Paul FSo what will we do with all the scottish foreign nationals we will have living over here if they get independance, surely they won’t be able to vote?
Surely not, and likewise, I presume we’ll have no MPs from north of the border sitting in Westminster either, as they will have no right to directly affect English/Welsh/NI Parliamentary decisions.
Of course, that also means they’ll have no say in how England decides to set policy with regard to any cross-border matters/relationships going forward…. whatever decisions current Parliaments may make during any “disengagement” process might perhaps be overturned later by the new-shape English/Welsh/NI Parliament ?
Paul FWhat about IT and comms infrastructure?
I assume (possibly wrongly) that there are more feet (or metres) of telephone line/IT network “per head” north of the border than there are per head south, so the costs of maintaining the Scottish network will be higher per head, meaning higher call costs and/or higher standing charges….?
And assuming the mobile networks all set up Scottish entities, then English, Welsh and NI subscribers in Scotland, or Scots in England/Wales/NI will see mobile calls subject to a roaming (or maybe a “roamin’ in the gloamin’“) surcharge?
Likewise for old fashioned snail-mail….Royal Mail will no longer need to cover deliveries to the Highlands and Islands, so postage costs may fall south of the border as, but “Scot-Mail” (or whatever the Scottish Mail delivery entity becomes) will probably have to put charges up, and/or drastically cut back delivery schedules to remote areas and islands….
All small beer compared to things like the carve-up effect on healthcare/NHS, defence, welfare/pensions and so forth, but all probably likely to add a few more pennies(cents 😉 ) to the household ‘cost of living’ north of the border.
Paul FNatural selection?
Re 20
Charlie, think it thru’. There is no way that my taking a dive thru’ the windscreen of my car in any way diminishes or enhances the protection of the majority.
John, I agree that education would be better than criminalisation, and I undertand what you are saying in that there may be no direct effect on others should you choose to take the risk of being smeared across your own windscreen, but you are wrong ont he latter – there may well be knock-on effects on lives of others if you are unlucky enough to take a trip into or through yur windscreen…. as has been said earlier, in a society with a finite ambulance and A&E resource, treatment of your injury may be utilising finite resources such as ambulance service, surgeon, care staff etc (and/or assciated funds) that cannot therefore go to the aid of someone else at the same time. So, while you are being wiped up off your car bonnet/dashboard, someone else may be in need of those same resouces for another reason.
Perhaps an option is to remove the enforcement law, and to require all drivers wishing to drive without belts to purchase a compulsory “seat belt exemption bond” to the value of the likely extra costs involved in any accident (i.e. costs for longer attendance by emergency services, costs of medical equipmnet used, costs of staff involved in treating a major head trauma rather than a badly bruised chest/abdomen, cost of head trauma hospitalisation and rehab, etc etc etc?
The income from “seat belt exemption” bonds could then be used by the government/state etc to acquire additional emergency and medical services, thus ensuring extra resources were available to treta the increased number of more serious injuries without detracting from level of service available to those in society who are prepared to wear seatbelts.
If/when the bond holder has an accident that sees them suffer injuries that a seat belt would have prevented, they then have to purchase another bond if/when they return to driving (unless of course their experience leads them to see the sense of wearing a seatbelt thereafter).
The value of the bond could be returned once a driver surrenders his licence at the end of his driving career.
Anyone caught driving without a belt and without holding a bond would be prosecuted, with penalty being points on licence and a fine to the value of a bond, with loss of licence if unable to pay.
Make it clear that vehicle drivers are 100% responsible for his/her passengers wearing seatbelts too. If my pax don’t want to wear seatbelts then I tell them to get out and walk or call a cab, as I will not drive them. So far no-one in my car has ever refused to belt up…
Nanny state – yes, perhaps, but based on common sense and statistics. A State has to do the best for the majority of its population, and taking action to reduce demand on emergency services (and on post trauma hospital care etc) has to be to the benefit of the majority.
Statistics in UK clearly show that wearing seatbelts reduces severity of injury far more often than it “traps” people in a crashed car. Thanks to TV and Hollywood far too many people think cars “flip” into raging rivers, and/or burst into flames, at the slightest shunt than is the case.
Still, “natural selection” usually ensures the “best” equipped survive within a species, so if some portions of the populace wish to chance removing themselves from the gene pool early (via impact with a laminated windscreen) then why should I worry, it will remove those least able to assess risk :dev2:
Paul FThe trouble is that many of today’s cinema-goers forget they are watching something made purely for their “entertainment”, and tend to think they are watching dramatised documentaries that are (closely in their minds?) based on truth?
I also think subtlety has also been lost, so a shot of a ticking clock as per Dambusters would mean/imply nothing to most modern day audiences who seem to need to have the full gory details spelt out in front of them in slow-motion, HD, 3-D, close up, in short scene, and in multi-replay from as many angles as possible (and some that are probably impossible too), as many seem to lack the imagination to conjur up such images themselves… maybe its because fewer people read books, and have perhaps lost the art of imagination/visualisation of a scene. Why force people to imagine a scene when CGI and special effects can do it for them, so that it loks like the scenes they have witnessed ont heir computer game screen.
I haven’t watched ‘Saving Private Ryan’ in full, but I have seen the opening scenes a few times, and they do seem to portray the absolute and utter horror of the Normandy beaches well… the scope of those scenes is vast, and it is that fact that makes them stand out for me far more than if the opening scenes had focussed closely on the key players’ part in the landings.
While visiting Bletchley Park I have clearly overheard visitors telling each other that the anels explaining the first capture of Enigma machines are incorrect, because BP displays say it was RN personnel who captured it first, but the visitors ‘know‘ it was first captured by USN because they ‘remember seeing it “on TV” somewhere…‘ And I’ve heard that sort of comment from both Brits and Americans looking at the display :-O
I fear the boundaries between entertainment and documentary have become so blurred that for most non-enthusiasts they remember and believe a mish-mash of both… and that becomes their perception of “the truth”. As we lose direct contact with those who took part in WW2 battles etc, I suspect we will see the “truth” largely superseded by a populalry accepted ‘pseudo-truth’ based on half-remembered documentaries, dramatisations and outright fiction…
While that gradual move may upset historians and those with specialist knowldge and/or interest in a period or subject, for most people it will just be part of the accepted “norm”. After all, is our perceptions of, say, The Battle of Trafalgar, or of Hastings or Agincourt really correct, or have they too been subtely diluted over time, to become part-true, part-mythical, versions of what really happened?
Paul FBleep and Booster?
The comet is ….. a nest of aliens. They clearly ……tipped it onto its side ……
Perhaps they tipped it over to use one of the on-board cameras to take a “selfie” that they can post on “Greenfacebook“….or whatever their alien equivalent social network is….
It’s a shame the lander ‘bounced’ into the shade and onto its side, but as others have said, what an achievement to even get it onto the surface – how many of us (or our employers) can plan ten years ahead at all, let alone at the level of detail required to achieve this sort of thing.
And to think it has all been achieved with the technology available 10-15 years ago… I can’t help but wonder what might have been achieved if Rosetta and Philae (?sp) were carrying today’s technology.
“Hats off” to all involved.
Paul FRe 9
Blimey ! I’m more than impressed. All that, and we can’t even repair our roads !
Yes, I had no idea how involved the software side of the Dartford project was, and I imagine many others also assumed it was simply an ANPR type system to identify vehicles passing through the crossing and a bolt-on billing program to ensure tolls were paid within 24hrs, and any non-payments followed up etc.
The thought that commercial vehicles had to be sorted and managed by virtue of their (potentially hazardous) cargo simply hadn’t ocurred to me until my contact explained what was involved.
As you say, given we can barely maintain a few pot-holes, or keep M25 running smoothly, the chances of “Barrier-less Dartford” running smoothly in the early days look to be somewhat slim.
Still, with so many “players” involved, hardware suppliers, software engineers, DVLA (system will need access to DVLA database), Civil engineering contractors et al I am sure there will be much opportunity for ‘finger-pointing’ and passing blame on to others when the glitches appear. Not that that will help the poor souls stuck in the traffic jams that result…
Charlie, you may indeed be correct, Dartford crossing may be privately owned – if so I am sure HMG/Highways Agency are still closely involved – a major trunk route bottleneck like that must be one they want to keep close tabs on. No doubt it’s one of those pieces of road infrastructure that is “Managed by xyz on behalf of Highways Agency”.
Paul FI’m not personally involved in the project, but I do know someone who is, and who has been at some “interesting” project meetings where he says it is clear there are/were still a few aspects that seemed to leave room for improvement.
A interesting points to consider…
The automated system has to be able to cope with detecting not only vehicle index (registration plates) so as to track payment, but also has to be able to find and thn “read” haz-chem warning plates on commercial vehicles.
It has to identify any northbound commercial vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals (as declared via their haz-chem plates) that need to be sent to a corral because they are carrying hazardous/restricted chemicals and need to be escorted through the northbound tunnels due to the safety risk…
It has to do all those operations without fail (or at worst with a very high degree of accuracy) on many hundreds of vehicles per hour…in all weathers (driving rain, motorway spray, thick fog, heavy snow, night-time etc).
Assuming vehicles can approach the crossing in any lane, the system also has to ensure that any such “hazardous” vehicles are directed to the relevant lanes before they reach the barriers… and also ensure that if any such vehicle reaches the barriers in an inappropriate lane the relevant barrier will close and stay down to stop the vehicle entering the tunnel unaccompanied. So it would not be impossibe for a driver to be heading for a correct barrier only to find the vehicle in front is not in an appropriate lane, and that the barrier closed to prevent the vehicle ahead passing through. How many drivers will then happily wait for the prblem to be resolved, rather than try to change lanes to avoid the delay?
Add in the fact that, I am told, the two northbound tunnel bores are different heights, and so all ‘over-height’ northbound vehicles approaching the crossing have to be identified and then directed into the relevant lanes for an appropriate tunnel …. or be stopped by barriers if approaching the incorrect tunnel bore…
Add in complexity that the crossing carries a disproprotionately high number of non-UK plated vehicles (given the proximity to entry points at in Dover and Channel tunnel), and that (theoretically at least) the system will have to identify and record all overseas index plates regardless of format, so that (theoretically at least) the DoT or whomever can pursue any non-payment by foreign vehicles. Maybe it is pure coincidence that the %age increase in the crossing toll is almost the same as the %age of foreign vehicles using the crossing every day – thus even if all foreign vehicles “accidentally” forget to pay their tolls, and payments were not pursued/never collected, then the daily revenue will not fall? 😉
So, all in all, the software will need a very “smart” character and symbol recognition system, and clever logic rules embedded in the program, that can do all the necessary recognition and data processing in the relatively short time available between last possible access point on northbound approach to the crossing, such that all vehicles are correctly identified, and directed into an appropriate lane by the time each vehicles reaches the barrier line itself – I understand the barriers will stay in place as a means of controlling flow if/when needed, though (theoretically at least) they should stay open (or open automatically) if every vehicles approaches an apropriate barrier.
The software/signage and cameras also have to be able to handle the (not too infrequent) periods when the southbound crossing (QE2 bridge) is closed due to high winds, when all southbound traffic has to pass through the eastern-most pair of tunnels. And let’s not forget the complexity of the transition period whenever the bridge (or any of the tunnel bores) are in process of being closed/reopened…
Oh, and last I heard, the traffic-software company handling the software have no previous experience of installing a system that can handle quite such a complex set of “rules” that the Dartford crossing program needs to follow in order to manage all the above points… The software company has installed earlier versions of their software in some of the Alps road tunnels (I understand), but non of the applications to date have had to handle so many variables, an/or so many vehicle movements per hour, and/or such a short stretch of tarmac in which to process data and implement any necessary traffic “management” via gantry signage etc.
So, no doubt it will all run smoothly, just like so many other Government mega-projects ( 😉 )….
As my contact says, if everything works perfectly, all the time, then the new set up will be great…but all it will take is for a few cameras to fail or to misread plates (in poor visibility), or for the software or computer hardware to hiccup, a few power glitches, a few vehicles to approach with unreadable index plates or haz chem plates ( e.g due to dried salt spray residue), or for drivers not to follow gantry instructions directed at their vehicle (by accient or by intent), and it could all get a little “messy” very quickly…
And if there is ever a road accident that compromises one (or more) of the camera gantries (or matrix signs that will manage traffic flows) then they too will have to be repaired before the system is back at full operating spec.
Im sure it will all be okay in the end, or when it is running smoothly …… but I’m really glad I don’t have to use Dartford too regularly myself!
Paul Fset up account £10. Drive through once balance drops below £10 so immediately topped up with £10. Thus my account stands at £18.33.
Paul – I presume you set your account up with the automatic top up feature? I have set an account up but opted out of the auto top up, so I assume I can run my account down below £10, so long as it stays in credit and covers any crossings I make… I’ll find out when I use crossing for first time this weekend. I decided not to set up the auto top up feature for exactly the reason you describe.
Paul F
Paul FMoggy,
Are you allowed to say where the van was….
I drive across E Anglia occasionally, and it is all too easy to let your speed creep up even in a boring “family” diesel, especially if it is early am or late pm and the dual carriageway is empty of other vehicles. Parts of the A13,A14, and A140 are so quiet and easy to drive it seems daft to pootle along at 70mph in dry, clear weather.
If caught for a moments error I guess I’d fall into the S-A-C norm, deffo middle-aged and not a boy racer in a ‘hot hatch’.
A thought – maybe older drivers get caught because they have a better risk awareness, and tend to survive despite driving fast because they don’t take excessive risks, whereas boy racers probably wrap their car around a lamp-post/tree before they ever get caught as they fail to assess the risk properly, and so got caught out? It’s no excuse for speeding,I know, but it might explain why the SACs tend to be populated by such a high proportion of older offenders?
As Lincoln 7 imlies, if we all stuck to the limits then we wouldn’t ever have the dilemna of points vs SAC.
Paul FUpdate on payment options (prepaid account)
Paul F That looks interesting please keep us informed how that goes.
Paul
1. Two crossings made over the weekend, northbound Saturday 11am, barriers still in use but traffic flowing reasonably well, Southbound 6pm last night, all running freely, and no barriers.
From what I could see last evening the northbound crossing was being diverted around the barriers – presumably because traffic flow was lighter than when I crossed on saturday morning?
2. Pre-pay Payment method – I deposited £10 into my new dart Charge account last week but did not select the “auto top up” option.
Having made two crossings this weekend, I have not yet had any email requesting a top up, and a check of my Dart Charge account this morning shows that my account balance is sitting well below £10.
Thus, there seems to be no need to set up the auto-debit facility, so long as you remember to check there are funds to cover any future crossings you wish/expect to make.
Time will tell as to whether the system is smart enough to request a top up once the account balance falls below the cost of a single crossing…
Paul F
Paul FSuch a shame for it to happen so closed to D-Day anniversary, given ML407’s actions on the day it woukd have been good to have seen her over Normandy again on June 6th 2024.
Hopefully she will be airborne again before too long.
Paul FAn interesting survey Josh.
Though I suspect Forum users may not generate answers that would appeal to non-enthusiasts, given we probably already know much about the subject and ‘case study’ examples and so want a different ‘experience’ to a non-enthusiast. Â
Likewise I suspect age of the prospective ‘viewer’ may also play a significant role in choosing how to ‘pitch’ a display item.
That said, the photos did make me consider carefully why I would/might prefer any of the display formats shown over another (or not) – not something I’ve ever really thought about before.
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Paul FFor what it’s worth I have completed the survey and let Key know what I think, and that enthusiast value substance over style, whereas this new format seems to be the reverse, and that they are deluding themselves if they really believe the forum is thriving in this new format.
After some ten or fifteen years of daily (if not twice daily) checking in, and occasionally contributing (but mostly simply in awe of the knowledge and dedication to the field of historic aviation that was on display) I now look in here maybe once or twice a month.
The loss of so many valued, and highly knowledgeable, contributors and moderators following the poorly managed, and poorly thought through revamp, has ripped the heart out of this forum.
I agree with Avion Ancien (above) when he suggests many former regulars may well be struggling to find anything quite like this forum in it’s former, thriving, knowledgeable, good natured (well, most of the time) format.
I am not sure what Key was trying to achieve, I accept that a simple face-lift was probably long-overdue, but the end product is simply not attractive to many former regulars, who clearly, and visibly, voted with their feet.Â
I hang on in the vain hope that the oft-mentioned concerns are addressed, and that the forum may drag itself back into rude helath, but I fear it is in its’ death throes.
Â
I did email Flypast’s editor, expressing my concerns, and he responded quickly, saying he only looked after the magazine, not the forum, but he kindly advised me to contact Key’s chief exec with my concerns. I duly did so, offering constructive criticism, not simply a moan, and got no response whatsoever, not even a simple one-line ‘Thank you for taking the time to email me, I have passed it on to the relevant person’Â response. Â Seems to sum up Key’s attitude, i.e. they are right, and will accept no criticism whatsoever about what they believe is a truly wonderful ‘new look’ forum.
Paul FDidn’t the (aweful!) film ‘The Jewel of the Nile’ feature a scene where Douglas ‘drives’ Kathleen Turner around a ‘Moroccan-looking’ town square in an ‘F16’-style jet whilst trying to escape from the bad-guys?Â
Could be the film prop from that scene perhaps?
P.S. IMDB website confirms some scenes were shot on location in Morocco.
Paul F
Paul FAA
Please check your private messages (but don’t get your hopes up yet).
Paul F
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