What are your unpopular opinions? (Vol. 2)

[littleowl]

smn159 said:

littleowl said:

Money is actually a good thing, despite the UK tendency to downplay it.
I don't mean flaunting it in a 'Loadsamoney' type way though.

But It's really only those that don't have any that whine & complain, but not many of them stop to ask themselves why, or try to improve it.

So your unpopular opinion is that being wealthy is better than being poor?

Cool

Forgive me. I didn't express this very well.

There seems to be a tendency in the country to donwplay, or even be ashamed of having a fair standard of living. Some people seem to feel guilty about it & really I don't think they should.

Not the in your face / Loadsamoney types though. Classless.

At the other end of the scale are those that don't have much though a variety of circumstances :- bad luck, bad decisions, fecklessness etc.
It's not good to be like that, but the ones that moan the most seem to be the ones that do the least to change it.

[anonymoususer]

The Train strikes need to be finished and over.
It's gone on too long and causes a lot of people hassle and inconvenience.

[President Merkin]

anonymoususer said:

The Train strikes need to be finished and over.
It's gone on too long and causes a lot of people hassle and inconvenience.

My unpopular opinion is strikes are specifically designed to cause inconvenience & hassle in order to force recalcitrant bosses to the negotiating table.

[jonsp]

anonymoususer said:

The Train strikes need to be finished and over.
It's gone on too long and causes a lot of people hassle and inconvenience.

Not sure that would be an unpopular opinion.

At some point the railway needs to run for the benefit of the passengers rather than the workers. It's one way to get from A to B in a competitive market (drive/coach/plane etc) not a source of employment

[Randy Winkman]

President Merkin said:

anonymoususer said:

The Train strikes need to be finished and over.
It's gone on too long and causes a lot of people hassle and inconvenience.

My unpopular opinion is strikes are specifically designed to cause inconvenience & hassle in order to force recalcitrant bosses to the negotiating table.

Good point. The union view would be that management have the power to resolve the hassle and inconvenience.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

But so does the union.

[President Merkin]

Which is the nuance. Opinions are free, so popping in here to moan about train strikes is fine but recognising the unions aren't the sole factor is a thing. It's not actually clear whether the OP is irritated with the unions or the train co's but this being PH, I know where I'd bet my tenner.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

I couldn't speculate. From where I am it's both. Hard left run union and belligerent TOCs. With positions have become entrenched.

[DodgyGeezer]

unpopular opinions?

I support Israel (though Netanyahu needs to be gone)

[President Merkin]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

I couldn't speculate. From where I am it's both. Hard left run union and belligerent TOCs. With positions have become entrenched.

With industrial relations, one way or the other, positions never remain entrenched. There is inevitably a resolution.

[Dark85]

Unpopular opinion. We should be moving towards a rail network without drivers.

[Blown2CV]

Dark85 said:

Unpopular opinion. We should be moving towards a rail network without drivers.

driver strike action is just one reason the rail service is crap in this country.

[President Merkin]

Is that a thing anywhere in the world? I mean in long distance main network stuff, not relatively simple light urban rail like the DLR. Genuinely curious.

[Dagnir]

President Merkin said:

anonymoususer said:

The Train strikes need to be finished and over.
It's gone on too long and causes a lot of people hassle and inconvenience.

My unpopular opinion is strikes are specifically designed to cause inconvenience & hassle in order to force recalcitrant bosses to the negotiating table.

???

Am I missing something?

[President Merkin]

I don't know, are you? Why not elaborate if you want an answer?

Edited by President Merkin on Monday 8th April 10:36

[Dagnir]

Why would stating the intended purpose of something be unpopular?

[President Merkin]

Dagnir said:

Why would stating the intended purpose of something be unpopular?

It wouldn't. It's a figure of speech intended to link the preceding comment with the next. HTH.

[Strangely Brown]

DodgyGeezer said:

unpopular opinions?

I support Israel (though Netanyahu needs to be gone)

Not that unpopular. I support Israel and I think Netanyahu should refuse to negotiate anything until all of the remaining hostages are released. Then, and only then, should any talks take place. Hostages first. Talk second.

[valiant]

President Merkin said:

Is that a thing anywhere in the world? I mean in long distance main network stuff, not relatively simple light urban rail like the DLR. Genuinely curious.

Nope. Just light rail and metros.

At the moment NR is playing around with moving block signalling (sort of a precursor but still miles off driverless) and that alone will cost hundreds of billions to install network wide especially when you think that some parts of our network still rely on semaphore signalling.

No, driverless trains are for the birds and only brought up by Daily Mail enthusiasts who knows nothing about the railway except what Lord Rothermere tells them.

And it's not the TOCs really whose holding up negotiations but the DfT. The TOCs want to settle but the government prefers not to. ASLEF has also made itself available for talks for the past year but noone form the DfT has come forward.

Oh, and the DLR has a member of staff aboard every single train. No staff - no service. ORR condition.

Edited by valiant on Monday 8th April 11:01

[President Merkin]

valiant said:

Good stuff

Edited by valiant on Monday 8th April 11:01

Thanks Valiant!