2212 replies to this topic

[M J W J]

 

Have you ever tried carrying/concealing a grinder as an offensive weapon? It's really not that practical, but not half as impractical as carrying the generator you need to power it in the street!!

 

The sale of aerosol paint is restricted to over 16's is nothing to do with safety, or offensive weapons, it's to prevent them being used for graffiti/vandalism by minors under the Anti Social behaviour act 2003. The sale of aerosols containing solvents is actually restricted to over 18's though, again this has nothing to do with safety or offensive weapons, it's in order to reduce solvent abuse amongst under 18's under the Intoxicating Substances Supply Act 1985.

 

I understand and know why aerosols are restricted as I worked in retail for 6 years. What gets me is that they are restricted (and rightly so for the reasons you stated) yet power tools aren't.

 

You can buy battery operated grinders and drills just to point out. You can buy those battery operated spray machines and a can of paint if you really wanted to vandalise something yet they aren't restricted.

 

I don't see the being able to conceal the item relevant because hedge shears are restricted and they aren't exactly easy to conceal. I personally think tin snips are just a bit of an oversight really. They probably will be restricted at some point.

[AVV IT]

Yeah, I was kind of joking about the offensive weapon grinder thing.....

 

I think it's probably more to do with the reality and the statistics of these things being used, and having legislation that will help reduce the majority of cases. Let's face it the majority of graffiti is always going to occur with aerosol paint as they're cheap, convenient and readily available. In the same way that the majority of stabbings are going to occur with readily available domestic blades such as knives and scissors for the same reasons.

 

If you were utterly intent on stabbing/injuring someone and nothing was going to stand in your way then no amount of sales legislation could prevent you from doing so, as just about anything can be used/adapted as an offensive weapon. The same applies to graffiti, no amount of legislation is going to stop anyone utterly intent on doing that kind of thing because you can graffiti with pretty much anything, like the guy on that TV ad who uses water and toothbrushes to create his art in the dirt on pavements and public buildings.

 

As I mentioned above though, I think tin snips are actually already restricted under the offensive weapons legislation, as they would be classified as "any other article that has a blade", it may well be that the sale of them to under 18's is an oversight on the retailers behalf though.

[M J W J]

My friend Sam came up with a good one earlier.

 

Why do thongs cost just as much as normal knickers yet there is less material in them?

 

It's not something I've ever considered but I guess she has a point. Its the same as any item of clothing. All sizes cost the same up to a reasonable point.

[MrBounce]

My friend Sam came up with a good one earlier.

 

Why do thongs cost just as much as normal knickers yet there is less material in them?

 

It's not something I've ever considered but I guess she has a point. Its the same as any item of clothing. All sizes cost the same up to a reasonable point.

"Sexy" Tax. Unless they're for a bloke. In which case they should never have been made in the first place let alone worn.

[sam-wkd]

...you have to agree, that is pretty random! ;)

[M J W J]

In case people are wonder what sam-wkd is on about, it was a spammer that has now been removed.

 

Why don't people accelerate on slip roads?

 

I overtook 4 on the slip road today onto the M54 and only just hit 60 before I joined it. Luckily it was clear but I did see, some distance in the back ground, a truck flash its lights to let one of the cars that I overtook, in. Its a lot easier to slow down from 70 than to accelerate to 70 (average car brakes have about 10x the mechanical power compared to the engine fitted).

[sam-wkd]

^^^ this - it drives me potty! I was stuck behind some idiot who decided that joining the motorway at 40 was for the best...no way to overtake, and left all of those stuck behind in a difficult / potentially dangerous situation!

[mini93]

Worst is when you are accelerating, over taking people on a slip road and someone pulls out from the empty inside lane doing 40 when I was already doing... at least national speed limit...sh*t myself I did.

 

Why do people sit in their brakes at traffic lights rather than using the handbreak, thus blinding me behind...

Why do people use full beam when they have 1 headlight out...

[Kieranlee999]

Worst is when you are accelerating, over taking people on a slip road and someone pulls out from the empty inside lane doing 40 when I was already doing... at least national speed limit...sh*t myself I did.

 

Why do people sit in their brakes at traffic lights rather than using the handbreak, thus blinding me behind...

Why do people use full beam when they have 1 headlight out...

Because if their handbrake is like my dads its useless

[M J W J]

Why do people sit in their brakes at traffic lights rather than using the handbreak, thus blinding me behind...

 

They own a ford mondeo mk3...

[MrBounce]

Why do people sit in their brakes at traffic lights rather than using the handbreak, thus blinding me behind...

Why do people use full beam when they have 1 headlight out...

 

1) Because they're lazy drivers with automatics.

2) Because they've got their foglights so they use those

Edited by MrBounce, 07 January 2014 - 08:21 PM.

[1984mini25]

Worst is when you are accelerating, over taking people on a slip road and someone pulls out from the empty inside lane doing 40 when I was already doing... at least national speed limit...sh*t myself I did.

 

Why do people sit in their brakes at traffic lights rather than using the handbreak, thus blinding me behind...

Why do people use full beam when they have 1 headlight out...

 

My first ever accident was being hit from behind while stationary at a roundabout, on only my fist drive out on my own after passing my test. luckily I wasn't in a mini at the time, but ever since while stationary I've always sat with the brakes on, until the car/van etc. behind had stopped. or if I can see a car/van approaching from a distance in the rear view I give the brakes a tap to flash the brake lights a few times just to make the point of being stationary.

 

But if the driver behind has their headlamps/fogs on full blinding me in front, then it only seams fair to blind them back with my brake lights.

[mini93]

Its not usually older cars which is the problems, new cars with their super bright LED brake lights are the boys at fault here. Yes from the type of rep cars that rocks these bad boys, they are likely to be automatics. it doesnt however stop them putting it in park... but so be it...

 

I shall still moan about it...

[M J W J]

What place in hell has been reserved for parking attendants who ticket people in the A & E department at Telford (or any for that matter) hospital?

 

Its bad enough that anyone has to pay to use a hospital car park. Visitors maybe, as an out patient it is dam right annoying, we don't want to visit a hospital, but for people who are taking someone to A & E its a f*****g joke.

 

At Telford's hospital the A & E department is easily within walking distance of the normal entrance so I understand that they want to stop normal hospital users/ staff (oh yeah they make the staff pay as well) from parking in the A & E departments car park. They should not be forcing people who are going to a hospital for a genuine emergency have to stop and buy a pay and display ticket.

 

Before anyone says that the hospital are making money from parking charges. They only take a small percentage as its an external parking company who runs the car park. If I have to pay at a hospital for parking then I expect all of it to go to the hospital, not to some greedy external company.

 

In case anyone thinks that A & E patients will be let off. I can tell you they aren't. My mate Alasdair in College broke his leg. His mum took him to A & E and ended up getting ticketed. They appealed and lost. Apparently a broken leg is not a life threatening injury. It might not be the most critical emergency, I would put it further down in the cue behind heart attack and gunshot wound, but its still a pretty major accident.

 

The final thing that really annoys me is that originally it used to be £2 from 00:00 to 23:59 hours. Bad enough as no-one goes to a hospital out of choice. It is now £2.50 for up to 2 hours, £3 for up to 3 hours, £3.5 for up to 8. After that you have to pay again. If you turn up for a blood test or something similar you don't know how long it is going to take you. My dad got caught out by this. After much arguing and some angry letters sent to the parking company, he got the fines dropped but had to pay for all the time he was there (pretty much an entire working day) in 2 hour instalments.

 

I got screwed out of £2.50 this morning for what was in total a 45 minuet wait and appointment. I almost wish the waiting time was longer so it would be more worthwhile. If I fail to go eventually they will revoke my driving licence as they can't ascertain whether I am fit or not to drive.

[SecretSugar]

What place in hell has been reserved for parking attendants who ticket people in the A & E department at Telford (or any for that matter) hospital?

 

Its bad enough that anyone has to pay to use a hospital car park. Visitors maybe, as an out patient it is dam right annoying, we don't want to visit a hospital, but for people who are taking someone to A & E its a f*****g joke.

 

At Telford's hospital the A & E department is easily within walking distance of the normal entrance so I understand that they want to stop normal hospital users/ staff (oh yeah they make the staff pay as well) from parking in the A & E departments car park. They should not be forcing people who are going to a hospital for a genuine emergency have to stop and buy a pay and display ticket.

 

Before anyone says that the hospital are making money from parking charges. They only take a small percentage as its an external parking company who runs the car park. If I have to pay at a hospital for parking then I expect all of it to go to the hospital, not to some greedy external company.

 

In case anyone thinks that A & E patients will be let off. I can tell you they aren't. My mate Alasdair in College broke his leg. His mum took him to A & E and ended up getting ticketed. They appealed and lost. Apparently a broken leg is not a life threatening injury. It might not be the most critical emergency, I would put it further down in the cue behind heart attack and gunshot wound, but its still a pretty major accident.

 

The final thing that really annoys me is that originally it used to be £2 from 00:00 to 23:59 hours. Bad enough as no-one goes to a hospital out of choice. It is now £2.50 for up to 2 hours, £3 for up to 3 hours, £3.5 for up to 8. After that you have to pay again. If you turn up for a blood test or something similar you don't know how long it is going to take you. My dad got caught out by this. After much arguing and some angry letters sent to the parking company, he got the fines dropped but had to pay for all the time he was there (pretty much an entire working day) in 2 hour instalments.

 

I got screwed out of £2.50 this morning for what was in total a 45 minuet wait and appointment. I almost wish the waiting time was longer so it would be more worthwhile. If I fail to go eventually they will revoke my driving licence as they can't ascertain whether I am fit or not to drive.

I know what you mean and feel the exact same. I took my gran to hospital few months ago with pancreatitis, she was in agony. There is no A&E car park so  had to park miles away in the normal car park and further more pay for hours upon end. Last thing you worry about when you have a relative in agony is if have enough change (my hospital doesn't give change nor take notes) for the car park machine, let alone enough for all the hours I was there. My biggest fear is for example a pregnant woman driven to hospital by her partner, trying to get her to the ward to have a baby. What do you do? "Sorry love, I need to go and park the car, pay £2.50 (that's if you pop the baba out in the next hour)...then I'll come back and sort you" Further more, that's if you are lucky to find a place, most times I go to the hospital 9/10 times I have had to drive round and round because majority of the car park is full of staff and in the end abandoned my car near a hedge on a patch of grass because if I don't I get threatened to be struck off the waiting list for not turning up to appointments.

Edited by SecretSugar, 09 January 2014 - 05:43 PM.