Is the eagerness to call the police over any perceived rulebreaking over the top?

[User133847]

I've followed the rules throughout and have found it annoying when people have took the piss. However, some people are going over the top.

I was walking through my local park today. Only a fairly small park and there wasn't many people there at all and it was all distanced. The police were walking through, presumably to make sure people were following the rules. I was on my daily walk and i'd seen these same officers half an hour ago coming out of another park. That's fine but as they were walking through an elderly couple made a beeline for them and starting going crazy, demanding they deal with this family or group, whatever they were, that were 'breaking the rules'. I was only walking past, so I didn't hear the whole thing, but i've no idea what rule they would have been breaking. It was a group of 5 people (on the other side of the park) and they were just kicking a ball around. The officers were trying to calm them. It just seemed bizarre to me and this couple were going completely over the top.

Then I read another story today about just how many calls the police are still fielding from the public. It's understandable if it's a clear breach, but it seems the bulk of these complaints are just very petty.

People are going to drive themselves mad seeing people mixing more as things open up. That was just an eye opener to see it in front of me.

«Drive themselves mad» - they’re definitely most of the way there already!

Yeah, it's utterly ridiculous. I bet the police wish they would just piss off as well.

Apparently back in my hometown police are raiding several parties every single weekend and have being doing since last year!

Our street/village had a Saturday afternoon disco with music played by one of our neighbours who is an out of work DJ. Everyone stayed in their own gardens, not even on the streets and the police started to get called by someone spoiling the fun. It wasn't very loud music and was only for around 2 hours every saturday around 2pm. Neighbours and their kids used to send him a message with requests. It just brightened up a really shit time for us all but it had to stop to save the hassle. The police even said we were t doing anything wrong but they were getting reports of a mass gathering

Yeah, it's utterly ridiculous. I bet the police wish they would just piss off as well.

I felt sorry for the police while witnessing this.

They were being screamed at by this couple (who weren't wearing masks) and trying to calm them down, but if they did go over and talk to the group playing football (I didn't stick around to see) they'd have got abuse off them as well. They can't win in these situations.

We need to get a bit of a grip.

I would imagine that this elderly couple were scared.... they have pretty much been scared into being hermits for the past year.

It’s over the top, however in my area the police have said they are only interested in dealing with severe breaches.

We had a picnic in the park today with my NCT group 7 adults with 7 babies between 6-7 months we all sat on our own blankets spaced out and no one said a word aside from complimenting us on how cute the babies were. Given they now count babies in the numbers we were well over the limit but funnily enough had we paid to join an “organized” picnic it would have been within the rules... Common sense is needed and thankfully the police in my area seem to have taken that approach.

@XenoBitch

I would imagine that this elderly couple were scared.... they have pretty much been scared into being hermits for the past year.

I expect so, but it was a bit of a penny dropping moment as a lot of people are out there are going to be terrified as restrictions are gradually lifted.

I think there are a lot of people for whom covid has played into either their anxieties or nosy-neighbour instincts.

I find the people leaping out into the road at the sight of my pre-schooler bonkers too. It makes me want to shout “She’s a child, not a fucking leper!”.

Then I remember that last year when covid first emerged and so little was definitively known about transmission, I was pretty shocked that my neighbours had their single friend visiting outside in lockdown and I myself would step into the road if I passed someone. More out of concern for them than me. But as the evidence emerged that transmission outside is very low unless you’re within 2m for 15 minutes, I changed my risk assessment and decided the risk of being run over was far higher!

It seems as if a significant section of the population are fed up with restrictions and while they will broadly abide by the rules, feel there is a balance to be struck between covid and living as the social animals we’ve evolved to be. The other significant section have been terrified for a year and sadly don’t know how to step down their vigilance.

It’s a shame though really. Imagine being that couple, living your last previous years on this earth feeling that a family enjoying a kickabout are the enemy.

I find the people leaping out into the road at the sight of my pre-schooler bonkers too

As the owner of a chatterbox 5 year old who doesn’t let anyone pass her by without a cheerful ‘hello’ and possibly an itinerary of her day, I haven’t experienced anything like that at all. On the contrary the majority are happy to stop and have a distanced chat. Not saying it doesn’t happen but it’s not the universal experience.

It’s amazing to me people have been so friendly during this pandemic - I’m from the midlands and have found our southern small town pretty unfriendly in comparison during the years since we’ve moved down here.

@Waxonwaxoff0

Yeah, it's utterly ridiculous. I bet the police wish they would just piss off as well.

^^ this.

I honestly don't know what these curtain twitchers are going to do with their time when this is over.

@Cornettoninja

I find the people leaping out into the road at the sight of my pre-schooler bonkers too

As the owner of a chatterbox 5 year old who doesn’t let anyone pass her by without a cheerful ‘hello’ and possibly an itinerary of her day, I haven’t experienced anything like that at all. On the contrary the majority are happy to stop and have a distanced chat. Not saying it doesn’t happen but it’s not the universal experience.

It’s amazing to me people have been so friendly during this pandemic - I’m from the midlands and have found our southern small town pretty unfriendly in comparison during the years since we’ve moved down here.

Maybe it’s some oddity of the small Devon town I’m in. I feel really sorry for her as she’d love to chat like yours does.