Ready steady Queue

[MikeInWimbledon]

The saying isn't wrong, but it needs to be read in context. A person can most certainly better themselves via education, but only on the premise that not everyone does the same, because if this happens then all you've done is move the common baseline up one notch. In a nutshell, it's the age-old distinction between being equal under a Communist regime, and having equal opportunities under a Democratic regime...

You're saying that in a week in which 37 year old Euan Blair hit the headlines with a personal net worth of £160 million, created as a result of building a small recruitment agency promoting Apprenticeships for school-leavers in the German and pre-1990's British style.

Telling boys, and it is only boys, that a degree in politics or international relations is the best way forward, is poor advice if they end up with aspirations out of synch with their abilities.

And suggesting that the ideal solution is to carry on treating and paying drivers badly, because we can always ship cheap people in from Poland, India, Africa, and South America is no sensible solution either.



Tony Blair’s son Euan ‘makes £160m’ by ignoring his father’s education policy

 

[Darrell]

Greta's happy. This is exactly what the CO2 and environmentalists want us to do.

.

This ^^
They can’t really complain can they.

 

[markjay]

Greta's happy. This is exactly what the CO2 and environmentalists want us to do....

What? Drive around looking for an open petrol station...?

 

[Dryce]

The saying isn't wrong, but it needs to be read in context. A person can most certainly better themselves via education, but only on the premise that not everyone does the same, because if this happens then all you've done is move the common baseline up one notch.

In principle the whole economy benefits.

Where you get a problem is where people are being educated creating a surprlus - or where the education is of lower quality overall.

So what we should be doing is ensure that anyone who wants an academic degree and is able to meet the required standards, can have one, instead of simply encouraging everyone to go to university.

The situation we have now is that there are people in jobs that would only traditionally require education to 16, 17, or 18 where degrees are now common. And for those looking for jobs in some sectors a 1st or 2.1 is now required. Personally I find it depressing how many people with degrees show little sign of having actually deserved one.

My view is that the higher educaton system has been grown into something bloated and inefficient. In the midst of the push for degrees then HNCs and HNDs seem to have been lost en route.

IMO A better setup would have been to build on 1 and 2 year vocational qualifications - and a support system that encouraged older employees into higher eduication to either get new qualifications or extend what they have - and push people to build on qualifications through their working career.

 

[Londonscottish]

There are petrol stations at either end of my road (Central London), about a mile apart, both seem to be working today, with even shorter queues than in previous days. But I recom it would still be between quaret to half hour of queuing.

The queues round my way (NW London) were a lot shorter today so on the spur of the moment I brimmed my OH's Fiat 500. 20 minute wait

Ironically, it goes a month or more between refills and I normally wouldn't have refilled it for another couple of weeks. But my car's only got maybe a quarter tank so wanted to have at least one car we could rely on.

 

[E55BOF]

My view is that the higher educaton system has been grown into something bloated and inefficient. In the midst of the push for degrees then HNCs and HNDs seem to have been lost en route. Personally I find it depressing how many people with degrees show little sign of having actually deserved one.

My view entirely. Far too many kids take out loans they will never have to repay, because they will never earn enough to do so, and leave university with overly optimistic expectations and a sense of entitlement on the basis of a qualification that is now so common as to have become in many cases virtually worthless.

 

[Deleted member 159894]

My view entirely. Far too many kids take out loans they will never have to repay, because they will never earn enough to do so, and leave university with overly optimistic expectations and a sense of entitlement on the basis of a qualification that is now so common as to have become in many cases virtually worthless.

I’m sure that the class of 2021 appreciate your thoughts.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

What? Drive around looking for an open petrol station...?

Get people to keep off London's roads on a Saturday afternoon so it "only" took me 45-60 minutes to drive 8 miles from Wimbledon into London Bridge.

We voted for CO2 reduction in the UK, Germany and the EU.

Who can complain because "some" are doing their bit to reduce CO2 ?

Or do we vote for CO2 reduction, but want to drive, fly, import and eat in greater quantity than ever before?

.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I’m sure that the class of 2021 appreciate your thoughts.

It's the classes of the 2010's that are saying as much to all who will listen.

There's a great swathe of fresh young graduates out there who are realising that their degrees aren't good, or relevant, enough to get them into the areas that they were misled into believing were possible. Scientist, Mathematicians, Historian, Economists yada yada, all desperately trying to "get in" as over-titled sekkertries in areas where those academic qualifications have little relevance.

As Euan Blair has found, there's literally a fortune to be made (£160 million in less than five years) from creating Apprenticeships for school leavers. Firms, and school-leavers, want them.

Lifelong education and retraining should be the mantra for the 21st century, not academic university degrees "financed" by an unrepayable £50k loan around your neck for 30 years.

 

[Petrol Pete]

How does that old joke go ?

Q: What do you say to a 24 year old with a degree in the study of existential art in the post war era..?

A: Ahh , sod it mate , I'll go large and make it a Diet Coke and just the one ketchup to go . Cheers.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , well I have driven up from Reading to Worcester using the A roads and found little evidence that the fuel position has eased.

I managed to top up my car in Worcester using 95 RON petrol , no 97/99 and no diesel.

Well if the represents that the supply chain crisis is over it must be !

 

[Deleted member 126251]

The queues round my way (NW London) were a lot shorter today so on the spur of the moment I brimmed my OH's Fiat 500. 20 minute wait

Ironically, it goes a month or more between refills and I normally wouldn't have refilled it for another couple of weeks. But my car's only got maybe a quarter tank so wanted to have at least one car we could rely on.

No having a go at you but wow what a ridiculous world we live in when people feel they need to explain why they put petrol in their car.

 

[Deleted member 150136]

Does everyone live that far from a shop or work that they need a car?

I personally don't need a car for work, so thats 1 thing less for me to be concerned about.

But I also live about 2 miles from my nearest supermarket and I don't feel the need that a car is necessary, I can walk or use my push bike(or small scooter or motorbike).
I carry an umbrella and back pack and can survive without a big shop(unlike most I appreciate).

A lot of folk DO need their cars for work or the shops due to their location/situation, but a lot of folk seem to think they need their cars, when in reality they don't(or at least a FULL tank worth of fuel)

This should not be an emergency situation, but some people seem to be selfish and fill up unnecessarily when others who do NEED the fuel are struggling.

I used to use my car all the Time but these days I do actually feel I've accomplished more by not using it.

 

[Londonscottish]

No having a go at you but wow what a ridiculous world we live in when people feel they need to explain why they put petrol in their car.

LOL well the main point of the post was that queues had finally subsided round here to the point that, after a week, I could finally get some.

The second part was the fact that I ended up doing the same thing that caused the problem in the first place; buying fuel a lot earlier than I'd normally have done.

The irony........

 

[Londonscottish]

Does everyone live that far from a shop or work that they need a car?

I personally don't need a car for work, so thats 1 thing less for me to be concerned about.

But I also live about 2 miles from my nearest supermarket and I don't feel the need that a car is necessary, I can walk or use my push bike(or small scooter or motorbike).
I carry an umbrella and back pack and can survive without a big shop(unlike most I appreciate).

A lot of folk DO need their cars for work or the shops due to their location/situation, but a lot of folk seem to think they need their cars, when in reality they don't(or at least a FULL tank worth of fuel)

This should not be an emergency situation, but some people seem to be selfish and fill up unnecessarily when others who do NEED the fuel are struggling.

I used to use my car all the Time but these days I do actually feel I've accomplished more by not using it.

I can live without the Merc for a couple of weeks so I'm not bothered about that.

Over the last week I've been out into town for work, out for drinks, out locally for dinner, down to the football and so on and that's been done on tubes, trains or on foot. Did my shopping for the Sunday roast on foot, too.

My wife's Fiat 500 is used several times a day for shuttle runs which, more often than not, involve dropping my teenagers somewhere or picking them up, supermarket runs, etc.

We could work around that but it would slow things down. As it stands it's averaging something like 5 miles a day, so pretty minimal in the grand scheme of things.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Does everyone live that far from a shop or work that they need a car?

I personally don't need a car for work, so thats 1 thing less for me to be concerned about.

But I also live about 2 miles from my nearest supermarket and I don't feel the need that a car is necessary, I can walk or use my push bike(or small scooter or motorbike).
I carry an umbrella and back pack and can survive without a big shop(unlike most I appreciate).

A lot of folk DO need their cars for work or the shops due to their location/situation, but a lot of folk seem to think they need their cars, when in reality they don't(or at least a FULL tank worth of fuel)

This should not be an emergency situation, but some people seem to be selfish and fill up unnecessarily when others who do NEED the fuel are struggling.

I used to use my car all the Time but these days I do actually feel I've accomplished more by not using it.

Similarly, we have over the last couple of weeks taken to walking with backpack to our nearest 'Local' store for the bits we forgot/didn't get delivered on our main shop.
In fact, this latest fuel situation along with rising 2nd hand car values has got me thinking seriously about selling the Merc. The Present Mrs Spiky's car is needed for her work and general duties, but my commute these days is as far as the man cave at the bottom of the garden and my poor old wagon just sits more or less unused on the driveway.

 

[BTB 500]

Does everyone live that far from a shop or work that they need a car?

We don't need cars for work but the nearest shops from us are 5.5 miles away. Until last week we had to drive BTB Junior to school in the same town (so 22 miles a day for that alone) ... the only bus service in the area is a Council contracted school transport, and it took a month to get our application for that approved We are considering home delivery for groceries now but there will always be other things i.e. the closest DIY shop of any kind is 8 miles away.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi , I was talking to a petrol tanker driver last night in my local and he has been asked to take three days off this week , reason no work for him plus redundancy concerns are bubbling away in the background for tanker drivers.



Only time will tell if any substance in this post !

 

[SpikyMikey]

Hi , I was talking to a petrol tanker driver last night in my local and he has been asked to take three days off this week , reason no work for him plus redundancy concerns are bubbling away in the background for tanker drivers.



Only time will tell if any substance in this post !

Send him to this part of the world please!
SWMBO had to do one of her trips into the office this morning and of the 4 filling stations she passes, 2 had no fuel and were shut and the other 2 had mahoosive queues

 

[zipdip]

Well as I wrote on another thread our Morrisons early this morning had super unleaded and diesel so I put 25 litres in and that sets me up for about two weeks.with what car driving I have to do,it does seem that apart from the south east things are getting back to normal,give it a couple of weeks and we should be past this problem.