Shelagh Fogarty 1pm - 4pm
Young caller tells LBC "none of his friends" are following lockdown rules
21 August 2020, 15:20 | Updated: 21 August 2020, 15:22
Young caller tells LBC "none of his friends" are following lockdown
This young caller told Shelagh Fogarty that none of his friends are following the pandemic restrictions and plastering their socialising all over Instagram.
Caller Johnny is 20 and told Shelagh he'd followed "each and every guidance to the tee and watched all the briefings."
He said, "So many of my friends just haven't. At the start when lockdown was really at its height people were following the rules.
"I can't name one single friend of mine that's following every rule. I go on Instagram and social media and see them blatantly breaking the rules, doing what they like, acting as if the pandemic is over.
"Just because you're over the pandemic, doesn't mean it's over," Johnny said.
Today alone further restrictions have been introduced in Oldham, Blackburn and parts of Pendle, on top of the existing interventions.
Johnny told Shelagh he is torn between being angry at his friends and telling them off, or leaving them be.
"I've actually come off social media at times because it's got me stressed out, seeing people breaking the rules. What's the point of me telling them? They're not going to listen," he told Shelagh.
She agreed, "It's stressful because you clearly see that it is wrong, but it's stressful for everybody because nobody wants to fall out over this."
The caller reflected it is not just young people as "everyone seems to be doing what they like" - but even during the height of this pandemic around Easter time, Johnny still knew a lot of young people going out together.
"I love seeing my friends and making memories with them but at the moment that's all on hold," Johnny said.