This is what Meike wrote:-
I am confused - you went to the compound yesterday, right? Aren't you and Shirley under some kind of quarantine rule right now, or have such regulations been abandoned in England? Here, if your neighbours see you outside your flat when they know you have covid, I wouldn't put it past some of them to report you to the Health Office.
This was my reply:-
In England, the legal requirement to self-isolate for five days was lifted a couple of weeks ago. However, out of courtesy, I told Kyle that I was positive and he said he didn't mind as long as I came in wearing a mask. We remained a couple of metres from each other as I paid the bill.
In addition to what I said to Meike, I want to say some other things about this matter, by way of clarification.
Firstly, until four o'clock yesterday afternoon I had not ventured out of our house - apart from putting food out for our garden birds and taking plastic recycling to our bins.
When Kyle phoned me yesterday afternoon around three o'clock to say that Clint was ready for collection, I explained that I had tested positive for COVID. He said they needed to get him out of their compound as they have limited space and need to move vehicles on as soon as possible. He said we would keep our distance and I should wear a mask.
Shirley took me down there in her car so that I would not be riding on a public bus or walking past other pedestrians. In two minutes, I promptly paid the bill, took my keys and drove Clint straight home. I was not gallivanting about in public or irresponsibly breathing COVID germs on my fellow citizens like a marauding dragon. My behaviour was completely within current government guidelines.
Here are some extra points.
On Sunday, I phoned my quizzing mates to say that I would not be joining them for our regular Sunday evening quiz. On Tuesday, I informed my other drinking chums that I could not be in "The Banner" for our usual session. On Wednesday, we could not look after our darling Phoebe for the day because of our COVID infections - thus causing our daughter unwelcome issues with her work. We won't be able to look after her on Friday either. Tonight (Thursday) I have had to cancel my pre-paid attendance at a folk evening on the other side of town. Tomorrow (Friday) I cannot take my poorly brother to his endoscopy appointment in an East Yorkshire hospital and instead have had to arrange for a friend to step into my shoes.
I haven't been on a planned country walk and I haven't been to Lidl to do our main weekly shop.
My life is very much on hold because I am a very responsible citizen. All that I have done - and this was, as I say, well within the rules - is I have safely been to my local garage to pick up Clint as requested.
It is staggering that trolls should jump on this point and both in my comments box and elsewhere cast aspersions on my good character. Why can't they ever say any nice things ? Why can't they even show a morsel of sympathy for the fact that my wife and I have contracted COVID - a deadly disease that has killed 165,187 citizens in this country? It must be horrible living a life in which you are perpetually looking to judge others, score points, win one over on other people or crush them down. How much better to live by this motto: "It's nice to be nice" because it really is.
I was tempted to just say nothing on this matter but when your character is being impugned so very unfairly on other people's blogs, there comes a point at which you cannot let it slide by. Undoubtedly, those trolls will now be grinning with glee about my response instead of seriously addressing their tendency to besmirch others without proper reason to do so. To them it appears to be a kind of sport. Saying sorry and meaning it would of course be beneath them.
N.B. Troll comments on this blog are customarily deleted without being read.
I stand by your side regarding rude people. There is absolutely no need to be rude. It's a matter of them feeling empowered, I think.
ReplyDeleteI know without a shadow of a doubt that you are a kind, decent and honest man. It flows through your writing.
Hope you are both feeling much better.
Kind regards from your Lancastrian neighbour.
I agree. Their game is all about making up for their own inadequacies. If you were truly comfortable in your own skin, what would be the point of trying to suppress others?
DeleteI hope that all is well over there in Blackburn. Out of interest, was the town named after Tony Blackburn? Is he the mayor?
Why was no-one wearing a mask at Prince Philip's memorial service?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they had run out of masks Margaret. But yes - it demonstrates that responses have changed.
DeleteIt's like a couple sharks in a feeding frenzy. It really is just unkind.
ReplyDeleteYou sum it up well Debby and you get who I am referring to. Often tolerated but not welcome.
DeleteI had no doubt whatsoever that you were able to collect Clint in a covid-safe way.
ReplyDeleteThat is because you are not a troll Tasker - despite the nasal hair.
DeleteAs we have passed the two year anniversary of this plague, I don't think we can continue with the measures we had in the beginning. Those such as yourself that are fully vaccinated will likely see minor symptoms. I no longer see the point of quarantining to protect those who won't vaccinate. Of course, like you, I think precautions should be taken, just like when I have the flu or a common cold, to limit the spread of my infection to others and you have more than met that threshold. I would have done the same thing as you, informed the other person the situation and take appropriate measures to make them feel comfortable.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your commonsensical support Ed. Much appreciated.
DeleteGlad you are feeling okay and I hope your wife is too.
ReplyDeleteI am over the worst of it and I think Shirley is too.
DeleteSomeone said that if you live long enough, you see your reputation traduced, twice.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is getting on everyone's nerves because of this pandemic.
A good friend was angry with me because I kept an eight-feet distance when we met by chance on Monday evening in Great Western Road, Glasgow.
An infected person releases the virus as they breathe, even outside.
When I rang Tom yesterday he said I was Cautious, Timid, Unadventurous, Neurotic and Mollycoddled.
Quite a Charge Sheet !
I pleaded Guilty to all of them especially to being coddled by Molly.
I was laughing as I bade Tom a Good Afternoon.
Does this coddling you refer to involve the removal of undergarments?
DeleteLike Doc Holliday (1851-1887) I sleep in my Long Johns and always alone.
DeleteLike the Doc none of my teeth are missing: think Charlton Heston's smile in *Will Penny* (YouTube).
Are these people you know putting you on their blogs or criticizing or actual trolls? I didn't think too much about your trip to get Clint but knowing your attitude, I figured you would have been extremely careful.
ReplyDeleteI call them trolls because of the ongoing annoyance and upset that they cause and have caused for ages. If they behaved like that in your house you would chuck them out and say, "Don't come back!"
DeleteYP, you did the very best you could. If Kyle was not worried about coming into contact with you, then why should anyone else?
ReplyDeleteOf course the Trolls will have a field day - they've nothing better to do.
Restrictions have more or less ended here and yet this morning I saw more people wearing masks, outdoors, than I've seen for a long time.
Maybe you just have a lot of ugly people in that corner of Spain? Not you of course Carol as you are still a fine figure of a woman.
DeleteYou've not been peeking again have you!
DeleteIt is quite easy to secrete miniature CCTV cameras you know!
DeleteSome people are just assholes sadly.
ReplyDeleteI hope you two are feeling better soon:)
I think you used the correct technical term there Nurse Lily.
DeleteI can't even understand why someone would take offense at your extremely cautious and careful AND caring picking up of your vehicle. Good Lord! But things may be so different in Germany that your actions (which are completely lawful and rule-following in GB) seem callous. Who knows? She should see what goes on here in the US. It's ridiculous. I was wearing my mask in the grocery store the other day and realized that aside from a few employees, I was the only one wearing one.
ReplyDeleteHello Ms. Moon, in case you think I was the one who took offence, let me correct this impression: I was merely wondering (hence my expression of being confused) at hownthis was possible in England when here in Germany, restrictions are still pretty much in place and people who have tested positive are supposed to stay home, unless in an emergency. The person who had that rant against Neil was not me. Pop over to my blog, if you like; that should clear up the matter.
DeleteI am sorry if I inadvertently gave the impression that I was irritated by Meike's very reasonable enquiry. I wasn't at all.
DeleteMy sympathy with you for all the events you've had to cancel. I hope you and your wife will soon be over the Covid.
ReplyDeleteThank you Catalyst. That is nice of you to say so.
DeleteSurely you are not including Meike in with "the trolls", are you? I wondered the same thing she did, but didn't bother to ask, and her question seemed polite and curious, not unkind. Maybe I am misunderstanding but you did not directly say you received other inquiries or comments.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for any misunderstanding. Of course I was not in any way suggesting that Meike was acting like a troll. She is perfectly entitled to pose questions like that in her typically polite and curious manner. After all she has a lot of goodwill in the bank.
DeleteGlad to hear it :)
DeleteAnd I'm sorry to hear about the aggravation of the actual trolls.
Is Clint seeing Carol again? Tell him to splash on some Brut.
ReplyDeleteHe is a Brute!
DeleteNeil, as it was my comment that triggered the rant against you - and very inappropriately so on my blog -, I can only apologise to you. I had not the slightest idea that someone could take my remark as grounds for such an unwarranted attack.
ReplyDeleteYou know how carefully I usually avoid topics of a political, religious or sexual nature; different opinions and viewpoints are good and welcome, but there is no need for pointless arguments.
I just used our blog exchange as illustration of how to pose questions and good blog conduct. I think the trolls would have slated me without our exchange even though the blogpost was not intended to elicit any bad feeling or inappropriate judgement from people who are not welcome here anyway.
DeleteI did wonder about that but having known you long enough, I knew you would not be breaching rules and that you wouldn't be picking up Clint without good reason. I also had some recall of recent change of rules in England. We still have to isolate for seven days, as do our close contacts, mostly family members who live in the same house.
ReplyDeleteFingers can be very quick to rattle a keyboard, even if the circumstances are unknown.
Your last sentence is very apposite but visitors with ill-will are even quicker.
DeleteAwww, my brother. So sorry that you have to deal with such mind-boggling issues when you don't feel well. Although, I'd imagine that if you had not gone to retrieve Clint, he would have taken off by himself and cruised the streets alone looking for girls!!
ReplyDeleteI am an introvert as you know. But even I have had it with this stuff. I will not go many places and will always wear a mask when I do no matter the stares I get or if I am loosing friends? because I will not commune with them inside their homes or have them (yet) inside mine. When it warms up and we can be outside, well.....bring it on!
More hugs to you and Shirley and hope you are well for the weekend. XXX
Thank you Donna. We are both over the worst of it but still not 100%.
DeleteI'm sorry this happened. How anyone who reads your blog could imagine that you'd be careless and flippant about exposing others to Covid is beyond me. I never doubted for an instant that you took all proper precautions!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read some of the comments trolls leave attacking you and other bloggers it makes me feel so bad. I sometimes avoid expressing opinions on blog posts when the rude and nasty responses start to fly. I appreciate your comment moderation because I know this is one place where I won't be targeted.
I hope you and Shirley are on the mend. I've been thinking of you both.
I am starting to think that I should stop leaving comments on certain blogs where trolls tend to jump in later with nasty remarks. It is a shame really because that would mean the trolls were spoiling free and healthy discourse.
DeleteIt's not only sad that people are so judgmental. It's that in their judgement they are so very wrong. Anyway, I hope you make a rapid recover and life gets back to normal.
ReplyDeleteThat is kind of you Red and thanks for your friendly support.
DeleteYou're doing all the right things. Sadly, not everyone is as caring about their fellow humans.
ReplyDeleteGood on you!
Thanks for your fraternal support Bob.
DeleteTo me it seems like you have done the right thing all the way and of course you had to get Clint, the garage is a busy place. So you wore a mask and kept your distance. I think our isolation rules are now 7 days instead of 14, but since I'm a stay-at-home most of the time anyway, I'd probably isolate for the 14 days if I was unlucky enough to catch covid.
ReplyDeleteHere there is no longer any legal requirement to isolate if you have COVID which seems crazy to me.
DeleteIn the end it is all water under the bridge. Cowardly comments on other blogs to make an issue which didn't exist. The one thing I have of my son is a pottery bridge, which he made when he was about seven. It had blobs on for the trolls that live under the bridge. And that is where I like my trolls to be;) Get better soon both of you.
ReplyDeleteI feel a little sorry for the troll in "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" but not for the trolls who lurk in Blogworld.
DeleteAn attack like that (not Meike's) is not even worthy of a response.
ReplyDeleteI think you should troll the trolls
I wish we could simply block visitors we do not want to see.
Delete