Fined for rule breaking during "lock down"

Alegrias1, they really meant business and the message got through. Here, some just carried on as normal, with no consequences, making the sensible majority despair.

GagaJo

Yes Hetty. I have a friend who lives in Spain. Very militarised. And she approved. Far too many people thinking they were the exception.

I don't think I would have approved of having the military check if I was drinking a cup of coffee in a field.

Just a wee bit of over-reaction maybe?

The only one I know of was a dd, early in the first lockdown, who was sternly ticked off and told to move by a female police officer, after she’d sat down on a bench in an open space (nobody else anywhere near) to breast feed a baby of about 2 months at the time.

I do remember, when the first lockdown started, feeling very anxious about walking for 10 minutes to the post office, since a parcel really did need to be posted.

I was honestly expecting a police car to stop, and to be told to go home, it wasn’t an ‘essential’ trip!

Which I dare say would have been the case in much stricter countries, e.g. Spain.

Germanshepherdsmum

I live near the sea in north Norfolk. I remember a lot of people being fined for driving here from some distance away when it was against the rules, including a man who had driven over 100 miles ‘to walk his dogs and buy fish and chips’.

My point exactly. The number of people he would have come into contact with (buying fuel, food, toilets) and could have infected if covid positive was not inconsiderable.

Highly irresponsible.

I live near the sea in north Norfolk. I remember a lot of people being fined for driving here from some distance away when it was against the rules, including a man who had driven over 100 miles ‘to walk his dogs and buy fish and chips’.

For a thankfully short period in 2020 there was a massive over-reaction by the police who were targeting people who were,just out getting some fresh air and exercise.

I’m sure we can all remember ridiculous images of pensioners moved on by police purely for sitting for a brief rest during their permitted exercise.
Then there were the two young women fined for walking, carrying takeaway coffees as they apparently constituted a picnic which was verboten.

Finally who can forget the hapless dog walker completely alone on a deserted moor up north somewhere who was spotted by a police drone?

Thankfully before long common sense prevailed and the police were reigned in.

Wouldn’t it be reassuring to feel that the police would be equally vigilant if we were unlucky enough to be burgled?

Coastpath, he broke the rules - and he risked being away from home if the car broke down, possibly then infecting other people who really needed to be out shopping.

GagaJo, they did feel very safe and protected. There was zero tolerance of rule breaking - so they felt unified, same situation for all - unlike here.

Yes Hetty. I have a friend who lives in Spain. Very militarised. And she approved. Far too many people thinking they were the exception.

Coastpath

The army on the streets? To stop people sitting on benches?

Crikey.

Presumably they had to drive there? What if they had car problems? RAC? Police? Why should they have put their lives at risk because idiots couldn't follow a simple request to stay at home.

There was a party on my street in the middle of lockdown. In the street. My poor DGS watched other children playing outside together and just didn't understand why he couldn't join in.

Hetty58 given all we know about Covid, what harm did he do?

GagaJo, the restrictions were obviously too lax. The infection, hospitalisation and death rates in the UK are evidence that we needed much more.

I know of somebody in Spain who was fined for taking his wife shopping. He stayed in the car - but only one person was allowed to go. He's clueless with shopping and she doesn't drive. They were told that she should have written him a list - or walked. No warning or gentle ticking off - unlike here.

Gagajo there are times when I got very angry at rule breaking being ignored. And felt not enough was being done to enforce them. But old people who weren't mobile enough to walk sitting beside their car enjoying the view? They were actually safer than those walking along the promenade.

No I don’t know if anyone fined, but everyone I mix with kept to the rules, we knew how it was transmitted and made sure we were safe. Initially we didn’t know how it was spread.Even if there had been parties next door I wouldn't have joined in as you could see the figures. I do think it would have been hard to police..

Sarnia

Everyone who broke the rules should face the music and I do mean everyone.

That would be me. It’s a bit difficult to support an elderly neighbour ( in the early stages of Alzheimer’s) remotely.
Perhaps you’ve got some ideas of how to switch on a freezer ( that’s she’s turned off) and is defrosting.
Any ideas how to convince someone that there is no water running under the floorboards without being there with her and listening with her.
Any ideas how I can re program her tv remotely?
All suggestions welcomed.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202201/medium-282294-2020-quiet-town.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202201/medium-78522-2020-quiet-beach.jpg

Here's my town during lockdown. No army needed.

I think the vast majority of people did their very best in terrible circumstances.

The army on the streets? To stop people sitting on benches?

Crikey.

I don't think the restrictions were anywhere near strong enough. We should have had the army on the streets.

Thank goodness for that nadateturbe. When you consider how some of these rules were set up and enforced it makes you wonder if they actually did any good. I mean, what harm could sitting alone on a park bench ever have done anyone?

I am sure we will look back on roped off park benches and police moving people on from picnic blankets as utterly ludicrous.

Sarnia

Everyone who broke the rules should face the music and I do mean everyone.

I agree

Remember two dog-walkers who drank coffee and were accused of having a picnic?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-55625062
Student fined £10k for organising snowball fight
inews.co.uk/news/downing-street-party-student-fined-snowball-fight-no-10-punishment-1402464

An older couple in my area were sitting on seats outside their car at the seafront having a coffee. People complained on facebook and the police came. They used common sense and left them alone.

No, but various neighbours should have been.

I was stopped by the police and quite a few of my daughter's support staff were on the way to work. I'd been mindful to take paperwork to say I could be out so it was easily resolved.

Everyone who broke the rules should face the music and I do mean everyone.

EV, nobody was fined £10k unless they broke the rules in a big way and/or repeatedly. There was far more to that than wfh.