Not seeing family

Once again, Nicola Sturgeon is making more sense than Boris - she’s just announced how the ‘route map’ will work in Scotland. Clear and much more sensible than the mass of contradictions we have in England.

Around here so many people aren’t bothering to social-distance anyway. And it’s not just younger ones glued to their phones either - middle-aged couples ambling along the middle of a very wide pavement, making absolutely no effort to move to either side.

As for the two cyclists yesterday - an adult and what looked like about a 14 year old - riding along the middle of that same very wide pavement when there was a purpose-built cycle lane right beside them - I had better not comment since my ?? expletives would offend the more sensitive souls on here.

Just met my friends on the seafront for a coffee ….three benches, (husband and wife, and myself) all sat on one bench each ...luckily the benches are around 2 metres apart ! take away coffee placed on small table outside the coffee van ...so you can pick it up separately ….good to see them and have a chat (well, a shout across the gap !) after so long …..since I no longer have a car they are going to get me 24 bottles of sparkling water and still water (I drink loads of it but it is very heavy to carry !) and leave it outside my door ….and ring the bell and run away ! ...told them my dad used to do that 90 years ago in Liverpool ! ha ha ….they will come back on Monday as I have some legal papers to be witnessed and it has to be by someone who has known me for 2 years ….I will leave them on one bench and sit on another !! I live on the coast and this morning was cloudy so not too many people about but yesterday there were loads on bikes trying to run people over, swimmers, surf boarders and canoeists sunbathers.....and police on horseback ! According to scientists yes, the government had handed the entire fiasco in an inappropriate way …………..one slogan Boris has not yet employed is LETS GET THIS COUNTRY BACK ON ITS FEET ………..

Liz46
Maybe the rules should be, if you are in the vulnerable category, even just slightly vulnerable then you should make the decision to stay at home until you feel safe. ALL of these rules were only put in place to stop the NHS being overwhelmed, that worked and now we need to take the risk of catching the virus and getting over it, if you don’t want to take that risk then stay indoors. I am sorry dragonfly if that is upsetting, but as a Mental Health Professional I really do feel that, the lack of social interaction and the risk to our economy far outweighs the need for vulnerable people to stay indoors.

Franbern, I agree with everything you said.
I have a mental health problem and not seeing my grandchildren is making me ill.
Even my CPN (community psychiatric nurse) told me to break the rules for the sake of my mental health!
I think I’ll ask my daughter to employ me as the nanny, then no one will be breaking the rules!

Abnuyc123
I have decided to just use common sense, for my own mental health and that of my DD.
My DD is alone 80% of the time as her DH works away and I was missing them to the point of tears, so once we were allowed to meet up with one person, I met them both for a walk DGS is just 1 year old. I didn’t go near to them on that first walk but yesterday I gave my DGS a hug and I stayed 2m from my DD as usual, I sanitized both me and DGS after our hug. I know that is against guidelines but I and my DD were at breaking point and I can honestly say that since my hug yesterday my mental health has improved 10 fold. We intend to do the very same next week and I will always use my common sense as I think there is more risk to my DD than the virus if she doesn’t get to see me. I know I will get flayed for this on here but I bet more than 50% of people on here are doing it, they just say they are not. Just don’t make a habit of it and don’t plaster it over Facebook.

The New Forest is full of large groups of people picnicking and barbecuing - in fact one of my Labradors nicked a sausage of a BBQ yesterday evening but I couldn't do anything about it because of social distancing! But how can you blame people who are probably stuck in a flat with small children? They are outside in the fresh air, so the risk is minimised. We mustn't allow fear to take over. Being outside with a group of friends maybe helping a young mother from ending up with depression or worse, then is it so bad?

The rules are nonsensical and have just made the complete reasons of the lockdown a laughing joke that people are not following. Many of us on here would meet a family member in the park and observe the 2 metres distance.
Come home and see the news and see the seaside towns yesterday where Southend on Sea was packed and there was no room for social distancing as there was too many people there.
Weston Super Mare fared a little better but was also packed and many people queued for ice cream. The place was also full.
So what I see is Breakdown Lockdown and after all Boris said all go out as much as you like and you can sunbathe.
The whole concept has gone out the window and nobody is trying to keep it enforced anywhere. It is a complete waste of time.

Some points well made Franbern . Common sense also has to be used in individual situations. As we know from past history blindly obeying rules can have disastrous outcomes. Putting my tin hat on as expecting incoming flak!

Franbern, I couldn’t have put it better myself, when the rules don’t make sense, is it any wonder that people are breaking them?

Franbern and others - I too am with you on this.
These nonsensical regulations must be amended and then lifted.
Apart from anything else, they are unenforceable.
I have already suggested to my hairdresser that I could be her cleaner, but she hasn't got back to me

Well, Luca, I agree it’s nonsense. I’m afraid I sat over two metres away from my daughter and her children in a park.
Otherwise if you go to a park and someone you know is there with their family do you have to leave ?

I am with Franbern on this. I would not actively seek to break the rules but when put in a position that I feel I cannot get out of because it is extremely awkward, I would not go and sit within 2 metres of a bunch of strangers when I can stay more safely within my own garden. All the reports I read suggest that people do not keep to the rules in the community but I know my children will respect that distance from me. Either way, it is not something I intend to do on a daily or even weekly basis. I am quite content to wait until we see what is happening with the virus.

My DIL, her husband and children drove to the beach yesterday. They said as it was so packed they would not get out of the car, so they drove into the countryside, found somewhere quiet and went for a dip in the stream. They called round on their way home, stood at the end of the drive and we were by the front door. Cups of tea were placed on the drive and we all kept our distance. Hands washed after. I did question why they had to drive that far but they like everyone else have been at home and needed to get out but I am pleased that they were sensible and it was nice to see them

I am angry Lemsip because others behaving irresponsibly means that people like me who have been told to stay in and shield will be locked down for longer.

I so agree Franbern, this is not something to be taken lightly

we do need clarity, actually I think we need politicians, Government , so called experts to live life as ordinary human beings, they live in their ivory towers.. sorry, but that is what I think and how I feel.

Don't know why some people can't understand you can meet 1 person outside your household in an open space. Although I don't understand as such why my daughter who lives 5 mins from me, can't come into my back garden through my side gate and see me,? She wouldn't need to use toilet as in 5 mins she could be home. But as a childminder I can work from my home. ( I'm not childminding from home at the moment) thankfully. I am abiding by all rules. Only going out once a day for a walk. No visitors.

You can walk to an open space and see lots of people you don't know. You can't walk to the same space and see people you do know. This is not making much sense to me

Stressing about being in a queue does not get you to the front of the queue any quicker...so just relax and accept. I have accepted the situation as I can't do anything about it. I think people have to learn to accept. Obey the rules...They are there for a reason. I will sit and sew in the sun today....I will talk to the river birds who visit me.

Abnuyc123 I feel exactly the same.

I am with you too Franbern

Franbern ... well said. That's exactly my thoughts too..

Franbern, what do you think the rules should be?

You shouldn't be angry about what others are doing, keep you and yours safe by self protecting. Anger can eat you up!
Whatever government were 'in' at the time of any crisis, we would be saying they are doing it all wrong, wouldn't we!

Covid will diminish once we have testing, tracking and tracing in place and working properly. Till then we all take a risk, whether it's going to the shops, or meeting someone in a public space to socialise.

From interviews on tv news this morning, HMG seems still to be hedging its bets on whether t,t and t will actually be ready for 1st June.

They surely can't relax the rules any further till it's in place and proven to be working.