UK lockdown remains in place for at least three more weeks, government confirms - and you can still go out cycling

LOL

Every news site in england I've read has comments about one hour of exercise, 30 mins of cycling, once a day, you can only walk/run/cycle, you can't go more than 2 miles from home, cyclists should be shot on sight (well I'm sure that's what they are thinking).

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:

The longer this goes on, the more complicated the rules seem to become. Understandably so, I guess, as more situations arise, but I don't feel a lot of confidence in the police's ability to understand and fairly-apply laws even as it is. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/16/driving-for-exercise-allow... ...has me wondering whether cycling somewhere in order to get off and go for a walk is also allowed?

I talked to a copper on a bike, in a park yesterday. He said he basically did what his supervising officer said to do. If anyone kicked off too much about his 'engagement' he'd get on to the supervising officer, to check, then go for 'encouraging' the person(s) to do as they were asked, and only go to 'enforcement' if the person(s) were obviously not 'encouraged' to go away.

ktache wrote:

The National Police Chiefs Council has released a document outlining what they believe to be a "resonable excuse" to leave the place where you live.

https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constit...

Under Exercise and in the Likely to be reasonable column is "Exercising more than once per day - the only relevant consideration is whether repeated exercise on the same day can be considered a ‘reasonable excuse’ for leaving home."

Bit disappointing that they needed to issue this really.  As with many things, the test should be 'are you taking the p!ss?'  Going out for an hour or two's ride, self-supported, on your own: fine.  Riding a 600km? don't take the p!ss.  Hopping in the car for five minutes to go and walk somewhere quiet: fine.  Driving for two hours to the beach or preferred Instabeauty spot: don't take the p!ss.

It shouldn't be about the letter of the law.  If at any time you think you're pushing the spirit of what's allowed, imagine the people coughing and dying without their friends and family in your local ICU and the staff putting themselves at risk to care for those people, and go home.

Sadly, as countless people have proved on countless occasions, there's alwasy someone that either doesn't care or is too stupid to know better. See any CV story in the press about how families have been stopped in their camper vans from rocking up to a beach in Cornwall having driven down from the Midlands...

I agree that the messaging has been a bit half-arsed and random - the STAY HOME! adverts don't tie in with the "but you can leave your house for this, that, the other and well maybe a few other things too".

Ultimately,. it's intended to address the issue that many people, especially in cities, might have no option but to drive a short distance out to the suburbs to get a walk in a quiet part but at what point does that change to a day out mountain biking in the Lake District?

I don't think it's meant for "us".  More so that police forces and individual constables are generally singing from the same hymn sheet, rather than overstepping the mark and looking foolish on Youtube, or being critisised by former supreme court judges.

Rereading the thing about exercise, I think it's still quite wooly and very open to interpretation.  It doesn't really make that much sense.

And, why on earth would you tell the concerned officer that this wasn't your first bit of exercise for that day?

ktache wrote:

Rereading the thing about exercise, I think it's still quite wooly and very open to interpretation.  It doesn't really make that much sense.

I always thought that in this country, anything that was not specifically forbidden, is permitted.    So there's no 'discretion' or 'interpretation' allowed for coppers.  If it's not on the statute book as 'you can't do x', then you can do x, and nothing the police can say or do can stop you.  

But as ever, IANAL.  

In this case, you are forbidden from x, leaving the house, unless y, you have a 'reasonable excuse'. The Police guidance sets out a consistent view of what might be considered reasonable by the court.

So yes, the copper is required to interpret what might be reasonable; they need to make a judgement that buying a Twix is reasonable, but driving from the Midlands to a beach in Cornwall is not. The individual is free to challenge that judgment in court.

crazy-legs wrote:

Ultimately,. it's intended to address the issue that many people, especially in cities, might have no option but to drive a short distance out to the suburbs to get a walk in a quiet part but at what point does that change to a day out mountain biking in the Lake District?

I have a lot of sympathy for those who live in places with no outside space, I've done similar in the past, but even London has more public parks and green spaces than most of its residents ever make use of.  (I might also argue that if you choose to live in a rabbit hutch you shouldn't complain about sleeping on straw.)  On the other hand, my infrequent shopping trips over the last month haven't always been to the nearest supermarket... it's just about common sense.