Corona Virus

Much tougher.

I'm getting rather annoyed at all the conflicting "advice".

As an example, I found myself shouting at the TV twice yesterday when the BBC news announced that "the law says you are only allowed outside the home for ............ and one form of exercise a day".

It doesn't - the law says you are allowed out to take exercise, no limit on forms, no limit on duration, no limit on number of occasions - as long as you observe such things as social distancing, etc.

Various people may be putting further spin on that*, but it isn't the law.

(* A bit like Grant Shapps yesterday announcing that you should only shop once a week, for essentials only - something that was rapidly countered by "number 10 spokespersons" )

All this stokes the kind of encounter we had yesterday.

The car has been used for only one trip a week to the supermarket. We are exercising once a day, but it can be up to three hours, all in the adjacent forest, and all walking directly from the doorstep.

Walking down a track yesterday, we were stopped by a lycra-clad road-pro-equipped middle-aged cyclo-warrior (who, ironically didn't quite keep his distance until I moved back).

We were aggressively questioned "Is that your car up there?" to which I rejoined "Why do you want to know?".

Equally aggressively, "people are driving and parking, then going walking, is it yours?" to which I rejoined "What's it got to do with you?"

"It's illegal - is it yours? I'm going round all the area taking photos of the cars" to which I rejoined, "it isn't illegal, and neither do I think that riding all round the neighborhood doing that is strictly either exercise or essential travel".

"It is illegal" getting the rejoinder, "I think you need to check both the law, and the current debate that's going on about driving for exercise - by the way, it isn't our car, we walk from home".

He started to look a bit crestfallen at that point, having bitten off more than he could chew, and rolled of, no doubt to seek another victim.

(I think the car in question was a van, belonging to a couple we later passed about our age, walking seven labradors - as long as they hadn't driven miles to get there, that looks fairly acceptable).

Over here in the supermarkets they've installed perspex screens, about 8' high, between the customers and the checkout bods. The card machines in some shops have had the limit removed, you tap your card and go, do not enter your pin or touch the device. Checkout bod passes the till receipt (if you want it) down with your items, no contact.

and mobile phones with cameras/video capability. The old east German stasi could only dream of the surveillance equipment in use today and the self appointed officers of the state.

I was never unaware that society contained a few nasty people, they have always been around. But they do seem increasingly more prepared to be vocal and visible. The impression I gain therefore, selective or otherwise, is that there are, sadly, rather more than a few of them. Certainly more than I had previously imagined.

Soshul me-ja I suppose.

Just a quick reminder on behalf of Royal Mail:

"Please keep your knockers and flaps clean, to minimise the chances of your postman catching an infection"

It's rather odd here. Watching from the balcony (and the occasional foray to the supermarket - where they are now taking everyone's temperature as you walk in) the traffic feels slightly busier despite no let up in the 'lock-down'. Pedestrians outside the town centre are still a rare sight. Lock down for us means not going more than 100m from your front door unless you have a justifiable errand (shopping, medical etc).

My father is bending the rules. His lady friend was in quarantine for 14 days when she flew in from Manchester. So she is clear of the virus, as is he/us. So most days he goes and visits avoiding everyone else. The country has a remarkably low death rate (still about 20) but a very high rate of infection in ultra-orthodox areas where they have no concept of news, radio, TV, smartphones so continue to mix and mingle as always.... Those areas may well be quarantined, when the rest of the country is slowly released.