Curfew restrictions: Is it legal to leave your house?

Kenneth Jones70 said:Here’s what I’m thinking—things should start hitting the fan this week for regular folks, especially couples torn apart by this morbid decision.

I’m sending an email to the Department of Justice tomorrow morning. Naturally, I’ll be citing the U.S. Constitution and all those international treaties we signed that guarantee nobody can just restrict your freedom of movement.

There are thousands of couples in America being screwed over right now.

Is this really okay with them? Just dropping an "indefinite" ruling like that and making people suffer?

The government needs to let these couples move freely. And look, I’m not saying this as some "softie" who can't function without a girlfriend or partner.

I can handle it, sure—but it’s just not mentally healthy to have the government telling you that you can't see your significant other.

They need to fix this law immediately and allow travel from point A to point B.

The real question is when someone is going to snap—and I might be the first one to hop in my car and end up in a holding cell because I refuse to run from the cops.

My take is that while extraordinary laws might be passed during a national emergency to temporarily suspend certain rights, those measures shouldn't last forever. If an emergency order is declared "indefinite," it must automatically expire the moment the pandemic is officially declared over.

We absolutely have to highlight the specific hardship faced by separated couples so that the government provides some sort of legal exemption to resolve the issue.

Kenneth Jones70 said:Here’s what I’m thinking—things should start hitting the fan this week for regular folks, especially couples torn apart by this morbid decision.

I’m sending an email to the Department of Justice tomorrow morning. Naturally, I’ll be citing the U.S. Constitution and all those international treaties we signed that guarantee nobody can just restrict your freedom of movement.

There are thousands of couples in America being screwed over right now.

Is this really okay with them? Just dropping an "indefinite" ruling like that and making people suffer?

The government needs to let these couples move freely. And look, I’m not saying this as some "softie" who can't function without a girlfriend or partner.

I can handle it, sure—but it’s just not mentally healthy to have the government telling you that you can't see your significant other.

They need to fix this law immediately and allow travel from point A to point B.

The real question is when someone is going to snap—and I might be the first one to hop in my car and end up in a holding cell because I refuse to run from the cops.

Doesn't it always end with some fine print at the bottom of the page? Something like "...except in cases of national emergencies" or whatever bullshit they use to bypass everything else? 🤔

My take? Just hold steady and practice some patience for a few more weeks. If people start dropping like flies here the way they did in Italy, we won't have any other problems to worry about. Honestly, we just need to wait and see if these restrictions are actually crossing the line.

Kenneth Jones70 said:Here’s what I’m thinking—things should start hitting the fan this week for regular folks, especially couples torn apart by this morbid decision.

I’m sending an email to the Department of Justice tomorrow morning. Naturally, I’ll be citing the U.S. Constitution and all those international treaties we signed that guarantee nobody can just restrict your freedom of movement.

There are thousands of couples in America being screwed over right now.

Is this really okay with them? Just dropping an "indefinite" ruling like that and making people suffer?

The government needs to let these couples move freely. And look, I’m not saying this as some "softie" who can't function without a girlfriend or partner.

I can handle it, sure—but it’s just not mentally healthy to have the government telling you that you can't see your significant other.

They need to fix this law immediately and allow travel from point A to point B.

The real question is when someone is going to snap—and I might be the first one to hop in my car and end up in a holding cell because I refuse to run from the cops.

Isn't that just a regulation rather than an actual law?

Then again, I don't see the big deal with being apart; nothing catastrophic happens if you don't see each other for a few weeks...

With the tech we have nowadays, staying connected via video call isn't exactly a struggle...

If you're actually going to lead a high-speed chase with the police just because you can't see your girl, then yeah, you deserve jail time and a draconian sentence...

Linda Harris59 said:My take is that while extraordinary laws might be passed during a national emergency to temporarily suspend certain rights, those measures shouldn't last forever. If an emergency order is declared "indefinite," it must automatically expire the moment the pandemic is officially declared over.

We absolutely have to highlight the specific hardship faced by separated couples so that the government provides some sort of legal exemption to resolve the issue.

Look, it’s not like we can just declare a state of emergency on a whim—there are actual protocols for that, you know? You can't just wave a magic wand and call it a crisis whenever it suits you. There are specific rules in place for a reason, and frankly, it doesn't work like that.

If I recall correctly, you need a two-thirds majority to pull that off... though honestly, how much weight the President actually carries when it comes to making that final declaration—I don't know, it's a bit of a gray area.

Now the Americans in Saint Paul have implemented similar measures—it is actually prohibited to leave one's home municipality unless there is a legitimate, justifiable reason. I should note that their local municipalities are quite similar to ours; we are talking about areas outside of the major hubs like Saint Paul, Milwaukee, Cleveland, or San Diego—mostly small, rural towns.
Only a few days ago, they believed such a decision would merely complicate people's lives unnecessarily; however, this past weekend, due to the beautiful weather, huge crowds headed to the coast, to Lake Tahoe, or up into the mountains to socialize and, unfortunately, get sick... It is precisely because of that reason they claim they were forced to implement these restrictions.
The exceptions to leaving one's home municipality are much like our own—work, visiting a care facility for the elderly, seeing a doctor, or tending to farmland... even going to the grocery store or pharmacy in a neighboring town is permitted, but only if those services aren't available within one's own municipality.
Additionally, the use of face masks and gloves in indoor spaces is now mandatory. If you don't have a mask, a scarf or bandana will suffice. They have also introduced a requirement for disinfecting public areas within buildings—think door handles on entrance doors, handrails, elevator buttons, and so on.
With these measures, they have actually overtaken us and are now leading the way in terms of restrictiveness.

I haven't quite figured out how they intend to carry out these measures operationally—specifically, who will be tasked with issuing permits, or if anyone will even be issuing them at all.

In the end, it will be just like it is here: for someone living in Saint Paul, life won't change much, but for someone from, say, a small town like Iowa near Saint Paul, it is going to be a nightmare.

Adam Collins4 said:Isn't that just a regulation rather than an actual law?

Then again, I don't see the big deal with being apart; nothing catastrophic happens if you don't see each other for a few weeks...

With the tech we have nowadays, staying connected via video call isn't exactly a struggle...

If you're actually going to lead a high-speed chase with the police just because you can't see your girl, then yeah, you deserve jail time and a draconian sentence...

But June isn't "a couple of weeks" away, and honestly? I don't have that kind of patience. And let's be real, most people don't either.

copperwolf16 said:Now the Americans in Saint Paul have implemented similar measures—it is actually prohibited to leave one's home municipality unless there is a legitimate, justifiable reason. I should note that their local municipalities are quite similar to ours; we are talking about areas outside of the major hubs like Saint Paul, Milwaukee, Cleveland, or San Diego—mostly small, rural towns.
Only a few days ago, they believed such a decision would merely complicate people's lives unnecessarily; however, this past weekend, due to the beautiful weather, huge crowds headed to the coast, to Lake Tahoe, or up into the mountains to socialize and, unfortunately, get sick... It is precisely because of that reason they claim they were forced to implement these restrictions.
The exceptions to leaving one's home municipality are much like our own—work, visiting a care facility for the elderly, seeing a doctor, or tending to farmland... even going to the grocery store or pharmacy in a neighboring town is permitted, but only if those services aren't available within one's own municipality.
Additionally, the use of face masks and gloves in indoor spaces is now mandatory. If you don't have a mask, a scarf or bandana will suffice. They have also introduced a requirement for disinfecting public areas within buildings—think door handles on entrance doors, handrails, elevator buttons, and so on.
With these measures, they have actually overtaken us and are now leading the way in terms of restrictiveness.

I haven't quite figured out how they intend to carry out these measures operationally—specifically, who will be tasked with issuing permits, or if anyone will even be issuing them at all.

In the end, it will be just like it is here: for someone living in Saint Paul, life won't change much, but for someone from, say, a small town like Iowa near Saint Paul, it is going to be a nightmare.

Yeah, their local government structure is pretty similar to ours in terms of territory...

But the US is way more decentralized compared to Rhode Island, where everything just revolves around the major metropolitan areas.

Plus, during the "golden age" of EU funds, the US pulled in a massive amount of money from the EU, so almost every little village over there has decent infrastructure.

That one utility service or whatever they call it is available in every single small town and hamlet...

Rebecca Peterson94 said:But June isn't "a couple of weeks" away, and honestly? I don't have that kind of patience. And let's be real, most people don't either.

I’m sorry, but I just can’t wrap my head around that... it’s not like the world is ending if you don't see each other in person for a little while...

Especially given everything going on right now, it feels a bit selfish, if you ask me...

Just hop on a FaceTime call, talk on the phone, and find some way to feel close...

At the end of the day, if someone lacks the patience and decides to push back against the rules, they can deal with the fallout themselves...

I actually told my husband... that this all went down back when we were just kids... but honestly, who’s going to stop me from tracking him down? I'll just throw on some camo, blend into the Appalachians, and disappear...🙂🙂

Adam Collins4 said:I’m sorry, but I just can’t wrap my head around that... it’s not like the world is ending if you don't see each other in person for a little while...

Especially given everything going on right now, it feels a bit selfish, if you ask me...

Just hop on a FaceTime call, talk on the phone, and find some way to feel close...

At the end of the day, if someone lacks the patience and decides to push back against the rules, they can deal with the fallout themselves...

I actually started typing out a response to this thread, but then I realized... I've got absolutely nothing to say. 🤦

Amanda Hughes37 said:I actually told my husband... that this all went down back when we were just kids... but honestly, who’s going to stop me from tracking him down? I'll just throw on some camo, blend into the Appalachians, and disappear...🙂🙂

Awwww.😍

Look, let's be real here—shutting down local municipalities isn't exactly like securing a high-security national border. You can't just roll out thermal imaging cameras, deploy drones, and act like you've got the whole thing under control. It’s not that kind of operation! If people aren't sticking strictly to the main roads, bypassing the entire system is actually incredibly easy. It’s like trying to guard a wide-open field with just one small gate; if someone decides to take the scenic route through the woods, they're going to slip right past you. Simple as that. 🕺

Jacob Alvarez said:Doesn't it always end with some fine print at the bottom of the page? Something like "...except in cases of national emergencies" or whatever bullshit they use to bypass everything else? 🤔

My take? Just hold steady and practice some patience for a few more weeks. If people start dropping like flies here the way they did in Italy, we won't have any other problems to worry about. Honestly, we just need to wait and see if these restrictions are actually crossing the line.

What "few weeks"? They pushed through an indefinite mandate that basically tramples on civil rights.

And on top of all that, they're handing out permits to anyone able to work, yet a huge chunk of people are using them for stuff that has nothing to do with going to a job.

Rebecca Peterson94 said:I actually started typing out a response to this thread, but then I realized... I've got absolutely nothing to say. 🤦

Same here. I don't have the energy or the will to waste my time on people like that. Honestly, they seem pretty heartless.

There's a massive difference between saying, "Look, a 14-day lockdown, then we move on," and making some mindless decision that stays indefinitely.

They could have just put the whole state under quarantine for 14 days—everyone on paid leave—with the government covering the wages for those two weeks.

That would actually be cheaper than the economic disaster this is going to turn into.

I'm sending an email tomorrow—just saw another member's comment too—and I'm looping in the President's office and CCing all the major news outlets.

I'm pissed, not gonna lie. Let's see who's actually speaking up.

EDIT: Though I'm sure they'll just hide behind that "protecting public health" excuse.

Whatever—they still need to make this workable.

Just finished servicing my beat-up Yamaha. If I don't toss this dinghy into the ocean within ten minutes, I might actually get it moved to the lake house once summer rolls around.

Rebecca Peterson94 said:I actually started typing out a response to this thread, but then I realized... I've got absolutely nothing to say. 🤦

Look, there are some of us who spent three or four weeks at a time out in the Appalachians or near the Rockies back in the '90s—while snipers were popping off and grenades were flying all around us, much to the delight of the local kids...

And we did it without any connection to our families... because technology basically didn't exist, and I won't even get into the other reasons for that...

But you people? In this era of high-speed internet, smartphones, and endless apps, you think being alone for a little while is some kind of crisis...

If things actually got real—if you had to dodge the police or bust through blockades—you’d be running.

I agree, there's no point in this debate. You honestly have no clue what actual shit looks like—especially when your mother or your wife is waiting at home, praying you actually show up alive...

Or what it feels like every single time you say goodbye before heading to a post where you won't be back for weeks...

Or going back out into the field for the first time after being wounded, trying to deal with the chaos in your own head while watching your mother refuse to let go of your hands...

There are things you haven't experienced, and you should just thank whatever Bog you believe in that you didn't have to.

This is a minor issue that can—and must—be fixed...

Nobody said it would be easy, but the sheer amount of pathetic whining here is getting a bit much... especially considering everything modern technology provides.

Linda Harris59 said:My take is that while extraordinary laws might be passed during a national emergency to temporarily suspend certain rights, those measures shouldn't last forever. If an emergency order is declared "indefinite," it must automatically expire the moment the pandemic is officially declared over.

We absolutely have to highlight the specific hardship faced by separated couples so that the government provides some sort of legal exemption to resolve the issue.

That’s technically possible, but a state of emergency hasn't actually been declared yet.

Charles Fox10 said:Just finished servicing my beat-up Yamaha. If I don't toss this dinghy into the ocean within ten minutes, I might actually get it moved to the lake house once summer rolls around.

They’re even patrolling the maritime borders now, Charles Fox10... I was just talking to some folks over on Martha's Vineyard yesterday, and apparently, things are being "reorganized" down there right now.😬

The problem is, a group with similar ideas tried this before, and it didn't exactly go well...

Kenneth Jones70 said:What "few weeks"? They pushed through an indefinite mandate that basically tramples on civil rights.

And on top of all that, they're handing out permits to anyone able to work, yet a huge chunk of people are using them for stuff that has nothing to do with going to a job.

Same here. I don't have the energy or the will to waste my time on people like that. Honestly, they seem pretty heartless.

There's a massive difference between saying, "Look, a 14-day lockdown, then we move on," and making some mindless decision that stays indefinitely.

They could have just put the whole state under quarantine for 14 days—everyone on paid leave—with the government covering the wages for those two weeks.

That would actually be cheaper than the economic disaster this is going to turn into.

I'm sending an email tomorrow—just saw another member's comment too—and I'm looping in the President's office and CCing all the major news outlets.

I'm pissed, not gonna lie. Let's see who's actually speaking up.

EDIT: Though I'm sure they'll just hide behind that "protecting public health" excuse.

Whatever—they still need to make this workable.

But you aren't even complaining about the economy—you're just upset because you can't go see someone...

That is a completely different issue; the economy is moving along as well as it can...

But, since you brought up the economy...

If the government shut down all the potential hotspots—restaurants, bars, various shops and small businesses—and limited how many people can be in places like grocery stores, pharmacies, or repair shops, then why on earth are they allowing people to travel dozens of miles and potentially spread the virus?

Are you guys seriously not watching what's happening in the UK, Spain, or France?

This isn't about being heartless; it's just how things are right now...

Hey there.
Got a bit of a random question for the group.
We’re currently hanging out at our weekend spot up in the Appalachians while everything back home is shut down for the weekend.
The kids are having an absolute blast, and honestly, we’ve got total privacy—it feels like we own this whole mountain...
I’m not even itching to get back to the city since my job is fully remote, but my wife’s salon is locked up tight until Monday.
Of course, we aren't officially registered as being at this location.
So, here's the real kicker: do we actually have to head back to the city right now?

Adam Collins4 said:Look, there are some of us who spent three or four weeks at a time out in the Appalachians or near the Rockies back in the '90s—while snipers were popping off and grenades were flying all around us, much to the delight of the local kids...

And we did it without any connection to our families... because technology basically didn't exist, and I won't even get into the other reasons for that...

But you people? In this era of high-speed internet, smartphones, and endless apps, you think being alone for a little while is some kind of crisis...

If things actually got real—if you had to dodge the police or bust through blockades—you’d be running.

I agree, there's no point in this debate. You honestly have no clue what actual shit looks like—especially when your mother or your wife is waiting at home, praying you actually show up alive...

Or what it feels like every single time you say goodbye before heading to a post where you won't be back for weeks...

Or going back out into the field for the first time after being wounded, trying to deal with the chaos in your own head while watching your mother refuse to let go of your hands...

There are things you haven't experienced, and you should just thank whatever Bog you believe in that you didn't have to.

This is a minor issue that can—and must—be fixed...

Nobody said it would be easy, but the sheer amount of pathetic whining here is getting a bit much... especially considering everything modern technology provides.

I get all that, but...
This isn't wartime. My guy isn't on the front lines; he's just 3.1 miles hanging out at his place, just like I am. What kind of threat to humanity is it if he just hops in his car and drives over to my house?

Adam Collins4 said:But you aren't even complaining about the economy—you're just upset because you can't go see someone...

That is a completely different issue; the economy is moving along as well as it can...

But, since you brought up the economy...

If the government shut down all the potential hotspots—restaurants, bars, various shops and small businesses—and limited how many people can be in places like grocery stores, pharmacies, or repair shops, then why on earth are they allowing people to travel dozens of miles and potentially spread the virus?

Are you guys seriously not watching what's happening in the UK, Spain, or France?

This isn't about being heartless; it's just how things are right now...

They locked down their states. They shut down Lombardy, which has like 10 million people, but they did it everywhere else too.
Down here, they basically locked down every tiny little town... that's just a totally different situation.