Avoiding public transport

KxMx

Mum is in her sixties, three auto immune diseases (including asthma) and doesn't drive.

If her boss opens again she quite simply has no choice but to go back to work on the bus. 

Government need to recommend masks on public transport instead of the ludicrous notion that trains and buses will run at 10% of seats filled to maintain social distancing. 

Other countries have done this rather than manitain such a fantasy ideal.

I await this afternoons statement and release of detailled guidance with interest. 

Andy_L

a_fierce_bad_rabbit said:

I’m curious if anyone else is due to return to work and will need public transport?

would love to hear your thoughts/feats etc.
its the message that we are to actively avoid it that’s confusing. 

"So you should avoid public transport if at all possible" is confusing?

Andy_L

KxMx said:

Mum is in her sixties, three auto immune diseases (including asthma) and doesn't drive.

If her boss opens again she quite simply has no choice but to go back to work on the bus. 

Government need to recommend masks on public transport instead of the ludicrous notion that trains and buses will run at 10% of seats filled to maintain social distancing. 

Other countries have done this rather than manitain such a fantasy ideal.

I await this afternoons statement and release of detailled guidance with interest. 

Did she not get put in the shielding category?

TheAble

Could you drive him perhaps? Not ideal of course but if only twice a week it might not be too bad?

KxMx

Andy_L said:

KxMx said:

Mum is in her sixties, three auto immune diseases (including asthma) and doesn't drive.

If her boss opens again she quite simply has no choice but to go back to work on the bus. 

Government need to recommend masks on public transport instead of the ludicrous notion that trains and buses will run at 10% of seats filled to maintain social distancing. 

Other countries have done this rather than manitain such a fantasy ideal.

I await this afternoons statement and release of detailled guidance with interest. 

Did she not get put in the shielding category?

No, the criteria is narrow and moderate asthma isn't one of the qualifying conditions. She also isn't on any immunosuppressant medication. 

I thought the culminative effect would place her into shielding but not so. 

She just got GP surgery to confirm she hasn't been recommended to last week actually, as she's somehow been given priority slot ordering with Iceland, who apparently only offer it to those on the list.

(We have not used the priority link, our Iceland deliveries were all booked the normal way). 

strawb_shortcake

What difference does it make if the government recommends masks or not? As demonstrated on previous posts there is a mixed view on how useful they are. If they do recommend using it, you are unlikely to get suitable masks timely, so people will resort to insufficient masks and incorrectly worn.
Surely there is a degree of taking personal responsibility for taking additional measures if you do need to use public transport outside of what the government may outline

Dr_Crypto

The advice from the government/ Boris's speech was very unclear as this shows. 
You can use the train if there are no other options. How safe it is I have no idea. If he is worried perhaps he could look at wearing a mask, but the evidence for these isn't great. 

lisyloo

KxMx said:

Mum is in her sixties, three auto immune diseases (including asthma) and doesn't drive.

If her boss opens again she quite simply has no choice but to go back to work on the bus. 

Government need to recommend masks on public transport instead of the ludicrous notion that trains and buses will run at 10% of seats filled to maintain social distancing. 

Other countries have done this rather than manitain such a fantasy ideal.

I await this afternoons statement and release of detailled guidance with interest. 

She has a choice just as all of us have a choice.
she could simply refuse to go. That might mean financial hardship but like the rest of us she’d have to decide is that is the better option. Being alive and relying on food banks might be the better option if she doesn’t have savings to see her through until she can get a job again.
does she live with anyone who could drive her?
I sympathise but there is a choice albeit a tough one.
im facing living away from my partner for some days, it’s manageable at the moment but if I was asked to split up for the rest of 2020 I’d refuse and if I had to lose my job then so be it, we’ll deal with the financial consequences.

huckster

Given that people who don't live in the same household, will be unable to share cars, obtaining  lifts from friends/neighbours will  not be possible. Of course some people will do this, as it may be the only option.  Not everyone has a car to commute or a parking space available near work.

If buses and trains will be limiting numbers. then you will see problems.  Buses are already running infrequent services, as they don't have the drivers to run normal timetable.

Given the issues in getting the economy running, Government may have to remove social distancing and require face masks to be worn at all times, other than in your own home. Is this possible ? e.g. are there enough face masks for everyone.  

KxMx

lisyloo said:

KxMx said:

Mum is in her sixties, three auto immune diseases (including asthma) and doesn't drive.

If her boss opens again she quite simply has no choice but to go back to work on the bus. 

Government need to recommend masks on public transport instead of the ludicrous notion that trains and buses will run at 10% of seats filled to maintain social distancing. 

Other countries have done this rather than manitain such a fantasy ideal.

I await this afternoons statement and release of detailled guidance with interest. 

She has a choice just as all of us have a choice.
she could simply refuse to go. That might mean financial hardship but like the rest of us she’d have to decide is that is the better option. Being alive and relying on food banks might be the better option if she doesn’t have savings to see her through until she can get a job again.
does she live with anyone who could drive her?
I sympathise but there is a choice albeit a tough one.
im facing living away from my partner for some days, it’s manageable at the moment but if I was asked to split up for the rest of 2020 I’d refuse and if I had to lose my job then so be it, we’ll deal with the financial consequences.

We live together and I don't drive either. 
She is single and has little savings. 
I'm on ESA and contribute where I can, I couldn't pay the essential bills for both of us if she gave up her job, especially if UC (which isn't much anyway) is reduced, which it can sometimes be in terms of resignation. 
She's been applying elsewhere for some time for pt work as ft is too much for her health, doing M-F 9-5:30 plus every third Sat 9-12 (current boss said no to reducing hours, she was willing to do them as suited boss, on the grounds he couldn't run office with less people, then a pt colleague retired and wasn't replaced, so that was false and even less chance of him agreeing now), but has had little success. 

No one said life was easy