Covid-19 Travel for exercise - Reasonable distance

[gra_farmer]

Going back to the travel for exercise, I have two young children, 2 and 3 years. Any park is a drive away, and not possible to walk, plus the roads around here are dangerous. So I have to drive to take them out, and I go to a park, there is a little further, than my closest ones, but in an area that has an aging population, and in the last year, I have only ever seen one other child and mother.

So private park in a way

 

[MartinK9]

Look after yourself and your loved ones. As far as anyone else is concerned, wear the mask, leave 2m and wash your hands regularly. If we all did that there wouldn't be a problem with two women 2m apart in the open air having a walk.

You'd think so.......

My Father has been in self isolation since March Last year with me being his only contact for company and food deliveries

He was admitted to Hospital on 27th Dec after being found by his bedside. (non covid related)

Whilst waiting for a Rehab bed placement he has now contracted Covid whilst in Hospital.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

UK media speculation seems to be suggesting a curfew is in the offing and restriction of exercise outings to once week which is to coincide with an accelerated vaccination program.
We shall see.

 

[MrEd]

You'd think so.......

My Father has been in self isolation since March Last year with me being his only contact for company and food deliveries

He was admitted to Hospital on 27th Dec after being found by his bedside. (non covid related)

Whilst waiting for a Rehab bed placement he has now contracted Covid whilst in Hospital.

oh man I am so sorry to hear that

 

[santaman2000]

Really, I read that they came from 30mins away from each other to meet up.

I think the cancellation was due to public pressure. I wonder just how the police who issued them feel now ?
Bet they won't bother trying hard to enforce anything.......

I know I'm not the only one who thinks that it's an own goal on society there

Looks like the arrest on the bench was a fraud set up by folks agin lockdown.

Bench arrest video 'stage-managed by anti-lockdown protesters'

Three people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest, including the woman seen in the video.

www.bbc.co.uk

You think a 30 minute travel distance is a long way? To me anything less than 100 miles is local. Most of my life we’ve driven that far just for lunch.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

You think a 30 minute travel distance is a long way?

Under normal circumstances prehaps not but during a lockdown, yes.
The law permits people to be outside for exercise but the guidelines state such activity should remain local.
In theory, unless you're using a vehicle for work, grocery shopping, medical appointments or visiting vulnerable relatives under your care........you shouldn't be in one.

 

[Ed the Ted]

In West Wales and I'm sure in other places there are a lot of little hamlets of a few houses, by the side of a B or A road, tucked into an old north facing quarried out cliff or beside steep hillside woods. No footpath on the road, no rights of way or too steep off the road, some people HAVE to drive to get to somewhere to exercise and be outside.

Ultra strict micro management self policing will always leave people who live in situations you just haven't imagined exist worse off because they cant do what you presume is possible (go for a stroll down the street, or to a park, etc.).

Only allowed out the house once a week.... so glad I'm not in the UK right now

 

[SaraR]

You think a 30 minute travel distance is a long way? To me anything less than 100 miles is local. Most of my life we’ve driven that far just for lunch.

100 miles would get you across England from London to Bristol, so not really the same when in a densely populated area.

Living in rural Wales, 30 min driving wouldn't be enough to get me to anywhere big, but we are still seeing a dramatic increase in cases now, coming up from the hotspots down south, after a very quiet first wave. So yeah, I'd rather as few people as possible came out here and only if they really had to.

 

[Toddy]

You'd think so.......

My Father has been in self isolation since March Last year with me being his only contact for company and food deliveries

He was admitted to Hospital on 27th Dec after being found by his bedside. (non covid related)

Whilst waiting for a Rehab bed placement he has now contracted Covid whilst in Hospital.

I'm sorry to hear this MartinK9. I hope he gets off lightly with it and recovers as soon as possible.

Many of my neighbours have been pretty much isolating since March. One slipped on the ice at her front doorstep (she was switching off the outside Christmas lights) and pretty much knackered a knee, ankle, wrist and elbow. Refuses to go to A&E just because of the kind of thing that has happened to your Dad. My neighbour is living on ibuprofen and paracetamol just now.

 

[daveO]

Going back to the travel for exercise, I have two young children, 2 and 3 years. Any park is a drive away, and not possible to walk, plus the roads around here are dangerous. So I have to drive to take them out,

Mine are 1 and 3 and the paths around here are narrow, steep and slippery enough even without the snow and ice we've had recently. I've got the little one in the rucksack carrier and having to hold the other's hand when things get tricky. Hopefully that gives me enough excuse due to mobility to drive a few miles to somewhere with better paths but technically I'm breaking the Welsh rules. The local nature reserve we go to is less than a mile away as the raven flies but it's 5 or 6 miles by car due to some tricky geography. I'm having to make my own risk assessment about it but staying indoors all day with two todders is not good for anyone's mental health.

 

[John Fenna]

In West Wales and I'm sure in other places there are a lot of little hamlets of a few houses, by the side of a B or A road, tucked into an old north facing quarried out cliff or beside steep hillside woods. No footpath on the road, no rights of way or too steep off the road, some people HAVE to drive to get to somewhere to exercise and be outside.

Ultra strict micro management self policing will always leave people who live in situations you just haven't imagined exist worse off because they cant do what you presume is possible (go for a stroll down the street, or to a park, etc.).

Only allowed out the house once a week.... so glad I'm not in the UK right now

I am in a small hamlet in West Wales - on a B road - no pavements ... but there is no issue with walking the roads and except for Dr visits and my MOT this week I have not driven since before Xmas.
Some folks will use any excuse to do as they please. Some try to obey the rules....

 

[daveO]

It's an easy thing to say when you're lucky enough to live in the right place. A friend of mine has two toddlers and lives right alongside a good footpath. It just happens to be in the middle of Cardiff and one of the busiest footpaths in the country. Stick to the rules and put your family at greater risk or break the rules and keep them safer? It's the people who are really taking the Mick with the rules now though that have forced this situation.

 

[Spunyarn]

Really appreciate all the input from everybody and I have to say thanks for keeping it respectful and polite!

 

[C_Claycomb]

Santaman,
When we moved to the UK from the US we were given a book called "Brit-Think, Ameri-Think", a humorous look at the two cultures separated by a common language. There was a comment something like,
"Americans find it hugely amusing that the British consider 100 miles a long way to travel, whilst the British think it hilarious the Americans consider 100 years a long time."
Americans drive 100 miles just for ice cream, while visiting a pub in the UK that has stood for over 200, 300 or even 400 years is so ordinary that no one really remarks upon it. Outside US cities, US driving is a lot easier and more relaxed than UK driving. 100 miles here, even on a motorway is tiring in a way it isn't in much of the US.

I was just writing an email to family friends in Kentucky and looked up how the Covid numbers were for their county, then compared it with just my part of Bedfordshire county. Both would be considered fairly rural with one large town, but their county is 466 sq.miles with just 46k people, while my part of Bedfordshire is 276sq.miles with 289k people. The cases per 100k were close, but with their county "winning" by over 100 (about 20%) more.

The relative densities make comparisons rather tricky things, not just for time and distances.


In other news I found the perfect place to walk, I can get a 2 miles paved walk, starting at my door, on a wide path, up hill/down hill with minimal chance of encountering anyone. Its just an out and back next to one of the busy roads out of town. If I cross a dual carriage way I can double the length of walk easily. I just have to not mind the noise, smell, and risk of dodging cars

 

[Ed the Ted]

I am in a small hamlet in West Wales - on a B road - no pavements ... but there is no issue with walking the roads and except for Dr visits and my MOT this week I have not driven since before Xmas.
Some folks will use any excuse to do as they please. Some try to obey the rules....

Truly it is possible in many places, perhaps I'm thinking more about the A roads which are very busy with cars and trucks and lorries.

Great that you can stay so close to home, but lets not forget that driving doesn't give you covid, and some people (admittedly a huge minority) cant not drive, in some way, to look after their mental and physical health during these times, as many people in this thread attest.

 

[daveO]

Just another perspective as well, as I'd be interested to see if anyone else has noticed, but around here I've seen a lot more instances of dangerous driving since the pandemic started. Almost every time I drive now I'm seeing people driving on the wrong side of the road or swerving about, overtaking in dangerous places etc. I thought peoples' driving skills were getting rusty with lack of use but I'm also seeing a lot more drug paraphernalia and drinks cans in car parks so I'm wondering if instances of drug and drink driving are going up? Maybe car parks are just getting cleaned less regularly but I would imagine some people are having to go out to secretly do drugs and drink if their family are permanently at home.

 

[Toddy]

A friend was pulled over by the police for 'driving erratically'....until she pointed out that she'd been chicaning around the potholes
The policeman just quietly nodded in agreement.
Thankfully that road was re-tarmaced a month later, but it was a nightmare to drive for a while.
Maybe the roads aren't being repaired as well as they might be just now ?

 

[Allison McKenzie]

I was sent this link, it has the thoughts of a virologist, with a conclusion that outside exercise shaming people might not be the most effective thing to do. The argument looks coherent and reasonable.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1348771251758784517

 

[John Fenna]

I am not joking when I say that the majority of cars I have seen on the roads around where I live - roads that only reasonably lead to a "honey-pot" beauty spot (Ffynonne Waterfall and woods) - have been breaking the Welsh ruling that exercise should start and finish at your door. The rule breakers are making it less safe for those who stick to the rules in more than just increasing the risk of Covid spread!
I have seen 25 vehicles at the carpark for the waterfalls at one time - narrow lanes with tight bends lead to the carpark, lanes that form part of a useful walking circuit for anyone living in our village and one that is quite popular with rule keepers at the moment ....
I for one would love to see the rules enforced with more rigour!

 

[Woody girl]

I have not gone more than a mile or so from my home since march 8th last year, except for hospital visits.
I find walking at night is a good alternative, as in my rural area most people are tucked up at home. I keep away from the roads and just puttle about in the fields and hollow lanes.
Admittedly I dont get quite the light exposure that is good for me, but I take a vitamin d and zinc tablet every day to get round that.
I'd like to go further afield, but the usual walking areas are full of local dog walkers, and strangers "going for a walk" most of them are not local!