Well, people eventually cared when the strikers started messing up traffic. Lots of people driving off the road whilst trying to read the poorly spelled signs.
Strikes Page 2
Quote: zooo @ October 29 2010, 9:39 AM BSTAre they striking for more money?
No that's quite rare.
Tube workers are worried about losing 1000s of jobs with ticket hall closures and supposed less staff=less safety.
Fire men are being forced to sign new conditions or be fired. These conditions will be disruptive and in some cases prevent them having second jobs.
Quote: AndreaLynne @ October 29 2010, 9:40 AM BSTWe had an applesauce factory near my home go on strike. Nobody cared.
People with dry pork chops did.
I might be striking soon. My biggest worry is that nobody will notice.
With your 6 inch heels, floor length wigs and elaborate make up your always striking Mr Badge (aka Carmen Miranda Rights)
Quote: sootyj @ October 29 2010, 9:06 AM BSTEspecially when they're funding Tubes with 2 drivers where none is needed and ticket offices that aren't used (that was the whole point of Oyster which cost a billion quid).
I'd just like to point out that for me it's kind of necessary to have people operating the ticket booths at tube stations when I buy tickets. As much as TFL would love to think that their Oyster Card system is perfect it generally manages to screw me over at least once a week when I use it. I much prefer paper tickets.
The automatic ticket machines on the Tube still can't 'do' Young Person's Discounts, so I need ticket offices to save me money. I can imagine that with all the hassle I have with Oyster/Paper Tickets there must be a lot of more marginalised groups (I'm primarily thinking of the elderly) who find it all a lot worse. So yeah, I'd quite like them to keep ticket offices staffed.
Regarding firefighters, it seems to me that they want to mess about with shift patterns just 'cos. Since fire fighters shift patterns don't work in the same way as normal shift patterns (if you get called out in the 59th minute of the 11th our of a 12 hour shift you are obliged to work until that call-out is finished) it seems a bit pernickety to mess them about with them.
That's what the internet is for. And surely London Transport can have a giant hall in central London for all you socially incapable types to buy tickets. Tourists could come and flick peanuts at you.
Sorry to be flippant but there will still be ticket offices all across the lines and they will still be manned.
Just not to the massive excessive and unused current level. Then some hundreds of millions can go into replacing 1940s signalling equipment and 1960s punchcard machines which run the District line.
The company for which stopped making this year.
And we need to stop looking to ticket price increases and central funding to pay for all of this.
Quote: PhQnix @ October 29 2010, 11:57 AM BST(I'm primarily thinking of the elderly)
They get freedom passes.
They can put up with some inconvenience for the one day a year they have to fill in some forms to pick up their hugely valuable freebie.
Quote: zooo @ October 29 2010, 9:08 AM BSTGenerally don't agree with them.
But specifically don't like firemen striking on Bonfire Night. Just massive selfishness. Do they really not see how terrible this makes them look to the public? Idiotic.
F**king hell. You're quite right wing, aren't you zoo?
In the case of strike reporting, the position taken is always that of the employer, which in itself is a bias. Strikes occur in response to something. Compare the following:
Joe blogs has gone on strike. Bad guy = Joe Blogs.
Joe Blogs's employer has refused to make his job safe therefore Joe has gone on strike. Bad guy = Joe Blogs's employer.
Sick pay, paid holidays and safe working conditions and hours have all been won through striking.
Quote: PhQnix @ October 29 2010, 11:57 AM BSTThe automatic ticket machines on the Tube still can't 'do' Young Person's Discounts, so I need ticket offices to save me money. I can imagine that with all the hassle I have with Oyster/Paper Tickets there must be a lot of more marginalised groups (I'm primarily thinking of the elderly) who find it all a lot worse. So yeah, I'd quite like them to keep ticket offices staffed.
Oyster is an absolute f**king joke. It works differently on every f**king transport system - Tube, Tram, Train. It's incredibly complicated for casual users and tourists and makes making spontaneous journeys a real pain unless you have a monthly or yearly card.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ October 29 2010, 12:15 PM BSTF**king hell. You're quite right wing, aren't you zoo?
Ha, I am very grumpy today! (Or was.)
I have realised through the thread that I actually don't know enough about this case to have such strong views (seeing as I didn't know whether they were striking for more pay or not).
But both the firemen I've seen defending themselves on TV came across terribly. They really need to choose better spokesmen.
And I still think an emergency service striking on a busy day to make a point is selfish and wrong.
There are a great many good reasons for striking.
There are also a great many shit ones.
Quote: sootyj @ October 29 2010, 12:15 PM BSTThe company for which stopped making this year.
And we need to stop looking to ticket price increases and central funding to pay for all of this.
Nah, I'd be quite happy for them to keep looking to central funding for all of this.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ October 29 2010, 12:20 PM BSTOyster is an absolute f**king joke. It works differently on every f**king transport system - Tube, Tram, Train. It's incredibly complicated for casual users and tourists and makes making spontaneous journeys a real pain unless you have a monthly or yearly card.
In my case it won't even work very well with a yearly or monthly pass. Forked out for a 'special' student discount which doesn't work. Nicely done TFL.
The Oyster system is praised almost universally, but I only think that's because people don't pay any attention to how much it charges them.
Quote: zooo @ October 29 2010, 12:21 PM BSTAnd I still think an emergency service striking on a busy day to make a point is selfish and wrong.
You didn't get the point of what I was saying, did you?
You might have written:
"I still think the government not brokering a deal with the fireman is selfish and wrong. The government is playing with people's lives etc. by forcing this confrontation etc."
I like Oyster.
And if there is one thing Cameron is right about central funding needs to cut. A small inconvenience for some, is superior to cuts to education, health, welfare, infrastructure etc etc
And talk about taxes when you're paying them.
Maybe we could cut university subsidies a little more? How about another grands debt when you qualify?
nb the miners and car manufacturers killed their own industries with strikes.
Quote: PhQnix @ October 29 2010, 12:26 PM BSTThe Oyster system is praised almost universally, but I only think that's because people don't pay any attention to how much it charges them.
On more than one occasion I've had to pay 2 quid on a bus or 6 quid for a train because there was nowhere to top up my oyster. And in the South East we've only recently got the readers at train stations.
Whoever heard of a transport system that relied on newsagents? In Beckenham there are only a couple of shops that top up Oyster and they both close in the early evening. If you haven't planned ahead you can't use your Oyster. My girlfriend: "You should have topped it up online." I have to go online before I take a bus journey or pay almost double if Iwant to travel spontaneously? Why do people acquiesce in this bullshit big brother totalitarianism?
Quote: sootyj @ October 29 2010, 12:34 PM BSTnb the miners and car manufacturers killed their own industries with strikes.
Not true.
Quote: sootyj @ October 29 2010, 12:34 PM BSTAnd talk about taxes when you're paying them.
Maybe we could cut university subsidies a little more? How about another grands debt when you qualify?
Oh f**k off sooty. If you can't debate something without resorting to petty personal digs then maybe you you should shut up?
Nowhere did I state that I was in favour of increasing taxes nowhere did I say "let's increase taxes especially for sootyj." I think I'm just going to leave the article which Trabs posted on the first page here. Personally I'm in favour of rectifying situations like that to solve problems with TFL etc.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/22/vodafone-tax-case-leaves-sour-taste
Quote: Godot Taxis @ October 29 2010, 12:46 PM BSTIf you haven't planned ahead you can't use your Oyster. My girlfriend: "You should have topped it up online." I have to go online before I take a bus journey or pay almost double if Iwant to travel spontaneously?
You only have to go online once. And arrange for your Oyster to automatically top up a certain amount every time it runs out.
Quote: Godot Taxis @ October 29 2010, 12:31 PM BSTYou didn't get the point of what I was saying, did you?
You might have written:
"I still think the government not brokering a deal with the fireman is selfish and wrong. The government is playing with people's lives etc. by forcing this confrontation etc."
I might well agree. Doesn't mean I can't also have the same opinion about emergency services doing so.
Athough I am aware that only your opinion is the correct opinion.