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I would say hidden behind a code name and online "negative by nature " usually yes. entitled..... only if you moderate them after they go far beyond the bar, then they turn American. Loganair superimposed clowns faces. Have not seen it so context is out, but I would hope it was more satire directed at the company bosses and the media spinners.

for the kids bus during the covid they had 2 busses running with each other. perhaps a similar system could be done, have a small bus on standby. when a bus is full, the driver will let the depo know where he was when he reached the limit of passengers and this smaller bus is deployed out to that stop and onward. perhaps a bit of tweaking needed but something like that?

Its not just you.

I don’t think not paying your bills will help the end user much, at the end of the day they will still need to pay what is dew. However I do have my concerns about my upcoming winter bill. I fear all this hype over profits is not necessarily a healthy thing. but the lack of info of what they plan to do with the profits also will not help. Governments are also not helping this ether by showing people and hyping up tax cuts as if this is a huge thing, then swaps it out by saying no that’s something we can’t do but here is 5p off, wooo look how generous we are! to me relying on “the big profiters” and the governments for practical help is something I don’t think will ever happen, if help does come it was probably too late for many. perhaps for those who can an off-grid system may be the answer? Like a small system to operate separate to the main grid supply of your property. Let it charge up some batteries (solar, wind, pedal, whatever) and use that gathered energy to charge laptops, phones, TVs or maybe at a push depending on the system heat the air or water? I know this may not be practical in lots of locations but this is a method I am looking into for myself.

I would disagree with you on the "presumably young enthusiastic motorists". I have seen many driving around by who should know better, but still drive like a race car driver, because they have a big loud/fast car. However, "74 decibels" Is the maximum level a car can make while driving on the public road, but cars in private car parks or land can. unless another law applies, ie disturbing the peace. Without measuring device, the police cannot really do anything, and from what I understand we do not have a dedicated traffic department. So trained officers come up from the mainland every now and then. However don’t put me down as one of those guys who is against “modified” cars. You will probably find that most in Shetland do have modification, towbars, lights, radios, paint, ect this is all fine in my books if its done and used lawfully. As the law stands, I don’t think change is needed, but in the case of extremely loud exhaust systems and backfire systems the can and probably should be applied a little bit more heavily.

Yes, I see this error.

I’m sure I have missed the point of this, But I do believe that our climate is changing part is natural but part probably has been accelerated by humans. I could think of many ideas from simple to extreme, my personal favourite would be that all countries with large water volumes of fresh water running into the sea should pipe some of this water near the sea side into a global network of pipes. (Just like our fiber network system (COUGH and oil)) This could be used to bring water to places suffering from drought or even pump it into a desert /s to let it evaporate causing rain elsewhere. But let’s be honest countries don’t play nice even on the fiber networks cyber war is rife. I am not sure that some of these protests are giving out a good example. Ie in a protest on the news I saw someone hauling around a boat with an old Volvo. From what I can recall they weren’t the best on fuel unloaded let alone pulling a big boat, how much fuel did you spend pulling that around? On the subject of vehicles I have done my own calculations I drive on average 10,500 miles. I drive a van that i use for my work. I spend £45 on fuel for every 300 miles. Now I would love to buy one of those EV vans but.. 10500/300=35 times I fill the tank, 35X£45= £1,575 for fuel, + £280 Road tax, £1855 cost per year £154.59 Per month not including maintenance which normally always works out to be around £1000 for servicing, parts and MOT. I can buy a second hand van (that’s all i can afford about £3000/£4000). The cost for me to by a second hand van that can handle my worse trips can happen ie Lerwick to Yell and back is 98 miles, this usually has no capabilities to stop and charge for 30min, so an EV used usually works out to £18000 to £25000. Getting them on finance does not work as most want over £400 a month for a ev that’s already 3+ years. Remember servicing is still needed! If I drove one of those large 4x4 just because I can then perhaps, I would. My budget is already stretched as it is. I cannot afford this. Now I could put up prices, but this could have a knock on effect, till the point I ether drive away business or everyone else would put up there price to cover it and so on. Back to the protests, some say, tax or price hikes. Just because they probably don’t use the services or so they think. Putting up prices will inevitably raise prices on other things too. Example the transport services, put up their fuel bill, rise your delivery cost, inevitably rise the price of the item on the shelf to get it there. Sure you could say buy local, but who makes CornFlakes here in Shetland from local produce? There will be protests about the cost of living..... oh wait there already is. Forget sending the kids out to protest. Use that time to teach them how to generate power! Show them how to take an old car alternator and make some form of generator out of it, water, wind, pedal or all? (I’m sure I did this for a science show when I was at school) Show them how they could use it to charge their phones that they are stuck to, think of the power saved. How about at home have a form of low voltage system run by 12v batteries and charged by wind or solar or both and use that system to drive LED lights, charge phones, low power laptops, perhaps the TV? Does not need to be a large kilowatt system just a small boat like turbine and/or a large solar panel. I think that would help, and costs should not be huge less than £1000 for battery, inverter, panel, generator and some extras. It’s not much but for us whom cannot afford to go big then surely it helps a bit? I see all these people protesting and saying lots of things, but then you see them basically do the opposite in their daily lives. COME ON! DO WHAT YOU PREACH! Don’t preach to others. Yes there are those who maybe can afford to be “green” but that does not always help us fokes further down when people say this should cost more. As far as I can see you can do the following. Be as “green” energy efficient as you can be, IE drive with care, make your fuel go further. turn off what you don’t need at home. Don’t dispose of your old tech too soon IE your phone, laptop or any electronic devices use it for as long as possible (it stops working) before replacing and not because it’s not current model. Fit energy saving/generation devices where possible and affordable, don’t go to deep over this as costs can quickly get out of hand. IE insulation, solar panels, small wind turbines. Use as little plastic as possible (I will admit this is a hard one with all the takeaway soups I have in the van, I do have cutlery and cups but they don’t always get used) IE disposable bags, cups and cutlery. Rather than shouting for someone to make changes how about people show someone what they could change? I am sure people will have other suggestions. I’m personally going to try out the low voltage system.

Nigel Bridgman-Elliot. I am not for changing it at all. As in my example video and the comment from tlady, in both scenarios the car that should have given way did not, it’s also clear that the oncoming cars should have been well within their site. Honestly if you are coming out of the black gate to turn right on both sides I feel you should stop and look properly. Perhaps all one needs is a stop sign, as davie-L points out. Putting in spaghetti junction, HA! it’s not a 4 lane cross motorway junction. I have seen plenty of people drive up the wrong side and drive passed the entrance and go up the next one. No way, nope don’t go there. People just need to engage brain, look, signal in good time and position themselves correctly when driving.

Hello Nigel Bridgman-Elliot I can see what you are trying to do with your diagram but I don’t think it’s going to work. Main point being is all your doing is moving half the junction further up the road, and thus the problem still remains. Second you have to fill all that area to make it level with that section of road. It’s also got a ditch in that area for land draining. I don’t think the land owner would be happy to have a flooded field. That is where cost comes into it, for this and the roundabout. You could perhaps put the Lerwick bound traffic there but again this is not going to fix anything, and seams pointless. You could make both Lerwick sides enter and exit from here but then you have an extra junction onto those coming from the south side. Perhaps a mini roundabout there, but again this is making it more complicated making it more likely for accidents to happen and costing more and more. I mention cost allot is because of the nature of the area (and the decisions of council). When you’re on the road looking it’s not obvious. But if you’re coming out of Lerwick heading south and as you come over the hill you can see that each side is very steep. It’s manmade. Lots of dirt trucked in to make a nice... mostly... smooth level road. To keep cost down you would make a small roundabout. You could just perhaps get one the size of the sound school to operate there, but the road is too fast for that design. You may just squeeze the Tesco one there but again said this before people don’t use it right. They drive down the wrong lane or down the middle of them and fail to indicate correctly. Bad enough at 30 zone, think of what they are like at 50-60 zone. No its people not the junction. Perhaps this link will also help you as this is the most common thing that seems to happen at the black gate. example video @3:39 below. It’s very clear where the problem is. https://youtu.be/cH1IG7ry378?t=209

I think I have said this before. I would not think a roundabout would help. As Suffererof1crankymofo points out, in order to put one in it would need to be quite big, to accommodate for 2 lanes and speed of vehicles approaching it. As for the winter part, it’s the going downhill no fun with other cars behind and you are unable to see what’s coming on the road from the right side until you are pretty much at the give way line. I remember (not that long ago) where 6 cars went off the other side of the road and into each other on the approach. There was nothing you could do. The speed limit, maybe. But some good thought would have to be put in to where does it start and finish and how low. Can’t just bang it up just before and finish just after the junction as no one will follow it. The problem is there still would not be enough time for people coming out of the junction to see without blasting away more of the hill. That is why it’s a give way and never will be a roundabout. People will just blast onto it, there will be more accidents with one than without. As I have pointed out before. When I have been waiting to go as cars have approached the black gate from either side most have only decided to indicate only after they enter the right turn box or indicate just as they are turning in. So, in the case of a roundabout…. Well I can see there being more problems. After the roundabouts here in Lerwick I see far too many people going into the left lane and cutting right on the roundabout, no indicators and then waving (in a friendly manner not) at the other car who cannot read their minds as they meant to go right instead of left/the first exit. and to that guy who says well they had their indicators on, have you ever tried to look at the right indicator on most cars from the left side? Most cars you now must be directly in front to see them! Lets not get to far into this, but we all know if one was to be built it will be too small as it would be far to costly to put a proper one in. and we are speaking quite big. In short when approaching the black gate from any side. Don’t panic, just take your time and be patient. Just because someone behind is beeping their horn, getting right up your bumper and flapping and waving does not mean its ok to go. Some may not have the power to pull out and speed up safely so they may wait for a bigger gap. Its surprising just how long 10 seconds feels. If you are someone who lays on the horn and likes to kiss bumpers when someone is waiting to go you are not helping, you could potentially make it worse. Think, it could be a new driver, I am sure you were once a scared first-time solo driver, I know I was. If your one to rush, think, Shetland has one main road, there are plenty of people who have flown passed me at the Cunningsburgh cliffs and yet when I get to Lerwick there they are 5/6 cars ahead, so much time and fuel saved. https://youtu.be/qhiO4t9myY4?t=7

maybe this will help. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204051 It is not seeing just your WIFI SSID and not everyone? Is your SSID set to hidden? you would need to select other network and tell the iPhone the name. If just you check the channel settings on the router, some devices (particularly if they are imported) cannot see all the channels, if you are able check and see what your router is set to. you can use Wifi Analyzer (android) on another device to see what your channel is set to. Or if it is seeing the SSID and not getting internet then check the routers settings as it may have blocked the device. If its everyone and the reset did not work, not going to be a grate one to do over a forum. But hope it helps.

A good point CrashBox, but now that you mention it unlike the Black Gate the Brig O'Fitch technically has a 40mph speed limit on it. Passing those signs any faster in your driving test is a fail. Yes even if they are that far away from the corner.

I can see your point. But I don’t think there’s much improvements that could be done. A roundabout you would need to slow traffic and I feel there would be more rear ends on the Tingwall and Lerwick sides. the roundabout would have to be huge as well to accommodate the speed of vehicles entering it. Other options would be for over or underpasses, but the cost would be extreme as you need to accommodate not only for cars but busses, trucks and the occasional tractor. Even if the road markings were made even more clearer I do not think it would stop most accidents we see currently. example video @3:39 below. It’s very clear where the problem is. https://youtu.be/cH1IG7ry378?t=209

As far as I can see it’s impatient and poor judgement, and all at not the busiest time too. Besides many drivers here can’t seem to use the lanes on the roundabouts in Lerwick, they drive slap bang down the middle of the divider for each lane. So what are they going to be like with 60mph lane, well let’s look at the black gate? Park your car and have a sit and count how many people indicate before actually entering it. I find when I am trying to get out of it most people only start to indicate well after they got in the turn box. Yes both junctions are not the best at busy times but I don’t think they can be improved. For example I don’t think many people up here will understand the concept of zip merging. But in order to change the road layout for this or a roundabout is going to cost, and I don’t think the cost of modifying it for the 4x 20 minute busy times to save 2/3 minutes for drivers would be money well spent, as lets face it they will inevitably spend tens of thousands on just survey work then say no. But if they do start to make changes it will inevitably be worse as the budget will get slashed part way through. Then we will end up with a rather strange thing like the new Anderson school roundabout with its rather odd single lane on the south entrance but all the others have 2, and again very few drivers indicate or position themselves correctly.

I would like some clarification on a small section in-between ms&co, the thul bar and the bus stop (pic outdated, but shows location), to a pedestrian it looks like a path that almost represents if not deceptively like a zebra crossing, but to a driver it is just a brown rectangle across the road and has no resemblance to the pedestrian crossings before and leading up to it. I was driving over it the other day and there was a guy dragging a poor disabled chap along the path on the bus stop side, next thing as I pass them he is shouting and giving me the finger as they are coming up to it?! But I am already on it before they got near to stepping on this blob. It’s not a raised section it does not have beacons, signs or road markings to say who is right to driver or pedestrian. But if it is a pedestrian crossing does it not make the traffic lights after it pointless?