London Hogwash

RyanAir: Where No Frills Means No Compassion!

Administrator — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 08:51:13 +0000

Yesterday I was standing at my appropriate departure gate at London’s Stansted Airport where I watched RyanAir’s personnel efficiently carrying out their policy about refusing late passengers entry to the plane. The passengers in this instance were a family comprising what appeared to be a mother, father and two young children (one of which it should be noted was a baby).

Having sat on a plane waiting for a last minute passenger needing hair restoration surgery who finally turned up with a bag full of duty free booze proclaiming why they were so late, I don’t have a lot of tolerance with people who can’t present themselves for their flight on time. However there are situations which mean that sometimes you get held up and if you are moving from one end of an airport to another with small children these situations seem to be more common. The first problem is the security checks where you must aid your children out of their jackets etc. Even trickier with a baby! Then putting these items back on whilst any buggy is thoroughly investigated for illegal substances and security measures. Not to mention ensuring that your other stuff such as passport/travel documents and personal effects aren’t tampered with whilst your attention is on your children. Following this, Stansted also wants to examine all shoes and so a parent travelling with children has to get their own shoes off, plus their child’s, and then of course put them back on again. This is stressful because it takes time and as a parent you’re very much aware of the sighing businessman needing skin mole removal surgery for his face, standing behind you in the line, complete with his neat laptop bag, expensive suit and impatient expression.

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The stress doesn’t end there. You can see from the screen that you have a departure gate number for your flight, and you know the direction to go, but then your child needs the bathroom, and as any parent is only too aware of the safety issues surrounding children in airports you must accompany the child. Having seen to that child’s bathroom needs, and having got halfway to the appropriate departure gate – in Stansted’s case this involves negotiating the most crazy arrangement ever created of moving between floor levels at numerous points along the way – you discover the baby is stinking and the other passengers won’t be happy so you have to find a toilet area, and change the nappy. Trying to make it to the plane is like trying to complete a cyrstal maze >treasure hunt test. No wonder parents travelling with small children look frazzled by the time they get to their appointed departure gate.

Yesterday the plane was still on the ground, the doors were open and the stairs were still in place. Despite this, and the fact it would take less than 3 minutes for this family to board the plane, RyanAir’s gate crew declared the flight closed and the family was not allowed to board. The mother was extremely distressed, her loud sobs echoing in the heart of any parent who knows how much effort it took for her to get there and how so easily a toilet visit could have put them in the same situation. The little boy was crying. The baby was crying. The father looked completely devastated. Meanwhile minutes passed while the crew outside located the baggage belonging to the family that had already been put into the plane, and removed it. The time it took to locate and remove the baggage was far greater than it would have taken to show some compassion to an already stressed out family and allow them to board the plane.

I don’t know what the fate of this family was. I don’t know if they were able to get another plane yesterday, or if they would be stranded overnight with a baby and small child to care for – as they weren’t English and probably returning home from vacation, they may also have been on extremely limited funds. What I do know is that whilst RyanAir may be patting itself on the head for having the least number of cancellations when lined up against its competitors, they should be hanging their heads for creating this situation. I think it would be a far better promotional point to be able to say that they were the best family orientated airline, especially when traditional family values are supposedly being bandied around at Government level. At the moment, the attitude yesterday – coupled with their policy of people having to pay additional costs for priority boarding (RyanAir, as with some of their economy flight competitors no longer automatically allow people travelling with young children to board first) – this airline is ranking somewhere near the bottom of the family friendly airline list!

Shame on you RyanAir!

Make a change

Administrator — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:17:36 +0000

People say that I’m the perfect age to have a mid life crises. Well I’m staunchly saying that I’m NOT having any thing of the sort, I’ve just chosen to make a few changes in my life. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? You have to seize the moment, do what you’re going to do now, make it happen or the window will pass and all you’ll have left is the thoughts of things that could have been.

So in my bid to change my life, I started by going to the internet. Where better to start than to source of all things? I started by looking in Google for search UK property to find a decent property website. Do you know the range of places that are available to live in? Just even knowing the possibilities excited me! I could do anything from live in an old church to a fully working farm. I didn’t buy online however, and I haven’t moved yet. I’m not sure I’m going to, but there is something about knowing that I’m not stuck where I am that changed how I view my situation. Rather than feeling trapped, I’m now glad I live where I live. What seemed circumstance beyond my control has become a conscious choice. Now, I am living where I want to live, and even though nothing has changed physically, I am so much happier with my life.

What I did end up buying from the internet however was a, well, a procedure in a clinic. I feel a little embarrassed to say it in a way, but I’m a little on the tubby side, always have been. It’s also always been something that bothered me, so I’ve done something about it. I’ve booked in for chest reduction at a place called court house clinics. I can’t recommend them either way yet, it’s scheduled for next week, but I think I’m actually looking forward to it.

My final big change was to buy a horse. Well, try and buy a horse! I used to ride when I was young, and I’d like to again. I actually found one that was both within my price range and a fine animal. However, it seems that keeping one is a little more expensive than I thought! The actual upkeep is substantial. You have to cover everything from the food and stables, to paying for equine liability and stable staff. In the end I went in on a horse share with someone! I own half a horse – hopefully not the back end!

So reading all this, do you think I’m going through a mid life crises? Whether I am or not, at the end of the day I don’t really care. I’m making some changed in my life that are making my life better for myself, and that’s the most important thing.

Tough roles - an actors excerpt

Administrator — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:38:52 +0000

So, being an actor is actually pretty hard work.

I learned this in kindergarten. I was drawing a picture of what I wanted to be when I grew up (a film star, of course). I must admit, it was a smashing depiction: long blonde hair, a fabulous red sequin dress, VERY high heels and to top off the ensemble, a lovely purple feather boa. I learned being an actor would be pretty hard work, because I had to share the purple crayon with the little boy who wanted to be a dentist. (Sometimes, it’s best not to ask questions–)

However, now that I’m (mostly) grown-up, I have come to realize that it’s really pretty difficult to find facets of myself in the characters I play. It's like playing a treasure hunt in your soul for something that you hope is there, but may not be. Sometimes, you find the treasure you are looking for, but other times… in this particular case (I’m playing a solider accused of abusing prisoners of war), it’s really REALLY hard!

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First of all, I have no idea what it is like to be in the military. I have spent a lot of time reading, watching war films (GI Jane was really pretty great! What’s not to love about a totally ripped Demi Moore?!) and chatting with people who had enlisted. I was pretty amazed at some of the stories I ran across: there are several accounts of immense valor and bravery–it almost made me want to enlist myself. Of course, I came to my senses before signing on the dotted line–

Secondly, I have no idea what it is like to inflict physical abuse. I have never been in a fight. I have never struck another human being with my bare fist. (I have been a student of Tae Kwon Do, so I have done a little bit of sparring, but HEAVILY padded–so really, I feel that doesn’t count, especially since punches were pulled). Where does the urge for violence come from?

But, the bottom line is, it doesn’t matter if I have actually experienced it or not. What matters is if I can convey the mental anguish and guilt of the character.

That’s hard.

EBay Book Sellers -Where’s the Relevant Information?

Administrator — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:23:25 +0000

Having spent the past few days trying to put together a resource library for a project I’m going to work on, I have to wonder why some people don’t think that information –such as a publication date – is important when they are selling time-sensitive items on eBay. As a travel writer I need to have information that’s as current as possible for the areas I can’t physically travel to, and because I want to get a number of different source references, I prefer to purchase my resources from eBay rather than a traditional bookstore where the full cost would restricted the number of books I could buy.

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Usually this works quite well for my various project needs, but it’s been a frustrating few days trying to ascertain how old some of these guidebooks are. Is there really any point in selling a guidebook for New Orleans that predates Katrina for example? New Orleans was almost wiped out during that time, and anyone who wasn’t old enough that year to see the news reports, or didn’t take any notice of the extent of the damage could be forgiven for buying a book that’s a few years old and now bears little resemblance to the city that now remains. A similar thing could be said about travel guides for New York City that pre-date the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre – although these books do have a historical significance as testament to how things looked before the New York City skyline changed.

Having spent countless hours matching up blurred book cover images at eBay against those at Amazon (which reminded me bizzarely of a corporate team building exercise I once did) I issue a heartfelt plea to eBay booksellers – please, please, please put the publication date on your listing. Also, if it was published more than 2 years ago, it doesn’t matter what condition it is, in travel guide terms it’s not exactly “new”. It would be more exact if you could check if this was the current edition or whether there has been an updated version since the one you’re selling was published – the bonus to this to you is that buyers of travel guides (like myself) are willing to pay more for a book that’s still the “current” version of the book!

Meanwhile, I’ve now completed my shopping and now await the arrival of my books – which I hope to be the editions that I think they are based on my cover comparison detective work!

Administrator — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:12:57 +0000

Upgrading your computer is always a difficult choice, more so that I am an Apple user. Now, I don’t state this out of smugness, the Apple is just as frustrating as any MS run machine. No, the difficulty comes in the upgrading. How to do, when should I do it and why?

Firstly, I will start with the why. Well, when bought years ago, this computer was top of the range. Now with video technology as standard with many machines, the one that I am using is just past it. Secondly, when I should do it. Ideally, I want to upgrade now, but should I wait for the new Hi-Def formats of DVD’s to become established before taking the plunge? Also, is there a new package waiting in the wings that will prove indispensable for my uses? Thirdly, how to do it and this is where it becomes tricky. Upgrading now will also mean upgrading the email marketing software I use. As everything is now moving forward, should I carry on using the Mac and therefore utilising as much as I can or should I go for the wider range and possibilities available with a PC? Another factor to consider, shall I give up the convenience of a laptop for the power of a desktop?

The final deciding factor is the cost. Not just of the initial buying price, but of the future possibilities. The world will change beyond comprehension over the next few years, and so how will that affect the computer that I wish to buy today? I want something which has the longevity of my current. Five years is a lifetime in the computer world, and my current computer has survived the knocks and bumps over the many moons. It could probably last a bit longer. But as they say, all good things…
Our company has been running for over 50 years, and I think they’ve finally realised it! As members, we now get a discount on any kind of reduce wrinkles treatment at the local clinic! Abigale, the MD’s secretary is thinking of having a boob job - and I suspect that the company will definatlely hold to their promise of providing a discount! Good luck to her!

Carrots and Dirt

Administrator — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 09:30:24 +0000

While shopping in the supermarket the other day, I needed some carrots in order to bolster my eyesight as well as to cook steaming hot bowls of Plov that I was preparing for some friends. Now, the carrot is a simple choice for a vegetable. Not too tricky to choose, a sturdy vegetable with a relatively long shelf life. A vegetable that is easy to deal with. No complicated preparation techniques just peel and serve.

So it did surprise me to see a new type of carrot on the shelf. Okay, so they have the usual suspects. Organic carrots, British Carrots, Baby Carrots and of course, Carrots. The new type was something different and unexpected – Unwashed Carrots. Coming in a brown paper bag, a nice, rustic touch, I was genuinely surprised to see them. As a fully fledged urbanite, it does take a while to realise that not every fruit and vegetable grows on trees. Some come from the ground and as was shown by the bag of unwashed carrot sticks, they come coasted with a thick layer of mud.

I picked the bag out, to see if there was anything else about the carrots that I should know. Well, that was it, they were the same as the regular carrots, they had just not been pre-washed. There was nothing organic, free ranged or non-GM about the carrots. All that was ‘extra’ was the dirt’.

I then took a look at the price. Double what the ‘normal’ carrots would cost. Quickly I put the bag down and hurried away with my selection of clean vegetables. Did the supermarket really think I was that stupid to pay them more for not washing the carrots I was about to purchase?

A week later I had returned, but these carrots were still on sale. Obviously there is a market for gullibility–

Ebay Annoyances

Administrator — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:58:16 +0000

I love shopping on eBay. It’s like the biggest marketplace in the world. You decide what you want to buy and what you want to pay for it, and then you go and search for it. Marvelous! But there are some things that are really annoying me this year, and to be fair, it’s not so much eBay that’s to blame, but rather the sellers!

The top grievance I have is with sellers who don’t know what they’re selling. Yes, it might very well be good to say “hard to find” or “rare”, but it doesn’t give them much credibility when there are hundreds of other sellers also selling the same “rare” item for more or less the same price. Rare means that it’s not going to be found hardly anywhere else except that one place, so if you have something that’s common at eBay, why say it’s rare? It doesn’t really affect me so much because I’m not going to buy them, but I wonder about other people who are buying gifts for grandchildren or nieces/nephews and thinking they’re getting something special only to find on Christmas morning that the item is so common the child they’ve bought it for has got 3 of them!

Postage and packing prices are also baffling me this year. I know the Post Office has decided to make itself a bigger profit and increase the prices, but those prices are unavoidable. The prices that some eBay sellers are charging are far in excess of the real stamp price that comes on the package they send you. Of course this is off set by them stating that the postage rate also includes the materials to wrap the item in, and the cost of taking it to the post office. Hmmm I wonder if I could charge my boss wear and tear on my shoes for coming to work!

My last annoyance with the sellers is those who state that they will only give feedback if the buyer gives them feedback first (some of them saying that they use this as a way of finding out you got the item). Well as a buyer I complete my part of the transaction first, so I should get feedback immediately on that, and not get feedback in payment for giving feedback. If the item’s damaged or not as described, that’s not my fault! Feedback should be given as soon as the transaction is complete on either side – or in my case, no feedback is given as part of an agreed exchange where I have to give my opinion first. I’m not a buyer, I don’t need it!

I still shop at eBay, but I think it’s time that the sellers started to wake up and really think about what they’re doing because otherwise buyers are going to go to sellers who are offering good descriptions and not charging over the top mailing prices.

Christmas is Coming!

Administrator — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:41:56 +0000

And faster than I’d like to see it. With small children who are the Disney merchandiser’s dream, Christmas is more likely to be financially broke rather than spiritually joyous this year. Whilst I appreciate the fact that my boys are young enough still to have their hoped for items bought in large boxes that at least look something for the money, it’s still hard to see why it costs so much just to stick a certain character’s image onto what is basically the same item costing £2.00, but because it has the character (or even just the character’s name)on it, suddenly the price rockets up to £8.00 or more.

It’s not just Disney to blame either, both movie and TV merchandisers are quickly becoming a parent’s nightmare with every movie/TV programme released that appeals to children having a huge array of products released that any “hip” child needs to have; from school supplies to clothing and then onto gadgets, gimmicks and toys. What’s more frustrating is that these things are usually only “in” until the next big kid’s movie hype arrives and then most kids move onto that. In this respect I’m fortunate as my two are pretty loyal to their favourites, and even more fortunate – did I really say fortunate? – that the characters they chose are flooded across the merchandising market.

I know that Christmas is supposed to be a special time that celebrates the birth of Christ, that it should be a time of family, but at the same time, our modern culture has made it more of a grand gift exchanging season. We do have the family traditions, but we also choose to participate in the over-commercialised part of the holiday, because that’s what it is if I’m honest, it’s a choice. I could choose not to buy the gifts. I could choose not to decorate the house. I could also choose to sell the car and walk everywhere to save on buying petrol throughout the year, but I don’t. Why? Because in spite of the expense, and the fact that I know somewhere someone is rubbing their hands with glee every time a parent walks anywhere near toys with a child and hears those frightening words “Will Santa bring me this?”, I still love watching my children’s faces on Christmas morning as they come downstairs, see the packages glittering under the lights on the tree, and their squeals of excitement as they open up the boxes containing things they’ve talked non-stop about for 3 months!

Ahhhh yes, Christmas is coming – which means that pretty soon – my money will be going!

At work, if any of us go to this specific non surgical cosmetic treatments clinic they are

offering us a huge discount on standard prices. Abbie says her mum might be interested! I don't want to know.

Modern music really is garbage.

Administrator — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:02:02 +0000

I know that I am getting old. One of the things that registers as increasing age, along with grouchiness and indigestion is annoyance to modern music.

But come on, it really is awful Is there anything good being produced nowadays. Why, this morning I was driving along and switched on the radio. What did I hear? Some lady whining ‘Gimmie-gimmie’ while on another station some man was screaming ‘She’s so lovely, she’s so lovely’. Ugh, time to drive in silence. Did these record executives actually green-light these musicians? Did the radio executives actually listen to their playlists before broadcasting? I am sure that in the UK, subliminal messaging is illegal…

Yes, maybe it is my age that stops my appreciation of these modern beats. But my own personal backlash started around ten years ago with the rise of the boy and girl bands. There’s always been a certain amount of the ‘manufactured’ in modern music. But in the 1990’s, the record companies began thinking of the quick buck a little bit too quickly. Suddenly there were musicians popping up without any talent but were willing to be paraded in front of MTV with a smile and hello to their teenage fans.

Now we are nearly ten years through the first decade of the 21st Century, we are already rehashing ideas from the 1990’s. This is when the penny really dropped. All originality has been squeezed out of the music industry. Acts that are barely ten years are carted out with concerts and tours as well as far too much air play over the airwaves. And the shocking thing is that these artists sell out. Who exactly is buying the merchandise.

The really sad thing about all of this pulp is that there is so much talent out there. Any bar or club in London hosts original music everyday of the week. There is also so much original music online from unsigned artists.

The one thing is that I am not alone in this backlash. The sales of record companies are falling and piracy is not alone to blame for this. Maybe it is due to the fact that others, like myself are also getting smart to the rip-off known as pop.

Where Is Our Democracy Going?

Administrator — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:49:23 +0000

I am so tired of hearing about how fast food is bad for us. Pollution is bad for us. I don’t see the Government doing much about that. Food prices are bad for us. I don’t see them getting any lower. A lot of our public services are stretched to extremes, and I’m not even going to get started on education and health issues because I just don’t get why everyone is allowing these more important things to be brushed under the carpet, and let the fast food industry take the flack that ought to be going to the people who make the policies on the issues that really matter.

I want to live in a democracy. That means I get to choose what I eat and where I buy it from. I don’t smoke, but if I did, that would be my choice. As an intelligent person I’m well aware of the effects of smoking but it should be my choice whether or not I smoke. It is not the job of a democratic government to decide if I smoke – or if I want to buy burgers and fries for my dinner once a week! To me a democracy means having the right to make my own choices, and not have a government who tells me what to do, eat, and believe. If I wanted to have my mind made up by people who think they know better than I do, I’d move to another part of the world where I wouldn’t have my brain exhausted figuring out which party is lying the least on their manifesto because the election, should they even bother to hold one, outcome would be decided for me also!

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It seems to me that the government has decided that the real issues of our once great country are way too difficult for them to handle so they’ll pin their flag on a battle that’s of no real concern to them, but is a far easier target than say providing an adequate standard of healthcare for everyone who needs it. Of course if they had the sense to do something about the pollution, they’d find it will provide a real long-term benefit towards increasing the health status of a lot more people than scaremongering about fast food!