Duck there's a parking warden about!!

Hi folks, I have been quite for a while now but I really thought I needed to comment on the stupidity of some Civil Enforcement Officers (The parking Mafia). I was quite annoyed to hear they had ticketed people attending the remembrance day parade in Walsall but then last night and article in the local paper made me exclaim 'How bloody stupid can you get'? The missus immediately said 'what's wrong now'? and I told her that a woman had been booked and fined £75 for feeding the ducks in the park.

Now while I reckon this in itself is bad enough the warden then adds insult to injury by saying the child with the woman could feed the ducks because they were too young to prosecute!

Whatever happened to sanity and common sense? The warden reckoned that feeding the ducks was not allowed because it attracted vermin - if that is the case should there not be a total ban regardless of age and isn't there an element of stupidity if fining one but allowing another - either you want to stop the activity or you don't - moving the goalposts doesn't work!!

Parking Mafia

I can not believe the activities of the new civil enforcement officers (traffic wardens) as witnessed both physically today and as read in the Express and Star.

There was a two vehicle accident just outside our office today with a white van going into the back of a car and doing some damage to both vehicles. It appeared the van was not driveable (not sure this is a proper word) so it was pushed up onto the footpath to allow the traffic to flow. It had been there for about 30 minutes when along came a stormtrooper wearing the uniform of a civil enforcement officer and slapped a ticket on the van. It should have been pretty obvious to even a three year old that the van was badly damaged and there was still some debris on the road.

Then tonight my wife was reading the paper and said there was an article about buses belonging to the Black Diamond company being booked for being broken down and in one case being booked while at a bus stop loading and unloading - you couldn't make it up could you?

Swimming Lessons

I mentioned swimming lessons in my previous post when I was talking about the Gala baths in West Bromwich. We had dabbled a little at my Junior School where we had a quite small pool where a length was about as big as a width of a normal pool and I think it might not have been more than 4 foot deep.

I never really took to water (even for washing according to my Mom) so found swimming lessons a little difficult to say the least.

When we went to senior school, Hill Top High, we used to go by bus to the Gala Baths at West Bromwich and on the first visit we were asked if we could swim. There was a bridge over the baths and those who could swim went to the bigger side and those who couldn't went to the smaller side.

I remember the teacher who will remain nameless came along and asked if I could swim - I said 'No sir' and he promptly pushed me in. I dreaded swimming lessons after that and never did learn to swim so his methodology didn't work with me

The Public

I notice that Fat Prophet popped into the Public over in West Bromwich yesterday and thought it was an interesting building with some potential. I get the impression that the Public is a bit like Walsall's art gallery in that some folk love it but the majority absolutely hate it - I always think its an interesting looking building and quite colourful, unlike the drab slab of concrete we have in Walsall.

If I am honest though I can understand some of the ill feeling against a building that has cost an enormous amount of money with it seems no real purpose in a town that lacks certain other amenities such as a swimming pool or a cinema. I could not believe that the Gala Baths where our school used to go to learn to swim is now a car park - I don't remember an outcry like the ones about Tipton or Coseley baths. Now! swimming lessons could well be the subject for another post.

I may have to pay a visit myself to the Public so I can see if Fat Prophet was just wearing some rose tinted glasses.

I think I will have to be careful this is two posts in two days

Art or rubbish

I was reading an article in a local paper earlier this evening about a man who had made an art collection out of rubbish. I really do think they should put it in Walsall art gallery along with some of the other rubbish that's in there.

I have been a number of times to see what is in there but every time I have gone they have literally had rubbish in the place - on one occasion it was loads of sweeping brooms standing upside down in one room; on another occasion it was dead rats nailed on to sticks that were stuck in house bricks and on another occasion it was a load of old hospital equipment.

On top of that they have the Garman Ryan collection which is supposed to be a really good collection of art items. Now I know that people may tell me that art is subjective but I can not help thinking that I wouldn't have most of what I saw in the art gallery in my garden shed.

Give me a Constable, or a Lowry or a Turner any time.

I have also been to Dudley art gallery and few times and think there collection is much better and I found it far more interesting - one of these days I must try Wednesbury and see if they have art or rubbish.

Patriotism - why not?

I have just read a letter in our local paper in which the writer is saying we should be more patriotic and I do have to say I agree with the thought completely. I think part of the reason the writer is writing is the Last Night of the Proms which of course features many of the really well known stirring tunes from Britain - Land of hope and glory, Jerusalem, Rule Britannia, Fantasia on British sea songs etc. I was looking at a CD the other day which featured these and many other great tunes and I thought I would like this to play in the car and sing along to.

I often look at news items on TV from various places around the world and notice how fervently patriotic the majority of people are - why can't we be like this? Why do we have to worry so much about what other people think? Do other people care what we think? Yesterday I saw a number of cars carrying large Pakistani flags as young men celebrated Eid Mubarrak and their roots. It didn't bother me at all and I don't think anybody else I saw was bothered either, but if I were to drive round with a large Union Flag hanging off my car I am sure someone would accuse me of being racist.

While I am not anti Royal the only thing I would say is we could do with changing our National Anthem and going for something with a bit more life in it or at least jazzing up the present tune so it has a bit of go in it.

What?

Now there's a question to pose - what? It could mean almost anything! It could be a question that is single or multi faceted. It really is pretty open ended and it might be that my reader could think of a few what's of their own, but here are one or two that I thought I might pose this morning just before I get ready to go back to work.

What is happening with the weather? We should still be getting some sunshine and warmth but as I look out of the window it is another dull fairly cool day (12.5 degrees according to the thermometer in my car).

What has happened to indicators on cars? Do they not put them on cars now or have drivers lost the ability to reach out to that little stalk on the steering column and just move it up or down.

What is happening to me as I get older and suffer road rage on an almost daily basis as I see the idiotic antics of some drivers?

Why do kids scream so much? I live next to a park and the past week or so there have been a number of occasions when you could easily think a child was being murdered if the amount and level of screaming is anything to go by. The sad thing is if someone was really in trouble we would not know and would probably ignore them.

Now this may be something unique to the area I live in but here goes - why do very young children stand on window ledges apparently unattended by parents and often with the window open (an accident waiting to happen). Sorry that was a why instead of a what but it is still a good question.

What has happened to taking NO for an answer? I had a young man knock my door yesterday from Talk Talk who was trying to get me to change my telephone supplier - I ended up having to be almost rude to him to get the message across that I was quite happy with my current supplier who has served me well for many years.

Well there's a few things to be going on with and I notice that time is getting on so I better get ready to go to work.