wendy house

(superciliousness warning)

I’m one of the minority that voted in the Police commissioner elections. The Guardian reports the elections as having the worst turnout ever. It’s hardly surprising. Prior to normal local elections candidates will canvas voters, promote their positions  and encourage people to engage with the system.

In advance of this election I received an election card through the post. It didn’t contain any information about how to find out more about the candidates. What? I have to actually do my own research?!

Just providing the right type of information isn’t enough. A capitalistic society sells ideas, products, to its consumers. The candidates were not sold to the voters. This is totally counter to the expectations of the electorate.  How could anyone expect this system to work within a developed capitalist system? It’s hardly surprising there was such a low turn-out. It shouldn’t be news.

I’m very grateful for my ability, right, to vote. I will show my appreciation for this right by using it wisely. I did my research and found a succinct central information source that pointed to candidates own web pages, twitter feeds and provided a summary personal statement for each candidate. Really easy to find local candidates by entering my post-code. Excellent service. Research was easy and left me feeling adequately equipped to make an informed decision.

The low election turnout suggests that my belief in my social responsibility (to put thought and effort into exercising my vote) is not a common belief.

1.00pm 13th August

Riding along, following my instructor, I drove too fast into a bend and ended up punching the curb. Not a good move.

A conscientious paramedic was on the scene within 10 minutes followed by 2 police cars because this was a Road Traffic Accident (RTA).

The police apologised for breathalising me. I was being way too sensible to be drunk. Not even a hint of last night’s glass of wine was hanging around.

Instructor: you should call your partner, get ‘em to pick you up from the hospital

wendy: I’m on holiday alone, I don’t have a partner and my family all live on the west coast, so there’s no-one nearby to call. I’ll be able to find a bus to get me out of hospital

In the cult BBC drama ‘Dr. Who’ the Dr travels in a time machine called the TARDIS (type 40) that uses a ‘chameleon circuit to change its outer visible form to fit with the local surroundings.

Unfortunately the chameleon circuit broke when the TARDIS was disguised as a 1950′s London blue Police box. They are essentially a mini police station for use by Police people, and members of the public can use them to (phone) call the police. Police boxes were first used in Albany NY (1877) soon after the telephone was invented! The first boxes in Britain were placed in Glasgow (1891).

By the time I was old enough to visit London (1970s) the London police boxes had long since been removed.

This green police box is alive today, in Sheffield!

Seeing this Box kept me happy for weeks, I hope the photograph does something pleasing for you too …

On the way to an evening of BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall, walking along Kensington High Street,  we passed two Police people carring large guns.

Walking through the Louvre in Paris, we passed several people in army uniform carrying large guns.

I feel no more safe than before armed services patroling. I feel more scared, scared that I may be mistaken for a potential terrorist. As if we all lost freedom when governing powers felt the need to increase the arms on the streets and laws to control people who might be a threat.

Someone told the Torino police that Spottydog and I were visiting for the weekend.  The welcoming committee waited for us and followed us on the local protest against education cuts.  Excellent hospitality.

I was impressed that so few police were supplied for so many protestors. I suspect the Italians are more vocal yet less disruptive than British protestors. 

As part of ‘Operation Fends’ Thames Valley Police have given me a flourescent marker pen so that I can mark student property.   The big challenge for me is finding some student property.   They’ve given me three telephone numbers to call where I can contact the ‘University Neighbourhood team’ which is jolly nice and neighbourly….     …I wonder if they’ve mistaken me for a teacher,   to do some student marking…

Here come the Rozzers

Wandering the streets of Cairo was quite tricky.   Mainly because  it was tricky to avoid the Tourist police on most street corners.   They  hide in their  little houses.   Luckily graffitti artists often leave warnings for the tourists.   This one helped me  disguise myself as a local before I was Policed

The Foriegn and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides helpful advice for British travellers.   In a weekend moment of pragmetism I checked-out the FCO advise for travellers to Greece.   They report that of the 3 million British people that visit Greece in a year.  

main types of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in Greece in 2007 were: replacing lost or stolen passports (nearly 500 cases); hospitalisations (over 400 cases); dealing with arrests and detentions (over 270 cases); and deaths, mostly from natural causes (over 140 cases).

You should maintain high standards of public behaviour in Greece.   The Greek police will not accept rowdy or indecent behaviour, especially where excessive alcohol consumption is involved.   Greek courts impose heavy fines or prison sentences on people who behave indecently.

Hoorah!  

Can we borrow some of these Greek Police?

Once I’ve applied for a free ‘European Health Insurance Card’ (EHIC) I will be entitled to medical treatment and services in Greece equivalent to those provided to Greek Nationals.   Splendid.   Though the FCO aren’t to impressed with the service standards compared to the NHS,   they caution ‘The standards of nursing and after care, particularly in the public health sector lag behind what is normally acceptable in the UK. The Public Ambulance Service, which will normally respond to any accident, is rudimentary.  There are severe shortages of ambulances on some islands.’

The Scottish  NHS,   thats not English or Welsh,   publishes vaccination and travel health advice.   I’m assuming that the Scottish advice would align with the English so I’m covered.  

Excitedness levels are still Amber.

Less than  a mile away from the Oracle Mall that does not allow fishing I followed the police dive team along the river Kennet to the Jolly Anglers’ pub where they decided to get out of the water.

Wendy:   I bet its cold in there

Lady:   you couldn’t pay me enough  to get in that river

fifty-sixth in a Wednesday-series of posts  detailing the geographical causes of my singleness.

Reason # 56: Downtown

It has been pointed out to me that I am unlikely to meet cool happening cosmipolitan dudes while I do not live Downtown.   Where all the lights are bright.   Downtown.   Even Kevin Turvey recognised the value of going Downtown.

UK Vacation 12

In recent years the Police have started to ‘dress’ their vehicles in bright yellow and blue checks that make them unmissable. When I was a kiddie they used to have a black and white check stripe called a “Panda Stripe”. Police cars were called “Pandas” or Panda cars because of this black and white decoration. I wonder if the name still holds for yellow and blue?

The CCTV Police van pictured below stopped to let my parents cross the road in front of it before pulling up to the junction. Very polite. Maybe they were filming us through the dark-glass window?

CCTV = Closed Circuit Television.

Evidently the UK leads the world in CCTV technology. There is a debate emerging around the lack of legal regulation of use of CCTV’s and their impact on civil liberties.