Yes

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?

I once cycled down an against traffic bus lane in the snow!

I was trying to cycle to work and the roads were covered in snow except where the buses ran. It was snowing heavily and I was going to be late. I didn’t know my highway code which apparently prohibited cycling in such a bus lane (although cycling in a ‘with’ traffic lane was allowed). Long story short, I was pounced on by a young policewoman sheltering in a doorway who told me off in a very nasty way. I was allowed to continue as long as I pushed my bike on the pavement. I later got a caution in the post!

Masked

I was just stopped in the street by a woman who said ‘you know there’s no one around?’ I looked about me and said ‘yes I can see that’. Then she said ‘so you don’t need a mask’ I looked at her. Why tell me this when I had just forgotten to take it off, but why did it matter to her? Then she said ‘it might make it difficult for you to breathe with carbon Dioxide building up behind it.’

Oh I really wanted to say something, like ‘oh dear, so many people collapsing after wearing a mask for more than five minutes!’ or ‘ they are permiable to air, they just stop viruses’. But I bit my lip under my mask and said ‘no I’m OK. I’m used to wearing a mask at night, I have sleep aponea’. ‘Oh that OK then’ she said. I said ‘goodnight’ and walked off. But then called back ‘I’m still cautious about covid’. Perhaps people belive it’s over? But it’s my choice to wear a mask.

No lateral flow…

I need a lateral flow test kit but I have a problem. I tried to order one off the NHS website but it said to go to your pharmacy. I went to my pharmacy and they had run out. I was going to something tonight but I won’t now as I can’t do the test and we are required to take a test before we go. I don’t think we are very organised in this country. Sometimes things go wrong. We generally ‘muddle through’, but this is important for people’s health. So I will keep trying and hope to get more tests soon. I’m careful, cautious, and want to keep others safe not just myself.

Omicron, oh dear

I don’t have the Omicron version of Covid, I did a lateral flow test. But things are getting to me. Mentally I feel run down, fed up, worried, scared even. I don’t want to go out or see people. I missed a few things recently because I’m keeping myself to myself. But I know I’m getting worse. Recent health issues have made me feel more isolated and it’s almost too easy to hide away. Seeing people walking round shops without masks also puts me off….

I will wait and see what happens, but I do think that old addage about discretion is the better part of valour (is that right) might be the phrase that describes how I feel.