WE can safely assume that no sentient person is unaware either of the risks posed by the coronavirus or the restrictions governing our social behaviour. Not least since we get the latter drummed into us daily.

Family and local bubbles have allowed a modicum of tweaking, but in essence you’re expected to stay put to stay safe.

I doubt that any of the people recently found to have gone their own sweet way in flouting the regulations are any less aware than the rest of us. They just think the rules are for the little people.

Two examples from the past few weeks make the point.

In Helensburgh and Lomond, there are climbers who are both demented enough to go out in horrendous conditions and to travel some hours from their home bases to do so. And then put at risk the lives of those whose instincts are the polar opposite of selfish disregard: the rescue teams who go out in all weathers, making no judgements, but impelled to try and prevent death and disaster.

The people who travelled to our local hills and mountains from urban environments would doubtless argue that they were finding the lockdown restrictions increasingly unbearable. Well, join the club, guys.

READ MORE: Mountain rescue team called out for hillwalking pair who broke lockdown rules

Then there are the highly paid Scottish Premiership footballers who were allegedly partying in Glasgow’s West End recently.

They are already luckier than most in myriad ways. They are handsomely rewarded for what they do, they are in daily company with their mates, and probably enjoy more social interaction in a day than most of us are currently managing in a month.

For them, not being able to party is frankly rather less of a sacrifice than for most other young men, especially the ones who have no choice to go out every day to a modestly paid job by public transport. Or those whose job disappeared somewhere along the furlough line.

Everyone is having it hard right now, footballers less than most.

Outside of the immediate risks they ran, they’re also putting at risk an entire professional cohort. Previous selfish outings by footballers at other clubs earned the national game a yellow card. And we all know what colour the next one is.

That’s a whole lot of livelihoods on the line here. Not to mention more misery for the fans who are already reduced to watching their “heroes” on the box, should the game be part of one of the viewing packages.

Perhaps none of these considerations crossed what passes for a mind in those good time guys. Or maybe they thought themselves too important for it to matter.

Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, has just lost his mother. He couldn’t go to her funeral. That is sacrifice. Real sacrifice.

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