The screenshot above is taken from drone footage by Derbyshire Police. The scene is Curbar Edge where I have often walked. The film sought to shame several members of the public who were simply out in the sunshine enjoying country walks. As with the targeted fellow above they were all practising social-distancing.
During The Plague, government guidelines say that we can leave our homes to shop for food, visit a pharmacy or medical centre and we can also exercise once a day.
When the guidance first emerged I tried like crazy to clarify the vague guidance about exercise. Could I, for example, travel in my Clintmobile to a remote country location and then get out for a walk? Common sense said that I wouldn't be causing anybody any harm and there'd be far less chance of infection than say walking down to our local park.
That clarification proved impossible but it seems that Derbyshire Police have placed their own interpretation on the guidance. Their reading is that you cannot drive into The Peak District for a walk. You can cycle or ride a horse but you cannot drive. They have even been pulling cars over to question drivers and reinforce their interpretation.
The drone footage has caused controversy and further mixed responses have since emerged from government spokespeople. To me it seems that there's an element of petty vindictiveness in all of this. It's as if to say - you are not allowed to have pleasure during The Plague. Why should you be strolling happily on country paths when people are dying? Stay home and suffer like the rest of us!
What does "local" mean anyway? As in "exercise locally"? Is "local" my street, my district, my city, my county, my region? I don't understand.
Last Sunday I drove for an hour to Wirksworth in mid-Derbyshire. I blogged about that day here. During The Plague I was hoping to have a few more days like that but now I have been forced to think again. Big Brother may be watching me and of course nowadays the cops can find out where you live simply by running your car registration number through their computer system.
I will be taking more walks but I'll be choosing my parking locations carefully. By simply parking in a village I believe that I will be thwarting Big Brother. I wonder if the authorities will soon be cranking up their enforcement procedures.
JUDGE We find you guilty of parking in the countryside and going for a walk. Before I send you down is there anything you want to say?
YORKSHIRE PUDDING Yes your honour. I saw a stag by Redcar Brook grazing in the adjacent meadow. He was unaware of my presence and I watched him for ten minutes or more as the brook babbled by. And once I was alone at The Horse Stone with snow all about me and not another soul for miles around. And I am so very, very sorry for my heinous crime against humanity your honour, for donning my boots and walking through the heather, for following my map along unknown paths, for daring to walk in peace during The Plague. I admit it, I am a dirty no-good felon and I deserve to have the full weight of The Law pressed down upon me.
YORKSHIRE PUDDING Yes your honour. I saw a stag by Redcar Brook grazing in the adjacent meadow. He was unaware of my presence and I watched him for ten minutes or more as the brook babbled by. And once I was alone at The Horse Stone with snow all about me and not another soul for miles around. And I am so very, very sorry for my heinous crime against humanity your honour, for donning my boots and walking through the heather, for following my map along unknown paths, for daring to walk in peace during The Plague. I admit it, I am a dirty no-good felon and I deserve to have the full weight of The Law pressed down upon me.
JUDGE Take him down!
It's true that a walk, alone, in the country is low risk to you and to others but the same is happening here where national parks are closed.
ReplyDeleteMy take on it is that the authorities just want to reduce people's movements in general and also to have people doing things that can be accounted for
Btw, public shaming is unnecessary, the cops don't need to do it
DeleteThat man in the screenshot might live in one of the nearby villages - Curbar or Calver for example. If so he was definitely not breaking any instructions.
DeleteChief Inspector: "Forget about the drug dealers lads today. Go and arrest an hiker".
ReplyDeleteThat's also what I thought Dave. Haven't they got proper crimes to pursue?
DeleteIt's a difficult time for everyone at the moment, including politicians and the law enforcers.
ReplyDeleteThat's true but common sense should not go out of the window.
DeleteHere in France they have been VERY specific about what "local" means - it means within 1 km of your home and for no longer than an hour. We now have to put the time we leave home on the attestation that we HAVE to carry with us if out. I can understand that being out in the open air is indeed social distancing but I guess if you allow people to drive to go social distancing then you'll end up again with tons of people in the Lake District and Cornwall and the Peaks. It's not easy of course. I live 45 minutes from Mont Blanc and I'm not allowed to go there to walk. And I know most people don't abuse the situation but it only takes a few to ruin it for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think I prefer the clarity of the French authorities to our Westminster vagueness.
DeleteI have been reading horrendous squabbles, and that's being polite, on social media about what is and what isn't allowed. People are going stir crazy already and we are only a week into it. Some of these rifts are never going to be healed. I can still walk from my home. I would like to drive five minutes down the road to another village and do a quiet walk, but I daren't.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the authorities will gradually clarify the guidance. If the weather is clement in the week ahead I plan to do a really long walk from our house out into the countryside and back in a big circle. It will take several hours to do.
DeleteThe long walk is a good idea. I suppose I could walk to town, 1hr 45mins, put a bit of shopping in my rucksack, and walk back again. That would do two jobs in one go. We need some clarification, all this uncertainty is creating a lot of bad feelings.
DeleteIf I cannot get out to walk I shall go mad.
DeleteOver here we have been told not to drive to a location in order to exercise. The reason being that the emergency services do not want more vehicles than necessary out and about on the roads. Dealing with RTAs would tie up their valuable resources. I can understand the decision and feel that they are in a difficult situation. They are really just trying to keep as many people safe as possible.
ReplyDeleteThat's an understandable argument but somebody could easily fall off a horse or a bike and require emergency help too.
DeleteOh, the "they're doing it, why can't I?" excuse, used by many chidren over the years. Have a word with your wife about how serious the situation is, then give your head a wobble yorkie!!
DeleteThat seems ridiculous but what do I know anymore? I remembered a copse of trees the other day and walked there with Heidi. It's not an off leash area but I let her off, not seeing that there was a hare nearby. Fortunately Heidi listened and stopped chasing. The snow was up to her chest so that probably helped.
ReplyDeleteI miss the off leash walks terribly. Sigh.
Stay well my friend.
Surely The Big Guy can let you off your leash once in a while! I thought you were well-trained. Be safe Lily.
DeletePolice state springs to mind here doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI have my opinions on all of this but I don't voice them on the internet.
It's so sad to see how this world has changed in my lifetime.
I feel sad for the children growing up in this world now, but maybe as they would not know what it was like before they will just accept it as normal.
Briony
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I believe that I can read between your lines Briony. I hope that you and Tom are bearing up well during this living nightmare.
DeleteI yearn for my childhood, roaming free in the streets, playing in the park. Sadly it isn't ever going to get back to that.
DeleteI knew such freedom too MQ.
DeleteI understand your ire. But in a way, as you said to Treader, it is easier if things are spelled out specifically. Here in Florida we are told to shelter at home unless we have an absolute need to go out and that we can exercise in the fresh air while keeping social distance but I am so afraid that some people will not do this responsibly, thus endangering all.
ReplyDeleteWeird times, man. Just weird times.
Weird times indeed. I just went out to buy "essential" wild bird seed. The roads were deathly quiet. At the "Pets At Home" store I was one of only two customers. In the "Wilkco" store next door I wanted to buy some vegetable seeds but they were all sold out apart from one packet of white radish seeds and one packet of chives seeds. Naturally, I bought them both.
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DeleteYour wife will be pleased about that Tasker
Things are getting crazy when one can't go for a long walk out in the countryside. All of our state parks have been closed down until at least May, and maybe long, to keep people from congregating in them. I hate it because going to a state park was something I'd considered the other day. We're getting a little stir crazy at home.
ReplyDelete*longer* is what I meant to say.
ReplyDeleteI think that many people are going stir crazy after just a week. You are so stir crazy that you are confusing "long" with "longer"!
DeleteI don't understand the rules either. I went to Hampstead Heath today, and I was out for two hours. I easily kept distant from everyone -- there weren't many other people around -- but the whole time I was wondering whether I was violating the government recommendations.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me if you're in a place where there are no other people, or relatively few, the risk is minuscule, even if you've driven 100 miles from home. But someone pointed out that your car could break down or some other event could put you in contact with people, so driving anywhere is a risk. I dunno.
Don't worry Steve. I shall not be reporting you to London Metropolitan Police Service for taking a two hour walk on the heath! Let's hope that Mrs Kravitz doesn't snitch on you either!
DeleteWhen this all started everyone fled to the countryside in Scotland. You couldn't move in some places for cars which were just like summer except that the shops and everywhere else wasn't geared up for summer. People started bringing their camper vans to the Island to get away from it all. The problem, YP, is not you going to a quiet location for a quiet walk. It is when everyone thinks they can do it.
ReplyDeleteWe have a problem in Scotland. If a community gets it there simply are no hospitals in vast areas of the country. We have already seen an RAF transport plane used to take a patient to Aberdeen. Someone had freshly arrived from France and had managed to spread the virus around Shetland and you don't get more remote than that).
We are fortunate (we hope) in that unless a person is a key worker or lives on the Island and need to return or leave for medical or 'genuine' reasons no one can get on or off the Islands via ferry or plane. It may sound selfish until you realise the logistical problems an outbreak could cause here.
Thanks for outlining the particular problems that might afflict Scotland and its islands. Very different from me driving five miles into The Peak District and parking up where there is absolutely no one else around. I hope to God that you don't contract the virus with your medical history Graham! For you there is a massive incentive to self-isolate and keep The Plague at bay. The massive incentive is called life. Stay safe my friend!
DeleteThe situation is very confusing, I'll admit. In our small community even, there are so many people out walking and so many of the little streets have NO sidewalks that people have taken to walking in the streets just in order to keep to the six feet rule. I can just imagine how difficult it must be in New York just to get out of ones building let alone walk on the street at a safe distance. That said, I can see why the public parks and such are closed or people like me would be driving there to commune with nature outside of the neighborhood and then there would be a real problem with hordes of people doing the same thing. It is a real conundrum! So I will just try the best I can for myself and "the others." And, paint!
ReplyDeleteAre you painting walls and doors or painting Art? I hope that you and Big Bear get through this terrible episode in good health. Let's hope that American rapper D.J.Trump does not contract The Virus. How could Uncle Sam survive without him?
DeleteGraham and Peace Thyme have expressed my take on it. I understand there is a difference between some walks and others but I think the only way for authorities to be able to administer the rules without anarchy breaking out is if they are seen to be applying the same rules to everyone. "Same" is not necessarily the same as "fair" but is often perceived that way. I feel for you if you end up not being able to walk; I feel the same even though my walks are shorter and less interesting than yours. I hope your rules are clarified soon; as you point out, that's half the problem solved.
ReplyDeleteHere different police forces are making slightly different interpretations of the government orders. Because normal life is almost frozen the police workload seems to have reduced even as the workload of health service staff and carers has increased.
DeleteThey do need to clarify the outside exercise rules. So many people are walking around the neighborhood here that the streets are almost crowded. I can do yard work in my back yard but walks are nice too. I understand the importance of this but I also feel like they want to keep a tight control on everyone during all this.
ReplyDeleteClarity is vital.
DeleteMy feelings precisely! What is the difference between driving somewhere isolated to walk and walking close to your home? Pah!
ReplyDeleteIn these strange days perhaps we are meant to keep our heads down and say nothing.
DeleteThe virus is not the only unknown in this pandemic. Many rules and regulations are confusing. Judge Red says, "Keep walking!"
ReplyDeleteMaybe I will walk disguised as a bush or a rock.
DeleteThis rule does seem extreme. On the other hand, England is a dramatically small country. Far less landscape for the little virus buggers to hang about in. And a whole lot of you for them to be falling from and floating about. I'd ask for the evidence to back up their reasoning. See if it matches mine.
ReplyDeleteYes it's a teeny weeny country but there are plenty of open spaces and a vast network of public footpaths that allow people to access the countryside in a way that you simply cannot do in Ohio.
DeleteOver here, there are no specific rules about the distance or time allowed for walks. We ARE allowed out, as long as it's not more than two people together. Trouble is, that anywhere near me has suddenly become VERY popular with cyclists, walkers, runners and so on, probably mainly because people can not do what they usually like doing on weekends such as crowd the shopping center or the market square with its ice cream places and street cafés. Parks such as our beautiful palace grounds are closed, too, so where else can they go but out on the fields where under normal circumstances I would largely be on my own.
ReplyDeleteTo me it is a mistake to close the palace grounds just as it is a mistake here to stigmatise people who simply want a quiet, solitary walk in the countryside.
DeleteAs someone who lives in a tourist area i have to say this is bliss , though ive never seen so many joggers and lycra clad cyclists . Out of curiosity i did look on the local OS map online , only to find there are tons of local footpaths that are totally unmarked due to the local farmer ripping down the signs during the foot and mouth years ago . if i get bored i may go for a wander to annoy him
ReplyDeleteOn a few occasions I have reported footpath issues to local councils. There is always an official who has responsibility for footpaths. I find that photographs help to ignite action.
DeleteI have very mixed feelings about this.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can see that each individual in the police footage was miles away from anybody else but I don't think that's the point. Interpreting the rules to justify non essential journeys and days out in the countryside is not fair on those who do as they are told, stay at home and only go out for one hour a day. The tax payer is not stumping up 80% of people's wages so that some can act like it's a bank holiday.
I personally think our government has been tardy in introducing such measures and that something much stricter like they have in France would be a lot clearer and safer for everyone.
I'm looking forward to getting Boris's letter. I think it will say something like "we didn't act soon enough or firmly enough so we can blame the public for not social distancing when things get out of control".
I hope that the letter will say something truthful like "We have decided to send this unnecessary letter out in order to waste a further £3 million of tax payers' money. We apologise that it doesn't say anything that you didn't know already."
Delete£3 million. Get real YP a second class stamp is 65p. Even with government discount that letter is going to cost between £10m and £20m. Scandalous waste of money.
DeleteOops! I have never been good at sums Mr Edwards! Please don't cane me sir! I just did some research on this. Two reputable sources are saying £5.8 million.
DeleteAbsolutely YP. Money that would be better spent on protective gear for our doctors and nurses and not on what I feel is a backside covering exercise for the government.
Delete£5.8 million is a hell of a lot of masks and a few hundred ventilators too.
DeleteFor years, we have stressed the need for green areas in our cities and the importance of getting out into the countryside for our mental health as well as our physical health. When the National Trust opened their green spaces at the beginning of the crisis, I thought it was an excellent thing to do and just what everyone needed. Within a week, they were forced to renege on that commitment, and now people are being fined, publicly shamed and harassed for seeking out these beautiful, soul settling places at the very time when they need them most. I think looking at a glorious sunset, smiling at the newborn lambs and looking out across a natural landscape IS absolutely essential for many of us right now. In none of the examples shown in the video, were folks not social distancing, and I'll bet everyone of them felt much, much less anxious with lungs full of fresh air and calmed by the textural, visual and sensual impact of the natural beauty. My fear is not that many lives are going to be lost because of the virus, but that those who remain are going to have significant mental health issues because of the restrictions imposed upon them. Yes, guidelines have to be set, but sense and common sense must prevail and greater understanding given to individual circumstances and needs. Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling by again Elizabeth and for leaving such a thoughtful opinion on this matter. Earlier on the BBC News I saw a man in Weston-super-Mare being challenged by cops as he was about to take his dog from his parked car and go for a walk in the adjacent woods. Haven't they got better things to do? Like investigating crimes for example.
DeleteHi! Long time, no read! Regarding this news story, the reason we have been given here for such activities to be forbidden is to help the health/emergency services cope. Makes sense. While it is unlikely that you will catch or pass on the virus on a walk out on the moors, there will always be more breakdowns, car accidents, falls etc due to people driving out there and then going for a walk/run. The health service here is already extremely stretched and the last thing they need is to use medical resources on a person who's fallen and broken his leg, or to send the police out for a car accident etc. Here in Catalonia you cannot go out at all for leisure purposes, not even walking from your house (without a car). Obviously for the same reason, they try to stop people doing 'risky' unncessary tasks like getting a chainsaw out to tidy up the garden. It really does make sense, and is one time when we are actually doing our bit to save lives (as patients get the service they need) by us doing as little as possible. I appreciate that the UK is a week or two behind us in the time scale but if things continue as now, you're going to have to take more drastic measures like here.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your illuminating input Brian. I hope that you, your wife, son and daughter are all in good health. How old are the children now? It seems ages since we met up in The Millennium Gallery. They seemed such pleasant, bright kids.
DeleteHi, yes, it must have been 3 or 4 years ago now? They're now 14 and 16 and I think you know what that means if you've had teenagers at home! We're all doing fine health-wise (touch wood) but know a few people who've caught the virus and a couple who haven't survived. It's all quite stunning really, hard to put into words. A mixture of anxiety, fear, resilience, solidarity in a surreal situation which no one would have believed just a few months ago. We also have a few friends in the local health service who are really doing their best and struggling to get us all through this. True heroes. I hope you're all well and looking after yourselves through these dark times.
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