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The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 21 Jul 2020, 22:06
by Lunaticonthegrass
The latest government advice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nd-cant-do) states under 3.1: "You can use public transport but it is better to travel in other ways if possible".

So non-essential train travel is now allowed, but does this mean that we are allowed to challenge again? As much as I am keen to get back on the underground for no good reason I feel it might be best to continue to stick to route planning for the moment.

P.S. I wasn't sure in which Zone this shoud be posted. Please move it if you feel it would be better elsewhere.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 22 Jul 2020, 00:47
by RJSRdg
Although the announcement was made last Friday, the guidance actually changed to allow it some weeks ago (it just wasn't announced - presumably to avoid a rush!). Some operators (including TfL but not National Rail Enquiries) updated their guidance over the following weeks, others did not!

I haven't been on public transport since lockdown, though I intend to start making some local journeys on routes where there are likely to be fewer people, over the next few days. However I'm still trying to avoid crowds at the moment so I certainly don't have jumping on a crowded Piccadilly or Central Line train on my radar for the foreseeable future.

Quite apart from the risk of infection, there are other issues from Covid which may impact our sport. One way systems have been introduced at some stations, along with rules like no overtaking on escalators and trying to maintain social distancing on platforms and trains.

I'm not sure I much fancy running around for several hours with a mask on, either!

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 22 Jul 2020, 08:26
by EastActionWoman
I volunteer with a food distribution charity, so once a fortnight I travel by tube.

In the morning "rush hour", the Central and Jubilee lines are now fairly busy, but usually an empty seat between people. This week, I let one train go as it was too busy, but only had to wait a minute for the next one. During early afternoon, there are usually only one or two people per carriage on the Central line. Most people wear masks, though some have them wrapped round their chin rather than over nose and mouth. People who are standing on escalators mostly stay a few steps away from the person in front, but quite a lot of people do still overtake on the left hand side.

Re: one way systems. Canada Water have blocked off the down escalator from the Overground to the Jubilee line, so now you have to go up one escalator to the ticket hall and down two to the Jubilee. I don't know why, just seems to create more congestion on the escalators.

A lot of tube and Overground stations have hand sanitiser available near the ticket barriers - great if you've been hanging on to a pole or escalator belt.

Wearing a mask on the tube is a bit hot and sweaty even when you're just walking and sitting, wouldn't fancy doing a challenge in one. Working on my route for the Tim Brook Taylor tribute, so think I'll be cycling to some of the above ground interchanges to practise.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 22 Jul 2020, 12:16
by Going Underground
The only thing that would deter me is wearing a mask - bad enough being forced to wear them at work "for our own safety" when we have the same old faces in / 25% of our workforce sitting 1 person per block of 4 desks....

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 22 Jul 2020, 16:13
by A2
My opinion on this is that the time is not yet right for any sort of group challenging, even if the current guidelines do technically permit it. If someone wants to do an individual challenge or a challenge in a pair / small team that that is probably OK. However, anyone who did decide to go out on an individual challenge should take extra care to ensure that their behaviour does not impact on other public transport users and think about how they are portraying themselves. Coming within close proximity of others is a necessary evil in this sport, but I don't think that other public transport users are going to take kindly in the current climate to someone charging past them on an escalator, running past them inside stations, or panting on a crowded train having jumped through the doors the last moment.

It would be reasonable to assume that masks are here to stay, at least for the rest of the year, and might become a more normal sight in general even after that. Any challenging for now will need a mask to be worn anywhere while on public transport or in stations and if you are planning on doing a long challenge like a full network or the tediousness that is the parks challenge then you should ensure that you bring appropriate numbers of replacements. It sounds like GU's workplace has gone to unnecessary extremes in what sounds like is a fairly closed environment. The company I work for hasn't yet decided on the office reopening plan and there is no great rush as we are all working from home anyway, but hopefully it won't go to that level.

I'm not expecting anything like the R15 to resume for a while yet and would be quite surprised if it were before November at this point. We will need to play it by ear for a while, bear in mind that an event may need to be cancelled at short notice, and try to ensure that the starting station is always somewhere with plenty of space to wait where we will not be in the way of other users. There will also need to be a different process for submitting results to the BERC as we clearly could not all fit in the usual pub, and even if it weren't so small we are still far too large a group to congregate like that. It will all be back, but not just yet.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 23 Jul 2020, 12:03
by Going Underground
A2 wrote: 22 Jul 2020, 16:13 if you are planning on doing a long challenge like a full network or the tediousness that is the parks challenge
I always thought the parks was your favourite, all the fun we have had together :lol: :lol:

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 23 Jul 2020, 17:36
by RJSRdg
Looks like the post I made yesterday has 'disappeared' for some reason, so here it is again.


Two things to bear in mind:

1) The more often you change trains, the more people (and surfaces) you are more likely to come into contact with, so the greater probability of either coming into contact with the virus, or giving it to somebody else.

2) A significant number of Underground stations are still closed. This affects a number of challenges - FNC, Mouse, Bottle, Z1, Z1Z2, RSL, Points of the Compass, Parks Challenge, SoTR and SLAM! In addition, the Waterloo and City Line is closed, which rules out the All Lines.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 27 Jul 2020, 19:46
by RJSRdg
Well, someone's 'done' a post-Lockdown challenge (only he hasn't as he took a bus instead of the W&C): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_adm6bM3d8U

As a non-Londoner, interesting to see how empty the Tube is - which shows how OTT the current blanket rule regarding masks on public transport is!

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 28 Jul 2020, 17:35
by The Raven
If the Drain is not due to reopen for a while is there as 10 line all line record up for grabs?

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Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 28 Jul 2020, 21:32
by A2
The Raven wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 17:35 If the Drain is not due to reopen for a while is there as 10 line all line record up for grabs?

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Almost certainly to be considered be a "temporary closure" and therefore a bus replacement service (even if one isn't specifically inaugurated for the purpose as an existing service covers the route) must be used.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 29 Jul 2020, 07:02
by The Raven
it's a bit like when T4 was closed before T5 was opened.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 30 Jul 2020, 13:10
by stepneygreen05
DLR and Tramlink are still on the cards, along with Z5 through Z9 challenges.. all hope is not lost.

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 30 Jul 2020, 13:13
by The Raven
stepneygreen05 wrote:DLR and Tramlink are still on the cards, along with Z5 through Z9 challenges.. all hope is not lost.
That's the thing with Tram and DLR, no staff, no contamination, no need to close...

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Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 30 Jul 2020, 14:58
by Iain
A2 wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 21:32
The Raven wrote: 28 Jul 2020, 17:35 If the Drain is not due to reopen for a while is there as 10 line all line record up for grabs?

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk
Almost certainly to be considered be a "temporary closure" and therefore a bus replacement service (even if one isn't specifically inaugurated for the purpose as an existing service covers the route) must be used.
Geoff Marshall has just done a video on this - 63 minutes odd

Re: The latest COVID-19 guidance

Posted: 30 Jul 2020, 20:07
by RJSRdg
Link posted by me on this thread three days ago....