Victimless
Posted: Sat 2 January, 2010 Filed under: Driving, News, Stupidity, Thoughts 2 Comments »Good to see that politicians haven’t made any resolutions to talk more sense…
On BBC News today, there’s a story about plans to add the £15 “victim support” surcharge to lesser offences like speeding, driving and using a mobile, shoplifting etc. According to the politicians quoted, these are all crimes “with victims”.
Under the plans, a fine of £60 for speeding, using a mobile phone while driving or not wearing a seatbelt would be increased to £75.
Government officials deny the move amounts to a stealth tax.
They argue that such offences are not “victimless crimes”, saying thousands are killed or injured on Britain’s roads every year
Now I’m sorry, but how the scrambled fuck is speeding not a victim-less crime? And while I don’t like the offence, I don’t see how driving while using a mobile actually has a victim.
In both those cases, if your speeding or use of a mobile causes an accident (or worse) then it’s not the speeding or the use of a mobile that gets charged – it’s driving without due care and attention, death by dangerous driving, or one of the other offences I can’t currently remember.
If I’m caught speeding, the “victim” is me – I’m the one penalised by the action of the crime. If I’m not caught speeding, nothing whatsoever happens. I’ve not driven away from the scene of an accident, I’ve not harmed someone else, I’ve not broken, stolen, or conned something. I’ve just got to my destination faster.
Crossing to Nowhere
Posted: Mon 14 December, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, Driving, Norfolk, Stupidity, Weirdness Leave a comment »While out shopping for some bits yesterday, we came across this crossing in a carpark in Norwich…
Crossing to Nowhere
Yep, that zebra-crossing actually ends up in a hedge. No pathway, no throughfare, nothing. Just cross the road, walk into a hedge.
Bizarre
Take Responsibility
Posted: Sun 13 December, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, News, People, Stupidity, Thoughts 2 Comments »Apparently, the EU is caling for a volume limit to be put on all MP3 players. A report last year warning that up to 10m people in the EU face permanent hearing loss from listening to loud music for prolonged periods.
Stories like this drive me mental. People need to take responsibility for their actions – not be told everything they can and can’t do. Fine, put a warning on the boxes (or even on the display when the volume goes past a certain level, as my Sony MP3 player already does) that loud volume for long periods fucks the hearing. But let people decide, and take that responsibility.
After all, these things are (or at least bloody well should be) down to personal choice. It’s not the MP3 players decision, it shouldn’t be a government/EU decision. If someone decides that their music needs to be at absolute top volume all the time, fine, they’ll have issues in later life. Let them make the decision.
Spamtastic
Posted: Wed 18 November, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Stupidity, Thoughts Leave a comment »I got this spam the other day…
My names are Janet Brown, I was diagnosed for cancer for about few weeks ago. I have been touched by God to donate to you, from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of God/needy/charity, I decided to WILL/donate the sum of USD$10Million to you. Contact my Attorney/lawyer/Barrister Stephen & Associates with this, specified email; { [Removed, for obvious reasons]} Tel; [Removed, for obvious reasons],for the funds release, my personal ref number law/WILL/9834520012. I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don’t want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. Regards,
Mrs. Janet Brown
That’s exactly as I received it – the only thing changed is that I’ve removed the contact details.
But what you’ve got to wonder is this: What kind of blithering idiot numpty would ever respond to something like this?
And if even one person did respond, it would just prove that Barnum was right – there truly is one born every minute.
Ugly
Posted: Sat 7 November, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, People, Stupidity, Weirdness Leave a comment »Every so often, you’ll see someone and just think “Why?”. Other people create websites dedicated to that moment…
First there’s Ugly Tattoos, which does exactly what the name says. Some seriously weird and ugly tattoos where you’ve got to wonder a) why they were done in the first place , b) what the people were thinking in the first place and in some cases c) how come the tattooist didn’t get sued.
Then there’s Wedinator, with wedding events/photos that are certainly strange andsometimes just plain wrong.
Any time I wonder whether I’ve been too cynical in my estimations of people, let these sites stand as witness to the fact I can never be that cynical.
2012 Idiot Tax
Posted: Thu 29 October, 2009 Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Stupidity, Thoughts Leave a comment »In yet another case of “There’s one born every minute”, the BBC has a story today about the fact people are already getting taken in by sites selling tickets for the London 2012 Olympics. That’s despite the fact that tickets won’t be going on sale until 2011…
As I’ve said before, the people who pay money to sites like that really just have more money than sense, and deserve to be taken for a ride. It’s like an idiot tax – if you’re an idiot, you will pay.
According to the story, “it is illegal to sell fake 2012 tickets in the UK, Olympic organisers said.” . But what happens if you’re not actually selling fake tickets? By that I mean that you’re advertising tickets – but not actually supplying even false ones. Sure, it’s fraud etc. – but technically, it’s also not selling fake tickets. It’s ‘just’ taking money from morons.
I’m forever being told that I’ve got far too cynical a view of people and their stupidity. But still I see stories like this and I’m still amazed that no matter how low my expectations, people still go lower than them.