Forum Topic

CHR

So on Covid High Road this morning - many more cars, a few with their roofs down, loud music. People still sometimes too close. Cars driving to B&Q for something to do. There car park was pretty full.. Johnson apparently ebullient and raring to go (although not allowed to be seen yet). Lovely sunny days. People are starting to behave as if the lockdown is nearly over. Are they being selfish or just fed up?

Stewart Jones ● 2385d29 Comments

Their car park (before the grammar police start)

Stewart Jones ● 2385d

Stewart, see lots of people around seems to get you very worked up so can I suggest you do your daily exercise and shop as early as possible in the morning? Even the High Road is not very busy then.Also I may be wrong about this but you can't catch coronavirus from a car stereo.

Felicity Caborn ● 2384d

Not worked up, just observing and making my views public on here.. And the reference to the music was an indicator of how people are treating journeys as fun rather than necessary. But I think you knew that.

Stewart Jones ● 2384d

Two questions come to mind:If one is out and about after being shut in, might not having a sing-along with the roof down provide some joy in the absence of same?Is music not allowed when making a necessary journey?

David Lesniak ● 2384d

Yes you are right. Perhaps I just wasn’t feeling terribly joyful yesterday. However, today is another day.

Stewart Jones ● 2384d

Packed in the high road today. Queues outside shops open on the terrace forcing people onto the road to get past. Picnic time ourside Oddonos and even a queue at the wine shop. Take away coffee at Tamp but seems take away means drink outside and force people onto the road. Yes we are all fed up and the sun is out but we are still on lockdown and people are still dying. Lets not forget that.

Jan Porter ● 2384d

Non CV related deaths are well up too as a result of this BS. Glad to hear that roads and places are filling up, again. Hoorah, hoorah..

Michael Brown ● 2384d

Those narrower pavements due to CS9 are really going to help with social distancing, aren't they?  I read that pavements next to busy Hammersmith roads are going to be temporarily widened because of this.

Claire Moran ● 2384d

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/04/25/what-second-coronavirus-wave-uk-peak-means-lockdown-exit-strategy/Until everyone accepts lockdown and observes social distancing this hideous virus will take more lives, I too have noticed that many takeaway shops have groups congregating outside the premises. Is a coffee or a Subway really essential ? Of course it isn't, but not catching C-19 and passing it on is.As far as 'in car entertainment' is concerned that's where it should stay and not be blasted out at mega decibels. Hope we all get to the other side of this nightmare unscathed. Stay safe and healthy everyone.

Loraine Pemberton ● 2384d

ClaireCompletely agree with you as would all sensible people, but with TfL in severe financial straights not sure they'll now be able to fund this.

Loraine Pemberton ● 2384d

Because it's ideological rather than for any other real reason, I think they will beg, borrow or steal the money now they have started. Re lifting the lockdown and a second wave, I find it frightening that so many countries are already starting to lift restrictions, including the US where confirmed cases are close to 1M and that people from those countries are flying freely into London.

Claire Moran ● 2384d

Just a thought but after the lockdown if people worked from home for 2 days a week there would be far less traffic and pollution and no need for a cycle lane, saving £70million (and the rest).More time with the family too.We've seen it working.

Chris Blackwell ● 2384d

Many of us do work from home all the time - in my case for around 18 years (apart from meetings although I am planning to do those virtually for a long time to come).  I really don't know why businesses still insist people are in the office all the time - it's clear they just don't trust their employees.  And the huge overheads they pay, especially in cities like London is mad.  Of course there are many customer-facing and other jobs that you simply can't do from home.

Claire Moran ● 2384d

"Just a thought but after the lockdown if people worked from home for 2 days a week there would be far less traffic and pollution and no need for a cycle lane, saving £70million (and the rest)."Exactly Chris, the last figure was £79.9 million and probably  counting, TfL are nod projects t known for coming in on there projects either on time or on budget, Crossrail comes to mind.Not to mention that no one knows how long Coronavirus will affect not just the UK but the world, the question is should projects like CS9/CW9 go ahead in the current environment ? Narrowing pavements  and thus reducing the capacity for social distancing, surely until C-19 is contained this project should be delayed for the health and safety of us all  ?

Loraine Pemberton ● 2384d

I think that one of the benefits of working in an office is the intelligence and ideas that can be gleaned from overhearing simple conversations between staff. On the other hand, that does not require everyone to be in the office all the time. I'm quite flexible about staff working from home when they need to for personal reasons — I believe if you trust your staff they in turn will trust you. So about half of the staff quite often work from home. But it's quite different when they're obliged to work from home, as now. They tell me they miss the office environment and are having difficulty working because of demands from children. But I'm talking of a small office — just five people — and perhaps the attractions of the office environment are not the same where hundreds are employed.

Robert Fish ● 2384d

I find I work much more productively from home. There are so many distractions and interruptions at work, and unnecessary meetings which waste a lot of time. I just blitz through the work and get paid for it - job done. Conference/video calls work fine for most things. I think maybe people just starting out and those in their twenties probably like the social aspect of work.  There should be a choice and that would likely mean businesses would need smaller offices but investment in equipment to allow secure remote working.  And the children issue is only likely to be an issue until the schools go back.  Every time I have had to go into London for a meeting around 9 am I am reminded how hellish and stressful commuting has become and I try to avoid it if at all possible.

Claire Moran ● 2384d

Or maybe widen pavements, install cycle lanes, and reduce carriageway widths for motor vehicles.

Jeff Gear ● 2384d

That sounds like a good idea, Jeff. Why didn't we think of that earlier?

Ken Munn ● 2384d

Especially on Turnham Green Terrace

Paul Campbell ● 2384d

Haven't been on TGT since lockdown. Just feels unsafe being squeezed between the parked cars and the shop fronts.

Ken Munn ● 2384d

I wouldn't have a problem with that, Jeff, if there were a way of getting round the inevitable tail to tail traffic jams that would inevitably ensue and cause even more pollution than we alreadyhave in 'normal' times.

Claire Moran ● 2384d

"That sounds like a good idea, Jeff. Why didn't we think of that earlier?"Some of us did advocate for that, Ken, but we were disparaged as being "anti" cyclist.As for the widening of pavement temporarily, Hammersmith has done so. To me, TGT should just be shut for the time being except for deliveries to the shops servicing the community. Maybe ditto Devonshire.

David Lesniak ● 2384d

“ maybe widen pavements, install cycle lanes, and reduce carriageway widths for motor vehicles.”Somehow I recall someone had this ideas before but it will be too expensive as there is no money to pay for it. TfL are now asking for a £billion bailout.

Steve Taylor ● 2384d

I have noticed people walking their dogs on Turnham Green and not observing social distancing having pretty close chats with fellow dog walkers - maybe they could only go out really early or late to avoid this.

Ruth Mayorcas ● 2384d

All these people getting worked up about others they see not observing social distancing sufficiently rigorously in their view - they really need to get out less.

Felicity Caborn ● 2384d

Of course you have. There are plenty of morons about spreading the virus.

Steve Taylor ● 2384d

Just for the record when I go out after 8pm mostly CHR is like Christmas Day - almost totally empty.  Apart from the delivery guys who do congregate in groups of 3,4 or 5 it's just single people or couples.This was last month and it looks similar even now:https://twitter.com/subjective_view/status/1243314182981857283?s=21

Martin Weaver ● 2384d

"I have noticed people walking their dogs on Turnham Green and not observing social distancing having pretty close chats with fellow dog walkers - maybe they could only go out really early or late to avoid this"Take a breathe, Ruth, and ask yourself if someone posted this identical suggestion with respect to cyclists what would your reaction be? Maybe instead of trying to perpetuate tribal thinking, we could all take an extra moment or two when conducting ourselves in the public realm and be more courteous and thoughtful. Rather simple, no?

David Lesniak ● 2383d

My experience is that people have been scrupulous in observing social distancing whenever I am out. Joggers swerve away or pause if necessary, family groups automatically move into single file and cyclists give me a wide berth. Come to think if it as I am smiling at them and bidding them a good day they may just think I am a bit of a weirdo and are steering clear of me for completely different reasons.

Francis Rowe ● 2383d