Quote of the day 12th April 2014
"Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being
a camel."
(G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy")
(G.K. Chesterton, "Orthodoxy")
Nick Herbert on his visit to flood hit areas of Cumbria
Please note that the post below was published more than ten year ago on 21st November 2009 Nick Herbert MP, shadow cabinet member for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, was in Cumbria this morning to see the areas affected by the flooding. He writes on Conservative Home about his visit. Here is an extract. I’ve been in Cumbria today to see the areas affected by the floods. I arrived early in Keswick where I met officials from the Environment Agency. Although the river levels had fallen considerably and homes were no longer flooded, the damage to homes had been done. And the water which had got into houses wasn’t just from the river – it was foul water which had risen from the drains. I talked to fire crews who were pumping flood water back into the river, and discovered that they were from Tyne & Wear and Lancashire. They had been called in at an hours’ notice and had been working on the scene ever since, staying at a local hotel. You cannot fail to be impressed by the...
Comments
The other thing which often drives me mad when trying to park is the company which runs the service at many car parks, especially at stations, to pay for parking via your mobile phone.
When you first use this company, it is very convenient. But if, like me and like many other people, you keep your mobile phone number longer than your cars or credit and debit cards, you've had it.
Because the company is entirely automated - it's the second hardest company in the universe at which to contact a human being (after Google) and their systems recognise your mobile phone and remember the car registrations and bank cards associated with that phone number.
If you still have the details of the bank card they remember for you, you and key in the registration for a different car. But if your bank card has expired and you've torn it up (as the banks recommend) or if you've lost it, and you no longer have the details, or cannot remember which of your past cards you used to use with the "Park by phone" system, it is utterly impossible to get their idiotic and infuriating machines to accept a new car or bank card. Or to contact a human being and get them to do so.