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djl277's bio
I sail my boat, ride my bike, pick my guitar, strum my uke, saunter oot and aboot and take snaps -
djl277's latest comments
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7th Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?I absolutely agree that all road users need to follow the law. Motorists don't break the law, don't run a red light, speed, block pavements or use mobile phones when driving? Of course, two wrongs don't make a right. Have you read through the posts or had a look at the result of the poll? It's quite clear to me that, according to the poll and numerous negative posts, that nearly 80% of those reading this disagree with the proposed changes and instead of looking upon them as a way to prevent road deaths jump to the defence of motorists and blame cyclists. Go back and have a look!!ViewDate:
6th Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?Have a look down the page. There's no such thing.ViewDate:
6th Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?"Road Tax" was abolished in 1937. If you use a vehicle on a public road you may be required to pay "Vehicle Excise Duty". and VED is based on a vehicle's emissions - it's an emissions tax. The amount you pay is determined by how much your vehicle pollutes. As far as I am aware, cycling doesn't produce any emissions (well apart from the obvious biological ones that we all emit) which is why they are not required to pay VED. However, most cyclists are also car-owners, too, so pay VED. Purely battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are exempt from VED.ViewDate:
6th Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?Patience perhaps? Anyway, there's nothing "new" about overtaking cyclists (or other vulnerable road users): "Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. Give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car" The average car is between 180 and 200cm wide.ViewDate:
6th Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?No such thing as Road Tax. The changes are being proposed to try to protect the most vulnerable road users. For the life of me, I cannot understand why anyone would object to that.ViewDate:
6th Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?There is no such thing as "Road Tax", the tax you pay for using a car on a public road is an emissions tax.ViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?Not at all. All too often when any changes to transport are mentioned it's the cyclist who comes in for criticism - which is exactly what you did. Ignoring the fact that there are idiots everywhere.ViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?But you chose to single out pedestrians and cyclists displaying irresponsible behaviour. No mention of car, van, taxi or lorry drivers who account for a far greater number of road deaths than cyclists and pedestrians.ViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?Unfortunately, there are many car drivers who also do not check for other road users.ViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?Many "near accidents" are caused by pedestrians. Should they also have "public liability insurance"?ViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?There is no doubt that there are large swathes of the country where public transport is pathetic but that is an entirely different discussion. These proposals are designed to try to protect the most vulnerable of road users.ViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?The UK is one of only five European countries where there is no regime of "strict liability" designed to protect vulnerable road users. This is an interesting read: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-9211043/The-road-users-statistically-likely-kill-others.html As is this: https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/road-casualties-2018-vital-statistics-cycle-campaigningViewDate:
3rd Aug 2021djl277 commented on:
Do you agree with the newly proposed Highway Code hierarchy system?As a car driver, cyclist and pedestrian, I'm all for the proposals. Road users who have the potential to cause the greatest harm should take the greatest share of responsibility to reduce the danger they pose - makes perfect sense to me. Of course, irrespective of the preferred mode of transport there will always be a proportion who are irresponsible.ViewDate:
22nd Dec 2020djl277 commented on:
Will you give someone a bell this Christmas?Magic, hope and togetherness? I'm really not sure how bell ringing will help anyone who is feeling lonely. Sounds like an opportunity for virtue signalling to me. It's not often I find myself agreeing with you, but you are right. Why not just spend some time (if you can) talking with a lonely neighbour on their doorstep or through an open window?ViewDate:
13th Nov 2020djl277 commented on:
Scrap the Sovereign Grant?I have been following this with great interest and absolutely agree with everything you say. That £345m would cover the starting salaries of roughly 14,000 nurses or 14,400 police officers or 13,400 teachers or 15,000 trainee firefighters for a year. Or entirely fund Children in Need, The Salvation Army and The Trussell Trust each and every year and still leave change. I know where I would prefer my taxes to go and it isn't on a privileged, undemocratic, relic of the past.ViewDate:
10th Nov 2020djl277 commented on:
U. S. Presidential electionI take it this is directed at me? Everything he promised? Not quite - https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/ He has also managed to reduce America's global image to a shambles, insulting a number of US allies whilst snuggling up to dictators. Other failures include his response to George Floyd's murder and the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, typifying his record on race relations and white supremacy. The continuing incarceration of over 500 children without their parents. Withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. No replacement for the Affordable Care Act. The withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change mitigation and as for the COVID-19 pandemic and his "almost criminal" response to it..... But the excellent news is that he lost and he will get his comeuppance. Thank you and I wish you a nice day as well!ViewDate:
9th Nov 2020djl277 commented on:
U. S. Presidential electionTrump is a misogynistic, bigoted, racist liar - all well documented in Europe and the US. It took him 827 days into his presidency to top 10,000 false and misleading claims, an average of 12 claims a day. Currently, there are more than a dozen investigations and civil suits underway involving him, including abuse of power, hushing up money payments, obstructing justice and false insurance and tax claims. So far he has been protected by Presidential privilege, but soon that will no longer apply and there is every likelihood that prosecutors will go after him. He could be looking at an endgame even more perilous than the one confronted by Nixon. Based on Internal Revenue Service transcripts of Trump’s tax returns from 1985 to 1994, the New York Times reported that Trump’s core businesses racked up losses of more than a billion dollars in a ten-year period. During 1990 and 1991, the story said, Trump’s losses were so large that they “were more than double those of the nearest taxpayers in the I.R.S. information for those years.” The world is a safer and better place without him.ViewDate:
6th Nov 2020djl277 commented on:
Will the pandemic put an end to paying with cash?I haven't been to a bank or a cash machine since March. Local shop payments by card or mobile phone and larger transactions by Bank Transfer or PayPal. Whilst not the end of payment by cash I think there will be much less cash in circulation. It is also becoming more difficult to get cash unless you use a Cash Back facility in a shop. Many ATMs have been closed or now make a charge (I refuse to pay to get my own money out the bank) and where I live there is not a bank within a couple of miles.ViewDate:
7th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?Sorry you feel like that. Just robust replies to much of the nonsense spouted here from people with far narrower views than you think I have. I rail against lazy thoughtless comments like "PC Brigade" "Nanny State" and "Virtue Signalling" which are bandied about with such ease and abdicates those who use them from real discussion. Interesting that you accuse me of being rude and arrogant yet you are just that about a politician from a particular party. I have not made assumptions or passed comments on anyone's character yet you are arrogant enough to make them about me.ViewDate:
6th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?Not my interpretations, I've just read the reports and findings from the experts that the Scottish Government used to come to a decision.ViewDate:
6th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?As I have said - thankfully, values change. Governments cannot form or legislate policy based on experiences or anecdotes. It is great that you had a positive upbringing and admirable that you continue this with your extended family, however, there are thousands and thousands who haven't. One of the main priorities of any Government is to protect its citizen - all of them - irrespective of their age, ethnicity, wealth, education, or any other measure you care to take. This legislation gives children the same protection from assault as adults - and no matter how you try to play it down - in the eyes of the law, smacking is an assault. Do you think it wrong that a Government passes legislation that cares for and protects some of its most vulnerable citizens? You can suspect that it is political posturing all you like. The truth of the matter is that was voted for and passed by all MSPs from all parties, except (no surprise) the Tories. It was proposed by Green MSP John Finnie.ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?But it is wrong - the evidence is there if you could be bothered to read it. Have you followed the link in my OP and looked at the Summary of Evidence given to MSPs? So, no qualification then. In that case, I'll listen to the experts if you don't mind. "Political Correctness" is a derogatory, pejorative term to denounce any type of progress made in an attempt at advancing society. Values change. What was tolerated 100, 50, 10 years ago isn't tolerated any more. This is the way things are. If the "PC Brigade" brigade were listened to we'd still be sending children up chimneys to clean them from the inside and locking up single mothers in the Magdalene Laundries.ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?No - it didn't. But of course you are entitled to your opinion irrespective of it being wrong. I realise from your in-depth and reasoned reply that there is little point in showing you the research. You will continue to to make glib, sloppy replies referring to the "pc brigade". Out of interest - what are your qualifications in this area?ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?Of course, but research evidence shows that smacking will not achieve this.ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?Physical violence of any description is wrong. In what way do I contradict myself?ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?I agree Ian and not just the immediate fear and pain.ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?I may be wrong, but it would seem to me that you are suggesting "ill-defined head problems" such as ADHD can be solved by instilling more "self-discipline" in a child diagnosed as being autistic? How would you go about that? The reason why you didn't know any "kids" with ADHD or autism when you were young is because the Autistic Spectrum has only been used from 1987, prior to that "autism" was used to describe a form of childhood schizophrenia. There were certainly children who would be diagnosed as on the Autistic Spectrum but probably just labelled as "bad" or "wayward". My father too was ex-merchant navy and crewed Landing Craft as RN during the assault of Omaha Beach. He never raised his hands to me or my sisters, I would never "mess" with him, loved him dearly and totally respected him. But I'm not sure what this or your reminiscing has to do with the current discussion.ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?A "smack" is a physical assault. As I have said elsewhere, if I were to "smack" another adult it would be assault. Children deserve the same level of protection as adults, if not more, and this legislation addresses the absurd situation in Scotland where violence against a child was permitted in the eyes of the law, but rightly punished if it were violence against an adult. That you believe youngsters "now have little grasp on the fact of life there is a right way to conduct oneself and a now much more common wrong way." is down to many factors but will most certainly not be solved by smacking.ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?You think it a parent's "right" to assault a child? Really? If I were to slap or hit another adult, no matter how lightly, it would be assault in the eyes of the law. Prior to this legislation being passed, children were the only category of persons in Scotland against whom violence was explicitly permitted. Evidence confirms that physical punishment does not work as a disciplinary tool to address children’s difficult behaviour. Rather, it has been shown to worsen bad behaviour, International studies overwhelmingly find that smacking risks short and long-term damage to children and has strong associations with violence in later life. The very violence and behaviour you rightly express concern over..ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?Experts from eminent universities and bodies across the world who have carried out extensive research and studies. Try an internet search. And what are your qualifications in this sphere?ViewDate:
5th Oct 2019djl277 commented on:
Should smacking children be banned across the UK?Great to know that this community has so many experts in psychology, aggressive and anti-social behaviour. However, after a simple Internet search I find that numerous studies and research by eminent bodies across the world are at odds with many of the views expressed here. I for one am delighted that I live in an enlightened, caring, forward looking and progressive country and proud that Scottish MSPs have passed the "Children (Equal Protection from Assault) Bill", joining the other 57 countries across the world who heed international evidence showing that smacking can have serious impacts on children, and that it is not effective. MSPs passed the bill by a margin of 84 to 29 with only the Tories opposing (now there's a surprise). Perhaps those who believe that children are now more badly behaved than ever should consider this: "The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households." - Socrates (469–399 B.C.). BTW - I disagree with children being "servants" of anyone or anything. For those interested - here's a summary of evidence submitted to MSPs at Holyrood. https://www.parliament.scot/S5_Equal_Opps/equal%20protection/CEPFA_Summary_of_Evidence_.pdfViewDate:
20th Sep 2018djl277 commented on:
Post Referendum Turmoil - [DELETED_MEMBER]Nicely put Colin. However, you're urinating in the wind on here. Too many Brexiteers blinded by the Brexit Bile spouted by the likes of The Daily Mail and your aforementioned horsemen. :-DViewDate:
16th Jul 2018djl277 commented on:
Should we have a second EU referendum?The SNP was elected to Holyrood using a voting system that is way more democratic, fairer and more in-tune with the wishes of the electorate than the UK's FPP system and as someone who "believes in democracy" then you'll respect the will of the Scottish people, won't you. In Scotland we vote for a party - not the leader. It may be that you personally do not like the First Minister but many in Scotland (and beyond) would concede that she and her party have achieved much under difficult circumstances. So much so that recent polls suggest that support for the SNP is in fact growing despite a dip in the FM personal popularity. The SNP MPs (I make the distinction because the FM has no vote in Westminster) voted against Sunday Trading Laws as the changes would not only directly affect England and Wales, but would indirectly affect Scotland : if the laws are liberalised south of the border, then the overtime wages that Scottish workers enjoy for working on a Sunday would be jeopardised. The SNP were safeguarding and doing the best for the constituents who elected them - do you expect them to do anything less. Do you not expect your MP to work for you and your area? You will, of course, have the evidence or source to back your claim that the FM is expecting, or giving the impression, that anything will be "free of charge" once Scotland is independent. Or is that just you saying this? Mind you, if you want to start talking charges then not 50 miles from me there is the abomination that is Trident - I think the SG could lease Faslane to Westminster for an exorbitant sum whilst they scrabble around looking for somewhere to put the missiles and submarines and that would more than cover any cost you might think should be levied.ViewDate:
16th Jul 2018djl277 commented on:
Should we have a second EU referendum?Whit? Perhaps you could explain how Scots live in a Dictatorship?ViewDate:
15th May 2018djl277 commented on:
Scottish IndependenceIndeed Colin. Never mind, come Independence we'll be rid of this abomination.ViewDate:
1st Apr 2018djl277 commented on:
Scottish Independence"Just a point of order, ole boy" In your bombastic rhetoric you make assumptions about lots of things, including it would appear the gender of other users.ViewDate:
1st Apr 2018djl277 commented on:
Scottish IndependenceThe UK's economy was never 4th it was 5th in 2017 as it was in 2016 behind US, China, Japan and Germany.ViewDate:
1st Apr 2018djl277 commented on:
Scottish IndependenceNot just politically correct but historically correct. The British Empire is nothing to be proud of. "As far as name calling is concerned it was a Scots journo who coined the term in the Scots press!" But your need to repeat it says an awful lot about you.ViewDate:
31st Mar 2018djl277 commented on:
Scottish IndependenceI laughed out loud when I heard that the BBC was launching a scheme to help students recognise fake news. -
djl277's latest showcase activity
Approved1 Comments22/04/2017 10:05:47Gallery SubmissionGolden pheasant in Tresco Abbey Gardens, The Scilly Isles.Approved0 Comments19/04/2017 15:29:56Gallery SubmissionThis is Barclay Church in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh. I was struck by the contrast of the wee rid door...Approved0 Comments19/04/2017 12:39:57Gallery SubmissionPortobello Promenade and Beach to the north east of Edinburgh. Once a popular holiday destination... -
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