Are people no longer able to take responsibility for their own safety?

Local businesses, ice cream parlours etc in Weston have said were swamped with tourists from far and wide, despite local councillors and the Tourist Board asked for people not to rush there two weeks ago.
However, people did just that.

I wondered if that had caused a spike in cases and said it was a coincidence.
If it was due to one member of staff introducing COVID19 to the hospital and mixing COVID19 and non-COVID patients then that is irresponsible. I am surprised, I found them very good there but that was pre-COVID.

Franbern

READ MY POSTS and stop putting words into my mouth.
Thanks.

I agree there should be a charge for rescuing people who are stupid enough to take part in activities without proper equipment and preparation.
Of course there are always unavoidable accidents however well prepared you are.

If there are no lifeguards then one has to take responsibility for their actions and those of their children.

Callistomen and others so quick to blame the shutting of Weston hospital due to visitors. It was due to the fact that they had a asympomatic member of staff AND have also admitted that they had been putting positive Covid patients into the same wards as non covid patients ( just into different bays).

Everyone is so quick to jump to conclusions and.

I agree with the statement that they are not OUR beaches,. I can quite understand that families with young children - many of whom have been cooped up in small flats for weeks, have been happy to take advantage of the good weather and go to the seaside.

Most have been very careful about keeping good distancing between their families and others. However, national press have sent photographers down with special lenses to make them all look close together. This has been confirmed by local photographers taking pictures of those same beaches at the same time, with everyone well apart.

Do think it really is about time that lifeguards, etc became a properly state funded emergency service and not reliant on charities. Yes, people are silly and get themselves into all sorts of problems - but when you think about the number of RTA's involving emergency services, that is not so very different.

Do wish people would be much more understand, sympathetic and empathetic about other people

The RNLI, Mountain Rescue, Lifeguards all voluntary organisations (some lifeguard are employed I acknowledge) but why do we need those organisations in the UK - people stupidity and selfishness. Where I live only last weekend woman fell from a cliff doing a very dangerous walk. RNLI rescued her, both ankles broken. In many countries there are official bodies that do the rescues eg coastguard and of course you need accident insurance. But we seem to be living in a even more selfish society where it is always someone else's responsibility to sort out their problems.

Yesterday there were skinny dippers in the sea at the town where I live. On the beach by their cast off clothes, empty cans of beer. So skinny dipping ,when possibly the worse for wear with the tide coming in fast! how sensible! And it was very early in the morning , not many people around so little chance of anyone to notice if anything had happened.

As someone else suggested it might make people think twice about calling on the help of these wonderful volunteers if they advertised a charge for their services.
But then there would be the problem of having the bill paid.
There's a series on BBC1 called CloseCall with many examples.

Sodapop, because it is not essential to go swimming in the sea!

CORNWALL - The RNLI usually patrol a beach lifeguarding service not only on Council owned beaches in Cornwall but also on a number of beaches in the County that are privately owned. The main lifeguard season runs from May to September. However, this does vary from beach to beach.

There have been 3 deaths now. Red flags are out. Notices upn about NO lifeguard. Volunteers are patrolling some beaches to try and keep people out of the water. RNLI have spent last two weeks giving lifeguards training re changes to rescues.

Some beaches will have lifeguards (and all their equipment/vehicles) on them from this weekend.

Agree with Cambia. The same goes for the Air Ambulance that we rely on so much. Most of the teams + trustees are volunteers.

They haven't specified that it could be that, WhenIwasyourage but it's a remarkable coincidence.

The A&E services were stretched as it was due to short staffing and closed the doors at 10pm each night to emergencies.

We went to the coast yesterday- plenty of room to social distance and no lifeguard. My husband commented to me that whew were growing up (we are in our early 60’s now) there weren’t any lifeguards and people took responsibility for themselves. As others have said people expect to be molly coddled these days and nothing is ever their own fault.

Thank you Callistemon. I rest my case!

but a lot of places where there are beaches or beauty spots are also places with less hospital or emergency service provision.

Weston-super-Mare hospital has had to shut the A&E Department and cannot accept new patients due to spike in cases of COVID19.

Why has there been a spike there?
Weston was packed with visitors as soon as lockdown was eased.

Something I have learnt over the past 3 months is that people have stopped taking responsibility for themselves. It seems as if people want their bottoms wiping....having forgotten how to look after themselves...

Yes, Paperbackwriter, that's all very well, but a lot of places where there are beaches or beauty spots are also places with less hospital or emergency service provision. Also, if public toilets are shut, are those who live in these places going to have to put up with human waste on the beaches or paths - dog deposits are bad enough! Your daughter is perfectly entitled to be on her local beach, but do you really think that those who drive 100 miles to get to a beach are equally entitled, as things are?

There are plenty of 'perfectly normal (and legal)' activities which we would all like to do just now. I would love to get on a bus or a train and go to the city to do some shopping and have lunch, but I'm not expecting to do so for some considerable time. Those of us who are not fortunate enough to live near a beach (or a city) should just go to somewhere we can reach and stop moaning. At least we're still alive!

pinkquartz "We don't want these crowds on our beaches."

What a horribly entitled statement. They aren't YOUR beaches, they are everyone's. Just because you have the luck to live near the sea, it doesn't mean you own the place. We all have to share - just as we in the town share space in the parks.

At the moment most of the country is effectively 'on holiday' so it's not surprising they are going to hang out somewhere where the air is fresh and clean and they can have fun. My daughter spent the last two days on her local beach where it was not over-populated. It's such a shame that there are so many people being so grudging and nasty about a perfectly normal (and legal) activity.

Fully agree with you Cambia. It’s always someone else’s fault! ?

I live at the beach ...well, 1 minute away (!) and over the weekend there were notices informing people that no lifeguards were on duty …..but there were still many young people (as well as old !) swimming, paddle boarding and surfing ...the Coastguard is patrolling but only on the road above the beach with vans …...personally I had a paddle but you would never get me further in anyway !...the RNLI does a wonderful job but it must be difficult not to touch people when rescuing them …..best thing is NOT to go in the sea at all until they resume guarding the beach ….as you say, nowadays no one seems to take responsibility for themselves ….there was a time when NO lifeguards were ever on beaches ...

I live near a beautiful beach, no lifeguards, no toilets, lots of people close together. Ugh! I stayed in the garden and it was very pleasant!

Totally agree Cambia and Pinkquartz!!!

We live near the North Norfolk coast. Over the weekend 15 people were rescued from a sandbank including children and 5 dogs. There are notices warning people that the tide comes in very quickly and is dangerous. Yet still people think it is safe to wade out to a sandbank. When the tide rushes in they find themselves marooned and call out the lifeboat yet again. This happens time and time again. Maybe if people were charged for calling the rescue services out when they have deliberately ignored warning notices they could think twice

I think it is much easier having rules which everyone follows. I dont have to worry about social distancing with postmen, deliveries, etc. because they are all so careful to keep their distance. The grass cutter suggested himself that he brings his own coffee in a flask, and that I pay him online rather than in cash. All medical visitors are rigorous about handwashing and masks.
I am relieved that I dont have to suggest all these things.

Lemongrove I so agree with you. Our society now has turned into one where someone has always got to be blamed and so much time and effort is wasted by everyone producing documentation to prove they are not to blame if something goes wrong. Yesterday I had to go into hospital for a day patient procedure. I'd had a printed leaflet explaining it twice in the post, I'd had it explained over the phone and in person in the two weeks preceding my appointment then yesterday 3 times I t was gone through again and my consent checked. All just to prove no blame if something went wrong I am sure. If I wasn't happy to give my consent I would not have turned up for the appointment! People seem unable to read and take note of warning signs, they seem unable to make sensible decisions about weighing up actions against risks. They want guarantees and then someone to blame and then get compensation. Instead people should accept there may be accidents and things go wrong. I have been on loads of beaches very few with lifeguards and if you want to do more than paddle then you have to research and find where is safe to swim. I would say the coastal towns need to put effort into opening car parks and public toilets and maybe some sort of system for booking places on the car parks in advance to try to control numbers. If there are no lifeguards on duty people should be grateful they can sunbathe, walk on the beach and paddle. A lot of people can't get to a beach at present and a lot of people are still stuck in their homes because of shielding.

As volunteers, I fail to see why the Lifeguards should put themselves in danger die to other people’s stupidity. The RNLI do an amazing job and I can’t understand why they are not government funded. We are an island surrounded by the sea for gods sake!

I also don’t understand why there is not a mandatory charge for idiots needing rescuing from their own silly actions, whether they are in the sea or up a mountain! Perhaps if they had to repay the costs involved they might think twice.