Anybody seeing the idiotic scenes this weekend should now realise the importance of the need to self isolate if you already haven't done so .
It displayed exactly all that is wrong with British society today, treating isolation like a national holiday, coastlines teeming with people, no social distancing, crowded parks, green areas etc etc the list is endless..
The selfish arrogance has incensed me like nothing before, frankly it's now that the Government need to force isolation to ensure the safety of vulnerable and at risk groups, due to the lack of empathy and care shown by the general populous especially younger people, its clear this isn't going to work voluntarily.
The same as a decision regarding fragmented business closures, I've closed my business as of today after watching the weekend debacle , not because we didn't have customers, far from it, loads wanting to book as they are "off work", and when I explained the fact their vehicles are germ carriers possibly for them and us, some still didn't t see the issue, with "it's just flu" remarks.
The same people when it hits their families and loved ones will then see the error of their ways, but only after they have condemned the vulnerable to the fight of their lives.
Today is not a day to be proud to be British, thankfully there are some of us as I've read friends in here posting nothing but sense and respect for what we are facing , those that do understand the gravity of what we are facing.
We can get through this,all of us, but only with each others help and support.
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Ianp66
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I feel as incensed as you. My daughter is a Paramedic, my son a Doctor in Wolverhampton (the worst hit hospital) and I have not been able to see them for obvious reasons. Nevertheless I will not break the rule despite how much I worry about them. I can't see my grandchildren but again will not break the rule and neither will they as they are correctly brought up children. I feel for everyone in the NHS, self employed people, business owners in fact for everyone in these difficult times and for this reason I am trying to do my bit. Unfortunately, like you state, it's the handful of thoughtless, selfish people that are making things worse. How many times can we plead with them. I too am ashamed to be associated with these people as fellow countryman. Thank goodness for the majority of us who are thoughtful and kind. We will win out in the end. Stay safe.
My feelings exactly, you must be so proud and at the same time worried, my heart goes out to you and thanks to your brave family helping us fight this ruthless pandemic. As you say thank goodness there are some good and caring people left, the rest I despair for, we will win out with sense, if not it needs an iron hand and forced lockdown.
We are all having to sacrifice things we love to do and stay indoors as much as possible, I didn't visit my mum mother's day yesterday who is 73 and quite ill and a high risk with COPD, and it was terrible not seeing her and she's very worried about it all, but we spoke on the phone and she understands why and how she needs to be isolated .
The virus may still be around after your right , but isolating with a view to limiting numbers infected is imperative , it means our hospitals have more chance of coping with sick people , more survive and can get appropriate treatment, instead of the avalanche mixing and letting everyone get hit at the same time will bring. The Viral Load principle if I'm correct! (some better qualified May correct me), as I understand it, it's like one person in close contact with another, is a lot different to multiple contacts who may have the virus, which then amounts to a high viral load , which is basically more versions of the virus hitting an individual at the same time from multiple contacts, so I'm told , so instead of a light dose similar to a flu vaccine in principle, you get multiple loads in group contacted if they are infected, so limited human contact is the only way to have a fighting chance as a nation, this way hopefully the symptoms aren't as severe.
I agree with everything you write and it’s the same in certain places here - day trippers galore scoffing ice cream, yobs gathering and mocking people whilst sensible parents are trying to explain to their children why they cannot socialise with friends.
This emergency has brought out the very best in so many people - people to be thankful to and proud of. The clowns need to be put in their place firmly by government enforcement and penalties to keep everyone safe. It doesn’t help at all when a vacuous ‘celebrity’ tells her umpteen million followers that the restrictions are BS.
It's atrocious Fin, those people on social media coming out with stupid statements like it's a "bad flu" are parasites, I'm sure they will still beg for their lives or family's if it hits them or their loved ones . Unfortunately it's the same idiots making it the situation it is as you say making it a "holiday", and celebrities (I say the word lightly) the kids look up to, making a mockery of it putting us all in danger.
Here they are really toughening up. Fines for repeat infractions of the rules of quarantine rising to €1,500 and a fourth repeat offence punished with 6 months in prison! I don't think this sort of thing would be easily enforcable in the UK as you don't have identity cards so identification and tracking of repeat offenders might be more difficult. Here you have to produce your form and the police can demand to see your identity card.
Today again I have friends calling me saying even though they are front line staff, the roads are still busy, shops busy, and idiots everywhere doing unnecessary jobs, even tradesmen advertising on Facebook that they are available for small jobs,seems yet again last night did nothing to enlighten the feckless and fell short of enforcing a necessary hard shut down regardless of self interest .
It is very difficult for me with two working sons still living at home but dong my personal best to stay out of everybody's way even to the extent of the boys not being in the workshop at the same time as me.
Hard choices Bob, and as you say so difficult for loving families under the same roof, the same as you I've my 16yr old son at home with me now schools finished , he understands the ramifications and isn't going anywhere, whether it's enough at this juncture is again questionable, but we have to do our utmost to limit exposure even if its for another individual or familys safety, just do what we can. Dad's isolated so the lawnmower is coming out later, my Gardens will think, who's this bloke, he's a new pilot 😂
You are absolutely right Ian, we did go for a short drive Saturday and remained in the car at all times for obvious reasons and was horrified at what we saw. Late yesterday even I did take a short walk around the Common at the back of where we live. Yes there were small family groups but most had some distance between them but everyone did take a wide berth when they saw me which may have been for a variety of different reasons!! but I did thank them for their consideration. The tragedy is, it would probably be safe as long a everyone followed the rules, but as usual, I fear the few irresponsible one will spoil any chance of freedom for us all. But we mustn't despair......even if that happens.
Your right, I think if the feckless few aren't so self absorbed or listened to the "my mate Dave down the pub says it's flu" rubbish I keep hearing, then we stand a good chance of beating this together, and I can stop this bloody gardening 😉
My usual Monday coffee morning catch up went ‘virtual’ for the 1st time today - with great success!
My friend (80) & self isolating was disgusted with neighbours’ families arriving for Mother’s Day - but delighted at learning how to video conference & shocked her children by video conferencing them both - who were astounded! She is so delighted at ‘getting one over on my very intelligent children’.
This was my husband’s response - Ask any youngster if they understand what it means if a message on the internet “goes viral”. The answer is likely to be “ sure that’s great, the message replicates,spreads like wildfire, and everybody gets it”
Love your comparisoñ it is so true. My family all live some distance from me and we always have a Whats App video call each Sunday and it is as though they are in the room with you. You can have three people plus yourself on line at the same time with Whats App but there are more Apps where you can have more. One is called Zoom and that can have lots more on line at the same time. An absolute treasure at this time of self isolation. Keep well 😍😍
I entirely agree with you Ian. I don’t get angry easily but I’ve been incensed by all the selfish behaviour, and hope we hear today that we’re going onto the next stage of lockdown.
My daughter in NZ contacted me last night. They have 102 cases there and have been given 48 hours notice of level 4 lockdown which will last at least a month. Hit it hard and fast is Jacinda’s plan. I was already a fan of hers but now I think the world of her.
My brother is a GP and has a son with cystic fibrosis ... this has made things very complicated for his family. My sister also has a son with CF. I’m so concerned for them all, and for all the key workers who’ll be taking the repercussions if something drastic isn’t done soon 😢
It's ridiculous Hilly the way the UK population thinks "it won't be me", we're heading for a disaster at this rate it needs taking out of voluntary hands and made an order now to save lives.
Well said, Ian. I doubt, somehow, that people have ever been “sensible” overall. Fearful, yes, in the old days when a good telling off or the sight of a parent, teacher or bobby meant something. We used to use the word “respect” a lot in those days. but, looking back, you know, I think it was more fear.
Take that away, and for many it’s gone completely now, and well - the results have been plain for us all to see. Those folk would call it “freedom” and “my right”, no doubt telling people like me to “take a chill pill”.
But “freedom”? That’s certainly a word to conjure with at present! I like what the Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood, had to say about it in her novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”:
“There is more than one kind of freedom," said Aunt Lydia. "Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given freedom from. Don't underrate it.”
Those people you referred to were enjoying the second kind of “freedom”. They haven’t learned that it comes at a cost - in these unimaginable circumstances - what could be a very high cost indeed.
True words P, respect is a long forgotten word now in the younger members of societys vocabulary, replaced with "what about me", us older more sensible people may see a lot more life than those that are so engrossed in the "just another day in paradise" mentality.
I have been stunned by the stupidity of people ....
It is not difficult to understand, if you don't come into contact with the virus you won't catch it ...If you don't catch it you won't need hospitalisation and our services won't become overwhelmed.
If as many people as possible observe distancing the virus can't pass to other hosts and will become depleted and eventually die out.
I dread to think what would have happened during the war had we had such a selfish population many of whom seem to totaly lacking in common sense and incaple of understanding the simplest of concepts.
That is why rationing was brought in, with one of the specific aims being to prevent hoarding. In those days most people did nor have cars and rations had to be carried home in carrier bags. A different world. Still had spivs and black market operators though. What most people don't realise is that rationing got worse immediately after the war finished and it wasn't 1953 that sweet rationing was formally lifted.
Hi Ian, I was born in 1949 and remember the tail end of rationing and utility marks on my liberty bodice
A neighbour who worked on the railway and had access to stores went to prison for black marketeering .
We seem to have many helpless people around unable to think of alternatives if the shelves are bare, I am really grateful that I grew up at a time when I learnt to cook and make a meal from nothing.
This virus got me thinking about about some senior members of a prior generation I knew that have long passed on. I remember in particular one woman who would not even touch a used book under any type of circumstances. She would wait an entire year for a particular painter she wanted to paint her house for a solid job. She lived to be a ripe old age. She carried wipes & cleaners in her purse. Would never set foot in a public restroom. At the time I didn’t understand it but now I do!
I do not believe that in normal times such behavior can be described as anything other than bordering on OCD. Our immune systems develop to counter threats. We live in symbiosis with trillions of "bugs" , bacteria , viruses and parasites. They are in our guts and on our skin and they have a job to do in balancing our health. Scientists have recently discovered that bacteria in soil make serotonin and dopamine when they get into our guts and that might be one of the reasons why gardeners are often happy people. Indeed gardening is now being prescribed for depression. How to get these soil bacteris into the gut? Eat a snack when coming in from the garden without washing your hands first. Most people would say "yuk thats disgusting" . Me I'd sooner be happy.
Hey Kyoom, It's so awful that many who will suffer will be caused by ignorance of the few. China is still fire fighting and isn't out of the woods yet, it needs world leaders to enforce action as Spain and others are, or this isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
That 's true . Here in France thousands of people have been fined in just a week of lockdown -maybe the government could use the dosh to buy more protective clothing for our health care workers. There is a shortage here too.
The Brits are not the only ones to behave selfishly, my fellow Americans have demonstrated their stupidity on a new scale the past few weeks. They too are flagrantly disregarding social distancing and isolation. The numbers are sky rocketing now with no indication of slowing down. There will be so many needless deaths (and permanent lung damage) that could have been avoided. It's a pity and a shame.
Pleased to say that we haven’t seen any thoughtless or dangerous behaviour. We walk every day, for excercise, and all the people seem to have been extremely careful about distancing and seem to be singles or small family groups. Overall, we’ve been impressed.
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