UK Politics: What about a Masquerade?

[Spockydog]

2 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

Of course I see a problem but what should the police have done about it? Ticketed 500 people showing support for our healthcare workers? How would that have looked?

 

If you see the problem, why are you attacking me, calling me a wanker?

Why were the police there in the first place? It was clearly co-ordinated.

Answer me that.

[john]

The police aren’t going to move on people clapping for carers. That’s a bad look. They just have to try and manage the situation as best they can.

It’s the crowd of people that came down are at fault.

[Spockydog]

3 minutes ago, john said:

The police aren’t going to move on people clapping for carers. That’s a bad look.

And standing alongside, literally shoulder-to-shoulder, clapping along with these idiots isn't?

[BigFatCoward]

 

Probably to move everyone on in a sympathetic way that will avoid them getting slagged off by the press, but also to show support to our colleagues in the emergency services that is having a shit time of it right now. 

[lessthanluke]

46 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

That sucks. But it's not evidence of a nationwide trend. 

Hundreds of similar stories across the country.

Ironically the police stopping me for walking alone and them visiting my gym has been my only interaction with anyone other than my girlfriend and the shop cashiers in weeks so maybe I should thank them.

[Spockydog]

9 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

...but also to show support to our colleagues in the emergency services that is having a shit time of it right now. 

I refer you back to the dismay at this 'show of support' shown by your colleagues in St Thomas' Hospital.

[john]

15 minutes ago, Spockydog said:

And standing alongside, literally shoulder-to-shoulder, clapping along with these idiots isn't?

Yeah, that’s a bit of a bad look too, probably less so than diving in and trying to break them up though. It’s a no win situation.

[Spockydog]

27 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

Probably to move everyone on in a sympathetic way that will avoid them getting slagged off by the press

I just found out that Cressida Dick, Met Commissioner, was also on Westminster Bridge last night. There, no doubt, to be photographed, clapping along with all the other idiots.

So any suggestion that the dozens of police cars that turned up were there to gently persuade the clappers to move on is nonsense.

It was clearly a deliberate act of massively misguided stupidity, co-ordinated at the very highest levels of the British police force.

Hooray.

[Filippa Eilhart]

meanwhile in Poland, people express their civic rights by queueing 2 m apart.

 

[BigFatCoward]

41 minutes ago, lessthanluke said:

Hundreds of similar stories across the country.

Ironically the police stopping me for walking alone and them visiting my gym has been my only interaction with anyone other than my girlfriend and the shop cashiers in weeks so maybe I should thank them.

There are 130000 police officers. If there are only hundreds of stories, it's a tiny minority being dicks. 

I've spoken to loads of people last few weeks, far more than I would normally doing my job.  Like just chatting, not getting involved in peoples business. 

[john]

I just read an article about how, in response to 20 London bus drivers dying so far, TFL is going to introduce new safety measures from Monday such as barring the front door and only allowing entry from the rear door.

WTF, they couldn’t have thought of that four weeks ago?!

[BigFatCoward]

3 minutes ago, john said:

I just read an article about how, in response to 20 London bus drivers dying so far, TFL is going to introduce new safety measures from Monday such as barring the front door and only allowing entry from the rear door.

WTF, they couldn’t have thought of that four weeks ago?!

Obvious solutions are only obvious once pointed out.  if it was suggested earlier and refused for 'reasons' then there is a problem. 

[Heartofice]

37 minutes ago, john said:

I just read an article about how, in response to 20 London bus drivers dying so far, TFL is going to introduce new safety measures from Monday such as barring the front door and only allowing entry from the rear door.

WTF, they couldn’t have thought of that four weeks ago?!

It does seem obvious but I wonder if that is going to change all that much.Drivers are behind a glass door anyway and don’t contact passengers.

 My guess would be that more infections happen from people coughing and sneezing on the bus and virus landing on bars, the buttons etc. You’d hope drivers are washing their hands as much as possible and not touching the rest of the bus but who knows.

[BigFatCoward]

Ha. Dummies criticising fire brigade for standing too close together as well. You dont social distance from people you live with (which is what an LFB watch does). 

Dont stand next to each other on a bridge but get into your fire engine and go to a shout, eat together, train together, sleep in same room etc. 

[Maltaran]

My problem here is the inconsistency. If some forces are going around yelling at people in parks and meanwhile the Met allows this huge gathering without even trying to move people on, then more people are going to start ignoring the rules.

[Spockydog]

19 minutes ago, Maltaran said:

My problem here is the inconsistency. If some forces are going around yelling at people in parks and meanwhile the Met allows this huge gathering without even trying to move people on, then more people are going to start ignoring the rules.

It's worse than that. To my eyes, it looks like they organized the entire thing. I mean, nobody lives on Westminster Bridge, and why else would Dick be there? Honestly baffled by this.

[ljkeane]

The government furlough subsidy scheme has been extended until the end of June.

On the plus side it means the chances of losing my job before the end of June are probably pretty slim. On the downside it's probably significantly increased the chances of me having to sit at home doing nothing for another month.

[polishgenius]

5 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

Obvious solutions are only obvious once pointed out.  if it was suggested earlier and refused for 'reasons' then there is a problem. 

 

It's been the case in Poland and Germany for a month now. I'm honestly amazed it's only being implemented now back home, although quite a lot of places in the UK (though not London of course) only run buses that don't have rear doors so that's a problem.

[Sophelia]

6 hours ago, lessthanluke said:

Hundreds of similar stories across the country.

There's a bit of a meme... (got to laugh)

[williamjm]

6 hours ago, Heartofice said:

It does seem obvious but I wonder if that is going to change all that much.Drivers are behind a glass door anyway and don’t contact passengers.

 My guess would be that more infections happen from people coughing and sneezing on the bus and virus landing on bars, the buttons etc. You’d hope drivers are washing their hands as much as possible and not touching the rest of the bus but who knows.

In more normal times when I'm on the bus I often see off-duty drivers heading (presumably) to/from work on the bus, usually chatting to the driver up at the front.