Rules are NOT made to be broken, but there are exceptions

Re John's last post about the anon that thinks he should be prosecuted for walking his dogs:

I was shouted at for sitting on a park bench at the very beginning by a woman who was obviously worried to distraction with what was happening in her life. She took her mask off to bellow some statistics about the latest fatality figures.

I think it is important to be seen to be following the rules, but some rules are so bloody stupid that I do not blame others for ignoring them. The trouble is that making a point of trying not to look like an idiot in public means that some younger people will use it as an excuse to break the ones which are worth following.

There is a shopping area here called Milsom Place. Long before the virus turned up it was already half empty because of the 10 years of austerity grinding everyone into the ground. It used to have a Jamie Oliver restaurant, but that went some time ago. A few hedge-fund chain restaurants still exist there, but they are dealing with other people's money so can survive most things.

Wanting to be seen to be doing something, Milsom Place instigated a one-way system as a Covid-safe precaution. The precinct was confusing enough before this rule was introduced, because there are a variety of entrances and exits on three different levels, so even I would find myself 20 feet above where I wanted to be and have to retrace my steps to get there.

Now, those steps are for going down only, and have large arrows taped to the treads to remind you. We sit in one of the chain cafes and amuse ourselves by watching tourists approach the steps, read the signs and turn round, only to reappear a few minutes later with an even more confused look on their faces. Milsom Place can be like a Mauritz Escher drawing.

The really infuriating thing is that the one-way system actually does more harm than good. Given the choice, would you rather walk six feet behind someone who is infected with the virus for three minutes, or would you rather keep the encounter down to two seconds by passing them five feet apart on some steps?

Well, I don't think you will be faced with that choice for much longer. Boris will follow everyone else's lead soon and re-impose a proper lock-down. When that happens, I will turn into another  statistic.