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Non-essential shopping ?


Observer II

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Another fuss over Police threatening to check for "non-essential" items being bought by shoppers.  Suppose everyone will have a different opinion on what is or isn't "essential",  more to the point would be imo, is your journey to the shops essential.  If your out buying your weekly shop, and the stores are selling stuff, I guess you should be able to buy it, providing it's part of your food shop.  If the idea is to stop people buying non-essentials, just ban their sale.  Seems the crime isn't buying a "non-essential", but leaving your home for the sole purpose of buying it.  😷

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We were sat in the front garden a couple of nights ago talking to the next door neighbours,all at a safe distance ,& their kids were playing out in the street. After about half an hour the police turned up ,we had been reported for having a party. ,The police were satisfied nothing untoward was going on & left, only for another car to turn up 5 minutes later on the same matter. A bit over the top considering they are neglecting potentially serious crime to visit residents.

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I'm not really calling plod Dave, they've got a difficulty interpreting vague edicts from HMG.   From numerous cases of some people leaving lock down cos they're bored or holding house parties etc; there a clearly a minority of selfish willfull idiots, who don't give a toss for anyone else and how many they infect and ultimately kill.   Like most crime, it's this minority who require draconian policing and penalties.   😷

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1 hour ago, Observer II said:

I'm not really calling plod Dave, they've got a difficulty interpreting vague edicts from HMG.   From numerous cases of some people leaving lock down cos they're bored or holding house parties etc; there a clearly a minority of selfish willfull idiots, who don't give a toss for anyone else and how many they infect and ultimately kill.   Like most crime, it's this minority who require draconian policing and penalties.   😷

Er no, the vague edicts of government ministers are not law. The Health Protection (Coronavirus,Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 are law and that is what they can enforce not the re-interpretation by the government or the MSM. The police have less discretion than they seem to want to think they have. If a shop is lawfully open you can buy anything they will sell you. If you don't leave your home you do not commit an offence:

6.—(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need—

(a) to obtain basic necessities, including food and medical supplies for those in the same household (including any pets or animals in the household) or for vulnerable persons and supplies for the essential upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household, or the household of a vulnerable person, or to obtain money, including from any business listed in Part 3 of Schedule 2; …...

[ Note - the includes word underlined that tells you what must be taken as reasonable excuses - it means that there other things that can be reasonable and that is where the police can exercise discretion but not over the things which statute law actually says are reasonable. Also, basic necessities is really difficult to define.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), the place where a person is living includes the premises where they live together with any garden, yard, passage, stair, garage, outhouse or other appurtenance  of such premises.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Davy51 said:

I believe daily exercise is a reasonable excuse to leave your abode as is tending to the needs of a vulnerable person.

They are indeed Davy, That is they are declared reasonable by statute.

Look here for the regulations and click on section 6, restrictions on movement.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/350/contents/made

Also see this - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-garden-lockdown-rules-south-yorkshire-police-rotherham-a9459146.html

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People as a whole have common sense, people as individuals tend not to.

Where the problem lies is in peoples interpretation of the rules/guidelines. What is deemed essential to an alcoholic is different from what is deemed essential to a drug addict.

Another one is the leaving the house once a day to go shopping. If i go to tesco for a "big shop" and then get back home to find i have forgotten to buy Milk am i breaking the guidelines if i then go to my local corner shop to buy the milk there?

exercise is another grey area for people. Mainly because it something that they have never probably thought about prior to the lock down. "oh we must get out and exercise once a day according to the guidelines" this from people who probably never left the house once a week prior to this.

Politicians are a different breed, common sense and politicians is not easy to get into a sentence unless you precede "common sense" with "total lack of"...🧐

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As some tire  of lock down, pressures will grow to end it.  The problem is, until they can test people quickly and in large numbers, to see who has had the virus and who is still at risk;  any relaxation could see a resurgence in spread.  Seems the idea emerging is to release those who test positive to surviving an infection and possibly issue an infection free passport, thus allowing them back to work and allow for some economic resuscitation, this then raises ethical arguments, by some, of a two tier society.   Other options such as the release of the younger population with more chance of survival, would allow the gradual gathering of herd immunity.   The problem is, that unless and until a vaccine or anti-viral treatment is made available; the infection will continue and thus social distancing will be required.  So it looks like we're in for at least 12 months of this - so let's grin and bear it.       😷

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I get plenty of exercise just by drinking coffee.

my computer room is the back bedroom upstairs.

the kitchen is downstairs.

so every time i have a cup of coffee i have to go down stairs to get it and then back up again.

Mrs sid insist on a hot drink at least every hour.

So if i get up at six and go back to bed at ten that night i will have been  up and down the stairs around sixteen times.

My stairs are very steep, Sherpas use them to practice their climbing skills.

If i need fresh air i can open a window or take the rubbish to the bin....🤭

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