The tram debacle

The mess caused by the imposition of a tram line in Edinburgh (and it is an imposition - citizens were not consulted, there was no referendum, probably because the last major city transport referendum - congestion charges - the citizens voted against the council's wishes and they don't want that again) is even more of a joke this week. Last week the main contractors walked off the job just as they closed Princes Street, the busiest main street of the capital, supposedly for almost a year. Which doesn't help the struggling shops and other businesses on Princes St now buses have to be laboriously diverted (adding longer to journeys - especially for those of us who have more than one set of major tram works holding us up every sodding day) and also makes a mess of a busy street and putting off tourists. Just what's needed in a rough economic climate.

Bus journeys into town were already down as folks avoided coming in because of the tram chaos, now this. And although the council and the contractors are blaming each other while trying to negotiate a resumption of the work the bloody useless eejits in the council have left the diversions in place all bloody week so we're all being shoved through more sodding long diversions even although there is no work being carried out and no good reason to put us to this extra hassle every day. I think that shows the attitude the planners actually have to the people of Edinburgh and how little they care about the stress and hassle they are putting citizens and businesses to.

How not to park in Edinburgh

Someone filmed some parking attendants in Edinburgh at work using some unusual tactics near the Usher Hall, sitting waiting in a large, unmarked car and as soon as someone parks where they shouldn't nipping out and booking them as soon as they are out of sight (wouldn't it make more sense just to go up to them beforehand and say you can't park there or you will be fined? Then they won't be causing an obstruction? Oh yeah, then NCP who run the scheme for the corrupt council and the council themselves don't make money from it...). Even better the parking attendant's vehicle is parked on double yellow lines causing an obstruction itself! And there are no less than three of the buggers in it.



I've got no problem with them booking people parking illegally, but I'm wondering why they need three people in a large vehicle parked on double yellow lines and why they need such a large car to swan round town in (and park in stupid places with impunity)? Since attendants can't patrol every area isn't it more important they be spread around as much as possible and not just sitting on their arse picking off lame ducks like this? And for going round town (or for sitting in a vehicle like this) why not use something smaller and more appropriate for city driving? This might explain why the buggers are never to be seen making sure idiots don't block the green lane and cycle lane on the busy main route I take in and out of town to work, where ignorant sods regularly park on the lanes so they can go into a shop because they are too lazy to park elsewhere and walk more than a few feet (some of the gits even park on the pedestrian crossings to nip in for their crappy tabloid and pack of fags of a morning) and yet since the official police traffic wardens stopped going round our part of city I've almost never seen the council's own - I imagine this might explain why, they're all sitting in a large car making their targets.