6 posts tagged “uk”

The Department of Transport today warned road users to expect significant delays across the UK as the Google Street View service launched and gained excessive publicity in the country. 

The DoT reacted with concern to reports that motorists in numbers might attempt to locate and then follow in convoy one of Google's camera-equipped Street View cars or vans.

"We are highly worried that this will lead to almost complete gridlock on several key routes", said a spokesman.

Rumours have circulated on the internet over the past several days concerning the possibility of catching a blurred but recognisable image of someone falling off a bicycle, or a smudged image of a "lady" collecting a milk bottles delivery off their doorstep in their nightclothes, or perhaps the sight of someone just wearing a short skirt walking alongside the road. 

In addition, there is the mere curiosity factor which will swell the numbers of potential vehicles on the roads, warned the DoT.

One Google-Van-seeking motorist, travelling salesman Derek Bennett, 34 and single, from Solihull West Midlands, told us:

"I have my BlackBerry and my Sat Nav so I'm primed and ready to go. I do about 18,000 miles a year around the UK with my job, but I'm really looking forward to catching a glimpse of something I wouldn't ordinarily see on my travels."

"I'm ready to see the world in a totally different way than I did before."

Motoring organisations, such as the AA and RAC, have warned motorists who are not keen to follow the convoy of would-be sightseers, that they should avoid well-known Google Street View hotspots or "stay at home until the fuss dies down in a couple of days".

Details of the hotspots can be found on any web site aimed at prepubescent teens. 

In line with current thinking on exercise and public health, the UK Government is considering radical new plans to enforce a minimum pedestrian speed limit, according to leaked reports obtained by someone we know but funnily enough can't remember the name of.

Health experts have recently sought to measure "moderate exercise" and pinpointed the figure to be "one hundred steps per minute".  According to the leaked Government papers, it is this precise figure which will form the backbone of the new minimum pedestrian speed limit legislation.

Security analysts believe that the Police are in favour of the proposed law, despite the additional burden it would place on officers, because they see it as forming part of the necessary arsenal of judicial powers at their disposal to prevent terrorism, anti-social loitering and littering.  

Countryside campaigners have sought assurances from the Government that the minimum steps per minute rate would only apply in built-up areas, and that the casual walker or weekend rambler would be unaffected by the proposed laws.

It is thought that Police Officers would be empowered to show discretion when administering on-the-spot fines for law-breakers and would be equipped with new handheld radar devices to identify suspected offenders.  Discretionary powers would apply on a case-by-case basis where the elderly and infirm, injured or disabled might otherwise technically flout the law. 

Tourists, prostitutes, those pushing prams, and people pulling shopping baskets, are not believed to be amongst the exempt groups.  Special zones set up around schools with a higher steps per minute minimum will target paedophiles, slovenly students, and teachers who should have retired years ago.

If the initial law proves successful, experts predict that the technology will advance so that the rate of meandering of the person could be measured and taken into account as an additional consideration for a prosecution. 

A spokesman from Age Concern, when asked about the new law and its effect on the older citizen, expressed concern.
 

Scientists and space boffins in the UK will not be dropping their ambitious plans to map gravity despite the successful launch of the European Space Agency's own Goce satellite system this week, according to an insider.

It is believed that significant amounts of the funding secured in 2002 for the UK scheme has already been "committed" to the project. Which means, according to experts, that it has been spent.

Our insider told us. "Of course, it's a blow to the programme and we wish the ESA people had spoken to us first because it's clearly duplication of efforts.  But, we've now got all these 100 kilogramme paint bombs, so we might as well use them."

The UK team is keen to complete the project which consists of an aircraft flying just below the outer reaches of the Earth's atmosphere. Many thousands of "paint bombs" will then be dropped. The resultant "landfalls" will be used to map gravity.

"We're still confident that our own method of mapping gravity has scientific merit. The team is sure that our paint bomb approach will surely cause some surprises", said our insider.

An ESA spokesman was unable to comment due to extended and uncontrollable laughter.

Yes, I know - a Smiths-related punning headline is a crime in and of itself, but when a wheel is as big as this one, you need a punning headline to do it justice.

Anyway, assuming that forgiveness has been granted by you in my direction, and you are still reading here are just a few photos from the Nottingham Ey... Wheel (apparently we shouldn't call it an Eye), which is currently looming over said city's skyline like a giant... white... wheel.  It's quite impressive actually and in the nighttime hours it does make for a very decent photo opportunity right in the centre of the city's Market Place with its fountains and water features.  If only I'd had my "proper" camera with me... but, I didn't so these snaps will have to suffice for now.

Update:

It seems like a LOT of the UK experienced it too! 
Very widespread it seems, judging from the callers and texters into BBC Radio 5 Live..
4.7 on the Richter Scale according to the US GS, but 5.1 according to the British Geological Survey
Centred to the north-east of me, in Kingston-Upon-Hull - About 30 miles (50 km) away.

From the US Geological Survey:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2008nyae.php

Approx. 12:57 UK.  Lincolnshire. Certainly felt like an earthquake. 
At the very least a severe tremor.  Probably lasted 4 or 5 seconds, I would say, although it might have been longer.
The walls rattled quite a lot and there was a definite underground "roar".
Very weird. Quite scary!

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