Are we allowed to breathe?

[Colin]

Hi,

Are we still allowed to breathe here in the UK?

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/how-wearing-sunglasses-driving-could-15882401

Fined for wearing wrong type of sunglasses fined for not wearing sunglasses; you couldn't make it up.

Why are people so stupid these days; now our local council are inspecting our green recycling bin contents;

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news...illors-waste-advisers-checking-every-16018024

As usual the majority suffer for the minority; Bron and I obey the rules and laws and do our best but if ever our green bin is confiscated it won't come back; 27% being recycled at Kirklees is abysmal and I'm sure will now become even worse as the grey bins are filled more because we are unsure as to what to place in our green bin; I've emailed the council for clarification. A young lady got into trouble for putting a milk carton into her green bin; years ago I asked at Bromley Farm Refuse Centre which bin our fresh Soya Milk cartons should be put in; the green bin was the answer. There's always the fly tipping option which is on the increase.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Sean Regan]

I've no evidence to support it, but I suspect those people who have problems with being accused of putting stuff in the wrong bin, the bins are collected by council employed "jobsworths."

Here in Trafford, the bin collection is contracted out. The vehicles are staffed by one driver and two "collectors." I would imagine they are paid a set rate for each round regardless of how long it takes, not by the hour.

This is why we never have any problems.

I've put all sorts of stuff in the black bin, (collected four-weekly) which is supposed to be for recyclable, glass, metal and plastic. It's recently had an old golf trolley, small electrical appliances, i.e coffee machine, in fact anything with a glass metal or plastic content.

I've also cheated and put bits of the polystyrene boxes that the food comes in that my wife orders on-line, under a layer of cardboard in the blue cardboard and paper bin, (collected four-weekly).

In the green bin, (collected weekly throughout the year) as well as garden refuse I've also put bits of wood and chipboard.

In the "half size" grey non recyclable bin, (collected fortnightly) everything else goes in. All household waste including food (I won't put food in the green bin), but always in a number of sealed refuse bags. At the end of the first week, I have to climb up on a step-stool and stand in the bin to compress the contents or it won't last another week.

The bin men obviously just want to get finished and go home (or the pub, I would), so they've no time to stand and argue with householders, or stick labels on the bins.

It's an example of "privatisation" that works.

 

[Silentrunning]

Colin, One element of your post is the reason so many in the U.S. are dead set against single payer government health care. The government will intrude on every aspect of your life. It will have the power to limit your alcohol consumption. If you are obese the government will limit your food intake. Yes, I know that other countries have national healthcare but in the U.S. it just won’t work. Heck, we have politicians that want to take away our airplanes and cars in 10 years.

 

[roadrunner]

Colin, One element of your post is the reason so many in the U.S. are dead set against single payer government health care. The government will intrude on every aspect of your life. It will have the power to limit your alcohol consumption. If you are obese the government will limit your food intake. Yes, I know that other countries have national healthcare but in the U.S. it just won’t work. Heck, we have politicians that want to take away our airplanes and cars in 10 years.

Amen....

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks Sean & Doug. I did hear quite a while ago that slavery had been abolished; if so why are we forced to work for the government after all who receives the most for our labour; taxed on earnings; taxed on things we buy even taxed on our works pension; slavery is still very much alive. The harder we work the more tax we pay and if we work extra hard then we're punished by paying an even higher rate of tax; there's little incentive to better oneself.

I've now received a reply from the council as to what we can and cannot place in our green recycling bins; I'm not after a fight with our local council but I don't want to be bullied by them either; these days any mistake results in a fine.

I'm now 71 Doug so if the government want to take away our cars in ten years by the time the government succeeds I'll no longer be here.

Rules; regulations and laws; it's a minefield;

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/how-wearing-sunglasses-driving-could-15882401

How many drivers know about sunglasses?

It's not all bad because I look forward to vehicle speed being controlled to prevent speeding; I'm sick of tailgaters and the millions of road signs and road markings stating "Slow". We need rules and regulations but some of these are ranking on stupid.

After dinner no doubt I'll break some law as I attack our front garden.

It's interesting Sean to learn how many councils do well in supplying a number of bins; our council struggle to supply two bins; a grey for general rubbish and a green for recycling each emptied fortnightly. Our local council is terrible.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Sean Regan]

Trafford has their good snd bad points.

For two years we've been paying an extra £35 a year for the green bin to be emptied (garden waste). This is collected weekly, 52 weeks of the year despite, certainly for me, for four or five months of the year there's nothing in it. So it's unnecessary. But this year this charge has been scrapped. You can take pretty much anything you like to the tip. It's well organised. There's sections for small appliances, metal, wood, garden waste, building waste, cardboard and paper and non recyclable, as well as cages for TVs, fridges, cookers, books, clothing and shoes.

But you can put anything in a refuse bag and chuck it in the non recyclable. No one checks it. It's very busy at week-ends and cars can be backed up onto the A56 waiting to get in.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I would like an agency based on the way they select a jury. Except it is to review the treasury department and ALL the funds flowing to government agents not just their paycheck. It would have to be volunteer only of course. In my State of approximately 4 million people, I could see a jury of 4000 folks. Organizationally, its a small high school. As bad as they are with property tax producing high school education, I would take the funding from the property tax. It would be an investment with returns in the thousands of percents. As long as a jury member gets no money from an agency or office of the government (workers ok, even at high levels) it would be ok to serve on the jury. Friendly is one thing, representation by people paid by an entity other that your tax pool is quite another thing.

 

[Meadowlark]

...

Rules; regulations and laws; it's a minefield;

....

After dinner no doubt I'll break some law as I attack our front garden.

Very interesting to read Mr. Colin. I wish you could experience the freedom we enjoy in Texas...but even here the signs of the future minefields are ominous indeed.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

I was out early this morning removing a very big Hebe and having got it out roots as well I started attacking a conifer intending also to completely remove this; Our neighbours daughter came past in her car but she was in the front passenger seat; I gave a cheery wave as usual. As I worked a guy approached me he was wearing a suit with tie looking very smart; Bron and I live at #39 and didn't even know Tony our neighbour at #33 had sadly died of cancer aged 73. This I think sums up modern society when neighbours can pass away like this.

The hearse and limousines have just arrived; we feel deeply saddened; for years Tony's daughter has waved as she's driven past and we didn't even know her name.

With all the nastiness; selfishness; greed and the ever increasing god of money we all end up in the same place; I'm 71 and learn of more and more funerals of people I've known and worked with.

Not all modern things are bad but 50 years ago we could leave our doors wide open and neighbours talked to each other always willing to help. There was burglary on our small private estate yesterday no doubt some low life wanting booze or drug money; strange how these low life if ever found and put into court are treated better than their victims. I keep very busy because I don't want to wake up dead.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Silentrunning]

Not everyone is bad Colin. I wouldn’t have said that when I lived in Florida. We lived in our last house 20 years and only talked to our next door neighbors once. That was when their dogs came in my yard and attacked my new puppy. We had few friends. Now, 2-1/2 years after moving to North Carolina, we have more friends than the entire 40 years we lived in Florida. Even though our neighbors live 1/4 mile away we are best of friends. I have been in every house on our road and broke bread with most every one of these families. To give an example of N. C. friendliness- Last year I got my zero turn mower extremely stuck in our front ditch. Four men going by in a work truck stopped, jumped out and lifted the mower up on to the road. They hopped back in the truck and took off before I could properly thank them.
I have come home from vacation to find my front yard nicely mowed. No idea who did it. Since moving to N. C. a lot of my faith in humanity has been restored.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Good for you Doug; I'm pleased your move resulted in such good neighbours and I bet you've no intention of moving again.

Unfortunately here in the UK alcoholics and crackheads are rapidly increasing in numbers leading to burglaries; shootings; knifings and beatings; our local paper is usually full of sob stories where the criminals have been brought up in a poor environment; Bron and I would normally help anyone but such help is often seen as a weakness resulting in us dropping on for lots of jobs. We can afford to move but move where to because it appears to be the same all over the UK?

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news...uddersfield-teenager-two-men-charged-16274095

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/week-mayhem-sees-shots-fired-16255676

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/cctv-images-released-police-hunt-16270289

Every day is the same here; many years ago a guy in Norfolk who was constantly being burgled eventually shot a burglar and killed him; he was arrested and I believe he's still doing a life term when in fact he should have been given an award and lots of ammunition; it's wonderful here for criminals.

Bron and I have lived here 33 years and our immediate neighbours have a long police history of drugs; car theft; burglary and beatings; their son being too idle even burgled their next door neighbour; we have an open police case against the pensioner mother for harassment; they believe they own the world and they are horrible. Their grandson lives across the street and a few years ago was subjected to a police drugs bust; the worst part if they ever do move we're likely to get people in just as bad the way things are going.

Kind regards, Colin.