Dear CaRT

[mayalld]

Indeed, and sometimes if you stand still for long enough, what goes around comes around. When I first opened a bank account, it was with Lloyd's. A few years ago, they decided that they were going to be called Lloyd's T.S.B. This year, Lo! and behold, they have become Lloyd's again! My home branch, sorting code and account number remain constant (bar a couple of noughts in front of the original account number) while all around them changes.

 

Mrs M was grumbling about that the other day.

 

She opened an account way back with the Ashton-under-Lyne and District Trustees Savings Bank, which later became plain old "TSB", and then in a move that she didn't welcome became part of "Lloyds TSB".

 

She viewed the de-merger with some degree of optimism, because she never felt that Lloyds brought anything to the party, only to find that her branch has actually been purloined by Lloyds.

 

She still has a TSB sort code (still part of the Ashton-under-Lyne and District range), but is a Lloyds customer.

[EmmaB]

....unless he lives and breathes boating.

 

 

 

Yes, an unrealistic expectation in an employee of a navigation authority

I am talking in general about the running of the waterways not specifically maintenance. However if you want to link maintenance all the money CRT are forced to spend on piss takers and the like is money not going to maintenance.

 

I was merely talking about the general impression I get of a boating community who aren't prepared to accept any change CRT want to make as they still want the canals managed by laws which are 30 years (minimum) out of date. Twenty years is a long long time in the modern changing world.

 

Just my opinion of course.

 

No, I'm not understanding this.

 

Which part of out-of-date laws are responsible for the lack of maintenance?

[Jerra]

 

Yes, an unrealistic expectation in an employee of a navigation authority

 

No, I'm not understanding this.

 

Which part of out-of-date laws are responsible for the lack of maintenance?

Of course you aren't understanding (deliberately? at least following your posts over the last couple of days that appears to be the case).

 

If you can't under stand that the laws governing the management of the canals and boaters intransigence lead to more money being spent on legal activities and less on maintenance then I am afraid I can't help you.

[MtB]

 

Yes, an unrealistic expectation in an employee of a navigation authority

 

One of the few things you've ever said I agree with.

 

Higher level managers need a working knowledge. Entry level people don't. They get their working knowledge by time spent working for the authority. Limiting applicants to youngsters who are boaters would guarantee few posts ever get filled.

 

MtB

[EmmaB]

Of course you aren't understanding (deliberately? at least following your posts over the last couple of days that appears to be the case).

 

If you can't under stand that the laws governing the management of the canals and boaters intransigence lead to more money being spent on legal activities and less on maintenance then I am afraid I can't help you.

So I understood you right the first time;

 

"Continuous piss-takers cause lack of maintenance"

 

One of the few things you've ever said I agree with.

 

Higher level managers need a working knowledge. Entry level people don't. They get their working knowledge by time spent working for the authority. Limiting applicants to youngsters who are boaters would guarantee few posts ever get filled.

 

MtB

Rubbish. It should be one of the first qualifiers on any job application - do you have an interest in canals? I can just see you taking on an apprentice "do you have an interest in engineering?" " no, any job will do "

[Jerra]

So I understood you right the first time;

 

"Continuous piss-takers cause lack of maintenance"

NO! Take the blinkers off and stop getting on your high horse about continuous piss takers.

 

Try "continuous piss takers among others cause lack of maintenance!" then we might agree.

[Pluto]

 

Thank you.

 

And if I'm right about SimonRKelley, his email response is perfectly reasonable in my opinion, and should not be condemned.

 

I wonder how many employees CRT has. It would make recruiting damned near impossible if a working knowledge of the canal system was an essential qualification for all 'customer-facing' roles.

 

MtB

However, it should be part of an induction course, particularly for those who deal with public queries. The information is probably somewhere on the CRT website, and training as to its use should also be provided to new staff members.

[EmmaB]

NO! Take the blinkers off and stop getting on your high horse about continuous piss takers.

 

Try "continuous piss takers among others cause lack of maintenance!" then we might agree.

It's your high horse I'm looking at. Rather than go to the effort of examining the real causes of the run down of the canals, chronic underfunding, mis-management, wastage of the skilled workforce, sell-off of assets, BW's property speculation bubble et al. you would rather play the crassly simplistic 'it's all their fault' - 'those people', 'coming over here and taking our waterways'. So you cruise in your tiny bubble, sneering down your nose, rather than trying to find real solutions to what are increasingly becoming major problems in infra-structure breakdown.

[Jerra]

It's your high horse I'm looking at. Rather than go to the effort of examining the real causes of the run down of the canals, chronic underfunding, mis-management, wastage of the skilled workforce, sell-off of assets, BW's property speculation bubble et al. you would rather play the crassly simplistic 'it's all their fault' - 'those people', 'coming over here and taking our waterways'. So you cruise in your tiny bubble, sneering down your nose, rather than trying to find real solutions to what are increasingly becoming major problems in infra-structure breakdown.

Your not a continuous piss taker yourself by any chance?

 

The fact remains that the cost of legal action such as the Pillings dispute (there's a continuous piss taker if ever there was one) prevent money from being used on maintenance.

 

What on earth does "'those people', 'coming over here and taking our waterways'" mean that sort of language is normally racist applied to immigrants etc..

[EmmaB]

Your not a continuous piss taker yourself by any chance?

 

The fact remains that the cost of legal action such as the Pillings dispute (there's a continuous piss taker if ever there was one) prevent money from being used on maintenance.

 

What on earth does "'those people', 'coming over here and taking our waterways'" mean that sort of language is normally racist applied to immigrants etc..

As is your attempt to conflate lack of maintenance with breaches of the 1995 Act. The same mindset. Find a group to blame rather that take responsibility.

 

 

Examining your thesis; are you seriously trying to say that the maintenance shortfall- 10s of millions even by c&rthorse's own figures to maintain a steady state - is on a par with the cost of enforcement?

[NigelMoore]

Your post lacks optimism! The "even quicker" suggests that the system will degenerate whatever we all do. Surely we should not be thinking in that negative way.

 

Sadly, it needs to be remembered that degeneration of the system until 2020 was an anticipated element of BW’s most optimistic forecast, when recommending transition to the third sector. This can be read on page 11 of the transcript of evidence before the ‘Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee’, 24 April 2012 -

 

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/merits-statutory-instruments/Correct-Transcript-of-Merits-Committee-(British-Waterways-Board)-24-April-2012.pdf

 

"Richard Benyon MP: “What we have managed to predict is that there will be a continuing problem for a few years, but the situation will then improve at a point in time not many years off—is that in 2020, Robin?

 

Robin Evans: The condition of the assets deteriorates a bit and then levels off but is stable." [my emphasis]

 

Bear in mind that this projection was based on what has proved to be inflated estimates of voluntary financial support.

[MtB]

Your not a continuous piss taker yourself by any chance?

 

 

EmmaB holds her cards very close. We don't even know she is a boater, AFAICR.

 

MtB

[EmmaB]

Is that a requirement to have an opinion? Even though according to you a knowledge of boating is not even a requirement to work for the navigation authority?

Make up your mind Mikey baby.

Edited May 6, 2014 by EmmaB

[Proper Job]

The only Mod that Mike knows rides a scooter and has a target painted on the back of their parka

[Athy]

He is probably a 19 year old spod

 

.

 

MtB

 

 

 

I like that! is it Old Reading dialect?

[MoominPapa]

I have some sympathy for SimonRKelley. He is probably a 19 year old spod with an A Level in leisure management three weeks into his first job out of skool.

Err, just for The Avoidance Of Doubt, SimonRKelley is me. The CRT bod is CRTContactUs. For the further avoidance of doubt, I don't have an A level in leisure management, and I'm not (thank goodness) 19.

 

MP.

[Proper Job]

[Guest]

Err, just for The Avoidance Of Doubt, SimonRKelley is me. The CRT bod is CRTContactUs. For the further avoidance of doubt, I don't have an A level in leisure management, and I'm not (thank goodness) 19.MP.

Oops...

[Athy]

Err, just for The Avoidance Of Doubt, SimonRKelley is me. The CRT bod is CRTContactUs. For the further avoidance of doubt, I don't have an A level in leisure management, and I'm not (thank goodness) 19.

 

MP.

To borrow a phrase from the tennis world, you can't be serious! If it really was you, I'm sure you would know where the Soar Navigation was by now.

[Proper Job]

To borrow a phrase from the tennis world, you can't be serious! If it really was you, I'm sure you would know where the Soar Navigation was by now.

 

 

Even better.

 

Moomin is writing to Simon. Simon - tell Moomin you don't have a degree in lesiure management (how long can we wind him up for?)

[John V]

Note to oneself....avoid that pothole

[MoominPapa]

To borrow a phrase from the tennis world, you can't be serious! If it really was you, I'm sure you would know where the Soar Navigation was by now.

The world of twitter is clearly causing confusion here. I sent "Newly refurbed moorings by Hope and Anchor on Soar great, but canal there full of rocks. Boat got stuck well out from bank." to CRTContactUs, and CRTContactUs send back "Which canal is this so I can let the local team know? Thanks" to me.

 

The USP of Twitter as that everyone else who's interested (and many who aren't) gets to see our exchange.

 

 

MP.

[Proper Job]

So which one of you plays tennis - Moomin or Simon?

[MoominPapa]

So which one of you plays tennis - Moomin or Simon?

both - doubles of course

 

MP.

[Jerra]

Examining your thesis; are you seriously trying to say that the maintenance shortfall- 10s of millions even by c&rthorse's own figures to maintain a steady state - is on a par with the cost of enforcement?

I notice you have carefully avoided answering my question are you a CPT by any chance?

 

Do please avoid putting words into my mouth. All I have said is that CPT and others cost the CRT an awful lot of money which could be spent on maintenance. You in your desperation to defend CPT (are you sure you aren't one) are pretending I have suggested that avoiding pursuing CPT (and others) through the courts would solve all the problems, I haven't and I won't.

 

However every penny spent on such things as pursuing CPT and others through the courts relentlessly results in even more lack of maintenance. So don't try to make my statements into anything they aren't and before you attempt to reply please address my question are you a CPT?(just in case you fail to understand CPT it is my abbreviation for continuous piss taker)

 

You might also be gracious enough to answer the point MtB raises are you even a boater?