19th July Lockdown Easing - Observations and Compliance

[island]

Been getting the train from quite remote stations such as Southease, Winchelsea and Doleham. BTP were on the train at Southease asking people to mask up as the train was full and standing but not many people listened.

They are just as entitled to ask as you or I (and just as able to do anything about people who refuse as you or I).

 

[Smidster]

I had a really good day at Leeds Festival yesterday (aside from losing my phone but that is my own fault for jumping around like an idiot)

As you would expect it was a very "normal" experience - just lots of people having a good time watching music in a field. You don't buy a ticket to one of these events if you remain significantly concerned about Covid and that is fine.

The "Covid-Pass" element is a total joke - When you can just scan the thing and declare it negative I doubt I was the only one to not take it particularly seriously. Obviously that workaround will go away when we have Vaccine Passports but we all know the problems with that (not least by this time next summer we are probably on jab 4 to be "clean")

It is very likely there will be an increase in cases and you will no doubt read about the "Leeds / Reading Surge" but I would expect more people got actually got injured doing normal festival things or were doing stupid things with drugs.

I remain very comfortable with my choice - I put myself in a "high risk" environment but life is for living (a fact I have learned far too late in it!)

Of course now we have the ridiculous situation that I can be in that setting on Saturday but it is still so dangerous I can't go to the office on Tuesday unless we take 50% of desks out / only have 2 people in a meeting room etc.

When travelling the city itself seemed pretty normal though you do see the split between demographic groups - Interestingly there didn't look to be a massive difference between the Festival crowd and the Cricket crowd watching the Test at Headingley.

Will be interesting to see what happens next, especially if there are moves toward reimposing restrictions - You do start to get the impression that more and more people are ready to put the last 18 months behind them.

p.s. I do wish people would stop saying things are good / bad - People will go at their own pace and just like you wouldn't want them to tell you what to do it isn't your place to make a judgement on what someone else is doing.

 

[nlogax]

p.s. I do wish people would stop saying things are good / bad - People will go at their own pace and just like you wouldn't want them to tell you what to do it isn't your place to make a judgement on what someone else is doing.

Yes, absolutely this. While it's nice to see a move back towards pre pandemic ways people should be free to readjust in their own time.

 

[RPI]

Yes, absolutely this. While it's nice to see a move back towards pre pandemic ways people should be free to readjust in their own time.

Yes definitely, gradually people will become more comfortable step by step, its happening now day by day.

 

[greyman42]

Been getting the train from quite remote stations such as Southease, Winchelsea and Doleham. BTP were on the train at Southease asking people to mask up as the train was full and standing but not many people listened.

What did that have to do with the police?

 

[Pete_uk]

From the comfort of my sofa I watched the British Touring Car Championship from Thruxton on Sunday. After the first race I noticed none of the drivers were wearing face masks as they had done previously.
In fact, of the hundreds of people who would have appeared on screen the only face covering I saw was a doctor checking on a driver after a crash.

 

[317 forever]

Was in a Tesco in Bournemouth town centre earlier. From what I could see whilst I was in there, not a single mask wearer! Excellent!

On the train back to Bristol, easily at least 90 percent not wearing masks! Excellent!

The tide is very much turning it seems!

Coincidentally I had a bus trip around Bournemouth & Poole on Saturday. You might have frowned had you seen me, as I did wear my mask on the buses.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

The restaurant in my workplace had large round ‘please sit here’ stickers on the ends of rectangular tables, encouraging diners to face each other and not sit on the longer sides of said tables.
An overzealous manager with a newly-awarded ‘Safety Lead’ role would berate anyone not adhering to the rules, if he saw them.
I brought in a tape measure, and, as I suspected, the tables are not 2m wide, they are 1.64m.
The signs mysteriously vanished shortly after !

 

[DelayRepay]

An overzealous manager with a newly-awarded ‘Safety Lead’ role would berate anyone not adhering to the rules, if he saw them.

I am familiar with such people. Whilst I am sure the majority are doing their best to understand the many and various rules and guidelines, I suspect some have waited their whole life for the opportunity to wear a special badge and/or hi-viz jacket and boss other people around.

Those who used to stand in the entrance of shops and restaurants explaining the rules were similar. Thankfully they're mostly gone now.

 

[Bantamzen]

I am familiar with such people. Whilst I am sure the majority are doing their best to understand the many and various rules and guidelines, I suspect some have waited their whole life for the opportunity to wear a special badge and/or hi-viz jacket and boss other people around.

Those who used to stand in the entrance of shops and restaurants explaining the rules were similar. Thankfully they're mostly gone now.

The worst example of the staff member at the door explaining the rules was a shoe shop in central Leeds. Not only were numbers restricted in store, but seemingly you had to use the one way system, and if I heard correctly as I past also request permission to pick up a shoe to look at. I've no idea if you were allowed to commit foot crime and actually try them on for size though...

 

[DustyBin]

I’m on a T&W Metro train at present and easily 95% of passengers are wearing masks. It’s not particularly busy, there are very few standing passengers. I don’t normally travel at this time, it’s maybe a regular “rush hour” commuter thing? The daft thing is that there are no windows open at all, surely ventilation is more important?!

 

[Ianno87]

I’m on a T&W Metro train at present and easily 95% of passengers are wearing masks. It’s not particularly busy, there are very few standing passengers. I don’t normally travel at this time, it’s maybe a regular “rush hour” commuter thing? The daft thing is that there are no windows open at all, surely ventilation is more important?!

Yes, definitely more likely to be mask wearers if you're a regular commuter. Also people travelling for leisure earlier in the day (rather than folks who roll out of bed later on)

 

[DustyBin]

In contrast to the Metro, I’m now on a fairly lightly loaded Azuma service and mask wearing is precisely 0%. No announcements about masks either so far!

 

[NorthOxonian]

I’m on a T&W Metro train at present and easily 95% of passengers are wearing masks. It’s not particularly busy, there are very few standing passengers. I don’t normally travel at this time, it’s maybe a regular “rush hour” commuter thing? The daft thing is that there are no windows open at all, surely ventilation is more important?!

It's worth noting that masks are still (at least in theory) mandated on the Metro. Or at least they were pushing hard for that. So that may have some impact.

95% is higher than what I've ever seen - when I've been on the Metro it's been more like 70-80%. But I was using it off peak, and either in the Sunderland area or near the centre of Newcastle. I can imagine that peak time mask usage would be much higher - especially on some parts of the network (the Yellow line around Tynemouth and Whitley Bay comes to mind based on the local demographics).

Usage on local buses does seem to be much lower - it's probably about 40% on average though again that depends massively on the route and the areas served.

 

[DustyBin]

It's worth noting that masks are still (at least in theory) mandated on the Metro. Or at least they were pushing hard for that. So that may have some impact.

95% is higher than what I've ever seen - when I've been on the Metro it's been more like 70-80%. But I was using it off peak, and either in the Sunderland area or near the centre of Newcastle. I can imagine that peak time mask usage would be much higher - especially on some parts of the network (the Yellow line around Tynemouth and Whitley Bay comes to mind based on the local demographics).

Usage on local buses does seem to be much lower - it's probably about 40% on average though again that depends massively on the route and the areas served.

I’ve never seen it this high but again I don’t generally travel by Metro at this time. I was actually on the coast loop as it happens.

 

[Philip]

Virtue-signaling was rife and a problem well before the pandemic started, any virtue-signaling is more just typical human behaviour of the modern world rather than something brought about as a result of the media and government responses to the pandemic.

 

[Bantamzen]

Virtue-signaling was rife and a problem well before the pandemic started, any virtue-signaling is more just typical human behaviour of the modern world rather than something brought about as a result of the media and government responses to the pandemic.

Has anyone suggested otherwise? The very term was first used before the pandemic by a journalist so I think we all know that it is not covid-specific. However a lot of people have been virtue signalling, particularly on social media. Profile pictures showing their mask compliance, "Save the NHS" banners over said profile pictures, telling anyone that will listen that they are going outside "but social distancing of course". The list goes on, these are just som examples of pewanting to be seen as virtuous at every opportunity.

 

[Merseysider]

First day back at the workplace today (school) after the summer holiday. We started with a whole-staff briefing in the hall, so 200+ in attendance. Seats all placed 1m apart, so some effort at distancing had taken place, but what I found surprising was the lack of masks. I counted just 6 members of staff wearing a mask, and at least one removed theirs pretty swiftly, possibly uneasy about standing out, I don’t know. Refreshing to slowly be getting back to normal.

When the pupils return next week I do expect masks to persist at maybe 20% - some will of course have worries, want to take precautions or they’ll have instructions from their parents.

 

[Philip]

Has anyone suggested otherwise? The very term was first used before the pandemic by a journalist so I think we all know that it is not covid-specific. However a lot of people have been virtue signalling, particularly on social media. Profile pictures showing their mask compliance, "Save the NHS" banners over said profile pictures, telling anyone that will listen that they are going outside "but social distancing of course". The list goes on, these are just som examples of pewanting to be seen as virtuous at every opportunity.

Yes, but people seem to be implying this virtue-signaling is a new craze brought on by lockdowns and general government messaging and social media coverage of it. In reality any kind of big news or a big talking point will bring out the virtue-signaling in people. Also the coverage of some people's behaviour during all of this probably makes other people keen to be seen to be 'doing the right thing'.

 

[Bantamzen]

Yes, but people seem to be implying this virtue-signaling is a new craze brought on by lockdowns and general government messaging and social media coverage of it. In reality any kind of big news or a big talking point will bring out the virtue-signaling in people. Also the coverage of some people's behaviour during all of this probably makes other people keen to be seen to be 'doing the right thing'.

Nobody is implying that. People are simply observing what is happening, i.e virtue signalling has gone through the roof during the pandemic. And people keen to be seen doing the "right thing" (whatever that is) are virtue signalling.

 

[johntea]

I've been out and about this week and found things perfectly pleasant and normal but due to the 'remains' you do get a constant reminder of things!

Manchester Piccadilly for example still has massive signs above the doors marking them as 'EXIT ONLY' and 'ENTRANCE ONLY' which of course nobody (rightly so) were taking any notice of

Not sure whatever ended up happening with the whole idea that they were still going to enforce mask wearing on Metrolink but there didn't seem to be much indication this was the case so I'm assuming that idea was quietly dropped, for some reason some trams in Sheffield still have areas sealed off for staff use only though!

 

[greyman42]

Also the coverage of some people's behaviour during all of this probably makes other people keen to be seen to be 'doing the right thing'.

What sort of behaviour are you referring to?

 

[Philip]

What sort of behaviour are you referring to?

People panic buying at the start of all this; people holding house parties last year when it was clearly stated this wasn't allowed; people not wearing face coverings in places they should have been when mandated (despite how effective they may or not have been). The media coverage of these examples pushed some people towards wanting to let others know that they were complying with the rules.

 

[VauxhallandI]

People panic buying at the start of all this; people holding house parties last year when it was clearly stated this wasn't allowed; people not wearing face coverings in places they should have been when mandated (despite how effective they may or not have been). The media coverage of these examples pushed some people towards wanting to let others know that they were complying with the rules.

What people fail to realise that these incidents were a tiny drop in the ocean. The media played it out to be on such a large scale and that it was responsible for all the ills of the situation. When in fact it was a tiny minority of 67m people and made absolutely ZERO difference to the spread of the virus.

The fact that people are so easily lead is quite remark-able

 

[Philip]

Manchester Piccadilly for example still has massive signs above the doors marking them as 'EXIT ONLY' and 'ENTRANCE ONLY' which of course nobody (rightly so) were taking any notice of

Regardless of the reasoning, if signs are instructing passengers where to enter and where to exit the station, then people should still be following them. It is a bit petty to deliberately ignore and go against signage, particularly in a very busy place like this.

 

[DustyBin]

People panic buying at the start of all this; people holding house parties last year when it was clearly stated this wasn't allowed; people not wearing face coverings in places they should have been when mandated (despite how effective they may or not have been). The media coverage of these examples pushed some people towards wanting to let others know that they were complying with the rules.

For what must be the first time in this subforum I actually agree with you! Although why people feel the need to demonstrate what good compliant little citizens they are is beyond me....

 

[Philip]

What people fail to realise that these incidents were a tiny drop in the ocean. The media played it out to be on such a large scale and that it was responsible for all the ills of the situation. When in fact it was a tiny minority of 67m people and made absolutely ZERO difference to the spread of the virus.

The fact that people are so easily lead is quite remark-able

Well nonetheless this small minority of people are partly responsible for the increase in virtual signaling we've seen.

 

[NorthKent1989]

Regardless of the reasoning, if signs are instructing passengers where to enter and where to exit the station, then people should still be following them. It is a bit petty to deliberately ignore and go against signage, particularly in a very busy place like this.

Not sure if you’re referring to last year or where we are now, but why though? We’re not in restrictions any longer, it’s not petty it’s common sense, how long must we follow the rules for? Covid will be around forever no amount of signages and rules is ever going to change that.

 

[Philip]

Why though? We’re not in restrictions any longer, it’s not petty it’s common sense, how long must we follow the rules for? Covid will be around forever no amount of signages and rules is ever going to change that.

How do you know the signage is still there for covid reasons? It could have been deliberately been kept in place because it has resulted in a better flow of the movement of people through the station. Not following the signage could confuse other passengers or make things more difficult for staff there, so the best thing is to follow it until taken down.

 

[greyman42]

Not sure if you’re referring to last year or where we are now, but why though? We’re not in restrictions any longer, it’s not petty it’s common sense, how long must we follow the rules for? Covid will be around forever no amount of signages and rules is ever going to change that.

Completely agree with you but some people seem to want rules and restrictions to carry on.