Systemic Collapse Watch - First Signs

[Bus Stop Boxer]

Only losers take the bus.

I nearly auditioned for this band in the late 80s as a bassist. He sent me a demo and i had a slot lined up.

Bass wasnt really what i wanted to do so never took it forward.

Just looked this up, to find that hes died last year. I spoke to him on the phone, seemed a nice bloke.

RIP Cathal.

"I'm not stupid -- I'm a man
I'm not stupid
I'm born again in hail and flames (goldrush almighty)
Go tell it loud to all my slaves (goldrush almighty)
You scum don't have the fear of god
All that's left is the iron rod (goldrush almighty)
Let's go down, kiss the plough
Public system burn down
And let memory fade
Nothing is wrong!
Only losers take the bus
Only losers take the bus
Churchill was a shopping bag (goldrush almighty)
Can you draw the Chinese flag? (goldrush almighty)
It's, uh, three blue lines and six dalias
Paris is in India (goldrush almighty)
Let's go down, o my friends
All alone we descend
Plastic food, tv
Take your eyes off of me!
Only losers take the bus
Only losers take the bus
I hate misunderstandings
Hey, get these dead bodies off my racetrack!
And we cry out with joy
As we drive through the rain
And our enemies claw
From every god damned side!
Only losers take the bus....
Only losers, only losers, only losers take the bus
I'm no loser, I'm a letch!
Protect me! protect me!
I'm not one of them...."

[Kiwibobby]

15 hours ago, belfastchild said:

Uber isn't really a thing over here. I just checked and there are 4 uber cabs in Belfast. Thats a bit up from the 2 there used to be. Their legal position here is debatable.

The taxis used to be a major part of the sectarian command structures tho - collecting intel all day, able to run drugs and guns around with minimal chance of detection, etc.

Maybe since it got quieter they cut back on supporting th taxi industry?

[Axeman123]

14 minutes ago, Kiwibobby said:

The taxis used to be a major part of the sectarian command structures

No wonder there are only four Abduls in all of Belfast brave enough to set up as Uber!

[belfastchild]

31 minutes ago, Kiwibobby said:

The taxis used to be a major part of the sectarian command structures tho - collecting intel all day, able to run drugs and guns around with minimal chance of detection, etc.

Maybe since it got quieter they cut back on supporting th taxi industry?

Increasing regulation. First thing done after the ceasefires was to make sure every taxi, including private hire had a meter installed. A mate of mine designed one of the first ones made locally and made a bloody fortune for a few years.
IIRC ubers here have to have proper meters in them to be licensed taxis and display the lights etc so effectively you only get owner drivers doing uber (or illegit) who have left one of the big companies as you cant work here for more than one company. Just working for uber wouldnt be worth it with all the overhead.
Most of the small local 'taxi' firms you describe were long since eaten up by the big 2 or 3 since then.
Most of the big firms will supply you with all the kit but its theirs and AFAIK you can new york style rent the taxi off them as well.

[Castlevania]

On 08/09/2023 at 23:04, Wight Flight said:

Get the bus. Easier and cheaper.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by Castlevania

[Wight Flight]

2 minutes ago, Castlevania said:

 

 

 

 

Went to a restaurant on Friday.

Couple of tourists at the next table asked for a taxi to be booked back to Ventnor.

Taxi was going to be about 45 minutes wait (if it ever arrived) and cost around £20.

I suggested hopping on the bus that would be right outside in 10 minutes, costs £2 and would get them directly to Ventnor in the same time.

They decided to book the taxi.

We got the bus. You can't help some people.

[Frank Hovis]

26 minutes ago, Wight Flight said:

Went to a restaurant on Friday.

Couple of tourists at the next table asked for a taxi to be booked back to Ventnor.

Taxi was going to be about 45 minutes wait (if it ever arrived) and cost around £20.

I suggested hopping on the bus that would be right outside in 10 minutes, costs £2 and would get them directly to Ventnor in the same time.

They decided to book the taxi.

We got the bus. You can't help some people.

 

A couple with whom I was great friends in London wanted to come down to Cornwall for a couple of weeks and asked me to recommend something.

This was before rental prices were silly.

I said I knew a static caravan park with huge comfortable statics at a very reasonable price, the site was quiet, medium sized but not huge, the views were great and it had a shop and clubhouse.  It was also a five minute to a beautiful very big beach.

Instead they booked a "farm chalet" because they didn't want to tell the people with whom they worked that they had been on a "caravan holiday".

I went up to see them a couple of times, the chalet was small, half the size of the caravans I had recommended, and was one of several in a very damp shaded valley, and it was damp the walls were going green.  The only facility was a pay laundry.

They left several days early because it was so bad, yet it had cost significantly more than the caravan site I had recommended where they would have had a wonderful two week beach holiday.

And all so that they could tell people that they had stayed on a farm rather than a caravan site.

 

Another was a full of himself audit manager with whom I didn't get on but we kept it polite.  One time several of us were leaving a client meeting and it was raining so we made a beeline for the nearest tube station, we realised this bloke had stopped on the pavement so we asked if he was going somewhere else, he said no but he was going to take a cab (good luck with that when it's raining) because he hadn't "been on a tube for five years".

I think he was trying to impress people with this line but we thought him an idiot. Who cares about such a thing?

[eek]

11 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

I think he was trying to impress people with this line but we thought him an idiot. Who cares about such a thing?

Had a salesman do that years ago when we needed to get from Kings Cross to an office close to Victoria station.

I went by tube and had to apologise for them being late…

[Stuey]

21 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

A couple with whom I was great friends in London wanted to come down to Cornwall for a couple of weeks and asked me to recommend something.

This was before rental prices were silly.

I said I knew a static caravan park with huge comfortable statics at a very reasonable price, the site was quiet, medium sized but not huge, the views were great and it had a shop and clubhouse.  It was also a five minute to a beautiful very big beach.

Instead they booked a "farm chalet" because they didn't want to tell the people with whom they worked that they had been on a "caravan holiday".

I went up to see them a couple of times, the chalet was small, half the size of the caravans I had recommended, and was one of several in a very damp shaded valley, and it was damp the walls were going green.  The only facility was a pay laundry.

They left several days early because it was so bad, yet it had cost significantly more than the caravan site I had recommended where they would have had a wonderful two week beach holiday.

And all so that they could tell people that they had stayed on a farm rather than a caravan site.

 

Another was a full of himself audit manager with whom I didn't get on but we kept it polite.  One time several of us were leaving a client meeting and it was raining so we made a beeline for the nearest tube station, we realised this bloke had stopped on the pavement so we asked if he was going somewhere else, he said no but he was going to take a cab (good luck with that when it's raining) because he hadn't "been on a tube for five years".

I think he was trying to impress people with this line but we thought him an idiot. Who cares about such a thing?

This was where I spent a very sunny two weeks in May and is similar to the caravan site mentioned. https://northfieldholidays.co.uk/

I think it was £400ish for the two weeks and at a push you could fit five people in. Perfect for a family although anyone over 6 foot needs to be careful!

Fifteen minute walk from a few pubs in Borth and the train station for a 20minute ride into Aberystwyth. 

 

[Frank Hovis]

5 minutes ago, Stuey said:

This was where I spent a very sunny two weeks in May and is similar to the caravan site mentioned. https://northfieldholidays.co.uk/

I think it was £400ish for the two weeks and at a push you could fit five people in. Perfect for a family although anyone over 6 foot needs to be careful!

Fifteen minute walk from a few pubs in Borth and the train station for a 20minute ride into Aberystwyth. 

 

 

What an absolutely great way to spend two weeks 

I well remember the grey sands of Borth from my childhood.

[Stuey]

39 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

What an absolutely great way to spend two weeks 

I well remember the grey sands of Borth from my childhood.

Everyone should go there once! I can't think of anywhere like it

 

[Chewing Grass]

Final collapse of Wikinsons/Wilco, 400 shops, 2 warehouses ans 12,000 jobs.

[One percent]

On 11/09/2023 at 08:45, Stuey said:

This was where I spent a very sunny two weeks in May and is similar to the caravan site mentioned. https://northfieldholidays.co.uk/

I think it was £400ish for the two weeks and at a push you could fit five people in. Perfect for a family although anyone over 6 foot needs to be careful!

Fifteen minute walk from a few pubs in Borth and the train station for a 20minute ride into Aberystwyth. 

 

Did they mistake you for an EE and put you to work picking fruit?   

[Loki]

[Ash4781b]

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/13/pothole-repairs-on-local-roads-in-england-sink-to-lowest-level-in-five-years
 

“The mileage of local roads in England being resurfaced or treated to avoid potholes has fallen to its lowest level in five years, research has shown.

There has been a decline of almost one-third in the total amount of life-extending road maintenance by local councils, according to analysis of government data by the RAC motoring organisation.

Only 1,123 miles of roads were surfaced in 2021-22, compared with 1,588 miles in 2017-18, while only 3,551 miles, down from 5,345 miles four years earlier, were maintained with surface dressing – the more cost-effective preventative method, according to the road repair industry.”

Oh so reduced maintenance and probably increased traffic leading to rapid deterioration in road conditions? Anecdotally I’ve noticed around my way they gave up cutting the grass at junctions too re-wild them  (difficult to see), Road markings fading , lack of resurfacing. I suppose the roads are going to get a lot worse 

[One percent]

3 hours ago, Ash4781b said:

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/13/pothole-repairs-on-local-roads-in-england-sink-to-lowest-level-in-five-years
 

“The mileage of local roads in England being resurfaced or treated to avoid potholes has fallen to its lowest level in five years, research has shown.

There has been a decline of almost one-third in the total amount of life-extending road maintenance by local councils, according to analysis of government data by the RAC motoring organisation.

Only 1,123 miles of roads were surfaced in 2021-22, compared with 1,588 miles in 2017-18, while only 3,551 miles, down from 5,345 miles four years earlier, were maintained with surface dressing – the more cost-effective preventative method, according to the road repair industry.”

Oh so reduced maintenance and probably increased traffic leading to rapid deterioration in road conditions? Anecdotally I’ve noticed around my way they gave up cutting the grass at junctions too re-wild them  (difficult to see), Road markings fading , lack of resurfacing. I suppose the roads are going to get a lot worse 

You also have to question the quality of road resurfacing currently being done. The main road at the bottom of my road was done not that long ago and parts of the new surface has just lifted away.  

[Funn3r]

12 hours ago, Ash4781b said:

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/13/pothole-repairs-on-local-roads-in-england-sink-to-lowest-level-in-five-years
 

“The mileage of local roads in England being resurfaced or treated to avoid potholes has fallen to its lowest level in five years, research has shown.

There has been a decline of almost one-third in the total amount of life-extending road maintenance by local councils, according to analysis of government data by the RAC motoring organisation.

Only 1,123 miles of roads were surfaced in 2021-22, compared with 1,588 miles in 2017-18, while only 3,551 miles, down from 5,345 miles four years earlier, were maintained with surface dressing – the more cost-effective preventative method, according to the road repair industry.”

Oh so reduced maintenance and probably increased traffic leading to rapid deterioration in road conditions? Anecdotally I’ve noticed around my way they gave up cutting the grass at junctions too re-wild them  (difficult to see), Road markings fading , lack of resurfacing. I suppose the roads are going to get a lot worse 

That's OK on a diet of bugs you wont have the strength to wind your 15-minute clockwork car anyway so road surface doesnt matter.

[Chewing Grass]

On 14/09/2023 at 04:25, Ash4781b said:

https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/13/pothole-repairs-on-local-roads-in-england-sink-to-lowest-level-in-five-years
 

“The mileage of local roads in England being resurfaced or treated to avoid potholes has fallen to its lowest level in five years, research has shown.

There has been a decline of almost one-third in the total amount of life-extending road maintenance by local councils, according to analysis of government data by the RAC motoring organisation.

Only 1,123 miles of roads were surfaced in 2021-22, compared with 1,588 miles in 2017-18, while only 3,551 miles, down from 5,345 miles four years earlier, were maintained with surface dressing – the more cost-effective preventative method, according to the road repair industry.”

Oh so reduced maintenance and probably increased traffic leading to rapid deterioration in road conditions? Anecdotally I’ve noticed around my way they gave up cutting the grass at junctions too re-wild them  (difficult to see), Road markings fading , lack of resurfacing. I suppose the roads are going to get a lot worse 

You forgot to add all the heavier and more powerful status EVs pummelling the roads. All the takeoff/launch  zones are trashed near me at lights and junctions.

[mooncat69]

On 11/09/2023 at 08:52, Frank Hovis said:

 

What an absolutely great way to spend two weeks 

I well remember the grey sands of Borth from my childhood.

I went to Brynowen Holiday Park, Borth, about ten years ago. Great times.

[Kendo]

Not sure where to post this but figured here would be good enough. If people (especially with double-barrelled surnames) are thinking like this, god help us: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/15/generous-pensions-britain-triple-lock-working-age-benefits

[jamtomorrow]

18 hours ago, Chewing Grass said:

You forgot to add all the heavier and more powerful status EVs pummelling the roads. All the takeoff/launch  zones are trashed near me at lights and junctions.

Seems to be mostly Wankpanzers in that kind of weight category round here.

But of course the idea that the axle weights you find on a status EV or Wankpanzer make much difference to overall road damage is a canard - it's the *really* heavy stuff that does the vast vast majority of the damage.

It's the 4th power of axle weight determines the damage. For example a single pass from an HGV with 10 tonne axles will do the same damage as 10,000 passes from vehicles with 1 tonne axles.

If you apply that 4th power over the mix of axle weights on the average road in the UK, the damage from cars - even the heavier Wankpanzers and EVs - is a drop in ocean compared to HGVs.

[mooncat69]

22 minutes ago, jamtomorrow said:

It's the 4th power of axle weight determines the damage. For example a single pass from an HGV with 10 tonne axles will do the same damage as 10,000 passes from vehicles with 1 tonne axles.

How is it the fourth power? What's the maths?

[Ash4781b]

Started to see when I go to the petrol pump previous person only put in small amount close to minimum delivery, one was £10 in. That’s not a lot of fuel for a car. I thought why bother doing that? What’s the reason - not necessarily system collapse! Or I’m overthinking 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Ash4781b

[jamtomorrow]

12 minutes ago, mooncat69 said:

How is it the fourth power? What's the maths?

It was discovered experimentally in the 1950s by civ eng researchers. Some info on it here:

https://www.insidescience.org/news/how-much-damage-do-heavy-trucks-do-our-roads

The AASHO Road Test was a multiyear experiment conducted by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) during the 1950s and is still perhaps the most comprehensive test on trucks and pavement damage. During the tests, trucks with different weights and configurations were driven around a loop until the road was damaged to a certain point. The tests ultimately resulted in 141 crashes and two fatalities.

[onlyme]

43 minutes ago, jamtomorrow said:

Seems to be mostly Wankpanzers in that kind of weight category round here.

But of course the idea that the axle weights you find on a status EV or Wankpanzer make much difference to overall road damage is a canard - it's the *really* heavy stuff that does the vast vast majority of the damage.

It's the 4th power of axle weight determines the damage. For example a single pass from an HGV with 10 tonne axles will do the same damage as 10,000 passes from vehicles with 1 tonne axles.

If you apply that 4th power over the mix of axle weights on the average road in the UK, the damage from cars - even the heavier Wankpanzers and EVs - is a drop in ocean compared to HGVs.

Remember when the 44 tonners? from mainly europe were allowed on the road. Lots of motorway mileage was rutted like an old roman road within a few years.