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Yup, ditto.
Mind an umbrella when out walking, save your coffee lid from the chemtrails....
Mind an umbrella when out walking, save your coffee lid from the chemtrails….
How did I miss that!
Not knocking those who are taking extra precautions, especially if medically vulnerable.
Just had a conversation with a mate and decided that just because we are allowed to have a socially distanced ride together - which would be amazing for our mental health - probably best for now to keep our multiple family bubble links apart for a few more weeks.
Update on this for current Lockdown v3.0. Apparently the stay local but isn’t actually in the legislation. It is of course sensible advice and IMO should be adhered to though
@joepud - part of the problem is that "local" is relative to where you live and realistically should apply to all activities outside your home. I live in a rural location, a 3km limit would mean I could visit the chinese takeaway but not the Spar or Co-op in the village.
Shopping: I take bags for the goods and use one of those as a wrapper to the basket handle. I'll only pick up what I'm going to buy, i.e. no browsing.
I'm not perfect by any means and I'm not going to criticise others who are careful but those who hold parties, etc. need to be called out.
@joepud – part of the problem is that “local” is relative to where you live and realistically should apply to all activities outside your home. I live in a rural location, a 3km limit would mean I could visit the chinese takeaway but not the Spar or Co-op in the village.
In Ireland the regulations are you can go to certain essential activities essential food shopping, care duties or work but exercise you can’t go for more than 5km from your home, seems pretty easy to put into legislation (and cuts out a lot of whataboutary) obviously not if you’re a bunch of bumbling buffoons
What happens if you live on the coast, or by a big lake or airbase or...... that 5km limit then compresses you into half the space?
(Not really, just illustrating every way of restricting by hard rules has a counter, and why despite there being a lack of common sense, I still prefer solutions where we act as if it's in abundance)
You take a jetski, go see yer burd.
If you are out cycling on your own then the distance from house is irrelevant to risk. The risk increases as the time you are out increases.
You could ride round in a mile loop for 10 hours or you could go for a ride for an hour but 10 miles from your house at furtherest point.
The problem with a resticted area from your home is that if you live in a city it's very difficult to access anywhere without encountering large crowds of people. This is not about having a set of rules, it's about using your common sense, taking as few risks as possible and not endangering any body else. It's not about trying to twist rules to allow you to do what you want.
What happens if you live on the coast, or by a big lake or airbase or…… that 5km limit then compresses you into half the space?
As you say there always a counter.
A few of my friends are impacted by being on the coast, one couple face a lake and friends have big hills with no paths behind their place, all in the south west of Ireland. They just seem to get on with it and don’t moan about it - that’s not in anyway a dig at you.
The problem with a resticted area from your home is that if you live in a city it’s very difficult to access anywhere without encountering large crowds of people
I live in south west London, yet to have an with large crowds when taking exercise, I quite enjoy long walks around streets and bits of town I don’t know that well, and the park opposite looks fairly quiet right now.
‘
This is not about having a set of rules, it’s about using your common sense, taking as few risks as possible and not endangering any body else. It’s not about trying to twist rules to allow you to do what you want.
But someone, somewhere, ultimately has to make a judgement call as to when someone has crossed an arbitrary line. Interesting views on local (Derbyshire TV) last night, one person told that driving 5 miles to a country park for his regular walk seemed outraged, someone else said "sorry, I didn't realise"
The key point is that this is for "exercise", not "leisure" or "recreation". A change of wording/emphasis would make this all so much clearer.
Only just discovered how many MPs voted against the lockdown this week. Absolutely ****ing disgraceful.
My wife's FB has just pinged that the police are out at Peaslake checking on walkers and MTBers there.
Only just discovered how many MPs voted against the lockdown this week. Absolutely **** disgraceful.
And I don't even need to look to know one of them will be 'my' MP Desmond Swayne who is a massive **** even by Tory MP standards.
obviously not if you’re a bunch of bumbling buffoons
Let's hypothetically say one of your kids has mental health issues which mean that even though a walk is physically possible from where you live it isn't an option. You have spent months trying to get help but even in good times child mental health provision is difficult to access without a threat of suicide. The chances of getting a consultation before lockdown ends are zero
By some quirk of the condition your child will go to locations not visible from the top of the hill you live on which means if you have any chance of getting him outside for exercise in the next three months it will involve a three mile drive.
Again hypothetically can you imagine what your own stress levels are over that before you add in the prospect of having to explain yourself to one of Derbyshire's finest (in front of a child who is incredibly sensitive about their condition)?
Yes there are selfish idiots out there but there are also people who are clinging on by their fingertips doing the only thing they can to hold on.
If I was in that 'hypothetical' scenario I would just drive the 3 miles and if I was caught driving I would just say I was going to the supermarket. Not difficult is it.
Well using the Irish model I quoted I’d use the exception;
for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
And if you are asked you would have to explain why you have an exemption, the idea of keeping things wide open just in case of some exceptionally rare set of occurrences where someone is uncomfortable explaining their exception is a tad bizarre
It’s really not that difficult to write clear rules, btw my buffoon comment was at our legislators not those having to deal with cack-handed restrictions
It's a shame some people lack the common sense to sensibly apply "guidance". I mean it's only an example of "Rule 1" isn't it? "It's in the guidance but it's not law" is another one. So if it was in the law would you comply? No? I thought not.
A few of my friends are impacted by being on the coast, one couple face a lake and friends have big hills with no paths behind their place, all in the south west of Ireland. They just seem to get on with it and don’t moan about it – that’s not in anyway a dig at you.
Wasn't taken as one, no worries - I'm taking that position almost as Devil's advocate, that even if you did absolutely legislate there's always an argument someone will make if they are of that mind. As I said, in spite of a lack of common sense in the minority, I'm STILL in favour of common sense / rule 1, call it what you want, so that the majority can continue knuckling under and being sensible.
The types that will find the loopholes will do it whether they're loopholes in guidance or legislation regardless.
I think if anything is clear here it's that the guidance hasn't been clearly communicated to the public. I'm seeing the same discussion over and over again on FB and nobody appears to be aware of the definition of local area. Putting it in the small print for a tiny minority to read is not really helpful. The only reason I'm aware of it is because of discussions on here and the fact there's a good proportion of people on here nerdy enough to spend the time digging this info out, including myself.
Don't know any details but apparently police have been handing out fines to people from Leeds parking up in Horton in Ribblesdale to go walking.
I was going to drive to walk the dog but I cant get the car out as its been blocked in by people coming to walk here as the local little nature reserve has closed its car park!!
Don’t know any details but apparently police have been handing out fines to people from Leeds parking up in Horton in Ribblesdale to go walking.
Peak District pretty busy this lunch time. Out on the bike for 90 minute spin from Sheffield and never seen as many cars parked up on Stoney Ridge Road by Fox House. Would have been like shooting fish in a barrel had the police decided to take a drive out. Not going to judge though as fortunate to live on the edge of the countryside.
martinhutch - You have no problem with the police apparently enforcing guidance as if it were the law? You welcome that? Unless of course it's nothing to do with the Covid restrictions and they're actually fining them for their illegal parking. Shit like this diminishes trust in the police.
Quoting from Derbyshire polices statement yesterday after they had been reprimanded for trying to enforce guidance "UK Government guidance strongly requests that people do not leave their local area. However, the Covid Regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise."
I live in a small rural Cotswold village of around 20houses.... & I run the village shop.
The village is regularly in top 10 best places to walk in national newspapers and magazines. As a result we get a fair few walkers during normal circumstances.
We have had people visit from all over the UK throughout all of the lockdowns. Birmingham, London, Bristol, Wales etc.
Today there are around 60 visitor cars in and around the village (the local land owner has planning for a public car park it gets so bad in the summer months).
I have no qualms about 'local' people using the countryside during the pandemic, but I do find it particularly vexing when they use the shop for coffee etc.
It's one thing, just going for a walk, it's another using all of the local services.
I've also notice a dramatic increase (compared to the first lockdown) of groups of people of different house holds meeting up and walking together over the last week or so.
Ive not gone propper "are you local?" Yet, but do think I may go full royston vasey at some point.
martinhutch – You have no problem with the police apparently enforcing guidance as if it were the law? You welcome that? Unless of course it’s nothing to do with the Covid restrictions and they’re actually fining them for their illegal parking. Shit like this diminishes trust in the police.
Bullshit. Horton is an hour and a half's drive from Leeds and in a different county. There are numerous places on the outskirts of Leeds where people from the city can exercise. Exercise does not constitute a reasonable excuse for someone from Leeds being there. That's the law, not guidance.
I think if anything is clear here it’s that the guidance hasn’t been clearly communicated to the public. I’m seeing the same discussion over and over again on FB and nobody appears to be aware of the definition of local area.
I believe that the reason for this is that it doesn't really matter that much.
At least compared to closing schools, stopping indoor mixing and getting people vaccinated.
And the more precise the rules on how far you can go to exercise are, the more people they'll end up unintentionally excluding.
FWIW my local hill was way quieter than immediately before lockdown this morn.
Ive not gone propper “are you local?” Yet, but do think I may go full royston vasey at some point.
I understand why in this current state people don't want "non locals" in "their area" but do you worry that if the Royston Vasey approach was taken businesses would risk alienating themselves further down the line?
Now that the virus is everywhere, I don’t see the need to ask people to stay local. It made sense last spring, but not now.
If it’s to save a few RTAs, why are they not asking us to walk rather than drive to the shop/work if we can?
do you worry that if the Royston Vasey approach was taken businesses would risk alienating themselves further down the line?
As he owns the local shop, presume he's considered this 😆
Local country park was very very busy again today. Little in the way of obvious household mixing, but pretty hard to keep 2 metres apart on the trails.
Like in lockdown 1, it feels "easier" to ride on the road at the moment.
Exercise does not constitute a reasonable excuse for someone from Leeds being there. That’s the law, not guidance.
Seriously, do we have to go round this loop yet again? It is not a requirement under the law to remain local for exercise, and even Derbyshire Police now accept this under guidance issued by the NPCC which states:
"UK Government guidance strongly requests that people do not leave their local area. However, the Covid Regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise".
You may not like people travelling out of their local area (whatever that is) for exercise. You may consider that they should follow the guidance. But you are simply wrong to state it is the law.
Now that the virus is everywhere
Simplicity isn’t always your friend. It isn’t “everywhere”, despite being all over the country. It may well not be in a village 20 miles from you, but be in your household. There is more reason to take care not to spread the virus now, than in the Spring. We are in a much worse position right now, and people should be taking that on board, rather than looking for excuses. We’re only months away from being in a much better position… let’s get there with as many people alive and in without damaged health as possible.
Peak District pretty busy this lunch time. Out on the bike for 90 minute spin from Sheffield and never seen as many cars parked up on Stoney Ridge Road by Fox House.
Bit further over, out the back of Lyme Park (just on the Derbyshire/Cheshire border) there's a narrow lane, one or two houses along it and a notice that says that anyone parking there will be ticketed for obstruction.
There's usually half a dozen cars in a little layby but today it was rammed, people parked along the lane for a distance of 1/4 mile each side of the layby. Lot of frustrated people driving along it met by a car coming the other way. Glad I was on the bike, I could just nip through and avoid all the road rage.
do you worry that if the Royston Vasey approach was taken businesses would risk alienating themselves further down the line?
Exactly why I don't do it. I don't know all of the 'locals' from every village in the area - it's only in conversation I've managed to get where people are from. Some customers this year live less than a mile away but I'd never met as they'd usually be in an office or similar.
Still it pisses me off though - being a rural location, we've a disproportionate amount of elderly customers who are within the higher risk catagoary. Also my wife/daughter and I are living apart (again) as wife is in the shielding catagary. It the only way we can keep the shop open and her safe. The way I see it, travel is one big factor of how and why this thing spreads.
We literally had residents scared to leave their homes today because there were that many 'tourists' parked out side their houses and walking around the village.
Like I said I've no issue with people coming to the area, it's much nicer than walking around a culdasac. But theirs no reason to park in the middle of the village and use the local facilities before/after your hour exercise - that just increases risk for everyone.
The covid hotspots in my area are the towns and city's surrounding us, our area is well below the UK average. But 'locals' driving out of town to us for a walk/visit to the shop are coming from a higher risk area.
It may well not be in a village 20 miles from you, but be in your household
Possibly, but I’m not going to give it to that village by driving or cycling through it. That’ll be the people coming from that village to shop in our supermarket or work in our town, or more likely coming to visit someone.
I’ll continue not to drive to ride, as per Welsh rules, but ride through that village quite happily, also in line with our rules. But that doesn’t mean the exercise rules aren’t a little silly, which is why people are ignoring them.
And once they ignore one rule, they’re more likely to ignore other ones too.
So you’d think the government would think the rules through a bit more carefully.
So when you said…
Now that the virus is everywhere, I don’t see the need to ask people to stay local.
…you didn’t mean it?
…you didn’t mean it?
🤷♂️ Not sure what you’re getting at.
Likewise.
I like to take a coffee with me if when I go for a ride or a walk.
As a direct result of this thread I took a coffee on a walk this morning. What a revelation. Once again, thanks STW.
Much quieter in the more touristy core of the New Forest today but very very busy in the urban fringe type dog walker car parks around the edge.
the touristy core has been rammed with cars overflowing the car parks, parking all over the verges and blocking narrow roads for months.
But ‘locals’ driving out of town to us for a walk/visit to the shop are coming from a higher risk area.
I'm astonished so many people seem to struggle with this fairly fundamental point behind the "stay local" thing.
I am still amazed at the amount of people posting in facebook groups being miles out of any description of local riding.
Special mention to the guy on a scottish mtb group today talking about the first time he has visited an area (close to Glasgow) and comparing to the place he was last weekend (dunkeld) but lives in Edinburgh....
I hope he punctures both tyres but only has 1 inner tube.
Went for a local ride yesterday and today. It's nothing like back in March, there is as much traffic as a normal day. In reality, it's not that the rules are hard to understand, it's that people are now tired of doing it.
yit’s not that the rules are hard to understand
Tell that to Derbyshire police
Reports on a local FB group today of a family who'd driven to Dovedale (Peak District) for a walk.
From 96 miles away.
Personally I think that probably falls outside the definition of "local" but apparently not...
I hope he punctures both tyres but only has 1 inner tube.
The ultimate cycling insult!
Short local road ride today, was between 5-7 miles from Derby city centre - roads definitely quieter than usual, pretty much back to first lockdown levels.
Loads of families doing the three mile loop on the lanes between my home village and the next one - both villages have a takeaway coffee outlet and they looked to have done a roaring trade, to the disgust of some on here.
2 laps yesterday, 3 laps today of a local road circuit of ca 15km which keeps me no more than about 3.5km from home.
Roads were quiet but not deserted by any stretch; a few other cyclists and a few walkers where the common lands cross my route but pretty quiet. The odd sleet/snow flurry might have assisted with that.
The new coffee shack up Rivi has been doing a roaring trade, judging by the crowds there and the cups discarded along George's Lane.
What kind of morons live in Wales but choose to drive to England to MTB?
Well they live closer to FOD than I do living nr Gloucester.... & I'd say FOD is my local trail center.
That said I wouldnt go there for a ride at the moment.
Reports of a large group of motorcross bikes ripping up the bike trails in Grizedale Forest today, apparently no number plates on them so must have driven there in vans. Idiots seem unable to stop being idiots.
Let's say I rode 10 miles from my door, on the road then did a 12 mile offroad loop then rode the 10 miles back. Then let's say I was short of time one day so instead of riding that 10 miles I drove it in my car. One is adhering to the guidelines and the other is not but which one has more risk? The one where I cycle along a road with other cars for an hour or the one where I drive in a massive steel box with many safety features.
the one with the car usage. Cars are dangerous in themselves and there is the additional ( albeit small) risk attached to filling up with petrol etc
there will always be anomalies if you look for them but its better not to try to find them?
Reports of a large group of motorcross bikes ripping up the bike trails in Grizedale Forest today, apparently no number plates on them so must have driven there in vans. Idiots seem unable to stop being idiots.
fairly sure it'll be the same ones i saw at the coppermines at coniston, 4 of them went up the footpath i'd just come down from walna scar direction. later as i descended back to the coppermines from tilberthwaite i could see a lot of fresh moterbike tyre marks and also some when i descended back down to torver(which weren't there on my way up earlier)
there was a discussion about it on one of the lake district MTB facebook pages but it seems to have dissaperaead.
in response to jekkyl's post, i drove the 10 miles to torver for my ride, much safer than riding up that road and as there is no need to stop for anything on a jouney that short no risk.
Let’s say I rode 10 miles from my door, on the road then did a 12 mile offroad loop then rode the 10 miles back.
I'm guessing the 32miles would take more than an hour?
Cearphilly isn't closer to the Forest than Gloucester by a long way surely? More to the point, they could have ridden from home which is where the Welsh have to start isn't it.
The locals here were most pleased when the notification of those Welsh lads being sent home was published. Even so, yesterday there were hundreds of people completely ignoring any ruling, just going for a walk.
I’m guessing the 32miles would take more than an hour?
What's that got to do with the price of fish?
Length of time spent out and about, out of your house. Although there are currently no limits on how long you can exercise for, a 32mile ride will take longer than a 12mile. This increase the risks to yourself and others.
Common sense - that thing the government keeps saying we have.
Cearphilly isn’t closer to the Forest than Gloucester by a long way surely?
Depends on where, I'm on the other side of Gloucester, so to be fair it's about the same distance/car time as them. Other than the 417project, FOD and Swinley are my nearest trail centers and take me the same amount of time to get too.
It might be simpler to specify excercise from home. So no driving. Anything else results in endless debate and rule twisting. It's supposed to be about excercise, not meeting for a take away coffee, bird watching or trail centres. The two local water parks near me which would normally be one of the places we would walk (frome home) are always rammed as people arrive in cars. If you have to get the car out it's not local.
How far are you allowed to drive to visit a garden centre and how long are you allowed to spend there?
Exercise clearly isn't the only activity that needs clarification, or stricter social distancing requirements
FWIW I just saw this snippet on the BBC
“I think the really important thing to realise is that not very much infection spreads outside the home at all so clamping down on people exercising outside is not likely to affect infection spread," she said.
“There’s a huge difference between indoors and outdoors - and as long as people keep their social distance that’s a much less risky situation."
Attributed to Lucy Yardley, a professor of health psychology at the Universities of Bristol and Southampton who participates in SAGE.
How far are you allowed to drive to visit a garden centre and how long are you allowed to spend there?
Common sense would say your nearest one only and as short a time as possible.....
Simple. What you can do just because the gov doest have the balls to put it into law is irrelevant. The gov's attitude is use common sense, which we've found clearly is lacking in a good proportion of the population.
Attributed to Lucy Yardley
Which is more risky, spending 2weeks at home with the family, or the family all going out side for different exercise regimes each day?
Every time we go somewhere or do something it increases the risk, the more times you do it the more risk. Just because lots of people are still going to work it doesn't mean we should all increase risks.
Which is more risky, spending 2weeks at home with the family, or the family all going out side for different exercise regimes each day?
I'd say the latter is better. Getting some fresh air and exercise will be better than staying couped up all day. As long as you maintain social distance when out, of course. Being overweight and unhealthy is a major factor with covid.
You'd have more chance of catching Covid with the latter, and bringing it home, than becoming overweight or developing any long term health conditions with a reduced exercise programme in the <6months it's currently projected to get the vaccine.
Personally I think the common sense approach doing the minimum exercise for health and mental reasons. I'm not going out of my way to get on a bike daily and cirtainly (when I have managed to get out in the past year), have been riding from home and not trying to improve my skills or do anything risky.
For example we had a family of four drive from their village to ours at the weekend for a walk. They could have walked from home for almost exactly the same walk (it would have added 1/2 a mile each way). Just by getting in the car that's an additional risk, visiting another village is another risk and going in that villages shop is yet a further. If everyone from the area did this the national risk is massively increased.
I did a short drive to the local spot for a ride in an area which attracts walkers and cyclists and was surprised how few parked cars there were, turned out it must have been because it was -4 degrees at 0900am, when I left to go home around 1300 the car park and laybys on the road where busier then I've seen them in the last 6 weeks!
You’d have more chance of catching Covid with the latter, and bringing it home, than becoming overweight or developing any long term health conditions with a reduced exercise programme in the <6months it’s currently projected to get the vaccine.
I'd be interested to see your evidence. This pandemic has been going on for over a year and will be with us for another year. Underlying health conditions are a major factor, outdoor transmission is not.
Feel free to stick to your "common sense" approach, I think it's important to realise we all have different circumstances, so if that works for you then great. Some would rather listen experts such as a professor of health psychology at the Universities of Bristol and Southampton who participates in SAGE.
Personal differences also come into it.
For instance there's me. I admit I'm an exercise obsessive and I'll go out on my bike to investigate "local" woods (7 miles away up a level 4 hill according to Strava) and roam and prat about in the slop without a care in the world. I'll also quite happily go out to a cold cold garage, accept having to move a car, relocate all sorts of things and spend 20 minutes setting up so that I can do a bodyweight/calisthenics workout.
My wife however does not have the sheer bloody-mindedness to do that, she knows that she needs to do exercise for both physical and mental health and badly wants too but in common with most people if given the choice between a 7 mile ride on the roads which is dangerous enough and then slogging through mud OR staying on the sofa watching daytime TV, she'll choose the TV. I also don't particularly want her riding her bike about in a suburban environment as chances are some low-life scumbag will decide to knock her off the bike and nick it.
Getting in a car, going to a trail center (PBA in the FoD) and riding the blue trail, getting in the car and driving home again is the only way she WILL get her exercise, she can do it, she enjoys it, she needs it. Yes, there are alternatives BUT they're not alternatives that she would actually use. PS. No need to stop for petrol either as it's an EV.
The local footpaths and dog walking routes out of our door are absolutely rammed with people at the moment. I'm still trying to find a time of day that I can take the dogs out without having to veer wildly about, zig zag back and forth in order to avoid all the families with their tiny little virus vectors zipping about on scooters screaming their delight and pathogens into the air.
Personal differences also come into it.
Completely agree. The "I can do it, so anyone can do it" attitude has popped up a few times on this thread. Time for a bit of empathy (I can do it, so anyone can do it 🙂 )
as long as people keep their social distance that’s a much less risky situation.”
And therein lies the key to the problem. The 2 metre rule was totally forgotten when pubs reopened but still was a requirement.
I can see an argument that the outdoor areas of garden centres are "relatively" safe if everyone properly stayed 2 metres apart, and the mental health benefits to garden obsessed retired people like my mum would be huge.
ou’d have more chance of catching Covid with the latter, and bringing it home
Clearly you would have more chance of catching it by leaving your house but what are the chances?
If I go for a solo ride at 8am and don't see another person what are my chances in that scenario?
Unless I go within a metre of someone else who sneezes in my face the chances of me catching anything when outside are zero.
Worth remembering at this point that you can still go to a garden centre, can still have tradesmen around your house etc,. so worrying about a 0.00001% risk of catching it when out solo exercising is not a worthwhile activity.
I think it’s important to realise we all have different circumstances
100% agree, but it's also important to realise that with those differences, come differences in risk.
One other reason I've reduced my interaction with people generally at the weekend is because I work in shop, I see 100's of different people a day, everyday mon-fri, so the chance of being asymptotic will be higher than someone who works in an office with 3 others.
If exercise daily is a necessity, than it's fine as long as people are aware of the risk associated. But also it's fine not too.
Clearly you would have more chance of catching it by leaving your house but what are the chances?
Small, but multiply that chance by 1000s when everyone else does it....
It's like littering, throwing away a piece of litter is a small personal decision with little impact on its own, but when billions of others do it we have a sea filled with plastic.
as long as people keep their social distance that’s a much less risky situation.”
And therein lies the key to the problem. The 2 metre rule was totally forgotten when pubs reopened but still was a requirement.
That is largely the point of this thread isn't it? It is way easier to keep that social distance if you head a bit further into the countryside. It is possible in my local park but you need to weave all over the place and keep hopping off the path onto the grass (which now looks like the Somme). Is it best to stay very local and risk closer interaction, or head a bit out and reduce that risk. IMO there isn't a single answer as we all have different circumstances, but as a generally principle either is potentially fine
Yeah but what is happening is that people are using this as an excuse for a nice day out.
Drive for sometimes quite a long way to go to "the countryside" and, because no-one has any imagination, they all head to the same tourist honeypot areas. Park anywhere - on a grass verge, down a narrow lane - faff around for a while then head up the same hill as 400 other people in a Superdry jacket and some Primark trousers.
Wonder why you're suddenly freezing cold, lost, your phone battery is only at 10% so decide to call out Mountain Rescue who take ages to reach you because you haven't got a clue where you are and also there's 400 cars parked all along the road and nothing can get through.
20-odd volunteers have to sit there in close proximity, work as a team, use up a ****ton of PPE to rescue a few idiots, one of whom then needs an ambulance to go to hospital where they sit there in A&E for 6hrs surrounded by hordes of other morons who've done the same thing because each one of them is thinking "oh but it's outdoors and it's safe".
The argument about "outdoor transmission is very unlikely" is true. Up until the point that thousands of people are driving to the countryside, having car accidents on winter roads in the process, getting lost, relying on Mountain Rescue or all descending on the one coffee shack that's still open and then milling around together (however unintentionally).
I’m guessing the 32miles would take more than an hour?
Exactly what I did yesterday, but entirely on the road, didn't get close to anyone, saw more bikes out than I had before Christmas... I'd still judge the risk of exposure as being far lower than recieving a delivery from Amazon at home.
Which is more risky, spending 2weeks at home with the family, or the family all going out side for different exercise regimes each day?
Every time we go somewhere or do something it increases the risk, the more times you do it the more risk. Just because lots of people are still going to work it doesn’t mean we should all increase risks.
False choice though innit, like it or not you will have to spend time stuck at home with your immediate family. Part of what makes that work though is being able to get out and exercise, we've been on family walks and individual rides and runs, picking times/routes, taking masks and hand gel etc to minimise the risk of interaction with other people and have ways of dealing with any potential contact risks...
The truth is there is no zero risk scenario for most people, the best you can do is plan and formulate contingencies.
About time!
Edit - this is in relation to the police being in Peaslake this weekend
Length of time spent out and about, out of your house. Although there are currently no limits on how long you can exercise for, a 32mile ride will take longer than a 12mile. This increase the risks to yourself and others.
Common sense – that thing the government keeps saying we have.
But your common sense has failed to see the key factor in risk versus benefit. In the cycketotrailhead scenario the guy is getting approximately twice the exercise compared to the drive scenario. The benefit us much higher. Which pushes the balance in favour of cycling there...
Press reporting exercise will be limited soon. Let's hope there is some clarity, e.g. only from home, no travelling and upto 1 hour, or within a set distance.
Hope everyone has this handy!
https://www.calcmaps.com/map-radius/
The 'Gove Hour' could be a bit of a bummer, though.