Anyone just have no interest in socialising in places with the restrictions in place?

[User135644]

I'm not saying there shouldn't be restrictions at all, just that I don't see the fun in any of it. Being forced to sit outdoors in several layers of clothes to keep warm, so you can have a glass of wine, a pint or some food. Having to put a mask on to go to the fucking toilet. Sit here, don't sit there, one way systems, yellow tape everywhere, remain seated or put your hand up to go to the toilet, wear a mask on any public transport, the hassle of shopping.

I can understand people have been out to go to the pub or shop this week and had a great time and see it as a step back to normal. I just find it too demoralising to be doing these things for fun. i can only be bothered when it's essential, like a weekly shop.

Browsing the shops, and especially book shops, clothes shops, is meant to be pleasant but it's a pain in the arse with masks etc.

There are less people out and hardly anyone at tills/carrying shopping bags. I'm guessing people want to go out and see something which isn't their own house which they're sick of the sight of, but that they can't be arsed spending when they're a bit fed up rather than having a good time.

A lot of western retail is the "experience", rather than necessity. Sans experience, less spend.

I don’t like eating outside unless it’s quite warm as good gets cold too quickly. Not that anything is open up here.

The queues for shops are ridiculous. Even shops that have been open. All the restaurants are so busy, squashed in. using the pavements. Booking is first come first served, or booking line that opens at 10am , or permanently engaged

Don't get me wrong I am delighted to be coming out of lockdown. I had a blissful Saturday, manicure, pedicure and massage, and I am super happy to be back in the gym and pool.

But yeah hospitality this way is not my idea of fun.

Same reason I won't be going on holiday if its compromised but costs the same. 🤷‍♀️

I agree with the majority and the ‘roadmap’ almost feels like a con. Yes it’s all allowed to be open but there are a whole heap of caveats which mean it’s not spontaneous, relaxing or fully enjoyable, especially with the bloody masks, queues and one way systems.

Id rather stay at home.
I can choose a sunny soot in the garden in a lovely comfy chair.
Buy loads of reasonably priced wine.
Have friends round.

Why would I want to go to a pub?

Yes hate it. Too cold to eat out ( and food would get cold quickly), hate masks so shopping and browsing is out, plus you can’t try anything on. Hate all the petty rules the pointless one way systems and endless queuing, so will give it all a miss until restrictions are lifted.

I am desperate to get back to restaurants but I refuse to freeze my tits off in a tent. Am sticking with takeaways to support hospitality until we can eat out properly.

Being forced to sit outdoors in several layers of clothes to keep warm, so you can have a glass of wine, a pint or some food. Having to put a mask on to go to the fucking toilet. Sit here, don't sit there, one way systems, yellow tape everywhere, remain seated or put your hand up to go to the toilet, wear a mask on any public transport, the hassle of shopping.

That sounds more relaxed than what I’ve been doing day in, day out for 13 months now, so it wouldn’t bother me.

I’ll be happy to see all the restrictions go, but they’re honestly okay once you get used to them. What I currently hate is that where I live they’ve decided to only let you do all of the above after you show a less-than-24h-old negative Covid test. Pub? Test. Hairdresser appointment? Test. Need some socks from a shop? Test. Now, that’s annoying

Oh and make that only FFP2 masks permitted, which was fine a month ago but now it’s getting warmer it really isn’t fun about 6-7 hours of wearing one non-stop...

I went out last night and it was wonderful. Tables were well spaced and it was nice being able to go to the loo and knowing your seat would still be there when you come back. They'd set it up outside and I think it was warmer than we would have been inside the pub!

The menu was reduced, all lovely though and not as overwhelming as they sometimes are.

The only annoyance was the mask but I can put up with that.

@clopper

Yes hate it. Too cold to eat out ( and food would get cold quickly), hate masks so shopping and browsing is out, plus you can’t try anything on. Hate all the petty rules the pointless one way systems and endless queuing, so will give it all a miss until restrictions are lifted.

Where are you shopping that you can't browse or try things on? I was in my local shopping centre the other day, loads browsing and the only fitting room I remember being closed was H&M.

No interest in sitting outside in this country for food or drink and can't be bothered to queue to get in a shop. I'll happily go abroad the minute it's allowed though for some proper sun - happy to eat and drink outside in Spain.

A) too cold
B) am Billy no mates

Oh and c) no money to spend in shops anyway

What I currently hate is that where I live they’ve decided to only let you do all of the above after you show a less-than-24h-old negative Covid test. Pub? Test. Hairdresser appointment? Test. Need some socks from a shop? Test. Now, that’s annoying

Oh no where are you? I would hate having to shove swabs up my nose and down my throat all the time.

I'm not sure why people are talking about one way systems and endless queuing though, I've not been to a single shop with a one way system and I even got into my local Waitrose without a queue yesterday lunchtime, which is unheard of for a Saturday (maybe I was just lucky and the security guard and nipped off to the loo).

had nipped off

There was a thread here a few weeks ago about the official guidance to hospitality - no mixing of groups, barriers between tables, no ordering at the bar, no chatting with the patrons etc. And like many, I thought I couldn't be arsed with any of that. Right now I can make myself a very fine gin and tonic for a fifth of the price I'd pay in a pub. I go to the pub to socialise with friends and maybe meet some interesting new people too, not simply to have a drink I can easily have at home. If it's all going to be regimented and rule bound, I'd rather wait.

I feel like a bit of an outlier here. If it's allowed, and is something I enjoyed pre pandemic, then I am damn well doing it. I need my life back. I went out for dinner last week, we'd booked a table, which we would have done normal times too, there was loads of space between tables so no feeling of being squashed together, didn't go to the loo but it looked straightforward to get there and I don't mind wearing a mask for a few minutes (wear them at work when not in an office alone)and I've been using sanitiser before eating at restaurants for years so that's perfectly normal for me.

I popped to a nearly empty John Lewis about an hour before closing time and bought a few Christmas food gift things that were reduced.

And today I sat in a two sided tent in a pub garden having a drink. It was so great to be doing something normal and to be around others also enjoying themselves.

We went out for breakfast this morning and it was nice, it felt pretty normal. Mask on to go to the toilets is just automatic now, we did it whenever we went out last year and I wear one most of the day at work. It helped that it was sunny, it feels much more natural to be sitting outside on a nice day.

I'm the same @RichardMarxisinnocent , DH and I have been doing everything that we are allowed to and as in Scotland enjoyed our freedom to finally escape our council boundary and see beauty spots we've not been to for a while.

In a way it heightens the experience - I don't think I've ever enjoyed the sea view or fish and chips as much as we did outside with our friends on Friday.

I can't predict if there will be another lockdown or how long we will have these liberties for, so I'm going to do as much as I can whilst it's possible and try not to get overly enervated about the differences from how it used to be.

Know what you mean.
Sat in a garden last week as long as we could stick it, even with a hotwater bottle. Hardly normal behaviour.

It was better when I had to go to a work related thing, that was largely outdoors anyway, so all felt much more normal.

Personally I keep thinking and expecting July to have lockdowns again, so I am taking what we can get. And trying to be grateful.

@poppycat10

What I currently hate is that where I live they’ve decided to only let you do all of the above after you show a less-than-24h-old negative Covid test. Pub? Test. Hairdresser appointment? Test. Need some socks from a shop? Test. Now, that’s annoying

Oh no where are you? I would hate having to shove swabs up my nose and down my throat all the time.

Germany! I don’t mind the tests because we already do 2 PCRs and 2-3 LFTs at work each week (have been since August), but the shops, museums etc won’t accept those. Nor will they accept the self-tests you can get at the pharmacy. You need to book one of the council testing stations - which to be fair, you can find literally on each corner - but it’s the extra time and mental effort that’s putting me off 😂

We went for a few days away (to Malvern).

It was great.

We did quite a bit of walking, and found a lovely cafe that served fancy coffees and accompanying cakes (hipster style but not terribly expensive).

We variously sat at tables outside or in the beautiful grounds of the old priory to eat.

We also found a riverside eatery that was happy to serve us tea and cake after a long walk, on an outside platform overlooking the water.

I prefer eating outside in the sunshine anyhow, and we didn't need masks.

I also picked up a book in a bookshop (almost empty) and got my tween son a haircut in a walk in Turkish barbers that had immediate availability (though he didn't want all that much off, I think he wants to continue to hide behind his fringe).

We had to wear masks to order inside the cafe, to go inside the bookshop, to visit the vineyard shop and the local bakery, and my son had to mask up for his haircut.

We didn't have to wear masks to sit outside to eat, of course, or for walking around. We didn't need to wear them very much.

We had fun ordering takeaway food (we tried Nepalese) and got fish and chips one night. We stayed in an Airbnb self catering place and had an Ocado delivery the first night, so very safe and convenient.

We also got to see family (and socially distanced for that).

It was great as we had been shielding as a family (we are very careful) and this felt like comparative freedom and normality.