Friday, January 26, 2007

Three months and counting

I can't remember the exact date but I'm about nine months in and just three months to go until my driving ban finishes give or take a day.

The only real headache has been that it takes so much longer to travel anywhere by public transport.

It has been much cheaper than driving though.

Tube vs Metro

During the trip to Paris we got about on the Metro.

On sunday we used 5 lines for as many journeys. Not once did we have to wait more than 3 minutes for a train. It meant that we were able to spend more time sight seeing knowing that we could predict our travelling time back to base with pretty good accuracy.

Has anybody using the tube in London ever managed to get 5 trains in a row with less than a three minute wait for each?

No, I thought not.

And it adds insult to injury that it costs a damn sight more to travel by tube than Metro.

A better class of bomber

If the 21/7 bombers were so proud to become martyrs had their bombs gone off why are they no longer proud to admit to the cause.

In the old days any self-respecting bomber would have used a trial for making political points rather than trying to get off.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Paris Texas France

Next weekend a mate is having his 50th birthday trip to Paris. I'll be visiting Sacre Couer as I've never been inside it and we might go to Versailles on the Sunday, but if we have spare time does anyone have a tip for a little known place to visit that's a real gem?

Human Rights Violation

Following on from the story last week that two escaped prisoners could not be identified by picture as it might infringe their human rights we now have a story that a youth offender who tried to commit suicide but was cut down has won about £575,000 because his human rights were violated.

Something surely has to be done about this misuse of the Human Rights Act and it is a misuse. It seems to be interpreted by everyone and his dog as a violation of right the moment you aren't allowed to do whatever you want. The problem will come that if it is used for cases such as the above, it will become harder for real cases of violation to get heard quickly, and also to be taken seriously.

A couple of points though. Firstly, if that offender had been allowed to kill himself, i.e. not cut down when they found him, then surely it would have made euthanasia legal and set a precedent. Secondly, had he died, then his family could have sued the Prison Service for negligence. A rather dangegous precedent thus set, as it means if someone tries to commit suicide, whether they are successful or not, there will be a payout.

Monday, January 08, 2007

The Upper Class on The Upper Deck

One gets used to the chavs of London letting their offspring cavort around the bus, using it as there own personal playground and running and climbing over seats, passengers, stairwells, but now even the posh kids are at it.

On the 137 earlier today a woman with a particularly refined accent had her two kids with her, one of which was laying on the window ledge of the front upstairs window between the glass and the railing. They were discussing it's upcoming birthday party which would be attended, as best I remember, by Morgan, Charles, Samantha, Gregory but I don't think there were any Waynes or Chardonnays on the guest list. Just as well the bus didn't hit something as said child wouldn't be seeing it's birthday. The stupidity of some parents is amazing.

I nearly said something but suddenly remembered I'm a tradesman and hadn't been spoken to first. Luckily I still know my place!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Hello 2007

So I'm back online you'll be pleased to hear. (cough). And probably even more pleased to hear that I don't have a list of New Year Resolutions. Except the one which is to throw out the bathroom scales which have developed a serious error of making me 4 lbs heavier than three weeks ago.