alioth,
I’m not doubting the benefits of cycling or exercise, I think my point about risk and filters remains. I remember years ago seeing an air pollution inhaled comparison with driver, cyclist and tube public transport. The cyclist was the worst by a long shot. The driver had the best air quality.
For me the simple answer is stay away from cities, they’re generally over crowded, busy and bad mannered.
There were a few comments on a prior page about European greetings.
The following are my thoughts:
I too found it strange that in the US we do fake blow kisses when we meet friends. Woman to woman and male to women kisses are allowed but never male on male. With that said the kisses are blow kisses. What is a blow kiss you might ask? Well its when you approximate your cheek to the other and kiss the air but not the face. Its a form of social distancing but at the same time appearing sophisticated emulating the Europeans.
However it never occurred to the Starbucks crowd that Europeans kiss on both cheeks and most actually momentarily kiss the cheek of the other.
So when I came here to Europe from NY (the center of the universe), I found it strange to be kissing both cheeks. Getting into the habit of kissing both cheeks I would go back to NY where I would reflexively kiss both cheeks. It causes a disturbance in the force because most dont know what to make of it almost like a pregnant pause.
Now what I find really disturbing in Europe is the Russian kiss, male on male not on the cheek but on the lips. Or mouth if you want to be vulgar about it. So far I have escaped that situation but whenever I hear a Russian accent Im on my guard.
One other thing about social distancing and kissing. Long ago the hookers have figure out that social kissing is taboo. Perhaps we can take a page out of their book.
PS I was once told to add a smiley otherwise some in this crowd might take it the wrong way. So here goes 
MedEwok wrote:
Haha I really enjoyed that post, LeSving. Love the idea on fitting MGs to our little planes in a post-apocalyptic world
While dressing up like the Humungus and his minions? I’m in!
Off_Field wrote:
The cyclist was the worst by a long shot.
Actually, the opposite. Pedestrians suffer the most.
Today I walked up to a popular local countryside spot
The car park has been blocked off by some jobsworths, so just a few people up there on bikes, sitting around on the grass, spaced out by 2m, and looking miserable.
These are bloody hard times for so many. It’s the biggest thing that’s hit almost everybody alive today. So many businesses and livelihoods destroyed. So many people trapped in miserable circumstances at home.
RTE reports a P&O Liverpool – Dublin ferry is being held in Liverpool as security for unpaid dues.
Problem caused by their cruise ship department?
All Forestry car parks in Scotland are closed.
Someone called the emergency services at Aberdeen about a surfer. He didn’t need help, but the RNLI are criticising him.
I haven’t reported the surfers on my local beach, but will if they report me for excess beach walking and sitting in the sun with my t-shirt off.
Peter – I agree the closing of country car parks is the most ridiculous aspect of the small world politics of this crisis. Ask people who park to leave one space between – I get. Discourage people from getting into wide open spaces, but rather force them onto narrow pavements and promenades is demonstrably bizarre. Unfortunately it is an anethema of the political classes who are as disconnected from the average man as is possible. I wrote to my MP weeks ago about this very issue. Inevitably she spewed out the party line – but within a few days, the police were told for citizens (as we are now referred) to drive a short distance to walk was fine, and now, to drive a long distance proportionate with the walk is also fine, except you are more likely to cause an accident parking on the verge because the car parks are closed when you get there. I ccyle everywhere (if I can) and can be immersed in the country in a few minutes BUT I am very lucky, and most, not so fortunate.
In all this mess, we forget the Mum with three kids and no Dad in a two room flat in a City centre. Without getting into how this arose, the fact remains their lives couldnt be more different from the Hancock’s of this world. (and that is not made as a political comment, merely a commnent of the disconnect between some in society from the lives of others).
Indeed, although I don’t think Hancock et al is the biggest problem.
As Jacko posted in the other covid thread, this analysis of the regulations local copy which contain a great summary table at the end, shows that most of the really contentious restrictions are guidance and not law, yet society is full of self appointed pompous people (many of them working for the police) who use this as an opportunity to force their interpretation onto everybody else.
This starts to look like “the other” long “international” thread. It seems like it is a necessary aspect of all legal UK law/regulation/advice that it has to be incredibly complicated and overly irritating with a large dash of draconian flavor 
And the more, the merrier
You should consider that the UK is doing all you people a favour: this is not the way to do things
However, seriously, I do not believe that other countries in Europe are not seeing these abuses of power. It just doesn’t get posted here.
