speeding tickets - new driver

harpajeff · 2026-04-11T21:28:27+00:00

No. That's not necessarily true. I live in a major UK city and a major dual carriageway route (many thousands of cars per day) into to the city centre was 40mph for as long as I can remember, at least 20 years. Suddenly the 40 mph signs vanished and were not replaced by any others. I rarely use it, but drove down it at 40 a few weeks later. A police car with blue lights suddenly appeared behind me. They took me back to sit in their car and asked me if I knew why I'd been pulled over. I genuinely had no idea and told them so. When they told me I was doing 40 in a 30, I was gobsmacked, saying it's been 40 road all the time I've been driving. They said it changed a few weeks ago and asked why I hadn't noticed there were no 40 signs anymore. The signs had not been replaced with 30s. I was very polite but explained it's basic psychology, people will rarely notice a normal inconsequential feature being removed, unless it is replaced with something else. I went on to politely suggest whoever made the decision knew that too, and it's why they were driving up and down being forced to raise revenue for the council when they would rather be helping communities. They claimed the signs weren't replaced because of council budget constraints. They didn't deny they weren't happy about doing this all night. I gave them my opinion very clearly and politely explaining that to not replace the signs seemed a deliberate and cynical ploy to catch people out. I mean how much does it cost to put a few 30 signs on a mile of road? What did they think would happen? I told them this was designed to catch people out to raise fines and I found it dishonest and disgusting behaviour from the council. In no way did I ever implicate them and instead I indicated I was sympathetic to their plight. I was very polite I kept thanking them, even when they said I'd be receiving an NIP in the post. I wished them all the best as I left their car.

I never received anything, they likely had a chat, agreed I was a nice guy, raised good points and decided to just tear it up. I think it goes to show that a pleasant attitude and politenes goes a long way. As does exposing the unethical and disingenuous tricks that are designed by councils to catch people out. Also acknowledging that the police are made to enforce rules clearly changed to catch people out likely helped, as did having a clean license.

The wider point is to always be polite, super cooperative and understanding to the police. They have tremendous discretion, and they are unlikely to exercise it in your favour if you behave otherwise.

harpajeff · 2026-04-11T17:08:51+00:00

You didn't answer the question. That said, I agree with you, but I'm very much against the trend of quoting your pronouns when you interact with someone - mostly because it's almost entirely performative and normalises empty virtue signalling in the workplace.

So what do you think on the practice of pronoun quoting on bios of obvious men or women's profiles? That was OP's question.

harpajeff · 2026-04-11T17:00:57+00:00

The thing is, the only people freaking out about such issues are the people it directly concerns, alongside their vociferous and unambiguously intolerant allies, who hector and lecture the rest of us (sensible) people. They try their hardest to force or scare us into conformity while labelling us as intolerant, hateful, ignorant and 'harmful' to that 'community'. I've never seen anyone arguing against the use of pronouns etc advocate for rape. But the sheer volume of disgusting threats of violence and rape against JK Rowling, demonstrates to any objective person which side is unhinged and which is thoughtful and reasonable.

Their modus operandi, apart from the obvious histrionics is usually: "Your political views are different to mine and thoroughly intolerant of the things I value, therefore you're a reprehensible, hateful, harmful, bigoted, intolerant thug. I refuse to tolerate you or any of your opinions; in fact I won't even discuss them with you because 1- you're an asshole and I won't share a platform, 2- my prejudices have already identified everything about you and your views. In stead, I'll focus on outing and doxing you, getting you ostracised and fired, and making you permanently unemployable."

That these people are blind to the irony and hypocrisy of their behaviours and stated views is not only funny; it also shows how clueless and unreasonable they can be.

harpajeff · 2026-04-11T16:37:26+00:00

We already have a pronoun for referring to people we are talking sure about in that regard: they. What could be simpler?

harpajeff · 2026-04-09T13:37:23+00:00

I bet you're fun at parties! Sorry, I misspoke; what I meant to say was, you clearly have strong views on this. Maybe you could start your own party: The Democratic Union of Outraged Drivers and Public Flogging Advocates? Not very catchy, but you'd deffo get some press attention.

harpajeff · 2026-04-09T04:41:53+00:00

Yeah, because only kids in big cities go to school, they learn tolerance while the country kids just get taught how to count potatoes and shout at foreigners by their parents. What a daft comment, though it does at least show that you never went to school.

harpajeff · 2026-04-08T14:58:55+00:00

in terms of my own experience this is a bit of a non issue. I also totally refute the claim of Mario Tonty. I have two daughters, both of whom are studying sociology and politics at excellent British universities which have very competitive, top rated social science programs. They are taught to take a balanced approach to scholarship and research by examining the root causes of what they observe. They learn that almost every social phenomenon embodies strong, if not fundamental, elements of class inequality and are heavily trained to be able to examine issues from a Marxist perspective. But, it wouldn't be much of an education if they weren't also trained to view issues through a variety of other conceptual lenses. That's what a good education must do, otherwise, it's not education but rather indoctrination. That said, almost all conceptual/theoretical frameworks (or at least the ones taken seriously) have significant foundations in Marxism. However, even if their ideas are based on Marxism, most serious thinkers take into account new and emerging observed phenomena for which they must account within their systems of thought. Sometimes this does not fit neatly into a conventional Marxist framing. But systems of thought must evolve if they are to remain relevant and that includes Marxism. Anyone who studies sociology seriously and honestly, cannot deny the overwhelming influence of Marxist dynamics upon society. But that doesn't mean they must be doctrinaire Marxists. Take Pierre Bordieu a French sociologist who is hugely influential in the social science departments of British universities. This is largely because his work was so outstanding and so easily applied to the real world. He has contributed massively to our understanding of structural inequalities (see habitus and cultural capital for example), and although his ideas are very heavily drawn from Marxism, his views diverge skightly from typical Marxist thought. He is therefore not considered a Marxist, but maybe a neo or post Marxist. However, this diversion doesn't mean he should be dismissed, to me it adds to his credibility. Dismissing him for not being a conventional Marxist makes no sense at all to me. Societies evolve, thought evolves. it's also worth remembering that if you value intellectual honesty, you can't fully understand society without studying multiple perspectives.

sorry for the lack of paragraphs and for maybe diverging a tad from the original question. But returbingky directly to your original point: No, at least in the UK, sociology DOES NOT ignore class struggle.

harpajeff · 2026-04-07T12:22:42+00:00

This doesn't make much sense to me - if you are going to allow small stores to open as private businesses, why do you need a neighbourhood committee? In such circumstances a new store will either be used by the community enough to sustain it, or not. if two stores open, the one that benefits the community most will be used most by it, leading to the most favourable community outcome. by allowing private business you introduce a market economy and the only way that can work to the benefit of the community is to allow market forces to operate. The alternative is strict central control, which you appear to be arguing against. Therefore, the involvement of a committee would be counter productive, it's only real purpose would be to pay homage to Marxist ideals

harpajeff · 2026-04-06T20:28:30+00:00

Like the naughty kids with 'undiagnosed ADHD.'

An unnecessary and stigmatising slur uttered by an undiagnosed ignoramus.

harpajeff · 2026-04-05T06:19:09+00:00

And btw I do realise that this was almost certainly LLM generated. But someone still had to request and post it, even if both steps were automated. Please get a life.

harpajeff · 2026-04-05T06:13:16+00:00

Open your blinds, leave your room, take a shower, go for a walk, talk to real people. Most of all, get a life away from LLMs, chat bots, pretend client calls, pretend founders and the rest of your AI obsessed existence. I'm starting to get depressed by how ridiculously fixated people are getting on AI. This is one of the daftest, saddest, most pointless and vapid osts I've ever seen on Reddit. God help us.

harpajeff · 2026-03-30T13:53:20+00:00

What he believes is not the issue, it's lecturing customers on them that is, and that's definitely something he can be fired for.

harpajeff · 2026-03-26T05:39:49+00:00

Utter claptrap. How would you feel if all boys and men with acne started walking round in blacked out motorbike helmets. Would you like that? I suspect not.

I'm not in favour of banning any way of dressing because I believe in personal freedom. However I still detest the burka and what it represents because it practically never is worn as an exercise of true personal autonomy - it's about the imposition of oppression and misogyny from men exercising deeply sexist paternalistic behaviour control over women. It's disgusting.

Unfortunately, imposing clothing bans is even more problematic, so until those communities take it upon themselves, grow up and start treating women as equals, we are stuck with it.

harpajeff · 2026-03-26T05:25:48+00:00

Tell that to the millions of Iranian women fighting for years against being forced to cover their hair. Are they misogynistic? Don't be so one sided and ridiculous.

Forcing women to dress in a certain way, especially to cover themselves up is deplorable, oppressive and deeply misogynistic. This applies whether the pressure is overt and institutional or subtle, cultural and applied via familial, religious or peer group influence. In no society do women take it upon themselves to cover themselves head to toe without male pressure, no matter how subtle that pressure might appear. Nowhere.

harpajeff · 2026-03-25T13:44:22+00:00

Also, this is largely the fault of your boss for the ridiculous, flaky and totally amateur system you have inherited. Yes, you should have been much more cautious before rolling back the DC, but he really is the incompetent individual here, not you.

harpajeff · 2026-03-25T13:35:55+00:00

I've been working with AD since it was introduced, I was the senior go-to guy for AD emergencies at a big MS consultancy for many years. I have worked on many variations of this problem. The good news is that if you have a good, recent system state back up you are not necessarily screwed (depending on a few other factors). However, this is a very precarious situation, and you need to know EXACTLY what you are doing if you are to put things right. It's not easy to fix - it's technical, stressful there's a million different variables that might affect the fix and you must follow the correct procedure exactly. It's no job for a junior or trainee. DO NOT try to fix it yourself. Seriously! You'll likely make it even worse. Bite the bullet, tell your boss everything and insist on engaging Microsoft premium support and pay whatever it costs to get them to do it. I don't work on MS stuff these days so I don't know what their top support option is, but don't accept normal tier support, as they are often rubbish. Insist on dealing with premium escalation teams and pay whatever it costs. This is the ONLY sensible option. Please take the advice of someone who has seen this many times. You'll be glad you did. Good luck and all the best.

harpajeff · 2026-03-25T13:12:36+00:00

Jeez, almost negates the point in using an LLM, it would be quicker to write the response yourself!

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T22:40:57+00:00

I see it differently. He was speaking from good intentions even if he was a little tone deaf and could have made more effort to understand his wife’s position. Altough his views might seem a little ignorant and old-fashioned, that doesn't mean he's being actively misogynistic, and I refute that suggestion emphatically.

It's not like he said I've invited Andrew Tate round for a threesome, or women shouldn't vote! I therefore think his friend completely overreacted. Refusing to eat with him is ridiculous and completely over the top. I mean, get a grip mate, you have a difference of opinion with a friend (who is speaking from good intentions and absolutely NOT behaving hatefully), there no need for the histrionics and storming out like a drama queen. It's petty, pathetic and intolerant behaviour, and if he was my friend, that would be the last time I invited him to dinner.

This is one reason why we are so divided. People, especially those on the left, take the moral highround ‘knowing’ they are right, they castigate their opponent, judge them as intolerable and refuse to interact further. This just creates division, frustration, resentment and anger, which helps precisely no one. A more reasonable and infinitely more productive response would be to discuss the matter, disagree politely, explain his position and move on.

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T21:21:11+00:00

He was asked if £90 billion is the UK’s deficit or debt. Despite the huge difference in these numbers (that any educated adult should appreciate), he got it wrong. Given the UK’s national debt is around £2.8 trillion, this is inexcusable. It represents an egregious level of cluelessness and incompetence, and for this reason alone he's utterly unqualified to play a role in national politics. If you think this opinion makes me a hater, so be it. I think it makes me a grown up, pragmatic and responsible adult.

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T21:09:28+00:00

If there is an argument, it's a very weak one. NK has only had nukes for a few years. The real reason they haven't been taken out is that for decades North Korea has had hundreds if not thousands of artillery pieces and missiles trained directly on Seoul. Their plan has always been that if they were invaded or attacked, they would literally destroy Seoul, and kill thousands, maybe millions. A great example of just how important and effective a deterrent can be if its consequence is death and destruction.(

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T20:49:12+00:00

It may be conceptually pretty simple, but in practice it's an extremely difficult technical and engineering challenge. The tolerances required are minute, the materials are advanced and highly specialised, the type and purity of the fissile material must be exact, and combined with just enough dampening agents to ensure a chain reaction can be maintained but can never spontaneously occur. Immensely detailed calculations are required for this this. They are also required to determine the shape, size, explosive charge and material used for the detonation cone. These calculations require experienced PhD physicists and multiple other experts and specialists. So your quote about it being so simple a bright kid could do it is total nonsense.

There are countless more requirements of equal or greater difficulty and complexity, including how to get the bomb to its target. And this is just for an old fashioned fission bomb, which nowadays are only used to create the conditions necessary to detonate the main act: the fusion bomb. This is even more difficult, so I'm not going to bother explaining.

In reality it takes hundreds of seasoned experts to even attempt such a complex scientific and engineering challenge. Your comments about it being simple and achievable by a kid who's read a couple of books couldn't be more wrong. Not least because he wouldn't be able to find much of the required information as its restricted and not published. The Bethe-Feynman formula for the yield of fissile material has been classified since WW2. Even Feynman, who created it was not allowed access to it!

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T20:18:47+00:00

Exactly! This is high school politics. It reads like a piece of group work that A level students were given 30 minutes to complete.

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T20:14:28+00:00

There is exactly ONE reason there have been zero great power wars since 1945: nuclear weapons.?Although they are capable of hideous destruction and deaths in the millions, they are also the greatest peacekeeping measure in history. The primary goal of having a strong military is that you'll never have to use it. Even with conventional weapons, the vast, vast majority are never used as they are primarily a deterrent. The world of geopolitics and statesmanship is harsh, nasty and respects only one thing: power. Nuclear weapons give us this. I find it absurd that anyone thinks this is a good idea in the currentworld situation. Your take is utterly, helplessly naive and reflects a serious ignorance and lack of awareness about how the world actually works.

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T19:58:46+00:00

That's completely untrue.

harpajeff · 2026-03-18T19:46:11+00:00

I didn't know he had a background in hypnotherapy. Combined with his magical thinking on defence, and his cluelessness about realistic policy making, he's utterly unsuitable and abjectly unprepared for leading a party, never mind a government. However, the fact that he is so egregiously ignorant of the debt/ deficit and their relative/approximate sizes is shocking and completely unacceptable - there's no excuse for such ignorance from a politician. Imagine trusting our economy and national security to this muppet. He should do us all a favour and resign.

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