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Everyone back to work on Monday - cockle {P}
Don't want to depress you all but I understand that most of the country will actually be returning to normal on Monday.
I would like to put in a little tongue in cheek plea for the Xmas break to be for at least a month in future, simply because for those of us who have been working as normal during the break it has been heaven on the roads.
Don't really know why but today appeared to be the quietest day, this morning, where there are normally half mile queues there were about five cars max. This evening, a journey which normally takes 45 minutes to an hour took me 25 minutes, wonderful!

Cockle
Everyone back to work on Monday - Pugugly {P}
I can only agree. My first normal day was today. An admin day. Otherwise I drew duty "dog" this Christmas for the first time in years. I had four cans of beer and a glass of wine between Christmas Eve and this morning. I spent a total of around 15 hours in Custody suites. We dealt with 11 arrests ranging from minor assaults to some class motoring stuff. The roads were pretty quiet. I wish I could tell you about one of them Put it like this there is one less Lotus Elise on the roads in 04 and conicidentally a driver who won't be until 2006.Its amazing how shrads of carbon fibre actually get in every imaginable bodily location when it disintegrates at speed !
Everyone back to work on Monday - No Do$h
Its amazing how shrads
of carbon fibre actually get in every imaginable bodily location when
it disintegrates at speed !


The body or the carbon fibre? [Shudder]
Everyone back to work on Monday - malteser
Not me, mates - I'm a pensionista enjoying a life of complete idleness
Everyone back to work on Monday - malteser
AND brilliant sunshine and temps. on the car computer at 20 degrees C today.
Ho! Ho! Ho! - enjoy your winter in UK :)
..........................................................
"Rude, crude and socially unacceptable"
Everyone back to work on Monday - BobbyG
Just spare a thought for those of us who work in Retail, we get Xmas day and Boxing day (some), we may be on call to check for alarms and do fridge checks, then we get New Years Day and thats it!!

All because Mr and Mrs Britain like to buy things before Xmas, and then rush to the same shops the day after Xmas to see how much cheaper the same product is!

Also, we don't know how to stock up with food to last more than 2 days without going to the supermarket!

Can I also take this opportunity to remind everyone that next Xmas is on the 25th Dec and that shops will close at 6pm the day before. Just that it always seems to catch people out!!!!! :)
Everyone back to work on Monday - drbe
Don't forget

The workers (HA HA) are starting work on the West section of the M25, (J12 to J15) in both directions on Monday 5.1.2004. Work will last until December 2005.

BEWARE!!! AVOID!!!

Don drbe

Everyone back to work on Monday - Ben {P}
According to the AA web-site the M25 work is planned to last untill 12/06!!

I am planning a trip to blackbushe car auction tomo, leaving from bromley. I think i will take the train.
Everyone back to work on Monday - Flat in Fifth
Can I also take this opportunity to remind everyone that next
Xmas is on the 25th Dec and that shops will close
at 6pm the day before. Just that it always seems to
catch people out!!!!! :)


Nice one BobbyG :D

Our local Co-op was open Christmas Day, first customer wanted a sliced white loaf, jeez!!!

Equally I've seen folks having to be forcibly prevented from entering Marks & Sparks against the flow of the staff bailing out on Christams Eve. again jeez!!!

Everyone back to work on Monday - HF
Was it you that was after the loaf, FiF? Or something else? ;)
Everyone back to work on Monday - Flat in Fifth
Nope the manager drinks in our local. Still don't get any discount though, tightwad!
Everyone back to work on Monday - Colin M
> starting work on the M25

I'm always suprised when the road planners see widening as a solution to the UK motorway problem. Why not spend a fraction of the building costs educating people to drive in the left lanes? All a 4-5 line motorway does is encourage the "middle lane owners club" to move out another 12 feet.

Everyone back to work on Monday - patently
Which would be solved if the powers that be listened to HJ and allowed us to pass in any lane.

It's only dangerous because people don't expect you to do it and therefore don't watch out for it. And they don't expect you to do it because its illegal. And I assume its illegal because it's considered to be dangerous. QED!
Everyone back to work on Monday - Andrew-T
interesting cyclic theory, patently. I have experienced the pass-on-left convention in Canada/US (admittedly a long time ago) and it can work. Also the drive-on-hard-shoulder-to-let-faster-car-pass convention. But I suspect they may both become rather more hazardous on our much busier roads. Some drivers don't watch out for one-side-only overtaking, so I'm not convinced they would do too well under your system.
Everyone back to work on Monday - stackman
Oh dear, I do feel sorry for all you sad commuters out there. My trip to work involves negotiating one landing and 12 stairs up to my attic office. Admittedly some days there might be a couple of boxes left on the stairs to negotiate and there might be a delay if I decide to get dressed before starting work.

Used to drive through the centre of Newcastle every day and apart from the scenery and the opportunity to listen to a book en route I don't miss it at all.

People ask if I miss out on the banter and chat that comes with conventional office life. Not as long as I can log into the Backroom when I get a quiet few minutes.
Everyone back to work on Monday - THe Growler
Ah...retirement, warm weather, no tax, lovely partner, Big Hog, new cars, nice house, no debt, beer at 45p a bottle, meal for two with wine about 20 quid, housemaid at 32 quid a month...gas at 23p a litre....

...sorry..can't stop, must rush...was going to the beach anyway.....byeeeeeee!!!

(In my defence, I was a corporate wage slave for 23 years....)
Everyone back to work on Monday - Ian (Cape Town)
beer at 45p a bottle, housemaid at 32 quid a
month...


So for 70-odd beers, you get a maid? Sheesh - THAT IS SLAVE LABOUR! Mine costs at least 100 ...
Everyone back to work on Monday - THe Growler
Well that's pub prices mate, it's 13p/bottle in the supermarket. Anyway she gets her own room and 2 squares/day.

Back to traffic hell here as well.
Everyone back to work on Monday - Ian (Cape Town)
>>Anyway
she gets her own room and 2 squares/day.


Two squares of what?

With Xmas over, and some massive overstock, the local shops are flogging cases of 24x450ml beers at about 5 quid a throw. AND the petrol price comes down tomorrow! Yeehah!
Fortunately, the roads are still relatively clear, but I'm sure that will change next week...
Everyone back to work on Monday - THe Growler
>>Anyway
>> she gets her own room and 2 squares/day.
Two squares of what?
With Xmas over, and some massive overstock, the local shops are
flogging cases of 24x450ml beers at about 5 quid a
throw. AND the petrol price comes down tomorrow! Yeehah!
Fortunately, the roads are still relatively clear, but I'm sure that
will change next week...


Fish and rice mate, these chaps are quite happy with that. Much like mealies with you I guess. Also she gets a cellphone card once a week.

I suggest you get stuck into the Castle Lager special offers before they all go...

We've got petrol prices faling here too...(must be the presidential erections coming up).....
Everyone back to work on Monday - Dwight Van Driver
Vote for the ex Cop G. Panfilo Lacson ?

DVD
Everyone back to work on Monday - patently
Oh dear, I do feel sorry for all you sad commuters
out there. My trip to work involves negotiating one landing and
12 stairs up to my attic office.


But do you allow passing on the stairs? And if so, (i) on what side and (ii) do you take any anti-bad-luck precautions?
Everyone back to work on Monday - BobbyG
Also, do you have mats on your stairs? Do you drink branded water at your desk or supermarket's own?
Everyone back to work on Monday - THe Growler
"..my name's Banister..."

"didn't I see you on the stairs?....."

(with acknowledgements to the Goons).
Everyone back to work on Monday - Clanger
After nearly 20 years doing 25-35K business miles a year I now just work locally. The pub across the road gave me a few days work before Christmas, 50 yards as the crow flies, quarter of a mile by road but I couldn't walk it because I needed the tackle in the car. I did the "long commute", "busy traffic today" jokes to death until my 14 year old son and my 17 year old daughter threatened me with violence. First time they've agreed on anything for a while ...


Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land
Everyone back to work on Monday - PhilW
Going back to work seems to increase the traffic on this message board about tenfold as well!!!
Everyone back to work on Monday - stackman
Concerning the stairs, I have initiated a "peak period tidal flow" system whereby children carrying school bags get priority to come down in the morning and up in the afternoon. Of course the left hand side of the stairs is a "high occupancy" lane and can only be used by people giving piggy-backs.

I did catch my oldest sun running along the landing this morning and warned him that if I caught him another 3 times I would have to take his slippers away.
Everyone back to work on Monday - rg
Yep,

"Ya canna wackit." (trans. "it's unbeatable")

If an alien visited earth, what would he/she/it think of this bizarre practice of packing workers together into small spaces and forcing them to travel there every day?

Productivity? Having worked alone for almost all of my working life, I spent a brief 6 months in an open-plan office environment. I was astounded how little I go done comapred to working from home! It was like trying to do your homework down at the youth club;- great fun but no good for completing things.

rg

Everyone back to work on Monday - THe Growler
As someone who in a past life did a great deal of work on employee productivity/working conditions conducive to same, I can cheerfully tell you that the "cubicle cities" most companies seem to go for (usually a decision made by beanies in suits who have no concept of the concept -as it were-- and a management which anyway enjoys its own comfy offices under the "my door is always open except when it isn't which is most of the time" management system), have run out of feet to shoot themselves in.

How do you think Scott Adams thought up the wonderful Dilbert?

I'd like to make my car my office, but I suppose that would excite the attention of the "Let's Learn To Love Nanny" Behaviour Police.......
Everyone back to work on Monday - Ian (Cape Town)
How do you think Scott Adams thought up the wonderful Dilbert?

I never used to like Dilbert, until I joined the present company. Now it is a ritual. (oh, and the MD bears an uncanny resemblence to ours!)