Covid-19

[happyhighlandcoo]

I'm really sad to hear of parks being closed, especially in places where people might not have any outdoor space. I hope this would be done on a local area basis rather than nationally as I think it is surely different depending on what green spaces are available and how many people need them.

I haven't seen anyone really breaking the rules when out walking, apart from a few old people sitting on benches. Frustratingly today we went to a local park and there were police at the gates. They were talking on their radios saying it was really busy and we almost didn't go in. We decided to go in and we barely encountered anyone at all. It is annoying that the police didn't go in to actually see it as it was safer than the streets, we almost had the place to ourselves. If the police are reporting wrongly, it'll lead to places being closed when it isn't necessary.

[Kenickie]

Where did this hour rule come from? I've not seen that.

[smalex]

Where did this hour rule come from? I've not seen that.

I was wondering that. I think someone like Gove said vaguely 'about an hour' but seems to have been extrapolated as an hour really ought to be the limit and anything beyond it is a terrible bending of the rules.

[Edith Bacon]

Someone asked Gove in one of the daily briefings what was a ‘reasonable’ amount of time to be out. It was after people had been known to go out for walks, hikes and cycle rides lasting several hours. He replied that runs should be half an hour and walks and cycle rides could be up to an hour. He was clearly making it up as he went along.

[Flora Poste]

I think someone (Gove maybe) was asked at one of the briefings how long people should be taking for their daily state sanctioned exercise, and he said something like 30 mins - 1 hr for a walk/ run / cycle depending on fitness levels.

[Kenickie]

I thought it was just a vague suggestion and they also said just what you'd do normally. Today and yesterday I just did an hour but my main reason for going out is to get babies to have a nap longer than ten minutes so I've stayed out for nearly two hours when they've still been asleep.

[smalex]

It was a vague suggestion. A guideline. But I guess the lack of specifics has led people to grasp the vague suggestion and extrapolate a conclusion they now expect everyone to abide by.
I was out for an hour and 20 minutes today because the route I use for running turned out to take quite a lot longer to walk (gosh, smal, really?). So shoot me. We didn't get within 5m of anyone the whole time.

[viggy]

When the rules were first announced I don't think they made it explicit enough that there were time restrictions, or even that you shouldn't drive to your green space of choice.

[smalex]

Absolutely.

[Ella77]

You could be out for 12 hours as long as you don’t go near other people, surely?

[Chicky]

Agreed. Everyone I know is doing their best with woolly guidelines. Can you walk somewhere and have a picnic? Can you run for more than an hour if it’s a route you do routinely a few times a week?

I’ve been doing the latter but it’s mostly quiet, I don’t touch a single thing when I’m out except the door handle (which I bleach when I get back in after washing my hands) and I run in the road if I have to to keep at least 2m from people. I don’t think that’s unreasonable and I would definitely struggle much more if I wasn’t able to go out. I could go a shorter route?

[Edith Bacon]

You could be out for 12 hours as long as you don’t go near other people, surely?

You would think. But then what if everyone everyone wants to do that and it gets harder to maintain the distancing? How do you decide who is allowed to stay out - the people who got there first or the people who have arrived later but had less time out?

The whole thing is fraught with potential for piss taking on a minor or major scale and it’s impossible to be fair to everyone. Maybe people with gardens should be banned from public spaces so that people without gardens can use them? I’m not suggesting that is a good idea and it would be hard to police but everything where people are allowed to exercise discretion is going to drag this out for longer and longer.

[smalex]

I'd have thought. I guess theres an argument that the longer you're out the more crowded places are going to be. What really bugs me is that people are plucking numbers out of the air and then making moral judgements based on it. So an hour becomes what is deemed socially acceptable because Michael fucking Gove vaguely plucked it out the air once.

[Topcat]

It was Gove and he actually suggested half an hour for a run, so it definitely has been said.

It's not about running though, even though god knows I'd be over the moon with half an hour right now. . Common sense obviously needs to prevail, and I would like to think that in most cases it does.

But there are also way too many people taking these very loose rules and twisting them up and ending up with barbecues at the park.

I've read that Battersea Park is another that has been absolutely rammed, you have Ella mentioning the beach on the Thames was filling up. This is why we need more diffinitive guidance because these fuckers are killing people just so that they can top up their tan.

[happyhighlandcoo]

I understood the guidance to mean you should be on the move most (all) the time you're out as it is exercising or shopping only so neither of those need you to sit down unless you have a physical need to do so. The time limit is then based on your fitness levels and tolerance to be out and moving which for most people will be 30 minutes to an hour, I guess. Only a few people will be fit enough or have enough spare time to be out longer than that, surely.

[Marth]

Guidance says:

Looking after your mental wellbeing

You can also go for a walk or exercise outdoors if you stay more than 2 metres from others.

Though many local authorities are now adding extra stuff about being in parks

[Offtopic]

I live near the beach and they were trying to police the seafront and block off roads today because so many people were visiting. I’ve definitely seen a lot of piss taking round here. But then other points are valid, there are lots of flats here without outside space. We have a beach. It makes sense to go for a walk there but because everyone has the same idea it’s impossible to maintain distance.

[Suzi.Q]

The canal towpath near us is stupidly busy at the moment. Mostly couples and families with kids but at least a couple of groups who I’m pretty sure weren’t household groups. I really hope people start being sensible as we’ll really struggle if we can’t get E out for some activity.

[kiwi]

I had a quick look on Airbnb last night and there are rooms available to rent down here for Easter! Surely that shouldn't be allowed? And why would you want unknown people coming in to your house without knowing their health?

[smalex]

Might they just be people who've not thought to remove them?