I Intend To Escape ......................And Come Back

Can Anyone Explain The Point of Garth Crooks To Me?

The quotes below come from today's Telegraph:

"The evidence is overwhelming. In the past the industry has been appalling at encouraging black players to make the transition into coaching and management," said Garth Crooks, an FA Cup winner with Tottenham and advisor to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

"Everybody in football is trying very hard to address the perception from grassroots that the industry might be perceived as institutionally racist."

One area that is not, presumably 'institutionally racist' is the media, where Crooks has made a very good living since his retirement, despite his monotone style, hangdog appearance and inability to interest the listener in his views. If it has never occurred to you Garth that you have the career you do largely because of your colour, let me assure you it has occurred to plenty of other people.

The biggest change I have seen in football in the 30 odd years I have been going to games is the decline of casual racism. As I have never been in any football boardrooms (unlike Garth Crooks) I don't know if the people who run the game at the highest level are racist or not. I do know however that if Frank Rijkaard leaves Barcelona this summer, a fair few English clubs will be begging him to come to the UK. Oh, and it won't be too long before Paul Ince is naming his price either.

How London Buses Steals From Londoners

London is going though one if its periodic clamp downs on fare-dodging.

Twice in recent weeks I have seen huge numbers of ticket inspectors waiting at Hackney bus stops, backed up by over a dozen police, with vans to take away those without tickets. The message from these events is always the same - why should dishonest people avoid paying, when others pay?

There are several problems with this argument. First of all public transport should be for the public, and therefore should either be free or as close to it as possible. The second problem is the sort of journey I experienced today - where I end up paying double, with no choice in the matter, no possible recompense and only the words "sorry mate" as comfort. I feel I have been robbed by London Buses, but no one in uniform is interested in my experience.

This afternoon I had a simple journey to make - from Bethnal Green to Finsbury Park. Two suitable buses - the 106 and 254 came straight away. I got on the 106 Aldgate - Finsbury Park as it was in front, gave the driver my £1 saver ticket, and boarded. Half way through the journey the bus reaches Stoke Newington, and the driver begins flashing the lights - the sign for the end of the journey. When I reminded him the bus plainly said "Finsbury Park" on the front he simply shrugged, said "sorry mate" and asked us to leave.

As any saver ticket user will know - once you hand your ticket over, that's it. If the sign on the front is incorrect, or the bus destination changes en route - it is tough shit. I believe it is the same for Oyster card users - despite the oyster card being hyped as the best thing to happen to London's public transport system.
A nice 15 minute wait in the winter cold followed, before handing over another 'saver' ticket for a journey I had already paid for once. Tempted as I was to go the nearest police station and report a theft by London Buses, I instead headed about my business. But the next time I see police arresting 'fare dodgers' I know which side I will be on.......

A Scam To Be Aware Of

Last month I got hit by my bank after a little scam that I had certainly never considered before, but which must effect thousands of people per year.

Checking into a hotel, I was required to give my card details. I was informed that a £240 deposit would be marked against the card - roughly I assume the cost of my stay, and the value of the mini-bar!

On leaving a few days later I paid the £195 bill with my card, and naturally assumed the £240 would be cancelled. Come the end of the week, and I was astonished to find my bank had charged me £25 for going overdrawn, even though I had not done so. What followed was a kafkaesque journey into a world where big organisations blame each other, and the individual is the loser.

I had used my debit card as security at the hotel. Legally this gives the hotel the right for up to seven days to remove that money from my account - even if I have left the hotel, and paid in full after one night. Needless to say this is not explained to you by the receptionist. This sum is marked against your bank balance, so even if it is not actually used, it is a reserved sum that can be withdrawn.

My hotel insisted the bank should not have viewed the transaction in such a way. My bank insisted the hotel should have cancelled the transaction on my departure. Only after very lengthy phonecalls did the bank refund me my £25, and the whole experience has left a rather bitter taste in the mouth.

My conclusions are:

* If stopping in a hotel, use a credit card for deposits, or cash
* On departing, insist that all previous transactions are cancelled
* If banks charge you unfairly, do not stop arguing with them until they see sense
* Remember - scratch any major capitalist organisation, and you find a thief

Where In The World?

PC World seem to have the biggest scam going in the Christmas sales.

According to their extensive advertising over the Christmas period, PC World were offering laptops for some £200. Given this I popped down with an associate to a local store (I won't say which one in case it gets any of the staff into trouble)

One of the things bosses cannot do, no matter how hard they try is ensure that all their staff are delivering the corporate message, all of the time. An honest worker told us the truth. Yes there are laptops for £200 - but only 10 per day, and people had been queuing up for them at 0430. They had gone virtually as soon as the doors opened. It is a bit like those cut price train trickets that are advertised but virtually impossible to buy - only available between 1130 and 1215, on days of the week that do not have a Y in them, and only sold to people standing on one leg whilst using the internet in Ulverston.

The PC World scam is of course designed to get you in their stores, then hope you leave with something anyway. Like a lot of things, it should be illegal, but is not. So much for the law "protecting us" from unscrupulous businessmen.........

Why The Royal Mail Is Losing A Fortune

I popped out this afternoon to pay my TV/Internet and Phone bill.

It seems the Royal Mail have now introduced a charge of just under £2 to do this at my local post office. If I go to my local small supermarket (next door to the old post office that closed in 2003) I can pay nearly all my bills for free.

Do you get the feeling the government has already decided it wants to close the small post offices that actually remain, and that instead it wants to boost the finances of Londis, Spar, Robinsons's and similar companies?

Hands Free?

My mobile phone has always interfered with my car radio.

Yesterday whilst driving something entirely new happened. Although the keypad was locked on my phone, and the phone was face up on the passengers seat, the phone began making a call, itself, to a number in my address book.

How spooky is that? Or is this another Carphone Warehouse conspiracy to make even more money at my expense?

The Profits of the Oil Industry

This morning I had reason to buy some petrol in the early hours of the morning.

In Hackney that is not so simple - most petrol stations are closed, and those that are open come complete with such welcoming signs as "Pay before getting petrol" . How are you supposed to pay, if you do not know how much petrol you need? I guessed at £25, and handed that amount over. I was then told that only one pump was open - number 7.

You can guess what happened next - as I was walking back to move my car, someone drives straight up to pump number 7. Having waited for him to speak to the cashier, return to his vehicle and then discover it was the diesel pump he actually wanted, I finally got to put petrol into my car.

As I walked back to get my change (£23 had filled me up) I noticed two signs. One declared that our safety was assured by CCTV, and the other stressed that the garage had sophisticated numberplate recogniton software.

If so, why do we need to pay in advance? Are the profits of the oil industry that threatened that this belt and braces approach is forced onto all customers?

Complaint of the Year

The letter below has been e mailed around London offices recently, and has been described as the "complaint of the year". It probably is!

I think it shows one of the problems of consumer society - yes we have money to spend, and no one is starving in the streets, but on one level we have never had less control over our lives, or felt as helpless when faced with crap corporate capitalism. I only have to hear the words "your call is important to us, please hold" and any doubts I have about being an anarchist just fade away. Call centres - whether here or in India - may well oppress their workforces. But what the hell do they do to those who actually use them?

Basil Brush Revamped

This has caused me real pain.

I used to love Basil Brush as a child (and of course as an adult) There was something timeless about his little outfit, his bushy tail and best of all his laugh. Like millions of other people my age, I only have to hear it to smile, and think of warmer more comfortable times.

Now, without any mandate at all, Basil Brush has been revamped. When and how this crime was committed I do not know but you only have to visit this website to see a revamped "down wit the yoof" Basil. Even his voice has changed. I would have said being the voice of Basil Brush, just like playing Mr Roy, was a responsible job for life, but no, even that has changed. Is there any salvation from this madness?

All I can suggest is visiting the BBC's Cult TV site, where you can see some classic Basil!

In Defence Of Griping

I have been asked why I have a section of this blog devoted to griping.

Quite simply, I believe griping is a perfectly healthy activity. Indeed there should be more of it, not less. Griping is a natural reaction to a society in which people are alienated, disillusioned and ignored. Which most of us are. Did you agree with the war in Iraq? Did you ask for the introduction of Oyster Cards in London? Do you think its right that you have to pay a months rent in advance, yet you get your salary a month in arrears? I suspect the answer to each of those questions, and indeed thousands of others just like them, is no.

What is unnatural are some of the cliches that try to prevent us from griping. "What's the use of complaining" or "Don't worry be happy" we are told. Whilst the latter is an example of creeping Americanisation (and is nearly as offensive as "Have A Nice Day") that complaining is useless is an not an argument against complaining in any way, shape or form. If life is not what it should be, we should and indeed must say so.

One of my favourite historical gripers was the Yorkshire writer J B Priestley. Indeed his griping once got him into trouble:

"Once, years ago, at a large party, when I was grumbling as usual, a young woman who was a stranger to me turned on me fiercely and told me I had better go home instead of trying to spoil other people's pleasure. I was taken aback, and may be said to have stayed aback ever since."

Priestley justified his griping as not just in his nature, but his duty as a writer. Put simply, he wanted to grumble and gripe on behalf of those who could not, or would not easily do so. And there is nothing wrong with that.

J B Priestley