lockdown - anyone been arrested yet?

[gbnz]

Suppose we're supposed to be staying indoors or something like that. Suppose it may make sense in a metropolis. I know one local town has a popualtion rumoured to be 2800 now and the county capital is known to have over 8000 people living in the area now.

But it does seem a bit of nonsense, given that a 3-4Hr ride, or 3-4Hr walk in empty countryside doesn't risk anyone . I know the belted galloways get a visit from the farmer, maybe once in 3-4 weeks and think it'd have been back in the 80's, saw another person on the coach road. Though the old disused railway line is packed now, I saw someone on it last week. But even so, keeping a 3-4 metre distance wasn't that difficult.

So has anyone been arrested yet, going for a ride or a walk? (Nb. Suppose I saw one of the four police car sdriving around the side roads yesterday and back in April/May, one of the cars was routinely parked up in a local laybye)

[rotavator]

The police around here catch a few people and issue fines and send them home, e.g. a woman was fined £30 for driving to the carpark at Aber so she could walk to the waterfall. In another case, some people who had driven a long way to Ogwen were found to have no UK driving licence or insurance and so they had their car impounded which is fair enough IMHO. However, I know that plenty of people are ignoring the law about not driving somewhere for exercise and there is certainly a lot more traffic on the roads than during the first lockdown.

[Mick F]

More traffic?
Much less in our experience. Far less than any of the other lockdowns.

I drove Mrs Mick F to Plymouth station yesterday. She was catching the Exeter train and then the Barnstaple one and then the No21 bus to Bideford. She's doing the return journey on Thursday, and probably repeating it each week until half term.

The roads to and from Plymouth were quiet of private cars, though the usual amount of lorries and vans were there of course.

Why was she travelling?
Because our daughter is a single parent and is a teacher, and we've formed a bubble. She does her stuff on-line and so does our grandson with his school work. He's just turned 11. Mrs Mick F was a primary school teaching assistant for many years before retiring, so it fits in well for her to supervise grandson whilst daughter concentrates on her pupils.

We are very much aware that Mrs Mick F could get challenged on the train and the bus, but she is entitled to travel by dint of her "bubble" and teaching abilities.

As it happens, no-one challenged her. She's said that the trains and the bus were very quiet and sparsely used.

[merseymouth]

Yo, Don't know about anyone being arrested during this crisis, but there are certainly many in solitary confinement! MM

[Audax67]

During our last lockdown I heard of at least one idiot getting 6 months in jail for repeatedly flouting the regulations.

Our next lockdown will probably be announced tomorrow.

[rjb]

More traffic?
Much less in our experience. Far less than any of the other lockdowns.

I drove Mrs Mick F to Plymouth station yesterday. She was catching the Exeter train and then the Barnstaple one and then the No21 bus to Bideford. She's doing the return journey on Thursday, and probably repeating it each week until half term.

The roads to and from Plymouth were quiet of private cars, though the usual amount of lorries and vans were there of course.

Why was she travelling?
Because our daughter is a single parent and is a teacher, and we've formed a bubble. She does her stuff on-line and so does our grandson with his school work. He's just turned 11. Mrs Mick F was a primary school teaching assistant for many years before retiring, so it fits in well for her to supervise grandson whilst daughter concentrates on her pupils.

We are very much aware that Mrs Mick F could get challenged on the train and the bus, but she is entitled to travel by dint of her "bubble" and teaching abilities.

As it happens, no-one challenged her. She's said that the trains and the bus were very quiet and sparsely used.

That's a long way around to get to Bideford, 3 sides of a square could she have gone more direct via Tavistock, Okehampton and Bideford on Barbarella.

[gbnz]

certainly a lot more traffic on the roads than during the first lockdown.

+ 1, the roads having been empty last April and May, whereas not far off normal traffic levels at present. With the fortunate exception of a main A Road to Scotland yesterday! Gave a fantastic ride over the moors for several miles, 3-4 HGV's, otherwise virtually empty.

[Psamathe]

certainly a lot more traffic on the roads than during the first lockdown.

As I understand it that is because the current lockdown is somewhat laxer than the Spring lockdown. Far more jobs defines as key workers and/or permitted (e.g. Dog Groomers, Estate Agents, etc.). So schools who are only taking kids of key workers are reporting classes over half full. More types of shop permitted to be open. All whilst a far more easily spread virus is sweeping through the country massively overloading the NHS.

Experts appearing on TV news report that compliance with rules/regs is actually very high (90% is the normally quoted figure in such reports) and that also say that everywhere is much busier and they say that's because it's a laxer lockdown.
https://www.channel4.com/news/the-problem-is-not-the-public-the-problem-is-the-lack-of-effective-measures-to-deal-with-this-pandemic-prof-stephen-reicher from 1:25 into video. "5 times an many children back in schools, twice as many people back at work..."

Ian

[Mick F]

That's a long way around to get to Bideford, 3 sides of a square could she have gone more direct via Tavistock, Okehampton and Bideford on Barbarella.

Yeah, you tell HER that!
50miles to Bideford from here.
I've done it a couple of times .............. but on Mercian!

[Mick F]

certainly a lot more traffic on the roads than during the first lockdown.

+ 1, the roads having been empty last April and May, whereas not far off normal traffic levels at present.

Isn't that odd?

Far far FAR more quieter here now. Very noticeable indeed.
Walking the dog this afternoon (in the rain) and came up through the village without a vehicle to be seen. Normally, the A390 through Gunnislake is teeming with traffic.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.52319 ... 312!8i6656

The previous two lockdowns the traffic decreased of course (especially the first one) but nowhere near as quiet as it is now.

Back in the old days, we lived at the top of the hill. Just here. No3 on the right. The petrol station back then was a small concern and closed at 5pm and all day on a Sunday.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.51604 ... 312!8i6656
By 9pm the road was silent. You could sit crossed legs in the middle of the road without a single vehicle being about.
That was 35years ago and traffic has increased horrendously nowadays, but during this lockdown, you could almost do it again.

[Jdsk]

There is objective data about activity, eg:


https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1353371977881440258

Jonathan

[gbnz]

+ 1, the roads having been empty last April and May, whereas not far off normal traffic levels at present.

Isn't that odd?

Far far FAR more quieter here now. Very noticeable indeed.n.

True. But I do live in an unsual place

It's a compact, incredibly picturesque, incredibly historic town, adjacent to moorlands, salmon breeding rivers, 3-4 miles from a stunning coastline. But with perhaps 70% of the population in the very, very, very, very lowest socio economic grouping and 30% towards the top (Nb. In 1981, perhaps 90/10 divide. Have to admit, the reason why such a town has an exceptionally post industrial population, has never been understood )

It was notable back in April, the huge numbers of people, doing what they were told and staying indoors. Obviously living your life based on the cuuncil and payments, ensures compliance. Whilst incredibly carefully, devising ways to smoke around the face masks, have the odd swig of lager at the bus stop, whilst signing the cuuncil or job forms, whilst staying indoors all the time (Nb. As they were told to). But now, they've realized that they can ignore it (Nb. One of the reasons why infection rates locally, are the worst in the UK!)

[Oldjohnw]

I can't help wondering who all these people are who are travelling around the world and coming to Heathrow from S America and S Africa, apparently in their thousands.

I am not able to travel to my next nearest village which is just across the border.

[thirdcrank]

On the matter of road traffic levels, I don't think that counting the numbers of vehicles or journeys describes the whole picture, especially when looked at from the POV of an individual road user. Fewer vehicles allows those that are on the road to be driven faster: apart from enforcement cameras, congestion now seems to be the principle factor controlling traffic speeds.

I would explain this by my previously posted view that road space is an economic good. The amount of road space occupied by a car is largely defined by its speed. A stationary car occupies its own dimensions + a bit for the possibility of the driver carelessly setting off a a door being opened. A moving vehicle occupies its running lane and an area in front roughly defined by its stopping distance at that speed. So, careful pedestrians and cyclists have considerable freedom of movement on an admittedly unpleasant gridlocked road, but very light traffic travelling at high speed curtails their freedom of movement.

I'm particularly thinking of pedestrians trying to observe social distancing. Around here at least, during the first lockdown it was quite easy to step out into the carriageway and even nip across to the other side of the road to maintain social distancing in spite of the apparent increase in the numbers of people out walking eg permitted exercise. With the passage of time that's become increasingly difficult because of the combination of inappropriate traffic speed and increasing traffic levels.

[Mick F]

Not like that round here.
Very very quiet indeed. Quieter during the day than ever perhaps.

We live about 400yds (as the crow flies) from Gunnislake Hill, and usually we can hear the traffic. Almost silent now except for the odd lorry.