Quarffie

I think the issue is more with the long flat straight approach, where there are few "landmarks" to judge the car's distance, and little perspective to help either. I doubt a stop line would help too much, as most cars that pull out in front of me stop, wait, think about it, and then pull out anyway....... Best just to assume they will do that and be ready for it.... Not sure about there being few "landmarks" to judge distance by... there's the big roadsign, or the white chevron/hash markings on the road. Incidently, the start of the chevron/hash marking is where I'd reached when somebody pulled out right in front one day.... I needed to take avoidance action - luckily there was nothing coming down from the north approach (and there was much bad language). With the best will in the world you cannot excuse that surely? I was literally 100 feet from the junction.

I nominate the Black Gate junction at Gulberwick as the worst road junction there is... 1) It should be a stop line not giveway onto the main road. Numerous times I've had folk just pull out in front of me as I'm going into Lerwick - they are either no judge of speed, or just don't care. 2) Turning off from south to go to Scalloway you're presented with more give-way lines - so if cars are turning off from the north approach you have to wait for them. That's fine until 2 or more coming from the south approach need to stop - then they spill back onto the main carriageway and obstruct that too..... madness.

I know some of you will think I'm incredibly sad, but I don't care (much!) I collect diecast model lorries. Specifically those by Corgi ("Corgi Collectables") which are limited editions, and hopefully gaining in value - although that is not my primary aim, I collect them because I like them. Is there any sort of club in the isles for collectors? I remember at one of the car shows at the Click centre there were some big collections on display there, but I don't know if they were by locals or from south. Alternatively... if there is interest in setting up some sort of club or network then I may be interested in that. thanks.

Please support the Coastguard in our current dispute / industrial action - sign the petition here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Coastguard/ I don't believe you will ever find us willing to go on all-out strike, our current action is mostly limited to administrative work - completing statistics etc. and while this is having some effect, your support would still be much appreciated. All we are asking for is fair pay, comparable to the other main emergency services, eg police, fire and ambulance. I don't know the exact figure, but it is said that someone working at McD''s restaurant is paid more. A police constable starting pay is £21009 (or in the control room - around £16000), paramedic's pay starts at £18698, and a fire control operator (in 2004) £17818 Currently a new entry Coastguard (Watch Assistant) receives £11970 pa basic pay, the next grade up - entailing 2 years of study and 2 sets of written and practical exams - receives only £14467. For this, we work four 12 hour shifts a week (2 days & 2 nights), maintain a high level of knowledge of navigation, safety, satellite and radio communications, weather, we plan and co-ordinate any search and rescue response, pollution/counter pollution response, salvage etc thank you. [mod]Merged 'Support the local coastguard' thread with this one[/mod]

So far, on this occasion the Aith lifeboat has not been needed as there were 3 or 4 rig supply/standby vessels in the saturating area during the night and conducting a search; these vessels crews are trained in SAR (Search and Rescue) and they can complete a good quality of search. If the lifeboat had joined in, the crew would be very fatigued by now which may have impacted on rescue operations today - i.e being unavailable, should they be needed. (sometimes you need to keep some assets in reserve). Also, during the first hour or two after the accident, the coastguard helo LC and the Bond (BP/Jigsaw) helicopter completed a search of the area for survivors; those 7 were landed at Tingwall, and 72 crew from the rig - the Transocean Rather - were evacuated to Sumburgh later in the night. It is possible that the Bourbon Dolphon crew still missing could be trapped in the vessel somewhere, and as you've probably seen on the news, a team of Navy divers were flown up from Faslane to be landed on the Subsea 7; Subsea 7 has video footage from their ROVs of the Bourbon Dolphin which has been studied by the dive team, and also further live ROV ops were due to take place this morning before the divers make a decision as to whether it is safe for them to go into the capsized vessel. An updated search area was calculated, allowing for tidal drift and wind (etc) and LC (Lima Charlie) were tasked to conduct that search this morning.

yeah, not the brightest bird is it? I can see it from the house, sitting there watching the lorries go by without a care in the world!

When living south years ago, aged 19 and thinking I was a superb driver, I found myself in an unfortunate situation when having just pulled out from a parking slot a guy dashed out in front of me. Result? I knocked him flying, my speed was about 20 to 25mph. The cops came and measured up as if I had killed him (which I hadn't - just broken hip and leg and cuts and bruises) The thing is, it is not macho or clever to go speeding through residential areas; I speak from experience.

Anybody know where Simon King is filming those otters for the beeb? The live bit tonight was around Lunna somewhere that didn't seem to be the same place as the otter coverage

The sentence hasn't been particularly harsh.... skippers of several other vessels caught drunk in charge in the last 12 months or so, have also been jailed. Don't have the exact links, but if you look at the MCA website press archive (www.mcga.gov.uk) you'd find the news there, and possibly on the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) site too - www.maib.gov.uk I think that one is. Personally have mixed feelings... (1) he should be punished, but (2) maybe he saved the vessel by taking it off Oxna and into Scalloway, otherwise it could have broken up and sunk (causing lots more pollution) where it was. (3) he could have stayed put on Oxna, where nobody could get out to breathalise him for hours and hours and just maybe, he would have got away with it. (4) there was no conspiracy

Ditch the combined cinema/music venue it will never pay. Continue to use existing venue to host music, and build something different instead, like a 2 or 3 lane 10 pin bowling alley. Revamp the Garrison and bring some some films aimed at grown ups, not the current policy which seems to be squarely aimed at 12 year olds.

What about those bloody cocky little kids on the Vauxhall adverts