The totally off-topic thread

[Skyring]

Is this still Victoria Barracks on Petrie Terrace, or have they changed the name?

A new shopping development. Though of course "new" may be a relative term, as I haven't lived in Paddington for over twenty years.

Pete, occasional Queenslander

 

[Skyring]

A new shopping development. Though of course "new" may be a relative term, as I haven't lived in Paddington for over twenty years.

Holy Foxtrot! I've been away too long. Victoria Barracks has been commercialised. I just did a street view on Google Maps.

I used to walk to and from work through Victoria Barracks. A sleepy place where I'd occasionally go and get an Army Reserve payment. On Friday nights I'd stay in town drinking and when it came time to walk home the gates were locked, so I'd either have to go northabout past the railway shunting yards - always entertaining for a drunk - or south past The Windmill, where the tubs of gold would lure me in and I'd go in my way munching a dessicated battered chicken wing and greasy chips, king of the world.

 

[Mal]

Aah yes. The windmill cafe. Not to forget the nightclub over the road (underground?). Or the many bars and clubs that were on the way to Lang Park. Used to love Ginger Jacks (I think it might have been called that...), great place. Likewise hotel LA and the Caxton hotel. Fun times.

 

[medhead]

Many a seedy memory returns of hotel LA and the night club on the opposite corner. And the underground, a mate chatting to Wendel sailor with his hand in a cast right after he'd punched out the window of a car that cut him off in traffic. Telling the mate not to upset Wendel otherwise he'll get punched out as well.

 

[Buzzard]

Interesting! Sounds like they are getting around!

Breeding like..... rabbits :mrgreen:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Riding my bike yesterday and for some reason people and other bicyclists keep ignoring the line on the shared bike track and can't keep left despite the signs showing them!
Later at a shopping centre, people so engrossed in their phones not looking where they are going.
Sometimes when I am riding my bike I could easily bowl over someone (who is not paying attention or following the rules) and cause injury to them and me, but of course the Sydney shock jocks will say its my fault despite the fact I was following the rules.

two nights ago I was standing on the street corner and a taxi stopped to let a passenger out... the next second this resounding 'thump'. a cyclist watching a movie on their iPhone crashed into the back of the taxi! sheepish looks all round. (and a not too happy taxi driver)

 

[medhead]

two nights ago I was standing on the street corner and a taxi stopped to let a passenger out... the next second this resounding 'thump'. a cyclist watching a movie on their iPhone crashed into the back of the taxi! sheepish looks all round. (and a not too happy taxi driver)

Indeed. Had a phone using pedestrian step out to cross a side street I wanted to turn into yesterday. I had already stopped in anticipation. But decided to give a light tap on the car horn just to get her attention as many Adelaide drivers would just not stop to give way. Hopefully, this was enough for her to check for cars next time.

 

[anat0l]

two nights ago I was standing on the street corner and a taxi stopped to let a passenger out... the next second this resounding 'thump'. a cyclist watching a movie on their iPhone crashed into the back of the taxi! sheepish looks all round. (and a not too happy taxi driver)

That's the rub. On balance of probability, it probably ends up being the fault of the car driver and not the cyclist when it comes to incidents and prangs, but many cyclists do some very questionable things. Things like running red lights and switching between road and footpath willy-nilly (and when they are on the footpath, more often than not I see that cyclists command full right of way, to the detriment of pedestrians).

Cyclists have been told they must "follow the road rules", so I assume this means taking note of all advisory and command signs just like someone driving a car would do. And of course, unless caught red handed by police, you can't "book" or "snap" a cyclist for a traffic offence, since they lack registration. (I'm not even sure whether you even need a licence to operate a bicycle, but I'm guessing the answer is "no").

Mind you, several "cycle lanes", at least in Brisbane, are frightfully too narrow to suffice. Whoever thought cyclists could comfortably cycle in such a lane without being impeded on by the vehicles in the next lane should be dragged out into the street and given a right royal smack in the back of the head.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Indeed. Had a phone using pedestrian step out to cross a side street I wanted to turn into yesterday. I had already stopped in anticipation. But decided to give a light tap on the car horn just to get her attention as many Adelaide drivers would just not stop to give way. Hopefully, this was enough for her to check for cars next time.

hmmm... pedestrians... arrgghh!

i much prefer the rules here in china... pedestrians have no apparent right of way even with little green person or at a zebra-crossing*. I hate waiting while mr/ms slow-coach dawdles across the road in their own sweet time trying to read or respond to a text message, or decides they wanna cross after green person turns red. it's just not an efficient use of turning time and only half the number of cars that could turn get to turn.

my taxi fare in tokyo the other day went up about $5 (I kid you not) waiting for pedestrians to cross. internally I'm yelling 'enough already, just go!!!!'

*there is one exception to this rule... if you have sufficiently completed your crossing that you cannot see a car turning from behind you, they're not allowed to run you over

speaking of which... why don't we have left-turn-on-red in Australia? it makes so much sense.

 

[Katie]

Is this still Victoria Barracks on Petrie Terrace, or have they changed the name?

Yes, that's it. No longer an official barracks, there's cinemas, Coles, French Twist, Coaldrake's bookshop and other dining and retail establishments.
Apparently the correct name is The Barracks (which happens to be at/on Petrie Terrace), so I called it the wrong thing.

 

[erkpod]

Breeding like..... rabbits :mrgreen:

*boom tish*

Try the veal.

 

[medhead]

There was one left turn on red intersection in Adelaide. It was great. The proviso being stopping to look before turning. I started to notice many cars just blindly turning left without stopping and barely slowing down. Not long afterwards the turn on red was gone. Seems the concept is too difficult for some people.

 

[erkpod]

There was one left turn on red intersection in Adelaide. It was great. The proviso being stopping to look before turning. I started to notice many cars just blindly turning left without stopping and barely slowing down. Not long afterwards the turn on red was gone. Seems the concept is too difficult for some people.

Works well in the US (turn right on red). If the intersection is too bad, they can either ban the turn on red or ban the turn altogether. It would be so good in situations where you can see that you can make the turn safety but the only reason you can't is the red light.

 

[anat0l]

i much prefer the rules here in china... pedestrians have no apparent right of way even with little green person or at a zebra-crossing

Ah yes... pretty much the rule across all of Asia - pedestrians do not have right of way.

Pretty much the reverse of here. You can't win in any case at all if you run over a pedestrian here, even if the pedestrian was being an idiot. In Asia, a pedestrian might still have a case... but only if they're alive or not incapacitated.

That said, people in Asia don't specifically want to run over pedestrians, but as a pedestrian you just have to work around the vehicles.

There was one left turn on red intersection in Adelaide. It was great. The proviso being stopping to look before turning. I started to notice many cars just blindly turning left without stopping and barely slowing down. Not long afterwards the turn on red was gone. Seems the concept is too difficult for some people.

And that's why we don't have left on red.

Had to get a bit used to this recently when I was in Texas, but oddly enough in a place where everyone's got a huge vehicle, Texans are pretty good at making sure if they make a right on a red, they check for pedestrians, even those that haven't quite started walking across yet.

 

[QF WP]

The spring edition of 'the west end magazine' ( out yesterday) features .........the Good Ship!!

Great, he'll come in and tell me how many mags they made this last week (they are also mentioned in the Virgin in-flight magazine this month)...

 

[QF WP]

I refuse to remove deceased people, though.

An ex colleague passed away through unnatural causes. I think their Facebook page has now been taken down but people would randomly post happy birthday, what are you up to type of posts.... Then of course there were those who did the memorial type of posts too. Always interesting to note.

Relate to both of those. I had one client who passed and it was only after the funeral that I asked her husband (who has kept herr page open) to be-friend me. Whilst a little unusual, as Mal and erkpod put it, always nice to remember, see photos posted by friends of them at previous events and keeps her memory alive.

 

[erkpod]

Great, he'll come in and tell me how many mags they made this last week (they are also mentioned in the Virgin in-flight magazine this month)...

I read the story in the VA magazine yesterday on the way back from BNE. I'm tempted to look further into that event. I'll have to see if I have any leave left for a week in Melbourne....

 

[QF WP]

Caught up with very close friends to have a joint 10th wedding anniversary weekend (alas, with our combined 5 kids). Some here will enjoy our Saturday night beverages:

Pre-dinner (after 7pm)





With dinner (risotto with sautéed chicken & roasted pine nuts):



The St Henri still had a lot of body and was a delight to drink after careful decanting.

Life is too short not to enjoy times with good friends - and seeing children fall asleep by 7pm after all day running around, swimming, biking/scootering

 

[JessicaTam]

...
speaking of which... why don't we have left-turn-on-red in Australia? it makes so much sense.

It is legal in NSW where signed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It is legal in NSW where signed.

View attachment 18995

seems entirely sensible!! unfortunately we don't have that in vic