The New Nazi Era

[scheherazade_79]

I'm pissed off. Really I am

This afternoon, at around 5 o'clock there was an accident on the roundabout at the bottom of my road. It was caused by a tractor carrying silage, that took the corner too fast and ended up tipping over onto its side and spilling its load. What the tractor wanted driving around during rush hour is beyond me, but there we have it - that's my scenario.

I was on my way to the supermarket a couple of minutes after it happened and could see the traffic building up already. There was no turning back, because the roundabout was blocked off on one side, so I carried on to the supermarket and hoped for the best.

By the time I'd done my shopping the entire town had become gridlocked. I don't like it when things get the better of me, and I had some frozen things that were starting to defrost. After about 2 minutes of "will I, won't I", I thought to hell with it, unloaded my bike from the back, looped the shopping bags over the handles and cycled back.

I checked and double checked that it didn't affect my balance (I had a couple of breakneck hills to go down) and that I could still change gears. Everyone looked at me with envy as I whizzed past on my bike - apart from the police at the bottom of the hill, who cautioned me for careless cycling

I'm really, really annoyed - especially as the bastards threatened to fine me £500 if they catch me riding with shopping bags again.

I know I'm blaming absolutely everyone I can - but shouldn't there be some kind of curfew on slow moving vehicles or high-sided vehicles?

 

[Guest]

Yep, coppers can be right jobsworths sometimes, when it comes to cyclists.

I remember, very clearly, something that happened to me when I was 13, and I often think about it and still cannot believe the absurdity of it.

I was 13, and like a lot of kids my age at the time, I had a paper round. Mine was on a Sunday morning. I'd get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday, cycle to the paper shop, pick up the papers, then go off on my delivery round. One of the roads was down a really quiet lane.

Picture this... 7.30 on a Sunday morning. Quiet road. No traffic about. No people about. Just the birds, and me. To save myself a bit of time, I cut across the road and mounted the pavement. By me travelling about 50 yards up the pavement, I took out a whole corner, and saved myself some valuable cycling time. I'm merrily peddling along, and a bloody cop car appeared out of nowhere, flashed its lights and pulled up behind me.

They cautioned me for riding a bicycle on a path, instead of the road. Stupid bloody tossers! Did they have nothing better to do!? I was a 13 year old girl, earning a few pennies in my spare time, and there's was nobody else around!!!

IF I had been cycling along a pavement, on a busy street, in the afternoon, fine. But, FFS!

I said sorry, then went on my way, like any sweet 13 year old would.

Scheh, you have my sympathy.

 

[TheEarl]

Yep, coppers can be right jobsworths sometimes, when it comes to cyclists.

I remember, very clearly, something that happened to me when I was 13, and I often think about it and still cannot believe the absurdity of it.

I was 13, and like a lot of kids my age at the time, I had a paper round. Mine was on a Sunday morning. I'd get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday, cycle to the paper shop, pick up the papers, then go off on my delivery round. One of the roads was down a really quiet lane.

Picture this... 7.30 on a Sunday morning. Quiet road. No traffic about. No people about. Just the birds, and me. To save myself a bit of time, I cut across the road and mounted the pavement. By me travelling about 50 yards up the pavement, I took out a whole corner, and saved myself some valuable cycling time. I'm merrily peddling along, and a bloody cop car appeared out of nowhere, flashed its lights and pulled up behind me.

They cautioned me for riding a bicycle on a path, instead of the road. Stupid bloody tossers! Did they have nothing better to do!? I was a 13 year old girl, earning a few pennies in my spare time, and there's was nobody else around!!!

IF I had been cycling along a pavement, on a busy street, in the afternoon, fine. But, FFS!

I said sorry, then went on my way, like any sweet 13 year old would.

Scheh, you have my sympathy.

I had exactly the same experience, but when I was 6. I used to ride my bike on (deserted) pavement, because I wasn't 100% keen on riding on the (very quiet) road, because it had huge cracks in it. This policewoman stopped me and told me I couldn't ride on the pavement. All I remember was staring at her in complete uncomprehension and saying something to the effect of "My mummy said I could ride on the pavement." After all, my mum knew (and still does know) everything and was the ultimate authority; I didn't know this policewoman at all and certainly wasn't prepared to believe her over my mum.

The silly WPC decided that she would take me home (down the street) and talk to my mum. My God, did she get an earful.

I was worried that I'd done something wrong and that was why my mum was so cross, but she came upstairs and explained to me that the policewoman was completely wrong and that I hadn't done anything bad.

The next time I went cycling, the policewoman stopped me again. Unfortunately for her, my father was out walking with me at the time, about 100m further down the road and she got yet another earful and her name and number taken down. She didn't bother trying a third time.


My sympathies Scheh. Did you get anything more than a verbal warning?

The Earl

 

[BlackShanglan]

True, it's annoying to be stopped by the police, particularly when one feels that one's actions are minor, harmless infringements of rules that at the moment aren't doing anyone any good.

On the other hand, have you ever seen the results of a collision between a car and a bicyclist? Once your frozen goods are secure and you're past the annoyance of it, spare a little sympathy for a man who probably didn't want to see that again.

Shanglan

 

[cantdog]

That's a philosophical difference, I think.

Rules, according to one way of seeing things, are for people who don't understand the whole picture. Once you comprehend the parameters of the problem, of course, your own judgement will instruct you what to do. The formula approach, the rule, serves little purpose then. Citizens feel this way.

For other people with a different bent, a different way of thinking, a rule is a rule. Tribesmen feel this way. In a bank, you want a tribesman for processing loan applications.

Nearly everyone else is sure the rules applied only to other people anyway.

 

[LeahLo519]

I'm pissed off. Really I am

This afternoon, at around 5 o'clock there was an accident on the roundabout at the bottom of my road. It was caused by a tractor carrying silage, that took the corner too fast and ended up tipping over onto its side and spilling its load. What the tractor wanted driving around during rush hour is beyond me, but there we have it - that's my scenario.

I was on my way to the supermarket a couple of minutes after it happened and could see the traffic building up already. There was no turning back, because the roundabout was blocked off on one side, so I carried on to the supermarket and hoped for the best.

By the time I'd done my shopping the entire town had become gridlocked. I don't like it when things get the better of me, and I had some frozen things that were starting to defrost. After about 2 minutes of "will I, won't I", I thought to hell with it, unloaded my bike from the back, looped the shopping bags over the handles and cycled back.

I checked and double checked that it didn't affect my balance (I had a couple of breakneck hills to go down) and that I could still change gears. Everyone looked at me with envy as I whizzed past on my bike - apart from the police at the bottom of the hill, who cautioned me for careless cycling

I'm really, really annoyed - especially as the bastards threatened to fine me £500 if they catch me riding with shopping bags again.

I know I'm blaming absolutely everyone I can - but shouldn't there be some kind of curfew on slow moving vehicles or high-sided vehicles?

I feel for you because I hate idiot drivers...period.

 

[Guest]

I had exactly the same experience, but when I was 6. I used to ride my bike on (deserted) pavement, because I wasn't 100% keen on riding on the (very quiet) road, because it had huge cracks in it. This policewoman stopped me and told me I couldn't ride on the pavement. All I remember was staring at her in complete uncomprehension and saying something to the effect of "My mummy said I could ride on the pavement." After all, my mum knew (and still does know) everything and was the ultimate authority; I didn't know this policewoman at all and certainly wasn't prepared to believe her over my mum.

The silly WPC decided that she would take me home (down the street) and talk to my mum. My God, did she get an earful.

I was worried that I'd done something wrong and that was why my mum was so cross, but she came upstairs and explained to me that the policewoman was completely wrong and that I hadn't done anything bad.

The next time I went cycling, the policewoman stopped me again. Unfortunately for her, my father was out walking with me at the time, about 100m further down the road and she got yet another earful and her name and number taken down. She didn't bother trying a third time.


My sympathies Scheh. Did you get anything more than a verbal warning?

The Earl

6!? Bloody hell! Nicely dealt with by your parents.

 

[CharleyH]

I'm pissed off. Really I am

This afternoon, at around 5 o'clock there was an accident on the roundabout at the bottom of my road. It was caused by a tractor carrying silage, that took the corner too fast and ended up tipping over onto its side and spilling its load. What the tractor wanted driving around during rush hour is beyond me, but there we have it - that's my scenario.

I was on my way to the supermarket a couple of minutes after it happened and could see the traffic building up already. There was no turning back, because the roundabout was blocked off on one side, so I carried on to the supermarket and hoped for the best.

By the time I'd done my shopping the entire town had become gridlocked. I don't like it when things get the better of me, and I had some frozen things that were starting to defrost. After about 2 minutes of "will I, won't I", I thought to hell with it, unloaded my bike from the back, looped the shopping bags over the handles and cycled back.

I checked and double checked that it didn't affect my balance (I had a couple of breakneck hills to go down) and that I could still change gears. Everyone looked at me with envy as I whizzed past on my bike - apart from the police at the bottom of the hill, who cautioned me for careless cycling

I'm really, really annoyed - especially as the bastards threatened to fine me £500 if they catch me riding with shopping bags again.

I know I'm blaming absolutely everyone I can - but shouldn't there be some kind of curfew on slow moving vehicles or high-sided vehicles?

Cant spell your name, so is there something easier?

As for drivers? ROFL. I should be pissed off with the amount of people who have made me afraid to drive - believe me - your touble is nothing. BUT BIKE RIDERS ARE BAD! LOL :| BE ASHAMED - laughingly - groceries? LOL Good story - LOL, and happy to see you too Sherederacherazme .

 

[ishtat]

I'm pissed off. Really I am

This afternoon, at around 5 o'clock there was an accident on the roundabout at the bottom of my road. It was caused by a tractor carrying silage, that took the corner too fast and ended up tipping over onto its side and spilling its load. What the tractor wanted driving around during rush hour is beyond me, but there we have it - that's my scenario.

I was on my way to the supermarket a couple of minutes after it happened and could see the traffic building up already. There was no turning back, because the roundabout was blocked off on one side, so I carried on to the supermarket and hoped for the best.

By the time I'd done my shopping the entire town had become gridlocked. I don't like it when things get the better of me, and I had some frozen things that were starting to defrost. After about 2 minutes of "will I, won't I", I thought to hell with it, unloaded my bike from the back, looped the shopping bags over the handles and cycled back.

I checked and double checked that it didn't affect my balance (I had a couple of breakneck hills to go down) and that I could still change gears. Everyone looked at me with envy as I whizzed past on my bike - apart from the police at the bottom of the hill, who cautioned me for careless cycling

I'm really, really annoyed - especially as the bastards threatened to fine me £500 if they catch me riding with shopping bags again.

I know I'm blaming absolutely everyone I can - but shouldn't there be some kind of curfew on slow moving vehicles or high-sided vehicles?

Um No !

1 I was brought up on a farm in West of England and when we made silage it had to be done within a very limited period in May/June when the nutrition content of the grass is at its optimum. That means the contracters have to work their equipment 24 hour/day to get the crop in before it deteriorates.

2 At age 14 I rode a bike with a bag over the handlebars, bag slipped & I did a neat somersault and head butted the tarmac. # skull, not good.

Now be honest, aren't you really annoyed because you know the coppers who ticked you off were actually right ? and that of course is really irritating especially if they or onlookers were quietly sniggering ?

 

[TheEarl]

At age 14 I rode a bike with a bag over the handlebars, bag slipped & I did a neat somersault and head butted the tarmac. # skull, not good.

I'd say the police would be better served by trying to ensure that every cyclist wore a helmet. Okay, so every cyclist that wears a helmet looks like a tit, but they'd avoid the equation of tarmac + skull if they fell off.

The Earl

 

[BlackShanglan]

I'd say the police would be better served by trying to ensure that every cyclist wore a helmet. Okay, so every cyclist that wears a helmet looks like a tit, but they'd avoid the equation of tarmac + skull if they fell off.

The Earl

Ah, but to play devil's advocate ... doesn't pretty much everyone stopped for a non-violent offense grumble that the police could be out doing something more useful? Yes, the big rules are bad to break, but the little ones may have their point as well.

 

[TheEarl]

Ah, but to play devil's advocate ... doesn't pretty much everyone stopped for a non-violent offense grumble that the police could be out doing something more useful? Yes, the big rules are bad to break, but the little ones may have their point as well.

Very true. It's actually legal to ride a bike without a helmet in Britain, which I think is terrible. In fact I make a point of hoping the non-helmetted people in the Tour De France fall over so they can experience exactly why I think they're setting a bad example to kids.

Not wearing safety equipment that could stop your head from being split open from the slightest fall - legal.
Having balanced luggage on a bicycle - illegal.

Mad, mad laws.

"If a law is inconvenient, ignore it. It doesn't apply to you."
- Dick Francis, Straight

The Earl

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Should have yaked on his boots. Worked for me

*HUGS*

 

[Op_Cit]

It's actually legal to ride a bike without a helmet in Britain, which I think is terrible.

So then, in that reasoning do you think it should it be illegal to have sex without a condom unless you're specifically trying to make a baby?

(i.e. the venereal disease thing)

 

[TheEarl]

So then, in that reasoning do you think it should it be illegal to have sex without a condom unless you're specifically trying to make a baby?

(i.e. the venereal disease thing)

Do you believe it should be legal to drive a car without a seatbelt? To drive a motorbike without a helmet? To walk along the middle of a train track?

If you are having sex without a condom, then you are either saying that you trust your partner, or you value the sensation of going bareback more than your health. Both are reasonably valid reasons.

If you are riding a bike without a helmet it is because you cannot be arsed to own one, or becauseyou don't think you look cool. If a car hits you at any speed, then you will sustain a head injury, probably a serious one that could have been prevented with a helmet.

I do not think that children should be allowed the opportunity to look cool at the cost of cracked skulls. That is not a valid reason to my mind.

On second thoughts it could be seen as natural selection - anyone stupid enoug hnot to wear a helmet whilst cycling will eventually crack their skull open and die, thus depriving the next generation of their 'too fucking stupid to wear a helmt' genes. Future generations will look like tits in their cycling helmets, but at least they'll have intact skulls.

The Earl

 

[Guest]

my best friend in high school was riding her bike... failed to stop at a stop sign ...got hit by a car
the police gave her a ticket.
sorry you were hurt, here's a ticket... can you imagine?

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Do you believe it should be legal to drive a car without a seatbelt? To drive a motorbike without a helmet? To walk along the middle of a train track?

If you are having sex without a condom, then you are either saying that you trust your partner, or you value the sensation of going bareback more than your health. Both are reasonably valid reasons.

If you are riding a bike without a helmet it is because you cannot be arsed to own one, or becauseyou don't think you look cool. If a car hits you at any speed, then you will sustain a head injury, probably a serious one that could have been prevented with a helmet.

I do not think that children should be allowed the opportunity to look cool at the cost of cracked skulls. That is not a valid reason to my mind.

On second thoughts it could be seen as natural selection - anyone stupid enoug hnot to wear a helmet whilst cycling will eventually crack their skull open and die, thus depriving the next generation of their 'too fucking stupid to wear a helmt' genes. Future generations will look like tits in their cycling helmets, but at least they'll have intact skulls.

The Earl

Earl,

I've heard the term many times, specially on Red dwarf, but what, exactly does a tit mean?

 

[cantdog]

Freedom is a higher good than safety.

 

[TheEarl]

Earl,

I've heard the term many times, specially on Red dwarf, but what, exactly does a tit mean?

A tit is a breast. A lovely pair of tits is fairly self-explanatory. If someone looks like, feel like, or is a tit, then it's usually a quite light way of calling them a fool or an idiot. Often a friendly insult, but can be used as in "I look like a tit" = "I look so bad that people will be mocking me."

The Earl

 

[Guest]

A tit is a breast. A lovely pair of tits is fairly self-explanatory. If someone looks like, feel like, or is a tit, then it's usually a quite light way of calling them a fool or an idiot. Often a friendly insult, but can be used as in "I look like a tit" = "I look so bad that people will be mocking me."

The Earl

Yes, you tit.

(In case anyone doesn't realise by now, it's often an affectionate term. )

 

[Op_Cit]

Do you believe it should be legal to drive a car without a seatbelt? To drive a motorbike without a helmet? To walk along the middle of a train track?

If you are having sex without a condom, then you are either saying that you trust your partner, or you value the sensation of going bareback more than your health. Both are reasonably valid reasons.
...

Absolutely. I believe it should be legal to put a gun to your own head and pull the trigger, if you so desire. (Just as long as no one else is in the bullet's path).

The helmet, seatbelt, et. al. issues, only hurt the individual choosing not to employ it(them).

On the other hand, the condom issue is much more serious:

How long does it take for various VDs to show up? Screw AIDS, or whatever, look at all the things that slip through blood transfusions or organ transplants...

With the best of intentions and care you could pass something on via unprotected sex that you never knew you had. Then that partner could pass it on. And so on. Each passing it on before they may even know they should get tested. What are the statistics again on infidelity?

Remember, I'm against all man made laws (and the mythological as well).

Isn't it silly to support forcing (by law) someone to proactively protect himself, but not forcing them to proactively make sure their actions do not affect others?

 

[cantdog]

The laws are flouted ad libitum, so long as the culture supports that. There are laws that hardly anyone really takes seriously, like gambling, the American prohibition on alcohol, the prhibition on smoking dope. Children under a certain age riding ATVs. Beatings within the family.

Some things like that were changed. Lynching was very widespread and culturally accepted, once, and the idea is a relic now, looked back at with nostalgia or with revulsion, but no longer winked at. Laws did not change that. The culture was changed.

The concept of a date rape didn't even exist when I was a boy, but it does now, and it's being rather quickly turned into an unacceptable thing, in only two generations. Not from legal change, but from cultural expectations. A whole lot more young people of the present generation of teens find homosexuality pretty normal and unremarkable, and are grossed out by stalking. And yet, when I was a teenager, stalking was ordinary courting behavior. See The Graduate with some high schoolers. That's a movie about a stalking behavior which impressed the girl into leaving the altar at her wedding. They are creeped out by it.

A teacher who had a collection of switches and canes and belts in her desk and punished her students before the class with them would be harried from the state if not jailed, and a hundred years ago, the same person would have lost their job if they never used the rod.

Helmet laws are nice for the police to make money with, because the "crime" is big and obvious and easy to spot. But nearly every kid wears a helmet now to ride a bike. When I was a kid, absolutely no one did that. In cars, we stood on the seats to see out, too. Perfectly normal, then.

Law is paper, custom is iron. Making laws is never effective if no one thinks there's a thing wrong with something. And freedom is still a higher good than safety.

 

[scheherazade_79]

Um No !

1 I was brought up on a farm in West of England and when we made silage it had to be done within a very limited period in May/June when the nutrition content of the grass is at its optimum. That means the contracters have to work their equipment 24 hour/day to get the crop in before it deteriorates.

Silage contracting might take place over just two months of the year, but let's face it - it's not just two months of the year that tractors and other slow moving farm vehicles are on the road. I live about 20 miles from my place of work, and every morning several tractors decide to take to the road between 8-9, when most people are trying to get to work. Very rarely do they pull over, and when you hit the second rush hour of the day at 5-6, there they are again.
I'm not being selfish or elitist when I say they shouldn't be on the roads at these times. The simple fact is they cause accidents. Either they'll hold someone up so long that they'll get impatient and end up doing something stupid; or they'll have one or pangs of guilt and speed up, with the result that they'll tip their tractor - like what happened the other day.
Even during silage months, would it really be unreasonable to ask that the contractors / farmers take a breakfast break and a tea time break to allow the traffic to flow smoothly?

2 At age 14 I rode a bike with a bag over the handlebars, bag slipped & I did a neat somersault and head butted the tarmac. # skull, not good.

Unlucky. At 26 I did exactly the same thing and completely escaped injury. My escapade cost the NHS and the general public nothing - which is more than I can say for the tractor driver.

Now be honest, aren't you really annoyed because you know the coppers who ticked you off were actually right ? and that of course is really irritating especially if they or onlookers were quietly sniggering ?

I'll be honest, I just have problems with people who are being paid subsidies to produce food we don't need calling the shots and having a negative effect on other people's quality of life. It doesn't help that I did a 360 degree turn when I was out driving the other day - after a farmer left shit all over the road on a bend.
Give and take. We indirectly pay farmers for a service we don't really need. Would it be too much to ask that they show a little consideration?

 

[ishtat]

I'll be honest, I just have problems with people who are being paid subsidies to produce food we don't need calling the shots and having a negative effect on other people's quality of life. It doesn't help that I did a 360 degree turn when I was out driving the other day - after a farmer left shit all over the road on a bend.
Give and take. We indirectly pay farmers for a service we don't really need. Would it be too much to ask that they show a little consideration?

Your silage making Farmer in Wales gets paid between 15.25 and 16.5 pence/litre of milk. (source MAFF Web Site ) How much do you pay at the supermarket and who do you think is being subsidised ?

You seem to forget that if it was not for the CAP ( which I agree should go) you would be paying for the actual market cost of food. Your food bill would go up by at least 40% overnight. Would you be happy with that?

 

[TheEarl]

Absolutely. I believe it should be legal to put a gun to your own head and pull the trigger, if you so desire. (Just as long as no one else is in the bullet's path).

The helmet, seatbelt, et. al. issues, only hurt the individual choosing not to employ it(them).

On the other hand, the condom issue is much more serious:

How long does it take for various VDs to show up? Screw AIDS, or whatever, look at all the things that slip through blood transfusions or organ transplants...

With the best of intentions and care you could pass something on via unprotected sex that you never knew you had. Then that partner could pass it on. And so on. Each passing it on before they may even know they should get tested. What are the statistics again on infidelity?

Remember, I'm against all man made laws (and the mythological as well).

Isn't it silly to support forcing (by law) someone to proactively protect himself, but not forcing them to proactively make sure their actions do not affect others?

Interesting point. However, don't you think if you were riding a bike without a helmet and a driver hit you, then it would hurt him? The accident might not be the driver's fault and it might be a tap that you would survive perfectly well with a helmet. But without the helmet, you're now dead and that driver, even if he doesn't face manslaughter charges, is going to have to live with knowing that he killed a man for the rest of his life.

I've taken time to think about why I do not support your thought on condoms. I think it is because it's a matter of trust betweeen two people. It's not whether you're willing to expose yourself to harm, like on the bike, but about whether you trust your partner. Your law would say that you are not allowed to trust your partner and I don't think that's on.

I'm not a fan of Big Government and I hate the finickety little laws that Labour make. However, in the case of road safety and especially bike helmets, it's a bugbear of mine. I don't think that anyone's life should be sacrificed in an accident if it can be avoided because it's one of the most tragic things I can think of.

The Earl