Early Risers.

[The White Rabbit]

22 minutes ago, Grizz said:

.... Many of us who have had to endure the tortuous punishment and sentence of the public transport grind into London (other big towns and cities are also available) probably know them or refer to them by the general term….’Chuggers’…..
 

....

 

I learnt a good strategy very early on….no matter what…. it has got me away from the S.O.Chuggers every time. 
 

By simply saying this in Danish…

 

Undskyld mig.....? Jeg forstår dig ikke. Taler du dansk? .....Ingen? (smiler)....Farvel!

 

Excuse me.....?
I do not understand you. Do you speak Danish? .....No? 
(smiling)....Goodbye!  ....

 

Other languages and phrases are available... Though I did get caught out once, speaking Welsh (in the heart of Lloegyr) to a chugger, he retired, baffled and muttering something which sounded rather racist but a fellow traveller started talking to me in Welsh - he was obviously a native speaker and I just about stumble through with a few words... 😬 

 

I wouldn't sign up to anything in the street anyway, apart from the serious matters the bears, JJB and il D have already mentioned, it seems to me a serious security risk, giving people your private and bank details in public. Many times on the train pre-pestilence I heard people on the phone going through telephone security and announcing their details to half the carriage - if I'd been evilly inclined I could have noted the details and used them for personal gain via fraud or theft. 

 

The biggest language shock I ever observed was a Chinese couple 'gatecrashing' a meeting at a heritage railway. The committee for a certain self-propelled object running on parallel metal strips was meeting on a cold wet winter's morn on a non-running day in the buffet of a station (well, there were hot drinks, bacon baps and chocolate cake on offer so we were talked into it...) and we were nattering away when this couple opened the door and started to come in, then realised we weren't publically open and stopped, hesitating. Our chairman spoke fluent Chinese (I presume Mandarin) and spoke up, inviting them in and out of the weather. Two jaws dropped... the rest of us tried not to grin too widely. Definitely a genuine 'Spanish Inquisition' moment for them! Anyway, they got a free cup of tea and a bit of a chat before we continued. 

[Andy Hayter]

4 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Good moaning from a supposedly metric country.  Buying trousers here is tricky but C & A still have the Imperial measurements on their men's wear so they get my custom.  On the measurement front I have had to put some new holes in my belt recently, no not larger, smaller. 

 

Offout to Chef Boutonne in the rain this morning. 

 

 

Jamie. 

 

So do Marksandspencer.fr if you are prepared to buy online and change the language to English

[iL Dottore]

POLYBEAR!

NOW PAY ATTENTION!

 

Thanks to Brother Bear Grizz, you now have an incredibly suitable target for your profound, endless, immense and immeasurable wrath: The Exploitative "only-in-it-for-the-money" Charity "professional" (ahem) executive.

 

Put your other lists on hold, you are now tasked with the challenging, demanding,  but ultimately satisfying task of making these people's lives an utter, infinite, wretched misery.

 

CCI GmbH will make the latest developments from the "Advanced  Extremely Inconveniencing People Research Centre" available for your use - without restrictions or limitations.

 

Go Bear, Go!

 

Captain Cynical 

Edited 1 hour ago by iL Dottore

[jjb1970]

4 minutes ago, Andy Hayter said:

 

So do Marksandspencer.fr if you are prepared to buy online and change the language to English

 

M&S is great, there're a bit of a life saver for me. As much as I love SE Asian food and culture (we came here because we love this part of the world, and it's close but not too close to Mrs JJB's family) I'd be lying if I denied that being able to go into M&S for the occasional pork pie, sausage roll, bar of chocolate or pack of hot cross buns isn't a hugely helpful option to satisfy the odd cravings for stuff from home.

[PhilJ W]

I only support two charities, the local hospice and Essex air ambulance. I also support the RNLI in as much as a fellow SEERS member is a supporter and holds 'open days' of his garden layout on their behalf (and no chuggers). 

[iL Dottore]

Some people have their priorities properly adjusted.

 

Queuing for cake at one of the many cake shops at Tokyō Station (all artisanal and made with real ingredients)

 

The Japanese never cease to amaze me. At most British Railway Stations you have on or two burger chains, maybe a Wetherspoons; in Japan at stations you have lots of restaurants - from Izakaya to high end rest, loads of confectionery and patisserie and they are always heaving.

 

Far from being just a transit point, major Japanese Railway Stations are destinations in their own right!

Edited 3 hours ago by iL Dottore
Duplicate

[jjb1970]

On charities a few years ago I tried to volunteer but gave up. 

 

I should explain. I have a cleft palate, it's not a debilitating condition in terms of health, and is as limiting as you let it be in terms of how it affects self-confidence. I've managed in life quite well and had a very good career, but even now I hate being photographed (properly hate it) and never look at pics of myself. At one of those awful events that are part of the job at a certain level a very nice Danish lady came to me afterwards to thank me as she had a teenage daughter who was really struggling, as a teenager looking for the things teenagers look for she was very aware of having a lip which wasn't going to be on the front cover of Vogue. Something I empathize with completely. I found it really quite moving as she emptied her heart and said she was so happy to see me stand on a stage and speak despite having an obvious cleft alate condition and heavy accent.

 

Well, it inspired me to look at what I could do to help others. I remember when I was a teenager it would have meant a lot to see people just get on with life and do well and have no handicap in life despite it. I don't mean some worthy type patronizing me, just someone who had got on in life. I identified a charity and volunteered, I was happy to consider anything and wanted to help but it was painful, with so many hoops I ended up saying b*ll*x to it and moved on. At the risk of sounding cynical I never got the feeling the focus was on people with cleft palates, it seemed more about feeling good and maybe helping parents. I sometimes still feel guilty as I would like to do more but it seems to be one of those things that goes under most radars and I wasn't impressed with the contacts I tried to make.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Last night bladder control was up to it's usual tricks but apart from that not a bad night. Got plenty of ZZZZ's in as I didn't wake up until nine. I was considering going to the Chelmsford exhibition but the legs advised against it after traipsing around Tess Coes yesterday afternoon. 

[iL Dottore]

3 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

I never got the feeling the focus was on people with cleft palates, it seemed more about feeling good and maybe helping parents..

I think that's not unusual amongst a certain class of people and/or of a certain political stance. It's all about making them feel good and virtuous as opposed to it being the just right thing to do (if you can do so)

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, Grizz said:

However in addition to the above professionals of course, most of us are probably more familiar with their ground troops, and here I do have some sympathy with some of these guys as some of them are probably doing it for sweet F. All…

 

 

 

The ones I feel sorry for are the collectors for the Save the Koalas, who dress as giant koalas - not a fun job  in a Sydney summer, the heat makes their ears droop, thus making them look sinister, and scary to the kiddies.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[Tony_S]

Morning all. 

Currently sitting waiting to have a my hair cut. This is definitely a barbers rather ghan a hairdressers though Michael the barber is currently indisposed so his lady assistant is in charge. 

[PhilJ W]

1 minute ago, jjb1970 said:

On charities a few years ago I tried to volunteer but gave up. 

 

I should explain. I have a cleft palate, it's not a debilitating condition in terms of health, and is as limiting as you let it be in terms of how it affects self-confidence. I've managed in life quite well and had a very good career, but even now I hate being photographed (properly hate it) and never look at pics of myself. At one of those awful events that are part of the job at a certain level a very nice Danish lady came to me afterwards to thank me as she had a teenage daughter who was really struggling, as a teenager looking for the things teenagers look for she was very aware of having a lip which wasn't going to be on the front cover of Vogue. Something I empathize with completely. I found it really quite moving as she emptied her heart and said she was so happy to see me stand on a stage and speak despite having an obvious cleft alate condition and heavy accent.

 

Well, it inspired me to look at what I could do to help others. I remember when I was a teenager it would have meant a lot to see people just get on with life and do well and have no handicap in life despite it. I don't mean some worthy type patronizing me, just someone who had got on in life. I identified a charity and volunteered, I was happy to consider anything and wanted to help but it was painful, with so many hoops I ended up saying b*ll*x to it and moved on. At the risk of sounding cynical I never got the feeling the focus was on people with cleft palates, it seemed more about feeling good and maybe helping parents. I sometimes still feel guilty as I would like to do more but it seems to be one of those things that goes under most radars and I wasn't impressed with the contacts I tried to make.

A woman I worked with had a son with a cleft palate and when he was young he underwent several operations to alleviate the condition. Her older sister had a daughter who was born deaf but this was treated with an implant. You wouldn't think that they were connected but it was a single rare genetic condition that caused both birth defects.

[jamie92208]

32 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

 

Other languages and phrases are available... Though I did get caught out once, speaking Welsh (in the heart of Lloegyr) to a chugger, he retired, baffled and muttering something which sounded rather racist but a fellow traveller started talking to me in Welsh - he was obviously a native speaker and I just about stumble through with a few words... 😬 

 

I wouldn't sign up to anything in the street anyway, apart from the serious matters the bears, JJB and il D have already mentioned, it seems to me a serious security risk, giving people your private and bank details in public. Many times on the train pre-pestilence I heard people on the phone going through telephone security and announcing their details to half the carriage - if I'd been evilly inclined I could have noted the details and used them for personal gain via fraud or theft. 

 

The biggest language shock I ever observed was a Chinese couple 'gatecrashing' a meeting at a heritage railway. The committee for a certain self-propelled object running on parallel metal strips was meeting on a cold wet winter's morn on a non-running day in the buffet of a station (well, there were hot drinks, bacon baps and chocolate cake on offer so we were talked into it...) and we were nattering away when this couple opened the door and started to come in, then realised we weren't publically open and stopped, hesitating. Our chairman spoke fluent Chinese (I presume Mandarin) and spoke up, inviting them in and out of the weather. Two jaws dropped... the rest of us tried not to grin too widely. Definitely a genuine 'Spanish Inquisition' moment for them! Anyway, they got a free cup of tea and a bit of a chat before we continued. 

Yes having some command of a language can be amusing.  Two of my officers asked me to help one night with a list French lorry driver.  I went to him, obviously in uniform and the look on his face when a Lieutenant in the Gendarmerie started helping him out in a sort of French at 03.30 in a supermarket car park in Pontefract, was a picture.  It got even easier, I could point directly to his destination, a Haribo factory that used the same access road as the nick. 

 

Jamie

[Gwiwer]

G’morning all from a sunny Distant (Signal) West. 
 

I am still largely confined to the sofa when not in bed but after not having a good one yesterday this morning has so far brought a feeling of improvement. 
 

Some storm or another is due to wipe its bottom across us tomorrow which might affect Dr SWMBO’s plan to visit friends in Lostwithiel.  She won’t drive that far so no trains would mean no visit. 
 

Of charities as will be known here I volunteer with National Coastwatch Institution and therefore consider that I am supporting the overall search-and-rescue operation alongside RNLI, cliff rescue and the paid professionals of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the helicopter crews. 
 

I have strong feelings about charities of this sort remaining free of government strings but equally there are a few key high-level tasks which might be more appropriate for skilled professionals to undertake. National accounting, legal compliance and perhaps safeguarding of young persons come to mind. 
 

What matters is that when the pagers sound there will be a crew of willing volunteers ready to put to sea in any conditions to the aid of those in need. And they will have the best kit and training available. 
 

When my time comes the RNLI will benefit from what ever remains in my estate in memory of friends lost on the RNLB Solomon Browne. 

 

[monkeysarefun]

Ok....... What is a chugger?

 

If its one of those slick young hip people with a lanyard  ( here they are invariably European backpackers fulfilling their obligatory 89 days of work so they  can extend their Visa for another 12 months of sunshine and  adventure and sex)  who accost you in unexpected places  with over the top happy talk while simultaneously  attempting to prise your bank details from you in order that you can  cure death in young children, then we have no name for them.

Edited 2 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[polybear]

3 hours ago, TheQ said:

The RNLI on high has in recent years had several disputes with its volunteers, leading to quite a few leaving..

 

 

 

Bear has just Googled that - it doesn't make for very good reading....

 

54 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

POLYBEAR!

NOW PAY ATTENTION!

 

Thanks to Brother Bear Grizz, you now have an incredibly suitable target for your profound, endless, immense and immeasurable wrath: The Exploitative "only-in-it-for-the-money" Charity "professional" (ahem) executive.

 

Put your other lists on hold, you are now tasked with the challenging, demanding,  but ultimately satisfying task of making these people's an utter, infinite, wretched misery.

 

CCI GmbH will make the latest developments from the "Advanced  Extremely Inconveniencing People Research Centre" available for your use - without restrictions or limitations.

 

Go Bear, Go!

 

Captain Cynical 

 

It just so happens that Bear may just have an opening in his busy calendar for such a position.....

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

Far from being just a transit point, major Japanese Railway Stations are destinations in their own right!

 

 

Gotta say, with all due respect,  that sounds a wee bit sad. If you are looking for somewhere to go to then railway stations should be just  a waypoint that leads to somewhere special. The beach, the mountains or the bush, other countries would vary in those details but just to go to a station as a journeys end point is pretty lame, I reckon, unless you are a full on train nerd. Is there really so little of interest outside the station?

 

No offence, hopefully - just my opinion.

 

I've never been to Japan - maybe their stations are awesome. Not having seen them, I'd pick Bombo station as a personal fave, down on the Wollongong line -  tiny but a beautiful location and a friendly swell as well, I successfully rode my first wave here so I have special "first time" memories!

 

 

Oh, and note lack of graffiti on everything. You don't need to be Singapore -  Just saying ....

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[Grizz]

17 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

POLYBEAR!

NOW PAY ATTENTION!

 

Thanks to Brother Bear Grizz, you now have an incredibly suitable target for your profound, endless, immense and immeasurable wrath: The Exploitative "only-in-it-for-the-money" Charity "professional" (ahem) executive.

 

Put your other lists on hold, you are now tasked with the challenging, demanding,  but ultimately satisfying task of making these people's an utter, infinite, wretched misery.

 

CCI GmbH will make the latest developments from the "Advanced  Extremely Inconveniencing People Research Centre" available for your use - without restrictions or limitations.

 

Go Bear, Go!

 

Captain Cynical 

 

.…and I would just like to add a much repeated, by me, thought. 
 

Why do these types of people continue to thrive and increase in numbers? By surround themselves with like mind people in organisations? How are they able to continue to survive, no matter how they behave? Why do they feel free to continue to repeatedly behave the way they do…? 
 

Because they are not frightened. They are not truly, really, really frightened or terrified. Mostly likely because they have survived previous career roles in similarly corrupt, legalised thievery…and their network of associates are similarly afflicted by having no moral compasses. They are then emboldened by these others and these experiences.
 

CC’s superbly crafted solutions of how to ‘inconvenience’ individuals and organisations will definitely be a far more eloquent and refined work of art than I could ever try to explain here. But the reality is that the root cause of all of these problems is that there are no real world consequences that these types of people are ever likely to have experienced or could ever imagine would ever apply to them…..or even if they have, it was or will always be someone else’s fault. Psychopathic behaviour. 

 

However…..If they live in fear it will help focus their minds. Until they do nothing will change. In fact it will get worse as it will just encourage other morally bankrupt filth to behave in a similar way. 

 

Justice must always be seen to be done. Good people must be helped, publicly recognised for being good people and told that they are good people. 
 

Such people could be you or someone you know. It could be someone who does a regular mundane job or it could be the person who dreamt up L.D.C…….(Sainthood does await some). 
 

@polybear the world needs you. 
 

But as a wise person once said…..

 

It is no good going around thumping people. Because once you have thumped them, then they know what is coming and what to expect. But having them terrified of being thumped, now that is effective. Because they don’t know when it is coming or what level of thumping to expect.
 

Imply that the thumping (especially financial)….mmmmm ok and also physical…..is coming…..day and or night…..then you can do anything to them. Another thing that these diseases flourish on is their public persona…..setting them up to take that to bits is a marvellous spectator sport. I’d make it pay for view.
 

Go get em Bear! 

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

On charities a few years ago I tried to volunteer but gave up. 

 

I should explain. I have a cleft palate, it's not a debilitating condition in terms of health, and is as limiting as you let it be in terms of how it affects self-confidence. I've managed in life quite well and had a very good career, but even now I hate being photographed (properly hate it) and never look at pics of myself. At one of those awful events that are part of the job at a certain level a very nice Danish lady came to me afterwards to thank me as she had a teenage daughter who was really struggling, as a teenager looking for the things teenagers look for she was very aware of having a lip which wasn't going to be on the front cover of Vogue. Something I empathize with completely. I found it really quite moving as she emptied her heart and said she was so happy to see me stand on a stage and speak despite having an obvious cleft alate condition and heavy accent.

 

Well, it inspired me to look at what I could do to help others. I remember when I was a teenager it would have meant a lot to see people just get on with life and do well and have no handicap in life despite it. I don't mean some worthy type patronizing me, just someone who had got on in life. I identified a charity and volunteered, I was happy to consider anything and wanted to help but it was painful, with so many hoops I ended up saying b*ll*x to it and moved on. At the risk of sounding cynical I never got the feeling the focus was on people with cleft palates, it seemed more about feeling good and maybe helping parents. I sometimes still feel guilty as I would like to do more but it seems to be one of those things that goes under most radars and I wasn't impressed with the contacts I tried to make.

 

 

Despite the d!ckheads,  bloody well done , mate!

Edited 2 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[The Lurker]

36 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Ok....... What is a chugger?

 

If its one of those slick young hip people with a lanyard  ( here they are invariably European backpackers fulfilling their obligatory 89 days of work so they  can extend their Visa for another 12 months of sunshine and  adventure and sex)  who accost you in unexpected places  with over the top happy talk while simultaneously  attempting to prise your bank details from you in order that you can  cure death in young children, then we have no name for them.

Chugger = Charity mugger.

 

exactly the people you describe 

[monkeysarefun]

4 minutes ago, The Lurker said:

Chugger = Charity mugger.

 

exactly the people you describe 

 

 

Well you should be pretty free of them up there, cos they are all down here, trying on their Irish charm, their Scandinavian cleavage and their "orright!? lubbly Jubbly!"  Cockney  wide boy gimmics on us.

Edited 2 hours ago by monkeysarefun

[Gwiwer]

29 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Just saying ....

 

 

 

A pair of Waratahs at Bombo if I’m not mistaken 

 

Not a patch on the elderly V-sets they have largely replaced.   

[Grizz]

40 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

The ones I feel sorry for are the collectors for the Save the Koalas, who dress as giant koalas - not a fun job  in a Sydney summer, the heat makes their ears droop, thus making them look sinister, and scary to the kiddies.

 

Poor person looks exhausted…..so exhausted that they have had to sit down. 
 

On the other hand, in a slightly more sinister, I’m having a flash back to this summer’s Comic Con event at all London’s Excel Centre, which I attended, somewhat reluctantly with number two cub (dressed up) her friends (dressed up) and Mrs Grizz (Very much in plain clothes and not dressed up). 
 

The Koala guy looks very similar to some of the ‘participants’ who came to the Comic Con dressed as ‘Furies’…..🤨….there were a couple of hundred of em, with a variety of Anthropomorphised creatures featured ….some more convincing than others. However as time went on we got the distinct impression that with ‘some’ there was a kind of ‘Festish’ thing going on. 
 

In the end Mrs Grizz and I spent the last couple of hours of the afternoon playing ‘Spot the ‘Wrong Un’ or ‘Wrong Un’ Roulette’. 
Definitely something not quite right at best……’on the register’ a distinct probability for a sizeable proportion of others. 
 

Especially the at least 20+ stone person dressed as Donald Duck but with ‘the butt’ cut out of their costume and some sort of lingerie visible through the gap. Mrs Grizz spotted them first, just as she was taking a slug of her drink and she very nearly snorted her Sprite out through her nose. 
 

…..suspect……very very suspect. 🧐

[monkeysarefun]

46 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

A pair of Waratahs at Bombo if I’m not mistaken 

 

Not a patch on the elderly V-sets they have largely replaced.   

 

 

Yes I know what you mean but from what I know, which is admittedly little due to 3D printing  fumes,  the Waratahs are a suburban fleet while the V-sets are inter-urban. I am invariably offered a Waratah when I catch the train into town  from around here, but I still get the V-Sets if I get a train from work, which is on the Blue Mountains Inter-urban line.

 

Good news - the V-sets are still in service due to delays in rolling out the Spanish-built replacements due to many many  issues with them. 

 

In the meantime the V-sets have  had a refresh, the one I caught a few days ago was lovely - not my photo but it was  all like this inside, smelt of fresh paint and leather.

 

 

 

The colour has some native bush-tucker name but it was comfortable as and the ride on these things is incredible, Rolls Royce, eat your heart out!

 

We also seem to have  in the main a lack of a scrote-class compared to the UK to bugg3r them up for everyone else so they tend to remain like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by monkeysarefun

[Grizz]

9 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Well you should be pretty free of them up there, cos they are all down here, trying on their Irish charm, their Scandinavian cleavage and their "orright!? lubbly Jubbly!"  Cockney  wide boy gimmics on us.

Strangely I have a bit more time for female persons with the second group of attributes that you have highlighted. Yes I can definitely stop and listen to the second group….that is until Mrs Grizz finally catches up with me and asks me why I suddenly rushed off in such a hurry and helpfully extracts me away from happily and voluntarily being S.O.Chugged. She does this in the same way and using the same type of language that you would use extract a small child from a sweet shop…..by telling them that you have bigger and better sweets at home! 

 

”But I was listening to what she was saying and I now realise for the first time in my life that the golden blue lesser striped mouse mole is endangered”……..nah that one didn’t even work the first time I tried it.