Transport in London is shit

e.g. consider the following passage

poster a: bus drivers are just fucking cunts
poster b: yeah, i fucking hate them
poster c: yeah fucking right, oh my god the black ones are the fucking worst

now, if the above happen anywhere from a BNP/KKK forum, would you seriously think poster c is genuinely making a racist remark?

now re-think if you have known poster c for several years and not a stranger.

that's how i read it, anyway, but then english is not my first language

iv) this person has personal experience or empathy which means the context of this "hilarious" and "obvious" post might read really rather differently. See Stevie's post, please.

This is toxicity in its purest form: someone asks you about something questionable that you said, and your response is to cast aspersions at THAT person and their motives, and proceed to make the entire thing ALL ABOUT YOU and how wounded you are by these terrible allegations that something you said might have been ableist, rather than just saying "OK, yeah, sorry I could see how that could read badly, I'll try to be more careful."

the above could apply both ways to be honest

e.g. consider the following passage

poster a: bus drivers are just fucking cunts
poster b: yeah, i fucking hate them
poster c: yeah fucking right, oh my god the black ones are the fucking worst

now, if the above happen anywhere from a BNP/KKK forum, would you seriously think poster c is genuinely making a racist remark?

now re-think if you have known poster c for several years and not a stranger.

The only conditions under which I could ever think that Poster C was not acting in a racist way would be if Poster C was actually black him/herself, (and had a history of using irony in order to make commentary on racism). If it is not your burden to bear, it is not your joke to make.

This kind of humour is incredibly difficult to pull off, even among people who know one another well. The internet is not your living room, and "OMG, my intent is MAGIC you should have just KNOWN that it was ~supposed to be funny~" is not some magic wand you can wave to cover your ass.

And as to context, this is not the first time that LJ has got into hot water over this kind of thing, and not the first time he has freaked out at people who called him on it. Context exists in more ways than just "Oh, x is my buddy, they're not a bigot" when they have form on this kind of thing. If you guys are thinking I'm just doing this because I don't like LJ, you might stop and consider *why* and how someone could have built up a long-term distrust of a person, instead of doing this handwaving "Calm down, dear" bullshit.

i) this person thinks so low of me that i'm not given the benefits of 99% doubt (see 1/) that i'm not some ableist bigot?

This. To not get a joke that obvious (and one obviously not at the expense of disabled people) you'd have to have a shockingly low opinion of LJ and a tin ear for sarcasm.

Wow, OK, the boys are going to pull together yet again and circle their wagons to defend their so right on he can just call people "retards" with a free pass "bantz, lads" buddy. Quelle surprise.

I'm done guys. Enjoy your LOLs.

It's pretty obvious here, who the "shockingly low opinion" is of, and it isn't Louis.

No, "retards" was unacceptable. You know that's not what I was referring to. Tbh I find LJ maddening more often than not.

who exactly are "the boys"? why is this now suddenly the boys?

anyway i was hoping for some understanding on both sides but clearly this was a futile exercise. i'm going to take my own advice. sorry for any inconvenience caused to all readers of this thread

Does anyone else find Branwell's posting style intimidating?

Don't think its nice to comment on someone elses posting style in third person on a thread that they read

Ok, I find her posting style intimidating. Branwell, I find you somewhat intimidating.

Ken OTM

ridic

Yo stevie, ty for gracious semi-climbdown and apologies if I caused you any distress with what I said before you posted (defend my right to call u names in the aftermath tho). I know you're probably not going to agree with this, but I would like to refute an absence of any sense of irony - I introduced, if you'd bear to revisit it, the word 'retard' with the phrase 'how's about this for some ableism' - I know it is a Bad And Ableist Word, and in any other circumstances would not use it (nowadays, at least) - you must trust me on this. However, I was moved to deconstruct the entire premise of BB's accusatory vitriol in that particularly graphic way - I know it was not big or clever of me, but this was not about being big or clever, it was about conveying frustration. Perhaps - indeed, probably - I should have chosen a less problematic method, but in this case I was done with the treading-on-eggshells self-justifying absurdity of the position I'd have been forced into otherwise. Going 'nuclear', they say - you want some ableism, well have some. Frightfully immature I'm sure we can all agree, and apologies again if my use of the word caused genuine offence.

Absolutely nothing to say to BB's latest screeds. You can all read what everyone wrote yourselves.

Stevie, fair play

lj- ^ genuinely, that was all that was called for

xxp yeah this thread took a funny turn.

Two 56s arrived at the same time this morning, meaning I was able to get a seat all to myself! Living the dream.

Did free Tube travel happen this morning?

hang on.. so freetube will only work where the stations are controlled by RMT staff then?

wasn't the case at archway or warren street :(

BB = not intimidating
LJ = a good lad

Revenue strike would presumably put everyone in breach of contract and therefore much more sackable, right?

matt i didn't understand how it works either - if you're paid to work that day don't know how it works with not performing certain duties are there union laws that cover it?

someone on londonist commented that even striking is a breach of contract and it's the union immunity that covers it, and it presumably also covers this? i know next to nothing about it

there's also lol this - don't know how robust is the source
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/06/tube-strike-boris-johnson-union-eu-law

I *think* the revenue strike would be official but unprotected action, so the employer either has to sack all or none of the participants. Proper strike is protected action so sacking a striker would be unlawful even tho it is legally a breach of contract.

(this might be bollocks tho so don't go relying on it)

is that how TFL are going to manage the change without voluntary redundancy?

without involuntary redundancy obvs

Every time I've been on strike the union ballot paper makes it clear that going on strike will breach your contract and could lead to dismissal.

Blimey, Bob Crow has died

blimey indeed

52, no age

Ken Livingstone on Bob Crow: "The only working-class people who still have well-paid jobs in London are his members.”

I stand by my post during the last strike. After spending most of that week having to go back and forth to the hospital and seeing what a strike does to people in a similar situation - fuck 'em
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
In response to plans to modernise and improve your Tube service, and despite us offering significant changes, the RMT union has called a further five days of strike action.

If the strikes go ahead, Tube services will be affected from:
• Around 21:00 on Monday 28 April until the morning of Thursday 1 May
• Around 21:00 on Monday 5 May until the morning of Friday 9 May

We will do everything we can to run as many trains as possible, but there will be significant disruption. Our Travel Ambassadors will be on hand to offer help. The DLR, London Overground, and other rail services will operate normally and we will enhance bus services on key routes. Please also consider cycling or walking if possible.

u madd?

Why is the live coverage so deliberately provocative and stupid:

07:18: Andy Dangerfield BBC News Online Josh Paul emailed: "Oh dear! Another strike... Not affecting me! Got up nice and early, got Overground plus seat, got bus plus seat!!!! Bonus! Close ticket offices. I have not used one since 2006! They are always closed now anyway! Move with the times unions! The rest off us are."
Do you agree? Email your comments...

tbf that is exactly how a lot of people feel and journalism works by expressing that sentiment in its strongest (trolliest?) terms in order to provoke the other side to make its case.

big thumbs up to all the drivers using and blocking the bus lanes this morning out of a sense of entitlement, stopping cyclists, motorcyclists and of course buses full of people getting anywhere.

I've gone past two accidents this morning on my bus into work :(

Got up a bit earlier this morning to catch a bus and it worked although the bus was full of the morons I try to avoid by normally taking a later bus. Particularly the idiot who keeps trying to climb the stairs to get a seat without letting the people who were upstairs come down the stairs and get off first.

i am still on the 55 from leyton

didn't leave early just risking being late had considered alternative to usual route in form of bus or dlr but in the end both district and central worked for me as normal I was only as late as I ever am

I always read an unwritten "porquoi?" at then end of this thread title.

are you allowed to use the bus lanes during tube strikes then?

nope.

lol @ blitz spirit of wankers driving in bus lanes

After about a half-hour wait, no bus came for the first part of my journey, so I walked about 45 mins (luckily it's a lovely day, and I'm fat as shit so it's good for me), but for the second part of my journey I rode a replacement bus of some impressive vintage - it literally smelled like moth balls! The outside was a much lighter red, and the inside had hard orange benches and lime green piping along the interior roof. It was kind of cool. Got there, anyway, and the driver wasn't charging anyone (do they usually not charge during strikes?)

Charing Cross Hospital is a mess again, but pro-strike people see that as acceptable collateral damage (or a necessary evil) it seems

replacement bus services are free