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artfuldodger1212

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  • Hopefully not too many people are rescheduling, they really don't want you to do that and you should only really be doing that in absolute emergency situations like you have a funeral or something. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th May 2021 10:32pm)
  • Think about it for just a second. Do you think half of the thousands of people booked in just decided to be assholes for no reason or perhaps there are some faults in the notification system? Which explanation makes more sense to you? I had an appointment but was never notified, it was a good think I chased it up or else I would have had no idea one had already been assigned to me. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th May 2021 10:30pm)
  • I am guessing there is some kind of issue with the kid? As much as this is likely not the answer you are looking for there really is probably not too much to be done beyond asking them to try and work out a way for it to be quieter. I would be super nice and polite because in practical terms this is going to end up being more your problem than theirs. The screaming could be a noise complaint but people moving around in their flats is unlikely to be treated as such even if it is running and jumping. There was a long running feud in my last building where one guy worked a weird late shift that had him getting home in the wee hours of the morning and his dog would run around to great him as dogs do and it drove his downstairs neighbor crazy. The downstairs neighbor made a noise complaint and the response was basically that the dog could run around in its own flat and if the noise transferred to the flat below that was an issue with the building not the dog and there was nothing to be done. I assume you live in a tenement? They are notoriously noisy for neighbor noise and is honestly something one needs to consider when choosing to live in one. You could see if they would be into the idea of soundproofing and you could maybe chip in to the cost if you both own. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 11:58am)
  • If it is in Kingston you are better looking in the south of the city. Shawlands, Mount Florida, Battlefield, Strathbungo, Pollokshields. Depending on what your definition of "relatively crime free" is you could even consider parts of Govanhill. I would say Mount Florida, Strathbungo, Battlefield, and Pollokshields are a bit less young people orientated than Shawlands and even Govanhill which is basically the epicentre of southside gentrification just now. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 12:16pm)
  • Wow, this is just about the worst advice I have ever seen. It is like you set out out to give advice tailor made to making the situation worse. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 12:22pm)
  • I am guessing the kid might have some issues and I think the odds of the council taking action against grandparents with caring responsibilities of a child with issues is roughly 10million to one. That is not the route I would go down if I were OP. They will need the grandparents on their side if they want anything to change and if they go to the council and complain not only will it likely not help it might create some animosity. Should only be an absolute last resort. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 12:57pm)
  • The key difference here is in your situation you were dealing with a grown man being antisocial whereas OP is dealing with a child, a child that sounds like it could have some issues. Your advice is good for dealing with antisocial adults but is not good advice for OPs situation. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 1:23pm)
  • Oh I get it. I once shared a wall with a neighbour who had a colic baby which meant it screamed at the top of its lungs for hours at a time including at 3 in the morning. But if I called the cops on that they would say what they are very likely to say in this case "what do you want them to do?" A 10 year old being brought to their grandparents screaming in the middle of the night almost 100% has some issues going on. The kid could be autistic or have a behavioural disorder, or be severely hyperactive or any host of other things. I am not saying OP has to be cool with this or that she is not entitled to be annoyed just that calling the police or doing basically anything you suggested is not only not likely to help but is very likely going to make things worse. If OPs goal is to get revenge on these people by making their life harder and they don't care if the noise stops than you have given excellent advice. If OPs goal is to get some relief from the noise than they should follow other advice given in this thread. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 4:20pm)
  • Screaming they absolutely will. Jumping? Probably not. Noise complaint team will measure decibel level and the disturbance from jumping is usually shaking or vibrating and not usually that loud in terms of decibel level. They have a lot of discretion as well, like if your neighbour is getting drunk and yelling at the tv at 4AM yeah they are going to take care of that, if your neighbours baby is crying in the middle of the night they are going to tell you that is your problem. I would exhaust all possible options with the neighbour first before getting the authorities involved. You can't uncall the cops on them once you do it and if the kid turns out to be autistic or something not only will the authorities not help they are going to be left with neighbours who might not be all that inclined to help make it any easier for OP. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 4:46pm)
  • Are you reading my responses as being incredibly aggressive? I think that might be more with how you are reading them mate as I am not at all upset or angry with you. It is possible to think something is mistaken or incorrect and not be angry about it. OP was asking for help and I was giving advice. I think what worked for you would not work here and merely pointed that out so OP got the best possible guidance. I promise there was no intended aggression or anger in my responses and going back and reading them I am not sure where you got that from. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 4:51pm)
  • I mean he did say: "I can relate almost exactly to this" and then gave this explicit advice: "In short. Band together with other affected tenants. Contact the landlord or council together individually. Call the police as soon as the noise starts." So I think I can be forgiven in thinking he was comparing the two situations and meant it as a guide for OPs situation as he did in fact say both those things in no uncertain or unclear terms in his original comment. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 5:22pm)
  • I disagree. Hence my feedback. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Police should be the absolute last resort which in my view OP has not reached yet. It is not likely to be effective and is not likely to get the grandparents on her side which if she actually wants the noise to stop is what she should be doing. I think if she calls the cops now she should get used to the noise as she will be all but guaranteeing it will continue. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 6:12pm)
  • Again he ended his comment telling them what they should do and it was to band together and call the cops. There was no qualifier of "after all else fails" or "after you try having a dialogue with them". Also you can stop pretending you are different people mate you are pretty clearly one guy using two accounts. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 6:51pm)
  • Agreed it is not OPs problem but if her goal is to get them to work on the noise than the poster above is giving good advice. The council or the police going to absolutely nothing about what is likely a troubled kid making noise. I would be surprised if they come out at all. The poster is right. Threats, police, and council are not the way to go if they actually want a reduction in the noise. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 7:09pm)
  • >what clues are you going off? You both write long, ranting, comments that are littered with grammatical mistakes. Just a guess though. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 7:29pm)
  • >How the hell can flats be so bloody noisy. Its 100% the buildings lack of sound and acoustic insulation. Money. That really is the whole reason as much as I don't agree with it. The buildings are old and to do the floor properly would cost a lot. In places with a higher building standard what we would call soundproofing a floor would just be installing a floor in a flat (rock fleece under the floor boards, proper underlay, plank flooring properly spaced and not touching the walls). I have been in many, many, many, tenement flats in Glasgow with laminate flooring and I don't think I have ever seen a floor properly installed here. Literally never. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jul 2021 11:17pm)
  • It's cool you would do that in an effort to soundproof your flat for your neighbours but most people just aren't willing to do that for something that ultimately is not going to bother them. Rockwool is quite expensive and while putting it in can totally be done DIY most people aren't going to want to as it is pretty involved. And no landlord in the history of the world is going to invest in that if it is being rented. I think rockwool under the floor boards, a plywood subfloor, and MLV is a bit overkill unless you were installing a bowling alley in your flat. You could likely skip the MLV or get an MLV laminated underlay and skip the plywood. The problem is a lot of people (especially landlords) are just going to buy a couple rolls of [this](https://www.screwfix.com/p/diall-acoustic-polyolefin-foam-underlay-20m-/4720R?tc=TB3) and a few boxes of [this](https://www.saleflooringdirect.co.uk/item/629/Kronotex/Kronotex-Basic-6mm-Sutter-Oak-Laminate-Flooring.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwo4mIBhBsEiwAKgzXOEIiPCraAXAzzN5yQx-tI6aV_wTz4GT-sZogjP_iwEo6uMxRMQA7dhoCKXEQAvD_BwE) and call it a day and that is going to block basically no noise and is going to squeak and shift like crazy on tenement floor boards. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 30th Jul 2021 7:50am)
  • A lot of those noises are unfortunately normal living noises though. Especially if you live in a tenement flat. People are allowed to use their homes normally within reason even if it is late. Dogs and people with shoes on walking around being heard is more to do with the quality of the insulation and soundproofing which unfortunately in many older Scottish buildings can be basically non-existent. It is unfortunate but it just comes with the territory. Living in a flat means that sometimes you are going to hear neighbours or traffic, the good news is that you will get used to it after a while. I used to live in New York where there would be constant traffic and blaring horns literally every minute of the day and night and when I first moved in I thought I would never be able to sleep. Turns out after a couple of nights you stop noticing altogether. Now I find it weird how quiet it is when I visit my parents house in a tiny village and it is dead quiet all the time. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 30th Jul 2021 11:09am)
  • Glasgow city council website is pretty clear what is covered in the noise ordinances. Loud music, construction, amplified noises, dogs barking, etc. Someone walking around their flat even with shoes on? Not a chance. And again people get to walk around their flat if they need to. I very much doubt the old man was putting on heavy boots and stomping on the floor because he was a "narcissist" who was just doing it to mess with you. I used to live below a prison guard who would have to get up at like 4AM and put on big heavy boots to leave his flat to go to work. He wasn't some arsehole who was doing to cause trouble just a guy trying to live his life. That is just part of living in flats and living in cities I'm afraid. Blaring loud music at 2AM is behaving like you don't have neighbors. Letting your dogs walk around your flat isn't. ​ I am sorry your neighbors laughed at you but if you approached them as if they were putting on clogs and stomping around as opposed to what they were likely actually doing they were probably not that inclined to help you out. Are you sure every single neighbor you had was a narcissist? That seems pretty unlikely. Are you sure the issue isn't with your expectations and how you engage with people? by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 30th Jul 2021 11:52am)
  • That's the thing though. I bet you dollars to donuts your neighbor was not wearing clogs to bed that was just your perception. Unless he was a total crazy person but that would be the extreme exception and seeing how it has seemingly been an issue for every neighbor you have ever had the issue is far more likely with your expectations. What exactly did you want the person with the dogs to do? Not have them move around the flat? Most people are considerate and using your flat as normal even in odd hours is perfectly considerate even if it makes normal noise. A person who usually works the night shift gets to watch their TV at a reasonable volume even if that means you can hear it. A person who is a night owl gets to walk around their flat even if you can hear the creaks. That really is just part and parcel of living in a flat. If it bugs you buy a pair of noise cancelling headphones or some earplugs. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 30th Jul 2021 1:20pm)
  • Maybe don't call normal people living their lives narcissist for not doing anything wrong? If you admit they are not doing anything wrong and this is normal what makes them narcissists? Pet peeve of mine as a lot of folks tend to use that word as a catch all for "people who don't do exactly what I want them to do". by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 30th Jul 2021 1:26pm)
  • >all of the people I listed were full narcissists You did say it though? So maybe you can understand my confusion and irritation. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 30th Jul 2021 1:36pm)
  • Have you been there recently? It is so thoroughly gentrified it is basically unrecognisable from even like 3 years ago. I think a lot of the folks who think of Govanhill as some kind of ghettoised hellscape either haven't really been there or if they have it was for 5 minutes 12 years ago. People talk about it like it is the Gaza Strip or something but the place has literally 20 organic coffee shops, a zero waste grocery store, an organic seed depository, a dozen vegan cafes, even a damn alternative medicine veterinarian. It ain't exactly the favelas of Rio De Janeiro. There are still certainly some problems but drop that neighborhood exactly as it is in New York and London and it would likely be the #1 location for young 20 somethings and everyone would look at you like you had 2 heads if you talked about how "rough" it was. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 9:04am)
  • If I was some kind of sleazy real estate speculator Govan would be the area I would be snatching up properties. Once the new Glasgow Uni campus is built and those bridges to West End are built Govan is going to gentrify at break neck speed. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 9:10am)
  • While the cat is an issue, I think it is more likely that they are not in the UK. I don't think I have ever heard of an estate agent who will rent to someone out of the country. It is usually a requirement to attend a viewing. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 9:17am)
  • I think it is likely the combination of pet, student, not in the country that is really doing them in. Once you have been in Glasgow for a while, have a good job, and are willing to pay a pet deposit renting an unfurnished flat with a cat is a pain but still totally doable. If I were OP I would offer a one month pet deposit in the same sentence as saying I have a ct and I would only look for unfurnished flats. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 9:15am)
  • I would look for private landlords on Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace rather than estate agents. They will want you to be at the viewing and most if not all will not rent to someone who can't physically view the flat. I would only look for unfurnished flats as the cat is going to be a bigger issue if the landlord has furniture in the flat. I would offer a one month pet deposit in addition to your normal security deposit. You might need to find something temporary while you look. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 9:20am)
  • I guess it just depends on what you are used to. To me Govanhill is a pretty standard transitional neighbourhood under going lightening fast gentrification and has all the associated problems and opportunities there in. Of course it still has some issues but by and large it is OK and convenient and has a lot of recent young transplants that are students and artist types who will soon be replace by higher paying urban professionals. Pretty standard gentrification blueprint. Certainly students will be fine living there. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 12:58pm)
  • One mile away is pretty far in this context? You could be pretty close to being in City Centre which I don't think would give you a ton of inherent perspective on living in Govanhill. It has issues and can certainly be dirty but there are LOADS of students there now. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 1:11pm)
  • Most the ones you are seeing on Rightmove will have the viewings booked up already and are gone. If you don't book a viewing within the first hour a listing has gone up you have missed it. It is tough I was helping someone look a few months ago and it was not that uncommon to miss a viewing appointment when we called 10-15 minutes after a listing went up. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 1:26pm)
  • I get what you are saying but some people do have jobs and stuff which might preclude them from being on their phone literally all day. The folks I was helping look were both employed had a household income of around £45K with good credit and references and were applying for £700-£800 flats and still had like 15 applications rejected. Now imagine how much harder it is for a student this time of year. It is absolutely possible, I would say even likely, to get unlucky 107 times. Market is crazy right now. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Aug 2021 2:02pm)
  • Basically everything west of Vicky road to Pollokshaws road is nice. Lots of nice streets in there. Albert Road and Dixon are both nice streets on the other side of Vicky road. I suspect you don't know the area that well as I don't think you would walk down Albert Road, Prince Edward Street, or Dixon Ave and think to your self "this is a shitehole" unless you have some very strange definition of what that is. Next time you walk through don't be afraid to try a walk down some of the streets west of Vicky road I think you would be really surprised what you find there. The less nice part I am guessing you are referring to is the area between Vicky Road and Cathcart Road that is gentrifying slower than the western part of Govanhill but is certainly gentrifying plenty. That area certainly has problems with overcrowding and rubbish but it isn't absurdly dangerous or anything. A student would do well to be selective of buildings on and just off Alison street and make sure to have a good look at the close and everything. You can certainly get unlucky with neighbors there. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Aug 2021 10:10am)
  • I am not saying they should move into an unfactored, run down building on Alison street or anything. But there are tons of nice little flats in quiet buildings all over Govanhill that would be perfect for a student. You will certainly see some overcrowding and fly tipping but the area wouldn't be too dangerous for a student or anything and a lot of the flats there can be quite nice. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Aug 2021 10:15am)
  • It's strange I always felt that there were not nearly as many bars and pubs appealing to the gentrifying crowd in Dennistoun as the population could likely support. I think you could add 2 or 3 more Redmonds and they would do great. Redmonds is a great little pub but it is pretty small and before covid times was always rammed with people. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Aug 2021 11:59am)
  • Nope, very much disagree with this. Everyone needs to pay their tax. I did not feel the least bit bad for all the self employed people who were burned by not being able to claim SEISS money because they had been dodging tax for years and years. Not paying in is incredibly selfish. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 9:35am)
  • To be fair if you are not paying you are ripping off those who are paying their way. It is incredibly selfish to partake in services being offered that other people are paying for while you are not. If everyone did that the whole system would collapse. If you dodge your tax you are an awful person who should be ashamed. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 9:44am)
  • Can't it be both? Obviously I want companies earning huge profits to pay their share as well but we need to do our individual part as well. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 9:49am)
  • This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much. My Google skills must be pretty lacking seeing as I did not find that in my searching. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 10:34am)
  • What? I am not traveling internationally? I live in Glasgow. I am going to be out of town for work (going via public transport for what its worth) so will have a flat free. You didn't read my post at all did you? You just wanted to jump to some silly gotcha question. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 10:58am)
  • How do you know what people are changing about their lifestyle? I don't think I know a single person who has not made at least a very minor lifestyle concession because of climate considerations. I am willing to bet many if not most the people coming in for COP26 have made pretty major ones. I haven't eaten meat in many years, don't drive, haven't flown in 3 years, basically all my clothing and homewares are bought second hand, and I donate each month to the Clean Air Task Force. While these are all small things they do add up. What have you been doing that you feel so comfortable in judging strangers for not doing enough? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 11:52am)
  • > something as big as ceasing all flights altogether. That just isn't realistic mate and I think you know it. Also your suggestion of switching planes for passenger ships underscores just how ignorant you are. Ships are certainly not better for the environment than planes and may even be worse. Big ships burning bunker fuel replacing airplanes is a terrible suggestion. Instead of banning all air travel we could do some of the things that are going to be discussed at COP26 for example banning cruises. Looking at banning or at least disincentivising domestic flights in countries well serviced by alternatives. I am not sure if you are a contrarian troll just looking to argue or if you actually are just really ill-informed but either way I don't think your contribution in this discussion is very useful. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Sep 2021 12:47pm)
  • No mate, you weren't. I am sure it seemed that way at the time but you still had a lot of development and growing up left to do. Lord knows I felt that way too when I was a kid but I was dead wrong. Growing up and being able to look back on that stuff and acknowledge you were just a dumb kid who didn't know anything is part of maturing. As to why that lifestyle is disappearing? Well Glasgow has developed a lot since then, the definitions of what is OK for kids to be doing and the values of the community have evolved. These wee guys have more structure and more choices now than they did even 10 years ago and even if they aren't coming from great circumstances at home. Obviously still got a ways to go but the way things are going is definitely for the better. If you look back on it I think you will find it wasn't the punch ups and drinking that really made that time in your life special it was your friends and figuring stuff out together. That can and does still happen without all the other unhealthy and anti-social things. We're doing better by our kids these days for sure. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Sep 2021 9:13am)
  • Smoking a bit of hash and getting sticky with the guy or gal up the road doesn't make you a grown man mate. Kids today are still drinking cider and dabbling in drugs but they might think twice about saying "getting your hole by a bunch of scheme sluts" which is 100% a welcome change. Unless their your arsehole uncle who likes his conspiracy theories they likely aren't spending much time on Facebook either. Many if not most people look back on their childhood fondly and it is great that you do but I think it is important to look back on things critically from time to time as well. From the dates you gave in your post I reckon I am roughly the same age as you and I look back on my childhood really fondly but will acknowledge there have been a lot of changes for the better and some parts of that time should be left there. For example a lot of the views toward gay folks, or women, or views on violence in relation to masculinity were downright ricin levels of toxic. Sure, I look back fondly on some of those times and experiences but that was more than 15 years ago and I have matured a lot as I am sure you have too. Long story short there is a lot about ned culture I would be happy to see die off and I won't be missing it. Agreed that social media is a plague and I am glad it wasn't a thing back then. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Sep 2021 11:25pm)
  • They had a DPD van and everything so if it was a scam they were really committing to it. Also they didn't ask me for any money. My guess is the driver messed up and asked a friend along with him for a kind of back up? by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 29th Sep 2021 5:23pm)
  • I'm guessing it was the latter. It was a bit amusing to see them work out they were at the wrong flat when they asked me if my flat was 0/2 while standing on the second floor landing. 0/X means ground floor in every tenement I have ever been in. Could certainly see why they might have trouble getting parcels to where they are supposed to go. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 29th Sep 2021 5:28pm)
  • Didn't ask for any money so if it was a scam not sure what the end goal was. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 29th Sep 2021 5:29pm)
  • Do you know what business it was? I think people kind of have the right to know now that the allegation is so public. I have been trying to track it down on twitter and most the retweets and mentions of this are coming from pretty clearly bad actors (not to generalise but a lot of Ranger FC profile pics and stuff) who I don't think are all that concerned about the gentrification of Govanhill but see a good wedge issue to jump on. ​ The accusation is public now presumably because the effected business told people. I think they kind of need to come correct and stand by it publicly and if you are going to spread it around you should likely do the same. Just my two sense as I have seen these kind of things come from a bad place in the past. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 3rd Oct 2021 4:35pm)
  • Thanks, good to know. If they did this then I think they need to go, no place for that kind of behaviour. If they didn't than I think SLB should go for not coming out and clarifying (which in my view would be almost as bad). Not a good situation overall as it necessarily means someone is being a real areshole who should be rejected by the community. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 3rd Oct 2021 4:48pm)
  • I think a lot of the whole Loop and Scoop blowback was for their whole no tipping the staff policy and their abuse of trial shifts over busy weekends. Without those things I don't think there would have really been any blowback on them. As you say they are pretty small which makes some of their alleged practices all the more disappointing. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 3rd Oct 2021 5:19pm)
  • Those don't look particularly similar to me? Is it the colour people are talking about? Because they are pretty clearly different shades. The writing looks almost nothing alike. If that is the strength of the evidence I think I am going to reserve judgement until I see something a bit more conclusive. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 3rd Oct 2021 5:38pm)
  • Thanks for this. I was able to find some people to be in my flat independently or else I would contact you. Good luck. Unfortunately a lot of gouging going on. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 5th Oct 2021 10:32am)
  • 54% of new cars in the UK are now automatic and this is rising fast. Makes sense honestly. Automatic transmissions are so good and sophisticated now that there is very little benefit to driving a manual car. Every rental place and car club has automatic cars now. Won't really be that limiting to just drive automatic. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 8th Oct 2021 3:43pm)
  • It is not Strathclyde Uni accommodation but a private provider kind of between them and GCU. At least most of the universities charge like 500-600 a month (still expensive) this place was £925 a month and it isn't even finished. Shameful. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 11th Oct 2021 11:33am)
  • Yeah, with the limited numbers of flats available, covid making coming here earlier to seek accommodation hard, landlords holding out for COP, and some changes to student letting rules, a lot of students were forced into these drastically overpriced specialty accommodations. I saw a student advice website aimed at Indian students that was basically giving the advice that broadly speaking landlords and businesses that deal with students are crooks in the UK that will do anything they can to cheat you and you will have little recourse unless you know the system. My first instinct was to be offended but when I thought about I couldn't help but admit that from their perspective that is largely true and not horrible advice to give. Ripping off and exploiting students (especially international students) is the biggest open secret in the UK. It actively hurts our reputation abroad and I wish more was done to curtail this kind of thing. I can totally see why some of these students may be coming here thinking we are a nation of crooks and it is so frustrating as we despise these scumbags as much as they do but seemingly nothing ever changes. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 11th Oct 2021 12:16pm)
  • They know they can get away with it and that no one is going to lift a finger to do anything about it. Last year some student accommodations were giving quarantining students expired food that was months out of date despite charging them extortionate catering fees and nothing ever came from it except similar articles to this one. They didn't even try and say they were going to do anything to fix the situation in this article because they know with 100% certainty they aren't going to be made to do so. I am sure the banks transfers have already cleared so what recourse do the students really have? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 11th Oct 2021 12:31pm)
  • Some people just don't have the ingredient and it can be tough to understand if you do. I happen to be out of town for COP so I am letting two delegates from a non-profit I believe in use my southside flat free of charge. I would feel absolutely rotten to my core gouging folks for my flat and the money wouldn't be worth my feelings of regret and likely a few sleepless nights feeling awful about it. Of course I could use an extra £5K but I need my self respect more. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 25th Oct 2021 8:19pm)
  • Actually some people do pass on free money if they think taking it isn't the right thing to do. I know that baffles some people but it is actually true. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 25th Oct 2021 8:23pm)
  • >Well cancelling an airbnb is within policy Except that it isn't which is why this cheat is emailing as opposed to going through airbnb. You are only allowed to cancel bookings under a very specefic set of criteria outwith the host's control and unfortunately for this guy being a two-timing greedy cunt doesn't count as being something outwith his control. I should be more specefic. He can cancel but he needs to accept the adverse consequences which can include covering the costs of suitable alternate accommodation but I have a feeling he isn't going to do that. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 25th Oct 2021 8:53pm)
  • It depends on how you define cheap. Primark, Asda, Tesco, etc. Will all be real cheap at the till but it is absolute garbage quality. Bad construction, bad fits, bad materials, it will be cheaply made crap that will be uncomfortable and look like shite. Plus it will fall apart before the end of the year. I think Charles Thyrwitt closed but maybe there is another one around? They aren't exactly cheap but they often did a 3 for £99 or 4 for £125 type sale. They will measure you up so the shirts will fit exactly as they should and look roughly 10x better, will be made of cotton so you are sweating in plastic all day, and will last for years. I bought 4 like 5 years and still have them and they look perfect. The old adages about buying cheap meaning buying twice are certainly true. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 18th Jan 2022 7:59pm)
  • Ok but garbage isn't exactly offensive or anything? Plenty of British folk in the US still saying sweets and biscuits. Part of the charm of language is it dialects and differences. Especially in English we all know what we mean so I think it is OK. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jan 2022 12:12am)
  • It is the holiday or festive season? That is super common to say because of the whole not everyone celebrating Christmas thing. Literally everyone I work with says holiday or festive season as we have loads of people of different backgrounds. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jan 2022 12:15am)
  • Nah, you could do that. That would be OK. I think people would maybe be bemused but would know what you are talking about. Certainly no sane person would chose to feel offended or disrespected. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jan 2022 12:35am)
  • Yeah it might just be a demographic thing. Younger folks would certainly understand Easter Holidays, Summer Holidays, and the Holiday Season as all being distinct things. Part of that might well be more American/international media though. Telling you, at my very Scottish workplace with mostly Scottish employees it was common to hear Holiday Season said. It refers not to being off from work but from there being several holidays in the relatively short period of time Christmas, Boxing Day, Hanukkah, New Years Eve, and New Years Day. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jan 2022 12:41am)
  • The dutch reach is just a way of physically forcing you to look by turning you body. If you already carefully look each time before just flinging open your door you should be fine. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 10:39am)
  • Yeah it is actually pretty straight forward when you think about it carefully and people who drive aren't getting hysterical about it (saying as someone who has driven for more than 10 years). What I don't understand is some iteration of this same thing has been true in much of continental Europe and all of North America for many, many, years. Is everyone who is freaking out about this and saying how it is going to cause absolute chaos never driven, walked, or really even been in any other country in the world. It really does work just fine most places and it isn't anarchy. What I suspect is the real issue is that sometimes in those places a car turning will need to wait 8 seconds to let people cross on foot. People are annoyed they might need to wait but instead of just saying that they are pearl clutching about the guaranteed chaos on the road ways this will cause. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 10:51am)
  • Can't argue with that. That being said what the new rules are really highlighting is that those on the roadways who do the most damage are those who have the highest duty of care. People in motor vehicles should turn into each junction as if they were approaching a zebra crossing and exercise that level of caution. If pedestrians are there they should give way. The thinking is the consequences are most severe when people walking are hit by one tonne motor vehicles. Hard to argue with that line of logic. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 10:56am)
  • Indeed. But there have been some pretty conclusive studies that indicate that not asserting your right of way makes roadways more dangerous as it leads to confusion even when people are trying to be polite or considerate. Consistent, predictable behavior is safe behavior. Pedestrians should in general not wave cars through when they have the right of way as it creates confusion and hesitation which in turns causes accidents. For example you could wave someone through while someone crossing the other way who you didn't notice is taking their right of way and now you have just contributed to an accident where a pedestrian is knocked down. As much as it is nice to be considerate to other road users the best way we can do that is by following the guidance as written. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 11:14am)
  • It is exactly that kind of uncertainty that this guidance is trying to eliminate. I think they did mess up by making it a "should" statement instead of a "must" statement. A lot of studies have indicated that uncertainty in road use is incredibly dangerous and what these rules should do is remove any doubt. The motor vehicle must give way.....end of. Everyone can move forward in confidence now of how it works. That is what should ideally happen. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 11:17am)
  • Yeah, I don't get the video on confusion at all. The guy is a barrister and apparently a martial artist but is clearly a kind of crap driver and certainly no kind of safety expert. He starts by saying drivers won't be able to see if there are pedestrians already in the junction or waiting to cross? Um what!? You absolutely can and should be able to see if there is a pedestrian already in the junction or about to enter the pedestrian the junction. Cars have always needed to give way if the pedestrian is in the junction and if for some reason they can't the should absolutely not just pull through the junction as if nothing was there. This guy should hand in licence immediately as he is clear not up to the task of driving safely. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 1:08pm)
  • Yes the new guidance is for unlighted junctions only. Lighted junctions will still work the same way. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 1:24pm)
  • Yeah well at least the cyclist more endangers themselves. I witnessed the immediate aftermath of the accident that killed that young lady by the bridge street subway station a couple months back and it still shakes me up a little when it pops into my head. That was caused by a driver racing to catch a light and the consequences could not be more severe. There have been a spate of pedestrians being killed through no fault of their own in Glasgow recently and they have all been killed by cars in so far as I know. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 1:32pm)
  • Heavy pedestrian traffic will mean long waits for cars. Yep, this is how it works. A lot of road users means a lot of traffic. The answer is to either make the intersections lighted or make the cars wait. I personally think the middle portion of Byres road should be pedestrianised and the speed limit for through traffic on the side roads should be like 15. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 1:36pm)
  • Go back down to St. George's cross or Hyndland Road to Hyndland street which should end in a lighted junction where it meets Dumbarton road. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 1:58pm)
  • Nope. Maybe just trying to be nice by letting you turn? Nothing that says oncoming traffic needs to give way to cars making a turn across their lane. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 7:25pm)
  • Do you think we are inherently not as smart, capable, or competent as our European or North American cousins? Because this is standard practice in most those places and they seem to have figured it out without smashing into each other all the time. I don't think we are a nation of morons so I think we will figure it out. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 8:56pm)
  • Well than that is the issue that needs to be addressed and we should not forgo reasonable safety measures because we think we are just too stupid as a country to have them. I think you don't give folks enough credit. People will adapt to this and figure it out. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 9:00pm)
  • I have had a drivers licence for 15 years. I have driven extensively here, in America, in Europe, even in places like China and the Middle East and while yes we are unusually bad drivers in Glasgow I do not believe we are simply incapable of handling such a reasonable change. Again it works this way essentially everywhere else in the world and they figured it out. I do believe it should be very tightly enforced to begin with to force compliance though. I think if you rev at, pull around, honk at, or clip a pedestrian crossing when turning into a junction it should be an automatic loss of licence. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jan 2022 9:07pm)
  • Yeah I get that but the money I am offering for the space in a couple months time is going to spend the same right? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 10th Feb 2022 8:16pm)
  • If I had a pound for every incredulous look a crusty commercial estate agent has given me when I have said I sell most my product through Instagram I wouldn't need to ever do this again as I would be rich. They always just try to sell me on taking on a multiple year commercial lease for £30k+ a year and don't seem to get that thats not how my business works and I have another job. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 10th Feb 2022 8:15pm)
  • It is unreal isn't it? £35K per anum for a trashed chippy that has been empty for 6 years. Just doesn't make sense. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 10th Feb 2022 8:26pm)
  • [hmm](https://tenor.com/biE73.gif) by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 10th Feb 2022 8:32pm)
  • Really? Nice one mate that could well work. For some reason I thought that space belonged to the art school or something as that was the last thing I saw in there but I now realise they were likely just letting it short term. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 10th Feb 2022 8:41pm)
  • Yeah it seems so strange. I am not even offering below market value. In fact I am offering a premium given the short term nature of the arrangement. Pro rata my rate would work out to £90k a year. You would think that would be worth it even for 6 days on a totally empty property but apparently not. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 10th Feb 2022 9:00pm)
  • As I said in my post I have done this in other places with no issue. There is basically an industry standard "pop up" lease that covers all the issues you have raised that I had drawn up with the help of a law firm the first time I did this but many place already have a pop up lease they use. I obviously am "cogniscent" of the economic realities of what I am trying to do seeing as I have done it before? The maths certainly work. In the past places I have used might run the lease by their in house compliance officer or do some kind of risk assessment but never once have they retained outside council to draw up another version of what is essentially a very basic boiler plate document at this point that is used ALL the time in commercial real estate. Any company of any size will already have one they use. Big landlords in my experience have their own in-house counsel and compliance and wouldn't be retaining outside counsel for something like a lease? There will already be electricity in the buildings? What do you think would be powering the fire safety systems and emergency lights? The property would be absolutely uninsurable if there no power running to the property. Do you have a lot experience with this? It seems like you should know that if you did? When I have done this before the water might be turned off at the stockpipe at most and even that I have only seen once as it is almost always a condition of the insurance to maintain and test all the essential systems of the building in regular intervals which includes running the water through the boiler. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 11th Feb 2022 7:24am)
  • I don't know what to tell you mate. I have done this before and made good money and I don't tend to argue with making money. Obviously I have a website but as I said in my post I use social media as direct marketing that drives most my sales. Did you think I was making Instagram posts asking people to DM if they wanted something? That is obviously not what I am talking about. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 11th Feb 2022 7:31am)
  • >no barber shops Lol. Like the one consistent in person service that isn't food service and they don't want it. Typical. It will be they are holding out hope that some national/international chain is going swoop in and want their space. Would rather have it sit empty in the desperate hope that Subway wants to open a new location there someday rather than take the money from a barber shop today. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 11th Feb 2022 8:05am)
  • Hibernian V Hearts is today. I would be thrilled with just a bit of piss tomorrow and not violent street brawls which is common when the other two play. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 9:34am)
  • I was wanting for a water balloon today. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 9:39am)
  • Really? The gig crowd has been solid since I have lived here but maybe it depends a lot on whose playing. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 10:14am)
  • Whipping your cock and spraying piss all over the pavement is not part of the gig you nasty bastard. Get yourself to a toilet. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 1:29pm)
  • Should have specified. Yeah they are always beating the stuffing out of themselves. Last time Celtic were round there were a group of maybe ten brawling right outside my window. Police were there pretty quick though. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 3:12pm)
  • > middle class softies Lol. Alright, man. Hard to read past that. Embarrassing stuff. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 10:04pm)
  • Hard man here is from the mean streets of Battlefield. He has to walk up hill both ways to get his flat whites. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 16th Apr 2022 10:14pm)
  • Usually the Pakistani ones come in June and are available to August. If you go to Alison street in Govanhill there are several grocers that sell them in a short space and it is kind of a big event. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 18th Apr 2022 11:19pm)
  • If they are attached to the locker rooms by gender aren't people already naked? The gym I go to people are already naked in the locker room so being in the sauna naked wouldn't be a huge deal provided the sauna was attached to the locker room. As it stands in my gym the sauna is out by the pool so it would be real weird if you walked out naked to it. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 18th Apr 2022 11:25pm)
  • This is very strange. People in other countries aren’t nude in saunas because of the high temperatures. In Finland for example people use infrared saunas nude and those are at quite low temps. It really is just a prudish thing here. I don’t think the explanation is any more nuanced or complicated than that. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 19th Apr 2022 4:43am)
  • Yeah the 100 degree saunas are the exception and are not common at all. 99% of saunas are the exact same as they are in the UK. Yep there are communal infrared saunas. Not as common but they exist at the bigger public saunas. In Finland almost every building of flats has a sauna and many private homes have them as well. It is considered a faux pas to talk or socialise in the sauna. It is supposed to be absolutely quiet. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 20th Apr 2022 7:20am)
  • I was recently trying to hire a part time admin assistant at £11 an hour and had two qualified lawyers apply. I think the competition for relevant solicited work here is fierce which likely means no company is going want to or need to sponsor a visa. I think your best bet would to try and find a place that specifically needs a JD for some reason if such a role exists. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th May 2022 6:54am)
  • To be fair the circumstances in this story do not seem to be specific to Govanhill. The police officers who abused this poor woman likely had nothing to do with the Roma community in Govanhill like the old videos were saying. That jackass walking around Govanhill was specifically saying the Roma in Govanhill were “rats” that sold their own children for sex and nothing in this story comes anywhere close to supporting that claim. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 17th May 2022 7:21am)
  • I must of missed the part where race was a major factor in this story? The women interviewed all appear to be white Scottish women? The police officers mentioned were more likely than not white Scottish men and the woman in this story said she was sold to men of all nationalities and races all over the city. While I think everyone can agree that Govanhill has issues I am not sure what race or nationality had to do with this particular story? Did I miss that part? Genuinely asking. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 17th May 2022 7:38am)
  • Same, recently flew the 6AM flight to Amsterdam. The problem is that if there are just 2 or 3 parties that don't have it together they can hold up one check in window for an hour by themselves. When I took it recently there was one family at the window when I got there, I waited in line for 40 minutes, checked in, and left and they were still at it. Must have had 20 or so bags, some overweight that needed reconfiguring, didn't have all their Covid paperwork or boarding passes together, wanted to move seats around, basically everything you can think of. On the AM Amsterdam flight there will always be a couple parties like this as the Amsterdam flight is usually how you connect to the bigger long haul flights. It is a very small percentage of people that cause the vast majority of the wait. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 17th May 2022 10:34am)
  • The guy was making accusations specifically against the Roma community, the NHS staff who work in Govanhill, and the SNP, all of whom do not seem to be involved in the article that was posted. Literally not a single one of his assertions are confirmed in this article, unless I missed something no one in this article is Roma, no one from the SNP knew, and the NHS didn't appear to fail this poor victim. ​ Can you kindly link to which of Alex Cairnie's assertions look to be true as I don't see a single one? by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 17th May 2022 12:44pm)
  • Don't compare those two things. Alex Cairnie's allegations are not the same and should not be treated as equally valid as someone who is coming to the police with specific allegations of abuse. To compare the two is incredibly stupid. Alex Cairnie was a racist idiot with an axe to grind and ZERO evidence the woman in this article is a victim who was reporting a crime. The fact that you comparing the two and saying they are equally valid is incredibly misguided. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 17th May 2022 1:28pm)
  • We should also not validate insane coked up racists. Only one of these people is worth listening to. If Alex Cairnie had supplied even a modicum of evidence than he would have been listened to but his evidence was essentially like "well they are gypsies of course they sell their kids as prostitutes" which is not a statement worth listening to without evidence. Listening to Alex Cairnie would have hurt here as it would have wasted resources looking at his made up bullshit and his presence is an unwelcome and unhelpful one. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 17th May 2022 1:42pm)
  • > it's predominantly a Romani community. It has a large Roma community but it is far from predominant of the 14000 residents of Govanhill approximately 3000-3500 are Roma. Like all neighborhoods in Glasgow the majority ethnic group is White British at 60% of the population. This is increasingly true now as the Roma community has seen a bit of an exodus recently and more largely White gentrification continues to happen. ​ Sources: [https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=36602&p=0](https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=36602&p=0) [https://www.iriss.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-05/iriss\_cultural\_competency\_roma\_govanhill\_report\_0.pdf](https://www.iriss.org.uk/sites/default/files/2018-05/iriss_cultural_competency_roma_govanhill_report_0.pdf) by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 18th May 2022 9:53am)
  • >Pretty on par for 4/5 yoe at least in tech. Not a huge stretch. In Glasgow it is honestly. The guy above you is pretty spot on. Not many people even at JP in Glasgow are making that. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 4:28pm)
  • I think you might be overestimating it a bit, even for an investment bank. Even a Senior Software Engineer at JPM in Glasgow often doesn't get the kind of salary OP is talking about. They must be looking at a pretty good management post with a reasonably large team. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 4:33pm)
  • Yeah that is the average and will include people who will have been there a long time. A new recruit that needs a sponsored visa is going to be below the average. There are a couple people in this thread who actually work there giving good advice. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 7:00pm)
  • I also work in an overlap industry and have a sponsored visa. If it is a VP level post within a pretty big team as I said this is lower normal for her situation. There are also a TON of scams that promise post with good salaries and visa sponsorship but end up asking for money. OP is very short on details on this post which does raise some red flags. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 8:22pm)
  • Really? Damn. I know a couple folks there who make nowhere near that much and have been there a while. Always possible new hires are making more to attract talent but this is way off. Do you actually work there? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 8:53pm)
  • Could certainly Google average cost of living in Glasgow or average salary in Glasgow though. Added to that OP is providing no details whatsoever. This smells fake. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 9:18pm)
  • I feel like I am taking crazy pills. People talking about below VP level posts paying over £80k a year and I am here thinking “damn literally everyone I know is being underpaid by tens of thousands of pounds”. I read an article recently that said undergraduate students on average overestimate their potential salaries by more than £10k and this figure is even higher in tech. I suspect strongly that is what is happening here. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 9:39pm)
  • Ah yeah… over 20 years experience makes sense. But no offence, informal offers from mates means about as much as unicorn sightings on Mars. They maybe had a very specific position in mind that sits outwith the curve or that is what they are guessing their super experienced friend should get but often the reality is a bit different. I can assure you the run of the mill experienced developer at Barclays in Glasgow is not on £80k. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 10:27pm)
  • Yeah, OP should get their money, no doubt, and if 60K is on the table than good on them. I had a quick look at the person I was responding to and it turns out they are in fact a student who hasn't graduated yet. Reality check incoming. I am in a position where I see recent STEM grads come and go constantly, they all WAY overestimate what their actual earning potential is. They think after .5 yoe they will be seriously considered for £60K+ a year which is not how the real world works. I do hate to spoil the surprise though. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th May 2022 11:25pm)
  • Well…yeah. Literally nowhere in the world has salaries like tech salaries in California. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 20th May 2022 7:10am)
  • Yeah, I know. Literally nowhere else in the world is that the case. People moving from tech in the US to tech in the UK sometimes need to take up to a 50% pay cut. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 20th May 2022 1:53pm)
  • Yeah, I live near Hampden and I get what OP is trying to say but a lot of football fans do in fact behave pretty badly in the blocks surrounding the stadium. Smashing bottles, fighting, pissing everywhere, openly doing coke and getting hammered, puking. This is never an issue with the national team supporters but the club supporters are certainly like that. Maybe it is different in pubs but in the city football supporters do a lot of things to reinforce their negative reputation. No idea if rugby fans are as bad though. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Jun 2022 3:40am)
  • I live in Mount Florida very near Hampden. While there might be a little raucousness with the national team there is not even 10% as much antisocial behaviour as when club team supporters come through. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 4th Jun 2022 3:46pm)
  • No Scottish student in the history of fee paying education in Scotland has ever been turned away in favour of a Chinese student. The target and quotas are entirely separate. Which is typically to say there in no quota for fee paying students. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 7th Jun 2022 12:48pm)
  • That isn’t true so much anymore since the rules have changed. More listings than not are pet friendly. Has not been an issue for anyone I know recently. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 26th Jun 2022 9:54pm)
  • Jesus, you sound fun. I reckon the root of your problem is no one wants to go to the pub with a miserable bastard that instantly judges the rest of people there for the clothes they wear or the accent they have.so you just end up sitting in the corner alone getting all pissed off at the people there enjoying themselves. I actually think Allison Arms has a nice mix of old regulars and young transplants. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 3rd Jul 2022 7:01am)
  • Why? Because I’m not an active arsehole? Why do you care so much what other people are wearing? Why do you let it bother you so much? Also what’s wrong with wool jumpers? Isn’t that just kind of standard adult clothing? What do you think people should be wearing? If they are wearing anything aside from a football top are they just going to be judged as annoying hipsters by you? by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 3rd Jul 2022 5:16pm)
  • >Charing Cross for the best example of this LOL. Funny you should say this. Just this morning at the light at Charing Cross I saw someone getting honked at as he was on his phone and eating a sandwich at the same time and then pulled through the light real fast driving with his elbows. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 13th Jul 2022 12:41pm)
  • It is absurd. The local facebook pages are a cesspit of this stuff too. On the Battlefield one the other day people were complaining about the proposal to make Battlefield road more pedestrian friendly around the old hospital (desperately needed as some pedestrians have actually been killed there) saying it would kill all the shops there as out of town shoppers wouldn't bother. Do they really think people are driving into this decidedly residential neighborhood to visit the Sainsbury's or Dominos on Battlefield road? by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 13th Jul 2022 12:46pm)
  • We absolutely should be putting people off of driving individual cars into town and bolstering viable alternatives. It will need to happen eventually as the current way we use motorised transport is simply not sustainable and will eventually need to change. Even with EVs it doesn't work long term. We need to all get used to the idea of cities being for people eventually. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 13th Jul 2022 12:51pm)
  • It is absolutely absurd how many clearly and obviously dangerous junctions there are in the southside of Glasgow. That is certainly one of them. We need pelican or zebra crossings in a lot more places particularly in that area as it is heavily residential and a lot of the population that actually live there are often cyclists and pedestrians. I actually wrote to the council through their website to ask if crossings could be investigated in for several junctions that I observed to be particularly dangerous. I even included screengrabs of google maps to show where I was talking about. The intersection you mentioned was one of them. I got a generic response saying they would respond in 10 days and then never heard from them again. It is really only a matter of time before people are hurt in some of these junctions unfortunately. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 13th Jul 2022 2:19pm)
  • The junction near my house is a pretty short light. I would say far more often than not people are speeding through straight red lights neverminded amber. Like if you stood on that corner and watched 10 cycles i bet at least 8 would have people sneaking through the light. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 13th Jul 2022 2:23pm)
  • Reading that back it was confusing. I meant 10 light cycles. Not bicycles. I was talking about cars running the reds. I don't really care about bicycles going through for the reasons you mentioned. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 13th Jul 2022 3:24pm)
  • Yeah getting pissy with the delivery driver is not going to help anything. The only time I was annoyed with a delivery driver is when I didn't get my food at all once and they were arsey about it. I was tracking my order and could see plain as day they stopped at the wrong address, tried calling them to let them know they just dropped it at the wrong house number and they didn't pick up even though I tried like 5 times, so I went through the app and said my food wasn't delivered. Annoying they didn't have their phone on but I thought that was the end of it. The lady called me back like 3 hours later absolutely raging saying I was a scammer and she absolutely did deliver my food and that she had pictures. I said the app said it was at the wrong address despite her having the correct address (she dropped it 11 and I live at 15 tried the buzzer there but got no response which isn't surprising) and I mentioned I tried to call and she got all angry saying she has two phones and had left this one at home and only just saw the missed calls. She swore up and down she was going to fight this and she had photos and could prove I was a scammer and I just hung up on her. I did get my money back through the app eventually though. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 14th Jul 2022 9:51am)
  • You just aren’t looking if that is the case. I would say at MOST light cycles during rush hour in Glasgow a car speeds through a red. I could stand at the light by my flat and film a hundred pretty easily during rush hour. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 18th Aug 2022 5:47am)
  • But the Everyman is a completely flat 3 minute walk from Central Station? by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 20th Aug 2022 7:37am)
  • Yeah the subway is great if you live/work in the select city centre locations it is available from, you are disabled in anyway, you don't ever need to travel that early or that late. If you meet those criteria it is grand! by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 12th Sep 2022 4:39pm)
  • Well you need both to be honest. Purpose built student accommodation gets students out of the private rental market which is good for non-students looking to buy or let. Not many young families can compete with a group of 3 students all paying £600 a month in rent but if they are in student halls that rent can fall. We actually do need more purpose built student accommodation we just need it to also be reasonably priced. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 11:54am)
  • Actually, yes it is. Purpose built student accommodation gets student renters out of the private market which lowers rents and prices for non-students. That is exactly why you see such an organised campaign against it, if you drill down into that you will see that is mostly coming from private landlords. A landlord would much rather rent a dump of a 3 bedroom flat to 3 students paying £600 each than to a young family who might be able to pay £1000 and will expect the flat to be upkept. Getting students out of the private rental market is a good thing. Almost all the the organised opposition to purpose built student accommodation is coming from private landlords. They are more often than not the guys you want in your corner. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 11:58am)
  • The unis don't own those buildings so won't be assigning anything. They are very expensive but will be available to anyone willing to pay. Doesn't help OP though as they are all booked as well. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 12:01pm)
  • There is a housing crisis across all sectors in Glasgow. Indeed the most effective way to fix that is to increase stock. There really isn't going to be a magic bullet solution that doesn't involve increasing stock here. Literally every single student accommodation in the west end is fully booked and students in shared flats are not paying much less than £600 a month. We either need fewer students or more stock. But again this isn't just a student issue so I guess you would need to say broadly Glasgow either needs fewer people or more housing stock. I think the only practical answer here is more housing stock. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 1:11pm)
  • Well they are all booked so clearly there are a lot of students wanting to live in them. It certainly used to be the case that student halls were more expensive but with how crazy Glasgow rents have gone that often isn't true anymore. For example look at this one: [https://wearehomesforstudents.com/student-accommodation/glasgow/firhill-court/bronze-ensuite](https://wearehomesforstudents.com/student-accommodation/glasgow/firhill-court/bronze-ensuite) From £105 to £115 a week including all utilities, internet, and furnishings. You really aren't beating that in the private rental market even sharing a flat. At least not anywhere in Glasgow. We need a few thousand more rooms like that. Would go a long way in easing the housing crisis in Glasgow, not just for students but for everyone. Of course we don't need the £200 pound a week ones we need more like the one I posted. I don't think students really need anything more than that to be honest. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 2:05pm)
  • >You build huge amounts of student accommodation to fit thousands of students cheaply then what? Where do they all go afterwards? Even if they stay the full 4 years in halls, they still have to find a flat or leave the city next. To the buoyant housing market you have helped create by getting students out of the private rental sector and by keeping stock outpacing demand. People who are in the first years of their career are not usually in a position to spend much more for their housing than when they were students. In many case they will have less. Young professionals, young families, and students all competing in a private rental market benefits absolutely no one except landlords. Student accommodation is not a "if you build it they will come" scenario. Even just a couple years ago it was a pretty competitive market that favoured the renter. We can get the stock to where it meet our projected needs which will help relieve the housing crisis not stretch it further. Good quality, affordable, but not at all fancy student accommodation is indeed part of the solution. Yeah, I am sure a lot of students would prefer to have a one bedroom to themselves in the west end but tough shit they are students. We really need long term flats to be for long term residents. En suite rooms with shared living space and kitchen is very close to sharing a flat anyways. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 2:29pm)
  • >my point was that student accommodation doesn't really serve to alleviate the problem you describe above in any meaningful way. I could not disagree with this more. Building more housing stock for distinct needs across the entire market will only serve to alienate the issue. High quality, affordable student accommodation that takes students out of competition with families/professional looking to buy or let private accommodation helps literally everyone but private landlords. "As far as I can tell, student admission rates at Glasgow uni haven't really changed in the last decade" This is categorically and fundamentally incorrect. Glasgow Uni alone went from just over 28,000 total students in 2017 to just over 37,000 total students in 2020. Strathclyde, Caledonian, UWS all will have also seen significant increases in this time. This can be verified using the latest [HESA](https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-study) data. This issue is not going away without new stock or fewer people in Glasgow. I know it is the cool thing to knock student accommodation here and people are eager to fit in but people who really know about this stuff know that more stock is crucial. Your proposals make sense and should be done as well but mine is the one that tackles the root cause. What you propose is not really going to make a dent unless you think Glasgow has 10,000+ airbnbs (it doesn't). by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 4:10pm)
  • >(I couldn't find data on this on admission numbers, Wikipedia says Glasgow uni has maintained a relatively steady number for a decade, so was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on that particular point, but you seem to be unwittingly arguing on my side of the debate.) I linked the HESA website mate. It provides a very easy to navigate graph with total student population by year. I can only lead a horse to water. You are likely only looking at/considering undergraduate numbers which is tripping you up. There are many hundreds of factors bringing more students to the UK broadly and Glasgow specifically and "they just built some new private student halls" isn't a significant one. The biggest single factor has been the reintroduction of post-study work which allows international students to work in the UK for a number of years after their course. That has had a monumental impact. You are making the classic mistake of getting correlation and causation confused. The additional halls have been a very minor contributing factor in the overall increase in the student population. I understand your points just fine they are just not very strong ones. A huge portion of the increased student population is postgraduate who need accommodation for only one year. Many of them will be away down south and into the job market as soon as they are done. I would reckon 90% or more of Glasgow Uni's increase has been in one year postgraduate students. If you were making a list of the top 100 leading experts on the subject of housing stock in the UK my name would 100% be on that list. So trust me when I say, we need more stock, we need more stock, we need more stock. That is THE long term solution. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 5:08pm)
  • Yes! Thank you! Finally someone speaking sense. This discussion has to be more nuanced than “student accommodation and international students are terrible” which are of course the prevailing narratives here. The issue is so much more complex than that. As you say, building student accommodation reduces competition for permanent housing stock and benefits the housing market for everyone except landlords. People here are unwittingly arguing for higher rents and richer landlords. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 5:42pm)
  • Jesus tap dancing Christ. Of course increased numbers of students puts pressure on the housing market, that is what I am saying. But the root cause of the increased student population is not building new halls and the solution is to increase stock and take as many students as possible out of the private rental market that is being shared broadly across not just student populations. How is that hard to understand? Build, build, build. Affordable housing, social housing, student accommodation. We need ALL of it. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Sep 2022 6:15pm)
  • I personally think (as do a lot of economists btw) that the UK housing market is poised for a major correction. Which makes sense as obviously a 10%+ annual growth is not sustainable or even sane. This is not necessarily an issue if you intend to be in your property for 10 year or so but for shorter term it could be a bad call to buy right now. Many people in America who bought right before 2008 only got back above water during the covid property boom. WAY too many people are over leveraged on their mortgages just now and with interest rates doing what they are it is a recipe for disaster. Borrow with a BIG cushion. Property values shot up over 10% over covid with people needing to borrow to their absolute limit and with rising interest rates, inflation, and cost of living, we are likely to see a lot of people unable to afford their properties and looking to offload quick. Might be a good time to grab a deal but the property market might be real volatile for a while. Borrow well with in your means in a place you can stay put in and you should be OK, might even get a bargain, but don't over borrow. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 10:49am)
  • Prices will fall. Almost 100% certainty. Covid property values were a bubble for sure. Everyone knew it at the time. If OP has a large deposit saved so could still get approval for a mortgage than they could wait. The issue is that when the bubble does inevitably deflate (if not burst entirely) than mortgages will be much harder to come by. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 10:53am)
  • Could be. I think that is unlikely though. Over covid property values went up over 10% per year. that simply is not sustainable. Property values have dropped noticeably in the last 6 months and may or may not have reached the bottom. I think everyone acknowledges we are heading into a recession if not already in one. That could well depress property values. The average full time wage in Glasgow is around £30K and that figure is not rising and there is a lot of external pressures on that (inflation, cost of living, utility costs). That effectively limits what people can actually borrow and afford to pay with rising interest rates. I just went and popped my income and outgoings into a mortgage calculator and the figure it spat out was absurd. If you are earning £50K a year and can put a down a decent deposit than sure buy a £190K flat. Bu I would caution against what I have seen some people I know do recently where they get a deposit together via bereavement or family support, borrow to the hilt, and end up with a mortgage that can't actually afford if there are any external pressures on their finances. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 11:56am)
  • >also forgot to add most people who bought over Covid are also likely to be on 3-5 years fixed term so their financial situation won’t be affected for some time. Inflation is up 18% this time last year. Everyone is already being affected financially albeit by factors outwith their mortgage. I know several people looking to sell flats they have bought recently and downgrade a bit as their outgoings are no longer compatible with their mortgages. It won't be 2008 but it will be a correction. Wages in Glasgow are still relatively low for the value of the properties. The days of a 2 bedroom in Govanhill being £234K will come to an end in my opinion. Now is a good time for a cautious purchase within ones means but I would caution to borrow to the hilt. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 12:02pm)
  • >Dreading my mortgage deal being up in a few years. Will probably have to sell up before then. You are far from alone here. It is a brewing problem across the entire housing market. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 12:48pm)
  • You are kind of arguing against other points you have made elsewhere in this thread. Cheap debt, cheap gas and petrol, cheap food, we became accustomed to all of it. I 100% agree. The natural consequence of restricted access to credit in the mortgage market is falling property values, especially when combined with a wider recession and a hitherto unprecedented cost of living crisis and a stagnating median wage. Property values are going to correct and that correction is down. I know people don't want to hear that, especially if they bought recently but it is almost certainly true. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 2:24pm)
  • The market was real insane there for a bit. Absolutely there were flats going for that much on the nicer streets in Govanhill. Go even a 10 minute walk over to Mount Florida (nice but not astounding) and things were going for 300+. Battlefield and Landside even higher than that. For flats. It got really out of hand and people are over leveraged now and could very quickly become underwater. There is a major correction coming. Especially if the Tory leadership plods on with their plans which seem designed with the express intention of exacerbating the inflation crisis. The IMF is not taking the near unheard of step of criticising Britain's internal finances for fun. There is the potential for absolute ruin on the horizon. I know that people don't like gloom and doom but we would do well to plan for the worst and hope for the best. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 2:35pm)
  • Someone earing £40K has the buying power of someone earning roughly £32K 12 months ago. Less when you factor in energy costs. If wages (even professional wages) continue to plummet in real terms housing prices have nowhere to go but down. The supply will begin to outpace the demand and a lot of people will be pushed off the ladder altogether. People will sacrifice living standards for the mortgage to a point. 2008 taught us nothing if not that. We are going to find out again. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 7:08pm)
  • Everything you said is 2007 America to a T. A nurse earning 30k and a cop at 34k should absolutely under no circumstances borrow over 300k for a mortgage. A three bedroom detached that now costs 400 a month in utilities. With salaries effectively being cut 20% across the board, upcoming strikes, likely council tax hikes, two cars that now cost 95 quid a piece to full with petrol, they can’t afford that. That is the problem. You are making my point. One of the biggest contributions to 2008 was mortgage brokers in America thinking people would sooner eat their shoes than miss the mortgage payments. They were very very very wrong. It is dangerous to make the same bet. It won’t be a choice of nights out or the mortgage it will be a choice of the electricity or the mortgage or the groceries or the mortgage. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 7:51pm)
  • Yeah exactly. People in this thread seem to be totally out of touch with just how out of hand things got. Or they are comforted by just saying out loud it isn't that bad. It is indeed that bad. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 9:39pm)
  • >So they would take home roughly about 4.3k a months and the mortgage would be 1.5k(ish) based on 3.5% You assuming they don't have a pension? Public sector contributions to pension funds were rocketing up even before this. The policeman and nurse in your scenario are paying 10% of their income for their pension. You assume they don't have a child? You assume they don't have a student loan? You assume they not only don't have a car but also would need no other transport with a cost to get to work? No car payment even for their one car? No insurance? Are they all walking to work? Can they afford to live where that is possible? They also are paying 20% more for their groceries now than they were 12 months ago. Plus more for their phones, their energy, their clothes, etc. That £1000 "cushion" you are banking on might have existed 5 years ago but they might now have like £100-£200 or so tops. One home repair, one redundancy, one car repair, etc. "Trust me very few people will choose a car or restaurants over their house." Ohhhhhhhh shit. This statement has me very nervous. Please for the love God don't tell me you are a mortgage broker, a financial analyst, or maybe Kwasi's reddit account. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 9:35pm)
  • RemindMe! 6 months ​ I hope to God you are right about everything. unfortunately I just don't think it is the case. Who knows. Perhaps the Tories have it well in hand and prosperity is just around the corner. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Sep 2022 9:42pm)
  • Our central bank aggressively stepped into the bond market yesterday and used foreign cash reserves to buy bonds to just temporarily stabilise our markets. If this ain’t a disaster it will do until one gets here. Go try and login to your pension fund. If you are anything like most Britons it is going to say there is a technical error and not show you. Technical error my ass they are desperately trying to prevent a run on pension funds and trying to minimise panic. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Sep 2022 7:14am)
  • Yes, this can likely all be salvaged but it is absolutely imperative that the current Tory leadership but the country ahead of their personal political ambitions. How do you like our odds? Anything short of Liz and Kwasi committing seppuku at the shrine of our lady of the stable pound is not going to be enough. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Sep 2022 9:19am)
  • The guy sounds like he was out of line but you really should pay more attention to your surrounding and not walk in bike lanes while not paying attention. I see so many people absent mindedly wandering in and out of bike lanes in front of cyclists it is absurd. If you are on an active transport lane not paying attention walking in front of vehicles and the worst that happens to you is you get shouted at I think you are pretty fortunate frankly. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 13th Oct 2022 7:57am)
  • That isn't partially your fault at all. That is entirely the fault of the cyclist. He is the one on the vehicle he needs to slow down and take care not to put you in danger. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 13th Oct 2022 8:02am)
  • I guess mate. I think it would be so weird to tip an electrician. Even in the tip happy US they don't do that. I think most trades people would just be confused if you walked up to them and tried to tip them. Not saying it isn't nice but it is certainly strange. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 18th Oct 2022 3:04pm)
  • Yeah, I have once seen a cyclist try and argue with the on train staff when he was told to get his bike out of the wheelchair spot so a wheelchair could go there. The bike spots were full so he was told to get the next service and make way for the wheelchair and he got all pissy and carried on for several minutes with a whole trainload of people tutting at him. Don’t be that guy and you should be fine. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 22nd Oct 2022 5:06am)
  • That was the problem it was a Cathcart circle train during rush hour. Absolutely no room anywhere. That might sometimes happens if you have a bike (although not often) and you just need to be prepared to hop off. The train staff will absolutely chose 3 additional people over one additional bike which really is fair enough. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 22nd Oct 2022 9:02am)
  • It wouldn’t really matter if there wasn’t a next service though right? If the train is full with people standing and the cycle spots and wheelchair spots are already taken you need to take your bike off. Again, it doesn’t happen often but you should be prepared to miss a train if it does. Reasonable allowances are made for cycles but if the train is full than it’s full and you are the one with the oversized object. Themes the breaks by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 22nd Oct 2022 9:48am)
  • You clearly don’t take peak time trains from the Southside or any train that services a stadium like Hampden. These are frequently absolutely packed and sometimes even just people standing have to wait for the next train let alone a bloody bike. If the bike spots are full and there isn’t enough room for all the passengers it is ABSOLUTELY on to ask the bike to get off. End of I’m afraid. People taking public transit are also using green transport so your environment argument is a bit silly here. The fact is if every passenger brought a bike it wouldn’t work. They make reasonable allowances but if they are full it is on you. I have been unable to get a pram on the train before ffs. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 22nd Oct 2022 10:40am)
  • Yeah this guy has himself all bent out of shape thinking that OP is apparently a crazy person who expects the driver to load the car for them even though they didn't say that and nobody would ever expect that. If it safely fits in the car without the potential to damage the interior then it is the drivers job to get on with it and drive the car. Simple as that really. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Nov 2022 3:44pm)
  • What the hell are you talking about? I don't see anywhere in the post where OP was expecting the driver to load the items into the car. Nobody expects that. You're seeing ghosts there buddy. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Nov 2022 3:40pm)
  • No you didn't? You jumped right to it isn't their job to load stuff into the car and then a weird thing about loading a washing machine. Obviously no sane person expects that and OP gave zero indication that was the ask. OP's post wasn't that unclear they just don't want a pissy diva of a driver giving them shite over a perfectly reasonable service request so is seeking other options. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Nov 2022 3:47pm)
  • But unless OP is a crazy person they would not have expected the driver to load the car? That never happens. No one would expect that. Like we assume the OP didn't ask for all the cash from the drivers wallet as well and if they did they would be the arse here because that would be crazy. ​ Nobody and I really mean nobody would expect the driver to load their shopping from IKEA into a car. I think you just assumed the worst here. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Nov 2022 4:22pm)
  • I was clearly inferring the driver giving them attitude was the pissy diva not you. You have trouble making out pretty clear points which is why your comments are getting downvoted to hell. It is orders of magnitude more likely they had a pissy driver than they expected an absurd service from them that literally no sane person would expect. I have had drivers complain to me about tips, brown people and immigrants, using cards, they are often a bit of a whinging bunch in my experience. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Nov 2022 4:28pm)
  • Yeah, places like Byres road really should just be pedestrianised. Much better for all parties. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 16th Nov 2022 8:23pm)
  • Long term I think it makes more sense to start designing the city around people rather than cars. In much of the world a place Byres road would be pedestrianised entirely and then it would really thrive and be a cool place. Add some cobbles to the street and it becomes Instagram porn at that point. Should really be what happens. No real point having cars trying to navigate that space. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 16th Nov 2022 8:26pm)
  • Indeed. Imagine an Ashton lane that ran from Great Western to Dumbarton Road. It would do really well, would bring in loads of tourists, and would be a really pleasant spot to spend a day. Pedestrianisation makes things nicer for people in cities and it should be done more readily. A recent study in Boston found that footfall to local business rose by 61% on average across 15 pedestrianisation projects. We should be doing it left and right honestly. George square, Stockbridge in Edinburgh, even parts of the Southside in Glasgow, should all be up for pedestrianisation projects. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Nov 2022 12:43pm)
  • Be honest though. You just drive to the shopping centres now don't you? There is research on this. The vast majority of regular visitors to the city centre do not drive. There will be more room for deliveries and more demand for taxis. I talked to a taxi driver about this recently and they were delighted about it. Fewer cars in city centre means more fares for them. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 2:32pm)
  • The data doesn't support this. Footfall in the city centre was up 11.8% YOY in Glasgow city centre and was down a whopping 27.6% in the shopping centres outside Glasgow. [Source.](https://www.insider.co.uk/news/footfall-decline-dreich-scottish-retailers-28629476) A recent study in Boston found that pedestrianisation increased commercial footfall by over 65% YOY. Think about all the great shopping areas and nightlife areas in the world. Fifth avenue, Champs elysee, Brick lane, the French quarter. What makes them desirable? Is it the abundance of parking or is it those spaces are designed for people? Your assertions are not rational or data supported this is the very definition of feels over reals. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 2:46pm)
  • This argument always confuses me. Going to the City Centre and going to Silverburn are not at all the same thing. I suspect this is only said by the rabid facebook commentors who never actually go to either. Siverburn is dying just now with a more than 25% YOY reduction in footfall so the simple fact is that people aren't going to Silverburn. People are just pissed there is a movement away from car infrastructure and are lashing out while ignoring the benefits and the data that illustrates them. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 2:53pm)
  • The data does not support this assertion. The shopping centres outside Glasgow are dying and the footfall is in absolute freefall while city centre footfall is increasing. Very few people drive into Glasgow to visit a restaurant in the evening and those that do do so infrequently. The meat and potatoes of the city centre trade is in pedestrian footfall and it makes sense to accept the reality and adapt to it. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 2:50pm)
  • >Probably 80% of my shopping is at the shopping centres. You are in the minority there and it makes little sense to build a city around people in your exact situation when the data doesn't support it. Braehead is in administration. Silverburn has seen a huge YOY reduction of footfall of over 25% despite there being fewer Covid restrictions this year. While footfall in Glasgow city centre is up 12% YOY and is nearly back at pre-pandemic levels. Malls the world over are dying as the business model no longer makes sense so to double down on them now is madness. City centres are for people and should be designed that way. The research indicates this helps businesses and is better for the people living, visiting, and working there. You should continue to enjoy the shopping centres while they are still around, lord knows they need the custom. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 3:01pm)
  • You likely don't go to the city centre as it is. The malls are in a really tough way financially which is a trend that is seen the world over. The city centre in contrast is doing really well despite the reduction in car traffic. The number of parking spaces in city centre is at 50% capacity at a push as it is and the malls are already failing so I am not sure what benefit you think there is in making the city centre more car centred? What are you suggesting exactly? Should we level the cathedral and the city chambers and build massive parking structures? by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 3:10pm)
  • Hopefully you are an ltd. Should help things especially if you aren't looking to continue the business. Expect the mother of all fights from your landlord unfortunately. Commercial landlords are absolutely shitting themselves just now as the rise of WFH and online shopping squeezes them in all directions. Hard to feel bad for them as they have just printed money since the end of WWII but commercial property were down 57% in Glasgow the last quarter and as the energy and COL crisis continues to linger and the threat of recession continues to rise that isn't looking like it will change. Your landlord is going to really struggle to find another renter so is going to do everything possible to have you stay. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 2nd Dec 2022 3:20pm)
  • >You;re shite with money ifyou think 400 a month isn't enough. I kind of get some of what you are trying to say in your comments (although I think bragging about your income like this is insecure af in my opinion and is not something I would do personally) but if you are on six figures and end the month with less than £400 in disposal income than I am not sure you are in the position to be casting the "shite with money" stone. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 11th Dec 2022 10:02pm)
  • So no fruits or vegetables at all? This might work to weather you through the COL crisis but you might want to look at that long term. Maybe throw in some bags of spinach here and there as what you are describing is pretty far from being a balanced diet and you likely have some deficiencies just now if that is how you have been eating. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 12th Dec 2022 12:55pm)
  • I never quite understand these comments. So you make a cauliflower macaroni and cheese for £4. How? I am assuming you are using not butter, milk, mustard, breadcrumbs, nothing like that or else there is just no possible way that can be accurate. Do you just melt some cheese over cooked pasta and boiled cauliflower and call it a day? You don't mention any breakfast beyond having a cereal bar which is basically just refined sugar, You get several meals from minimal amounts of food (I am guessing neither your partner or you have very active lifestyles but still). Putting your meals into a calories counter for the the first day indicates you are running on 1650 calories using standard packaging sizes from Aldi. Are you supplementing that somehow? Are you both quite overweight and working on losing weight just now. For your first meal I bumped you up to 2 pack of pancetta and a full 500 grams of pasta and you are still looking at just under 1500 calories which is divided into 4 meals so like 375 calories per meal. I work out a lot so require a lot more calories but outlining what you did there I am guessing you are mistaken in your spend. Unless you are supplementing you caloric intake with this £30 of booze which would not exactly be the picture of health. Are we talking three bottles of Glenns vodka or 2 bottles of wine? Either way with your low caloric intake and presumably pretty sedentary lifestyle you are likely drinking too much mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 12th Dec 2022 1:25pm)
  • House and pet sitting are usually services people pay for? I doubt anyone wants to "loan" your stuff and look after it from the goodness of their heart mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 20th Dec 2022 10:53am)
  • Very,very,very,very few shops in Glasgow don’t take cars anymore. It was more or less a death sentence if you cling to that through covid and those shops that did are likely shut by now. It only now really comes up for taxi drivers, window washers, builders, dog walkers, those sort of jobs. And yes a fair few of them are likely cheating the tax man in addition to avoiding fees. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Jan 2023 6:25pm)
  • Cool if that’s what worked in your city but that hasn’t been the case in Glasgow and this is the Glasgow subreddit. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Jan 2023 6:39pm)
  • Huh? Pouring water on the stones definitely makes the sauna hotter. Most saunas I have seen in the UK don’t have stoves anyways. They are centrally controlled and aren’t steam saunas. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Jan 2023 5:28pm)
  • Sorry to hear all this. It sounds really stressful. Are you absolutely sure your CV isn’t the issue? Are you applying for the right kind of roles? There is a labour shortage in Glasgow just now in a lot of industries so the job market is pretty good. Are you apply for hospitality and food service jobs? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 6:36am)
  • That is what has me slightly confused. There is a definite labour shortage just now. In hospitality it is at almost crisis levels. A job should be relatively easy to come by just now. In my office we have been trying to hire straightforward administrator jobs (around £26K a year) and have been really struggling. Five years ago these posts would have had 200+ applications the last one we advertised had fewer than 30. One of the big issues with our economy just now. You have BOE executives going on TV and saying "unfortunately we need unemployment to rise before inflation can fall" apparently not realising that it is awfully hard for unemployment to go up when there is a massive labour shortage largely fuelled by changing demographics. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 11:57am)
  • Have you tried Care Assistant jobs? Working in a care home is hard work but the sector is understaffed by literally 30,000 posts in Scotland alone. Try Four Seasons and Bupa and all the big providers. I am sure you will get something very quickly. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 12:04pm)
  • >You’re painting these women as some sort of nazi monsters. They are literally reading passages from Mein Kampf at their rallies. The nazi association is quite fair and it one they themselves are making. Wake up. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 4:18pm)
  • >ut trying to stop people from speaking or demonstrating is something the Nazis probably would have done. How is counter protesting doing this? Counter protestors have as much right to advocate their cause. Nazis were actual pretty famous for not allowing any decent at their rallies and banning opposition. Haven't you ever wondered why you don't see any counter demonstrations in all that old Nazi rally footage? Never taken the time to think that much huh? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 4:25pm)
  • Well, Many thousands of people commuting to work walk through it everyday no problem. It is a popular place for drug activity but if you are just a random person it is absolutely fine. It is well lit, crowded and has a pretty heavy police presence. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 5:43pm)
  • Yeah I agree. Battlefield, Shawlands, Mount Florida, are not very car centric and really shouldn’t be in my opinion. If anything they should do more to reduce car ownership and parking in these places. The proposed works in battlefield are a great start. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 8:38pm)
  • Much of the trendy southside is not really car friendly and getting less so. In general great for the people who live there and the city in general but if you need a car it likely isn’t the best option. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Jan 2023 8:41pm)
  • "Calling someone a fucking stupid cunt isn’t a term of endearment." ​ I never quite get this one. There is a huge cross-section of Glasgow society where this is also very much the case and speaking that way would be very frowned upon, especially in 2023. A lot of young dudes think how they talk in the pub with their mates represents the generally accepted way of doing things when it is far from universal. You will only really find yourself in trouble with this if you are shite at reading a room. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 9:04am)
  • But assuming people on benefits are thieves is pretty shitty isn't it? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 1:18pm)
  • That just isn't true. The SIMD targets the Scottish government have imposed are pretty representative and some universities have already met them. No foriegn student is taking a place from a Scottish student and SIMD 20-40 applicants get MUCH lower offer conditions than literally anyone else who applies. That is having a big impact. There is of course work to be done but the demographics of university classes have already changed a lot. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 1:14pm)
  • Ok? So? There are many more Universities in Scotland than Edinburgh? And I would reckon a huge portion of those are postgraduate students which are a totally different kettle of fish. Look at same data for undergraduate students than do that for UWS, Caledonian, Strathclyde, Napier, Herriot Watt, Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, even at the ancient high ranked places there will be a much larger if not majority of undergraduate students being Scottish and a big portion of them being SIMD 20-40. Which is of course by design. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 1:22pm)
  • Whoops you left out the next line and didn't link the article as it hurts your case: This makes the University of Edinburgh ranks lowest in Scotland for admissions to students from state schools – and even lower than the University of Cambridge. Edinburgh Uni has a particularly long way to go but you are talking about it like it is the only university in Scotland which it isn't. It also isn't representative of a larger trend as it is particularly bad for this as pointed out in your own source. What percentage of undergraduate students at Caledonian, Napier, UWS, Robert Gordon, and Abertay, do you suppose are privately educated? I would be shocked if it was 2%. Obviously Edinburgh Uni has some work to do but you aren't getting even close to a full picture here. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 1:30pm)
  • OK I will use a University that is a particularly good example like you used one that is bad. UWS has 30% of their undergraduate class coming from the bottom 20% of income areas in Scotland which means that SIMD student are overrepresented in the University. [Source.](https://www.uws.ac.uk/media/5832/uws-outcome-agreement-2019-20.pdf) A hard working kid from a less than great background has excellent odd at University here in Scotland. They really do. Your perception is VERY outdated and narrow. This is a fairly recent change so if this is upsetting you because you feel like you didn't really have a shot at Uni please don't feel that way as it could have been the case at the time. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 1:42pm)
  • See my other comment. But here I can give some more. According to the Scottish government these universities have already exceed the 20% of student body coming from bottom 20% households: GCU 14K GSA 1.6K RCS 900 Strathclyde 16K UWS 13.5K I have included their undergraduate class sizes as well so you can see this likely does counteract Edinburgh Uni not quite being there yet. Most Universities in Scotland are currently sitting at around 16-18 percent so should get to the 20% soon. Do you need more? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 1:50pm)
  • No you aren't getting this quite right. How the SIMD project works is 20% of the undergraduate home student body must come from the bottom 20% of households according to the SIMD index. There is further target of 40% coming from the bottom 40% but you never see that talked about anymore as it was met almost instantly. If you walk through a classroom at UWS the student you meet there will be just as likely to be from a working class background as someone you met on the street in Scotland. That was the aim of the SIMD system and there are a lot of universities who have been successful in it. Universities in Scotland are basically divided in two. There is the Scottish university side which is made up of all the students getting an entirely free education from the Scottish government and the international side where they can charge fees. The Scottish government goes to each university each year and says: Alright you get 5000 spots of fully sponsored students that the Scottish government pays for. The rules are they must be Scottish and, recently, that 20% of them come from the bottom 20% of income households and 40% must come from the bottom 40% of households. They don't care how many foriegn or English students the university takes and don't limit that as they aren't paying for that. What they demand is that the university makes its Scottish student numbers and that they represent the Scottish population in terms of income. Places like Edinburgh Uni are very very high ranked and have a global reputation so they will get whole lots of people coming from England, China, America, etc, wanting to come. Someplace like UWS (although a perfectly fine uni) does not have that kind of reach so will be almost entirely Scottish students. Scottish students in Scottish universities do tend to represent the income demographics of the country. Not entirely but getting very close. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 2:14pm)
  • Your employer pays your VAT? Do they follow you around when you do your clothes shopping to make sure they cover it or do you send them the receipts afterward? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 2:21pm)
  • I have provided loads you just aren't looking at it as you don't want to hear it for some reason. Can lead a horse to water. It is clear nothing I can say or show you is going to change your perception. You have your narrative and you are sticking to it god damn it, you never let facts get in the way of a good narrative! I am done trying to explain it to you mate. If you actually want to learn and be properly educated go along to university open day or ask their widening participation office, they will likely sit down and explain it to you. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 2:56pm)
  • UWS, Strathclyde, GCU, Robert Gordon, Abertay, Dundee, Highlands and Islands, Napier, Herriot Watt, Strathclyde, Aberdeen, all these places don't even register on the HESA privately educated list so fewer of 2% of their students are privately educated. I encourage you to go look it up. You do need to register on the HESA website though. The university on that list with the with the highest percentage of international students is Strathclyde with 18% but it will likely be way less than that if you take out postgraduate, likely more like 5%. Add that to the fact that many of these universities have met their SIMD targets or are very close and you are going to be left with an undergraduate population that pretty closely represents the wider Scottish population. You just are mate. I don't know what to tell you. I even tried to see if I could possibly make the numbers support your point and there just is no way to do it. Sorry, it really seems like you have some portion of your identify wrapped up in this which is making you reject the figures. It is true you aren't going to go to a university that has 90% people from the bottom 20% of SIMD households because it wouldn't make all that much sense to over-represent like that. But your view that the majority of Uni students across all institutions in Scotland will be wealthy or or privately educated just is not true. There was a time this was true but it isn't anymore. The facts and figures simply don't agree with you here. Sorry mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 3:28pm)
  • It’s listed so there is little chance of that happening. It is being done up. If that is done properly it should look nice. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 8:08pm)
  • I like it. Nice to have some modern buildings sprinkled in. Although I don’t think it is the nicest of the old college buildings. The Oakley building on Cathedral street could be genuinely great when done up. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 19th Jan 2023 8:11pm)
  • You are extremely unlikely to get any of the things back. I would more or less write them off in all honesty. You can try logging in to iCloud and finding the MacBook but it is unlikely to lead to anything. You have renters insurance right? They should be your next call after the police. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 20th Jan 2023 8:20am)
  • Really? Not even content cover for your flat or home insurance if you own? That is crazy risky. A basic content cover plan is pretty affordable, certainly something to look into. Also you can pay a wee bit more to have particularly valuable things like bikes, wedding rings, and laptops, covered when out of the house. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 20th Jan 2023 4:59pm)
  • Glasgow Uni degrees are in Latin as well. Something that more old fashioned universities do sometimes. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 21st Jan 2023 12:41am)
  • Don't quite get this. Leaving a few coins (usually around 10% tbh) after a table service meal has been very common literally my entire adult life. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 12:19pm)
  • I do tip my postman at Christmas. Think that is fairly common. Also, if you wanted to play devils advocate, a postie is on a significantly better wage than your average server. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 12:23pm)
  • A 10% tip in America will get you some real angry servers. 15-20% is much more common. 10% is see as the absolute bare minimum. The costs of eating out is on average a lot less though. Last time I was in America a few months ago I was shocked that I got a nicer draft beer in a charming little rural pub for £2.25. Didn't mind adding the customary $1 on that one. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 12:27pm)
  • How so? The comment said that tipping was infiltrating the UK when it has been a thing my whole life. How is that not the issue? by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 2:37pm)
  • They don't put it on automatically in the US either. While the hourly rates in America are absurdly low servers make a lot more money there because of the tips. If they were offered a salary in line with our living wage here I am 100% sure most servers in America would say absolutely not. A server in a busy place in a major America city can make £60K+ easy. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 2:36pm)
  • I was replying to the comment I replied to mate. Not the OP. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 2:51pm)
  • I get what you are saying but it is very famously how it works in North America. Not just the US either, similar in Canada, try tipping a Montreal bartender 10% and you are in for a bad night (one of the few places I have seen a server actually scream at someone for not tipping enough). The lower prices in North American restaurants are a direct result of the service staff making tips, when you go there it is polite to observe local protocols. Like when you go to some temples in India and you are supposed to give some money to the monks outside. Like sure you can be like "fuck that" and storm right past them but people are going to think you are a bit of a dick. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Jan 2023 2:50pm)
  • I take the train to and from work every single day with no issue whatsoever. Have had a licence since I was a teenager but have not owned a car since 2017. There are issues with our public transit but there are many places you can live in Glasgow with no car. I genuinely don’t want one. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 26th Jan 2023 8:00pm)
  • Yep, agree with you. Glasgow has unusually impatient and aggressive drivers in my opinion. If you walked around the city actually taking the priority given to pedestrians in the highway code it would not take you long at all to get knocked down. Drivers in Glasgow have very little patience for pedestrians. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 9:39am)
  • I have had my tickets next to my iPhone for 10 out of those 10 years. Never been an issue. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 8:19pm)
  • The queue for the gates and the queue for the gates are two separate things at my station. Certainly not people trying to buy tickets at the gate. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 8:20pm)
  • I think you misunderstand. We are talking about two different things. One is the queue for people who could not purchase tickets prior to arrival and therefore must do so. Separate from that there are people who have some form of ticket who go to the gates to exit and have tickets that don’t work and need the attendant to open said gate. Two entirely different groups of people. I agree it is strange that 30+ people on my morning train have malfunctioning tickets when I have never had one in a decade. This is why I asked the question. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 8:48pm)
  • My partner has only had one ticket not work also in ten years. It just seems so unlikely to not be afflicted by something that is seemingly a constant issue for many commuters every day. Often times I see the person trying to use the ticket is indeed standing too close to the gate or they put the ticket in upside down but surely that can’t explain all the instances. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 8:52pm)
  • I think there is verifiably a sensor on the gate that doesn’t allow you to go through if you are standing too close or try to move through too quickly. I don’t think that is a theory. The first thing the gate attendants say to people holding up their tickets at the gate is to step back so the gate will open. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 9:00pm)
  • Lol. Calm yourself down pal. Was just an innocent question was not meant to be something that deeply offends or upsets you. Deep breaths. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 10:26pm)
  • You are very clearly upset mate. I got a DM response from someone who works for Scotrail saying 95% of the time it is because people are trying to go through the gates too quick which triggers the sensors that don’t allow the gates to open. Very clearly most people in this thread did not know this and neither did I so my totally innocuous question was answered and I will make sure I continue to not do that. Every day is a school day pal try not to let it get you all worked up. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 27th Jan 2023 10:31pm)
  • Counter protesting is not silencing. Seem like common sense but is somehow always needing to be said when the "bUt BuT bUt....YoU!" crowd invariably shows up. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 29th Jan 2023 4:54pm)
  • I mean.... There is an enormous escalating land war in Europe and boiling tensions between the world's nuclear powers. How much more dangerous you want it sport? by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 29th Jan 2023 4:55pm)
  • The woman leading it has made videos with and publicly endorsed the likes of: Tommy Robinson and the BNP, The Proud Boys, The Minnesota Family Council, David Duke (Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan), Richard Spenser, and Sebastian Gorka. You cannot possibly deny an alt-right connection here unless you are an idiot. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 29th Jan 2023 5:01pm)
  • According to [Media Matters for America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Matters_for_America), Keen has repeatedly expressed support for far-right English activist [Tommy Robinson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Robinson_(activist)).[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Peltz-2) Trans Safety Network reported that Keen had made a series of YouTube streams about "grooming gangs", repeating unproven claims that a young girl was killed and eaten as kebab meat, and that her videos have had an increasing number of Tommy Robinson supporters promoting fascist protests.[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Links-56) [Hearts of Oak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Robinson_(activist)#Hearts_of_Oak), a far-right group, livestreamed their attendance in support of her Brighton rally.[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Hatchet-40) Members of the Independent Nationalist Network and Alpha Team Assemble, far-right groups which have protested drag story hour events alongside neo-nazis, also attended the rally.[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Rollmann-41) In October 2019, she appeared in an interview with [Jean-François Gariépy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois_Gari%C3%A9py), a far-right YouTuber who calls for a "white ethno-state" and has made videos with neo-Nazis [Richard B. Spencer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_B._Spencer) and [Mark Collett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Collett) as well as former [Ku Klux Klan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan) leader [David Duke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke). Keen later stated she did not realise he was a white nationalist. She also gave an interview to [Soldiers of Christ Online](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soldiers_of_Christ_Online&action=edit&redlink=1), later stating she wasn't aware it was linked to the far-right,[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Norris-5)[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Parsons-57)[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-Norris2-6) as well as an interview with [Sebastian Gorka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Gorka), previously [Deputy Assistant to the President](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Assistant_to_the_President) for Donald Trump.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellie-Jay_Keen-Minshull#cite_note-IGD-11) ​ Yep not alt-right at all. You have us all thoroughly convinced. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 29th Jan 2023 5:07pm)
  • She very openly and publicly supports Tommy Robinson and self described "White Ethno Nationists" she makes videos with them and makes no effort to hide her stance on these issues. How can you be so obtuse. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 29th Jan 2023 5:05pm)
  • Do you also think black people should have listened to the “other side of the argument” in their struggle for freedom? What a shite analogy that really illustrates how history is going to remember your side. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 29th Jan 2023 5:14pm)
  • Yeah, that is too bad for your partner but is an essential safety precaution. Loads of motor vehicles have flashing lights as well and we can't really do away with them either. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 6:36am)
  • I think the fact there aren’t other light sources is exactly why they have them on. Cyclists zooming around on shared paths in complete darkness is not a reasonable alternative. It is too bad for your partner but I imagine there are many things in the world that trigger this and many of those things are done in the interest of safety. Unfortunately that is kind of her problem to deal with as much as it is too bad. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 8:23am)
  • I suppose it would depend on how you explained it and whether or not the explanation was welcome or not. If someone is sitting next to their mate having a grumble about the bus and you come in with an “aktually the driver shortage is UK wide” than a gentle “fuck off mate” in response is well within bounds. If it is something someone is asking you to explain or is in response to an extreme outburst than fair enough. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 4:22pm)
  • I get it. But it depends if you are actually being helpful and are a welcomed participant in the conversation or are butting in. Really doesn't matter how well you are explaining things or how helpful you are trying to be. Sometimes people don't want random folk trying to explain stuff to them which is totally fair enough. I worked with a guy who was the worst for doing this. He was a nice guy, just had strange social skills that could really irk people. He would always lecture people on why things were the way they were and it would piss people off to no end even when he was totally right. I could totally see him trying to explain a bus driver shortage to a sopping wet co-worker who just wanted a grumble about how their bus didn't stop that morning lol. Got to learn to read the room. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 4:52pm)
  • I don't really know what you mean by "being toxic" but people aren't required to stand there and be lectured at by you if they don't want to. Sure it is nice to be nice but I wouldn't say it is "toxic" or representative of some wider social problem if people want a wee moan sometimes and to not appreciate being lectured to about it. As long as they are not being overly abusive or an arsehole to service staff I don't see the problem. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 5:02pm)
  • St Enoch centre? Like the shopping mall with the toy stores and new movie theatre? Lol think OP will be fine. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 5:32pm)
  • But he said St Enoch centre in his comment? Not St Enoch hotel. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Feb 2023 7:33pm)
  • On the really tall white tower blocks? Those are just light appointments on the unused roof part to make them less bleak looking. Nothing exciting I’m afraid. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 4th Feb 2023 10:33am)
  • Glasgow is absolutely shite for wheelchair users. Like shocking and unacceptably bad. You straight up can’t use the subway for example. Nor can you use the vast majority of train stations. The pavements, pedestrian provisions, even the lighted pedestrian crossings are all designed and maintained to be basically anti disabled. Like you I had never thought about it but I had a disabled friend who lives in Denmark visiting me a few months back and at the end of the trip she said “Glasgow seems really cool but it just isn’t for people like me” I had been really seeing her struggles all week and it is the only time I have been genuinely ashamed of my city. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 4th Feb 2023 11:48am)
  • A really broad Glasgow accent can be hard for others to pick up on especially when said really fast or mumbled. Most people who speak this way understand this and try and slow it down, drop some of the slang, and annunciate for the benefit of others but I have known people who will absolutely never do this for some reason. There are 100% people who ham it up in a slightly performative way but they are expecting to get some confused looks. I have lived in Glasgow a huge portion of my life and I still encounter people who lay it on so thick I can't understand them. Especially younger men it seems. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 6th Feb 2023 10:36am)
  • Lauriston is a good one south of the river as is Alison Arms. I would also say the State Bar in city centre is a good shout. Real classic pub. None of these really do food in a big way though. Some people would expect pub food at a signature pub so I guess it depends on what your criteria are. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 8th Feb 2023 4:55pm)
  • You think so? Why? Because it has nice beer? The interior is certainly not very pretentious and it is a pretty mixed crowd in there. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 11:12am)
  • There are very few consequences for it to be honest. The one recently acquitted where the bus driver turned off Battlefield road hitting a pedestrian who was already in the junction is a good example. I am not saying the bus driver should go to jail but his driving days should be over. He was turning off a road and hit a pedestrian in a junction. That is 100% his fault and is 100% against the law. I believe he wasn't trying to be a dangerous driver but he objectively is. The person who killed the pedestrian last week in the city centre was briefly arrested and then released without charge. The person who killed the pedestrian on the pavement by the Bridge street subway station was never charged. If you kill a pedestrian with your car there really aren't any consequences. Most the time they don't even get a driving ban. It is absolute madness. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 1:43pm)
  • Drivers in Glasgow drive like idiots. Glasgow has some of the worst drivers I have ever seen in the developed world. Aggressive, driving way too fast, gunning it at lights, constantly on phones. Driving is Glasgow needs to be way better policed. Red light cameras, more speed cameras, and harsher penalties for those caught. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 1:48pm)
  • If you were making a left turn at a T junction those police officers 100% had the priority. If that was the case it was some bloody cheek to tell them off. If you are making a turn at the junction you must give way to pedestrians even waiting to cross, even if they haven't entered the junction. This could not be made more clear in the highway code. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 1:53pm)
  • When last year? The changes to the highway code went into effect last January the 29th so unless it was between the 1st and the 28th you are full of it. What's the date of that picture. Also if the pedestrian had already entered the junction which it looks as though they had you still didn't have the right of way under the old rules. If they had one toe off the curb you were to yield. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 1:58pm)
  • London drivers are orders of magnitude better than Glasgow drivers. At least as it pertains to other road users. I know people will get riled up at that statement but it is the truth. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 2:00pm)
  • It is crazy. Also the number of drivers who turn into T junctions without even glancing over to see if the junction is clear is absolutely absurd. Glasgow drivers are actively bad. I feel like the driving tests either need to be administered more rigorously or more frequently. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 2:06pm)
  • The one last week was hit by a car that had crashed in the junction. Think she was hit on the pavement. This one was in a crossing but not sure if they know if they had the green man. On these city centre street you are very likely driving too fast or not paying proper attention if you are sending cars flying onto pavements or killing pedestrians on impact. A pedestrian has a 2.5% chance of being killed if they are hit at 25 mph and a 90% chance of being killed if hit at 40 mph. People drive way too fast in the city centre. This should be the first priority in curbing these incidents. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 3:01pm)
  • He was charged and already it went to court hence my use of the term acquitted. He did run over the pedestrian in the junction but was found not guilty in what was essentially a case of jury nullification. It was an accident so I don't think he should be buried under the jail but he should absolutely never be allowed to drive again. That seems sensible. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 4:43pm)
  • I have had a drivers licence in three different countries. I have owned a car in New York, in London, in Boston, and in Stockholm and unfortunately Glasgow is the most irresponsible when it comes to other road users. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 4:47pm)
  • Agreed pedestrians should look but they should also take their right of way when they have it. It is statistically proven that not taking the right of way when it is yours creates more uncertainty that ultimately makes the roads more unsafe for everyone. This is why in many places it is actually illegal to waive another motorist through a junction. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 4:53pm)
  • The pedestrian death rate per 100,000 in London all last year was .85. If you just use the pedestrian deaths in the last 13 days in Glasgow the rate is .96……. Numbers don’t lie I’m afraid by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 6:22pm)
  • I think it is actually being underreported how fucked this situation is. I used to live in Boston so just looked at the pedestrian deaths in greater Boston as a comparison. Last year 11 pedestrians were killed in greater Boston which has about 5 million people. Greater Glasgow at 625k population has 6 pedestrian deaths in the last 2 weeks. We are at developing country levels. This is a crisis and is totally unacceptable by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 6:32pm)
  • If you are at fault for an accident in which someone dies I absolutely believe you should lose your licence for life. No question. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 7:39pm)
  • To be fair the roads are complicated and busy but are designed for safety. Boston has a pretty good safety record mostly because the speeds are slow and kept that way on purpose. In terms of accidents and deaths Boston is pretty good but it has very little to do with the actual drivers and much more to do with how things are designed and enforced. Glasgow traffic is significantly more unsafe, unpredictable, and dangerous than traffic in Boston. We need to completely rethink how we handle traffic in this city and really need up enforcement. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 7:37pm)
  • Sounds like it is time to pedestrianise the street. Cities should be built for people not cars. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 7:53pm)
  • It was a year ago and this is entirely incorrect. Here is a link with pictures: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/new-highway-code-rules-how-6623183.amp You are a perfect example of what is being discussed here. You don’t even know the bloody rules of the road and are driving around being both dangerous and confidentially incorrect. One of many sadly. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 9:26pm)
  • If you can’t follow the rules don’t drive. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 9:33pm)
  • There is literally no possible way that Glasgows pedestrian fatality rate can be lower than Londons was last year despite it only being February. Too many pedestrians have already died here. That was my point. Thought that was clear. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 9:46pm)
  • Not only have I but I in fact have a Swedish drivers licence. I have driven all over Europe. To be fair the driving in Turkey and maybe Greece is worse than Glasgow. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 9:57pm)
  • That is a piss poor excuse. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 10:32pm)
  • Our weather is pretty similar to Brussels and like a bit easier for pedestrians than Oslo or Helsinki. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 9th Feb 2023 11:57pm)
  • I think it has more to do with street design. But yes, I think drivers do get frustrated and act irresponsibly with speed of traffic in the town. This will ultimately lead to fewer and fewer cars being allowed in so drivers should prepare for that and discourage this behaviour. The last two weeks have moved up plans for a city wide 20MPH speed limit and a promise of ramped up enforcement. Behind the scenes I would not be surprised of these last couple weeks were the nail in the coffin for a congestion charge and we will be seeing that implemented very soon. Before drivers get impatient and drive recklessly because of delays they should ask themselves if they would prefer how it is now or not driving at all. Behaviour like this will see them taking public transport into the city VERY quickly. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 9:27am)
  • Not really what they did though. Try to think of it this way if that elderly lady had instead of being clipped by a cyclist was hit by a car do you think she would be better or worse off. All the person was saying is the priority of the road is given based on potential harm, which is true and not being an apologist for anything. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 9:32am)
  • The crazy thing is that change isn't even that new anymore despite what one might think walking around Glasgow. That change has been in place for over a year. Drivers know or should know about the changes by now its just that many of them don't care. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 9:37am)
  • Making parking a nightmare will drive up ridership which will in turn drive revenue and improve implementation of mass transit. Many case studies in the world bear this out. Making it harder to take the car is indeed how you get to a more car free city. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 9:44am)
  • An unbelievably high uptick in pedestrians being killed recently which has been a long time coming with the shocking state of driving in the town. 6 pedestrians killed in 2 weeks is damn near a public health crisis and really should be treated as such. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 9:48am)
  • >Making parking a nightmare will drive people out of the city centre and into out-of-town facilities. There is a wealth of recent peer-reviewed research out there that directly counters this very familiar argument. Recent studies in the UK and the US found that pedestrianisation efforts as stand alone initiatives significantly INCREASED footfall in every business sector. from retail, to hospitality, accommodation all saw increases in trade ranging from 35-65%. Glasgow itself is a somewhat effective case study. Despite driving into the town becoming increasingly difficult footfall and custom was significantly up on city centre high streets in Q3 and Q4 last year while Silverburn and the Braehead had reductions up to 40% in the same quarters with Braehead going into administration until very recently. A recent slate of case studies from Just Economics further bore this out with one of the successful case studies being Kelso in the Borders, not exactly a bustling transport hub. You are right that it is putting the cart before the horse because the only way you can sell increased investment in public transport is to drive ridership up. It is a chicken and egg thing but the cities who have been successful in getting to where we need to get ripped the plaster off and limited cars which in turn drove active and public transport which lead to developed infrastructure. Obviously it would be ideal if the all singing and dancing public transport came first but I can't find a single case study where that has happened. We need not try to reinvent the wheel here when there are now countless examples we could follow. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 2:12pm)
  • > it just feels a bit of a messy experiment of seeing how people will react Not really there are lots of case studies out there that support this approach. Yes, you will absolutely piss off people who drive into the city. But what recent examples show us is they will get used to it and adapt. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 2:18pm)
  • You posted about this yesterday including a picture of you likely breaking the Highway Code in regards to giving way to pedestrians. The solution is for people using vehicles, including you, to learn to operate them safely. Examine your own behaviour mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 8:19pm)
  • Nope this post is idiotic. Explain how exactly that poor girl hit on the pavement was at fault and deserving of this victims blaming pish? You still have time to delete this post mate. Just an fyi. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Feb 2023 8:24pm)
  • £800 each or altogether? That isn’t going to be a super realistic budget if you mean altogether. Glasgow is slightly less expensive relative to Edinburgh but it’s not that cheap. How many people work in the household? Even paying £350 each would put you in much better position. If that is actually not possible you might want to consider trying to get on the list for a council flat. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 12th Feb 2023 7:37pm)
  • This is the place that would try to fundraise and start kickstarters to get their roof repaired right? Looks like the council ended up paying half. Hmmm. I get it is a historic building and all but I do question if supporting a bunch of folks in Shawlands getting their building done up is the absolute best use of council money. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 12th Feb 2023 8:30pm)
  • I personally would support some kind of interest free loan system. These people just had their property values enormously increased at the expense of their fellow citizens and in a way that is hard to see the benefit for the community. I agree we need to maintain our built heritage but using public money to directly enrich property owners and landlords doesn’t sit entirely well with me. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 12th Feb 2023 9:54pm)
  • High profile crimes like this often get vigils across the country. Not in any way unusual really. Pretty sure there was a vigil in Glasgow for Sarah Everard for example even though she had no connection to Glasgow. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 13th Feb 2023 12:43pm)
  • They use some city services. I think you are getting a little swept up here. They, for example, are unlikely to use a council tax funded care home, or live in council supported housing, or be sending children to schools. A lot of the most expensive services the council offers international students are unlikely to use. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Feb 2023 5:04pm)
  • I think the reasoning on the student thing is they are only here for a short time, already pay a significant surcharge for their use of services like the NHS, they need a MUCH smaller breadth of services than a long-term resident, and they bring in actual billions into the local economy rather than imaginary billions. How much do you think they are going to pay exactly? There are 60,000 students in Glasgow and even assuming they all live in their own flats and all pay a high CT band it would be tens of millions and nowhere near billions. Also Glasgow Uni does not bring in tens of thousands of international students. The whole student population is 27,000 and about 40% of those are international. Even using outdated figures from 2017 international students directly pump 2 Billion pounds into the Scottish economy so you would need to be careful that you don't sacrifice a good portion of that in the interest of a couple million in council tax. There really isn't some unthought of money tap we can turn where billions of pounds are going to fall out. What we need is more purpose built student accommodation that will get students out of the private rental market but try advocating that and you will be shouted down in a heartbeat. There could maybe be some kind of smaller student rate or CT surcharge applied but only if the rest of the UK followed suit. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Feb 2023 5:00pm)
  • This is something that is much more reasoned than the comment you are responding to. The student population taking up housing stock issue is significant but the solution (counter to what people say here on this sub) is to build more purpose built student accommodation. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Feb 2023 5:07pm)
  • The weather in Denmark isn’t that different. It is also a cold, dark and rainy place. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 18th Feb 2023 6:59am)
  • Was wondering what this was. Went to three shops looking for a bell pepper the other day. Shops were looking pretty soviet the other day with basically all the shelves cleared out. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 20th Feb 2023 8:39pm)
  • If you are into more contemporary stuff you can try Glasgow Print Studio or the online shop at Glasgow International Festival. The GI shop has some stuff at very reasonable prices and they are usually pretty established contemporary artists. Good pieces to own. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 22nd Feb 2023 7:44pm)
  • I don’t think it will be Mormons with a greeting like “you have a friendly face”. That seems a bit informal and familiar for them. Think it is likely some people selling something. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Feb 2023 5:00pm)
  • Depends on the gig for sure. I am pretty sure the crowd from Coldplay last summer took out my recycling and refilled my bird feeder on the way back to the station. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 27th Feb 2023 10:11am)
  • But how else are the dim and lazy going to get people all riled up if they don't make things up? by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Mar 2023 11:16am)
  • You are also committing a cardinal sin when it comes to internet arguing. You are presenting a rational viewpoint based on an actual understanding of the situation. Silly person you. How can the gammon's impudently rage against Chinese students bringing money into the city if they don't have a negative impact on the housing situation. Housing stock being constructed, literally any housing stock, is a good thing. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 1st Mar 2023 12:40pm)
  • How are you affording to own? Did you inherit the place? If there is no mortgage and 40£ a month is plunging you into poverty it might be time to sell. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 7:16pm)
  • As others have said you could pool the cash and rent or buy someplace cheaper outright. It doesn’t sound like you can afford to live in the flat you have. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 7:38pm)
  • Ding ding ding. This. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 7:37pm)
  • Look mate you were asking for help and I was trying to give it to you. I assume when you said “plunging you into poverty” you meant you couldn’t afford to eat or keep the lights on. While it sucks to lose an asset it sucks a lot more to not be able to eat. Of course it is better from your long term finical position to keep an asset you have done fuck all to earn but I if poverty is at the door step you need to look at your immediate situation. You are extraordinarily privileged to have an enormous asset that is extremely liquid. It doesn’t sound like you can afford it just now but you are still very lucky. You are the one asking for advice but then when you get it you hurl insults. You sound like a spoiled brat. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 7:47pm)
  • Well…… yeah. If work a bit to get some money so you can afford the absolute minimum cost on being handed a flat is an option they should obviously do that. But if the option is actual poverty and not being able to afford necessities and doing some work isn’t an option than they need to do what they need to do. If he is just being dramatic and whinging about having to pay but can suck it up and pay than of course he should do that. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 8:01pm)
  • A job could be an option?!?! Fuck me mate you are a spoiled brat. Yeah time to go work for your money like the rest of us mate. I assumed you were in dire straits struggling to get by not just some work shy wanker who couldn’t get a job. Unemployment in Glasgow is at 3.4% , it has literally never been easier to get a job. However you are so inept and spoiled you will likely fail at this as well. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 8:16pm)
  • It's pretty good but I would say Falafel to Go in City Centre and Kurdish Street Food in the southside are both better for Falafel wraps. Don't get me wrong Shawarma King is good nit there are other good options around. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 9:21pm)
  • He says he is a student………. So I am guessing he is not in his 50s. Not sure about the skewing younger thing. I am one of more than half a dozen children so never grew up expecting bungalows or flats at any point in my life. Most people I knew growing up had parents that rented or lived in council flats. I don’t think being young has anything to do with it. Has to do with the community and circumstances you were raised in. Also I am in my 30s so not exceptionally young for this space. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 3rd Mar 2023 10:35pm)
  • Crypto and matched betting. Just what OP needs! by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 4th Mar 2023 12:29pm)
  • Oh they absolutely still sell Tennent’s Super here in Scotland. You might not be seeing it on the shelves because a lot of offies, particularly in the city centre, keep it behind the counter so it doesn’t get constantly shop lifted. It is still the lager of choice of the truly desperate alcoholic. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Mar 2023 6:20am)
  • Yeah, rather ironically the MUP made it so a lot of hardcore alkies wouldn't mess with beer or cidre anymore and would just go straight to the Glens. Why buy 4 cans (even super) when you can buy a bottle of Glens for a couple quid more. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Mar 2023 9:21am)
  • "If you find yourself waiting to turn right into a road, please consider turning left and using a roundabout or a safe u-turn area to get in your desired direction of travel." Lol what kind of idiotic thinking is this. You of course realise if everyone did this it would result in the roads being a tangled mess of people doing U turns. You want people to only ever turn left? Are you for real? Do you mean in general or only when in front of you? by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Mar 2023 3:12pm)
  • If they have £22k available they can offer to pay 6 months upfront with a pet deposit and a guarantor service. Renting will be absolutely no problem at all. They will have their run of the place for a one bedroom. Agreed that buying for a year makes no sense though. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 10th Mar 2023 9:12pm)
  • Going to have to go to Lupe Pintos for those I think. I don't think a standard cash and carry will stock them. Sometimes you can get poblano flakes in Sainsbury's but Lupe Pintos's will have loads of dried anchos (both whole and powdered) and tinned whole peppers. They are not the cheapest but peppers and chillies are pretty cheap overall so they are still affordable: ​ [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057187283054&sk=photos](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057187283054&sk=photos) by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 13th Mar 2023 12:28pm)
  • As others have said Dhabba is great if you are looking for classic curry house stuff. Swadish is upmarket contemporary Indian food that is absurdly good (named one of the best Indians in the UK) but isn’t going to be your standard Rogan Josh type place. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Mar 2023 8:28am)
  • DDDDAAAAMMMMNNNN. I bet if Glasgow Uni found out who that was they would be in serious shit. Glasgow Uni got raked over the coals in the press for their accommodation issues just a couple of months ago and to have one of their lectures appearing to cash in on their name to rob a student blind for their accommodation is the kind of PR disaster that sees people lose their jobs. I cannot believe a university lecturer would be so obtuse and stupid. The Glasgow Live story writes itself. A truly stupid thing to do. They better hope for their sake they come to their senses and take the listing down. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Mar 2023 7:59pm)
  • But that has always been the case before the eviction ban. So again. What is the link? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Mar 2023 8:22pm)
  • CCA just rent out them the space. I think the venues were built into CCA to make it more economically viable as they could be rented to hospitality businesses. Hospitality business are very often run by scumbags so you can't exactly be shocked when stuff like this happens. CCA doesn't have anything to do with the bar/restaurant besides being their landlord. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 21st Mar 2023 9:12am)
  • I deal with contracts and regs all day everyday and have never, ever, heard of any kind of clause or MOU like the one you describe. How is it enforced? Who arbitrates it? What are the standards and who measures them? What is the appeal process, what penalties are assessed and who pays for it all? Can you link me an example of a legally enforceable document like the one you describe? In my experience people who might not have the best knowledge of these things tend to assume much more is possible than really is. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 22nd Mar 2023 7:46pm)
  • I wonder why you are being so heavily downvoted? Everything you are saying seems personally reasonable. This is a well known scam but as you say the aim is not to kidnap anything except your money. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 23rd Mar 2023 8:21am)
  • >To put it simply, CCA can bring a lot of pressure to the table here and now as they ultimately don’t need to renew the lease for any tenant. Commercial real estate rentals are down 64% YOY in Glasgow with hospitality venues closing literally every 2 or 3 days. Within 100 meters of CCA's front entrance there are over a dozen vacant units. That would be the hollowest threat in history. I think your advice about understanding how things operate in the real world is something you should think about applying inward. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 23rd Mar 2023 11:50am)
  • I am sure they find the space appealing but not to the point of signing a nebulas legal document saying their leases can be cancelled in the event of a staffing dispute. Again, real world mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 23rd Mar 2023 7:35pm)
  • You think Saramago would freely acknowledge they are currently behaving in a way contradictory to the Scottish Government Fair Work Practices? I bet you they wouldn’t and what’s more I bet you there isn’t anything in there that specifically bans what they are doing at least how they would see it. The document is a toolkit of best practices and the specifics it does give like the living wage and no zero hour contracts Saramago likely adheres to. It really isn’t a magic bullet document that ensures perfect labour relations in perpetuity like you seem to think it is. This is the problem, you would need some mechanism by which this would be assessed and arbitrated if it was going to be in a legal document and be cause to cancel a contract. The document isn’t really designed to do this. Look, I agree 100% with the workers and support them. I do think there is pressure CCA can bring to bear and I hope they are doing that. But I also know that there is likely little most people involved can actually do and I also know having some vaguely worded MOU tucked in a drawer somewhere has basically never done anything tangible for anyone. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Mar 2023 5:29am)
  • Saramago says they fired the staff for stopping service and having customers in the venue sign a petition in support of the staff. Which, to my understanding, the staff in question did in fact do and are not denying. That is different than firing them for union organisation activities. Again, I am squarely on the side of the employees here and would have happily signed their petition but the facts do in fact matter here. Firing an employee for TU organising is the easiest way in the world for an employer to find themselves in the shit but Saramago has a reasonable case that this was not what happened here. I like Wobblies and their take no bullshit approach but the activity the staff undertook is not protected activity. That is the objective reality of the situation. This was not balloted, there was no arbitration, there is no formal contract negations, there was not proper legal notification, and there is no elected union representation in this place of work. IWW allows individuals to join without the need to ballot an entire workplace. That is their whole thing. If they had been with Unite or an elected Union they would have likely advised the employees against taking this action as you are just giving the employers cause to fire you. This is almost the definition of a wildcat strike which are not legally protected in the UK regardless of how we feel about them. Which it to say Saramago could have signed any document you like in terms of recognising TU activity and fully complying with both the sprit and letter of the law and have a reasonable case that they are in fact doing that. If these employees had tried to ballot for Unite and have official union representation there is no way in hell Saramago would have fired them for that (unless they are stupid). If they did they would have been sanctioned to hell and back. My approach is absolutely not to say "fuck it" and do nothing. I am going to vote with my wallet and not give them any custom. I am also going to continue to be against this neo-liberal mixing of public arts organisations and private enterprise as I have always been. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Mar 2023 11:21am)
  • >Was the staff petition or protest about TU rights? Might be shifting onto more sketchy ground if that was the case. Not with how the law currently works it doesn't. You are free to discuss your conditions and ballot your co-workers for TU representation but you aren't not allowed to protest and ompact the operations of the business to solicit signatures from customers. You just aren't. The employees themselves do not deny this is what happened and people in this thread were in the bar when it happened. I assume they knew full well they would be fired. The staff may feel a different way about it but how they feel doesn't have any real impact on the law. I support these folks and wish them well (fortunately hospitality jobs are easy to come by just now). I wish they had balloted their co-workers to join Unite rather than wildcat strike with IWW though. That approach with IWW is tried often and it never works because it is never compliant with existing organising law. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Mar 2023 2:18pm)
  • " The IWW is not an organisation that the majority of our staff are affiliated with, and is not a recognised union in the UK or affiliated with the TUC. " This is not accurate and they should stop saying this. Being affiliated with the Trade Union Congress and being a recognised trade union in the UK are not the same thing. IWW is indeed a recognised trade union in the UK and has been since 2006: [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-list-of-active-trade-unions-official-list-and-schedule/trade-unions-the-current-list-and-schedule](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-list-of-active-trade-unions-official-list-and-schedule/trade-unions-the-current-list-and-schedule) This is objective fact. They can't really argue this point. Whether or not this was a wildcat strike or not and is therefore subject to strike protections is another thing but IWW certainly is a union in the UK. To continually get this wrong undermines them significantly by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Mar 2023 3:13pm)
  • You would think that people who live in a tenement would understand this as this is a well known issue with them but alas some people have really unreasonable expectations. I once had a downstairs neighbour in a tenement complain that they could hear us walk to the toilet and then hear it flush so if we could please not use it late at night. They said every time we walked (no shoes light walkers) around our flat their flat shook and they could hear our shower at 6:30. I was creeping around my own home for months before I just decided...... fuck it. I have bought rugs, I don't wear my shoes inside, I don't have music or tele on at loud volumes. I have done my best. If it still bothers them it is squarely their problem. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Mar 2023 3:41pm)
  • >This must be unique to your tenement. Lol. Not even close. This is an extremely common issue in tenement flats and was not at all unique to mine. Edit: You will se many posts on this very subject on this sub. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 24th Mar 2023 4:00pm)
  • Yeah, you will want to call ahead and book. Not many pubs in the area can reliable accommodate 20 folks just walking in. Sloans certainly has the space, a few of the places in Merchant's Square do but the are of variable quality for sure. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 27th Mar 2023 1:46pm)
  • You could debate the merits of the post but it is hard to argue that our property buying system is fucked up and can be described as backwards. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 29th Mar 2023 11:47am)
  • Depends on where. Certainly in the Finnieston where op is looking this is true though. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 29th Mar 2023 8:41pm)
  • Walk around in a wheelchair? Not much of a thinker are we? by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 1st Apr 2023 1:57pm)
  • Not missing anything it was indeed absurdly cheap. Will now be £170 a year. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 1st Apr 2023 10:10pm)
  • The Glasgow rental market is insane for sure but I don't think you will see many 1 bedroom flats going for £1800 unless they are fully serviced and those are closer to being hotels than flats at that point. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 3rd Apr 2023 10:07am)
  • Old man yells at cloud. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 4th Apr 2023 4:45pm)
  • Think most people are going like 20% over home report. Unless you have a crystal ball you won’t know for sure if you get that back down 5-8 years. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 12th Apr 2023 8:40pm)
  • Would make order of magnitudes more money installing cameras at red lights and sending £100 penalties to everyone who rolls through a red in a car. I am more surprised when I see someone not doing this than doing it at this point. Literally every light cycle a driver does this. Pedestrians dangerously crossing are quite rare in comparison. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 16th Apr 2023 7:29pm)
  • The hard truth is that someday and in someway we will need to drastically reduce individual vehicular transport. This is not an if question this is a when question. The current system of endlessly expanding infrastructure is going to need to be significantly redone or it will invariably bankrupt us while also continuing to destroy the environment. This is the hard truth. You will need to accept it at some point I am afraid. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 18th Apr 2023 10:59am)
  • I think you can argue this has advanced beyond a dental issue. Phone NHS 24 and answer how you need to in order to be spoken to. Unfortunately you may need to oversell the state you're in a wee bit (although don't straight up make up symptoms). The unfortunate reality is that things just now are so stretched that the squeaky wheel gets the grease as they are going to assume everyone not desperately phoning and pleading for care can wait. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 18th Apr 2023 12:16pm)
  • >those people will still be unemployed No chance in hell. The hospitality industry has an absolute critical labour shortage just now mate. You live under a rock? You can have a job in hospitality in under 12 hours in the city of Glasgow just now if you really want it. I bet the owners feel like they got a win here but they are dead fucking wrong. Businesses are going under left and right partly because they can't retain staff. Pursuing this route means they are done. They had a great combination of loyal customers, great location, and cool cache and they just pissed it down the pan to make a stupid fucking point. This will cost them 1000x what it will cost the employees. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 21st Apr 2023 3:17pm)
  • This is awkward but they are in fact on that list you yourself just posted. International Workers of the World (what IWW stands for). Under the D-J section, third from the bottom. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 21st Apr 2023 3:22pm)
  • 100%. They had the chance to save their business and salvage this situation but clearly egos got in the way. The idea "backing down" or admitting they were in any way wrong was so detestable to the owners that they would rather piss their business down the pan. I hope they saved as this is not the behaviour of people who keep their businesses. The employees will have new jobs by the end of next week if they want them. These owners will be dealing with the fallout of their broken business and shattered reputations for a hell of a lot longer than that. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 21st Apr 2023 3:29pm)
  • > state again, that the IWW are not a legitimate union. You keep saying but it just isn't true. IWW is indeed a registered Union in the UK. This is objective fact mate and just saying it isn't over, and over, and over, again doesn't change that. I get that you presumably don't like the Wobblies or their tactics but they are a "legitimate" union using any reasonable measure. They have objectively made a HUGE contribution to the wider labour movement and are a registered union in the UK and have had a registered Glasgow branch for 22 years. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 21st Apr 2023 3:38pm)
  • Yes, read the complete text. They clearly state that the fundamental needs one requires to live should not be tied to the whims and mercies of your employer but that a functional society provides this to all. I think a lot of folk see the logic in that tbh. I don’t quite understand what you misunderstanding a line of text and it’s meaning has to do with IWW being a registered union in the UK? Are you conceding that point by throwing up strawmen? by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 21st Apr 2023 5:03pm)
  • It is recognised union though? You are factually incorrect here. You can find this with an easy google search you muppet. I really don’t understand how you can be so confidently incorrect and ignorant and still be so smug? Do some very cursory research sometimes mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 21st Apr 2023 5:07pm)
  • >fancy art curators A fulltime curator at CCA is on £24,000 which is £11.54 an hour. My 18 year old nephew makes more than that working at Tesco. That is very much a working class wage. Sounds like the people working there might be more in touch than you are mate. CCA provides a lot of quality, accessible, programming absolutely free of charge. Just because you personally don't like it doesn't mean it isn't of value. Thankfully you don't seem like the type who is likely you find themselves having to make decisions here. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 22nd Apr 2023 7:42pm)
  • There is of course not going to be any free all day parking in the city centre. That is an absolute pipe dream. Duke street car park is likely the cheapest. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 8:17am)
  • This might be kind of industry specific. I would not say this is the norm nationally or even locally. I reckon someone who studied Engineering at Strathclyde is going to have a fair few more options than someone with the same or similar degree from UWS or Caledonian. You leave the greater Glasgow area or Scotland (even just going down to England) and a lot of folk will have no idea what UWS or Caledonian is whereas they may know Strathy and certainly will know Glasgow. Also OP is doing a joint course at Glasgow that is run with GSA which certainly has an international reputation for design and will almost certainty be more recognised internationally. Not saying anything is wrong with GCU or UWS (I am big fan of both institutions and the role they fill) but it sounds like OP is an international student and international reputation is going to count for a lot here. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 9:36am)
  • >trains are a mixed bag of no shows/full/not enough carriages Eeeeehhhhh, not really. I very often see this said by people who absolutely never take the train. The train service in the immediate Glasgow area is on the whole pretty reliable. I have taken the train everyday for the the last 4 years and I can count on one hand how many times a train has been cancelled outwith industrial action. The train is too expensive and needs expansion/improvements but it is pretty reliable if you live in the greater Glasgow area. I work with someone who complains about traffic bitterly everyday and always says she could never take the train from her home 7 miles away as it is cancelled and broken down all the time but with a little prodding she will admit she hasn't even attempted to take a commuter train in 20 years so her view on reliability might not be all that trustworthy. See this kind of thinking a lot tbh. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 11:06am)
  • The plain and simple fact is that we will will need to transition away from our reliance on personal motor vehicle travel in Glasgow and more broadly across the world. This is a when question not an if and going all electric will not change that in the least. Even if you ignore the very obvious environmental issues, which we shouldn't. The ever expanding infrastructure required for individual motor vehicle transport is simply not sustainable. It will literally bankrupt the world if we keep heading in this direction. We need denser, multi-use, cities designed primarily for people rather than vehicles. If you take the car centric US as an example. Spending on motor vehicle infrastructure has tripled since 1985, it is by FAR the most expensive thing we chose to do in most developed western countries when accounting for all the costs, it simply will not work long term. The maths don't work. We can moan and mean mug in GlasgowLive articles all we want but it won't change the maths. Planners actually do know this, it is an open and naked fact. Which is why we still see active infrastructure and things like the LEZ coming in despite being broadly unpopular. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 11:17am)
  • >Meanwhile, I live in the middle of nowhere, beyond the outskirts of the outskirts. I mean....... yeah the service will be more spotty there. It shouldn't be but obviously if decisions need to be made it should be the ones that benefit working folks living in greater Glasgow right? One of the fundamental reckonings we will need to face in the developed word is that this ideal situation of suburbia that was peddled through the mid century just isn't going to work long term. If you live way the hell out in the middle of nowhere than you really shouldn't be trekking into the city every day to work. Fortunately WFH is going to make this easier. As it stands urban communities are subsidising the absolute hell out of suburban and rural communities who want the pastoral life and unfettered access to city convivences whenever they want (up to and including on a near daily basis). The gravy train will need to stop and the pounds generated in cities will need to be continually invested in the city itself not in subsiding the lifestyles of people living far away. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 11:47am)
  • While it won't necessarily need to be cycling something will need to be done to get us away from individual motor vehicle transport. Won't matter if people care or not or how convenient people find their cars this will be a thing that happens whether they like it or not. People often wonder why things like cycle lanes, and LEZs, and congestion charges, continue to get pushed through despite being HUGELY unpopular with a wide portion of voters and it doesn't seem to matter which political party controls the council. The reason is super simple. They are looking at the balance sheets, the projections, and speaking to the planners and they know beyond any doubt the current model is heading toward complete collapse. We will need to move away from what we have now. The infrastructure costs are just too much (to say nothing of the environmental costs) . In 40 years time, one way or another we will need to have like 1/4 or maybe even 1/5 of the vehicles on our roads in Glasgow that we have now. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 12:58pm)
  • Hopefully we won't as it will be making things harder and more expensive in the long run. Just because a decision is unpopular doesn't mean it isn't the correct decision. You would need to be a child (and not a particularly bright one tbh) to not understand this. Individual motor vehicle travel as the primary city transport is going to go away. It just is. People can accept this and try and prepare themselves or I guess they can be morons and sabotage things. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 1:06pm)
  • If we took that approach slavery would have never in a million years have been banned. Interracial marriage, gay marriage, desegregation in America, decolonisation, banning the death penalty, all these things the majority of people were or are against. Representative democracies exists to make decisions on behalf of the people so that society actually functions. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 1:14pm)
  • The tax split between urban areas and not are nowhere near an even split. It is very much not a case of everyone is paying their tax just the same. Rural communities, especially in Scotland, require WAY more government spending per capita to survive. Pound in to pound out this is being subsidised by city dwellers. This isn't really something that is a matter of opinion or up for debate I am afraid. That is just a fact. All this is fine, honestly I don't have an issue with this. Until folks who live way out want the same convivences that folks in cities have but want the people living in these cities to subsidise them getting these convivences. That is bad policy and deeply unfair. You want to live 90 minutes outside Glasgow on an idyllic little plot with a great view? Go with God, sounds great. But don't ask the working people of Glasgow to subsidise a train that leaves three times an hour so you can still get into work everyday. This really is basic fairness and should be understood by all. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 4:16pm)
  • And all of these issue is compounded by doubling down on car infrastructure. If we did more to curb individual motor vehicle ownership (particularly using them to commute into urban areas) than fewer people would be crammed into these small communities. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 4:20pm)
  • Except transportation services including roads, highways, and parking which is not touched by 10,000 days of Pret sandwiches. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 9:16pm)
  • But we are talking about more than council tax here mate. Urban dwellers will be paying more through to transport Scotland to pay for those motorways by nature of being a larger tax base. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 27th Apr 2023 9:43pm)
  • Wild take. So if someone doesn’t have insurance that gives other drivers free reign to just pile into their vehicles without consequence? Did you take even half a second to think before writing this comment? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 1st May 2023 8:57am)
  • I mean..... yeah fair enough from a tourist perspective. A big portion of Edinburgh is some weird combination of picture postcard and medieval themed amusement park. I can see why on a superficial level why more tourists would be into Edinburgh. In all honesty, if someone told me they were coming from abroad and had just one day in Scotland and asked if they should go to Edinburgh or Glasgow I would say Edinburgh. Even as a long time Glasgow resident. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 25th May 2023 3:19pm)
  • It's funny I have been to at least 5 or 6 places in the world that make a special point of advertising how good their water is. Always makes me chuckle a little. Some of those places are in Northern England where I would say their water is as good as ours. Last time I was at Arlanda in Stockholm they had a big sign about how good the water is. I have seen that in New England as well in the US as well. All the water in these places were exactly the same and perfectly fine. If it is outside huge megacities, in the industrialised world, and isn't a place with hard groundwater than it is usually fine. That describes a lot of places in the world. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 25th May 2023 3:15pm)
  • Tell her you have paid and send proof then ask her what deposit scheme she put your deposit in and that you will claim direct from them. I am willing to bet you will have your deposit back with in the day. Have seen this happen loads of times with international students. She thinks she can jerk you around because you are an international student. If she didn’t enter the deposit into a scheme she will know the penalties and you mentioning it will scare her shitless. If she ignores than take it to tribunal. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 25th May 2023 5:45pm)
  • Additional stops, a light rail connection to the airport, and a standardised ticketing system for connections. Could be absolutely brilliant. Glasgow is not a large city and it really should be entirely possible to have really good public transport. For example you really should be able to live in place like Shawlands or Cathcart and be able to work at Glasgow Uni and travel the 5-6miles there by relatively direct public transport in much less than an hour. Won't happen though, you would be better off cycling and MUCH better off driving. To ends of a city separated by only 5 miles shouldn't be hard to get to via public transport. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 26th May 2023 1:55pm)
  • Yeah, It is half empty now. Makes sense to redevelop it. Shopping malls have had their time but the model looks increasingly like something that doesn't really work anymore. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 26th May 2023 4:40pm)
  • I think most business happens online now. The retail parks are struggling even more than St Enoch or Buchanan Galleries. There footfall never recovered post covid and continues to go down. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 27th May 2023 5:35am)
  • Contact your bank? Overdraft is surely the best option but even if they can offer you a credit card it would be better than a pay day loan. Just don’t take out cash using a credit card. Use it for the day to day expenses and save the cash for the rent. Most banks do personal loans as well. Interest might not be that different than a credit card though. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 29th May 2023 6:14pm)
  • > (the one type of housing we don’t need) There is less need for sure but there is a still a need. The new developments in Bearsden that START at £800k there is a bit more of a case to say we don't need. Even if these flats were an expensive provider like Cala they are likely going to be around £300K which there is certainly a need for. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 31st May 2023 11:51am)
  • Moving abroad compounds responsibilities it does not absolve them. Moving abroad is stressful and difficult and not something you should undertake to solve underlying and unresolved issues. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 31st May 2023 4:41pm)
  • America 2.0? What the fuck are you talking about? Explain to me how in the ever loving fuck having lighter sentencing guidelines would make us more like America? The exact opposite is true and has been for at least 100 years. America routinely gives 16 year olds life in prison without parole. Seems like you came here with an ignorant ass agenda and poor reading comprehension and shit all over yourself trying to make your point. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 1st Jun 2023 7:52pm)
  • Yeah saw a twat of a cyclist give shit to people crossing across the zebra crossings on the cycle lanes on Vicky road today. Telling them it was a "bad idea" to be crossing in front of him (I guess not realising that zebra crossings mean he stops?). I am absurdly pro cycling and don't even drive but idiot cycles are bad apples that spoil the bunch. They should absolutely get pulled up when they are out of line. Helps everyone. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 3rd Jun 2023 10:13pm)
  • I never went in there as I was not 100% sure I was welcome which I think is ironic given it’s mission. I also agree with them on many many many issues but they posted something about not being welcoming to SWERFs and that one is tricky for me. I don’t believe sex work is inherently exploitation but I think it very often is and I more favour the Swedish model of dealing with the issue and certainly feel it needs regulation so I felt like I was outwith their inclusion. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 6th Jun 2023 6:05pm)
  • I’m not saying it is perfect but neither is any existing model of legalised sex work. Sex work even in the context of legalisation had a real exploitation problem. I am not saying there is an easy solution I am saying it is a tricky issue where genuinely good people can disagree or be unsure. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 6th Jun 2023 8:54pm)
  • Obviously I don’t want sex workers to be put in danger and disagree with the premise that the Nordic model inherently does this. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 6th Jun 2023 9:21pm)
  • You can post a million sources from sympathetic NGOs and I can post counter articles written by anti-trafficking NGOs and we can go back and forth all day. We just disagree here mate. I do not want sex workers to be in more dangerous situations but I also reject the premise that men must pay for sex and that is an eventuality. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 6th Jun 2023 10:59pm)
  • Yeah you see. This right here was the same issue PP ran into. You get agro and abusive when someone (who is genuinely motivated by good intentions) simply disagrees with you. I disagree with you there for I am a cunt who just wants to hurt women and wishes them all kinds of harm. It doesn't even enter your head that well-intentioned people might just disagree with you and not be motivated by truly evil intentions. This kind of over the top aggression and abusive behaviour is why people didn't interact with places like PP. I started this comment thread by saying I felt like I wouldn't be welcome there and would be met with aggression and you just proved that point 100%. My worry there was very well founded indeed. I was nothing but polite to you through out our interaction but because I simply disagreed with you that made you jump to abuse and aggression. That is not healthy. It is not inclusive. It is not productive. And it is incredibly immature. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 7th Jun 2023 10:29am)
  • That is not at all what I did and you know it. I am glad I am not in charge of figuring it out as it is a complex issue. One in which reasonable well intentioned people can have a difference of opinion. You calling everyone who disagrees with you a cunt who is motivated by a desire to hurt women isn't helping and again I suspect you know this. You are behaving like an absolute child in this thread. I will say it again. Be better. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 7th Jun 2023 10:51am)
  • Again you are being so binary and aggressive you become completely unwilling to accept any alternative argument existing outside your own that could be based on anything but hatred for sex workers. For example the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women is strongly opposed to any decimalisation of sex work. They have conducted many surveys of active sex workers that contradict your assertions that all sex workers believe in decimalisation. This is not even a settled debate within the SW community let alone society at large. You are being very binary, reductive, and simplistic in your arguments. The CATW conducted a survey of sex workers across five countries and the majority of sex workers surveyed were AGAINST decimalisation. I suppose those sex workers surveyed are "cunts", "arseholes", and "fuds" in your eyes right? Additionally they have conducted surveys of women whom have been the victim of sex trafficking and the response was an overwhelming NO to decimalising sex work. Again, just more "cunts" in your eyes right? [https://catwinternational.org/](https://catwinternational.org/) I however do not believe you are a bad person or a "cunt" or an arsehole or anything like that. I believe you to be a sympathetic person with strong opinions on a tricky issue. You are however unreceptive and entrenched which is an area you can improve on. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 7th Jun 2023 12:30pm)
  • There are several folks in the Argyle Arcade who will buy. You could try and hit up a couple in a day and see who gives you the best offer. Make sure you have a realistic idea of what a fair price is though. The engagement ring for example is going to fetch like 20-40% of what you paid for it unless it is an extremely high-end and desirable brand. If this was something you bought for £1000 at some run of the mill jeweller be prepared to get offers of £200-300. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 12th Jun 2023 8:55am)
  • No one pays road tax? They got rid of it in the 1930s. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 12th Jun 2023 11:45am)
  • I don’t know what to tell you mate. There is no such thing as road tax. If you are paying something called a road tax every August you are likely being scammed. You seem pretty ignorant on the subject so you are likely a prime target for scammers. What I think you are likely referring to is your Vehicle Excise Tax but that is not and never has been a “road tax” but if you are very uninformed and don’t really know what you are paying than I could see how you might think it is some kind of road tax. It isn’t though and that is just you showing your ignorance. That money goes into the general exchequer fund just like council tax or corporation tax. This is a giant pot of money which pays for all manner of services. This include roads but also includes basically everything else the exchequer pays for. Those pedestrians you are speaking of are likely paying council tax and corporation tax so they pay for those roads every bit as much as you do. Sorry mate that is the objective truth you can’t really argue otherwise. You aren’t special and a lot of those pedestrians are likely paying way more than you in tax. You need to learn to share the road and not be an idiot. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 13th Jun 2023 3:58am)
  • I was talking to the guy driving the truck with these once and he said he drove from Turkey all the way to the UK with making several stop up the UK before ending in Glasgow. Said they spoiled too quick to ship with a boat. Not sure if that is the typical method used to get them here but it struck me as wild when he told me that. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 16th Jun 2023 12:29am)
  • You can grow an absurd amount of shrooms in a plastic box in your cupboard. Like pretty close to the level where you couldn’t possibly do them all yourself. If people can find room to grow weed than shrooms should be no issue. I think it has more to do with them being relatively inexpensive and kind of a niche product. Walk into literally any pub in Glasgow on a Saturday night and you would find 10 people wanting to buy coke whereas no one would want shrooms. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 21st Jun 2023 9:49pm)
  • Might be tough say just now. Interest rates just shot right up a couple of hours ago. This is going to make mortgages WAY more expensive. This has been what's happening for the last year and it has only knocked values down a tiny bit but this latest hike is a doozy and might actually limit the amount people can realistically borrow. You might not really know for a couple weeks. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 22nd Jun 2023 2:54pm)
  • There are also shelters that will not let you adopt a cat if you intend to let them outdoors. Agree that this commenter was not being helpful but a cat needing to be outdoors is FAR from a settled question. It is much better for local bird populations that cats be kept indoors. Also likely better for the cat long term provided they are looked after indoors. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 26th Jun 2023 5:47am)
  • So much puzzling stuff I’m this comment? What pubs are you thinking will be open at 4am? Most nightclubs close at 3am and virtually no pub is open until then. What train to Edinburgh are you taking at 4:30am? There really isn’t going to be much around aside from Casinos I am afraid. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 26th Jun 2023 7:46pm)
  • But pubs aren’t open? It would be like asking “anywhere I can go at 2am that isn’t a public library or a secondary school?” Would be very puzzling. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 26th Jun 2023 8:37pm)
  • Sit your arse alone at Taco Bell until 4 than you miserable prick. Lord knows no one will want your company. Also enjoy your 4:30 train home to Edinburgh that doesn’t exist. You could make some effort yourself you child. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 26th Jun 2023 8:49pm)
  • Care homes are almost always looking care assistants. Can usually be flexible with the shifts as the industry is so absurdly understaffed. Hard work both physically and emotionally though. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 28th Jun 2023 4:18pm)
  • I worked in care for a huge portion of my life before a pretty significant career change and I sometimes find this viewpoint harmful to the industry. It is actually a job at the end of the day. You should not be expected to forgo proper pay/conditions and commit huge volumes of emotional labour as part of your job under the auspicious of needing to be a caring person to take the job. If you are personable and professional you should be absolutely fine in a care position. This expectation that you need to be willing to commit a whole bunch of unpaid emotional labour as part of this role is keeping the industry down. There are an estimated 20,000 vacant care jobs in Scotland alone. 75% of care homes have chronically unfilled posts. If we expect every single employee to go beyond just being professional into being a saint capable of immense self-sacrifice we are never going to fill even a fraction of these posts. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 29th Jun 2023 10:18am)
  • I really don't think so. We can take a very example. Kate Forbes was on a graduate scheme at Barclays when she was elected MP. She was earning something like £27K at Barclays so she instantaneously increased her salary by more than double. If she had stayed in the scheme at Barclays and did really well at Barclays and made VP by now she might be on like £80K which is quite a bit less than the £115K salary she had as a minster. Being elected MSP was almost certainly the best financial windfall she ever had by a huge margin. She far outpaced what her talents and abilities in the private sector dictated. There might be people out there willing to throw money at her now she was Finance Minister for Scotland but that would be folks hoping to buy her influence and network and we shouldn't reward our elected officials for holding us hostage like that. elected officials in Scotland are paid more than fairly relative to their skills and abilities. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 3rd Jul 2023 2:11pm)
  • It was a graduate scheme. They don't pay all that much. If she was working a graduate scheme in London it would have been higher but even then you just don't earn that much in those regardless of where you went to school. She has a BA in History and an MSc in a Social Science it isn't like she was some hot commodity in terms of skills. She had literally ZERO finance or accountancy skills when she went into her graduate scheme which is kind of expected but is also why it pays so little. There are plenty of BA gradates from Oxbridge working in graduate schemes in finance for around £30K right this very second. I promise you that. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 3rd Jul 2023 3:15pm)
  • Might be worth going private? Depends on on how fussy you are with the type of surgery you have and how long you want to wait. All in costs are around £500 but you can also get a "keyhole" procedure which requires no stitches, no scalpel incision, won't leave a scar, and requires less healing time, unlikely to get that on the NHS I reckon. Might be worth the £500 if you can afford it. I think it would be to me. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 4th Jul 2023 10:38am)
  • Hadn't looked into it too much but found this place down south that listed the prices and figured they would be around the same here. Could hae been way off tough: ​ [https://vasectomy.me.uk/price/](https://vasectomy.me.uk/price/) ​ Although I have had some testing done at Nuffield once and it was the tippy top of the price range so I tihnk they are for sure an expensive provider. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 4th Jul 2023 12:42pm)
  • I have Scottish and American parents and have lived in both places over a decade each so I have skin in both games and experience in both places. In my extensive experience I would say Glaswegians are every bit as loud if not louder than Americans. Sorry mate but you can hear a group of Glaswegian men from 4 miles away on a clear night or from clear across the terminal in any European airport. Glaswegians are the one group I would say are consistently louder than southern Americans. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 5th Jul 2023 10:45pm)
  • In truth 99% of the “homeless” you encounter in Glasgow are “old man drunks” or drug users who in all likelihood do have a place to stay and in in many cases their own flat. Doesn’t mean they aren’t in need or vulnerable though. Giving a tenner to an old alkie isn’t really the craziest thing to do tbf. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 5th Jul 2023 10:56pm)
  • Who knows. In my view Byres road should just be fully pedestrianised. It would improve that area significantly. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 7th Jul 2023 11:37am)
  • Piss off you absolute moron. You totally misunderstood my comment in a way that could only be done by an idiot. I was trying to comply with their stated wishes. They said no SWERFs were welcome and my view on some sex work is more complicated than what they stated. I sure as fuck weren't intimidated or afraid of them. Again only a complete idiot would have read my comment that way. Be better. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 14th Jul 2023 3:14pm)
  • My god you are an incredibly stupid person. I was not fearing any kind of reaction dumb dumb. They said I wasn’t welcome so I didn’t go. Not out of fear or something idiotic but because if I am asked not to go someplace I don’t go and wouldn’t want to. How can you actually struggle with this concept? It is insanely simple. Who is tying your shoes for you before you leave the house in the morning? There is no chance you could handle that type of task yourself. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 14th Jul 2023 10:05pm)
  • Yep, by far the best ice cream I have had in Glasgow. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 16th Jul 2023 4:03pm)
  • This article is rubbish. What exactly are they implying is going on? They say “concerns have been raised” but by who? Anyone besides The Herald? With their click bait headline? An MOU is the swiping right of the contract world. It means essentially nothing. Sounds like they explored a partnership with an organisation in India that has since gone defunct and have ghost social media presence. What exactly is the scandal there? The Herald is desperate to pile on the city college (in some respects that absolutely fair enough) but they are starting to let their credibility slip a bit in search of clicks. Real bush league shite. They should no better. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 16th Jul 2023 9:29pm)
  • Nothing wrong with maritime education in the Far East. In many ways China, South Korea, and Japan are WAY ahead of us in terms of marine engineering and seafaring. I actually don’t think they have loads of Far East students coming to the Nautical College though will mostly be from South Asia for sure. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 16th Jul 2023 9:34pm)
  • Ok but that issue has nothing to with this article. I totally agree that the redundancies look like they could have been avoided but what exactly does that have to do with the content of this article? by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 16th Jul 2023 9:49pm)
  • We don’t have to guess they list their partnerships on their webpage: https://www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk/work-with-us/nautical-training/partnerships They are for sure largely Indian excepts the CPD offerings. 10 years ago it may have been Nigerian and Saudis but it isn’t anymore. I have done work there recently and the vast majority of students are British but the sizeable partnership contingent is almost all Indians. Yes the main goal is to make income from these partnerships. But let’s not pretend that income has no effect whatsoever on the education of UK students. How do you figure they have paid for all the new buildings? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 17th Jul 2023 6:55am)
  • Lol, I was going to ask you if you were the dude who wrote the article? Seems like only he would really be proud of something so simplistic and poorly researched. I know you are likely conjuring images of smoky back rooms with briefcases of cash and private jet flights to Dubai and shite but I am afraid the truth is almost certainly a lot more boring than that. Some one at CCOG likely got an email from some organisation looking to maybe send some students and they were like “sure we will send over an MOU, let us know when you get up and running and when you might get the first cohort and we will progress to the actual contract and due diligence stage” and that was likely it. A partnership that fizzled out with a provider that never materialised isn’t exactly thrilling stuff though so the Herald has manipulated into thinking it’s something else. Clearly worked. The Herald knows full well people with little to no international business experience or experience in partnership building/contracts can likely be manipulated into letting their imaginations run wild with stuff like this. Worked a treat on you it seems. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 17th Jul 2023 7:26am)
  • I will do you one better give me your three best guesses as what these “shady dealings” you mention might entail. What do you think is going on? My explanation is by far the most likely but let’s hear your theory and what evidence you have to support it. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 17th Jul 2023 7:54am)
  • Yeah, do not just turn up with a car expecting to street park it anywhere in the vicinity of Hampden. out of town visitors do this for events all the time and it can cause chaos. If you park it on a street cleared for emergency access you can get your car lifted. Park it in garage in the city or further a filed in the town and take a bus/train. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 18th Jul 2023 10:41am)
  • I think it depends what you are looking for and whether you’re a man or a woman and whether your hetero or not. My gay and lesbian friends say Glasgow has an amazing dating scene. My straight women friends say it is absolutely awful. I was with a friend once as she was looking through bumble and the sheer number of just clueless, hopeless, totally unappealing men was insane. No hyperbole, I saw half a dozen profiles of men advertising themselves as “jar openers and spider catchers”. These guys will never date and whoever told them that line is funny or cute is not really their friend. That is to say nothing of the number of people posing with bottles of booze or unflattering shirtless pics. You also see loads of profiles of guys proudly stating they live on their own and have a car. Like mate, your 36 years old that isn’t exactly an astounding achievement anymore and maybe not the thing you lead with. If you are even a presentable straight man who doesn’t instantly put their foot in their mouth you should do really well. Particularly if you are in the slightly older age range. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 20th Jul 2023 8:20am)
  • Oh I am sure you’re right. I just don’t have any recent experience outwith Glasgow. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 20th Jul 2023 8:32pm)
  • Complaining to the council about kids playing in their back garden, during the day, in July, will get you laughed and hung up on. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 23rd Jul 2023 6:38pm)
  • You thought this was an essay? Literally took me under a minute to write start to finish. You really are deficient it seems. Likely to be the source of some of your insecurities. The piece to the puzzle you are missing is that this is best solved via self improvement. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jul 2023 10:54am)
  • I never really get this dog walker stereotype? I know the r/antiwork person was a dog walker but is that really the entire basis for this. I work in an office with many people on salaries safely in the 6 figures and almost to a person we are all very left wing. I know this fact is likely an absolute gut punch to the identity of folks like u/neganluvr but it is the God's honest truth. Reminds me of this guy who lived on my floor the first year of uni who was really conservative and "macho" and was all bluster during freshers talking about how many girls he was going to shag but then as the term went on and the artsy, kind and creative guys he shat on all the time started pulling girls he was almost literally despondent. It caused a real crisis in his identity and he ended up in his room alone the entire first year and I think dropped out after. For many people the myth of the "dog walker" or "soyboy" leftist is really comforting because if people who might succeed more in things you value don't necessarily conform to your view of them it can really fuck with your identity. Something to think on OP. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jul 2023 10:50am)
  • You throwing some major LDE in these comments my man. you very clearly do care.... a whole lot it seems. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 24th Jul 2023 10:56am)
  • Work in marketing in a management role and also do quite a bit of digital marketing and sector specific consulting work. Salaried job total compensation is just under £70k and I usually add a few thousand more in consulting fees depending how lazy I am and how much work there is in my sector. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 26th Jul 2023 8:23am)
  • My role has a lot of facets to it so it is maybe a little reductive to say I am in marketing. Still though, marketing is one of the least consistent fields of employment. There are some people with pretty large portfolios who are on salaries in the 20s and 30s. It is a little ironic that marketing professionals often have trouble marketing themselves and knowing their value. I can lowkey recommend becoming a CIM member if you aren't already and can get your employer to pay for the courses. Higher up people who know little about marketing often like to see that for more senior roles as it validates the candidate a little. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 26th Jul 2023 9:39am)
  • Eh. A consultant. Most medical doctors without loads of experience are on nowhere near £85K. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 26th Jul 2023 9:47am)
  • Paying a good CRM manager only £36K is a mistake unless the system is so imbedded there is loads of expertise across the organisation. The variation will correlate to how thoroughly the upper management understands that part of their business. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 26th Jul 2023 9:45am)
  • Too bad it was bought by Greene King. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 30th Jul 2023 4:01pm)
  • “Modern” leftists are still very much pro workers rights and fair pay and all that good stuff they just also happen to not hate trans people. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 30th Jul 2023 10:27pm)
  • It is one of the biggest hot button political issues in the UK right now whether you like it or not. What issues besides the usual left wing ones do you deem as “modern” left? by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 30th Jul 2023 10:43pm)
  • That is very much the left’s position though? They are very much about letting people live their lives and only need to support folk because the right is constantly trying to fuck with them. You think the trans issue would be a big deal if the right didn’t care and was open to letting people do what they want? This is a classic right wing tactic of finding a social wedge issue, trying to clamp down on rights of those people, and making the left defend them. Doesn’t mean the left should just ignore it and let people be marginalised though. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jul 2023 6:29am)
  • Ah, yep, there it is. Have a good one mate this conversation is not going to be productive. Too early for this shite. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jul 2023 7:46am)
  • Huh? They do in fact have children in England mate. I know this for a fact. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 31st Jul 2023 9:04pm)
  • Unfortunately the UK is one of the more difficult places in the world to immigrate to. Much like America. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 3rd Aug 2023 6:18pm)
  • This is your planning failure mate. That is what is funny. This has been advertised for literally months. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 4th Aug 2023 12:19pm)
  • I never really get posts like this. You live in a major city mate and if you are on the cycle route likely in the exact city centre. Most people who chose to live in busy city like (or can at least tolerate) the noise and activity. I always like the waking up of a city and because I have lived in cities the last 20 years of my life I am really used to it and can certainly sleep through it if needed. I think you had it right saying you should move to the highlands. If the clinking of barriers once every few years we have major events is going to drive you batty than the city life might not be for you. by artfuldodger1212 (Sun 6th Aug 2023 9:07am)
  • 7 seconds?! Lol the ones on Kilmarnock road in Shawlands by the park are literally 3.5 seconds to cross 4 lanes of traffic. I had a friend visiting from Denmark who uses a wheel chair and she literally couldnt finish crossing the road no matter how hard she tried and was often getting pulled around and honked at. Only time I have been honest to goodness embarrassed by Glasgow. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 7th Aug 2023 7:28pm)
  • Downvoted for not being able to read properly mate. Then again, basic reading comprehension might be a bit of an ask for a Times subscriber. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 7th Aug 2023 7:47pm)
  • So you just occasionally look at the pictures and sound-out the headlines so you can push their content on posts you can't properly read? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 7th Aug 2023 9:32pm)
  • Huh? not sure I understand this. The equivalent would be to say you are in 2nd year no? It is really common to specify which year of uni you are in. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 9th Aug 2023 4:51pm)
  • I think they were saying we don’t use the term “sophomore” which is correct but then said we don’t have any distinctions and just say in uni and don’t indicate years or progression which in my experience is incorrect. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 9th Aug 2023 8:19pm)
  • Man r/Glasgow mods are really bad at getting this kind of shite off this sub. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 12th Aug 2023 8:41am)
  • [https://www.sichuanhouse.co.uk/menu.php](https://www.sichuanhouse.co.uk/menu.php) Here is where you go if you want to get the Chinese food you really won't get anywhere else. Jellyfish, pig intestines, frogs, rabbits, duck tongue, etc. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 14th Aug 2023 4:38pm)
  • You been to Sichuan House on Sauchiehall street? All my Chinese co-workers insist this is the be all and end all of Chinese places in Glasgow: [https://www.sichuanhouse.co.uk/menu.php](https://www.sichuanhouse.co.uk/menu.php) by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 14th Aug 2023 4:35pm)
  • Huh? Are you sure it wasn't someone from India? Referring to red sauce or pasta sauce as gravy is absolutely unheard of in America. India on the other hand any kind of sauce is frequently called gravy. You could have also just met a very strange American. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 14th Aug 2023 4:42pm)
  • They do not still say it today by and large. Lived 15 years of my life in Connecticut and New York and never once heard anyone call it gravy. Might be something really old people do and it still finds its way onto tv? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 14th Aug 2023 7:53pm)
  • Yep, this. I have never heard any others even in the discussion from any of my Chinese coworkers. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 14th Aug 2023 7:57pm)
  • But it is a word with an ugly history that makes people feel bad and everyone fucking knows it by now so why keep using it? If you know it upsets people (which people do by now) and you continue to use it at a certain point it becomes used with malice. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Aug 2023 11:24pm)
  • Really? Oh man, I have certainly heard it called that in the last month by people at work. It is still quite common unfortunately. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Aug 2023 11:19pm)
  • Nah mate, sorry. That word has no place in 2023. Get with the times and knock off the racist shite. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 15th Aug 2023 11:28pm)
  • Pretty good location for student housing. Almost exactly halfway between Strathclyde and Glasgow Uni who both have large international student populations. It is a pretty blighted area so adding in 600 student rooms will likely lead to some pretty quick development. Will also get students out of the private housing market. With the state of the housing market in Glasgow right now I think all housing stock is good. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 11:39am)
  • I think the rationale is they are bringing in way more money to the area than they use in council services. They use comparatively little in the way of council resource and yet bring in gobs of cash. If they are international students they already pay a pretty hefty NHS surcharge and being young students are pretty unlikely to use any NHS services while here. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 11:41am)
  • Most students don't use the schools/nurseries, or elderly care, or counselling/social work services, or even really things like libraries and council gyms as their universities will have those. I think it is pretty safe to say that students likely bring in more money than they take out of council budgets. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 11:46am)
  • The businesses they support certainly pay whole loads of council tax though. You walk around the west end and there are likely 100+ businesses there that are entirely dependent on student custom and they will all be paying business rates for their council tax. No students no businesses paying those hefty non-domestic rates. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 11:57am)
  • There are pretty big portions of the city centre that becoming a student village would be a marked improvement. Also I am not going to mourn the loss of a low quality, largely unused, ugly, 1990s, office building. Seems like housing stock, literally any kind of housing stock, is a better use of that space. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 12:09pm)
  • >Those businesses will be paying council tax whether it's locals buying or students, the council tax paid by businesses doesn't scale based on students shopping there. Those business would categorically not exist without those students. Local custom would not be enough, not even fucking close. Like so far away it seems absurd to try and make that argument. Sure if you drained the city of all 70,000 students the property values would indeed crash as the local post-secondary education system totally collapsed but Glasgow would be much worse off than it has been in decades. Flats tend to be cheap in an economically devastated area but I am not sure that is a great plan to control the housing market. I would rather keep the city vibrant and thriving and focus on creating new stock. I really don't think your "totally crash the local economy so things get so shite the flats are cheap" is a fantastic plan. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 12:05pm)
  • >Famously businesses only exist where universities are, if you ever go to a town without a university there's no shops whatsoever. You're joking right? Have you even glanced at even a surface level piece of economic reporting in the last 3 years? 21 pubs close every week in the UK, 50 shops close a week across the country. There has not been a more challenging time for brick and mortar business locations since the end of World War Two. Commercial property values in Glasgow fell almost 55% after covid. Some of the only brick and mortar businesses doing well in this country (especially in hospitality) rely on turnover from a dense population of customers in city centres. Used to be largely commuters but with most people in offices working at least a couple days a week from home that traffic has dropped significantly as costs have shot WAY up. Students provide this dense population and prop up countless business in Glasgow. Business that would fold instantly if they all went away. I live in a very expensive, thriving part of Glasgow Southside and there are still 3 unoccupied commercial units within a 100 meters of my front door. It has almost literally never been harder for retail and hospitality businesses to succeed right now and your ideal outcome would be to remove as much of their remaining customer base as possible? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 12:57pm)
  • >If the students weren't there, the property/rent prices would probably be more reasonable, allowing locals to move there without it being prohibitively expensive. This is where you were advocating the benefits of reducing the student population. Did you forget you wrote that? I also didn't say there would be no businesses what so ever? There would however be a metric fuck tonne fewer of them. Which is of course not great for the local economy. It baffles me this needs to be said. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 1:04pm)
  • Well and truly baffling. This is why basic finance and economics needs to be taught more in school. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 1:15pm)
  • The area around Charing Cross and that end of Sauchiehall street is for sure blighted. Sauchiehall has improved recently but there was a time that there were 40 empty business spaces between Buchanan street and Charing Cross. It was certainly looking pretty down and out for a major high street in Scotland's largest city. This is not a council funded project. I am not sure what you want to happen here and how this is relevant to the redevelopment of places like Easterhouse. A student accommodation developer is never in a million years going to build a £250 Million student housing development in Easterhouse. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 2:36pm)
  • How does replacing dilapidated, unused, office space with dense housing and mix use space in a major city centre encourage city living? As overpriced as all this purpose built student accommodation is the rental market in Glasgow is so insane just now that they are pretty competitive with flats at this point. A room in a shared HMO flat in the West End is going to run you £650-£700 just now. Hopefully the fundamental principals of macroeconomics continue to apply and more supply creates less demand which in turn drives prices down. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 2:44pm)
  • I feel like this URL is too short. Are you sure it isn't missing anything? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 17th Aug 2023 7:45pm)
  • True but the fees for depositing cash into a business account are about as high. Really the only reason they wouldn’t take it is if they have no intention to deposit the money into a business account which means they are dodging their tax. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 29th Aug 2023 5:58am)
  • >Neither have reputations for being 'skanky' as far as I know. What? Argyle street is the parallel street that makes up the pretty infamous "four corners" it absolutely, 100%, has a reputation for being dodgy. I would even say its reputation for being dodgy is really overinflated it is so prominent and talked about. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 1st Sep 2023 7:37am)
  • I assume you are talking about the Duke's Umbrella. All the businesses down there know full well the issues in the area and many have lobbied for different solutions. Appreciate you wanting to keep their name out of it but they likely know that the area they are in is less than picturesque. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 1st Sep 2023 7:40am)
  • I agree with you, I think it is really overstated how dodgy the place is. Although to be fair, beyond bams and goths, there are absolutely hard drug users and sex workers, the area isn't without problems. That being said there was a widespread freackout a few months back across social media in Ayrshire about the Four Corners where it was talked about as if it was Mordor which was a bit ridiculous to be sure. It is right next to central station, tens of thousands of commuters pass through it everyday no problem. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 1st Sep 2023 8:18am)
  • I agree that its reputation is hugely overblown and not really justifiable but the reputation does certainly exist. You can find post about it on this subreddit if you want. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 1st Sep 2023 1:34pm)
  • If you're flying a drone in a way you can see into people's living space than your an arsehole mate. Funny story and all nut don't do that shite again. Real lowlife creep behaviour and likely against the law. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 2nd Sep 2023 8:05pm)
  • How is it a whoosh? There was no joke or punchline or anything to go over anyone's head unless the joke was ha, ha, wank, bargain hunt. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 2nd Sep 2023 8:26pm)
  • Roads. They have them all over Europe now. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 7th Sep 2023 11:28am)
  • Kind of a chicken and an egg thing with the improved public transport. Generally need higher ridership to justify improvement. I live in Battlefield and the number of tenement flats with 2 car owners in them is absurd. Almost everyone works in the city and drive them in which is 100% not needed if you live in Battlefield. We will eventually need to reduce reliance on individual auto transport. This is not an if this is a when. It makes sense to take little steps in that direction. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 7th Sep 2023 11:37am)
  • Regardless of their treatment of staff this place has absolutely shockingly bad bagels in my opinion. I was so excited when it opened as good bagels is a hole in the Glasgow cuisine landscape but I would rate the bagels out of a sleeve from Tesco as better than this place by some distance. They are just round bread not proper chewy bagels. Tried them a couple times and have been disappointed each time. wouldn't eat there again anyway tbh. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 11th Sep 2023 4:29pm)
  • I have enjoyed every meal I have had at Dahkin very much. More than any meal I have had from more hyped Indian places for sure. Really like the classic curry house feel to it as well. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 14th Sep 2023 9:15pm)
  • Lol for real. OP trying to track down the Norwegian tourist who was too polite or uncomfortable to tell him how creepy he was being before she bailed. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 22nd Sep 2023 7:32pm)
  • As long as they serve food I think that’s true. Not sure about if they only serve drinks, those rules seem more complicated. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 11:23am)
  • Christ’s sake. A 14 year old going to a pub and having some chips and a coke while their family has a pint or two isn’t going to kill them you puritanical busybody lol. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 11:22am)
  • If it is a bar that doesn’t serve food I agree but a pub is absolutely fine for kids. I think OP was clearly asking about the latter. Some real pearl clutching going on in this thread. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 11:21am)
  • Mate if you are already “utterly fucked” in a pub 2 hours before dinner time than a few kids being around are the least of your worries mate. If the establishment allows them in than you will need to keep it civilised, at least through the afternoon. More than likely everyone else in the pub would appreciate that as well. Basic manners mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 5:18pm)
  • Read the post you are commenting on. The OP was looking for a place to get some pre-dinner drinks. Reading is tough. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 9:52pm)
  • Extremely common in London. I have seen pubs there that have crayons and kids toys. If the serve food and its early I am not sure what the problem is. by artfuldodger1212 (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 9:55pm)
  • Half the takeaways in Glasgow toss half their rubbish on the road and then the seagulls get to it and make a proper mess. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 27th Sep 2023 8:21am)
  • I used to live in Boston Massachusetts for many years and the ticket for littering, even casually on the street, was $1000. I think it is $1500 now. Place is fucking spotless as one would imagine. Our littering penalty is what? Like £30? That is not an actual deterrent. I would be %100 in favour of a steep penalty if you got littering. Don’t think we need to go crazy like some cities in America but I think a £200 or £300 penalty would do the trick. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 27th Sep 2023 8:28am)
  • The route really isn’t that bad and if you are going to have a long uphill it’s better at the start of the race than the end. Certainly hoping for a personal best but not expecting anything crazy. Would be happy with an hour and forty minutes. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 27th Sep 2023 7:10pm)
  • > If you're solidly pink wave like me there's the uphill bit around mile 2 where you're next to the motorway where a LOT of people who went out too fast start dropping like flies getting in your way, so you have to exert more energy to get around them. This is absolutely correct. The first time I did this race I was trying to be modest with my expected time which is a mistake. There are a couple choke points where it can get real backed up and you spend a lot of time either running around people or waiting which can be really frustrating. Better to slightly over estimate your time than under really. Although you don't want to go the wrong way, that same first year I was in the pink wave but passed tons of green towards the end of the race. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 27th Sep 2023 8:12pm)
  • A lot of this will depend on if you are overweight or not. Even if you have a sweet tooth (provided it isn’t crazy) you should be ok if you maintain a healthy body weight. Are you overweight/obese? by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 28th Sep 2023 4:53pm)
  • Rab Ha’s is a nice little old pub. The bar at the Spanish Butchers is nice. Butterfly and the pig have a nice little bar. Flying Duck if you want a place that is a little cooler and you happen to be going out when it is open. State Bar is an all time great Glasgow pub. You have more options in the west end or southside but those are some city centre ones. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 8:29am)
  • Because it is really, really, really, really stupid and immature? Thinking you're a "hard man" when you are really a scrawny little 14 year old who is fighting over nothing is humilating shite to look back on. It is classic r/blunderyears stuff. Quite right to be embarrassed about it when you are a full grown man who presumably learned to tell the difference between their arsehole and a hole in the ground somewhere along the way. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 11:12am)
  • Fuck off with that. Plenty of people who are working class don't go in for that stupid young team shite. The reason most people are embarrassed by it as adults is most people grow out of that shite and start to look back on it and cringe after their 17th birthday. It is incredibly stupid and immature to run around thinking you're a hard man and fighting people because they live a couple blocks away. It is like a baby shite soft imitation of American gang culture and people should rightly be embarrassed to have been associated with it. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 11:09am)
  • > I would say based on the people around me, it was fuckin chaos in suburban sprawl of Glasgow from the mid 80’s through to 2005 at the very least? It was a lot worse than it is now for sure but there is a habit among some people of WAY overstating just how bad Glasgow was and a lot of this is exaggeration, people get really carried away. On this very subreddit I once had several people try and tell me that one year in the early 2000s Glasgow had more murders than all of the United States. This is absolutely insane and completely untrue, they had misunderstood the stats. That would have meant there would be 30+ murders a day in Glasgow, the army would have been called in at that point as that would be failed state levels of violence, most infrastructure and services would grind to a halt, as a citizen of Glasgow you absolutely would have personally witnessed multiple murders a year just living your life. Of course this stat was nonsense, what they meant was the murder rate per 100K citizens was higher than the American average. For comparison Glasgow at it's worst year in the mid 90s had a homicide rate of about 60 per 100K citizen. Unacceptably high and there have been enormous improvements since than but to keep it in perspective the rate of homicide per 100K in Washington DC that year was 440 per 100K. So yes Glasgow was in an unacceptable state and can be very proud of how far it has come but people also cling to an almost romanticised version of a violent Glasgow that has never really been accurate. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 11:59am)
  • You make it sound like The Warriors. It really wasn't typically like that and certainly not every weekend night. I am old enough to have actually lived through that time and the old timers in your life are pulling your leg mate. Yes there were problems and there was a lot gang violence but your making it sound like every Saturday night in the 90s- early 2000s was like the Battle of Helms Deep when it really wasn't. There were many of the same substance abuse and deprivation issues Glasgow still has but it was not usual for 350 people to suit up and fight to the death in the vacant lots of Glasgow. Pure fantasy. Obviously we shouldn't be looking to repeat the mistakes of the past and there was a lot more violence back then but as important as it is to not minimise it I also don't think it is wise to exaggerate to the point of near glorification as many seem to do. The ned problem in Glasgow was 99% disillusioned wee boys chasing each other around and engaging in petty crime like underage drinking and spray painting signs. It was a symptom of the hopelessness and deprivation of the Glasgow area of the time, I have a mixed nationality background so spent the final years of secondary school in the US in a not great part of Connecticut where the wrong ones were genuinely terrifying and dangerous people, the Glasgow young teams would have nothing on those boys, but it was for the most part fine and I was almost entirely unaffected, just like it was here. People I know back in the US do the same thing you are kind of doing here, making it sound like we grew up in a war zone. It really wasn't the case. I really don't understand this compulsion to big up a hard image. I don't think it is healthy personally and I think it can have a damaging impact. You just needed to know who to avoid and not go looking for trouble. Same thing is basically true today. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 1:42pm)
  • Again, I spent a good portion of my youth in a not great neighbourhood in America which makes even the roughest Glasgow scheme look like soft play but I was absolutely fine and it wasn't that bad because I kept my nose clean and avoided trouble. Only the idiots got themselves tangled up in that shite and it didn't make them hard or big men it made them fucking morons. Wee boys thinking they are big men. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 2:54pm)
  • Lol. You do realise NYC is not a particularly dangerous city in America right? Also what you say is verifiably and objectively incorrect. Not that this is something to be proud of. The highest homicide rate in the 90s in NYC was 2245 murders for a population of 7.3 million which is a rate per 100K of 30.7. The highest it EVER got in Glasgow was 6 per 100K. The Lowest it EVER got in NYC in the 90s was 8 per 100K in 1998. These are objective and tracked numbers. Maths are hard but you can see the issues with your claims right? If you look at actually dangerous cities it isn't even in the same fucking ballpark. Glasgow has NEVER been a dangerous city by world standards. By European standards? Sure but Europe is by far the safest continent in the world. You are a perfect example of what I am talking about. some man with a small boy's hard man mentality who bigs themselves up and glorifies the largely made up violence of the past. You and your wee young teams were never that tough mate. We all laughed at you/ felt sorry for you back then and if you are clinging to that shite now we are sure as fuck still laughing at you now. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 3:15pm)
  • No That is the highest stat ever recorded for that metric and is from 2004 not 2016. Put up or shut up buttercup. Show me where the big bad Glasgow schemes made you lot in Govan harder than the South Bronx. Again this is all to Glasgow's credit and is a good thing. You want these numbers to be low. America is a dumpster fire and there is a reason I chose to live here. Safety for my children being a big one. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 3rd Oct 2023 3:29pm)
  • Not sure where you were in Glasgow but litter is very common in the street here as well. So is getting a take away coffee cup. I would say that the number one complaint people have about Glasgow is the litter and it is genuinely bad in some areas. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 6th Oct 2023 1:10pm)
  • Just ask and move down the line until you get a yes. I have done that before. Did that recently at the George Square taxi rank and it was the 5th one that finally said yes. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 9th Oct 2023 2:49am)
  • I am deeply sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and I think this attack totally undermines any progress we can hope to make. It sure as fuck isn't any kind of way to get further forward. While obviously things don't happen in a vacuum, slitting an 11 year old's throat and posting it to Telegram is pure fucking insanity and needs to be denounced at every opportunity. As a proponent of peace I think it is critically important to entirely divorce what happened over the weekend from the wider Palestinian people. Any kin of low key justification or excusing it just means you are happy seeing more death. Which is of course fucking sociopathic in its level of cruelty. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 9th Oct 2023 1:58pm)
  • Playing awfully fast and loose with other people's lives there are we not? I personally would not advocate a death cult approach to the situation. Let there be no mistake, Israel could clear Gaza tomorrow and give every single man, woman and child in Gaza a stark choice between the rifles of Egyptian border guards or the sea. You might think them more noble to die than to work to avoid any compromise but who the fuck are you to be so cavalier with their lives? One of the many reasons what was done this weekend was a bad idea (beyond the whole atrocity aspect of it) is that it is just a straight stupid strategy clearly based on fanaticism rather than reason. Palestine cannot win a fight with Israel. It would be like me asking Tyson Fury for a square go. I would get my ass kicked and thinking there is any other outcome is possible is delusional. How about we try some other things first before we get all excited about mass genocide? What do you say pal is it maybe worth a shot? How about Hamas rewrite their charter to not outright reject the very concept of a two-state solution and we give that another go? Or would you rather just see every Palestinian die to satisfy your noble sacrifice fetish? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 9th Oct 2023 4:38pm)
  • Jesus fucking Christ. You know you can be sympathetic and supportive of the Palestinian cause and not see the value or justification in the murder and rape of innocent civilians. That shit is never justified. For example I firmly believe that Ukraine is well within in its rights to expel every Russian occupier of Crimea out of the state. However if they started killing and raping civilians there I would immediately turn on them and label them the bad guys. Some shit just can't be justified. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 9th Oct 2023 5:01pm)
  • If anything it would be a capitalist plot no? Keep the people driving in their cars and buying petrol. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 11:28am)
  • What weather was it today? If 12 degrees and dry means the trains can't run I am not sure we are ever going to have viable public transport in Scotland. Peak fares are idiotic and I hope the trial gets extended but if people can't rely on the trains to get to work ridership will continue to fall. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 12:03pm)
  • Over the weekend I wouldn't hold it against them but I am not sure today or yesterday qualifies as unusually extreme weather. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 12:00pm)
  • Yep, financially punishing people for being employed and trying to take public transport to work is so obviously a great policy. You get the feeling that the will might not really be there to make this work. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 12:07pm)
  • Network rail responsible for providing drivers for the train mate? Found the ScotRail employee. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 1:03pm)
  • Might be taking this a little too seriously. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 1:18pm)
  • Fair dues. To be fair I wasn't given the courtesy of a reason this morning. Just said delayed until it was ten minutes late and then switched to cancelled. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 1:15pm)
  • The conspiracy wasn't really serious. But the peak fare thing is stupid and ant-working people. Should be scrapped forever. Totally indefensible policy. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 2:33pm)
  • Eh? Last two times in the last couple weeks was lack of train staff so no o don’t think I will. Unless we are going to find a way to blame that on NR as well. Really the whole provision is struggling just now. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 12th Oct 2023 6:33pm)
  • I 100% support the Palestinian right to resist and if they had attacked military targets or at least largely tried to I would think that was totally fair enough. The issue is Hamas did not do that. I can't get on board with murdering civilians in cold blood and before people jump all over me I absolutely feel the same way when Israel does the same thing. I want the siege of Gaza to end before it even starts but I also want to acknowledge that what happened last weekend is absolutely unacceptable and abhorrent. I increasingly feel like there is no place for people like me and I get shouted down by entrenched people on both sides all the time. I believe it is counter-productive to describe oneself as pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli as we need to be pro-both for this conflict to ever resolve. We also need to be anti both as everyone involved is going to need to make concessions or give an honest go to reconciliation. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 1:47pm)
  • Uh, like half the comments here are some iteration of "Fuck Off!". I think there are a lot of people who want a measured and peace focused approach but there are also a whole load who don't. Most importantly the people actually in power don't seem at all interested in a nuanced approach. Edit: Also, I do not believe I have "the most nuanced" approach and certainly don't have anything approaching an answer as many people way smarter than me have been working for many years to move this situation forward. I have also been told I am cheering for the death of babies by people on both "sides" of this issue which can make it really hard to participate in any kind of conversation about this. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 2:15pm)
  • Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s reductive or centrist. I never said both sides were equally bad. Please quote where I said that. You can’t. You know why? Because you made that up. You are a big part of the problem mate. People speaking past each other and throwing their own bullshit on. Be better. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 8:59pm)
  • What do you want to have happen? Lets start at our desired outcomes and work backwards like proper problem solvers. I would like a stable and peaceful two-state solution that gradually works towards a pluralistic and egalitarian shared state. I think in order to achieve that concessions will need to be made by both parties and it cannot come from a place of retribution, also the extremists (yes on both sides) are unlikely to be able to have a seat at the table. I am not saying they are morally equivalent. I am saying that moving forward we will need to look to the future rather than the past. You want retribution and accountability on a national scale but have no particular solution in mind. Which means in practical terms you want continued conflict. Ask yourself. In your heart of hearts do you actually want peace between Israelis and Palestinians? Is that an outcome you genuinely want? It doesn't sound like it. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 9:17pm)
  • Again what do you want to have happen. You don’t even know enough about the conflict to have any idea of how you want to see it resolved. What do you want to have happen? You need to be able to answer that question mate or you are hardly in the position to call anyone else’s view unnuanced. This is basic stuff mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 9:32pm)
  • My position is that Isreal should exercise extreme restraint here and pull back from Gaza once the immediate security situation is rectified and sign their peace deal with KSA. That is what this attack was really about, the big daddy state of Sunni Islam formally recognising the state of Israel. KSA is an important key to ending this conflict which is why so many with a vested interest in its continuance are so opposed to it. Fuck Iran, fuck Hezbollah, and fuck Hamas, also fuck Bibi’s right wing wackos if they let their desire for revenge destroy this way forward. As someone who has been going to conservative Sunni nations for many years chiefly KSA, I can say from experience the hardline Sunni practices are losing ground and there is a pragmatic desire to work shit out, even with previous sworn enemies like Israel. When i say both sides will need to make concessions I am saying Gaza will need to ditch Hamas and support from Iran and their proxies and Israel is going to need significant territory. There is precedent for both but not if we get caught up in righting previous wrongs. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 10:01pm)
  • You can’t throw a tantrum asking I have a more nuanced and informed opinion and then also whine when I demonstrate more experience and knowledge than you. Your view is not helpful, not well informed, and not particularly clear. Saying Israel is more badder than Palestine does fuck all for moving us forward and is a shite take mate. If we all said Israel is most bad would that be enough for you? by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 10:16pm)
  • Well look at this thread mate or any of the other 23 million of them on the front page of Reddit just now. Wanting everyone to knock it off and keep their hands to themselves without caring about political point scoring or victims tallying is an increasingly rare opinion and one that gets you literal death threats from both sides coming through messages. It may not be as un-nuanced opinion as you like to think. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 10:36pm)
  • My opinion and explanations were not “everyone should stop fighting” there was more to it than that that you clearly didn’t bother to read. Nuance comes from the French word for shades which is to say it acknowledges things are not a binary black white thing. That is what the dude you replied to was saying. That having an opinion that is not completely for or against the aims and goals of one side and seeing things as being shades of grey is an increasingly rare thing as this issue is deeply entrenched for a lot of people. That meets the definition of nuanced mate. You might think my opinion reductive or not particularly sophisticated but seeing shades of variance in each side is literally the dictionary definition of nuanced. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 13th Oct 2023 11:01pm)
  • All the strikes here have been big news and by and large had public support. What specifically are you looking for people to do? by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 16th Oct 2023 7:01pm)
  • Yeah tell them to get fucked. This is insanely illegal. You cannot evict a tenant with 3 days notice. Absurd. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 20th Oct 2023 6:15pm)
  • Are they giving you proper notice? Why didn’t they give you a chance at keeping the flat? Is there previous bad blood between you. by artfuldodger1212 (Fri 20th Oct 2023 6:34pm)
  • I feel like this troupe gets trotted out a lot by people who haven't actually been there. Govanhill is ground zero for gentrification. While parts still have issues it is really fashionable to borderline posh now. If you could handle Shoreditch or Shawlands 15 years ago than you can certainly handle Govanhill now. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 9:13am)
  • The whole "Govanhill is a shitehole" narrative has a whole lot of rooting in racism unfortunately. Seriously, look at some of the people who really push it online and you will find some real nasty stuff associated with them. Bold move to try and piggy back on that stuff for a pretty fundamentally unfunny joke but you do you mate. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 9:18am)
  • Yeah you were mistaken. It is £7.50. Still pricey for coffe but local products will always be more than the equivalent at Tesco. As for the tomato sauce I am guessing it was San Marzano tomato sauce or something. That stuff is always really expensive as they are a protected product and the area is pretty small. Some people swear by the stuff but I think a lot is branding. CIBO sells cans of San Marzano tomatoes for £2,60 which is actually really reasonable believe it or not. Also a flat white there is £3 which is also reasonable these days sadly. Of all the Govanhill business I wouldn't describe CIBO as being particularly expensive all things considered tbh. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 9:47am)
  • It really doesn't though. That is the thing. A lot of that comes from folks seeing brown people around and getting all riled up. It was an affluent area initially (the flats and buildings are genuinely nice and large and were expensive and desirable) it went through a period of huge change that was underscored by radically shifting demographics and social neglect and is now in full blown gentrification mode. The "Govanhill is a shitehole" line is 100% associated with the period of shifting demographics, this is not really objective or that up for interpretation. Again, if you want to get it in on that and think it is fertile ground for pish jokes than go for it mate but at least own up to it. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 9:56am)
  • Hey man if you want to sell me this flat in Govanhill for £50 I will 100% take you up on that. Could even bump it up to £75. https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/141084272#/?channel=RES\_BUY by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 10:00am)
  • Yeah this article reads like it was written by a five year old. The Head of Communications making £50K a year is not some outrageous inflated salary. I wouldn't take that job at that salary. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 3:58pm)
  • Or ADHD medications, which is somewhat more likely for OP. by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 24th Oct 2023 7:41pm)
  • I would recommend OP just get an automatic licence even if he can drive a manual. Shifting with the other hand than you're used to while driving on a different side of the street can be a ballache and might delay them being able to sit a test. Not like you really need a manual licence now a days and with electric cars becoming more standard you might not need to drive a manual at all. I think it was a year or two ago that automatic cars finally outpaced manuals in terms of new car sales. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 25th Oct 2023 4:24pm)
  • Can for sure remove it if they replace it with something better. Properly replacing it with a good airtight seal, rockwool, nice tight thermafleece insulation, a vapour layer, and then a properly fitted floor, will be 1000X times better than the ash that is is there. It will insulate the sound and the heat much better. The issue is it is costly to do this properly and a lot of folks vacuum out the ash and they throw down a strip thermafleece and call it a day. Then they marvel that their neighbours can hear every step they take. The modern methods of insulating and sound dampening are much better than the old ash so OP can remove it if he is going to replace it properly with something better. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 30th Oct 2023 10:00am)
  • Lol, Why stop at removing the insulation if that is the goal? Why not just put a giant hole in your floor that connects your two flats directly? Hell see if you can patch into their heating system and add a couple thermostats to your flat while your at it. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 30th Oct 2023 11:45am)
  • Well except their neighbours presumably as more heat would stay in their flat. Having a properly insulated flat is in everyone's best interest. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 30th Oct 2023 12:11pm)
  • Compared to Glasgow? Have you even seen Union street or Trongate? Also will depend on what North American city you are talking about. Nothing decrepit about city centre Boston or Montreal. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 2nd Nov 2023 8:31am)
  • As others have said your choices are going to be pretty limited now as you have left it so late. Especially since you want a Friday. I doubt most the usual places will have anything left at this point. You might want to look for something less traditional like an Indian place in Merchant city if you are doing a meal. Likely won't be a late night boozy affair but you might still actually be able to book it. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 6th Nov 2023 10:18am)
  • I think Ace & Tate is the same basic thing: https://www.aceandtate.com/gb by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 7th Nov 2023 4:28pm)
  • You could argue SUV's are less sustainable as they do WAY more damage to roads and require further repairs to be done. I think a high tax on SUVs makes a lot of sense. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 15th Nov 2023 1:41pm)
  • Are you looking for a 1 bedroom? £200K goes pretty far when looking at a one bedroom flat. You might not be able to live in Hyndland or right off Byers road but you can for sure buy a 1 bedroom in Partick or Woodlands or Kelvinside for that much. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Nov 2023 1:32pm)
  • Yeah the areas I mentioned should doable. I would personally rather live in the southside socially. Shawlands, Strathbungo, Mount Florida, Govanhill, I would rather live in any of these than the west end. Way more going on and certainly skews younger. If you want to be closer to the city and the west end you could look at the flats along the river where a lot of the Barclays, BBC, JP Morgan crowd live in flats that look like airbnbs like this one: [https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137800052#/?channel=RES\_BUY](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137800052#/?channel=RES_BUY) Could likely hook up with some soulless, dead-eyed, corporate drones if you play your cards right. Go all Patrick Bateman with it. by artfuldodger1212 (Thu 16th Nov 2023 1:57pm)
  • Really? £5 a pint of ABK is a great price. ABK is a really quality, yet simple, German beer brewer. Their Helles is genuinely one of my favourite beers. Damn, I will for sure go check it out now. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 20th Nov 2023 4:19pm)
  • Well....no he wouldn't. That is the thing. It would likely he would only be making a few pence a serving. Keeping a deep fat fryer running all day would cost a bloody fortune these days, especially as those markets are run on diesel generators. He would need to sell like 6 portions an hour just to cover the cost of the employee. He would need to be selling literally hundreds of portions to make any money at all for £2. by artfuldodger1212 (Mon 20th Nov 2023 4:16pm)
  • It's basically salt water. 100 calories and a whole shite loaf of salt. Salt doesn't have a ton of calories in it so this makes sense. Relatively low calories and high sodium is what most people would think of for stock. What were you thinking? What am I missing? by artfuldodger1212 (Tue 5th Dec 2023 7:38am)
  • The new rules are absolutely insane. Even the rabidly protectionist USA has significantly more compassionate and understanding laws around spouse visas. It is absolutely insane to me that the government gets to tell you that you are too poor to marry who you love. It is even crazier that they are setting the threshold for being poor so high. Again the famously draconian USA sets the salary threshold for bringing a spouse at $24K which is like £19K which you can earn in the USA falling out of bed in the morning. What's more if you don't earn that you can get a guarantor to sign off and agree the arriving spouse will not go on benefits for two years as they can support them. There is way more flexibility. The new UK approach is barbaric and awful. It seems like even some historically anti-immigration sources are scratching their heads a bit at this and the government has seemed really defensive about it. Perhaps there is some hope this will be rolled back. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 6th Dec 2023 9:08am)
  • Yep it sure is. USA has an absurdly low poverty line at $17,420 for a household of 2. by artfuldodger1212 (Wed 6th Dec 2023 11:15am)