Carper Diem

The Law

Posted by grumbler on December 20th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Strange But True, The Law

Having a Party this Christmas? If you live in Ohio, remember to not get your fish drunk as it is illegal!

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The Law

Posted by grumbler on December 7th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Strange But True, The Law

If you are planning on shooting your wife and you live in Connersville, you should remember that it is illegal to shoot while she is having an orgasm.

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The Law

Posted by grumbler on November 7th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Strange But True, The Law

You would think that you could die anywhere that you unfortunately happened to be at that moment in time. This is not always legal. In fact, you would be breaking the law if you chose to drop dead in the Houses of Parliament in the UK!!

So if you are planning to drop dead, please remember not to go to the houses of parliament. Unless you want to spend the rest of your life in prison. Life? Oh! Ops!

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The Law

Posted by grumbler on October 7th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Strange But True, The Law

In the UK, a pregnant woman can relieve herself anywhere. Apparently even in a policeman’s hat. I wonder what prompted this law!

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Victimisation

Posted by grumbler on September 19th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Lamentations, The Law, The World Today

Crime is terrible not just for the crimes committed but for the victimisation that goes hand in hand with it.

I was pregnant when my house was broken into and we were robbed. What was not taken was damaged. They even stole our car and burnt it 4 hours later. The thieves were disappointed that all the boxes I had were paper work ready for storage, so they opened each box and scattered the papers. There were their footprints all over the papers. They were not afraid of getting caught. They found our alcohol and drank some. They even left half drunk open bottles.

Luck was on my side, as we were due to arrive from holiday the night we were robbed, but got delayed by a day. We would have probably been attacked if we were in the house when it happened. I was 7 months pregnant. Not something I want to imagine.

We arrived home at just after lunch time. We called the police. They asked us to remain off the property till they arrived. We waited in our car. One hour, Two Hours. We called them, they said they were on the way. Three Hours, Four Hours. We called again, after all I was 7 month pregnant and waiting in the car! We were told to go in and wait for them but to avoid touching anything.

The police turned up in the middle of the night! Admittedly, I gave them permission to come in the middle of the night, otherwise they would not have come until the next day. Needless to say, I did not sleep a wink that night. To date, I still don’t feel safe when in that house. We were lucky, we were moving. I cannot imagine just how horrifying it would be to constantly live with the feeling of lack of safety.

I was told to wait until they came to take fingerprints and to avoid touching anything. It took 3 days for them to come. Can you imagine being in your home and trying to touch nothing.

They took loads of stuff. Most covered by our insurance. Our insurance took longer to pay us that the time it takes to create a baby. Although the items were financially covered, anything with sentimental value can never be covered. The damage they caused was heartbreaking. Living in the mess they caused for 3 days was devastating.

To make matters worse, the detective tried to insinuate that we were somehow involved. Seriously. If I were ever to plan something so heinous, would I seriously do it while pregnant? I was not even in the UK at the time!

They got away. Nothing was ever retrieved. No-one saw anything. I have not heard from the police since. My heart still pounds away whenever I stay in that house, as I occasionally do. I lock, double lock and barely rest. I still don’t feel safe.

So the question I put to you, is who caused the greater victimisation…. the theft or the manner in which I was treated by the system?

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The Law

Posted by grumbler on September 7th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Strange But True, The Law

In France it is illegal to call a pig Napoleon. I wonder if that stretches to the Gendarme too? I also wonder if the inverse is also true?

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9 out of 10…

Posted by grumbler on September 6th, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Lamentations, The Law, The World Today

I sent a letter by recorded First Class delivery - DG 0130 9530 2GB on the 22nd August 2008. I was offered to send the letter by Special Delivery to guarentee next day arrival. However the next day was Saturday and if I wanted it delivered on Saturday, I had to pay yet again another surcharge. let’s talk prices.

I chose to go with the recorded First Class Delivery Service based on the following reasoning:-

• It was not necessary to be there the next day but I did want it there by the following Friday.
• As 2nd Class was 3 days, I chose to err on the side of caution, chosing the 1st Class service.
• I did have important documentation, that I wanted to confirm it arrival hence recorded.
• Although important, it was not vital that it was delivered next day, hence 1st Class Recorded.

So off the letter went. I kept my fingers crossed because I thought there might have been a chance that it would arrive the next day (Saturday) but alas… that was wishing too much! Ah well, I would have to wait until Monday. It was bound to arrive, after all 9 out of 10 arrive next day, and legally they need to try to deliver 93% of mail by the next day. But no…. my letter was amid the 1 out of 10. Never mind, Tuesday was still fine. Alas, still no letter. Wednesday - this boiled down to Second Class Service, never mind as long as it gets delivered. No such luck. When it still had not arrived by Thursday, I went to Royal Mail’s website to enquire. To my dismay it stated

“Recorded Signed For™ items are only tracked after the item has been delivered. Depending on whether the item was sent first or second class, this may be a few days after posting. Please try again later.

Information on your item is not yet available online.”

Perhaps I was being a bit impatient. Friday -  a week later still no sign of my letter. The documentation was needed by then. Getting replacement documentation started costing money. £24 for a replacement rail card, as the recipient was due to travel on the Friday. A copy of the documentation was not sufficient proof for national rail that the person really owned a rail card and that it was somewhere in Royal Mail’s hands. It also ended up meaning a missed train too. Technically the missed train was not Royal Mail’s fault but reality was that it was a result of it.

End of the month and still no letter. There was the car licence in the letter. Replacement costs £6.00 or no driving possible.

Also included in the letter was an annual family fun park pass, which meant that no fun was had, as it was not possible to visit without the said card!

2 weeks later, still no means of checking online as the same message kept returning, I called Royal Mail. I was treated rudely and told to wait until the 11th and then consider it lost!! LOST!! I was fuming. I was dismissed like my letter was not important and as though I was an irrate customer. Well I was irrate. I paid for a first class service. I paid extra for a recorded service and they lose MY letter!! And they don’t care!!

So now I figured out what they mean when they say 9 out of 10 letters get delivered next day. 1 out of 10 simply never get delivered. If they cannot look after a Recorded First Class letter, what chance do simple standard second class letters stand?

And the reality is that we do not really have a choice, as they really do have a monopoly over the whole system!

The worst of it, is that according to the government (especially the tax office), if they post something to you, it is deemed as served! Ha! 

And in case you are wondering, proof of post, is not proof of receipt to the government. Apparently what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander!!

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The Law

Posted by grumbler on April 21st, 2008 — Posted in Government Issues, Strange But True, The Law, The World Today

Did you know that in New York, it is illegal to urinate on a bird of any kind. Can you just imagine Americans trying to aim and fire (and hit) a bird!!

You can!! Oh!!

No wonder they passed that law!

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