Posted: Wed 3 January, 2007 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Cynicism, Festering Season |
How can you tell that the Festering Season is finally over and done with?
Because now all the adverts on TV are for either :
- sales
- diets
- stopping smoking
or
- holidays
Now we’ve got rid of the materialistic crap of new posessions etc., we’re on to the ‘resolutions’ and ‘future plans’ bits of the marketing maven’s bible.
Posted: Wed 3 January, 2007 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Cynicism, Weirdness, Work-related |
The company that I work for has several buildings in Cambridge, all of which have glass ‘security’ doors, where you have to swipe your identity card through, then the doors open and let you in. In short, they really aren’t rocket science.
Today, we’ve had an email through from the company’s Health and Safety directorate, explaining that some 20% of the reported workplace accidents/injuries in 2006 were due to these doors. So we now have – posted on the intranet, no less – instructions on how to use the security doors. I’m not kidding…
- Upon approach stand back behind the barrier so that the ‘person’ sensor within the barrier wall is not obstructed.
- Present your security badge, which should “beep†in recognition.
- Proceed through the gate.
(You’ll note that there’s no proviso about ‘when the gate has opened, proceed through the gate’)
- This is a precise operation and many accidents occur due to
- Confusion on the part of the ‘person’ sensor, if you stand too far forward when presenting your badge it assumes that there are possibly two people in the channel and thus shuts prematurely
- A lack of concentration especially when there is a queue at peak times, or when talking to colleagues.
I really really worry about some of the people I work with…
Posted: Wed 3 January, 2007 | Author: Lyle | Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, General, Travel |
Ah, the joys of a New Year, the time when a train operating company’s thoughts turn to a) profit, and b) gouging customers. And thus, yesterday’s objectionable New Year price increases – always above inflation, usually for no good reason, and most certainly not indicative of any improvements in the service.
However, you can tell that I’m now out in the sticks.
My month’s season ticket for travel between Norwich and Cambridge has gone up from £240 to £250. For once, that’s “only” a 5% increase.
Last year, when I was in Berkshire, it went up by 8%, so a “mere” 5% increase isn’t too bad at all, although obviously it’d be better to not have a price rise at all…