No Police state - it's the state(s) that sets the rules and, if they are ambiguous those that have to try and enforce them have to exercise their own judgement...not everyone would be happy even if the rules were absolutely clear.
I've got an 11 mile walk planned on Sunday (a loop from home) that crosses a popular reservoir between open moorland sections. Can't wait to go and glare at the folk in the car park on my way through.
If you need to buy food then that would reasonably class as essential but travelling to the next town to visit Tescos when you can buy your food locally in Morrisons cannot be classed as an essential journey. 'Sticking to the rules' for the good of everybody can mean a bit of minor inconvenience sometimes and at the moment a hell of a lot of people need to grow up and start acting with modicum of common sense and responsibility. It's not as if it's going to last forever, in reality probably only a few weeks if everyone reigned it in and then a move back towards normality can be expected.
but being devil's advocate Hugh, it can turn into a grey area if (for example) you are lactose or wheat intolerant or have coeliac disease and Morrison's doesn't cater for this food-wise. It is a difficult one, I don't envy law makers, decision makers or (good) Police at this time.
Could be worse, we could be in France. The french police not exactly known for listening to reason or being light handed. The french are generally bloody rude at the best of times (there’s probably a few nice ones), but stick one in a uniform... and I like France, I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to the alps in July Maybe it wasn’t just the fact that he wasn’t wearing a mask that was the provocation.. https://www.france24.com/en/france/...ded-over-beating-of-black-man-in-paris-studio
Might be true in the Alps area but not my experience. Drove from Caen overnight down to here through the covid curfew, 8 hours drive, never saw one copper. Local coppers are not going out due to covid so life carries on as normal without the cafe being open. I don't know many rude French people down here, far more in Gillingham, Dorset. But there again perhaps the people that you have met are reacting to your attitude and stereotyping of a whole nation.
Fair point Chris and myself I see that as totally justifiable due to the medical condition and needs of the individual. Sadly too many people who are perfectly well can't be arsed, you only have to see how many shoppers wander round supermarkets with no mask, why can't there be a no mask no entry policy?. Again certain people cannot wear a mask for medical reasons but surely doctors could issue letters or similar for the small minority to produce to the retailer. There is no perfect solution but if everyone gave a bit more all be better off.
Most of the stuff I’ve read so far regarding restrictions and ‘blockades’ have been the pole opposite from any experience I have had or indeed any mates I’ve spoken with. And we all travel a lot generally
There's a vid doing the rounds of group of plod (is there a collective noun?) sat around a table drinking tea in a cafe under T4
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55598918 1325 deaths.... 68,053 new cases in one 24hr period....... yeah, let's give the stupid public the opportunity to use their common sense.....
got to remember the tests are freakishly unreliable mate. And of that 1325 deaths, how many would have already died. How many didn’t actually die from covid but have it on their death certificate. How much more testing is being done. The list goes on. Data without context is dangerous. Whilst I’ll get accused of not being emotional on clearly an emotive subject. This stuff needs to actually be accurate to make a rational decision.. you can’t lewhich it isn’t even by the governments own admission.
Its all bollox. Derbyshire plod are now 'revising' how they apply lockdown fines again. Just like they had to last time when they got it it wrong and were using drones to find and fine people out walking. The country has gone mad, its neighbour against neighbour and certain sections of plod against the general public. We are a nation blighted by dickwads on power trips.
My folks live in a very beautiful part of Argyll. They are high risk and have been seeing people come to their "holiday homes" from Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as people they have never seen before come down to the harbour, park up and go off on long walks. It has got to a point where the local postman is getting so pissed off about it, that he is reporting them for breaking the rules. The amount of people they are seeing now, is getting close to the normal springtime hustle and bustle around that area, so people are certainly taking the piss in that part of the world. I fear that these people could be the downfall of my folks.
