Phil’s Diary - [Blog @ http://www.philsdiary.net/]
I tell you what’s starting to annoy me greatly at the moment (sorry if you didn’t want to know)… it’s this phrase that seems to crop up in every single insurance advert:
“you could save up to [insert arbitrary impressive amount]”
Let’s be really positive shall we, so I could save some money, no not guaranteed. And if I do, it might be anywhere up to this really impressive amount. Or then again it might be 2 pence.
And how do they pick that arbitrary amount? I’m guessing they bring in believability experts. After all they could say “you could save up to 10 trillion pounds”. But that’d not con most of us, so instead they pick an amount that’s more believable.
It’s all just so fake and daft it winds me up every time I see an ad.
And it’s spreading, more and more companies are now being oh so definite about whether you might, possibly, perhaps, maybe, just about be able to save an impressive but not unrealistic amount of money with them.
Posted by Phil on March 26, 2004 09:31 PM | Categories: Thoughts
Whilst attending a training course in Staffordshire in Janurary this year, i saw the new name for speed cameras, 'Safety Cameras'. I'm afraid it caused to burst out laughing.
By all means call me a cynic but all a static camera does is record a vehicle speeding at that moment in time. It does not catch dangerous driving that is: tailgateing, over taking inapropreately(that list is endless),vehicles running pedestrian crossings whilst in use,etc,blah,blah,blah.
I dissagree with relying on useing cameras to replace police patrols, but if we must have them lets place them where they can do some good. These are my thoughts outside or close to schools, hospitals, day care centres for the infirm, elderley etc. Not on roads which for some unknown reason have had their limits reduced eg. the A 629 Elland bypass in West Yorkshire. Road safety should paramount to all its users not just drivers ( hello any colour blind cyclists ), pedestrians, and cyclists all have their part to play. As an aside whilst watching a BBC programe about the South Yorkshire police we were shown school children useing a speed camera and telling off speeding motorists.The posted speed past the school was 40mph, the highways/town planning deparment need a severe telling off for that one. The so called experts need to rethink the advice they freely, on a driver training course we were told gears to go brakes to slow. Good advice unless you've experianced brake failure on Discovery or brake fade on a Fiesta.Its a good job i have driven a crash gearbox other wise next stop may have been Halifax Infirmary or the Pearly Gates. In short road safety must be improved, but lets think about it, and all play our part. PS Recently i followed a car down the M4 for a few miles, with L-plates.So what i hear you say,
they forgot to take off or cover the L-plates. I would stake a months salary that this was a lerner, judgeing by the road positioning, and the general driving.
Posted by: Gary Newbury at March 27, 2004 9:52 PM