Seemingly trivial things that intrigue you

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  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,073
    pblakeney said:

    morstar said:



    Not sure why you'd treat the group as a serious lobbying force.

    NRA are huge in the States. Membership of 5.5 million and a revenue of $412,233,508.

    I think the evidence that has been coming to light since the dawn of Trump is that the guns and the NRA are the symptoms of a weird mass derangement in the US psyche. It would have been less deadly if they had picked on something less deadly as their totem of Americanism, like cacti, or something.
    https://www.facebook.com/unanglaisendiois
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,188
    briantrumpet said:

    pblakeney said:

    morstar said:



    Not sure why you'd treat the group as a serious lobbying force.

    NRA are huge in the States. Membership of 5.5 million and a revenue of $412,233,508.

    I think the evidence that has been coming to light since the dawn of Trump is that the guns and the NRA are the symptoms of a weird mass derangement in the US psyche. It would have been less deadly if they had picked on something less deadly as their totem of Americanism, like cacti, or something.
    Agreed.
    I'm just saying how things are, not how they should be.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,206
    Although there have been moves to protect Cactii because they were being used as target practice.

    https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-26/border-wall-saguaro-cactus#:~:text=It's illegal to shoot or,, or “cactus%20cops.”

    That article was printed in the face of Trump and his wall and the destruction of Cactii. However:

    LUKEVILLE, Ariz. — In Arizona, cactus rustling — stealing or killing the state’s iconic saguaros — is a felony. It’s illegal to shoot or deface the iconic cactuses or to remove them from parks, where the slow-growing succulents can reach more than 60 feet and live up to 200 years. Violators are pursued by state agricultural police, or “cactus cops.”

    But I guess that varies from state to state.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    pblakeney said:

    morstar said:



    Not sure why you'd treat the group as a serious lobbying force.

    NRA are huge in the States. Membership of 5.5 million and a revenue of $412,233,508.
    Basically a terrorist organisation
    _
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,382
    pblakeney said:

    morstar said:



    Not sure why you'd treat the group as a serious lobbying force.

    NRA are huge in the States. Membership of 5.5 million and a revenue of $412,233,508.
    Yes, almost like the manufacturers have an interest in convincing them all those people to part with their cash.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,790
    pinno said:

    Why aren't there legions of rootin' tootin' trigger happy gun worshipping Yanks heading over to Ukraine?

    They like to shoot things not be shot at.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    If I buy a house, and a tree is the garden. I own the tree, surely that ain't right? That tree has a right to be free like me.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    And the grass for that matter.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,188
    focuszing723 said:

    If I buy a house, and a tree is the garden. I own the tree, surely that ain't right? That tree has a right to be free like me.

    The tree and grass are not free if you are claiming ownership. You can set them free. Not sure they will go anywhere though. 😉 Who says you are free? Get working and paying taxes.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    pblakeney said:

    focuszing723 said:

    If I buy a house, and a tree is the garden. I own the tree, surely that ain't right? That tree has a right to be free like me.

    The tree and grass are not free if you are claiming ownership. You can set them free. Not sure they will go anywhere though. 😉 Who says you are free? Get working and paying taxes.
    Oh, yeah. Hey oh.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,188
    edited April 2022
    Remember this post?
    pblakeney said:

    I regularly cycle past a country property that installed ostentatious gates at the entrance when they moved in. This was 7 years ago. There is still no adjoining wall or fence. 🤔

    These gates. Ostentatious was overkill but I still cannot see the need for the gates, which are never closed in any case.


    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,422
    Who knows? They have an obvious lack of taste though.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 27,992
    Maybe don't want their cars stolen
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,188
    kingstongraham said:

    Maybe don't want their cars stolen

    The gates are permanently open though, as seen by the grass growing undisturbed in the middle. Middling cars anyway.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    The ostentatious to be gateway near me is progressing incredibly slowly.
    There is now a planning application for a cow shed.
    Must be fussy cows if they need such a fancy gateway.
    Having viewed the plans, it’s definitely not going to be a cow shed come house but I suspect the house application will follow in years to come.
    They are putting up new fencing so it does appear there will actually be cows though.
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    Leave a note on the strange open ugly gate thing and see if you get and explanation.

    It could be so the tree's and grass can't escape.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,206
    Maybe they ran out of money.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,422
    morstar said:

    The ostentatious to be gateway near me is progressing incredibly slowly.
    There is now a planning application for a cow shed.
    Must be fussy cows if they need such a fancy gateway.
    Having viewed the plans, it’s definitely not going to be a cow shed come house but I suspect the house application will follow in years to come.
    They are putting up new fencing so it does appear there will actually be cows though.

    Accommodation for slave labour and significant gate to stop them escaping.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Literally every time a ticket inspector comes on my train there is someone in my carriage who gets caught.

    How many people are travelling without tickets?!
    _
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    What are the penalties if they are caught? It is bad because in some indirect way other people have got to pay for it.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,206
    focuszing723 said:

    It is bad because in some indirect way other people have got to pay for it.

    I guess it depends on the frequency.
    In a way, train operators have brought this problem on themselves with a lack of personnel (re.: strikes), unmanned platforms etc.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,188
    rick_chasey said:

    Literally every time a ticket inspector comes on my train there is someone in my carriage who gets caught.

    How many people are travelling without tickets?!

    Many from unmanned platforms. When I was using the train to commute there was always a queue of people having to buy tickets to get through the barrier.
    They all boarded at the station before, natch.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    focuszing723 said:

    What are the penalties if they are caught? It is bad because in some indirect way other people have got to pay for it.

    So twice the normal fare to the next station is the fine plus the ticket itself, is the "i'm sorry I bought the wrong ticket" type penalty.

    If they suspect you had no intention of buying a ticket they can then go after you more seriously and then it becomes up to £1000 and or/criminal but I think that is rare.

    Having said that, the inspector was taking no prisoners this morning and was "taking evidence" to prosecute beyond the penalty for the ticketless man who tried to argue the toss.
    _
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    rick_chasey said:

    focuszing723 said:

    What are the penalties if they are caught? It is bad because in some indirect way other people have got to pay for it.

    So twice the normal fare to the next station is the fine plus the ticket itself, is the "i'm sorry I bought the wrong ticket" type penalty.

    If they suspect you had no intention of buying a ticket they can then go after you more seriously and then it becomes up to £1000 and or/criminal but I think that is rare.

    Having said that, the inspector was taking no prisoners this morning and was "taking evidence" to prosecute beyond the penalty for the ticketless man who tried to argue the toss.
    That's good, not an easy job I'm sure.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    focuszing723 said:

    rick_chasey said:

    focuszing723 said:

    What are the penalties if they are caught? It is bad because in some indirect way other people have got to pay for it.

    So twice the normal fare to the next station is the fine plus the ticket itself, is the "i'm sorry I bought the wrong ticket" type penalty.

    If they suspect you had no intention of buying a ticket they can then go after you more seriously and then it becomes up to £1000 and or/criminal but I think that is rare.

    Having said that, the inspector was taking no prisoners this morning and was "taking evidence" to prosecute beyond the penalty for the ticketless man who tried to argue the toss.
    That's good, not an easy job I'm sure.
    If he'd shut up when he was clearly in the wrong he'd have been OK, I suspect.
    _
  • focuszing723
    focuszing723 Posts: 8,067
    rick_chasey said:

    focuszing723 said:

    rick_chasey said:

    focuszing723 said:

    What are the penalties if they are caught? It is bad because in some indirect way other people have got to pay for it.

    So twice the normal fare to the next station is the fine plus the ticket itself, is the "i'm sorry I bought the wrong ticket" type penalty.

    If they suspect you had no intention of buying a ticket they can then go after you more seriously and then it becomes up to £1000 and or/criminal but I think that is rare.

    Having said that, the inspector was taking no prisoners this morning and was "taking evidence" to prosecute beyond the penalty for the ticketless man who tried to argue the toss.
    That's good, not an easy job I'm sure.
    If he'd shut up when he was clearly in the wrong he'd have been OK, I suspect.
    He should have been too embarrassed to respond.
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 17,014
    I don't think it's illegal to board a train without a ticket, is it? Up here we have stations with one machine, often not working. So the test is whether you complete the journey without paying.
  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    Nowadays I just find the guard. When I was a student I used to spend the whole trip hiding in the loos.
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 2,043
    I don't think it's illegal to board a train without a ticket, is it?


    It's a bit of a grey area. I have heard plenty of train guards claiming it is when they have caught passengers without tickets.

    As far as I am aware, if a station has ticket facilities that are working, you must buy a ticket (you can be issued a Penalty Fare Notice without one, and I believe you can be prosecuted if you fail to pay). If not, you need to approach a member of staff upon boarding and buy one.
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,920
    The ticket machines at my station weren't working this morning, there were notes on the machines saying people should buy the ticket at the destination.
    I'm not sure there is anyone on the train with a ticket machine, I've never seen one (although I rarely travel by train).
    Presumably they put a not out to other stations on the line to confirm the machines aren't working.

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