Penguin68

Academic papers (see two attached) suggest that the inclusion of fats (including solids) in anaerobic digestion (the go-to method for disposal of kitchen waste, though not yet adopted by Veolia) is hugely beneficial to the process. http://iicbe.org/upload/9428C0315120.pdf https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4ffe/4817756121ddf4a2539e5656c638ff503ac9.pdf You should avoid oils in domestic compost however (so if you compost kitchen waste, don't include oils and fats). Veolia composts organic waste, but it doesn't like oils, liquids and fats https://www.veolia.co.uk/westberkshire/waste-services/food-and-green-waste-collection-service/what-can-be-recycled-food-waste-collection

Hell's Park Attendants?

Part of the problem is that Veolia has been changing all the routes (and changing the teams on the routes) - so that bin men who knew the area and where bins were meant to go are now working in different areas without that knowledge. Change normally p**s people off, so the bin men now in your area don't any longer really care, they just want to get the job over, as (because it's new to them) it appears to take longer. If you're familiar with a route/ area you know what to expect etc. The route changes have been caused by the removal of the large bins so that more of the work is decanting small caddies into a large bin being hauled by a front man - as it is large bins which get tipped into the lorries, not small ones. For those who just now put waste straight into the caddies (no liners) this is a much nastier job for the bin men, particularly in hot weather. Just imagine the joy when the (generally efficient) Veolia back-office is replaced by council staff (as is now official Labour policy) - and we all know how good these are at delivering value and efficiency - we just have this exercise for instance to go by.

With the new rules residents are supposed to place their bins on the edge of the property in time for pick up This is, of course, a ridiculous requirement - it assumes that everyone has a 'garden' frontage without walls - someone with a normal frontage with a gate into the street would block access by leaving up to 3 bins (two large, one small) in the gateway (but still inside their property; someone without a garden frontage would not be able to place their bins for collection elsewhere than in the street. Once placed 'on the edge of the property' but outside your curtilage this is no longer 'within the boundary of the property'. And for anyone whose property fronts directly onto the street, without a 'front garden' of whatever size it would be entirely impossible to meet the council's requirements. Only those with wide openings from their front garden into the street would be able to place their bins for collection on the edge of the property but still within it, and still be able to access their own front doors 'through' the bins. Maybe the council and their officers are looking for another fines bonanza!

There is now an electronic hailing ap for black cabs as well as Ubers. But of course you pay black cab prices. Most black cabs (all?) now have card payment options in-cab - that at least makes them more user friendly than when cash was the only option. And less of a muggers target. It is still very convenient to be able to get a cab either on-street or from a rank without having to book, at times; black cabs (and their drivers, but there is always John Worboys to remember) are generally better regulated than mini-cabs (which is what Ubers are). And 'the Knowledge' is of real value when there are street disruptions which sat nav aps can't pick-up on - even Waze isn't that sensitive to sudden road closures. As a customer there is room for both, but economically I'm not so sure.

They actually shortened the dotted area when they last repainted for reasons that are rather difficult to ascertain. Revenue generation? - these fines don't just hand themselves out... I'm on record elsewhere as suggesting our council(ors) are not to be trusted.

It's worth noting two things - the dotted lines probably start too late (ideally at least another bus-length or two of cross-over would be safer) and that section of bus lane (to Denmark Hill) would be very suited for morning rush-hour only (7am - 10am) restrictions - at most other times (except when there are road works) traffic flow is actually pretty good, and buses would not get held up by non bus traffic.

I suggested that maybe he could patrol Goose Green in the afternoons during the summer when more people/children are using the park, If professional dog walkers are the issue, as suggested above, then patrolling when they are about (often in my experience of other green areas in ED in the mid mornings) might be more effective. I'd guess they were more likely to ignore the common decencies of picking up poo when fewer people were about. The issue is more picking up the poo in the first place, not warning those with children to avoid it. Patrolling when they can be seen by the Goose Green using public might be good for their profile, but less likely to catch the miscreants, in my view.

But for me I still generally prefer a driver who can improvise when needed (and use the bus lanes). That's certainly true for Central London, where any unexpected road blockage can entirely stump Sat Nav dependent Uber drivers but Black Cabbies do know the alternative routes to get round blocks. If you want to get to a main line station in Central London, Black Cabs are the go-to choice (even where they are more expensive). But around us in Dulwich even if the Black Cabbie has done the local knowledge they're still not that much more savvy than Ubers with the right Sat Nav. And if you're going from, e.g. Kings Cross to Dulwich then the ?15 - ?20 (often) difference in fares (if the Black Cab will even go Sarf) is a deal breaker in my view.

Driver started doing a very odd route That can be very common with Ubers - they use Waze quite a lot, which tracks routes with the least congestion - which are often longer (in miles) and more circuitous but generally quicker in lapsed time to get to your destination. Of course, as most Uber drivers don't know where they are going (relying on Sat Nav) they are not making sneaky diversions to bump up the fare. The Knowledge has its good, and bad, points!

Mine arrived yesterday - Underhill

That's the theory but unfortunately, in my experience, this often doesn't work as expected. The only card cloning I've had has been picked up quickly (even before the bank paid out to the merchant) - and the algorithms are getting better, but of course different issuers use different security algorithms and staff their security centres differently - some are 24 hour - some use their AI IT to immediately block transactions and then only review the machine decision during 'office' hours. It would be possible (in the case you quoted) that an authorised user (spouse?) was driving your car in London whilst you were travelling in Bangkok on business - in which case blocking either transaction would have been more than an annoyance. I've had something similar - luckily my card issuer put a hold on the transactions (not the card) until they could clarify that the transactions were kosher or not. Sometimes banks can put a temporary block on a card and then clear it if transactions are seen as 'correct' - but some issuer's processes require a complete card re-issue once a perceived problem has arisen. It's always a good idea to carry a couple of cards in case that happens to the one you're using.

We had two Uber drivers (pick-up in East Dulwich), in quick succession, refuse trips to Central London (the third, who did take us, told me that traffic conditions there were bad, which they were). As they (Uber drivers) now no longer get told during the booking process where the trip is to, they had to refuse to our faces rather than just not accepting the offer of a fare on the ap. Both gave the excuse that they couldn't go into Central London because of the ULEZ (and one was a Prius!). In fact, Uber requires that the cars used are 'modern' which means that even the diesel ones would probably be ULEZ compliant, and certainly the petrol and hybrid ones! I complained to Uber and got a refund (as if they turn down a trip once they've arrived to the pick-up that can be flagged, and charged, as a customer no-show!). So, it's not just black cabs, although they do have a bad (and earned) reputation when it comes to Sarf of the River.

To answer the question - banks don't 'see' the act of cloning (or it wouldn't work), but their security algorithms pick up unusual usage activity, which a cloned card would demonstrate (i.e. close to simultaneous transactions geographically separated, unusual purchases etc. etc.)

You appear to be confusing a car alarm (sounds/ flashing lights when doors are opened and/ or there is movement in the car) with a car immobiliser (car won't start unless correct wireless tag is present).

It might help to get responses if you explained what you were actually doing, as you do on the Survey itself:- I'm a Geography student at Queen Mary conducting a study on women's concerns and experiences of cycling around the borough of Southwark, but also on capturing thoughts and ideas on how cycling can be made more inclusive and welcoming to this particular group of road users. You will have the chance to respond to 6 questions about cycling relating to inclusive infrastructure and route safety, cycling culture in London, and other factors that may affect the quality of your journey. Information collected is for educational purposes only.

Even if you report non collection, they won't collect it until the next time that they Normally come In the 30+ years I have lived here in ED (same house) specific collections have only been missed on a couple of occasions, and have been remedied in 24-48 hours (next day or the day after). Maybe I've been lucky.

No, (some) bin stickers were certainly delivered two weeks ago - I had the full kit (stickered large bin, kerb-side caddy) in place for the Tuesday collection this week.

During this transition period (albeit very extended) I have found the bin men from Veolia very reasonable - they take away rubbish which generally fits the (old) requirements without being sticklers for the new way of doing this (and as all garden and kitchen waste currently gets mixed together in the same lorry, quite sensibly). They don't care, really, how it's presented. They see their job as clearing the streets of domestic rubbish put out for them, and do a good job of it. If you don't like what the council is doing (I certainly don't) don't take it out on Veolia staff, who have nothing to do with council policy or the way the council implements that policy.

Time for the Lounge...?

Wait a second - ?24 is the most expensive roast, and it's of a good (i.e. costly) cut of beef, 45 days aged - of course that's not the price you may want to pay for a 'pub' roast, but it is a very good quality (and costly) cut - the longer you hang beef (within reason), the better it is, but the more sunk cost you have in storing it and not selling it. So, depending on the amount you get served, this isn't entirely unreasonable. It's much more than 'pub grub' of course, but clearly that's not where the new incarnation of the Palmerston is positioning itself. In many London restaurants ?24 would be a very good price - depending on what you are getting for it - if it's just a 'pub roast' I grant you that might be disappointing, but if its restaurant style it really might not be. Rather than critique the menu you might be better to critique what is actually being served. I have payed ?15 for a pub roast which wasn't worth ?5. But I only knew that having attempted to eat it. Just looking at the menu I might have thought that was a good deal.

the council is trying to generate as much money as it can And it is doing so in parts of the budget which are not open to outside scrutiny - it could increase charges 1000 fold and nothing (local elections apart) could stop them. As long as their main electorate is not damaged themselves directly by these charges (i.e. don't have gardens or cars) they will remain in power indefinitely, redistributing wealth as they see fit. The Council Tax is of course open to scrutiny, and central government oversight, which is why they are moving such things as waste collection out of that space whilst they can, actually against government advice. We have all seen examples of waste (this scheme is one of them, the costs will surely outweigh any revenues, at least in this fiscal) - but this is all about moving charges away from any central control, when 'small' fees can swiftly become big ones.

Poorly built? It's over a hundred years old and the only thing bringing it down is the wrecker's ball It was robustly built, but without false floors and ceilings through which to run cable, pipework etc, etc. to support a modern 'connected', heated and cooled, establishment, and being built in a way which was not consistent with the zero-carbon/ fully insulated mind-set of today, creating a modern health establishment inside its shell would be a very expensive option. It is, of course, a lovely building, and would still be fit for many purposes, but not, I suggest, a modern health centre offering quasi hospital services. I would tend to agree that it wasn't 'poorly built' certainly for the standards of the time and even now, but it is no longer appropriately built.

but given that it is usually empty I wonder whether it will last. That very much depends, in my experience, on when you come. First thing it is often very crowded as it has people who go to work, and people who have had to 'starve' before the test. By about 10:45 you often have to wait only one or two people, but there is a steady throughput - enough to occupy 2 and sometimes 3 phlebotomists. I've never seen it completely empty or gone straight in without at least a one-person wait. That's actually ideal and shows it is effectively staffed. Neither the patients', nor the phlebotomists' time is being wasted.

How does that make any sense? None, save that they are obviously using up old stock, which is surely a good thing as it is both 'green' and economical - something we rarely seem to see from this council.