CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Overheard

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  1. steveo
    Member

    My toddler has a habit of doing that usually when the person isn't just passing through and yes it's mortifying

    Posted 10 years ago #
  2. Kid in the seat in front of me on a bus with his Dad, many years ago, staring at me intently: "Dad... DAD!! Have you SEEN the size of that man's nose?"

    I've never seen the back of someone's neck glow bright red with embarrassment before!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  3. DaveC
    Member

    I've experienced this too, with my children. Its funny and slightly embarrassing but tbh children want to learn, and if they do so by asking questions, why shouldn't they? This is th3e point at which we also educate our children about tact and things not to ask.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  4. Min
    Member

    And how to tell the difference between a man and a woman?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  5. amir
    Member

    "And how to tell the difference between a man and a woman?"

    Sounds like a dangerous area

    Posted 10 years ago #
  6. Min
    Member

    Probably. I just thought it was funny that he thought I was male. It wasn't supposed to be controversial.

    Sorry.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  7. DaveC
    Member

    Depends on the age, ours called everyone a man until just past 2.5 years of age.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  8. minus six
    Member

    children should be locked in dark cupboards

    it didn't do me any harm

    Posted 10 years ago #
  9. Talking of kids and the difference between men & women, here's one from my Mum, who ran a playgroup for 25 years:

    It's milk & biscuits time, when the kids are sitting round and being read a story. One of the little girls is sitting on my Mum's knee as she's reading to them, and keeps poking and prodding my Mum around the groin.

    "Is there something the matter, X?", said my Mum.

    "Mrs M", said the wee girl,"Why haven't you got a little winkie like my Daddy has?"

    Posted 10 years ago #
  10. fimm
    Member

    On being told that their Mummy had a baby in her tummy, my nieces (two and a half or so at the time) went around asking various adults if they had a baby in their tummy too. Including their Daddy, of course...

    (My favourite is still the child of a friend who wanted to know where the country Need was. Need? You know, where the Children are...)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  11. Baldcyclist
    Member

    When I was about 4 we went to London for the first time, we hadn't taken 10 steps off the bus when I exclaimed "Mum, he's BLACK!" with a pointy finger.

    Of course, mother was mortified, I was just about dragged legs swinging in the air as she tried to get away.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    "wanted to know where the country Need was"

    Bit like the 80's children worried their parents might die of ignorance.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  13. Bhachgen
    Member

    I've recently started working in schools. I get called "Miss" quite regularly especially by younger kids.

    When I turn up on my Mountain Bike I get asked "Why is your bike pink?!".

    "Because it's from the '80s" doesn't seem to be a sufficient explanation...

    Posted 10 years ago #
  14. MeepMeep
    Member

    Does Project Manager speak count? Overheard in the office this morning:

    Phoneman: "I know... Yeah, it's like herding cats... Except these seem to be drunk and stupid cats..."

    I can only imagine the response to that might well have been something like "it's not rocket science" or some such withering PM put-down.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  15. Smudge
    Member

    Reminds me of a fave quote from a lesson I was once getting which touched on aerodynamics/ballistics (in a very basic way); "right lads, this isn't rocket science... Well... actually strictly spealing it *is* rocket science, but it's easy rocket science so don't let that put you off. Anyway..." :-)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  16. kaputnik
    Moderator

    We had a dreadfully loud colleague who - fortunately - recently moved on and far away, who spoke in nothing but internal company acronyms and buzzwords.

    She was forever herding cats, dancing round handbags, having bunfights and trying to "land" things.

    Anyone who says "Lol", without a hint of iront, instead of actually laughing is a contemptible individual in my opinion.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  17. fimm
    Member

    I wasn't aware that "herding cats" was management speak. I've a friend who says it, and he's not the sort of person to speak in buzzwords...

    Posted 10 years ago #
  18. Pocopiglet
    Member

    I just thought 'herding cats' was a jokey turn of phrase, a bit like 'plaiting fog' or folding gravy'.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  19. Min
    Member

    Yes me too.

    I'd quite like to see someone trying to herd drunk and stupid cats though. Especially the woman Kaputnik described who actually says "lol".

    Posted 10 years ago #
  20. Smudge
    Member

    What you guys said, jokey turn of phrase, management buzzword bingo is a topic all of its own!
    I've tried to herd a single cat (in possession of item/s it shouldn't have been) and can confirm it as a very near futile(though manageable with perseverance), I imagine a herd (pride?) Of them would be harder yet!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  21. Roibeard
    Member

    Cue an aging advert...

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    Posted 10 years ago #
  22. EddieD
    Member

    People who think folding gravy is impossible have never seen mine.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  23. Pocopiglet
    Member

    EddieD, you must be a 'one lump or two' gravy maker! T'other 'alf was similar but I reckon it was just so I'd get so fed up chewing my way through the gravy that I'd take that task on too!

    Posted 10 years ago #
  24. wingpig
    Member

    I've often wondered how real some of the EEN commenters are. I've just found out I'm sitting a couple of feet from two "I can't believe anyone would (be so irresponsible as to) go on the road with a child in a trailer behind a bike" people, reflecting the occasional recent comment about "canvas tents" on Morningside Road. One of them does cycle, though it is not known where.

    Spottings of ill-lit trailer-users, the fragility of bike trailers and the untrustworthiness of lorries were mentioned. Apparently yes it should be allowed but heavens they can't believe anyone actually would (other than on a cycle path).

    Posted 10 years ago #
  25. Roibeard
    Member

    Within the last month I've had someone pull into the ASL alongside the family peleton to opine that we needed to be very careful taking the children out on the roads.

    My response, "yes indeed, particularly when drivers don't understand the road markings"...

    Robert

    Posted 10 years ago #
  26. condor2378
    Member

    As a regular children-in-trailer puller, I always take the quietest roads that I can and even walk along the pavement pulling it (or if clear I'll admit to standing on a pedal and coasting downhill, but not when there are peds). I still get "You should be on the road" when walking along with the trailer, even though it's no wider than a wheelchair. I'm sorry, but if you have to wait for 2 seconds while I squeeze past a bus stop (the bottom of Lothian Road is a good example) then you'll just have to wait. I'm not going on one of the busiest roads in Edinburgh to appease you. And stop looking at your bloody phone and watch where you are going! Sorry. /rant

    Posted 10 years ago #
  27. BenN
    Member

    @condor, +1 to that attitude. I have recently started picking my 11 month old up from nursery in a trailer, and have resorted to pavement freewheeling at the two points I would otherwise have to take the road; the cannonmills crossroads (the ones with the Cross and Corner pub, desperately unpleasant) and for 10m of Inverleith Row, (where we come off the quiet road leading from the NEPN) to home.

    First time I did the journey I did it without baby, just empty trailer to gauge my comfort and found that whilst the majority of drivers gave quite a bit more space when towing the trailer, there was always one who behaved as usual (ie: like a blithering idiot). That was one too many, and until the roads get safer my baby takes the pavement! I haven't had a single person say anything yet, but I have had ample time to work on my response for when they do...

    On a side note, I have to say that towing her home is absolutely my favorite time of the day now, she loves it and laughs all the way, and I get to feel that I am sharing one of my favourite things with the most important person in my life - plus people treat you differently, instead of 'cyclist' you are now 'dad with daughter' in a lot of path users' eyes.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  28. wee folding bike
    Member

    I just used the normal roads with the trailer, including the A89 when we needed to go to Coatbridge, and the A77 through Newton Mearns on a CTC run (it has a painted lane). I think Peter Hayman was surprised to hear a Brompton was coming on his run… and a little more so when it turned up with two kids in a trailer.

    I found cars stayed well out of the trailer's way and waited behind it as we wound up the hill.

    Mine are a bit big for it now and they have broken a weld on one of the front supports. We did tend to ignore loading and speed suggestions.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  29. algo
    Member

    Went for a great ride with daughter in the trailer on the weekend, and had someone say "That's just wrong", as we cycled back through Bruntsfield - odd what some people describe as "wrong"....

    Posted 10 years ago #
  30. Tulyar
    Member

    If the kid in the trailer looks likely to cause serious damage to any passing car, most drivers will notice, Suggest (with tongue in cheek) you install one of those star-wars flashy lighty weapons to point at any car and let them play.

    Posted 10 years ago #

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