…at least thats what it feels like.

As a permanent member of the WFH fraternity I sit in the office from where I run my global empire (spare bedroom filled with back copies of singletrack and old crap I dont need but wont throw away) everyday gazing out of my window watching the usual suspects walk the dog and pick up the kids from school.

In the last week this footfall has multiplied ten fold due to a lot of folk being off work etc. Most, I would say 70%, I do not recognise! They are people who have probably lived on this estate no doubt for donkeys years but never walk anywhere! Its amazing how much the traffic has reduced (DPD,DHL and Prime aside) and people are out wandering around. I note in other threads that all of a sudden everybody is a runner or a cyclist and here I see lots of people suddenly walking around the estate.

I hope they take notice of the fact they have legs and maybe just maybe walk to the local shop rather than driving there and back in a nanosecond.

Honestly mate, I had to go out in the van today, and the amount of people riding bikes, looking like they have never ridden a bike before was unreal.

Maybe a turning point.?

Funny how you can live somewhere and not know more than half 5he people who live within a couple of hundred yards, isn’t it.

I’ll (kind of) refrain from making the obvious comment that they shouldn’t really be outside walking much, eh…?

I work at home a couple of times a week and my wife full time, but agree, it’s a different lot of folks wandering around. And on usual off road run with the dogs there’s lots more folks than usually see out and about.

As long as people are being sensible, a walk isn’t the end of the world we can exercise remember! (I know, I know, a lot of people aren’t being sensible…)

Hopefully those walking and riding bikes for likely the first time in years will stick after all the craziness, especially in the better weather.

I rarely walk round the area where I live during the day either, as I don’t work near where I live.

I do however walk roughly 30 miles a week out of sight of my neighbours.

I’ve noticed lots of new joggers whilst out on my dog run in the FofD but far fewer dog walkers. Presumably because they don’t get as deep into the woods as runners.

Its made me realise as soon as this blows over, I’m selling the house and moving somewhere with no neighbours.

I did an early supermarket jaunt today, so we did an hour’s lunch walk in the rain.
So. Many. People.

Looking like they’ve never set foot in mud, shiny coats and white shoes. In 7 years of being in Dunblane I’ve never seen so many folk in the woods…
Tomorrow we revert the the little back lanes and quiet woods further out of town.

I hope it ‘sticks’ and folk remain out on bikes and walks, after this is all over.

Normally WFH one day a week, now WFH full time. I’ve noticed that on my usual running route, at the nromal time, there are far more people around walking dogs and walking themselves than there usually are.

Need to sort the rear wheel out on the MTB so I can get out on that at the weekend.

I’ve been doing the scone circular daily just to try and sort my head out (it isn’t working) but today was the first day I haven’t seen others (and possibly coincidentally) the first day it was raining.

There are a couple of people milling around the streets though since I’ve got home.

Was thinking much the same @matt_outandabout – although my take was that maybe I just don’t see the folk. Most of them look capable of walking. Just that often they’ll have a little walk, then a long cafe stop – or do the gym thing.

So hopefully folk realise they can get exercise, outside, and it’s free!

Funny how you can live somewhere and not know more than half 5he people who live within a couple of hundred yards, isn’t it.

In my late teens I used to joke about how little people in my neighbourhood knew or even acknowledged one another and it was bit of a commuter community for Liverpool and Manchester.

One evening I went in to town and met some friends in the pub – one introduced me to his new girlfriend. At the end of he night we all went our separate way and it turned out she got the same bus as me. Then got off at the same stop as me. We walked of in the same direction, into the same road…. and up the same drive. We’d been next door neighbours for the past 6 months.

She can’t have been much of a looker if you hadn’t noticed her before…

One evening I went in to town and met some friends in the pub – one introduced me to his new girlfriend. At the end of he night we all went our separate way and it turned out she got the same bus as me. Then got off at the same stop as me. We walked of in the same direction, into the same road…. and up the same drive.

…then she gave his guide dog a biscuit and went into her house and went to bed.

@maccruiskeen – I can go one better.

My brother spent an evening in a bar with a group of student pals, a week or so past freshers. A punk lady opposite (with shaven head) kept catching his eye, he was puzzled as to why. He thought she was from his halls. They all left, he got on bus followed by punk. They sat opposite, she kept smiling. They got off at same stop, walked into halls together, as he opened the door for her, being a gent, the punk said to him ‘Evening Tim, I was wondering how long until you worked it out….’

Our cousin Shona, last seen a couple of months earlier with long blonde hair and pretty normal clothes….! She was on same corridor as my brother, and had been for the week previous….

Its made me realise as soon as this blows over, I’m selling the house and moving somewhere with no neighbours.

Hell yeah, Iv’e been going out before 6 am, not a sole, walking back through town at 8 on the other hand, never seen so many runners in my life.

Normal dog walk lucky to see 1 person a fortnight. 23 people today.

Where have they been and where have their dogs been all this time?

I’ve got brilliant neighbours, but a shit house. That and being poor are the main reasons we’ve not moved. I’m working from home in the dining room. Never seen so many people running, walking and riding. No idea who they are or where they’ve come from. WTF did they do before?

No change near me. I was out at 08:00 for a 10k this morning and saw 1 dog walker and a van.

Less cars I suppose, but that’s all.

We have however had a number of people drive to our road in the countryside, park and then get out and walk their dogs. **** idiots.

Went for a walk with the kids on my usual 5k running route. There seems to be loads more dog shit and dog shit in bags than usual 🤔

Hell yeah, Iv’e been going out before 6 am, not a sole,

Something fishy about that…
I was tasked with going out to the local Co-op for baguettes, milk, cheese, butter and eggs, something I wouldn’t normally be doing 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon. I am, however, pretty familiar with just how busy my locality is most times of the day, three or four minutes just trying to get out of the top of my road, the road it joins used to be the A350, it joins the A4 and A420 and has fourteen roads joining it with a school, etc.
Today, there were a few people about, and some cars, but nothing at all like I’d expect on a normal sunny afternoon. Nobody I recognised, but nothing new there.
As for the shopping, the Co-op had the baguettes, cheese and butter, the Tesco Local just along the road had the milk, but neither Lidl or B&M, where my g/f works, had any bloody eggs!
Well, Lidle had one lonely box on the shelf, which was damp on the bottom when I picked it up. Eeew, not buying that.