The problem is that it's difficult to explain and for others to understand.
Before this all started I had several plans for mopping up some hitherto unphotographed pubs, all of which I have shelved because they involve travelling (in some cases) substantial distances to get to the pubs. The nearest, some country pubs between Sheffield, Chesterfield and the edge of the Peak District, are relatively local and I could do them in about three or four hours on my bike. The problem is, there have been instances of people in cars threatening cyclists, and I don't want to find myself on the wrong end of someone's self-righteous road rage.
Not going out to do these pub photos is, as you imply, detrimental to my feeling of self-worth. And thinking of the possible downside of actually attempting to do them makes me feel anxious. So I'm just forgetting about it for the duration - which is a bit of a blow because I'd been targetting ten thousand pubs photographed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of joining the site.
But it's much worse for some others, of course.
(I have done a few pubs that were previously difficult to get reasonable pictures of because of cars, buses and pedestrians cluttering the shot. And I've uploaded some older photos that I discovered by accident I had missed. But that's it from me for now.)
Come On You Hatters!
Of course it's not OK to take photos of pubs, you won't be able to get the right quality.
There's not enough people around, so you can't get an identifiable person walking into the shot.
You won't be able to get a passing delivery van partially covering the pub.
There's nowhere near enough bollards and red & white plastic fencing around to ensure your angle of shot gets most of it in.
I suppose you could try putting Vaseline on the lens of your camera to ensure it looks like its been taken out of a dirty bus window.
A couple of people appear to have been using this trick for a while now.
So no STOP TAKING PHOTOS OF PUBS at least until lockdown eases.
A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Just too lazy now to even bother considering driving my car to photo pubs especially as you can't go in one. I took a picture when I went to the post office while queuing purely because there wasn't a car parked in the way.
I go to the supermarket every six-odd days and the corner shop for - ahem - 'essentials' for the Flaneurs Arms at least once a day and have never worn a mask or gloves. I doubt a mask makes any difference whatsoever unless you're close enough to smell a person's breath. It's laughable seeing couples out for a walk, one with a mask and one without; so they won't infect one another once in bed?
What is sad is seeing all the under-30s out and about in the parks in groups. They may be low risk, but they can still infect others.
As far as photographing pubs goes, of course there's nothing wrong. If a person can legitimately be outside, why can't they point a camera at a pub? I go out for long periods each day, usually quite late and I see some of the busiest roads in London almost deserted, with a person 300 yards away wearing a mask. What's more of a worry is all the young men charging around in fast cars at terrifying speeds - it only takes a momentary lapse of concentration to mount the pavement...