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Scotsnet

Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

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Original poster

"you should only be leaving the house for essential reasons"

82 replies

RaspberryCoulis · 04/03/2021 08:15

Says Jeanne Freeman and Sturgeon and Jason Leitch every day at the briefing.

But nobody's doing that, are they? This isn't one of those threads where a poster moans about people being in parks or Asda being busy. It's more a general recognition that the message being sent out - stay at home, do not leave home - just isn't reflecting reality any more.

Most people I know are stretching the definition of "essential reasons" to leave the house and quite right too. Seeing elderly relatives they've been banned from seeing for a year. Allowing teenagers to meet in each others houses. Meeting friends for a social wander and a takeaway coffee and not "exercise". Kids playing football in large groups in the park. I even texted my hairdresser (who comes to the house) last night to tell her the very second she was back to work I wanted booked in and she texted back "well actually I've started doing wee sneaky cuts/colours so just let me know when suits" - she's not a selfish covidiot, she's just a self-employed worker who has had her income slashed for a year and has 3 kids.

So the messaging needs to change quickly, doesn't it? Because it really doesn't reflect the reality of the situation and the more out of touch the government appears, the less we'll all comply.

OP posts:

user1487194234 · 04/03/2021 08:40

Agree 100 %.And he my hair done yesterday.

flippertygibbit · 04/03/2021 08:41

I have stuck to the rules religiously however I'm am now breaking (not stretching) the rules. I'm not overly proud of myself however I'm so depressed (yes, clinically) that I am now doing what is right for me.

My hairdresser came to my house yesterday. I washed my hair before she came, I had a disposable gown and held a mask to my face. She had apron, mask and face shield. She cut my hair and she left. We sat in the kitchen with the back door open.

I am now also going to have 2 friends over at the weekend. We will sit outside in the gazebo. They will bring their own blankets and glasswear, I'll supply the booze. If they need to go inside to the toilet, they'll wear a mask and I've got them a packed of dettol wipes to clean toilet seat / flush before and after them.

I get my first vaccination next week (Scotland) - vulnerable - and yes, I'd be quite happy to agree not to be treated if I caught covid because I'm breaking the rules. I've had cancer, I'd rather go through all that again that (not) live like this.

backaftera2yearbreak · 04/03/2021 08:43

I let my son go to his very first sleepover the other week. He’s suffered enough. We also let out kids play outside together every afternoon. I’m done with the restrictions on the kids 🤷‍♀️

scottishmama86 · 04/03/2021 08:44

Completely agree. I think people were willing to live like prisoners when the NHS was overwhelmed but case numbers are comparatively low now and there seems to be no justification for living like this anymore. The government must know that people are not sticking to the rules anymore. The stay at home message needs to be dropped.

WouldBeGood · 04/03/2021 08:45

I think people have just had enough, and can see that the message from government doesn’t tally with reality.

dementedpixie · 04/03/2021 08:45

Scotland doesn't have restrictions on kids under 12 playing together

I only really go out to the supermarket tbh. Think the more I'm in the house the less I feel I want to go out if there's nowhere to go.

WouldBeGood · 04/03/2021 08:48

Not all children are under twelve though.

backaftera2yearbreak · 04/03/2021 08:54

My son will be 12 in a matter of weeks. I will still let him out. In fact, all of them start to turn 12 in the coming weeks.

Original poster

RaspberryCoulis · 04/03/2021 08:58

@WouldBeGood

Not all children are under twelve though.

Exactly - my youngest is 12 and in S1. Last summer we had the ridiculous situation where as he was still 11 he could mix freely with all the other younger children, but as soon as he passed his 12th birthday in July, that all stopped. Because they didn't have the sense to make the more sensible distinction between "primary" and "secondary" children.

Even my older child in S4 is 15 and still a "child". Arguably, it's this teenage age group which has suffered the most as everything they would usually do on a weekend (coffee shops, Nandos, cinemas, sleepovers, hanging out in each other's houses watching Netflix) is forbidden. A 15 year old girl does not want to "play at the park".

We have allowed DD to have a friend into the house a couple of times now and it does her wonders, really gives her a lift. When I broached it with the other parent in a "how would you feel about your DD coming here to cheer my DD up a bit" she bit my hand off and was totally up for it. And she's an NHS worker...

OP posts:

emmathedilemma · 04/03/2021 09:08

Speak for yourself but i work from home, go for a run or walk most days, and do food shopping once a week. Maybe once a week I'll drive (within the rules) to somewhere my to run or walk just to get a change of scenery and I go to my (also legitimate) extended household friends maybe once a week, or they come to me.
It's pretty clear from the amount of coming and going at my neighbour's houses and groups of folk in the park that people aren't sticking to it though! By easter I'll be cracking though if these rules are still in place!

dazzlinghaze · 04/03/2021 09:21

I agree, OP. I don't know a single person who is still following the rules properly.

WaxOnFeckOff · 04/03/2021 09:37

Apart from going for a walk with 2 friends instead of 1, I'm pretty much still following the rules. That's by default though as I can't be bothered going out and the things I want to do aren't open.

I really have no shits to give about what others do though.

theotherfossilsister · 04/03/2021 09:39

It's so hard to follow the rules with no end in sight. I am following at the moment, except I met two friends outside last week instead of one. I'd love to know when you can have people over. If I knew a date I could hold out for it.

Sootess · 04/03/2021 09:49

Round me (Edinburgh) there's definitely loads more people out and queues outside the "essential" shops like Pets at home and B&Q!
I'm been meeting with friends couple times a week throughout but it's always been for a walk or cycle and then coffee in one of our gardens afterwards.
Lots of kids and teens out together but again it's all outdoors. I don't know anyone who's meeting indoors, kids included.

Original poster

RaspberryCoulis · 04/03/2021 10:00

I also think there is a lot more rule breaking going on than I'm aware of. People are secretive about it, because it's against the law... Lots of subterfuge and "use the back door", from what I see.

Not that I give a single fuck about what other people are doing anyway.

OP posts:

user1487194234 · 04/03/2021 10:08

The problem is lots of things i want to do I can't.
Can't exactly break into John Lewis or the local Italian.

In Glasgow so literally no hope in sight

NigellaSeed · 04/03/2021 10:20

I have followed the rules to the house extreme as I was pregnant and then had a newborn with no bubble so me and DP didn't get to do anything when everything eased in summer. So, as a lockdown supporter, even I'm saying "enough!"

Scotland have been getting alot of things right (not everything - care homes ) but at this point, they need to realize they aren't going to iradicate covid. They need to start opening up, the vulnerables have been jabbed, and let the non vulnerables make their own risk assessments

noname55 · 04/03/2021 10:21

I'm still loosely following the rules because it's things like swimming, cinema, going out for meals that I miss. My son goes to his grandparent's but I suppose you could call it informal childcare which is allowed... If we fancy a walk or park outside our council area then we go.

backaftera2yearbreak · 04/03/2021 10:55

One thing I’d love to do is escape my council area!

WouldBeGood · 04/03/2021 10:57

@NigellaSeed I don’t know if you saw it on the other thread in here but apparently you can see someone else if you have a baby under one

NaeBor · 04/03/2021 11:05

It's frustrating because I would have been fully in support of a lockdown if it was actually a lockdown.

If they'd told everyone to prepare and closed everything not absolutely essential (and I mean everything, i.e B&M, my relatives gov run workplace which is not fucking essential but pretends it is) for 1 month, 1 person allowed out once a week for food, then I would have followed it. And I actually think we could have had a shot at it.

But people are tired. Absolutely tired of it all and this stupid half-arsed attempt which means everyone is suffering for months with no end in sight and negligible effects on numbers.

I decided after Christmas I couldn't do it and have been seeing extended family in their houses.

The messaging absolutely needs to change and they need to stop this lockdown and start opening up NOW. Anyone who is vulnerable and not been jabbed can do a few more weeks for their own benefit.

Original poster

RaspberryCoulis · 04/03/2021 11:23

@backaftera2yearbreak

One thing I’d love to do is escape my council area!

So why don't you? Honestly, that is the stupidest rule of the lot. I'm in East Dunbartonshire, there's basically nothing here apart from houses, schools and Waitrose. So we drive to Glasgow and walk in the Kelvingrove, or into Argyll and Bute for a walk along the firth of Clyde, or into town to pick up a takeaway.

OP posts:

helpfulperson · 04/03/2021 11:32

The stage we are at now we need most people to follow most of the rules most of the time. And I think that is generally happening. The occasional transgressions won't lead to significantly increased spread but abandoning all pretense of distancing will.

AgentCooper · 04/03/2021 11:39

Nobody I know is only going out for ‘essential’ reasons. Nor am I. We’re not meant to go for a non-exercise walk in the park with a takeaway coffee and yet the takeaways are open? I’m glad the takeaways are open because small businesses round here need their income but the messaging makes no sense. I can’t break into the swimming pool unfortunately.

rawalpindithelabrador · 04/03/2021 11:43

They've all drunk the Kool Aid and completely lost the plot. Their 'rules' are stupid, unsustainable, unafforable and punitive.

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