@chickenman – being venerable is neither an indicator of your potential Covid risk, or of your age😉

On a serious note your 5 year hypothesis is utter shite. What about people with pre-existing medical conditions with a life expectancy of 15 yrs?

So, after a nice and dry weekend, is there any lockdown anymore ? I have been playing by the rules and today had my weekly carers trip to my mum’s, she’s 88 and on her own, in our bubble, over on the west side of Renfrewshire.

Roads were mobbed, local RSPB car park and lochside roads (Lochwinnoch) rammed with car and hordes of folk…

I yesterday did a 28 mile back road and gravel ride loop from home and was stunned by the number of large groups of riders on the road and once into Whitelee Windfarm, the big groups of families all stoating about in groups of 6-20 plus…

Seems like the majority seem to think it’s all over now..

All pretty quiet here. We were out for a 12 mile walk and saw four cyclists (two pairs), two dog-walkers and a solo walker.

Iainc, it was really busy here today next to the canal in bishopbriggs. Loads of people floating about, big groups of cyclists, runners and dog walkers.
Been quiet most of the week, but today was dire.

Seems like the majority seem to think it’s all over now..

Drove past a small park near me this afternoon. There’s a small basketball ball court in it. There were maybe 40+ people on the court doing god knows what. I said to the missus at the time “I guess lockdown is over?”

I was tidying up in my garden and I heard lots of motorcyclists making their essential trips to the supermarkets :rolleyes:

there have been alot more people out and about for about a month or so , but the cases and hospital admissions are still dropping, maybe its a good thing , people getting about over a spread of time rather than all at once , but thats only if cases hospital admission and deaths continue to drop,
the fact that young kids have been allowed to mingle throughout is also good as going back to school will hopefully not create a big rise

I suspect some folk in Scotland are taking their advice from Westminster not holyrood given the relative prominence in the media

coupl eof my pals have been out on motorbikes. Again risk low but they are **** covidiots

Did boris not mention the economy basically needing to open back up as it couldnt keep going the way its been going , or did i read that somewhere? . if thats true regardless of what we do it will have to go on the same timeframe , with furlough ending and not being able to close the border between us. mentioning specific dates was ridiculous .
i feel sorry for the a/e services on the 21st of june

The drop in Scottish hospital cases is now off the chart

Down a whopping 61 to 837 – one of the biggest overnight drops of the second wave

Forecasters did not expect cases to be this low until the end of March

The NHS battle against Covid is now a month ahead of schedule pic.twitter.com/Dgm6RQUOD6

— Mark McLaughlin (@mark_mclaughlin) February 28, 2021

^^^^ here’s hoping that’s the way it will go. I get my jab on Wednesday so I can go ride anywhere after that…

Just had a bit of a debate with two of my pals who have been out riding motorbikes. these are two highly intelligent professional people. they both were under the impression that the LA+ 5 miles meant it was OK to ride their motorbikes within that limitation. I do think genuine error but FFS folks.

Just had a bit of a debate with two of my pals who have been out riding motorbikes. these are two highly intelligent professional people. they both were under the impression that the LA+ 5 miles meant it was OK to ride their motorbikes within that limitation. I do think genuine error but FFS folks.

It is legal for them to do so

It is legal for them to do so

As long as they’re leaving home for an essential purpose

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/

I can’t see going for a blast on motorbikes qualifying as exercise?

Its clearly against the law – not just the guidance

You can only leave home for an essential reason.

It is legal for them to do so

only allowed the 5 mile thing for exercise. Riding a motorbike is not exercise nor is it essential unless they really have to make the journey.

Genuine mistake from these guys ( perhaps fuelled by a bit of wishful thinking)

Guess this question has already been asked a few times in the last 80 pages, but is there any hope of me (oxfordshire) being allowed on to Mull for 2 weeks in May? Postponed holiday from last May, reality is gradually sinking in that it’s unlikely to happen

only allowed the 5 mile thing for exercise. Riding a motorbike is not exercise nor is it essential unless they really have to make the journey

And yet provided the pop into a shop during their ride and pick up a pint of milk, all is fine and legal…

We all, as a society need to give People some slack – in the central belt, we’ve been in effect locked down since October. Folk going for an occasional local ride on the motorbikes isn’t going to cause any societal harm and to the rider, will provide some well needed feel good factor. Its not as if they were having a house party with 40 folk or doing a quick lap of the nc500 for goodness sakes!

Its been a long, grim, lonely winter and we all need to grab some happiness where we can within the spirit of the law. Petty name calling isn’t doing any good whatsoever to anyone.

50/50 I would say ( edit – to rapid rob)

I think we will open up in May – will that be open enough for you early enough? dubious. IMO its not no chance but it not certain

Self contained self catering opened up earlier last time

Scruff – I sort of agree which is why I said to them ” I understand its low risk” and also did not go off on one at them as I did to another pal a few months ago but just pointed out it was breaching the law

50/50 I would say ( edit – to rapid rob)

I think we will open up in May – will that be open enough for you early enough? dubious. IMO its not no chance but it not certain

Self contained self catering opened up earlier last time

I’m looking at this from the other angle – someone with a holiday property. Actually not quite – we are buying from a relative with a mortgage. We are attempting to time the purchase so that we are not faced with too many months of repayments without income.

My hunch is open for May but arguably not for people from higher level areas and that might mean all of England. And the overseas market will be dried up for the season. I think we’ll look to be up and running again for June or maybe July to catch the school holidays. My sense is that the older tourists, despite being all vaccinated by then, are going to be the most nervous to return to normal.

Further to my pal and the motorbike ride. He posted it up on facebook. He is in a profession where a prosecution for anything will get you suspended and possibly sacked so leaving an admission of law breaking in the public domain could ( unlikely but could) put him in professional trouble.

Aye tj intelligence and common sense rarely go hand in hand!

The amount of sensible people I’ve seen posting pics of rule breaking on social media is incredible.
I just ignore it now and concern myself with keeping my own family safe!

I do think it was a genuine mistake.

With regards the ignoring of low risk activities. That may be fine on an individual level but millions of people doing something that’s low risk surely has an effect add in a few being high risk and a densely populated area suddenly has a problem.

I’d say folk in Scot borders and Highlands are probably doing the same but the lower density population does make a difference to how low risk and transmission interact.

Very busy weekend here – but then it has been pretty busy all the way through the ice and snow too.

We too have been finding places away from folk to go, and I too think we need to somehow find a balance of what is ‘necessary’ outdoor exercise. We have climbed hills, which require a 5-10 mile drive to get to, we have cycled from places that also needed a drive. Friday we drove to get to exercise, early and away from folk.

Saturday and Sunday we stayed local – and particularly Sunday I was really stressed by how many people there were out on the paths and roads. We were close to hundreds of people – compared to Friday’s short drive that took us away from people and saw us pass maybe 12 people on bikes and a few walking to the Co-Op in Aberfoyle, in 50km…

I hope I am not falling foul of rule No.1.

The beach near me is hoochin most weekends, with plenty of moaning in the FB group.

I saw a recent Channel 4 video where an Edinburgh Professor of epidemiology said there was no evidence of any outbreaks from beaches.

Given how close and static people are on that beach, I am pretty reassured that outdoors is very low risk.

I am pretty reassured that outdoors is very low risk.

This does seem to be the message – I have just updated our work guidance (outdoor learning) based on World Health Organisation, European and American CDC, plus some other research. It seems thinks like the huge black lives matter protests in US (and many other example events) didn’t actually lead to any spikes at all – despite thousands cramming into outdoor spaces together.

Given how close and static people are on that beach, I am pretty reassured that outdoors is very low risk.

I’ve been softening my position on this – if only to stop myself disappearing up my own backside in middle aged grumpy old man funk. Friends who like me enjoy a good swim in a loch but unlike me are posting on FB of their travels to lochs 1hr 30mins+ away because they are bored of the one 10mins from their homes that is equally deserted. Or those ‘exercising’ on the beach – someone should have told all these Olympians and TdeF cyclists they have been doing it wrong and sitting in the dunes drinking a coffee with friends was equally valid – it would have saved them a load of hassle and pain.

Nope – feels like the moment we need to add more outdoor liberty and day trips to exercise into the can do list. Otherwise law abiding and covid cautious people are doing it already. Surely once people feel they are breaking the guidelines a bit it is easier to break them a lot. Make them feel they are off the naughty step and we might hold the line on meetings in houses etc where the real damage is done.

Pretty relaxed seeing people out in parks & socializing outside as weather improves w/sunny days. We know outdoor transmission is minimal and the benefits of getting fresh air and exercise are huge. As long as some distance is kept (1-2m) esp from those breathing hard (runners).

— Prof. Devi Sridhar (@devisridhar) March 1, 2021

Make them feel they are off the naughty step and we might hold the line on meetings in houses etc where the real damage is done.

I was saying this yesterday. Better to let folk meet outside than force them to do it surreptitiously indoors.

I drove the 30mins or so over to Roseisle beach on Saturday and while the car park seemed pretty full, the beach had folk well spread out and it seemed relatively empty. Maybe they were all having picnics in the dunes 😉
Went the other way yesterday up to Glenlivet trails with the boys and it was pretty dead, nobody when we arrived and only about 5 other vehicles by the time we left. Glorious day for it.

Given how quickly the numbers are going down, I find it hard to get too upset about what other people are doing.

15-30km to nearest (empty) hills all the way through, and as we are constantly being told so are other people. Normally you see few tyre tracks or people in the Lammermuirs although Gravel has changed that. Now I find myself passing folk occasionally if on the bike and rarely if walking. So yes there are more of us out there, but what an improvement to the old 8km which in my case is nearly all sea with the land bit now suffering from some aggressive Get Orf Moi Land illegality.

Hope the good weather keeps up. The virus made a bit of a comeback in the snow time. Need maximum encouragement to get folk out… worked last year.

Hope the good weather keeps up. The virus made a bit of a comeback in the snow time. Need maximum encouragement to get folk out… worked last year.

I definitely agree with this!

Aye tj intelligence and common sense rarely go hand in hand!

Who would like to try to put the punctuation in the right place in this sentence?

Went in to a bothy on Saturday for a walk with the dog. At 4pm there was a party ongoing. Six or seven guys from Glasgow with a landrover parked outside, boombox, crates of lager, vodka, Buckie, and cannabis. Friendly enough but I didn’t linger too long. Drunk at 4pm could end in tears after a few more hours drinking.

When I got back to my car I noticed the gate was now padlocked. I’d asked the driver if he had a key but he just said the gate was never locked. Might have been stuck if the forestry guys working on Saturday had Sunday off.

That would be really funny but they’d probably destroy something to get out of there

Who would like to try to put the punctuation in the right place in this sentence?

naughty!

This is TJ 2.0, not the original firebrand TJ 1.0 😉

A bothy reachable by car – surely some kind of oxymoron!