"Red Petrol" does it exist

[AdamW]

Can you imagine going to a trading standards office and saying. "I bought this gear, that I was led to believe, is cheap due to being stolen, but it turns out that it's actualy just cheep because it's rubbish. Can I do the vendor for misrepresentation?"

On one of those police video programmes, I saw one where this guy called the police because he had been robbed. When they sent a patrol car to his whereabouts he explained to the policeman about how he had given this guy $100 for crack, the guy then ran off with the money. And they say drugs make you slow-witted

When I worked in a plumber's merchants this woman came in claiming to have some fell-off-the-back-of-a-lorry jewellery for sale. 9 carat gold she reckoned, but a plumber who had popped in for a few things took one look and told her that it was blatantly just polished brass (and plumbers know about brass), then she legged it. I wanted to say "let's have a look at one of those rings" just so I could point out the lack of hallmark on it, but as soon as you start conversing with these people it can be very difficult to make them go away.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But, everyone sees it as their right to drive where they like, and can come up with reasons why they have to drive. For example, I drive 4 miles to work, it takes me about 10 minutes. If I cycle it takes me a really long time (6 big hills on that 4 mile route) and I end up rather sweaty and smelly by the time I reach work, muddy too if it rains. The bus stops near my flat, but to ride it to anywhere near my office takes a good 45 minutes (takes a long route) and I then have to walk nearly a mile from the bus stop to my office.

OK - my story.

My journey to work measures 22 miles, and by car it takes 30-60 minutes, depending on time of day, weather, phases of the moon, what the goat entrails foretold and how propitiated the great Goddess Elaine Closure was feeling when she got out of bed.

By public transport the journey takes 2½ - 3 hours, involves 3 or 4 different trains and a 2-mile walk at the other end.

We've all made harder decisions than that.