Why are people still going out?

When this all started we were advised to not go to pubs but people still went so pubs were closed.

We were advised to stay in but people had a nice day out at various beaches.

Some people clearly think, “If everyone else sticks to the rules I don’t have to.”

The problem with that is if everyone thinks it no one sticks to the rules.

Thanks to people with that attitude we had strict rules imposed and yet still we hear of people breaking the new guidelines.

So much so social media had it that in one lagoon in the Midlands the police have added black dye to put people off going to see it.

That won’t work. I don’t have any interest in seeing your average lagoon at the best of times.

But if you tell me you’ve added food colouring to make it look like the alien that kills Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation I fancy taking a selfie with it.

If you don’t stay in you are putting other people’s lives at risk.

That should be enough of a reason, but if it isn’t, try this one. By going out you are making the pedants look like they are in the right.

Some police forces have said they have received lots of calls from people reporting their neighbours for taking more than one run a day.

You know the type. They are the people who will report you to the council if your bin lid won’t shut.

They’ll count how many items you have in your basket as you queue for the ten items or less check-out.

You can tell if you live with one of these. If they find a fork that’s been washed but still has a little mark on it, they won’t simply wash it again, they will spend more energy walking from the kitchen with it just to show you what you did wrong.

By leaving your home when you are not meant to you are making these people right.

Reporting a neighbour for a second run seems like a sneaky move. If they end up in prison for it they’ll feel hard done by.

They may feel so hard done by they’ll try to escape.

If they end up “on the run” they will have got what they wanted.

But if we stick to the rules we will take the power away from the curtain-twitchers.

I know that shouldn’t be the best motivation to do the right thing but it will feel good.

If you want to go for a second run, do it tomorrow.