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ARE
YOU THE DRIVER OF THIS VEHICLE?
Two-year-old Oliver Smith was riding
along at 2mph in his battery-powered motor buggy,
watched by his grandad, when he was pulled over
by a policeman. The officer warned him that, by
law, the boy could be charged for having no tax
or MoT certificate. Lancashire Police said,
"A child's toy car that can only travel
2-3mph does not come under motor vehicle
legislation." However, the Department of
Transport said the Road Traffic Act 1998
specified any mechanically-propelled vehicle had
to be registered with the DVLA, have insurance
and tax. But this is electrically driven, not
mechanically-propelled. And how many motobility
scooters have insurance and tax?
WRONG
TYPE OF YOGHURT
Julie Waters was told to treat her 18th
century building to restore its ancient look
after she cut down creepers that were damaging
the walls and repointed the brickwork to stop
damp. Council chiefs first told her to use manure
because the bacteria quickens the weathering
process. Then they suggested soot and finally
yoghurt, but insisted it must be plain organic
and not fruit flavoured. The work was done but
days later the council issued an enforcement
notice, then the summons.
Julie said, "The council said we could use
plain organic live yoghurt and we had to leave it
for three days at 37 degrees. I bought 10 one
litre pots of yoghurt and my window cleaner spent
two and a half days painting the front of the
house. But the yoghurt ran and turned the house a
nasty powdery white which lasted several months.
A few days later I received an enforcement notice
but I thought it was just a formality and that we
had now complied anyway. Then I got a court
summons." (Source: Daily Mirror)
MONEY
FOR OLD ROPE
West Mercia police force is paying an
American customer care guru Mary Gober, £200,000
to teach 999 staff how to answer the phone. Ms
Gober will instruct staff how to give callers a
"positive experience" and is telling
emergency operators never to say
"can't" and always respond with
"welcome" instead of "hello".
She also suggests they let callers give details
of incidents BEFORE asking their name and
address. (Source: Daily Mirror)
WHEN
FAILURE IS A SUCCESS
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said
the NHS can be "proud" of its efforts
to vaccinate vulnerable groups against flu
despite a shortage of jabs. Asked who is to blame
for the shortage, Ms Hewitt responded, "I
don't think anybody is to blame. We are
vaccinating more people against the flu this
winter than we have ever done before, so actually
this is something we should be rather proud of,
despite the situation that some practices have
run out already."
TRUST
A POLITICIAN?
Less than a month after ministers
assured the public that it had enough supplies of
flu vaccine to inoculate everyone at risk from
the virus, the Department of Health was forced to
write to every GP admitting that 400,000
“contingency” doses of the vaccine were
nearly exhausted. It urged doctors not to
overorder any remaining vaccine, to ensure what
they have in stock is used for the high-risk
groups, and that if they have any spare to let
others know, so that it can be shared. David
Salisbury, head of immunisation, at the
Department of Health said, “Vaccine is
pretty scarce.”
NEW
SYSTEM IS WORSE THAN THE OLD ONE
Before the Department for Work and
Pensions purchased a new £456 million computer
system, the Child Support Agency collected 73.1%
of payments demanded from parents who had moved
out of the family home, the vast majority from
fathers. But under the new system, installed by
EDS, the company dropped by the Inland Revenue
after errors over tax credit payments, the
collection rate fell to 54%. The drop in takings
is understood to be a key factor behind the
expected demise of the CSA in its current form.
Tony Blair said the CSA was "not properly
suited" to its job and said it was
"extremely difficult" for it to
continue as an investigating, adjudicating and
enforcement agency rolled into one. The agency
has a backlog of 350,000 cases and unpaid
maintenance running at £1.7 billion. A DWP
spokesman said, "The old system needed to be
changed because of its complexity. The new scheme
is simpler and clearer." But obviously not
as good. (Source: Daily Telegraph)
HEAVY-HANDED
Stroud District Council dragged a young
mum to court after she failed to pay a 40p
parking charge. Laura Trotman was summonsed for
non-payment of a £5 fine but magistrates threw
out the case. However, the council vowed to
appeal. After being taken to court, Laura was
told the fine had risen to £100 to cover costs
and bailiffs turned up at her home demanding
£390 for a missed court appearance while she was
in hospital. The saga began when Laura was unable
to find a working ticket machine at a
multi-storey car park in Stroud, Glos. She tried
to pay the initial £5 fine but the council's
offices were shut. Stroud District Council said,
"Mrs Trotman had every opportunity to
approach us and rectify this." (Source:
Daily Mirror)
DIFFERENT
RULES
Two schoolboys faced a classroom ban for
turning up ONE MINUTE late for lessons because
the school bus arrived late that morning. The
pair walked out of Swanwick Hall School at
Alfreton, when they were told they'd have to stay
in for detention as a punishment. They were
excluded from classes altogether. Headmaster
Robin Lees told the boys, "You catch an
earlier bus or take the consequences."
Prince William arrived an hour late for
his new job at HSBC Bank's investment division
because of a traffic jam. A Clarence House
insider said, "William was quite late.
Obviously he was disappointed not to get there on
time when he was joining a new office. It really
wasn't his fault, though, he was caught in a
traffic jam for two hours because the Limehouse
Link tunnel was closed." Do you think he was
threatened with detention?
FLOGGING
FOR TALK ON THE BIBLE
A teacher in Saudi Arabia who talked
about the Bible with pupils was sentenced to a
public flogging of 750 lashes and 40 months in
jail. Mohammad al-Harbi was charged with
promoting a "dubious ideology, mocking
religion, discussing the Gospel and preventing
students from leaving class to wash for
prayer". In Saudi Arabia, the public
practice of any religion other than Islam is
barred. There are quite a few people in this
country who should remember this. (Source: The Mirror)
USE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
MPs' claims for car mileage were so high
in 2004, the expenses rate has been cut. One MP
claimed £22,845 and another £22,034. The
allowance has now been cut from 57.7p a mile for
the first 20,000 to 40p and from 26.6p to 25p a
mile for the next 10,000 miles. Lib Dem transport
spokesman Tom Brake said, "Some MPs are
apparently driving 170 miles a day, there has to
be a better way for them to do business."
Yes, it's called a bus!
THIS
FOOD ISSUE IS BEYOND A JOKE
Stanley Drapkin Primary in Steeple
Bumpstead, Essex, banned chocolate and told
pupils to munch on pumpkin seeds instead. They
were also told to put fruit and cereal bars in
their lunchboxes in favour of sweets. Head, Mary
Nicholls, said, "We should encourage
healthier eating." Encourage yes, not
demand, order or insist.
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