annaj

No need for a flounce off jenren. You provided your perspective and other people provided theirs. Some people agree with you and some people don't. That's kind of what dscussion is all about.

I don't dsipute the OP's right to take action if she felt uncomfortable about the actions of another adult around her child, but I do wonder why she didn't approach the man herself and why, since the police seem to have acted entirely appropriately and felt there was nothing untoward, she felt the need to post here about it. There may well be good answers to both those questions and I'd be interested to know what they are. I have no desire to get in to any kind of parent versus non-parent debate, but I do agree with PR that to say a non-parent can't understand or have valid opinion is nonsense. I don't doubt that the feeling of becoming a parent is unique and powerful and no, I have not experienced it, but I have empathy and reasoning and I am able to imagine myself in all kinds of situations that I haven't, and may never, experience. Besides, Mamora Man, at whom the original question was aimed, has said he does have children, thus demonstraing that not all parents agree and proving how meaningless it was as a question.

No. I can't decide which is funnier. Ted's thread (*raises imaginary glass to Ted*) or Woof's fantastically outraged response. Always interesting how posters evolve on the EDF. Woof has tranformed from a man who woofed annoyingly in every post and was prone to spamming entire pages with nonsense responses to every thread, to an concerned parent, blinded by righteous indignation to the possiblity of, dare I say it, a spoof*. *Disclaimer: I am *whispers* not a parent so nothing I say counts at all ;-)

Don't go getting ideas now. One laugh doesn't mean I'm going to do anything crazy like register on Facebook and let you find out what I look like or anything...

Ok BBW, I give in, you've done it. You made me laugh out loud.

Soooo... that's a no on answering questions then? Thought so. I'm sure you've stopped reading my tiresome essay already, but for what it's worth I quite often agree with some of what you're saying, although often not how you say it, and that is why I thought it might be worth trying to actually engange you in debate. Won't bother next time.

Sorry to bore you, you're obviously too busy and important and convinced of your own rightness to actually read what other people are saying. Ok, bullet points you say 1. where and when did I screech for marshal law or imprisonment of these boys? I'll answer that one for you, I didn't, but that what you accused everyone who didn't agree with you of doing. 2. What, exactly is the difference between what you were saying (I was a bad boy as a kid and got up to some mischief, blowing stuff up and the like, but I got told off and learnt my lesson) and what I was saying (these boys were pushing boundaries and needed discipline (not imprisonment or anything extreme, just discipline) to show them it wasn't acceptable)?

Ok, no, I've just looked back through your posts and they're not always nasty and negative, but quite a few of them are especially when you first joined. And believe it or not I do have a sense of humour, I just don't see how being unpleasant for the sake of it is funny or livens things up. But in this case it seems you were unfairly accused. Other people have confirmed you story on the thread in the gossip section, so I'm sorry you had a bad experience and I'm sorry you sincerity was doubted.

Not read mine specifically or not really read any of the posts on this thread properly before jumping in? If the former, any particular reason? If the latter, that would explain a lot.

Lenk, any chance you might respond to any of my direct questions? Or are you just going to keep writing off anyone who disagrees with you as a hysterical extremist without actually listening or engaging?

Daizie, as it happens I don't think you're NatashaD/spangles30 or poppylucky, and I'm not sure you're Felicity, although I think you probably are. What I really don't understand, and this is a genuine question not a dig, is why you're always so negative and needlessly nasty and if you think so little of the forum and it's users, why you bother posting.

daizie, if the other thread is true then I'm really sorry that you had a bad experience and I hope you're ok. But surely you can see that, even without the startling similarities between you and certain previous troublesome posters, your general attitude to the forum has always been one of contempt and negativity and so it's not wholely surprising that people are having their doubts about your sincerity now, is it?

Hurrah for Keef! The place wouldn't be the same without you x

Thanks for letting us know HAL. Lenk, if you're counting me amongst those that you're sneering at, I'd like to defend myself. Based on HAL's first post I thought the behaviour ought to have been reported to the police, through their non-emergency reporting, or to the safer neighbourhoods team. I thought this because, in HAL's original post, the behaviour sounded intimidating, aggresive and disruptive, although I can see that on reflection HAL felt far less threatened and alarmed by it and I respect his judgement in choosing not to report it. There was no screeching and no mention of marshal law or imprisonment in my posts, only in your responses. You made the point that as a child and adolescent you messed about, experimented and pushed the boundaries of what was allowed and that you modified your behaviour, because you were disciplined (blew up playground, got told off, never did it again). As a general rule children and young people do test boundaries and it is up to adults, the adults that care for them and the adults that surround them in the wider community, to make clear what is acceptable and what's not. That is all I was suggesting. I did try and make that point earlier in the thread, but you ignored my posts entirely. I don't know why, but it's tempting, based on your posts, to think that you're happier sticking with the judgements you make about people than actually listening and finding out what they think and feel or even looking for common ground, which is interesting from someone who gets so upset by prejudice. As it happens I think HAL approaching them himself and reasoning with them about their behaviour and making them see why it might have caused concern for other people is by far the best solution. The more that we disengage from young people, through fear or disinterest, the wider the gap in understanding between them and us, and the worse off we as a community are.

Legalbeagle, true to my word I gave G&B another try and went in today for wine for a picnic and something for a present. I had wander round on my own first, and found all the labelling to be very clear and informative, then asked for some help. I was assisted by a very friendly woman who listen carefully to want I wanted and gave a range of recommendations, including her personal favourites. She was very helpful and not remotely patronising or snobby and asked me to come back and let her know what I'd thought of the wines. It was a very good shopping experience and I will be back. Gimme, if you post was responding to mine, I'm not someone who objects to spending good money for good wine, I'm just someone who doesn't like to be treated rudely. That was all I objected to and now that I've been back and had such lovely service I'm happy to believe that I was just unlucky last time.

Excellent work Scott. So, today the staff at the Bishop will have smiles on their faces, but murder in their eyes, as they try to work out which of the pesky customers complained and earned them a pre-service talking to.

That made me giggle too Keef, I was really cross the first time I reaslised I couldn't say cunt when I wanted to...

Lily bloody Allen's new bloody nonsense bloody song. As if it's not bad enough that every time I turn on the radio I have to hear her bleating on tediously about how her ex never made her come in an adolescent attempt to be sexy and shocking, this morning I heard her new song. A smug, patronising, bland whine of a song about a women who's "nearly 30" (shock horror) and single and how sad she is and how disppointing her life is and how society says her life is over. Fuck off Lily Allen! You are not a social commentator you're a silly little girl.

I'm with Moos. The fact that person or people unknown can do that overnight (in midsummer, so short nights) without anyone seeing them, and without leaving any mark, and without letting the secret get out, is more impressive than the idea of life on other planets. Imagine what that sort of creativity and organisation could achieve...

Ah, ok, yes. I'm a bit lazy when it comes to link-clicking sometimes.

Ok, maybe it's because I've only just woken up, but am I the only one to be struggling to see how we went from MJ to Prescott?

Crikey, it had never occured to me that it might me my fault. Am I a bad cat parent? I do work full time. Oh, the guilt.

Oh and ps cat allergies are provoked by enzymes in cat saliva transferred onto both hair and skin through grooming.

Hhmmm... Not so sure about that as a general rule. Our girl cat is out and about every day and often meets me at the front door despite always going out the back. She has come home covered in cobwebs, plaster, grit, mud and bright red gloss paint and bearing gifts including, but not limited to, a live toad the size of her head, a range of other cats' toys and once, embarrassingly, a croissant still in its bag. In answer to the original question, if you have outdoor cats in a city or near a road, of course there is always a chance they'll get run over, but I tend not to worry too much about it.

So, Ted, does that mean that some people actually read Tony's posts? To me they're a bit like the high pitched noise MrJ's docking station makes when it's switched on, but doesn't have an i-pod on. I know it's there, I can kind of hear it, but I just filter it out and carry on with what I'm doing.