Posts by John Brown (no body)

Re: Perhaps the answer...

"...it to install average speed checks everywhere. With the exception of a few Audi/Mercedes drivers with special speedos, most people stick to speed limits or close enough to them in average speed check stretches. Yes they might float a couple of MPH over but thats within tolerance, over all its safer."

On "smart" motorways, when reduced speed limits are active, I notice that you end up with all lanes doing the same speed, apart from when lorries are using all but the outside lane. The outside lane tends to bunch up more and there are more tailgaters. I don't know if that's safer, but it doesn't always feel so.

Re: Turn off the phone

Already sorted

The eCall initiative aims to deploy a device installed in all vehicles that will automatically dial 112 in the event of a serious road accident, and wirelessly send airbag deployment and impact sensor information, as well as GPS or Galileo coordinates to local emergency agencies.

The deployment of eCall devices was made mandatory in all new cars sold in the European Union on 1 April 2018.[8][9][10]

Re: Railway Lines?

"Last time I returned from a visit the traffic in the UK looked similar .. on the A3 most folk drove on the right, and on the M25 they drove on the right and over/undertook on the left albeit with less courtesy than the Spanish."

I do about 1000 miles per week in the UK. Have done for years. The Middle Lane Owners Club seems to have markedly increased its membership since lockdown has eased and the roads are heading back to "normal".

"Was I misinformed when my friend told me that soldiers would be deployed to police mask wearing if the police couldn't cope."

Yes, sadly you were misinformed by your friend. I'm sure if you try hard you can find the actual statement on the web somewhere and get the facts first hand instead hearsay "from a friend"

And yet they've never even suggested that. Trump, on the other hand, has made that threat, or "offer" to cities and states, as he would put it.

Re: Wow 1% discount

"if you're getting a coffee on your way to work each morning then it equates to a free coffee about once a month."

That's in the order of 250 coffees per year totalling £625. You could buy a nice coffee machine and quite a lot of decent quality coffee beans/grounds for that and just get up 10 minutes earlier so you don't need to show everyone how important and busy you are by drinking chain coffee while rushing for your bus/train and giving said chain free advertising on the branded cup.

Re: Scaremongering

"Lets see how they like drivers answering the call of nature on the side of their roads !!"

The new name for Calais, Little Paris :-)

Re: COVID-19 contact-tracing app + Truck Queue

Most trucks are a tad longer than 2m. They also usually a bit wider than 2m.

Re: More queues?

"Generally, the Govt isn't great at getting software right even when they've taken years over it. There's no way this shower of incompetents is going to get it right by April, much less months before (when it's actually needed)"

Shirley all they have to do is an agile sprint through the waterfall and straight into the scrum and roberts your dads brother! Slap a QR sticker on it and rush to market with it. The QA team, ie the end users, will be only too happy to help out with any minor issues.

Re: European Union

There's no inconsistency. Brexit has happened. We are no longer members and have no (or at least very little) influence. What we have is a temporary trade and travel agreement with a fixed expiry date.

Re: European Union

Maybe you missed it, but we already left. Possibly you are confused by the deal agreed to have a 12 month transition period whereby we'd keep the current trade and travel arrangements in place while some sort of deal is hammered out. Or not.

Re: European Union

"a place reputed to be business and trade friendly and a strong ballast against the more socialist members."

The FinCen documents attest to that. To the Extent that the US, privately, sees London as being as bad as Cyprus for money laundering!

Re: European Union

"there's no consistency and there's zero good faith, two things the EU hás been showing."

Not quite. The EUs initial negotiating position was for the UK to get a trade deal we'd have to follow all the rules as if we were still a member. Not helped by the UK not seeming to have anyone capable or experienced at negotiating.

Re: Applefying the car

I believe it's the difference between a gallon of ale and a gallon of wine. The US chose one as their default gallon and we chose the other although I don't remember which. No doubt the answer is on the intertubes somewhere,

"If it keeps her away from other things I'd consider it a win."

$deity, NOooooo!!!!!!

Can you imagine the Govt. taking over Nominet? Step one: Massive increase in bureaucracy. Step 2: Oh look, financial problems mumble mumble, COVID-19...lets increase domain fees.

Re: We still use a CRT television

"FYI, many of the appliance cover sales calls are scammers, from the few I've spoken to, I suspect the major (legit) appliance cover providers have suffered data leaks..."

They have. Or the chancers are getting better. When they call me, if they have the correct make of whatever, I always tell them I don't have that whatever any more and the new one is $some_other_make. Within a few weeks I'll get a call about my $some_other_make whatever. Then I rinse and repeat. Strangely, I've not had any of those calls for over a year now!

Re: I suspect...

Yes, once it's been seeded they tend to come in batches.

"Oh noes! Flower? Flour. Bugger!"

I Was At The Reading Station.

Was I reading a book or waiting for a train in a town in Berkshire?

Re: More to the point

And in spoken word rather than written or typed, there's the ones who pronounce, with great authority, that their "whiffy" is just fine. Like those rare souls years ago who said "stee-rio"

Re: More to the point

" I have seen a female technician up a telegraph pole at least once."

Fnarr Fnarr!

Re: 18 months?

"There's a lot of crap comes in from China with the CE symbol "

There are two remarkably similar CE marks. One means it's supposed to be made to certain safe standards, the other means it's another China Export.

Re: Use it up,

"Well that would put lead in his pencil."

Marginally better than Vaseline glass!