31 July - Trivia and other molehills
On the few occasions a reader chooses to comment on the how BiB looks it
becomes apparent that they seem to prefer to view in Month mode. It was at one time the only
option and it probably best suits those who visit only every few days. Regular
readers will presumably be happier with the Daily mode. (Today.)
Month view effectively disappears on the 1st of each month which is why
traditionally the last blog of the month is relatively trivial and that is how we start today.
My early morning journey to Bromley revealed two road closures and additionally
two sets of temporary traffic lights none of which were there at the beginning of the
week. One set of three way lights was causing quite a queue on Bexley Lane even
at 05:45 this morning. The only reason for traffic being restricted was because
the lights themselves were plonked in the road. There were no holes or cones or
anything like that. Sheer madness and even madder when the light went green. It
went green at both ends at the same time so traffic flowed in both directions.
No real problem because there was plenty of room but what sort of lunatic does
that sort of thing? The lights were gone by the time I made the second return trip twelve hours later.
Curiosity
drove me to phone my website hosting company to ask who it was who had complained about the Go Ape
coverage but they were unable to say. They said there were no names anywhere,
only a signature along the lines of the Stop Go Ape Campaign Group.
Do members of their protest group know what
has been done in their name. Were they consulted? Is it democratic or a one man
band?
As already revealed, the complaint alleged that I was guilty of exposing private data and
making derogatory comments about an unnamed but allegedly identifiable person who is
distressed by it. They further allege that my site host is legally liable and urges its removal.
If making derogatory comments about people who can be identified is illegal I
had better not call the driver of the car shown here a cretin again. (Photographed today.)
This silly business allegedly causing distress to an unnamed individual was started by the Stop Go Ape Administrator who objected
to me referring to a group of elderly ladies waiting for their bus as “a
gaggle” and taking what is arguably juvenile retribution against me; as if I
cared. And then objected when that retribution became public. Apparently
reporting anything Stop Go Ape may do is harassment. I have my suspicions as to
where that flawed logic came from.
However irrational someone might be, Bonkers has no wish to cause distress to
anyone who finds themselves a little out of their depth in a debate over the
word ‘gaggle’. It is total nonsense by any measure. I have carefully checked
that nothing can be traced back to sources and only those sources or their
closest associates will know who is upset ny the word gaggle.
The secrecy surrounding the
campaigners would appear to be just a little extreme. Whilst there is no identifiable data
on Bonkers a little can be found elsewhere. When the Group first sought funds via
their GoFundMe page, the organiser’s name was displayed, Now it is reduced to just a pair of initials.
It is fairly obvious that local Conservatives, maybe with one exception, support
the installation of Go Ape in Danson Park and Labour voted in favour too, leaving Reform UK an
unknown quantity. I asked three of their leading personalities - not just
ordinary members - more important than that, what their policy on Go Ape is. Two
were very much in favour of reversing the Planning Permission but are disappointed to be cold shouldered by the Stop Go Ape Group
Administrator. Apparently I am not alone in facing irrationality.
The third Reform man feels he has seen quite enough of Stop Go Ape in
action and can no longer support them.
The GoFundMe is currently a long way short of its target despite its
official beneficiary dropping £1,000 into his own pot. I am not sure why someone would donate
£1,000 to himself but presumably there are tax advantages.
Obviously I would advise against donating to a Group with a record of making
mountains out of molehills. We must wait to see if they manage to come up with
anything more significant. Some are still hinting at Tory skullduggery. Much as
I would like to believe it I doubt anything will ever be proved.
And back to the more trivial; a reader asked that Bonkers’ font sizes be increased when
looking at blogs on a phone in portrait mode. But he admits to being almost
blind and not everyone will like a change.
At present font sizes change automatically according to the size of the screen. Sizes are easy to
change but a user selectable mode for sight impaired people might be difficult to graft on top.