Thousands on the beach yesterday - Wednesday

At least BLM had a cause. I’m not disputing your post but really, what on earth excuses do the predominantly white sun-seekers on Bournemouth beach have for their actions?

Furret

Who on earth wants to go and sit on a crowded beach surrounded by the other types who are happy to go and sit on a crowded beach?

Having to search out and queue for toilets. Smelly ones at that. Having to bring everything with you from water to sandwiches, towels and sunshades, sun cream and all the rest.

Sand in your sandwiches, couples snogging, kids kicking balls.

Give me my back garden any day, easy access to the loo, the fridge and friends of my choosing.

Crowded beach or crowded demo? We all know that “social distancing” is a million miles away from such places and if “social distancing” matters , can we be surprised by the consequences?
From today’s DT
A PUBLIC health chief has asked for an investigation after fears that Black Lives Matter protests led to a rise in coronavirus cases in his city.
Officials at Birmingham City Council have called for a national inquiry into a rise in cases seen 10 days after thousands gathered in the city on June 4
The Government had urged people to stay away from large protests due to concern that mass gatherings could fuel the spread of Covid-19
A Public Health England (PHE) spokesman confirmed officials were looking at whether BLM protests had led to a rise in cases but insisted there was “no evidence” of a link in Birmingham (Really? What planet are PHE on? )
However, Dr Justin Varney, director of public health for Birmingham City Council, said the city had seen a “small spike” of around 25 daily cases about a week and half after the protest, adding he believed there could be a link.
Our protest was on June 4 and we started to get a rise on June 14, 15 and 16, and many of those cases don’t have an identified locus,” Dr Varney said
So, they don’t have a workplace, they’re not at school, they’re not at a hospital, they’re not in a care home. So they are classified as unknown.
To me, that suggests a link with the protests. If you look at the age profile, they weren’t 70-year-olds. They were 20 or 30-year-olds

Am I being naïve to think it is a case of stating the **ing obvious?

We didn't realise it was a nudist beach and beat a hasty retreat, we must have been very prudish teenagers blush
Callistemon No way! The only image I can conjure up is of a demure teenager, albeit one who might turn into a Sheila in later life, unafraid to use Aussie expressions!
Btw. Did those boyfriends flee with you or did you have to drag them away?
Good Health

Once people are expected to return to work, many will be made redundant anyway because business are going bankrupt.

Others with health problems will be the ones who are made redundant with employers claiming that they are no longer fit for work. Some employers will use it as an excuse to downsize.

But those people for whom it would not be safe at work are not the same ones on the beaches.

I have said repeatedly on different threads that I think lockdown was too late, not strict enough, and that the continuation of flights arriving from every corner of the world all through lockdown without quarantine being imposed, was absolutely crazy! And extremely annoying! The genie wasn’t just out of the bottle, it was invited out! And families are paying for that through the loss of loved ones.
But I still think that the crazy scenes we’ve watched unfold over the last few weeks, where hordes of people have congregated together in a variety of situations, really means that it’s time to get many people back to work, as with precautions in place, they will probably be safer at work than on a beach or in the middle of a street party. There will be those who can’t return, in particular those who are shielding, but they’re not a risk to themselves or anyone else as they’re staying at home, and rarely, if ever, venturing out.

I went there once, Rufus, when I was about 18.
My friend and I went with our then boyfriends! It was a lovely sunny summers day.

We didn't realise it was a nudist beach and beat a hasty retreat, we must have been very prudish teenagers

Who on earth wants to go and sit on a crowded beach
Furret Depends on which beach!
Just around the corner from B'mouth beaches, is Knoll beach at Studland Bay near the entrance to Poole harbour, which was, and possibly still is, rated the best Nude Beach in Britain.
Can't speak for it personally of course, but nowadays there's a high risk from double exposure to Corvid and melanoma-inducing UV radiation.
Interested!?
Good Health

Callistemon

growstuff

Yes, it is.

Only if other countries do the same

Most other countries seem to have been doing a better job than the UK. Lockdown in several of them was much stricter.

Who on earth wants to go and sit on a crowded beach surrounded by the other types who are happy to go and sit on a crowded beach?

Having to search out and queue for toilets. Smelly ones at that. Having to bring everything with you from water to sandwiches, towels and sunshades, sun cream and all the rest.

Sand in your sandwiches, couples snogging, kids kicking balls.

Give me my back garden any day, easy access to the loo, the fridge and friends of my choosing.

I used to live at the seaside and virus or no virus, the beaches would get very crowded at weekends especially during heatwaves. I can't see the attraction of such crowded places - you have to queue for everything - a parking place, cup of tea, ice cream, snacks and the loo. Not what I'd call enjoyable.

We soon learned that the best place to enjoy good weather was our own back garden.

Looking at the statistics, just say most of the beach goers were furloughers, that means about 10% of the furloughed population did not heed the advice given. Do you think the government and scientists actually factor in a margin for all those who are not going to follow the instructions? A bit like saying 2 metres distance initially because they knew there would be 10% or so who wouldn't do that?

growstuff

Yes, it is.

Only if other countries do the same

cf my latest post on the "second waves" thread.

But Johnson's popularity rating would drop even further.

Yes, it is.

Just because people are furloughed at the moment does not mean they are not desperate to get back to work.

Draconian measures could work but only if a country isolates from others, possibly for a very long time.
I am not sure what draconian could mean in this instance?
Those measures such as in China where people dared not go out but where there is now another outbreak?

In the long term, it is just not possible.

Yes, hundreds and thousands of our generation did give up work for a few years to bring up our children, even though it was a real struggle financially. However, there weren't so many single parent families then, but of those who did do so, I only know of a couple of friends who never went back to work as soon as children were settled in school.
There was not the childcare available in those days as there is now.

Pantglas I agree. Perhaps being brought up in relative poverty gives some people the spur to want to succeed whereas others accept their lot.

Just a little unfair to suggest that people with wealth now have no understanding of being poor suziewoozie. People may have worked long and hard for whatever they have and not necessarily had a silver spoon from birth!

People who have not juggled being a parent and child care are in no position to criticise those who do. Also if you haven’t relatively recent experience of employment, you are in no position to criticise those who have. Those who can afford second homes are also in no position to pass judgement on those who struggle financially

growstuff It appears you get some sort of silly pleasure in repeatedly having a dig at me whenever I make a comment on a thread regarding people working but it’s getting so tedious now so please stop.

I know it irritates you when I comment on workers as you obviously remember me saying ages ago on another thread that I gave up work when I had my children (as of course did hundreds of thousands of my generation).

According to you that means I am not entitled to comment on work related issues being discussed on any thread, ridiculous as that must sound.

To everyone else on here, sorry for de-railing the discussion but as I said I am getting fed up with the constant digs from the aforementioned poster.

Harris27 maybe they think they are invincible, they all looked pretty young on the whole.

It’s ridiculous all these people and children who should be in school it doesn’t make sense at all ! Why oh why do they not see the danger people have lost lives and jobs and they go to the beach!

I know. Unfortunately, people have to make difficult decisions throughout life. That's why I truly believe that draconian measures are needed.

Thousands of people have been unable to grieve with friends and family. I don't see that this person was any different. He/she obviously didn't think of all the others who could be infected and could possibly die.

That's why it must be made as easy as possible for people to self-isolate. Losing money from work is obviously going to be a real concern for some. Some won't have the space to self-isolate. Therefore, the government must intervene to provide comfortable alternative accommodation and to provide all essential services. There are times when tough love is needed.

I think they were allowed out of quarantine early to grieve with another relative for a deceased parent. One ommitted to say she was feeling unwell, so goodness knows how many she gave it to on the flight.
And that is the problem, no one will want to admit they are feeling ill if it upsets their plans.