OT: any idea what "travel to essential work" means?

[nightjar]

Those are specifically mentioned in the permitted reasons for travel, as providing care or help to a vulnerable person.

I don't expect rubbish collection to stop either.

[Brian Reay]

ITYM, if you have to ask you are think and shouldn?t be out alone even when their isn?t a virus scare.

[Brian Reay]

Actually, if you look at the pattern of the briefings, they give the headlines and more details are available quite quickly- eg the list of shops etc which can stay open is available. This is how things are always done, unless the matter is very simple. Take the Budget, the main headlines are given in Parliament but there is always a raft of back up data available- not to hide it, the Budget announcements would take days if every detail was read out.

The problem is, people immediately start trying to find holes to try and make themselves look clever. For example, some has stirred about access to children where parents are divorced etc. What kind of idiot needs to be told how to address that for their own children?

The interesting thing is that people are recognising the stupidity of the millennials and some other sacrosanct groups while the wisdom of the older generations seem to be keeping them safe.

[NY]

I've twice had the service for my car cancelled. It was booked in at the main dealer for today, but they rang yesterday to cancel it. So I booked it in to a local garage for Thursday, but Boris's big announcement has cancelled that.

I wonder what will happen if we are still "confined to barracks" when MOTs become due (our cars are mid June and mid July)? Will they be legal until garages are allowed to open for MOTs again? There will be a big backlog once garages open, so it may be impossible to get an MOT for many weeks after the embargo is lifted - will they be road-legal in the meantime? I didn't pay much attention to the rules when Northern Ireland had to close all its test centres - was the extension automatic or did each person have to apply explicitly for it and wait until they had the acknowledgement?

Not that we'll be allowed to drive to many places (apart from the doctors to collect tablets) until the embargo is lifted.

[Bob Eager]

Ours was collected about 15 minutes ago.

[The Natural Philosopher]

LOL

[The Natural Philosopher]

ditto

[Michael Chare]

No, only car show rooms are closed. A local garage that does MOTs etc was open this morning.

[nightjar]

Mine was yesterday, so I wouldn't otherwise be sure until next week. :-)

[Brian Reay]

It seems variable.

I had an Email from a local Main dealer- they are totally closing.

Halfords seem to have gone into emergency mode and introduced some changes to help people etc. I had an Email this morning.

Certainly the list I?ve seen list Petrol Stations and Garages as allowed to open but it seems some may be closing as policy.

[bert]

Garages are on the exempt list. Showrooms are closed RTFM

Don't see problems where none exist.

[michael adams]

The information and thus the most appropriate advice is changing by the hour.

If you assume a position of power in a job which other people actually want, you can never admit that you don't know what's going on or that you don't know what to do. Or if you're really stuck you bring in "experts" who in private will plead that they don't know what's going on either as its to early to say, but who you will demand make questionable statements in public or risk losing their jobs,

That's no conspiracy theory its politics 101. Because as soon as you say anything like that, all your opponents both on your own side (behind closed doors) and the opposition out loud and in public will demand and quite rightly that you to step aside. All sound government rests on the supposition ,which may be a complete illusion at times that the people at the top actually know what they're doing.

The fact that while they may will admit to themselves privately that they will probably mess up too, all politicians would take a crack at the whip if given half a chance.

That how politics works.

The only conspiracy here is the one inside your head that's telling you that politicians and officials could run up a list of essential jobs however defined at the drop of a hat - which in the Civil Service probably means within four or five weeks. Which wouldn't be full of loopholes (to be exploited by smartarses should a question of government compensation be on the horizon) and ambiguities which ordinary people who simply need things explaining to them in language they can understand would still puzzle over. It simply cannot be done.

And its these exceptions that would be making the headlines every day. Rather than one blanket fudge or ambiguity which appears to have fooled you into thinking they somehow must have made a "mistake" there will be loads of anomalies which will eventually convince people of the truth.

I really cannot believe that you didn't already know this,

michael adams

...

[bert]

Or because they haven't rtfm

[bert]

There is a difference between "essential work" and "Don't travel to work unless it is essential", i.e. if it is impossible to work from home, e.g. on site construction workers. Don't look for problems look for solutions.

[bert]

And exactly how would you write such an instruction?

[bert]

Which is precisely what the announcement states.

[T i m]

<snip>

Or because the proprietors are in the 'at risk' category themselves?

The other issue could be access to spare parts and a constant stream of customers, many of whom don't seem to get the whole 'social distancing' thing either? What people don't seem to get is that the risk is a two way thing so if one of you are insisting of some separation, it helps *everyone*.

I went contactless a couple of weeks ago (I have used it previously but generally use cash) because I guessed handling other peoples cash might be an extra risk (over the std one).

We also made sure we had done our 'big shop' (still on foot with a shopping trolley) when there were no issues with stocks of anything being low (but me being aware it might not stay that way for long).

Cheers, T i m

[michael adams]

Forgot this. Went to the big Tesco in Osterley on saturday as previously mentioned.Everything normal queuing outside some people keeping maybe 6ft apart but not people in groups some wearing masks; but of course it all closes up as people near the doors and pick up trollies then inside no staff wearing masks but enough room to zoom about without remaining in close proximity to anyone.

However

Went to the nominally Tesco filling station within the car park. Each pump had a printed notice to the effect that customers should pay at the pump to maintain social distance. As I've never used a pay at the pump, pump and there were no explicit instructions and the meter didn't reset when picking up the hose this involved a lot of arm waving, shouting to the cahier and pointing, When this didn't work I had to go inside the place and talk to this woman behind a split glass screen and I still couldn't make out what she was going on about. In such situations you have to ask them questions, very slowly and clearly, and see if they nod or not. " Will you reset the pump please and I will pay in here ?" After a few abortive attempts I get a nod. So that's two visits to the cashier to avoid social distancing. And it seems I wasn't the only one as one biker was quietly swearing to himself and shaking his head as well.

michael adams

...

everyone crow

[Roger Hayter]

snip

What he said was "necessary" or "absolutely necessary" I can't remember which. But he was clearly (to me!) meaning "cannot be done at home" rather than that the work was necessary work. Others have misinterpreted on a very wide scale. I think because it was poorly expressed.

[Brian Reay]

While there have been some Companies/Businessmen which, to put is mildly, have shown themselves to be (at best) idiotic, others have responded remarkably well- both small and large. The supermarkets are doing an excellent job- not only trying to deal with the panic buying but now trying to ensure key groups are not overlooked. I've just read of a small restaurant in Kent which deliver lunches (free) to staff at a local A&E after hearing they were finding it difficult to get time to leave the department etc. In another case, a Nurses car was vandalised and a small company repaired the damage FOC. This aren't isolated cases.

There will be companies which will exploit this situation- either by profiteering, not treating staff as well as they should etc, but not all are the same. Just as not everyone went out and filled up their cars with loo rolls, baked beans, pasta, etc.