COVID-19: Keep Your Distance

Cyclists have long known that a metre matters. Launched in 2009, the Amy Gillett Foundation's A Metre Matters campaign focuses on advising drivers how to pass cyclists safely. The research and evidence shows that when passing cyclists drivers need to allow a minimum passing distance of one metre (or 1.5 metres in speed zones over 60km) to reduce the number of cyclist fatalities, Over the past few years this recommendation has become law in several Australian states. 

Due to COVID-19 and the fear of infection, in Australia we are meant to be practicing physical distancing, which includes keeping 1.5m between you and another person to help to stop the spread of the virus. In the U.K., this recommended distance is two metres - I'm not sure who calculates this distance and on what exact science it is based. But we get the picture; back off buddy. 

Whereas people are pretty good at observing these measures in shops and work spaces, I have noticed they are not so compliant when it comes to exercising. I have a handful of regular routes that I walk, jog or cycle four-five times week. On my usual walk up Mt Painter I see maybe a couple of other people; last week I saw 49. The same sort of figures are true when jogging around Umbagong Park or cycling trails in Black Mountain. Great. I'm all for people getting out and about to get their exercise, and this is a wonderful country with space for everyone to share. 

But, can we still please adhere to the physical distancing guidelines? I know many walkers wear earphones so if I am coming up behind them, I feel it is up to me to move out the way. If a cyclist is approaching from behind and really feels that they can't move out of the way, then they should alert the person in front to their presence (in the ACT it is mandatory for a bike to have 'a warning device such as a bell'), unlike the person on the e-bike (don't get me started) who overtook me while I was jogging within a foot with no previous indication. 

I don't care who comes here more regularly (it's me), but surely people must realise that we can't share the path in the same way as we used to, and be prepared to give way. I would expect, what with this flurry of exercise being a new thing for some and people not used to the etiquette yet, that when it comes to a case of who blinks/ moves out the way first, it would be about 50/50. Remember that walk I mentioned last week with the 49 fellow folk out enjoying the fresh air and the exercise? Guess how many moved out of my way rather than holding their line on the narrow path. One would expect approximately 20, right? None. Not one person thought they should yield. I felt like I was fighting a battle and losing every single time. I know it's not about winners and losers, but that was ridiculous. It's about compromise, surely? 

And another thing, we are still allowed to smile at each other and say hello. You can be social while maintaining physical distance. As far as I am aware coronavirus is not transmitted through eye contact. So, if you're new to this getting out for a walk/ run/ cycle malarkey, welcome. And please play nicely. 

Shepherd Island Discs

Umbagong Park

Today I went for a walk, as I often do in the later afternoons and evenings. The clocks go back tomorrow, so there will be fewer opportunities to get out in the coming months. My knees don't like to run anymore but I still love to get out in the fresh air, and I usually listen to podcasts as I walk around the parks and back roads.

Desert Island Discs is one of my favourite podcasts, and today, as the sun lowered towards the horizon and inflamed the branches of the autumn trees I listened to an episode from a couple of months ago featuring James Rebanks, Shepherd and Writer. He mainly talked about Herdwick sheep, The Lake District, and farming in general, as you would expect. I like these things, and he was erudite and interesting about them, his family, and the education he embarked upon later in life. 

He had sound musical choices (by which I mean I liked them all, apart from Johnny Cash). He chose tracks by Kirsty MacColl, Nina Simone, Pulp, and Billy Bragg & Wilco. I was a bit disappointed that he chose Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea as his book and said that he didn't really want The Bible or the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. He claims to be a writer, so surely even if he has no interest in religion or sixteenth-century drama, he can appreciate the stories and the storytelling within these literary canons. 

What really stood out for me in the program, however, was a throwaway comment that he made. He said he had read somewhere that the average British child today spends less time outdoors than the average prisoner. I looked into this when I got back indoors and found a survey from 2016 which seems to verify this. I was shocked. 

I love being outdoors and I did as a kid. Climbing trees, riding my bike, playing a peculiar version of badminton, walking by the river, even just sitting on the grass and making daisy chains are some of my favourite childhood memories, and the basis of some of my earliest friendships. Being outdoors and breathing fresh air restores my mental and physical health. I know that some places are too polluted to enjoy these environmental benefits and that I am lucky to live where I do. 

And yet, it's true that I rarely see young folk playing outside, despite the beautiful scenery, parks and open spaces that make up this Bush Capital of Canberra. My walk takes me past this rather odd sculpture of a group of kids playing football. They are regularly given different shirts to wear, dressed up warmly in winter, and treated to Santa hats at Christmas time. People obviously care about them and in some strange way want to incorporate outdoor play into their community. Sadly, these motionless mannequins are displaying way more activity than most young people today.