Distrust through ignorance
Distrust through ignorance
Author
Discussion

jfire

Original Poster:

5,896 posts

102 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Other than the usuals like financial services (some insurance questions recently cleared up on here, that just leaves banking), I was also enlightened by a post about someone on here getting the council to sort out dodgy traffic light timings.

What else do we assume is engineered to fk us over, but in really we just don't understand?

Parking and traffic signs are definitely intended to be ambiguous or invisible, right?

Ransoman

884 posts

120 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
The EU?

jfire

Original Poster:

5,896 posts

102 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Ransoman said:
The EU?
Good call.

See Farage's rant in Brussels about the other members who've 'not worked a day in their lives' but happened to be doctors, scientists etc but don't get me wrong they are still unelected bureaucrats.

Andehh

7,602 posts

236 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
MPs +/- councillors

Write to your local one with a concern regarding government, watch them give you a thoroughly well thought out & detailed reply. If they don't know they will proactively find out who, and get a response on your behalf. They are very very engaged.

jfire

Original Poster:

5,896 posts

102 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Andehh said:
MPs +/- councillors

Write to your local one with a concern regarding government, watch them give you a thoroughly well thought out & detailed reply. If they don't know they will proactively find out who, and get a response on your behalf. They are very very engaged.
Yeah I think you only get a gist once you've communicated with them. I'd say local councillors are more inept. I emailed one once, who replied CCing colleagues to help, only for her to decide she would be able to assist, but ignore all subsequent emails.

An ex in central government was eye opening. But you can listen to BBC Parliament podcasts to get a pretty good idea of what's going on and how things work.

The Selfish Gene

5,582 posts

240 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
'smart' motorways and average tax cameras

jfire

Original Poster:

5,896 posts

102 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
But has it gone mad and been committed alongside political correctness?

hooblah

539 posts

117 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
I don't think health and safety has gone mad. It's there to protect us from harm. It's also there to protect against unnecessary risk, and ensuing claims. Sometimes it slows things down, but I'd rather know that I'm coming home from work (or anywhere really) in one piece.

jfire

Original Poster:

5,896 posts

102 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
hooblah said:
I don't think health and safety has gone mad. It's there to protect us from harm. It's also there to protect against unnecessary risk, and ensuing claims. Sometimes it slows things down, but I'd rather know that I'm coming home from work (or anywhere really) in one piece.
Sadly the threat of litigation is the driver for more extreme measures than the idea of staff welfare

I've heard it said that HR departments are there to protect the company not the employees.


Scootersp

4,117 posts

218 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
hooblah said:
I don't think health and safety has gone mad. It's there to protect us from harm. It's also there to protect against unnecessary risk, and ensuing claims. Sometimes it slows things down, but I'd rather know that I'm coming home from work (or anywhere really) in one piece.
Sometimes slowing things down increases the risk

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-wes...

TwigtheWonderkid

49,125 posts

180 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
jfire said:
Sadly the threat of litigation is the driver for more extreme measures than the idea of staff welfare

I've heard it said that HR departments are there to protect the company not the employees.
But they are mutually beneficial and compatible. If the firm wants to protect itself from being sued, the way to do that it to make sure the workplace is safe and people are unlikely to get injured

BrassMan

1,501 posts

219 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Traffic flow. We all know that several small delays are better than one huge bottleneck, but knowing that traffic is being slowed down is rather annoying, even if it is better overall.

Lemming Train

5,567 posts

102 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
jfire said:
hooblah said:
I don't think health and safety has gone mad. It's there to protect us from harm. It's also there to protect against unnecessary risk, and ensuing claims. Sometimes it slows things down, but I'd rather know that I'm coming home from work (or anywhere really) in one piece.
Sadly the threat of litigation is the driver for more extreme measures than the idea of staff welfare

I've heard it said that HR departments are there to protect the company not the employees.
And that is absolutely true, for both of your statements. Anyone that disagrees is naive in the extreme.

Some companies take it to ridiculous extremes though. On LaFarge sites you are now given what can only be described as a zimmer frame with a flashing amber beacon on a stick and you have to push that around with you for all the time you're on site. No, I am not joking.

vsonix

3,865 posts

193 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
things deliberately designed to screw you over: Congestion charge. They should send you a 'final demand' bill for the charge itself before actually fining you.

berlintaxi

8,535 posts

203 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
jfire said:
See Farage's rant in Brussels about the other members who've 'not worked a day in their lives' but happened to be doctors, scientists etc but don't get me wrong they are still unelected bureaucrats.
confused,All MEPs including Farage are elected.

Moonhawk

10,730 posts

249 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
jfire said:
I've heard it said that HR departments are there to protect the company not the employees.
They absolutely are.

Employee welfare may be part of their remit and is often in the best interest of the company too - but be under no illusion, when the two come into potential conflict, HR are there to see that the company is protected first and foremost.

Not that this should come as any surprise. They value their own jobs just as much as the next person and it doesn't do well to make waves.

j4ckos mate

3,444 posts

200 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
My mums got this with the medical profession
She’s 84 and got a pathological distrust and comntempt of doctors and nurses

Trouble is with her asking for copies of letters and seeking second opinions it’s
Several hours a week ferrying her for appts referrals, she’s argued for and disagrees with everything she’s been told as a child right up to a cataract operation the other week
That she doubts worked,
Even though she’s reading the paper and watching tv

Monkeylegend

29,317 posts

261 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Religion paperbag

MYOB

5,126 posts

168 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
Marriages...almost half are doomed to failure!

ReaperCushions

7,563 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
jfire said:
I've heard it said that HR departments are there to protect the company not the employees.
I think this was a known fact?