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You are not an essential service so stay home - er (26th Mar 2020  16:13:08) First of all, yet another big thank you to all the NHS staff and all the other essential services in these unbelievable times. It saddens me to think that others are still going about non essential businesses, not just here but all over the country, for example: Construction work on new builds- this is all about the developers earning big money. Tough you have had it great in the good times, now stop and keep your workers and us safe, unless it is an emergency or part of the coronavirus infrastructure. Off licences. yes I know they have been designated essential services. But are you kidding me, people working in retail and others going into confined shops just to get booze? Any business not providing essentials, unless you can work from home. Drug dealers. I wanted to get this in! We are a country of drug addicts, every street in every town has coke heads, usually professional people, drug dealers are dirty, filthy lowest of the low, they go from addict to addict peddling stuff hidden about their bodies. Folks, now is the time to go cold turkey, delete their phone numbers and stop spreading this virus! I went for my daily walk today, alone and it was a very quiet spot, it was amazing I could sense the solitude, nature, I could hear the leaves rustle, hear my footsteps crunchinge gravel, no planes, it was amazing, it reminded me of the 60's! When this is over (which will be massively quicker if we all follow the relatively strict quarantine rules now) I hope we will emerge with a new appreciation and awareness of our environment, how overcrowded we've become, how crazy, stressed and busy our lives became, chasing money, status, prestige and social media 'likes', maxxed out on credit, see how fickle this all was, our very way of life in jeopardy when all that really mattered was our health, our families and each other, that everybody had food and a roof over their heads. All the rest, the big houses, designer kitchens, en-suites in every bedroom, cruise ships polluting the seas, big cars, big salaries, second and third homes are now surplus to requirements. Liphook is lovely we are so lucky, hopefully we can protect it better going forward. All the best and love xx

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Jane (26th Mar 2020  22:39:59) I couldn't agree more. I've never experienced anything like the life we're all living now and it has given me a much greater appreciation of what is actually important. As you say, walking in the countryside at the moment, alone, is simply beautiful. I know I'll come out of this with a different set of priorities and I'm sure many others will too. Every cloud has a silver lining. Stay well!

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Rob (29th Mar 2020  12:24:12) Yes I agree! Everyone should get back into their caves and be grateful to able to hunt and gather what meagre supplies they can..... You sound like a total luddite. The entire reason we are able to have roofs over our heads and food on the table is because of a functioning economy which is being destroyed by the government's response to this damn Chinese Virus.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Al (29th Mar 2020  13:41:09) I'm an essential service worker. Our work place is vital in the fight against covid 19.we also supply to nhs. I'm glad to go to work. It must be awful stuck indoors all day.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - liz (29th Mar 2020  15:40:22) The economy (not to mention the people) would be far more damaged if the government didn't respond as it is.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Re (29th Mar 2020  16:53:30) If it was not for this marvellous government we have now we would be in very difficult times. I dread to think what it would be like if the labour lot had been in charge communism at it’s worst god help us. Boris has become a great statesman the best we have had for a very long time.If the people of this country abide by the rules set out by the government and stop travelling by train and underground just to go to work when they are not supposed to then coming back home and spreading the virus. Also the key workers could take up the offer of free accommodation in hotels and stop traveling back home. This government is the best we have had for a very very long time and Boris is the best Prime Minister for a very very very long time.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - D (29th Mar 2020  17:03:31) What would Rob do, then? Nothing and have millions die instead of thousands?

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Jed (29th Mar 2020  17:43:36) A great BIG THANK YOU to all school staff for looking after children so their grown up can do their amazing jobs xxx Pp

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Rob (30th Mar 2020  11:56:29) I'd have banned all flights from China and Italy. Told all over 60's to self isolate and try to keep the rest of the working population working. All the evidence points towards the fact that it really isn't that dangerous for most people. If we trash the economy to save a few thousand people the knock on effects of that may be worse in terms of numbers of deaths than what might have been experienced anyway. The key thing is to reduce the risk of infection from those truly at risk, anyone with underlying health conditions and anyone over 70. The average age of those dying in Italy is 78.5, almost 9 in 10 deaths in Italy are over amongst the over 70's/ In Iceland extensive testing of the population has revealed that around 50% of infections are totally asymptomatic. We are creating other problems by having such a lockdown. The damage to children’s education, the excess suicides, the increase in mental health problems, the taking away of resources from other health problems that we were dealing with effectively. Those who need medical help now but won’t seek it, or might not be offered it. And what about the effects on food production and global commerce, that will have unquantifiable consequences for people of all ages, perhaps especially in developing economies?

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - D (30th Mar 2020  12:55:10) Rob, the Prime Minister is sending a letter to every household in the country to explain to the knuckle-dragging minority who have a problem in being told what to do the purpose of lock-down and what is to be achieved by it. You will be receiving one at your cave soon and hopefully one of your "what they should have done" acquaintances will read it to you. In the meantime let's hope you are not one of the minority of whom (regardless of age and health) this disease kills.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - M (30th Mar 2020  13:04:56) Rob you talk a load of crap not only on this thread but on others. You must be one of those that travel unnecessarily to work to collect your huge salary and bugger every body else.I think you must be one of the idiots who queue at the kebab van by your rant on that thread. Perhaps you have not had someone die in your family yet.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - M (30th Mar 2020  13:18:49) Sorry pizza van but I bet you use the kebab van as well.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Rob (30th Mar 2020  15:26:55) Not the same Rob on the Pizza van thread.... I have not travelled and I don't earn a massive salary, my business is shut down. I may lose everything, how do I feed my kids and pay my mortgage without work ....

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - M (30th Mar 2020  16:14:30) Sorry for mix up two Robs . Sorry for your business but you can claim 80% from the government if you have good books. I know it will be hard but we are all in the same boat.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - JOE (30th Mar 2020  19:35:19) Rob you could be a carrier ? So thats Ok if you kill others is it? going out and about to your non essential job. If you watch the news there are younger people with no underlying health conditions who are dying.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - JOE (30th Mar 2020  19:40:53) Rob, you say you have not travelled, do you mean abroad? Unless you run your business totally at home, you are travelling somehow to and from home.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Rob (30th Mar 2020  23:45:21) Joe I have a warehouse in Bordon if I was traveling anywhere or works be there. However my work is almost entirely based on travel around the country. As I said and just incase you're hard of hearing (reading) I'll repeat I haven't traveled anywhere for a week, other than food shopping, because my business is shut so why don't you shut up and stop casting aspertions. I have an 80+ year old father with lung cancer so I'm well aware of the danger for the old and infirm but also having teenage kids of the damage that is being done to their education and their growth as human beings. That's ignoring the cost to my business. Yes the government may well pay 80% of my wages (we'll see how that pans out and how long it takes them to pay for it) but the government's spending has to be paid for somehow. That means more debt to be serviced or increased inflation making every pound in my, and your, pocket worth less. The debt racked up during this crisis will take generations to be paid back. Government's don't have any money other than that which they take off of us as tax or they create by printing. Both make us as individuals poorer.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - D (31st Mar 2020  07:35:41) Rob, it is March, as a self employed person could you not draw on the 20% of your income you have been setting aside since last April to pay your income tax? This puts you in a better position than employed persons on P.A.Y.E. whom pay their income tax monthly and not a year in arrears. You also pay 2% less national insurance than employees, do you not? Financially you are better placed than employed persons who have already paid their tax and n.I. for the past twelve months.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Rob (31st Mar 2020  09:04:42) No D I can't because I'm not "self employed" I'm a business owner on PAYE. My company is a LTD company

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Penny Williamson (31st Mar 2020  10:01:21) When I read posts like Rob's I wonder how we got through two World Wars. I suppose the difference is that in those days there was no Internet and communication was so difficult that the "moaners" probably just moaned to anyone who would listen. You would think that Rob and his family are the only ones suffering as a result of this crisis which is global. However bad things are here I would rather be in the UK than India, the Yemin, Syria to name but a few where there is real and terrible suffering. Rob, stop being self centred and realise we are all in this together so lets pull together to get through it. Respect social distancing and only go out when necessary - the guidelines are there. With regard to Government debt, yes there will be debt as the Government tries to support people. There is nothing we can do about this unless of course you take Rob's inferred view that the old and vulnerable are expendable, because make no mistake that is what he is saying -"If we trash the economy to save a few thousand people the knock on effects of that may be worse in terms of numbers of deaths than what might have been experienced anyway." I don't quite know how he comes to that conclusion - perhaps he is a clairoyant.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Rob (31st Mar 2020  11:39:35) Thanks for the lecture Penny, I'm well aware of the rules around social distancing etc. and I repeat again I'M STICKING TO THEM. The World Wars didn't bring the entire country to a halt. Production was ramped up, not cancelled. I'm not moaning, merely engaging in a debate and defending a reasonable position against those who disagree with me. That is how fre societies grapple with big ideas, reasonable, rational debate. (Not popular these days I know, one must only hold the "correct" views or the thought police will be after you). This lock down of the economy and the massive spending (followed by massive taxation or inflation that will of necessity follow it) by the government to try to keep the economy in stasis will make us all poorer and will therefore shorten all of our lifespans. The government will have less to spend on the NHS and other things in the future unless it makes us all poorer to fund the spending it is now undertaking. Poverty kills. That is why it is worse in India, or Syria and the Yemen, to name but a few countries where it is. Let's face it we'd always rather be in England than in India, Syria or the Yemen! Alternatively look at Sweden where there is still no lockdown. I'd rather be in Sweden. I'm not dismissing the deaths of anyone, any death is a tragedy for those nearest and dearest to the person who dies. However as the saying goes there are only 2 certainties in life, Death and Taxes. One cannot save lives one can only prolong them and how long for and at what cost is the argument that there is always to be had. It is not heartless or showing some sociopathic tendencies as you seem to infer.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - M (31st Mar 2020  13:36:50) Well Rob I’m trying to understand your point of view but it’s very difficult. I was in business for over 40 years lots of ups and downs back when labour government was running the country just before Margaret Thatcher came to power. Unions running riot , No electricity , No petrol strikes all the time limited food interest rate at 15 % and much much more. You had to find ways to overcome the problems .I worked on a farm to earn a pound or two and free vegetables to feed my family and keep the business afloat. Then in came Mrs Thatcher and away we went she got the country back on it’s feet. As for what’s happening now the government is doing more for business the population than any past government. Hospitals being built in two weeks. NHS equipment being built by the thousands business working together. So Rob can you do something else to keep things going it will get better.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - JOE (31st Mar 2020  14:48:18) I presume Rob as a ltd company you are an employee of your own company and can claim the gov grant to pay yourself and other workers. Some are a lot worse off than that. I do not often agree with Penny but worries we all have do not make you a special case. It is a national pandemic.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - Penny Williamson (31st Mar 2020  20:03:17) Rob, like M I am trying very hard to see where you are coming from. Whichever way I read you posts the message to me is loud and clear. Sacrifice the few, namely the old, the ill, the disabled and the vulnerable who probably will die soon anyway, for the good of the economy. In other words – culling – survival of the fittest. To me this is abhorrent and takes us back into the Middle Ages and before. What about compassion and self sacrifice? As always crisis brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. Twas ever thus. As you say Sweden is the only country not in lockdown yet – it may come and the authorities there are not ruling it out. Have you ever been the Sweden? I have and I have friends who live there. The Swedes are a nation that on the whole obey authority and respect each other and the rule of law. They were advised to self isolate and do all the things that the UK government advised us to do weeks ago. The difference was the Swedes did and we did not as was demonstrated by the pictures of people picnicking and socialising in public places the weekend before the Monday lockdown. Total disregard for advice so it had to be enforced. Sweden’s land mass is 173,860 square miles – the UK’s land mass is 93,627 square miles. Sweden’s population is 10.12 million and the UK’s population is 66.44 million. Do the maths and Sweden may yet have a lock down - we shall see.

Re: You are not an essential service so stay home - D (31st Mar 2020  20:10:34) Do you remember Alf Garnett, Rob?

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