No point now the horse has bolted and our "r" is is so low at an accepted "6" and still reducing. And with Londoners behaviours I can't see any increase in mask use, as this account shows:
A Day in London Lives
I've had to put up with many silly things said about London from people living far away who know nothing about it, and this was capped by a Professor in WarwickUniversity making this nonsensical claim, "Londoners have made a brilliant effort in adhering to lock-down advice, and bringing the infection under control." which is the reverse of the truth on both aspects.
So I thought I'd place on record just one day in my outside home life and those I interacted with, on Wednesday 27th May to give an idea of the reality.
It started with my leaving home to get my cars tyres rotated, a simple front and rear swap each side. Walking up to my garage, M------, a neighbour and friend called out to me from his driving seat, n/s door open and his girlfriend who I know standing by it (At this stage it's best that I explain that I long ago gave up on strictest distancing since so many don't, only now doing it when others show the same intention). They don't, M------ and I laughingly agreed some while ago that we weren't going to get the virus, so I joined his girlfriend side by side, greeting each other, and close to the cab and M------ so I could hear him over his diesel ticking over. He wanted some details of a service I used so I promised to pop them into his home later.
M------ incidentally runs a painting and decorating business and has never shut down, he and his two staff with three vehicles continuing to work in the homes and businesses of others throughout the lockdown, clearly not practising separation.
Then it was car out and drive to a local tyre service. This isn't one of the big boys, it's a cash only, no cards cheap business selling part used tyres as well as new at very low prices, giving a valuable service on a large council estate where there's many poor people. The guy who runs it employs a few from the estate on a random friendly basis, and when I got there he was out on a job and there was someone I hadn't seen before holding the fort.
An obvious ex con, he seemed to have no concept of social distancing, so I worked with him on the jacking and wheel changes, swapping the jacks, wheels and brace and wheel nut key between us, no sterilisation of these before handling of course. During that a couple of young men who knew the business joined us, hanging around. Then another customer turned up with a punctured spare so one of the young men did that repair, five of us milling around in limited space with no regard to distancing from anyone.
My job done I asked how much, to which he said "How much would he normally charge?" That's the sort of business it is, prices mutually agreed, so I said "A tenner" but gave him a twenty saying, "that will cover you ok" which earned a smile.
Back home I wrote out the details M------ wanted, went out for the second time and popped them though his letter box, another transmission path.
After lunch I went out the third time for a walk in the local reserve, meeting my upstairs neighbour S---- outside as he got back from work. He's a postal worker so finishes by the start of the afternoon and he told me how fed up he'd got with the indoor work he'd volunteered for, wishing he'd stayed out on the road. He added something I'd heard many times here, that he thought the whole corona issue had been greatly exaggerated. Needless to say he wasn't separating by two metres.
Then it was the walk up the long narrow fenced path to the reserve, meeting two families forced to pass very close. The woodlands weren't very crowded, some walkers separating, others not, but the largest meadow I entered was busy, footballs being kicked around by some groups and a number of sunbathers. On and around a bench seat at one corner were a large number of young children playing, with adults from probably three families all mixing.
After taking some photos elsewhere in the reserve I headed for home and on one path I saw a probably Eastern European woman approaching pushing a pram and three other young children with her, blocking the whole path. Suddenly the youngest, a little boy of probably between two and three, laid down on the ground in front of me and started eating the earth! It's the sort of thing babies sometimes do, but startling from someone his age. I laughed and clearly embarassed his mother did too, picking him up and smacking him. Again this was five of us milling around in a small space.
Finally at 7.45pm I went out for the fourth time for the usual late Wednesday shop at my supermarket, getting there at 8, they close at 9. I first started that evening custom to avoid having to endure the separation queues in the day. Originally it was quiet then, but many more have followed my example since so although no queue, it was very busy inside with the usual lack of separation.
There you have it, a truthful account of a typical day in my life and that of sample other Londoners over recent weeks that I'd carefully noted with a view to a post like this.
Remember that Warwick Professor's statement,
"Londoners have made a brilliant effort in adhering to lock-down advice, and bringing the infection under control."
Adding the fact that as the ONS reports, London has suffered up to double the infection and death rates of the rest of the country from early in this episode, and hopefully you'll realise what bunkum that Professor said. London, partly through circumstances and partly through lack of co-operation has performed badly with separation, suffered the consequences early but reaping some benefit now by leading the country with a low "r".
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