MarkC

Many councils have set up cameras to catch miscreants

Totally agree about box junctions - as you say, they're there for a good reason

My apologies, Paul, if that is what you (correctly) do - the way I read your post was that one shouldn't leave a gap because of the impatient brigade As for the cretin who cut in front of your wife - that is the sort of thing that is a consequence of Traffic Police reductions - these wazzocks do it because they are unlikely to get caught Mark

Exactly - there is too much aggression and impatience these days, but when someone does that, just drop back a bit, and let them have their accident elsewhere...

One of the biggest problems with traffic flow is the reluctance of folk to both keep their distance and anticipate traffic ahead slowing down. Once people start braking hard, it's remarkable how quickly a queue of almost stationary or even stationary traffic builds up, and it takes time to clear again. Nevertheless, I still hate so-called 'smart motorways'

Can you not simply release the wheels from the axles, rather than unsoldering everything? If you have room to do so, it might be easier.

My daughter, who has just turned 23, was assessed as being an Aspie 18 years ago. It's been a long, difficult journey, with lots of tears, tantrums and arguments, but she achieved great GCSEs, has done 2x 2 year college courses in which she achieved very high achievement levels, and has since done a catering apprenticeship. She's incredibly intelligent, and we have tried not to use being an Aspie as an excuse for poor behaviour or underachieving. She's also a very talented baker, and has her own small cupcake and cookies business, as well as working part time in a cafe. However, there are limits. She was 20 before we let her start driving lessons, but after 2 years and several 'close calls', we all agreed that this was perhaps one step too far, as her perception of relative movement and anticipation were not good enough. As her instructor said, on a good day she would pass without any issues, but then what? She was incredibly mature about it, and as we pointed out to her, at least she tried. You can't ask for any more than that. At least these days it's not the stigma that it all once was, and I can only wish all Aspies every success in what they do.

Just picked up a nice K1 for £55 with free postage. Happy days

Daily commuters? Hardly. Occasional weekends and start/end of term, yes, but that's not going to pay for the railway

Very true. As the saying has it - the man (or should one say 'person' these days?) who never made a mistake, never made anything. The fact that we can all confess our cock-ups on here, without fear of ridicule, speaks volumes. I suspect that many of us, when reading such confessions, can relate to them...

Comparing this with the Borders Railway is like comparing apples to oranges, in my view. Even the most optimistic BCR cannot run close to justifying rebuilding it. There's little intermediate traffic to attract (shades of Hadfield to Penistone on the Woodhead) and insufficient commuter traffic, even potentially, to come anywhere near paying for itself.

All very true - except that there are exceptions to the Traffic Police situation. The Durham force and Cleveland force have a combined RPU who are very proactive in monitoring and nicking wrong 'uns. Their motorcycle team is kept busy too, especially in good weather, trying to stop biking buffoons from killing themselves on our country roads. Durham is, as I recall, the only area without fixed speed cameras too.

Indeed - and it was always a good one to catch out apprentices who thought they were being stitched up - again - when told to go and get a bastard file, and answered you back.. The look of horror on their faces when reality dawned could be priceless...

Does she... ...nudge nudge... (with apologies to Monty Python )

There's an easy way to solve the issue of drivers failing to follow the Highway Code by not allowing buses to pull out. CCTV. You don't have to have it fitted to every vehicle either - if it's known that many buses are so fitted, who is going to take the chance that the one they're about to pass doesn't have a camera? I suspect that existing laws could be used to cover this too - driving without due care springs to mind?

Even with writing using a fountain pen, I have never had problems with having my handwriting smudge. My hand remains well below the line of writing; I'm presuming that it's how one has been taught to hold the pen, or has developed a technique that works

That one's been doing the rounds for years - and gets shot down every time, for the reasons you say

Non-corridor compartment stock on quieter services, with good intervals between stations, could be very good for courting couples

Bl**dy pedants - OK, orientated within acceptable operating limits. Better?

As a fellow circumnavigator, this is true. My ships and myself have always remained correctly orientated against the sea. Remember, gravity is a myth - the Earth sucks

You haven't met the 5 moggies that rule chez MarkC - killers all They would be absolutely fine, unlike the birds and rodents in the area

From memory, there was definitely a camera which swung out from the Eagle, to capture the moment that Armstrong placed his first foot on the surface of the Moon. All planned.

My ex would agree with you...

That's possible, Mick, but OTOH I bat right handed, and there is no difference between left and right with a cricket bat! I's so long since I first had a go with a golf club, I genuinely can't remember

I'm left handed (but not a leftie ) I write left handed Play tennis, squash, badminton left handed My left foot is dominant if playing soccer etc However, I eat with my fork in my left hand, knife in my right I play golf right handed Cricket - I confuse the opposition because I bat right handed but bowl with my left I can't say that I've ever really had issues with modelling, due to being left handed