From http://curmudgeonlyramblings.blogspot.com/:
Getting off the motoring theme and moving on - technology this time - or, more accurately the (ab)use of it - particularly e-mails.
Now, I'm no Luddite - I'm not a complete nerd either, but I do like using modern technology, and e-mails have been a godsend, particularly when you're trying to organise a group of people, as I have often done over the last 20-30 years. I remember the early days of organising our weekly football group - it was perpetual telephone tennis - I call A, who's out, so I call B, who's on the phone. Meanwhile A calls me back but I'm on the phone to B etc etc - you get the picture.
One e-mail can reach everyone in your group in a nanosecond - and they all get precisely the same message - the only scope for misinterpretation is their own.
No, what I'm on about is mostly the (mis)use of e-mails in business organisations and the complete abrogation of responsibility that often seems to go with it. People don't speak to each other - even across workstations. Q - "Have you dealt with such and such?" A - "Didn't you get my e-mail?" - as if sending the e-mail relieved them of the burden of actually having to do some work.
Bah humbug.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Number Three
From http://curmudgeonlyramblings.blogspot.com/:
Still on the motoring theme - this time, driving with lights on. I think it's a good thing, but it seems many motorists don't share my view, judging by the number that flash you with their headlights to tell you that you've got your lights on.
What they don't seem to realise is that car lights are not just for seeing with, but, even more importantly, being seen with. Many don't seem to appreciate how much their own car's visibility is enhanced by driving with lights on - even in daylight and in summer. Especially at a distance, some car colours merge into the background, but not when they have their lights on - they can be seen from much further away.
Remember too that not every driver on the road is in their twenties with 20:20 vision, and anything that can be done to help other cars see you is surely a good thing? The Scandinavians seem to think so anyway - you have to keep your lights on in most of the Nordic countries - and I do appreciate this is partly climate driven, but they've also done a lot of research on it. Hence why Volvos always have their lights on - you can't switch them off.
The Scandinavians are not the only ones who have done research on this - the Americans have too - check out some of the reports via the links at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_running_lamp
So next time you're thinking about flashing another driver to tell him he still has his lights on, think again - and turn your own lights on.
Still on the motoring theme - this time, driving with lights on. I think it's a good thing, but it seems many motorists don't share my view, judging by the number that flash you with their headlights to tell you that you've got your lights on.
What they don't seem to realise is that car lights are not just for seeing with, but, even more importantly, being seen with. Many don't seem to appreciate how much their own car's visibility is enhanced by driving with lights on - even in daylight and in summer. Especially at a distance, some car colours merge into the background, but not when they have their lights on - they can be seen from much further away.
Remember too that not every driver on the road is in their twenties with 20:20 vision, and anything that can be done to help other cars see you is surely a good thing? The Scandinavians seem to think so anyway - you have to keep your lights on in most of the Nordic countries - and I do appreciate this is partly climate driven, but they've also done a lot of research on it. Hence why Volvos always have their lights on - you can't switch them off.
The Scandinavians are not the only ones who have done research on this - the Americans have too - check out some of the reports via the links at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_running_lamp
So next time you're thinking about flashing another driver to tell him he still has his lights on, think again - and turn your own lights on.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
My Pet Hates - number two
From http://curmudgeonlyramblings.blogspot.com/:
Another motoring theme - the target of my ire this time is the electronic information signs on our motorways and dual carriageways - or more correctly those who programme in the messages for us all to read.
I think they forget the reason these boards were put up in the first place was to provide motoring/traffic information to drivers - not to lecture us on our lifestyles and act like something from George Orwell's 1984 (I'm old enough to remember when that was hugely futuristic).
Why is it necessary to put up signs like:
Another motoring theme - the target of my ire this time is the electronic information signs on our motorways and dual carriageways - or more correctly those who programme in the messages for us all to read.
I think they forget the reason these boards were put up in the first place was to provide motoring/traffic information to drivers - not to lecture us on our lifestyles and act like something from George Orwell's 1984 (I'm old enough to remember when that was hugely futuristic).
Why is it necessary to put up signs like:
- Don't Drink and Drive
- Fasten your seatbelt
- Don't use your mobile phone while driving
and many other such banalities. For some reason, they seem to be more prevalent in the West of Scotland.
Use them for their correct purpose - information to motorists. If there's nothing to say, then leave them blank - they're just a distraction and an irritant.
Thursday, 12 April 2012
My Pet Hates - number one
From http://curmudgeonlyramblings.blogspot.com/:
Welcome to my newest blog - my 9th so far. What's this one all about then? Well, it came to me yesterday as I was heading down to Glasgow. A couple of incidents en route led to me ranting a bit to Jo as we travelled down, and it occurred to me I should commit these occasional pet hates to print to share with you all - I hope you feel privileged.
The first rant is about the self-appointed moral guardians of the road. I could include here those drivers who sit in the outside lane of motorways/dual carriageways at precisely the top speed limit, not allowing anyone else to pass ("undertaking" not officially permitted in the UK), but no - there's far worse than that - and I came across a perfect example yesterday. Road rage almost overcame me.
This type of incident occurs only on dual carriageways when one lane is out of action due to roadworks or, perhaps, a breakdown. The example yesterday is perhaps best demonstrated diagramatically:
Roadworks at Bridge of Dee marked in orange. Moral crusader marked in yellow - swerving in and out between lanes, retaining his place in the queue, whilst also blocking anyone from coming up the inside lane.
Now I understand how everyone feels about cars sneaking up on the inside lane and getting in front of them in the queue, relying on the goodwill of cars in the outside lane to let them out at the roadworks further up, but it just doesn't make road sense to do this.
The effect of not being able to use the inside lane here means that the queue stretches back further, in single file - in the above case, back past the previous roundabout. It makes much more sense for both lanes to be fully utilised and for cars to simply alternate turns at going past the roadworks. If this were written in to the Highway Code and everyone (or most) observed it, then nobody is "sneaking" an advantage, and the queues don't snake back as far.
If you approach Aberdeen on the A90 from the south and take the turning off the dual carriageway to go towards Altens, the road used to narrow down to single lanes eventually, but there was a road sign there telling all cars to use both lanes all the way up, then alternate when they got to the single lane. This was not only good sense - it was also a safety issue if the queue snaked back on to the main A 90 dual carriageway. I've also seen this in other cities too, so why not just make it a general rule of the road?
We would then be using the space on our roads more efficiently and it would be taking the heat out of potential road rage incidents when the self appointed moral guardians take it upon themselves to police the rest of us, just as the yellow car did to me yesterday.
OK - rant no. 1 over - more to follow in due course.
Welcome to my newest blog - my 9th so far. What's this one all about then? Well, it came to me yesterday as I was heading down to Glasgow. A couple of incidents en route led to me ranting a bit to Jo as we travelled down, and it occurred to me I should commit these occasional pet hates to print to share with you all - I hope you feel privileged.
The first rant is about the self-appointed moral guardians of the road. I could include here those drivers who sit in the outside lane of motorways/dual carriageways at precisely the top speed limit, not allowing anyone else to pass ("undertaking" not officially permitted in the UK), but no - there's far worse than that - and I came across a perfect example yesterday. Road rage almost overcame me.
This type of incident occurs only on dual carriageways when one lane is out of action due to roadworks or, perhaps, a breakdown. The example yesterday is perhaps best demonstrated diagramatically:
Roadworks at Bridge of Dee marked in orange. Moral crusader marked in yellow - swerving in and out between lanes, retaining his place in the queue, whilst also blocking anyone from coming up the inside lane.
Now I understand how everyone feels about cars sneaking up on the inside lane and getting in front of them in the queue, relying on the goodwill of cars in the outside lane to let them out at the roadworks further up, but it just doesn't make road sense to do this.
The effect of not being able to use the inside lane here means that the queue stretches back further, in single file - in the above case, back past the previous roundabout. It makes much more sense for both lanes to be fully utilised and for cars to simply alternate turns at going past the roadworks. If this were written in to the Highway Code and everyone (or most) observed it, then nobody is "sneaking" an advantage, and the queues don't snake back as far.
If you approach Aberdeen on the A90 from the south and take the turning off the dual carriageway to go towards Altens, the road used to narrow down to single lanes eventually, but there was a road sign there telling all cars to use both lanes all the way up, then alternate when they got to the single lane. This was not only good sense - it was also a safety issue if the queue snaked back on to the main A 90 dual carriageway. I've also seen this in other cities too, so why not just make it a general rule of the road?
We would then be using the space on our roads more efficiently and it would be taking the heat out of potential road rage incidents when the self appointed moral guardians take it upon themselves to police the rest of us, just as the yellow car did to me yesterday.
OK - rant no. 1 over - more to follow in due course.
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