Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

PasturesNew

There's an election here today, didn't know that. Although "something twigged" this morning when the news said about elections in some places and I remember shredding a polling card yesterday in by "big clean up" without looking at it as I'd assumed it was from "the last time" which wasn't long ago.

And I just remembered the news this morning so checked .... and yes, there is an election here today.

Should I shuffle off and find out what it's about? Or say "s0d it"?

Actually.... I'll shuffle out ..... might as well, nothing else to do.

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

And I just remembered the news this morning so checked .... and yes, there is an election here today.
Should I shuffle off and find out what it's about? Or say "s0d it"?
Actually.... I'll shuffle out ..... might as well, nothing else to do.

What a good job people didn't just say, "s0d it" in the early part of the last century

PasturesNew

I went ... but when I got there they weren't allowed to discuss it with you, or hand out leaflets... which is a bit nuts.

I was there - and hadn't had leaflets, so had no idea who was in the game and what they wanted the rules to be .... so I ponced around for ages, then picked one.



You'd have thought there'd have been a facility for an attendee to get a pile of all contenders' leaflets...

LydiaJ

Pyxis wrote: »

Have you seen the Impossible Bike? It's electric, and fits into an ordinary standardish backpack.

This video shows how it works. At the end, it shows how small a backpack you can put it into!

http://bgr.com/2014/11/15/kickstarter-impossible-electric-bike/

Fascinating! Thanks for that Pyxis. No good for me, though - I'm hoping the pedalling will be good for me exercise-wise, so I don't want an electric one.

PasturesNew wrote: »

All these magical bikes, electric bikes, etc etc etc .... in the end there are just too many of them, at too high a price, that never really take off.

I'd like something .... but when you try to look into it you shy away due to cost or some other issue.

If they all worked together they could've produced "THE bike". If they'd produced THE bike it'd have been a fraction of the cost and we'd all have one

Looking at that video, it looks way too cumbersome for little people. The seat is way too high for little people ... and I bet it's awkward/a nightmare in a backpack for little people.

If they made it lower/smaller - and fitted it into a shopping trolley you pull along that'd work for me

Other downsides are:
- it's not actually made yet, they could hit production problems and go under before it is.
- it's furren - so would involve some shipping/customs costs ... and what if it goes a bit wrong/needs fixing? Also, is the charger "approved" for British electrics?

It appears to cost about £250... which is a bit high to "take a chance that I'd actually like it/be able to use it".

And .... it doesn't half look "a bit funny"

PN, your list of specifications is completely different from mine. That's why there isn't just THE bike - because different people want different things. I want a large frame size, because that way even if I have the saddle at the right height for my legs, I can still have the handlebars significantly higher than the saddle, which my physio has recommended because of my history with neck problems. I like a women's frame shape, because I might occasionally want to ride it in a skirt, and anyway I've got used to being able to bring my leg over the front and don't want to have to convert now. I'm not bothered about being able to fold it up, and I want a large basket on the back, not the front, so even if it's got heavy stuff in it, it doesn't unbalance the steering. DD prefers a basket on the front, however. Not that I'm looking to buy a new bike. The one I got in the early 1990s is doing me fine, thanks.

Cycling to work this morning was OK. I left a bit later than intended and was trying to judge the pace so as to arrive on time but without pushing it so hard that I was sticky and disgusting on arrival. Cycling home (mostly gentle uphill - a climb of about 110 feet over a distance of 2.8 miles, or 33m in 4.5km) was harder work but less stressful because no time pressure, so I took it gently and admired the scenery while enjoying the sunshine. I am now feeling slightly saddle-sore and more than ever convinced that the "just Thursdays for now" plan is going to make "every time I go to work" a lot less of a shock in September.

If there are any NP who both (a) wear make-up to work and (b) cycle to work I would be interested to hear whether you recommend putting it on before or after the journey. I am happy to say that the "helmet hair" problem was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Also, the thing I missed most compared with driving was being able to glance down at the clock on the dashboard and see whether I was going to be late or not. I don't wear a watch, so finding out the time would have involved stopping to get my phone out of the jacket pocket it was zipped into - an unacceptable delay when I was already concerned about being late. Can one get some kind of handlebar clock/watch thing? Do any of the NP have recommendations?

Now I need to wander down to the polling station and vote. I think I'll walk. It's a lovely evening. Still not sure who to vote for. Where I live is marginal between parties X and Y. The leaflets they have been dropping round each say that their party will do a much better job than the other party about investing in local issues A, B and C, and while X also say they'll do D, Y say they'll do E. All are good and important things to do, and D & E are of about equal importance IMO.

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

I went ... but when I got there they weren't allowed to discuss it with you, or hand out leaflets... which is a bit nuts.
I was there - and hadn't had leaflets, so had no idea who was in the game and what they wanted the rules to be .... so I ponced around for ages, then picked one.

You'd have thought there'd have been a facility for an attendee to get a pile of all contenders' leaflets...

No, that's entirely as it should be. A Polling Station is, and must be, totally neutral.

Having leaflets there would endanger that neutrality, because there would be the chance of one leaflet running out and the candidate complaining that they were being disadvantaged. Having party/candidate agents there, even if only to restock the leaflets could lead to campaigning extending right up to the ballot box - IIRC campaigning is forbidden completely on polling day anyway, if it's not it should be.

I don't even like having to run the gauntlet of the people who stand outside (because they, quite rightly, aren't allowed in) asking to see peoples' polling cards. Depending on how awkward I feel I ether tell them I haven't got it (whether I have or not) or give them a response varying from a simple, "No" to "Get stuffed", depending on the degree of belligerence they show.

As it happens I voted for the only candidate who sent me a leaflet - although I would have voted that way even if there had been no leaflets at all

Pyxis

Pastures...... no party or candidate is allowed to solicit votes at the Polling Stations. They would be in deep manure if they even uttered one word. It might even be illegal.

Giving out leaflets would be seen as soliciting votes.

You would probably have had stuff popped through your door, but I guess that might have gone in your recycling without you being aware of it.


The only thing they are allowed to do is an exit poll, but you aren't obliged to tell them how you voted.



Edit.......sorry....post crossed with Chris's.



I always declined to say how I voted. My view was that a secret ballot is just that, (even though it isn't really secret, as your voting slip has a reference number on it traceable back to your name.
I've always thought that was odd, even though it is necessary to prevent duplicate voting).
Plus I took the view that they'd know the result soon enough, why do they need to know it soonerer?

Anyway, I declined gracefully, and there was no problem, until one year, some time ago, when I was accosted on my way out, and when I declined gracefully again, the woman started a bit of an argument, so I declined again, and she still argued, so I walked away, to the sound of "how stupid, how stupid" ringing in my ears.

I decided that was too awful to let go, so I tried to find a number to ring to make a complaint. No-one has the right to accost a bona fide voter and try to browbeat them into saying how they had voted.

It was actually incredibly difficult to find someone to complain to. This was a long time ago, so I can't remember the details, but eventually I found some sort of number, and told them what had happened, etc.

Dunno,if anything was done about it, but the person I spoke to was quite indignant on my behalf.

chris_m

Pyxis wrote: »

I always declined to say how I voted.

Anyway, I declined gracefully, and there was no problem, until one year, some time ago, when I was accosted on my way out, and when I declined gracefully again, the woman started a bit of an argument, so I declined again, and she still argued, so I walked away, to the sound of "how stupid, how stupid" ringing in my ears.
I decided that was too awful to let go, so I tried to find a number to ring to make a complaint. No-one has the right to accost a bona fide voter and try to browbeat them into saying how they had voted.
It was actually incredibly difficult to find someone to complain to. This was a long time ago, so I can't remember the details, but eventually I found some sort of number, and told them what had happened, etc.
Dunno,if anything was done about it, but the person I spoke to was quite indignant on my behalf.

I'd have marched straight back into the polling station and complained to the officials in there - I believe that they have the legal power to tell people outside to desist from harassing voters or to call the police who will make them go away. The officials will also report it to the Returning Officer who will/should take a vary dim view of such practices.

PasturesNew

I was in the kitchen, waiting for a slice of toast.... sometimes it just takes too long ... and I started pondering why one side gets done so much more than the other side/faster.... and I was gently hovering over the toaster, staring deep inside the slots to see if I could decide if any of the little red strips looked to be brighter than any of the other slots (3 empty slots, one with my toast in) .... and I wandered off into my own little world until BOOF .... the toast popped up and you could've scraped me off the ceiling!

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

and I was gently hovering over the toaster, staring deep inside the slots to see if I could decide if any of the little red strips looked to be brighter than any of the other slots (3 empty slots, one with my toast in) .... and I wandered off into my own little world until BOOF .... the toast popped up and you could've scraped me off the ceiling!

ROTFLMAO :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You know what they say about watched pots? Obviously it also applies to pop-up toasters

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

I was in the kitchen, waiting for a slice of toast.... sometimes it just takes too long ... and I started pondering why one side gets done so much more than the other side/faster.... and I was gently hovering over the toaster, staring deep inside the slots to see if I could decide if any of the little red strips looked to be brighter than any of the other slots (3 empty slots, one with my toast in) .... and I wandered off into my own little world until BOOF .... the toast popped up and you could've scraped me off the ceiling!

Some toasters ya just gotta lurve..............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXv8WW3Wjvw