Speaking about concerns that people will flout lockdown guidance during the Easter weekend, North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has said that cyclists in particular are ‘a real worry.’ Julia Mulligan went on to clarify that cyclists in the area hadn’t been doing anything wrong and it was just that simply by riding through villages, they had been “causing a bit of tension.”
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mulligan said that for the most part people in North Yorkshire had been following the government guidelines.
She then said: “One of the real worries, I think, is cyclists. We’ve seen large numbers of cyclists – some of them travelling long distances; long routes.
“Local communities are getting a bit anxious about that, so I would just ask those cyclists to be mindful that they are going through people’s villages and communities and to think about their behaviour, because that is causing a bit of tension.”
- Cycling dos and don’ts – cycling responsibly in a time of pandemic
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Asked to clarify what exactly cyclists were doing wrong, Mulligan said: “People are not gathering in groups to go cycling, so we haven’t seen any large groups of cyclists. What we have seen is just a lot of cyclists.
“They are allowed to cycle. There isn’t an issue with that. They fall within the guidelines. I’m just asking those cyclists to be mindful that they are going through communities and that is making people a little bit anxious.”
Criticism was led by Greater Manchester cycling commissioner, Chris Boardman, who described Mulligan’s comments as “deeply disappointing.”
This was deeply disappointing @julia_mulligan @bbcnews ‘cyclists a real concern’ but when pushed to clarify ‘no, they aren’t doing anything wrong & are following guidance but residents are concerned’
Implying wrong doing for people looking after their physical & mental health. https://t.co/JlttkdBh2x
— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) April 11, 2020
Responding to criticism, Mulligan tweeted: “I fully expect a backlash, but the concerns from villages are real, so it’s just to flag that if you are going through a community, please be aware.”
Whether or not the concerns are real is surely not up for debate. The issue is whether or not those concerns are legitimate and proportional and whether Mulligan’s comments about cyclists being ‘a real worry’ merely reinforce and amplify them.
She added:
Absolutely works both ways, but we all need to be mindful that we are living in scary times and people are concerned. Similar concerns with some walkers and footpaths too. https://t.co/AM2SU64Z0I
— Julia Mulligan (@Julia_Mulligan) April 11, 2020
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
92 thoughts on “Cyclists ‘a real worry’ says North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner – before conceding they aren’t actually doing anything wrong”
The trouble with our
The trouble with our democracy is that we have such a dearth of talent that we end up electing (generally well meaning) morons.
The trouble is that the
The trouble is that the voting public would rather (to quote Malcolm Tucker) their politicians lived in a fucking cave. They don’t get paid anywhere near enough for the responsibility they hold and the scrutiny they face, compared to what they’d earn in, say, a bank or hedge fund. MPs get paid just over £80k, oft-fiddled expenses excluded. A grad joining an IB or hedgie and doing well would be on that by the time they’re in their mid twenties. The PM gets paid £150k – for running the country! That’s a junior manager’s salary, at a mediocre institution, in the City. Why go into politics? If you’re doing it purely for the public service angle, it’s very unlikely you’ll end up in parliament, party machines being what they are. It’s a route to a decent wage and a gold-plated pension for unimpressive people.
I know it’s an unpopular view, but paying MPs properly (and commensurately holding them to account) would improve the quality and, in the grand scheme of things, not cost very much.
Of course, we can all cite examples of highly-paid yet incompetent execs (Fred Goodwin comes immediately to mind), but you don’t hear about the competent ones, because they’re not newsworthy.
Well you get rewarded in
Well you get rewarded in different ways – money is one, but so is power, prestige and the very common subsequent career path for MP’s of taking highly paid jobs in the private sector.
What happened to public service or duty?
jasecd wrote:
This is part of the problem; most ex-MPs wouldn’t get anywhere near the sort of private sector roles they find themselves in, if they didn’t still have mates in positions of power. Paying MPs salaries similar to those that could be garnered in the private sector, by capable people, would see today’s divs nowhere near the levers of power, outcompeted by those more talented, and therefore deserving of those lucrative post-politics jobs on merit, one would hope.
Public service goes out of the window as soon as they get anywhere near being selected as a candidate in a winnable seat. Loyalty is to party, not public, whatever the colour of thier rosette.
“In politics we presume that
“In politics we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a city or a state. When we are ill… we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one.” Plato.
jasecd wrote:
This is a great quote. However, the public does actually seem to express a preference, at least when polled, for dull, administrative politicians. Anyone with a vaguely colourful life, fallible like all humans are, gets pilloried for it once they’re in office. Tweets are trawled, decades-old university photos published, protest march attendance recounted. We do actually seem to demand the dullest people to represent us, flawed though we all are.
Legin wrote:
With the current government an excellent example of that theory; apart from the well-meaning bit obviously.
I think the ” worry and
I think the ” worry and tension ” that villagers may be feeling could be a touch of envy. People being able to get some enjoyment in these extraordinary times. ” They ” can cycle , and I can’t go for a drive out in my car.
Police and Crime Commissioners carry very little validity with the general public ,and on her comments,I would like to see if she is backed by the senior police officers of North Yorkshire.
Lancashire’s crime
Lancashire’s crime commissioner used to be a milkman, and whilst a councillor before becoming PCC, he was investigated for an expenses scandal. But it was all a mistake!
“some of them travelling long
“some of them travelling long distances; long routes”
And she knows this how ?
Perhaps she should stick to some more scientific advice on how various diseases are transmitted.
From Strava? I had a kudo
From Strava? I had a kudo yesterday (for a turbo ride) from someone I didn’t know and had never heard of.
When I looked at his profile he had done a 65 mile ride in Yorkshire yesterday.
I don’t understand why people
I don’t understand why people get so triggered by “long” rides (65 miles isn’t that long).
It’s a piece of piss to maintain social distancing out on a bike ride, particularly outside major cities. I get close to more people walking a couple of miles around the block than I do on a 100km ride.
What’s your fallback if you
What’s your fallback if you have a mechanical?
I suspect that is where the concern comes from. You shouldn’t be planning for someone to drive out and get you and relying on a train is hit and miss.
Of course, you may be very self sufficient but the average reader wont know that.
My anecdotal view is that there are too many morons out that on a 100km ride your risk of being hit is higher than normal !
edit to add based on handlebarcam
Are you self sufficient interms of water and food for a period beyond your normal time? I can see people would object to someone buying up a food/water resource which may be in high demand in their local area.
hirsute wrote:
1. A tool bottle full of every conceivable spare thing I could need. And cable ties. There’s nothing that can’t be fixed with cable ties.
2. It’s not, the roads are empty. Unless you mean chinned by an “angry villager” type?
3. People aren’t running low on water. The taps still work. And last time I checked, people weren’t panic buying Mars Bars.
“2. It’s not, the roads are
“2. It’s not, the roads are empty.” – the risk IS higher – your’e out there.
“3. People aren’t running low on water. The taps still work.” – are you conflating the two sentences/statements? If so, a tap in my bathroom is not working, but I have plenty of running water elsewhere, the two are not related.
Which village are you from?
climber wrote:
If you can’t work that out for yourself, I’d suggest it’s you who is from the shallow end of the gene pool. Either that or you use your intelligence to make pedantic non-points on the Internet, you colossal bore.
I kinda thought you were
I kinda thought you were interested in why people would take that view.
As to the roads being empty – judging by posts in here, the roads are significantly less used but the speed of drivers is much higher and attention is lower. So whilst your chance of encountering a motorist is much lower, the risk of an adverse outcome in the case of an incident is higher.
hirsute wrote:
Ah OK, I misinterpreted the post as your own opinion.
Just don’t drop your guard
Just don’t drop your guard when out.
Here’s Thursday’s little episode. Often you find drivers coming the other way are on or slightly over the middle line.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FF6j06fkSr7DHsj3x5VZHLsjHIt0BEHr/view?usp=sharing
Just answering your question,
Just answering the question, no need to get touchy.
hirsute wrote:
Well, it’s obvious – some must have been wearing lycra.
The most important thing is
The most important thing is to ensure that we deflect any possible attention away from the speeding cars on our roads.
It sounds to me as if the
It sounds to me as if the villagers are unduly worried and a bit ignorant.
Then Julia listens to them voice concerns which arent really valid.
What are the villages (sic)
What are the villages (sic) concerned about? Is it the noise, the pollution, the danger? What exactly, are they worried about? Or is it just that they see cyclists going past, bothering nobody, and they’re jealous.
Surely it’s the police’s job to enforce the law, not to listen to whinging idiots. Yet more establishment anti-cycling bias.
She should be telling the villages that their concerns are imaginary and to stfu.
eburtthebike wrote:
Yes, but she isn’t police. She is a police and crime commissioner. In the UK, that is a position made up by the 2010 coalition government precisely for the purpose of listening to whinging idiots. That and to provide £70K+ jobs for local party grandees who have failed at business and failed as candidates in more hotly-contested political posts.
Given that she is clearly incapable of seeing beyond the statistics telling her what the NIMBYs in her area are “anxious” enough to complain about, anyone bothered by this ill-judged TV appearance should consider making her “mindful” of alternative views by posting a calm and reasonable complaint here:
https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/how-can-we-help/complaints/pfcc/
Use Google maps to find a postcode in North Yorkshire or it’ll probably be ignored.
I thought about doing so, but ultimately decided she probably just flubbed making a legitimate point about everyone showing respect for people’s frayed nerves at a time of crisis. Pinning it exclusively on cyclists is lazy and stupid, but as I outlined above these comissionerships aren’t roles designed to attract the best and brightest. And there are steps cyclists could take to help the situation, such as bringing an extra bottle and energy bar to avoid having to use village shops, not stopping for rests directly outside cottages, and taking it easy on some of the sketchy descents in the Dales and Moors.
Given the job is
Given the job is
The principal obligations of a police and crime commissioner are:
to secure the maintenance of the police force, by setting the budget;
to secure that the police force is efficient and effective;
to hold the chief constable to account for the exercise of his functions and the functions of the persons under his direction and control, namely the police force of which he is chief constable; and
to establish a police and crime plan, to which the chief constable must have regard.
She clearly has remit to direct the plan which includes
the police and crime commissioner’s police and crime objectives;
the policing which the chief constable is to provide;
So spreading scaremongering is not helpful.
I’ve seen large numbers of
I’ve seen large numbers of cyclists out too. And large numbers of joggers. But mostly what I’ve seen are walkers – vast numbers, many, many more than normal. It’s almost like people have rediscovered what those raised pieces of land are that line both sides of most roads. Apparently they are not just for parking on, they can be waked on too!
Interestingly, pretty much all of the Lycra-clad cyclists I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks have been the same cyclists I see out every week. The only real changes is that there are also plenty of “families out on bikes”, which is pretty unusual.
It’s almost like people are following the Government advice, to go outdoors to get some exercise.
Yes this is my observation as
Yes this is my observation as well – I’m seeing lots of families out and people cycling around on bikes with casual clothing on, so essentially rediscovering cycling as the roads are so much quieter than normal. These people will likely to stop when the cars get back to normal.
why am i picturing the local
why am i picturing the local villagers shouting this.
GET OUT OF MY VILLAGE!
Why are villagers worried?
Why are villagers worried? They are inside or in their gardens. Not even close to a cyclist-unless said biker is demanding water and sandwiches through the front window?
Someone on my village fb
Someone on my village fb group was complaining that when she was in her front garden there were people passing on the footway outside her garden who weren’t staying more than two metres away from her (…?)
I am a regular cyclist and I
I am a regular cyclist and I live in a quiet village. I think it is a very positive thing to see as many people on bikes as I am seeing right now. I do not detect any hostillity at all and as well as cyclists I am seeing more family groups out walking together and there is universally more friendship shown to other exercisers.
As long as cyclists start and finish their trips from theur homes the countryside is just where they should cycle rather than in large towns and cities where due to traffic lights they have to congregate at junctions. It would be the right time for the police to be lobbying for universal urban speed limits and turning off of traffic lights where possible or giving priority to cyclists and walkers even if it meant that cars would be slowed almost to a standstill.
Is there an element of not having their usual occupations of alcohol related anti-social behaviour and other crimes to worry about so they are looking for trouble where there isn’t any.
I have heard two police leaders saying they are ready to search shopping baskets for unessential items. If necessary, and it isn’t, the shops could police this themselves far more effectively.
It is disturbing when a police officer states that cycling is “a real worry” it really isn’t.
“It is disturbing when a
“It is disturbing when a police officer states that cycling is “a real worry” it really isn’t.”
Actually they are North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner !!
hirsute wrote:
Which means that they are often some sort of mediocre – or failed – politician. They need absolutely no experience of policing (just as well; most have none at all), but do need to get elected. Which means receiving the patronage of the main party in the area for which they want to be elected. Which normally means having been an MP, or at least a councillor, for that party.
Does anyone know if this particular PCC was an MP or a councillor? Neither of which do I hold in particularly high regard, but often councillors are some of the more vocal but narrow-minded people out there. Gran would have said “empty vessels make most noise” – which is what this particular PCC is making.
My area’s PCC was previously
My area’s PCC was previously the director of a large family bakery business which went spectacularly bust, so clearly has lots of experience of law enforcement (?).
Are they also worried (in
Are they also worried (in normal circumstances) of the thousands of cars and drivers turning up in their village?
I made the mistake of going through Malham one sunny warm weekend day (a few years ago, not during lockdown!) and it was like Piccadilly Circus. Thousands of cars parked all over the field, the tiny lane towards it stop-start with two-way traffic trying to squeeze past each other. It was horrendous and dangerous.
Yet seemingly no concerns about the air pollution, the danger to kids or vulnerable road users, the congestion…?
A few dozen cyclists ride (individually) through a village and suddenly the residents lose their collective tiny minds…
It’s a pity people in
It’s a pity people in villages feel threatened by seeing riders passing through on two wheels.
They probably don’t.
They probably don’t.
I did get shouted at by a
I did get shouted at by a ‘villager’ to stay near home only yesterday. Whilst I was tempted to stop and discuss the facts and the government guidelines with him and perhaps explain that I was from a neighbouring village, I opted for the easier two syllable profanity instead based on the “No point trying to educate the stupid” theory.
Been out on the bike every
Been out on the bike every day for the last 2 weeks; never seen more than a pair (usually a couple) of cyclists, or a family. Never see another human cycling through villages. What about the epidemic of speeding motorists during lockdown; reckon they’re more of a risk to the villagers?
Indeed according to this news
Indeed according to this news item
https://road.cc/content/news/uks-first-council-announces-emergency-traffic-filters-272655
There are also concerns over increased levels of speeding during the crisis. Cllr Burke says on 30mph roads across London, average speeds are now 37mph.
I live on a main A road.
I live on a main A road. Apart from it being much quieter in the evenings, the daytime traffic is pretty much normal. So much for essential traffic. Some people don’t understand the seriousness of this. Loads of traffic, are they really doing essential travelling in their Ferraris and on their motorcycles? loads of people out walking, never seen them before, loads of cyclists too, but they are socially distancing. The only couples I’ve seen go by appear to be couples.
Her commentary is the very
Her commentary is the very definition of ugly ignorant prejudice. It’s the kind of attitude one might have expected towards immigrants back in the 50s – they’re causing tension because they were going through people’s villages and communities and to think about their behaviour (i.e.the fact of being there).
The police should expose and robustly challenge prejudicial views, not echo them and give justification.
A similar worrying quote
A similar worrying quote yesterday, which was repeated on the BBC news, was from the chief nursing officer who said she’d seen “hoards of cyclists” coming towards her over Westminster Bridge. Probably trafficlights and the narrow road width caused that. Apparently London has declined to follow the lead of some other capital cities world-wide who have coned off traffic lanes to increase road space for cyclists.
Who is hoarding cyclists? I
Who is hoarding cyclists? I think they have the wrong idea about ‘lockdown’…
presumably the same person
presumably the same person that is cladding things in lycra it’s not a great building material
I think it highlights that
I think it highlights that the Cycle Supercrapways were always very narrow. Now with C-19 & physical distancing this has been brought to the fore.
London Cycling Design Standards 2016 – On-carriageway segregated cycle lane/track widths reccomended minima:
one-way
very low / low flow 1.5 metres
medium flow 2.2 metres
high / very high flow 2.5 metres +
two-way
very low / low flow 2.0 metres
medium flow 3.0 metres
high / very high flow 4.0 metres +
Good luck anybody overtaking now; almost always single file only!
The authorities need to crack
The authorities need to crack down hard on this kind of misinformation and scaremongering. Not reinforce it.
You’re fogetting that our
You’re forgetting that our governmnent got elected on misinformation and scaremongering.
This government, despite
This government, despite being constantly pressed to state a limit for exercise has constantly refused to do so allowing us the freedom to exercise.
I’ve never seen the point of
I’ve never seen the point of these “commissioners”. They are invariably dim little Hitlers with zero knowledge of either the law or policing. They seem to add nothing other than act as a sounding board for miserable Gammons.
This dimwit couldn’t even be arsed to look up the widely published guidelines
Lancashire police crime
Lancashire police crime commissioner Clive Grunshaw was a milkman before. Enough said.
Police and Crime
Police and Crime Commissioners are completely pointless, invented by the Tories, like most crap innovations. And like most crap innovations the idea came from the US, where every petty local official is elected, which just seems to lead to more opportunities for petty-minded gammony stupidity. They get elected on tiny turnouts, and most of them seem to be morons.
That said, I’ve given up cycling for the duration. Even going for a walk is a PITA, with the struggle to keep a distance from everyone. Cylists, like joggers, probably do breath out a bit more forcefully, hence the distancing will be even more tricky.
Nothing is going to be remotely normal for quite a while. It’s amazing the sheer number of existing tensions and issues that this disaster intensifies, though.
Also, it seems a mistake to
Also, it seems a mistake to give the same person responsibility for the police and for crime…surely there’s a conflict of interest there? If you are commissioning crimes, you shouldn’t also be in charge of the police. They clearly didn’t think that through.
But it’s much more efficient
But it’s much more efficient this way. It cuts out the legal middlemen.
Presumably we should all be
Presumably we should all be wearing jerseys with ‘Don’t worry – be happy’ on them, to put the villagers at ease.
Predictably, the first of her
Predictably, the first of her comments has just been quoted on the 14:00 news on BBC Radio London.
Clear message: let’s get those awful cyclists indoors!
Villages have always had
Villages have always had idiots, but it seems they have been breeding.
Slightly off topic, but it
Slightly off topic, but it was the invention of the railway, it’s spread across the country and then the adoption of the bicycle that led to female freedom that lessened the rates of inbreeding within villages that generally stopped the “village idiots”
ktache wrote:
You’re clearly wrong; they haven’t stopped.
I briefly joined our village
I briefly joined our village facebook group. I can assure you, there is not a shortage of idiots.
Our village (I’m sure it has
Our village (I’m sure it has it’s idiot(s)) facebook page is actually quite free of idiots. The vilage hosts 2 cycle races each year and I have seen no anti cycling rhetoric whatsoever.
sounds like I need to
sounds like I need to relocate
There’s a great scientific
There’s a great scientific study of that that I’ve seen, tracking via surnames and genetic markers
there’s also a good argument about the links between suffragettes and bikes – because bikes allowed many more women to travel greater distances alone, broadening their social circles
Surely it is vigilante
Surely it is vigilante villagers who are a “real worry” rather than law abiding cyclists?
As such she should be getting resources to deal with pond life trying to take the law into their own hands
“some of them travelling long
“some of them travelling long distances; long routes”
This is the bit that annoys me. I get that underlying advice is based around spending as little time as necessary not cooped up at home, and long bike rides go against that principle but (a) that has never been explicitly made part of the advice and (b) it ignores the reality of where people live.
From where we are a ride of around 5 miles in any direction will keep me within the residential part of the area, beyond that (in all directions) is quiet, open countryside where, even in normal circumstances, I can go for miles and see very few people on the road.
So … I can do a quick 40 minute ride all within easy reach of other human beings, or I can do a 4 hour ride, of which I am within easy reach of other human beings for the exact same 40 minutes. As far as social distancing is concerned, it is literally exactly the same.
That said, I do appreciate the concerns around trying not to have a serious accident out in the sticks and need emergency care, but the same applies to those drivers now driving less carefully on quieter roads, etc.
I’ve written before about the
I’ve written before about the horrors of my own villages fb group.
Today’s special was how hordes of Lycra clad cyclists were using the riverside cycle path from the city to the village, and forcing their way between all the families with children walking along there.
Nobody thought to raise that if the cyclists shouldn’t be travelling along there with their plague carrying bicycles (because its not essential travel) then those families ought not to have been walking along there either…
“We’ve seen large numbers of
“We’ve seen large numbers of cyclists – some of them travelling long distances”
How the hell does she know how far an individual cyclist has travelled? Answer: she doesn’t. As others have said this ‘opinion’ from an elected police official is worrying. Whatever happened to ‘live and let live’?
Instead of just whinging here
Instead of just whinging here. Make sure you make a complaint. This kind of language inspires hate crimes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complain-to-ofcom
I am an essential worker. As
I am an essential worker. As well as being a little pissed off that those still working are not being paid any more, or getting any more holidays(Tongue in cheek) I am sick of the fuckwits who are wandering all over cycle paths with their masses of ‘families’ when I am trying to get home after a busy stressful day at work. They have no concept of ‘Social distancing’. They are in great spirits.
I have an idea. Why don’t all the people furloughed who are currently thinking they are on ‘holiday’ continue to get paid 80% of their salary when back at work? The remaining 20% can be put back into the pot for what they have been given. That way, the key workers won’t have to pay more tax and the country can avoid another decade of austerity.
Anybody still working and reading this? Please sign this epetition. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/306845
Being furloughed is not
Being furloughed is not necessarily fun or like being on holiday. The vast majority of furloughed workers have no choice in the matter. There is no logic in the idea of them getting 80% of their wage when they return to work, that argument appears to be based solely on resentment. Are you getting 80% of yours now? And what if they’re on the minimum wage?
It’s nothing new for people to spread out across a shared path, it has been a bone of contention for decades. Live with it. You don’t own the path. Take a breath, slow down and be considerate. It doesn’t cost anything.
Can’t people go for a walk and be cheerful on a sunny Spring day? Perhaps you’d rather they stayed confined at home, drove each other mad and then it ends with a beating (the number of domestic abuse cases reported has risen sharply during the lockdown).
The bitterness that prompted your comments will not do your mental health – or that of the people around you – any favours.
I’m working full time,
I’m working full time, working harder than usual due to many being furloughed. All the furloughed people I know are happy as a pig in shite, they do think they are on holiday. All the people I see out walking don’t seem to have a care in the world. Why do they have to walk all over both the footpath and the cyclepath, 15 at a time? Do they all live in the same house? No. So they are taking the piss. And yes, I am pissed off. I am working my tits off, trying to keep a fleet of ambulances on the road for the ambulance service. When they are recovered in to us to be repaired, we don’t know if they are contaminated with Covid – 19, we just know that we have to turn them around and get them back on the road ASAP. My wife works for the police, they have no PPE and are still expected to work on a bank of four sitting together, no social distancing there. We are putting our lives at risk on a daily basis, for nothing more. Finally, why are the dickheads out ignoring the Government directives so cheerful? Because they see it as a holiday, at least all the ones I’ve spoken too do, they don’t want it to end. Because they are sat at home ‘earning’ 80% of their wages for doing fuck all. And that is why those on furlough should pay back what they have been given for nothing at a rate of 20% until they have paid off what the Government has given them.
I take it that you’re furloughed, hence your opinion on it. Try carrying on working in difficult conditions.
biker phil wrote:
Exactly this. If you don’t believe it, here’s a question for you. Would you rather:
a) Work full time for 100% of your wage.
b) Do whatever you like with your time for 80% of your wage.
If you answer (a), you’re either one of the lucky few who actually enjoy their work, or you’re fibbing.
Being furloughed might seem a
Being furloughed might seem a good option in the short term, but how many will have jobs to go back to? The gov have said it’s a temporary measure. Your struggle is now, theirs may be down the line.
The whole point of the
The whole point of the furlough scheme is to preserve jobs. I can’t see why it wouldn’t be extended if need be. The money will just be printed – the world will need to inflate away debts when this is over.
I’m not furloughed, by the way. I’m working from home, which is probably the worst option of all, except being sacked, of course.
I would rather work, I am not
I would rather work, I am not lazy nor a shirker. I have worked bloody hard all of my life, and I don’t want to sponge off the state. And that my friend, is the truth.
But it’s not 80%, it’s up to
But it’s not 80%, it’s up to 80% capped at £2500 per month (less tax and NI). Many of us have commitments based upon our usual salaries and whilst it’s welcome, I’d rather I was working.
Minor point, but it’s £2.5k
Minor point, but it’s £2.5k (per month) – not £25k. (That would be equivalent to £30k per annum.)
You’ve completely missed the
You’ve completely missed the point. The aim of furloughing is not to give people a holiday but to ensure that the thousands of businesses and companies that employ them don’t collapse creating an even bigger burden on the social care system.
Your friends who have been furloughed and who are happy as a pig in shit must be on decent salaries. My friends who are furloughed are getting 80% of fuck-all! Add to that the worry of what will happen three months down the line when the lenders finally start asking for mortgage payments and other loan payments. I’m sure everyone of them would be far happier with job security rather than being furloughed.
Yes, I know that, I have not
Yes, I know that, I have not completely missed the point. But loads of people think that it is a holiday. Many people who I have spoken to all think that it is a holiday. One atually said to me “What? You’d rather be at work than on holiday?”
biker phil wrote:
— biker philI’m not. However, it’s very kind of you to make so many incorrect assumptions.
My wife works in social care and her team have no PPE but she doesn’t need to bitch about people who aren’t at work right now. She’s earning 50p over the minimum wage for dealing with some very difficult and sometimes scary situations, with no perks and only getting 5 days sick leave a year. After that it’s £94/week and some of her colleagues are trying to keep a family on that money. It’s shocking. But that is what the Tories have done to council social care contracts, along with everything else thanks to ‘Austerity’.
She is due to go to work this afternoon and won’t be back until 7.30 tomorrow morning. But she won’t get any double-time or overtime rate because Easter Sunday is not a bank holiday. And she knows people in worse situations and some with tougher jobs and worse conditions so she is still grateful.
You can keep blaming everyone else if you want, that’s what the government want you to do. Divide and conquer, let the little people blindly fight amongst themselves. But you’re just harming yourself.
I work for a biotech company
I work for a biotech company that specialises in human biospecimens for contract research. We have the lab space and PCR machines that could be used for testing. In the meantime pretty much the entire pharmaceutical industry is working flat out to counter Covid-19. I’m now working from home, setting up data systems to record details of Covid patients who are willing to provide biosamples for research purposes, only going in a couple of days every other week on a lonely rota to cover basic office duties as the labs are still open. Personally I am doing many more hours per week than contracted with no promise or expectation of any extra pay, overtime or bonus. I’m happy to do this, it’s my contribution to the effort.
Personally speaking I’d far rather this than being furloughed and those I know who have been are far from sanguine over their prospects when that finishes.
It’s a darn sight less than
I was working from home but because we’ve been forced shut our manufacturing and distribution centres, the company wasn’t sustainable so we’v ebeen furloughed. The govt cheque is welcome (when it comes) but it’s a darn sight less than 80% of my normal salary.
Being on ‘holiday’ with nothiing to do and nowhere to go, whilst worrying about my mortgage payments is no ‘holiday’.
The real worry for me is all
The real worry for me is all these villagers coming into the town to use the supermarket facilities. Shouldn’t they grow their own veg or something?
So are politicians and other
So are politicians and other high profile public figures who make sweeping statements and promises in public which they are unable to backup with any proven evidence. Unfortunately despite this being the information age too many people don’t question what they read & hear, taking it at face value instead.
Little hint if you’re out
Little hint if you’re out riding and someone asks where you’ve come from. Make sure you know your route and always have a town/village about 5-10 miles away in mind. That way you can say you’ve come from [town] that’s only 8 miles down the road, short ride, blah blah.
Everyone is happy.
(if possible, pick a decent sized town, not some random village with only 8 inhabitants where everyone knows everyone else by name and is probably related!)
Bloody hell, you cycle fast !
Bloody hell, you cycle fast !
My response is much more
My response is much more likely to be, ‘what’s it got to do with you?’
It’s a shared problem of
It’s a shared problem of course it has to do with anyone you encounter.
It’s another example of bikes
It’s another example of bikes somehow being a threat, the motor car somehow ok.
But from what’s reported, this is an odd intervention for a competent person to have made. I’m wondering if there’s something going unsaid here, e.g. perhaps something about the content of some of the calls received by the police? Pure speculation, but it all doesn’t quite add up.
Boo-hiss down near where I live:
http://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/news.php
It’s official: wheels good, two wheels (and two feet) banned! The result?
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/18376084.still-come-camper-vans-day-trippers-still-heading-dorset/
“Later, officers went to Ferry Road, Studland and found cars parked along the road.” (There’s a better article than this, with pictures, which I can’t find right now.)
Dewn from Lon’on, are ye?
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18374461.anger-second-home-owners-head-dorset/
I guess this is how the virus makes its way into every corner of the country. It’s been slower to take off in the south-west so far. There’s clearly visitors in my (relatively unfashionable) bit of the New Forest. I’ve been here long enough to know the difference.
40 Cyclists! This article is a bit confused:
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18374539.throop-overrun-visitors-exercising/
While trying to find the Ferry Road, Studland story, I visited the Facebook page for Dorset traffic cops. This comment is from 26 March, so quite early on:
Noel Bishton People arnt affecting people in there cars. Why people got issues with people driving. It Dosnt infect people. And if people want to go for ba drive to clear there heads and go for a drive away from people they stuck in there homes with. Why there such an issue with it. If not coming in to contact with overs cars don’t infect people. People do.
and another just for the hell of it:
Whats your stance on keeping batteries charged up by driving cars? I don’t fancy the cost of a new one & coding to my car during this already tough time.
(don’t worry, he receives plenty of good advice)
https://www.bournemouthecho
https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18376326.cyclist-found-serious-injuries-outside-dolls-house-fordingbridge/
Taught a lesson by some driver for their own good ?
I’ll post back if I hear any
I’ll post back if I hear any more. Hard to imagine how this can have happened in the middle of the day in the middle of a small town, no-one saw anything, car or no car.