eddie-brown.net blog

I have mentioned 999 before. The UK government is now piloting a new non emergency number – 101. The idea is that this will take the strain off 999, as it will be a central pint for reporting various nuisances. Currently to talk to your local police you have to go to the station (where ever it is, whenever it is open) or you can phone them. But the phone number is going to be 0845 or 0870, so this costs you a lot. and then there is probably a queue…. so you have a few options. press ahead with calling the number, or don’t bother at all, or hey, just call 999…..

But, is it really a good idea?

So is a new number going to reduce stupid calls to 999? is it going to generate lots more calls which previously people would not have bothered with? will it generate so many calls that you cannot get through? will calls be made to 101 that should be to 999?

Of course the only way to answer these questions is to pilot it… and see how it goes. One hopes that there are enough resources to ensure the system doesn’t topple over to begin with. the system can always be scaled back later….

Isn’t it Ironic, that in this world of ease of communications, the hardest bit is working out who to communicate with, and then the signal to noise ratio?

Not exactly Fear Uncertainty and Doubt, except for when we use a Spanish menu, and a bit of guesswork. This is the fud you can eat. That is food spelt "F, U, D".

Now, it has been said that I like my food. and it is true, I have a reasonable appetite. I also understand the importance of eating enough, and the right stuff. In the UK this means that if i am active, then I tend to want a cooked breakfast, lunch and tea. And this is probably the root of my problems in Spain…. for starters there is no cooked breakfast. and then i have to wait till 9pm at the earliest to even start tea (it has to be ordered…. and then turn up…)

but really I have probably whinged about this too much…. When in Rome, maybe one should do as the Romans do…

My appetite has done some good things for me though. In the old days on tall ships you could only get seconds on the 2nd sitting, nothing new there, but importantly two watches eat first sitting, and only one plus day workers on the second. So generally you only eat 2nd one day in three. Somehow I came to an agreement with the cooks mate, if i did some washing up, then i could appear on 2nd sitting for desert too… and thus I did a lot of washing up. And maybe this played a part in my becoming a cooks mate, which in time would lead to my being a Watch Leader.