Rules that make no sense

[Pissedoff1234]

My DH is seeing friends at the pub this weekend, outside and there will be 6 of them. All within the rules, yes. Except what about social distancing. They will be sat at a picnic bench, 6 grown men.

I get that pubs need to open but the rule in gardens is 6 or 2 households which we do but we are sitting very far apart from people not in our household. At pubs, they are sat very close.

I have and do follow all the rules because I believe that's what I have to do but there are some really strange ones. What other rules do you wish you could ask the scientists what their reasoning is for allowing it, not allowing it?

At our local pool you there are signs up saying no backstroke or fly. If anyone can explain to be why doing fly is any more dangerous than crawl I’d love to hear it.

If you really sit back and think about it, most of the rules make no sense. You are very unlikely to catch the virus when out in the fresh air and even more, a person has to be infected in order to infect you. At some point these rules are going to have to ease up and people need to get back to some kind of normal life otherwise we will still be talking about this at Christmas.

@DragonMuff. I’m with you there too! My DD1 is about to turn two years old. We haven’t seen a HV in person since MAYBE January 2020. So at least 16/17 months. I’ve had the occasional phone call that I’ve never answered (I have a two year old. The chances of catching the phone are slim) and every voicemail is the same checkbox shit. ‘Just calling to check you are doing ok, I’m on annual leave for two weeks now but feel free to call after that’. It’s been a distinct pattern so I’m assuming she’s just going through her list of people she’s not engaged with before she goes on AL each time and marking them off as ‘contacted’ to cover their backs.
Luckily I wouldn’t turn to the Hv for help (and I’m sure you can see why) but I just imagine what that would be like for mums who really need more support than that. Shambles.

I think my point is that it is probably not great to have 6 people squashed up on a bench and some people will be sensible and not do this. I do think that even those who are fully observing the rules will be more likely to do this because it is classed as being in the rules. So before there were those that were breaking the rules and they still will. But there were those that were sticking with the rules because they were worried and those that did so because they like to do the right thing. The latter will now not exercise caution because it's in the rules.

I used the toilets in Marks and Spencer (England) on Friday last, the fitting rooms were closed but the toilets open. I would have thought that they were all supposed to be doing the same thing.

@Brabraboo if you search the stores on the M&S website it tells you if their toilet facilities are open or not. Our big one with a food hall and clothing section has their toilets open but the two smaller food only ones near me don't have customer toilets available just now. I think the staff should be able to use their discretion though.

I'm in Scotland and I find most of the rules dreamed up by the Scottish government pretty irritating to be honest. I'm back to work next week (hospitality/tourism) and this whole two hour time slot thing is ridiculous. It seems it only comes into force on the 17th May when indoor drinking will be allowed and I can get you most people will have no clue about it and complain that they feel rushed. If establishments want to put a time limit on themselves I think that's fine because they know what works for them but insisting everywhere does it makes no sense 🙄

And this is when I ask myself, are people doing things because ‘the rules’ allow it? Or do they think it through, assess the risk, and take an informed decision themselves? That’s how I’ve operated during the last year, and sometimes that meant breaking the rules, or not taking advantage of one. Honestly, I think the majority of people just don’t think. They watch the news or read Facebook, and if those say it’s safe, then it must be.

My daughter can spend all day inside at school with her boyfriend, but he can’t come over after school unless they sit outside (bearing in mind they are testing themselves twice a week).

My daughter’s riding instructor can come to us, but we can’t travel to her as she has an indoor arena - a massive, high roofed arena with large open sides and it’s only ever DD and her instructor.

It’s also pretty damn shit that my DD cannot return to the student flat she is paying rent on

Why can I go inside a Starbucks and order my coffee at the till, but not at a pub or restaurant?

My understanding was that you can order at the bar / counter at places that don't serve alcohol (read it here on the BBC)

@secretllama The 8pm thing baffled me too!

If you did actually socially distance in a pub and sit 3 metres apart you would need one person on each table and they wouldn't be able to chat and wouldn't be worth the pub opening.

Nonsense the gym is open and you can sweat amd breathe heavily yet cant sit next to someone at a funeral. Masks work so you can have driving lessons yet they don't work at a funeral so you have to sit alone with a mask on.

Mask wearing in schools yet mass free for all in the canteen.

People randomly flying into the country yet again you can't see someone for a tea.

Seems it only spreads at funerals, and with alcohol everywhere else must be safe.

@Brabraboo I would have been so tempted to do it there on the floor.

Total nonsense.

The gym will open for individual training only where people move around the room and swap equipment during the session but no classes allowed where everyone has their own "spot" and equipment.
Kids are allowed swimming lessons even though they bring an adult onto poolside, in the changing rooms with them and that adult waits in the cafe area, but the adults who come on their own can't have an aquafit class.
At the moment in Scotland we can travel anywhere in the country to meet up to 6 people from 6 households outdoors but someone can't travel 3 miles to another local authority for an organised running club session with pre-booking and track & trace system.
It is madness.

I got on a bus today, and the first 4 sets of double seats were all taped off with tape saying don't sit here due to social distancing. For the driver I presume who now is not only in his own locked glass cubicle, but now has the first third of the bus to himself as well. The rest of us were all squished in the remaining seats and using all standing space too. Seems completely illogical!

Having to quarantine donations to our charity shop for 72 hours. (that was last lockdown, hoping they'll have come to their senses when we reopen on Monday)

Not being able to leave your Council Area in Scotland, irrespective of size of that area, or how close you live to a boundary.

Pretty much any other rule the Scot Gov has come up with since January.

My daughter can spend all day inside at school with her boyfriend, but he can’t come over after school unless they sit outside
That's incase you or the boyfriend infect each other. If you take covid your DD would need to self isolate so hopefully not spread it to any classmates.

At the moment in Scotland we can travel anywhere in the country to meet up to 6 people from 6 households outdoors but someone can't travel 3 miles to another local authority for an organised running club session with pre-booking and track & trace system.

Are you sure the running club haven't got that wrong? Travel restrictions have been lifted except over night stays.

Obviously not this time but when only families or bubbles could go out, I knew some blokes at pub who couldn't go for a beer together despite being sat in a van together multiple times.

In my job I can go in to someone's tiny flat for up to 3 hours, have a coffee, chat and do things like help them to cook a meal in a tiny kitchen that has space for just 1 person (so zero social distancing), but I can't do any of that with my own DD.

Last September. I could go to a pub or generally hang out with 5 people from different households, but it was illegal for 2x families of 4 to go for a walk together.
Glad that one's been sorted this time.

Again, last September, DM's area went into what became tier 2. We spent the day legally shopping then legally had lunch at the same table in a cafe, then I illegally went to her house to sit over 2m away in her lounge.

The exercise class/ gym thing is bonkers.

It's really difficult at Brownies making the girls socially distance from the classmates that they've been in the classroom all day with. I know it's to not compromise our bubbles and risk isolations, but it's bloody tough on kids and seems bonkers to them.

@Pissedoff1234

My DH is seeing friends at the pub this weekend, outside and there will be 6 of them. All within the rules, yes. Except what about social distancing. They will be sat at a picnic bench, 6 grown men.

I get that pubs need to open but the rule in gardens is 6 or 2 households which we do but we are sitting very far apart from people not in our household. At pubs, they are sat very close.

I have and do follow all the rules because I believe that's what I have to do but there are some really strange ones. What other rules do you wish you could ask the scientists what their reasoning is for allowing it, not allowing it?

There is not and never has been a rule regarding social distancing. The government has always advised people to try to stay 2m apart where possible - this is because the risk of infection falls rapidly with distance and 2m was considered a "safe" cut off.

Pretty much all of them. This pandemic has, if nothing else, been a jobsworth's wet dream.

Classrooms.

I can go and have a bikini wax at the salon on my local high street, but I can't have a routine dentist appointment at my surgery which is next door.

@Lockdownbear

My daughter can spend all day inside at school with her boyfriend, but he can’t come over after school unless they sit outside That's incase you or the boyfriend infect each other. If you take covid your DD would need to self isolate so hopefully not spread it to any classmates.

At the moment in Scotland we can travel anywhere in the country to meet up to 6 people from 6 households outdoors but someone can't travel 3 miles to another local authority for an organised running club session with pre-booking and track & trace system.

Are you sure the running club haven't got that wrong? Travel restrictions have been lifted except over night stays.

No, that’s correct, it was quite clear in the Scottish athletics rules that we operate under!

Definitely not allowed! jogscotland.org.uk/3635-2/?fbclid=IwAR28NFcqq5LtfF7ZyJ8ezBQ82Yz8KNrIETHd0ckokAwA0Vshre8zvHElNwE

@EasterEggBelly

Buses.

We are allowed on buses. 20 or 30 people inside a bus. Unrelated people are allowed to sit next to each other. For long journeys. But I’m not allowed to go inside my parents house? Just 3 of us. For 5 minutes? Nope. Doesn’t make sense.

Stagecoach run my local buses. The front two seats behind driver are not in use. Then you are supposed to sit on alternative rows. There is also a max of 16 passengers and they are counting passengers on and off the buses.