Off Topic Other Stuff (anything you want to share)

Yep digging out again...only -4 now so its warming up..
The snow plow did its job so we can get out.
The Bears are smart, they sleep the winter away.
A very Merry Xmas to you all.

 

I ventured into Plymouth City Centre today on the premise that I had a "couple of things to get". I sat at a bus stop for 35 minutes before one turned up to go into the Town. 4 buses went the other way in that time. Failing there being a hole somewhere in Efford for them to fall into that doesn't seem possible. So, I was only going to Sainsbury. There were no trolleys and no baskets at the entrance. That should have warned me but I went in nonetheless. I found a basket at a check out and picked up 4 items. Other stuff I thought about buying was completely sold out and shelves were empty. I got to the check out and queued for about 20 minutes to get through. Decided that was all I was going to get so went back to the bus stop in Mayflower Street and sat there for 35 minutes. 4 x 42 bus went past in that time. None where I was going. A bus I could catch came around the corner and I couldn't resist a little cheer. I got on and as it pulled away from the stop I just checked with the Driver that it wasn't going to change number in Royal Parade. Oh deep joy of course it was. I got off in Royal Parade and went to my normal bust stoop and waited another 30 minutes for one to turn up. Guess what. Two came along at the same time. So to get 4 things, only one of which I went for, it took me over 2 hours to do something I would normally only take just under an hour to complete. Did I mention it rained........... I was not a happy bunny when I got home. Save the Planet and use public transport they all cry. Yep right oh then if you have a lifetime to spare to do anything these days. I am staying in tomorrow no matter what.

 

Generally when two buses come along at the same time....and you get on the first one...which is crowded.....the second one is nearly empty....and it overtakes and disappears into the sunset never to be seen again.....that is the final nail in the coffin of your day out.

 

It is a matter of mathematics that buses do arrive in groups. At the start of the day, they are spread out properly but at each stop, the first one picks up more passengers which it also has to unload at some point. Subsequent buses do run emptier and spend less times at the stops so they catch up with the bus ahead.

Trains run differently. The timetable should have them arrive slightly early at each stop as there’s a bit of slack in it, but they when have to wait there until a scheduled departure time. That way, they don’t catch up with the train ahead, which wouldn’t be allowed for safety reasons anyway.

I’m fascinated though in how late you left your Christmas shopping and what it was you needed to buy in Sainsbury’s…..

 

My pet Bus moan is that it should arrive at the station just in time to catch a certain train.....then you find out that it is stopping at both the stops before the station....when no one has rung the bell or passengers have requested it to get on.

Then you realize that this bus is due a driver change which quite often happens at the station and he doesn't want to be too early incase the other driver isn't waiting.....agitated passengers anxiously looking at their watches.

 

I didn't really leave the shopping late notdistant. I had a fancy for some clotted cream which I had tried to buy in Aldi the day before but they had sold out. I still fancied some so decided to pop in to Sainsbury to see if I could get some there. The other few items I just picked up whilst in the store. I would add that in the end I discovered I didn't fancy the cream that much had I known what was coming.

 

How's this for a happy Christmas......you might of heard about it seeing it's down your way.

POLICE HELICOPTER CALLED TO MASS BRAWL AT DAWLISH.

A mass fight at a holiday park yesterday prompted police to send a helicopter...dog handlers and armed units to the scene.

Officers were scrambled to the WELCOME FAMILY HOLIDAY PARK (I kid you not)...at Dawlish..South Devon...because of..."significant disorder".

Police were still at the caravan camp site yesterday and some holidaymakers said that Christmas had been ruined by the fights which saw the clubhouse badly smashed up.

Some families were forced to leave the site and leave presents behind.....Staff at the camp were said to be "very upset" by the incidents and others said Christmas had been "ruined".

Daily Telegraph...26/12/2022.


I assume carols were not on the agenda....especially...."Silent night".

You couldn't make it up could you....a holiday camp called....WELCOME FAMILY HOLIDAY PARK......the site for WW3.

 

The Postman Cometh.

First post delivery since Dec 22nd today.......seventeen items including six Christmas cards....one with the date 12th Dec on it....posted 4 miles away.....that's 0.22 of a mile a day......and it had a first class stamp on it.

 

NOTHING LIKE A GOOD LOG FIRE AT CHRISTMAS.

An Italian man who hid 20,000 Euro bonds in his chimney was left distraught after his wife unwittingly lit a fire and destroyed them.

The homeowner had hidden the money in government bonds...because he was concerned about burglars breaking into his apartment in Rome.

But the plan went awry when his wife....who was unaware of his plan lit a log fire to bring a little Christmas cheer to their home in the Italian Capital.

All the interest bearing bonds...issued by the Italian Post Office....went up in smoke....."When I saw the flames ...I nearly passed out,"....the man told the local paper.

The fireplace was rarely used and the bonds had been hidden there for some time....." I thought it would be a safe place where thieves would never think of looking......My wife didn't know I'd hidden them there" he said.

" Each year before we use the fire during the winter I used to move them......This time I didn't do it in time".

Desperate to recoup his savings the man contacted his brother...who works for the Post Office.

There is reportedly some hope that if he kept the serial numbers of the bonds....they may be reissued.

Daily Telegraph....30/12/2022.

 

That's the thing about strikes. If you did it to cause the least inconvenience then you somewhat defeat yourself. What you do is show how rubish all things are if you aren't there at your post. If you can do that then it's job done. Thbis particular strike has much more to do with terms and conditions than it has to do with pay for the vast majority. I suspect you don't actually know what the changes being imposed are.

 

Well it's change or die isn't it? Letter post is dying and the parcel post is dominated from the top by the online retailers through the couriers. Next Day Delivery is expected as a norm now - and that applies to stuff ordered into the evening of Day 0 being delivered on Day 1.

Same with the railways: passenger numbers are down post Covid as people have become used to working from home and on-line meetings. Ticket prices are too high. Virtually everywhere except in the UK the driver does the lot except flog sandwiches and coffee - there's no guard because technology doesn't require one. Indeed, on high density services such as the DLR, there is no driver either. Having watched a documentary series on the construction of the Elizabeth Line, it's clear the drivers there are more minders than Casey Jones.

There's a riddle in aviation. What three things do you need to fly a modern plane? The answer is a Computer, a Pilot and a Dog. The Computer flies the plane. The Pilot watches the Computer fly the plane. The Dog bites the Pilot if he touches any of the buttons.

 

....And often delivered free of charge.

 

Nothing's free Plym... free delivery means "we added it into the product price".

 

Well if you've spent X amount of money.....and they knock-off the £4-99 delivery....it certainly feels free then.

 

The Royal Mail want to ditch the 6 day delivery which is their remit apparently by law. Probably of 1890 or something equally old. They want to change the hours of work to suit whatever is decided by the local Manager. It has little to do with letter post as an individual reason. I can also say that at one Plymouth Sorting Centre alone they have around 40.000 outstanding deliveries due to previous strikes and the buiild up. If one Centre has that many outstanding and you multiply it up across the Country let alone this City then it doesn't sound as if letter post is dying that much. It's a bit like the NHS trying to opt out of certain medical things and no longer being responsible for them and therefore funding it, Royal Mail are looking to Share Holder returns rather than a service they signed up for.

 

It seems that parcel post has profit in it........letters haven't and the Post Office is lumbered with that part of the business.

 

Well they shouldn't have privatised it and people shouldn't have bought shares. It isn't lumbered with it the fact is it's what they are supposed to do and why it was set up in the first place. It's like a lot of things sold off and privatised that shouldn't have been. Electricity, Gas, Water the Railways and any other utility service. When profit takes over it's the customer that suffers. The whole of the NHS will be next because it's happening by stealth now bit by bit.

 

Christmas is about the only time most people post letters (i.e. cards) so that's not representative of overall letter post. As I understand it, they want to change delivery hours from first thing in the morning, when a lot of yesterday's post is still in transit, to later in the day when some of it that can be delivered a day earlier than otherwise.

When Amazon say "next day delivery", it often means up to 8pm... but it's next day.

 

Well this isn't Amazon and Amazon do not have a decree that makes them deliver letters. There is little conparison between the two.

 

"My work in Europe is done"...says Cristiano Ronaldo.....you bet it is with a yearly wage of £177 million......totally obscene.