Slightly surreal train trip earlier..

[Deleted]

So I was to Edinburgh via Queen St, as you do.

I'd got there early for ma train, so's to bag a table all to myself . So far, so good. Next thing, about 10 seconds before departure, this mad twosome arrived and sat opposite me.

Young girl, about 18 or so, and what was probably her gran. Neither had handbags, just plastic bags full of 'stuff' that looked like their worldly belongings.

"Gran" was a toothless crone in a headscarf. Mighta actually been her mother, it was hard to tell...the girl was wearing a bizarre crown of flowers that looked like a rescue from a summer festival or something.

I briefly thought about moving, cos I wanted a bit of peace to prepare for my meeting. But am dead glad I never, these gals were hilarious.

Not one word of English spoken (I think they might have been Roma) but they spoke to me purely by visuals. As in Brrrr, how cold is it out there? And when we passed an icy pastoral scene in MidLothian, horses with coats on, they were giving it 'Roll eyes, lucky them" and picking at their thin clothing.

Next up, the auldyin fired a print photo over the table to me. A crap black and white representation of Jesus praying, wearing a crown of thorns. I was like... WTF... at which point she laughs out loud and motions to the headdress of the girl.

Couldn't help myself, I just cracked up. ;D I was kinda sorry when they got off at Polmont (of all places!).

Life must be pretty dull if you're sealed in your own wee private bubble of a car all day every day... ;D

[bormes]

Thinking of this, have you passed the wee tribe of Roma women at the top of Byres Road recently, freezing cold, yet the three of them sit on a wee bit of cardboard to keep their bums dry, selling the Big Issue, while the tribe leader goes around in his 4x4 and has his feckless horde picked up at the end of the day by his enforcer in his van.
Now a prick like that should have an accident, these poor souls every day rain snow or shine are out begging for him and I am certain he will take their benefits too.

[Deleted]

Of course I know them, Bormes.
If I'm honest there are days, particularly the wettest and coldest, that I struggle with my conscience to walk past these very familiar women but I know fine well they're being exploited by their own people and I don't want to contribute to that ethic by default.

That said in donating to ANY charity you take the same chance. As in the money not reaching those most in need. Is that super-cynical or what? I feel like a right bastard for saying it.

Saw a guy in a bad way earlier though, slumped over on a shop front and begging on Sauchiehall St. Somebody'd given him a hot drink and snack but he was so out of it he hadn't really noticed.

I suppose my point about the Roma train pair was they were harming no-one, they were trying to communicate, they were actually v funny--and obviously had the money for the fare. And that I think a lot of people who seal themselves into their vehicles are WAY behind on how Scotland/UKE is now: they're distanced from it. Which is not good.

[bormes]

We have also had a recent influx of Nigerians to Edinburugh, now let us hope they move South or stay away from Glasgow because if they start their criminal enterprises over here, blood will run and before anyone thinks I am saying the whole 5,000 of them are criminals, I am not. Probably only about 20 percent of them but that is more than enough. Trust me.
Nigerians run protection, prostitution drugs and most crimes in South Africa, considering the Tutsis and the Zulus are there in abundance neither of them are shy so for the Nigerians to run the show gives one a flavour of how they operate.

[ozneil]

Nearly same subject

AUSTRALIA 2013

Bit of background Supermarkets here generally give their expired "Best Before" stuff to charity and their expired "use before" stuff is thrown out into a locked dumpster. In poor areas the supermarket staff seem to be lax in locking the dumpster. there is a lot of waste.

Now to the gist of a letter in the papers.

The writer was passing the back of a supermarket in a poor area with a large ethnic migrant population. The writer saw a lady in full ethnic dress sans veil up to her armpits in the dumpster looking for food. She was cleanly dressed and had 2 very clean toddlers with her. The writer stopped and spoke to her. She told her the staff put packaged food at one end away from rotten veges and food and often " forgot" to lock it. The writer tried to give her $50 "for the kids" the lady tried to refuse it saying she could never pay it back. She eventually took it with profuse thanks.

This just shouldnt happen in this country

But full marks to Supermmarket staff and the writer for their compassion and concern and to the migrant lady for her pride and her honesty.

PS Supermarket staff usually comprise more nationalities than you can shake a stick at

[Deleted]

It happens here too, Oz.

In the same vein, till a few years ago, Marks and Spencer were in the habit of giving large quantities packaged food to the homeless charities at the end of the day. But they've now been stopped from doing that on the grounds of Health and Safety. So instead, any 'expired' foods are a free for all for staff-- and anything not taken is destroyed.

Foodbanks are opening here on a daily basis. In fact the other day Scottish Secretary Danny Alexander was all over the papers smiling broadly as he opened another one. Cue much angry public comment from those of us who despise such hypocrisy (MPs can claim for all their meals, have a subsidised canteen at Westmonster, AND even claim for the price of tea and biscuits.)

They currently earn £68000 which is about to rise by 11%.

There is TREMENDOUS waste of food going on, from supermarkets dumping to restaurants who over-portion their humungous plates. That plus the recent estimate that UKE households chuck 20% of food in the bin every week.

Something is very very wrong here.

[notanimby]

Dec 11, 2013 18:45:49 GMT -1 @rolo said:

It happens here too, Oz.

In the same vein, till a few years ago, Marks and Spencer were in the habit of giving large quantities packaged food to the homeless charities at the end of the day. But they've now been stopped from doing that on the grounds of Health and Safety. So instead, any 'expired' foods are a free for all for staff-- and anything not taken is destroyed.

Foodbanks are opening here on a daily basis. In fact the other day Scottish Secretary Danny Alexander was all over the papers smiling broadly as he opened another one. Cue much angry public comment from those of us who despise such hypocrisy (MPs can claim for all their meals, have a subsidised canteen at Westmonster, AND even claim for the price of tea and biscuits.)

They currently earn £68000 which is about to rise by 11%.

There is TREMENDOUS waste of food going on, from supermarkets dumping to restaurants who over-portion their humungous plates. That plus the recent estimate that UKE households chuck 20% of food in the bin every week.

Something is very very wrong here.

Fanny Alexander is first secretary of the treasury...........he was Scottish secretary but got promoted and replaced by that other erse Michael Moore, whi in turn was replaced by some other non-description tosser

He's stil a twat though, who's previous job was as a dogsbody for the cairngorm furnicular railway.
Talk about getting promoted beyond ones capabilities

[notanimby]

Dec 6, 2013 21:56:43 GMT -1 @rolo said:

So I was to Edinburgh via Queen St, as you do.

I'd got there early for ma train, so's to bag a table all to myself . So far, so good. Next thing, about 10 seconds before departure, this mad twosome arrived and sat opposite me.

Young girl, about 18 or so, and what was probably her gran. Neither had handbags, just plastic bags full of 'stuff' that looked like their worldly belongings.

"Gran" was a toothless crone in a headscarf. Mighta actually been her mother, it was hard to tell...the girl was wearing a bizarre crown of flowers that looked like a rescue from a summer festival or something.

I briefly thought about moving, cos I wanted a bit of peace to prepare for my meeting. But am dead glad I never, these gals were hilarious.

Not one word of English spoken (I think they might have been Roma) but they spoke to me purely by visuals. As in Brrrr, how cold is it out there? And when we passed an icy pastoral scene in MidLothian, horses with coats on, they were giving it 'Roll eyes, lucky them" and picking at their thin clothing.

Next up, the auldyin fired a print photo over the table to me. A crap black and white representation of Jesus praying, wearing a crown of thorns. I was like... WTF... at which point she laughs out loud and motions to the headdress of the girl.

Couldn't help myself, I just cracked up. ;D I was kinda sorry when they got off at Polmont (of all places!).

Life must be pretty dull if you're sealed in your own wee private bubble of a car all day every day... ;D

I go to Embra via automobile............train for me is complete shite, you need a calendar to time the journey

[Deleted]

Fairy Nuff, Nota, given the extra bit into Queen St from where you are, yeah it'd be quicker to take the car I guess.

I was back through again today. All a-ok at Glasgow but Waverley's in a right state due to modrenisation works that've been going on for what, about twenty years..

Missed my train back, cos first off the new escalators from Princes St weren't working, causing a pileup on the steps and b) it'd been diverted late doors to some godforsaken platform that nobody, least of all station staff, knew the way to. (8).

Took deep breath, headed for the next wan (about a half mile away on another platform)...sank exhausted into comfy seat then THE biggest woman I've seen for some time decided to wedge herself into 9/10ths of ma seat.

I politely pulled the dividing arm down and boy, what a filthy look she gave me. ;D

[ozneil]

The old guy who related this to me in a pub swore on a stack of bibles it was true so why should I disbelieve him.

The old "Ghan" steam train that ran between Adelaide and Alice Springs , roughly 1,000 miles, was notorious for running late.

One day a worried passenger approached the guard and asked when the train would get to Alice as his wife was about to have a baby. The guard said he had no idea and the passenger should have had more sense that to bring a pregnant woman onto the Ghan.. The passenger spat the dummy and said that he hadnt even met his wife before he had boarded the train!!!

[notanimby]

Dec 11, 2013 19:50:46 GMT -1 @rolo said:

Fairy Nuff, Nota, given the extra bit into Queen St from where you are, yeah it'd be quicker to take the car I guess.

I was back through again today. All a-ok at Glasgow but Waverley's in a right state due to modrenisation works that've been going on for what, about twenty years..

Missed my train back, cos first off the new escalators from Princes St weren't working, causing a pileup on the steps and b) it'd been diverted late doors to some godforsaken platform that nobody, least of all station staff, knew the way to. (8).

Took deep breath, headed for the next wan (about a half mile away on another platform)...sank exhausted into comfy seat then THE biggest woman I've seen for some time decided to wedge herself into 9/10ths of ma seat.

I politely pulled the dividing arm down and boy, what a filthy look she gave me. ;D

On the rare occasion I've travelled there by train, I paid the extra for a 1st class carriage, as it wasn't a regular occurrence I just through caution tae ra wind.
In the 20 months I've been in Embra, I've used the train once, whit a nightmare....

Parked car at shields rd underground intent on getting train at 0610ish from queen st, only tae find shields rd didnae open to 0630, wae first underground at 0645ish, I eventually got to Embra office 2hours later than asking the car...........
First train from my gaff to glesga central is @0715, journey takes aboot an hour, hence used shields rd

[ozneil]

Our nearest train station is about 1/2 hour drive away