OTT Policing.

[Workingman]

Our local parks remain open, as was instructed by the government, but the car parks are closed..... due to over zealous police and council wonks.

West Yorkshire Police issued a statement saying, in part: "One form or exercise.... You should not be travelling in a vehicle to another location to exercise."

That rule is made up and the council's interpretation of the police interpretation is to install barriers at local park car parks and thus prevent entry for many people. The words do not occur anywhere in the document Coronavirus Restrictions (England) 2020. It is a response to drone footage taken by Derbyshire Police of hikers in a National Park and the subsequent media campaign for them (hikers) to stop driving many miles, tens of, to take a walk. That is a reasonable request, well sort of, but local parks...?

What the law does say is;

Restrictions on movement
6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need—

(b)to take exercise either alone or with other members of their household;

In the real world many of us need to use our cars (or bus) simply to get to our local park and take a stroll away from fume filled roads, just as we need to use them to get to supermarkets, pharmacies and the doctors - all allowed. Laws are not made by the media and we should not be ruled by its members. The actual law is clear and that is what should be being policed.

[miasmum]

Frank, I am struggling with this one too. I can walk to the park, but that means zig zagging around people, crossing Aldi, which is always busy. But I am not supposed to self isolate myself in my car and go that way?

[TheOstrich]

We are lucky here in that we live next door to a small "country park". Some dog walkers and exercisers still drive to it, but it's on-road parking so no problems. There are no restrictions I'm aware of locally in our parks and recreation areas except that children's play areas have been taped up and closed, which makes sense as many families were simply congregating there despite the restrictions.

Countryside walks are a different matter. Folk from Sheffield were reportedly still driving to the Derbyshire Peaks, as they would do in normal times, and I have seen a report that a farmer in Edale was assaulted when he tried to remonstrate with hikers tramping his lane.

The police, of course, are making it up as they go along, and to some extent, given the general absence of national guidance, you can't overly blame them. A friend of mine, tomorrow, has to drive a fairly main road from his home town to the next - about 5 miles through countryside - to pick up his medicines, because that's where he's registered. I have suggested he makes sure he carries documentation proving that he's on an essential journey, because Dorset police are very good at setting up roadside checks …..

But the council trading wonks telling shops not to sell Easter eggs, so on, need squashing, hard.

[Suff]

France started out with a sensible limitation for exercise etc. Now we are locked down to 1,000m from the house for exercise. Yet before this edict we jumped in the car, drove 2.5km and walked the dogs in a wood that was totally empty of people. No issue with it at all.

The problem occurs because the police are not able to determine those who are doing exercise outside their home area and people who are just using that as an excuse to carry on their normal lives.

Then again, our DIY stores are slowly starting to open again. They have blocked the stores, created 1 way paths and put a physical polythene barrier between staff and the customers. Meaning we are expected to be able to get out and about.

We are in this for the long haul. Sense needs to be used. The problem is that, absent a major problem for nearly 100 years, our societies have come to believe that what they want is what is in the best interests of everyone.

The other problem is that the police are not dealing with transgressions as if they are serious. Take the Karaoke party. had they slammed them all in jail for 30 days, people might have got the message. I know that it might cause a problem in the jails, but that has to be accepted if we are going to get any form of sense in the way those "free thinkers" approach a very real problem. After all it was not "just" a karaoke party, it was a potential to spread the infection which might cause lives to be lost. Or, in other words, attempted manslaughter.

[TheOstrich]

The other problem is that the police are not dealing with transgressions as if they are serious.

I think the guy in Mansfield who said he had the virus and spat at a policeman might think slightly differently, Suff. He got imprisoned for a year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-n ... e-52079061

[Suff]

Attempted Murder is not something which should be 1 year. He should have got 35 years with release after 25 for good behaviour.

Nobody and I do mean NOBODY would have done that again!

1 year? Perhaps people might think it was a grumpy judge. 25 years guaranteed? No more spitting or coughing at the police. 1 Year? He will be out after 6 months, 1 month with good behaviour and, perhaps, immediately if they plead that he might get the virus.

[Workingman]

The police, of course, are making it up as they go along....

Which is what has happened here in Leeds.

Not many are against the rules regarding driving out to the Peaks, Dales, Lakes and so on or the policing of such behaviour, but driving to the local park? Come on!

The ability to exercise during this crisis is recognised as essential for both our physical and mental health and well being and every effort should be made to allow it a freely as possible; not to curtail it. We need our local parks, playing fields and woodlands open to as many people as possible so long as social distancing rules can be observed. We do not need them closing down by some snowflake desk jockey wonks with poor comprehension skills.

There are two local(ish) parks. One is the other side of a not very pleasant housing estate and the other is along a very busy A road with fast traffic. Drive or don't go.

[Kaz]

Everywhere is very quiet in our leafy suburb, so it's easy to avoid people when walking, but surely in more populated areas it's far more sensible to be in a car

What rather annoyed me was footage of police officers leaning right through car windows, breathing in the faces of the occupants, warning people to go home and not infect others!!

[Workingman]

You and Shell are going to have to sop being logical.... they are watching you.

[Suff]

Yes well it's a learning experience for everyone.

But common sense fled the room before they started and is running away as fast as it can.