I stopped.

But then I get a daily hard copy newspaper and three online.

Yep, a bullshit excuse on the part of the partygoers.

@FourTeaFallOut

Sorry, should rtft.

Maybe it's me, wandering around oblivious!

That made me laugh. We probably should get the Jag and go to the Winchester for a pint until this all blows over.

Oh fuck, the fucking pubs are fucking closed.

Crap apocalypse.

Theres an oldish woman I see who walks her dogs who doesnt watch the news. She wasnt aware we had entered another lock down when I spoke to her (socially distanced) the other day. Doesn't know what the tier systems mean, shes heard of it but has no clue about what it actually means. Shes constantly getting on public transport and pottering around, she knows to wear a mask and socially distance just because shes observing everyone else's behaviour.

She knows theres a virus but I dont think she has any idea on the scale that it is. Very much in her own little bubble.

I think shes a rare case though I think the ones who said that are taking the piss.

There's an element of classism in a response of doubt toward these people here

It's condescending and insulting to suggest that 'lower classes' wouldn't know about a global pandemic nearly a year in - that they wouldn't have noticed the masks, most things being shut, queuing at supermarkets, schools being closed, sports being off, television scheduling being interrupted (and on and on and on), and thought to ask any questions to those around them / do a quick Google search.

I wonder why they thought their usual Saturday night venue was closed.

I wonder what they made of all the people wearing masks when they bought their party booze.

I can imagine it "we don't watch news, read news, go on SM etc so we had no idea there was a pandemic. We wanted to go to pub with friends but noticed everywhere was shut and everyone was wearing masks and seemingly scared to go near to any one else. So we decided to invite friends round here instead"

So are we to believe they haven’t stepped foot outside, seen signs on buses passing by, stickers on the pavement, signs in shop windows, never heard the tannoy in supermarkets etc. Presumably no one has a job either to have communication from a place of work.

Utter nonsense.

inquietant It’s made me laugh too. I can just imagine the way they said it too.

"I'm going to take a wide guess here and say that there's not going to be any intersections on the Venn diagram of people who listen to The Archers and people who attend illegal parties"

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

It's condescending and insulting to suggest that 'lower classes' wouldn't know about a global pandemic nearly a year in

Oh thank goodness you said that

It’s exactly what i was thinking but couldn’t think how to phrase it

But yeah...excuse is fucking bollocks. Dh doesn’t read newspapers or watch the news (usually) but even he managed to catch on!

Also, when I was a uni it was all the rich kids who went to raves. And the ones who put them all on too.