Essential Services

[ColchesterFC]

Is the OP implying that the police should turn a blind eye to speeding now because there's a pandemic? Not sure I understand that logic.

A cough can travel up to approx 50mph. A sneeze can travel up to approx 100mph so as long as you travel everywhere at over 100mph you can't catch the virus. Feel free to use this as your defence in court if you get caught speeding.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I think it’s the use of the long and complicated words “stay” and “in” which are the issue . Perhaps the Government should have opted for something a little less ambiguous.

Seriously, our control room staff our fielding hundreds of calls daily on this issue, and some of the questions defy belief. The guidance is breathtaking in its simplicity. My kids fully understand the circumstances in which they are allowed out.

Alas, a huge proportion of our great British public are equally breathtaking in their simplicity.

I think the original message from Boris should have been very specific in what jobs are classed as essential or not. That is the problem, and many still working say they are "essential" workers when in reality if they were at home no-one would die.
As for those using their cars to walk the dogs......what can you say, the World over has people like that.

 

[Billysboots]

We should only expect the police to enforce it and they should be given clear ground rules as should the public ..

Whilst I absolutely agree, legislation is generally debated to death prior to enactment, takes an age to reach the statute books, is subject of extensive research and training within police forces, and then a number of key precedents are usually set via the court process.

This guidance was, quite literally, issued overnight. There are going to be teething problems which is why it is so important the public play their part.

The public in this country have no idea how lucky they are to be afforded the opportunity to largely police this themselves.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Whilst I absolutely agree, legislation is generally debated to death prior to enactment, takes an age to reach the statute books, is subject of extensive research and training within police forces, and then a number of key precedents are usually set via the court process.

This guidance was, quite literally, issued overnight. There are going to be teething problems which is why it is so important the public play their part.

The public in this country have no idea how lucky they are to be afforded the opportunity to largely police this themselves.

I agree, however the public also know that we have a distinct lack of Police officers for anything since the cutbacks started years ago. As a result, many of the public think that if you are caught doing something wrong you are considered by some to be unlucky.
Our emergency services have been decimated over the recent years/decade, and now those cuts are coming home to roost. I just hope that after this whole thing is over that those in power realise that running a country with everything cut to the bone isn't a good way to beor act. You need slack for when the difficult times arrive, and they surely will again.

 

[bobmac]

I go and exercise cause I'm allowed to.
I walk the dog cause I'm allowed to.
I go for a walk cause I'm allowed to.
I go for a drive to walk the dog cause I'm allowed to.
I could jump off a five storey building cause I'm allowed to.
But do I? No

Stay in, build your dog a kennel in the back garden and get an exercise bike.

No-ones asking you to dodge bullets
No-one's asking you to hide in air raid shelters
No-ones asking you to fight for your country
All they are asking you is to lie on your sofa for a fortnight.

When you've been back at work for a week, I'll bet most of you will wish you were back on your sofa.
Please, do the NHS a favour, use your brain and stay in

 

[Hobbit]

Whilst I absolutely agree, legislation is generally debated to death prior to enactment, takes an age to reach the statute books, is subject of extensive research and training within police forces, and then a number of key precedents are usually set via the court process.

This guidance was, quite literally, issued overnight. There are going to be teething problems which is why it is so important the public play their part.

The public in this country have no idea how lucky they are to be afforded the opportunity to largely police this themselves.

Just picking out your last sentence, oh how so very true. Here we have the Policia, the Guardia Civil and the Guardia National. They all have the same laws to uphold, especially now, but they get different instructions. The Policia get their instructions from the town hall, the Guardia don't. And even then the Guardia in different towns are interpreting some of the lockdown laws differently.

The Guardia say you should shop in the village, the Guardia in another town say its ok to shop there but the Guardia in another town turn you back. The Policia here have told one person that as they have a garden they can walk their dog in the garden. Another town has put a 50m limit on the walk, another a 200m limit but the Royal Decree has no limit.

Here the Police, whichever version, interpret the law and you don't argue.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think the original message from Boris should have been very specific in what jobs are classed as essential or not. That is the problem, and many still working say they are "essential" workers when in reality if they were at home no-one would die.
.

There is nothing out there in the advice or recommendations that say you only go to work if your job is essential. They state that you should work from home if you can but if that is not possible then go to work still. The govt want people to work still, they need some form of economy to be functioning.

People need to get past the 'essential worker' phrase, it is not correct.

 

[Orikoru]

All they are asking you is to lie on your sofa for a fortnight.

You think this will be over in another week???

 

[bobmac]

You think this will be over in another week???

No, but it will reduce the spread of the virus to help the NHS cope

 

[harpo_72]

I also think that the number of people that don't get it 'v' the number of people that deliberately don't get it is part of the problem. You're right, some people do need it explaining in Jack and Jill terms but I do think there are some who need their head shoved in a toilet and flushed.

I often harp back to rugby referees, sorry. When the ref says its a penalty, or whatever, its not questioned. There's no point...

Yes I agree .. but I’ll stop here because I am sure someone will take offence ?

 

[Blue in Munich]

The biggest issue at the moment is we seem to be fighting 3 pandemics; COVID-19, stupidity, & selfishness.

 

[harpo_72]

The biggest issue at the moment is the seem to be fighting 3 pandemics; COVID-19, stupidity, & selfishness.

2 of those we won’t win in the short term .. they require investment in the educational system and possibly the reduction of social media ..

 

[Deleted member 23270]

My G/F's best mate is still going to work as her workplace is still fully open. It's a factory making commemorative coins. Not sure I would class that as essential

 

[Deleted member 23270]

A cough can travel up to approx 50mph. A sneeze can travel up to approx 100mph so as long as you travel everywhere at over 100mph you can't catch the virus. Feel free to use this as your defence in court if you get caught speeding.

If you drive into a sneeze at 100mph that's an impact speed of 200mph, surely that's gotta hurt?

 

[hovis]

My G/F's best mate is still going to work as her workplace is still fully open. It's a factory making commemorative coins. Not sure I would class that as essential

i get this but a green keeper cutting grass is hardly essential. we got called to a chemial factory the other day that makes glue. the staff where down to a handful and each person worked in one room by themselves . not ideal i completely agree but it looked affective

 

[Deleted member 21258]

This thread is a little bit out of step with the government guidance and peoples black/white views aren't necessarily legally correct at the moment (I'm more of a grey person but comply with guidance or the laws, rather than break them), have a read here over FAQ :-

https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...avirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do

The section about work is quite different and does not refer to essential workers only etc :-

4. Should I stay at home or go to work?
You may travel for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

Certain jobs require people to travel to their place of work – for instance if they operate machinery, work in construction or manufacturing, or are delivering front line services such as train and bus drivers.

Employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements, and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working.

5. I’m not a critical worker and I can’t work from home. What should I do?
If you cannot work from home then you can still travel to work. This is consistent with the Chief Medical Officer’s advice.

Critical workers are those who can still take their children to school or childcare. This critical worker definition does not affect whether or not you can travel to work – if you are not a critical worker, you may still travel to work provided you cannot work from home.

Anyone who has symptoms or is in a household where someone has symptoms should not go to work and should self-isolate.


13. Can I go to the park?
You can still go to the park for outdoor exercise once a day but only alone or with members of your household, not in groups.

Communal places within parks such as sports courts, playgrounds and outdoor gyms have been closed to protect everyone’s health.

We ask that households use parks responsibly and keep 2 metres apart from others at all times.

Unless you are with members of your household, gatherings of more than two people in parks and other public spaces have been banned. The police have the powers to disperse gatherings and issue fines if necessary.

14. Can I drive to a national park or other green space to walk?
We advise you to stay local and use open spaces near to your home where possible – do not travel unnecessarily.

You can still go to the park for outdoor exercise once a day but only by yourself or within your household, not in groups.

We ask you to keep 2 metres apart from others outside your household at all times when outdoors.

 

[rulefan]

You should only leave the house for very limited purposes:

• shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
• one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household
• any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
• travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home

I am struggling to see where the words 'work' and 'essential' appear in conjunction with each other.

The government is not saying only people doing “essential” work can go to work. Anyone who cannot work from home can still go to work.

 

[Old Skier]

Police down here working with their hands tied behind their back due to the local MP and bloody police commissioner (what is there purpose in life) insisting on a softly softly approach which has now resulted in a disregard by a number of those including a family with two small infants and insisting that the rules don't apply to them. We have been relatively free of things up here but for how long.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

I don't see grey, probably because I try not to listen when a reporter/interviewer tries to get an angle on something. Written down there is no grey, its there when politicians give their version of it on the back of an interviewer being a d!ck.

Exactly my feelings when the Daily Briefing opens to questions.
You can see the years of political reporting manifested in questions where the main intention is , to my mind, to "catch out the politician" If I do, it shows what a good reporter I am. Maybe my career will progress."
There doesn't seem to be a sense of national crisis in which the journalists have to try to do their bit to help.
Why can't the questions be directed towards that end. ?

Some might see what they ask as doing that, making sure the politicians aren't getting away with things, with lies etc. We'll see?
Come on, this isn't Parliament and Party politics. It's about getting the best information out there to the public and it's everyone's job to help.

 

[SteveJay]

Who do you think is trying to enforce this lockdown?

The NHS, absolutely correctly, have received nothing but praise for their selfless courage in trying to confront coronavirus.

The police, in contrast, have been on the receiving end of some appalling press. All for trying their hardest to enforce brand new legislation, enacted virtually overnight, with guidance issued on the hoof. And the purpose of that legislation is very simple - to keep people alive and the NHS functioning.

I expect to see puerile drivel in publications like the Daily Mail. But to see a post on a golf forum, of all places, where someone has been pathetic enough to stop and take a photo of people he THINKS are police, who MAY be targeting speeding motorists, simply so he can rationalise a lack of respect for the police service? You’ll forgive me if that just boils the content of my bladder a little.

Yeah, but "keeping us breathing" is just a bit of a poor choice of words.