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Deaths everywhere, yet we are still going to work this morning. Why?

532 replies

TwirpingBird · 21/01/2021 06:56

I am sitting here watching BBC breakfast with another harrowing video of ITU nurses at breaking point, ambulances lined up outside, 1800 dead yesterday, and headlines of 'lockdown isnt working', 'people arent complying' blah blah blah. Its all 'you need to follow the rules, you need to stay at home. I am seething.

My husband is leaving for work in an hour where he will enter 5 houses today to do completely non essential work because the government deem him a 'key worker'. My best friend will go to work in her office in a interior design company because she is a 'key worker'. Her husband will go to work giving quotes for kitchens in people's houses because his boss deems him a 'key worker'. None of my friends are on furlough. We are all seeing nobody outside of work. We are all sticking to the 'rules'. But how could we possibly expect the rules to work when everyone is still getting in their cars this morning?

I am raging angry. I am SICK and TIRED of being told 'follow the rules'. WE ARE!!! The rules make no bloody sense. And people are still dropping like flies, and experts are saying the lockdown isnt working, and the public are still being tarred as 'lacking empathy' because we are killing people. We are going to work! Kids are still in school! And then we come home and we do what we can but its never going to be enough. I am starting to wonder why I am bothering to hide myself away, managing a 2 year old and a newborn alone 5 days a week, naively thinking I am helping to manage transmission, when in reality its not helping at all because people are still at work.

OP posts:
rowmaccerd · 21/01/2021 19:31

@FreshFreesias

Lockdowns don’t work. The end.
Google Singapore covid
Greenygrape · 21/01/2021 19:32

@tinty the anger is at those emoloyers insisting people go in when they CAN work from home. Or people who work in an office because they don't like homeworking like some people we know.

It keeps those who genuinely need to safer.

Redrivershore · 21/01/2021 19:37

I don't think a lot of people are worried about the greater good when they don't want to go to work outside the home, more like how much they can get out of the government in furlough money.

Austriana · 21/01/2021 19:38

@Wilkolampshade

Same. Husband off in an hour into Central London on the tube... His is not to an 'essential' role by anyone's description, even the government's. His employer would just rather they were all in where they can be seen. Feel completely helpless really. 😳 Trying to remain cheerful.
This is shocking! Everyone I know who has an office based job - and even friends who are therapists, social workers etc - is working from home. I'm sorry your husband is being forced to commute in, that's madness.
AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii · 21/01/2021 19:39

@rowmaccerd love how you have just automatically assumed I live in a big city, I actually live in rural Scotland but hey don’t let that get in the way.

Last year the company closed when it didn’t need to and guess what he ended up being called out to farmers building emergencies and needing to finish off buildings for lambing

maddiemookins16mum · 21/01/2021 19:39

I have had to go to work (office admin) every day since March. Today someone rang our buzzer. Thinking it was our business post, I went down. Customer just dropped by with his accounts (for his tax return). No mask, wanting to come in and go through his expenses. I said no. He went mental ‘I haven’t got the ‘bug’ this return needs done by 31st’....etc etc.
He drove 65 miles to us.

I’m fed up of having to deal with this when I’m nearer 60 than 50, have an elderly MIL living with us and I only go out to literally drive to work and home again.

Bluewavescrashing · 21/01/2021 19:41

@bluewavescrashing I think the issue is teachers are working really hard but kids aren't getting taught, and however hard they work if the child at home isn't interested or doesn't log on then they receive nothing and that's what is frustrating.Our school do no online teaching, the videos barely work. I'm sure they're working really hard but for us it's pointless. I've decided I can choose to spend 3 hours a week figuring out what needs doing, printing and preparing stuff and cajoling my kids or I can spend 3 hours actually with my kids. If I only have 3 hours because I work full time, it's one or the other. My son's teacher did offer today to do some 1:1 with him which was appreciated, would happily do that as no time needed from me and he gets an hour learning

@Greenygrape can I ask what age your child is and you would like their teacher to be providing?

Presumably the 1:1 session is at least 10 mins long, x 15 children at home = 2.5 hours.

Live teaching is lauded as the pinnacle of home learning but actually, it can be very hard for parents to get their children logged in at specific times to join online meetings and pre recorded videos are a lot more flexible. They can be paused, watched again if needed and most importantly watched at any time.

What did you find difficult about the pre recorded videos?

Peppafrig · 21/01/2021 19:43

@Redrivershore and may I ask are you yourself out there working everyday? Or sitting at home retired ? Easy to judge when you are staying home safe .

PortChee · 21/01/2021 19:45

People stay home, they sacrifice income etc for a few weeks in the knowledge that everyone else can be trusted to do the same and you all benefit in the long run

Hahahaha... Ha. Okay. Yes you're right. Everyone should just stay in doors and sacrifice their incomes and we'll definitely be out of this mess in a couple of weeks (not) and straight into another financial one

Who are these people who can just sacrifice income for X long? It's certainly not the majority I imagine. I'll let the kids know that they'll have to start having fresh air for their meals from now on for the greater good.

Redrivershore · 21/01/2021 19:51

[quote Peppafrig]@Redrivershore and may I ask are you yourself out there working everyday? Or sitting at home retired ? Easy to judge when you are staying home safe .[/quote]
I retired early as I didn't like working from home, other people can give up their job if they want, same as I did if they don't like their situation

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/01/2021 19:52

[quote Peppafrig]@Redrivershore and may I ask are you yourself out there working everyday? Or sitting at home retired ? Easy to judge when you are staying home safe .[/quote]
I agree with what redrivershore said and I go out to work every day. You can't expect to just stay at home and get paid for it.

damnthisvirusandmarriage · 21/01/2021 19:57

Honestly. If I didn’t work I’d have no income at all whatsoever. As a single self employed parent this would be devastating for me.
We’d lose our home, our possessions. Our pets would have to be given away which would break the children’s hearts.
I’d be in debt.
There isn’t an alternative for me.
I’m so happy I can work so I can provide for my family.

PortChee · 21/01/2021 19:58

@damnthisvirusandmarriage

Honestly. If I didn’t work I’d have no income at all whatsoever. As a single self employed parent this would be devastating for me. We’d lose our home, our possessions. Our pets would have to be given away which would break the children’s hearts. I’d be in debt. There isn’t an alternative for me. I’m so happy I can work so I can provide for my family.
Some seem to think you should sacrifice all of the above for the rest of society though it seems.
rowmaccerd · 21/01/2021 20:00

@PortChee

People stay home, they sacrifice income etc for a few weeks in the knowledge that everyone else can be trusted to do the same and you all benefit in the long run

Hahahaha... Ha. Okay. Yes you're right. Everyone should just stay in doors and sacrifice their incomes and we'll definitely be out of this mess in a couple of weeks (not) and straight into another financial one

Who are these people who can just sacrifice income for X long? It's certainly not the majority I imagine. I'll let the kids know that they'll have to start having fresh air for their meals from now on for the greater good.

That's fine, just keep living in a covid nightmare then.

There is only one option at this point.

EVERYONE who doesn't 100% need to stays home for a few weeks.

Its not easy, and yes it puts people on or beyond the breadline (I have just done it) but its the best defence you have.

Other countries have done it. The UK never will as everyone is so entitled

TheKeatingFive · 21/01/2021 20:04

They can be paused, watched again if needed and most importantly watched at any time.

Live lessons can be recorded for those who miss them, it isn’t rocket science.

Actual interaction between kids and their teachers is very important.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/01/2021 20:07

@rowmaccerd if you think strangers will step up and pay everyone's bills just because your community apparently has you are deluded.

I will not get myself into debt and leave my DS unable to eat. My child's welfare is more important to me than anything.

PortChee · 21/01/2021 20:08

EVERYONE who doesn't 100% need to stays home for a few weeks

Most people consider feeding their family and paying their bills as a need...

You are suggesting plummeting huge swathes of the country into debt, losing possibly their livelihoods, homes etc... How do you envisage that will be any better?

And as PPs have mentioned, with numbers this high it won't be a couple of weeks, it would be longer and completely unsustainable.

And we won't be in this 'covid nightmare' forever. I know it's an unpopular opinion but this lockdown we are in right now is working, cases are decreasing. It was never going to happen over night.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/01/2021 20:09

@rowmaccerd and the fact that you think it's "entitled" to want to be able to keep your home and not starve is beyond comprehension.

PortChee · 21/01/2021 20:09

Who are these people in the community paying others bills and wages in your suggestion by the way? Keyworkers who are still working and earning whilst everyone else is locked away?

I'll just go and ask my nurse next door neighbour if she's happy to foot my mortgage next month.

TheKeatingFive · 21/01/2021 20:11

the fact that you think it's "entitled" to want to be able to keep your home and not starve is beyond comprehension.

I know, right?

I can’t wrap my head around this madness.

Now off I pop to find a supermarket worker willing to pay my bills. Oh wait. 🥴

Vintagevixen · 21/01/2021 20:14

@rowmaccerd you are being naive, I think you'll find it's a little bit more complicated than you suggest.

The "nightmare" that worries me is not Covid but a financial meltdown caused by lockdowns, how do you think the health service is funded - through NI that people pay when they earn money is how!

ImBoredAgain · 21/01/2021 20:27

Why? because people have bills to pay, children to support.

Let the ones who want to go back to normal carry on with their lives and let the scared and vulnerable hide at home

Jijithecat · 21/01/2021 20:32

It's strange @rowmaccerd because of the Isle of Man you describe seems very different from that portrayed on the Isle of Man FB page which I just took a quick look at. It's full of take aways promoting themselves, someone was asking about which florists are currently delivering and posts about online yoga. Much like I imagine many mainland FB pages are right now.

crimsonlake · 21/01/2021 20:36

My work is based within sheltered accomodation.
The first lockdown those residents who used to go to a day centre were prevented from going. This lockdown they are allowed to go. They are mixing with other service users who come for the day from their own homes etc, so you have no idea who they are in contact with and then return.
However, any residents who leave the sheltered accomodation to visit friends or family have to self isolate on return??
Staff in the office who were not seen for months as they were able to work form home are now continuing to come to work.
This is why the virus wont go away.

SueEllenMishke · 21/01/2021 20:40

The UK never will as everyone is so entitled

You are completely deluded.
I live in a very community spirited place but I can't imagine people willing to pay their neighbours mortgage.

Only on mn would someone call you entitled for wanting to pay your mortgage and feed your kids. This place gets stranger everyday.