The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

PasturesNew

michaels wrote: »

So my posting is really to ask NP on their opinion, am I being racist here and not realising it?

I didn't read this, or anything else... but I had spotted earlier today that the whole Uber/racist card was thrown about...

As I see it, it can't be racist, except by the sort of people who think anything is racist if they want to pout and make a noise.

Anybody can become a Black Cab driver.
Anybody can become an Uber car driver.

Uber has issues ....

Just because there are more furren types driving for Uber doesn't make it racist to stop it running.

All those Uber drivers have the same opportunity of becoming a black cab driver as anybody who is one.

All black cab drivers could ditch their cars today and set up tomorrow as Uber drivers and Uber would still have its issues.

There is NO racism ...

And I'm fed up with a racism card being bandied about by anybody without a valid argument in response to anything happening that they don't like ... even if they don't actually know what they're talking about, but chose one side over another based purely on a Facebook feed they saw in passing.

vivatifosi

michaels wrote: »

Yes, I am questioning why the threat of job losses is not the main issue with the uber story whereas it was with the Tata steel story and suggesting that it could appear that the bbc was being racist when it gives different prominence to the threat of job losses in the two stories. Is accusing the BBC of possible racism against their editorial policy?

Perhaps because in the case of Tata the people were directly employed, whereas in the case of Uber they are self employed and free to work for other providers.

It's an irrelevance anyway, because they won't lose their jobs in 21 days due to the appeals process. Then a deal will be reached.

PasturesNew

And another thing .....



Are the Uber "jobs" real jobs at all? Will they "go"? There are many ways to provide transport within the capital - they could all go and become private hire car drivers..... or bus companies put more buses on ... or something.

If journeys need to be made, they will be made.... and I think a lot of these "jobs" were just covers and cash in hand and all sorts of funny stuff going on by random individuals filling their tank with fuel and setting off.

They are self-employed people.... they can still be self-employed, just not under the Uber freelance driver banner as it currently stands.

Steelworkers can't set up tomorrow in their front garden with a hammer and a big blow torch.

GDB2222

michaels wrote: »

Yes, I am questioning why the threat of job losses is not the main issue with the uber story whereas it was with the Tata steel story and suggesting that it could appear that the bbc was being racist when it gives different prominence to the threat of job losses in the two stories. Is accusing the BBC of possible racism against their editorial policy?

There's a major point that you've not acknowledged. If Tata closes, the steel will still be produced, only overseas, so the 4000 jobs will be lost here. The jobs will go overseas and won't be lost overall. Still, that means 4000 families to be supported on benefits in the UK.

If Uber closes in London, the need to transport Londoners won't end. The 40,000 drivers will simply transfer to other UK companies. So, at least in principle, no job losses in the UK.

I really don't think the BBC is racist. Quite the reverse, really. Almost too PC! Maybe, you were just unlucky with the person who incorrectly censored your contribution without thinking about it much?

Pyxis

zagubov wrote: »

To be fair, I think the poster was talking about the fact that the family's house might be bugged via a shared wall. The premiss of the series is that they're deep-cover KGB agents; they don't discuss their missions without having taps running to mask their conversation via bugging devices.

Ah, I see!
I didn't realise that forum was about the programme which I've never seen or even heard about!
I just thought it was a kooky opinion from someone who'd never lived with a party wall! :rotfl: :rotfl:

michaels wrote: »

Oh dear, I suggested that their might be an agenda behind the bbc not leading on the threat to 40,000 uber drivers jobs and it turns out I am an inflamatory racist

It sounded fine to me until you mentioned immigrants in the same sentence as 'nice white Anglo-Saxon steel workers', when the tone appeared to change. 'Nice white....' etc. could be taken as ironic sympathy towards white British, but could also be taken as hostile sarcasm. Without body language to differentiate between the two, the
BBC were probably erring on the side of caution.

(I'm not saying that's right, just making a supposition).

Maybe it would have been accepted if the references to immigrants and white, Anglo-saxons had been left out?

Some people might say that in order to gauge whether a remark might be construed as racist, would be to turn round the words in question, and then see how it sounds.

So, in this case, if you had said, say, "those nice, black, Afro-Caribbean steel workers....", you can see that that might not have gone down too well.

Or something. I dunno. It's a total minefield.

To be honest, I'm not sure I do know what I mean, or maybe it's that in trying to explain it, one feels one is treading on eggshells. Aaaargh!:(

Whether or not the BBC didn't like the suggestion that they were being racist is another matter as well!

To be honest, I just wish we could all forget about where we, our parents, grandparents or other forebears originally came from, or what we, or they, look(ed) like, and just get on with being human beans.

(By the way, what was the forum you posted that on? I didn't know the BBC had a forum).

LydiaJ wrote: »

At the sheltered housing where my dad is going, people seem to call their homes "flats" but the paperwork from the Trust that runs the place calls them "apartments". My dad himself calls it a flat. He's called other such homes from his past "flats" too, unless they've been in Canada, in which case he's called them "apartments", conforming to local usage.

Now, that's interesting, because thinking of an ex-mansion like the one your dad would be living in, it strikes me that 'apartment' is a better term than 'flat', because the mansion has has been apart-mented in the original sense of the word, i.e., parts set apart fro others to be used exclusively by individuals.
Flats don't seem quite as appropriate in that instance.

michaels

I don't really think the bbc are being racist but because their agenda is anti the uber business model they are ignoring the plight of the drivers which in other circumstances would be the lead story.

I have failed as a parent. DD1 is going on a french exchange, staying in an apartment and remarked 'I can't stay there, there are 4 in the family plus me and there are only 2 bathrooms!':(

zagubov

Pyxis wrote: »

Now, that's interesting, because thinking of an ex-mansion like the one your dad would be living in, it strikes me that 'apartment' is a better term than 'flat', because the mansion has has been apart-mented in the original sense of the word, i.e., parts set apart fro others to be used exclusively by individuals.
Flats don't seem quite as appropriate in that instance.

I remember seeing this flat in a post on another part of the forum and I recall thinking that it was very much more an apartment than a flat.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-57685549.html

ivyleaf

Pastures Unfortunately you'l probably never know.

Pyxis

michaels wrote: »

I have failed as a parent. DD1 is going on a french exchange, staying in an apartment and remarked 'I can't stay there, there are 4 in the family plus me and there are only 2 bathrooms!':(

Hahahahahahahha!

Reminds me of the time we were staying in a very old house, and the bathroom didn't have any shower attachments. Mine wailed, " But I won't be able to wash my hair!" :rotfl:

I had to apply some education in the form of a jug at the washbasin or kneeling in the bath, and added that she was lucky there was hot water coming out of the tap and not having to be boiled in kettles at the kitchen sink! :rotfl:



The French exchange that I went on as a teenager took me for a weekend at their gite up on the Massif Central, as part of my stay, (the rest of which was in a town in Provence), which was very basic.
So basic, in fact, that it didn't have a loo. Any loo. :eek:
You had to go outside, and there wasn't a lot of cover. :eek:

I was mortified, being a very shy 15-year-old. I kept asking my exchange partner to come with me to keep a look-out, etc, and she wasn't very impressed.
There were only two bedrooms, and all her family were there, aunts, uncles, etc., so all the women slept in one room, and all the men in the other.

It was also the first time I tasted pastis, and hated it. Not wanting to offend, I downed it as fast as possible. Then an aunt, seeing my empty glass, refilled it for me! :eek:
So I had to down another one and couldn't control the grimace of disgust as it went down. My exchange partner saw the grimace, and sussed what had happened, and thought I was even more of a wuss.


I am a bit better nowadays!

silvercar

If Uber closes in London, the need to transport Londoners won't end. The 40,000 drivers will simply transfer to other UK companies. So, at least in principle, no job losses in the UK.

I disagree. Uber is cheaper than rivals, there are people who use them who would otherwise walk or use the tube. They also increase availability in certain areas, so if Uber can send someone in 5 minutes or a cab in 20 or a 30 minute walk, Uber wins. Without Uber that business may be lost.