[David9694]

A new catch-all Tea Shop thread for those miscellaneous new stories that don’t quite fit with parking, crashing into buildings or trapped/prisoners in their homes. 

Topic

[David9694]

Car park “scam” is AI health

Car park “scam” is AI health nudge 

There have been a number of reports of innocent drivers being signed up to gym memberships and sent veg box deliveries.  One driver claims that a bike was delivered to his home a week after he visited a car park 400 yards away from home.

In fact, this is a cheeky health promotion initiative by NHS Healthy West of England.  A spokesman told us, “in areas where we know diet and obesity are major mortality factors, we are using AI to help point people to more healthy alternatives.  

“In the car park initiative, drivers arriving to pick up a takeaway, a bottle of Johnnie Walker, cigarettes and a scratchcard, which is to say most of them, are assessed for their BMI and appropriate interventions are signposted through the parking app.”

Car park user billed for gym membership in ‘scam’

Warnings about dodgy QR codes being used by fraudsters

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/car-park-user-billed-gym-8963691

[David9694]

don’t be so old-fashioned:

don’t be so old-fashioned:

https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/23980346.west-mercia-police-warning-increase-crashes/

[David9694]

I think we’re in “the cyclist

I think we’re in “the cyclist was head to toe in black – I couldn’t have seen him” territory there. 
 

[hawkinspeter]

David9694 wrote:

Car park “scam” is AI health nudge 

There have been a number of reports of innocent drivers being signed up to gym memberships and sent veg box deliveries.  One driver claims that a bike was delivered to his home a week after he visited a car park 400 yards away from home.

In fact, this is a cheeky health promotion initiative by NHS Healthly West of England.  A spokesman told us, “in areas where we know diet and obesity are major mortality factors, we are using AI to help point people to more healthy alternatives.  

“In the car park initiative, drivers arriving to pick up a takeaway, a bottle of Johnnie Walker, cigarettes and a scratchcard, which is to say most of them, are assessed for their BMI and appropriate interventions are signposted through the parking app.”

Car park user billed for gym membership in ‘scam’

Warnings about dodgy QR codes being used by fraudsters

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/car-park-user-billed-gym-8963691

I hate QR codes due to how easy it is to just use a sticker to mislead people. The problem is with it not being human readable – they should include the text version of the URL and a checksum so a phone won’t accept a QR code that doesn’t match the URL. Of course, that would involve entirely changing the QR spec, so the best solution is to never, ever use a QR code – just type in the URL instead.

[stonojnr]

Im sure it used to be a thing

Im sure it used to be a thing that you were advised to drive as if the roads werent treated at all when it was icy

[David9694]

I guess only drivers trying

I guess only drivers trying to wriggle out of a fine will ever pick up the Traffic Signs Manual and only the most determined will make through to the 2006 regulations.  

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c419a1240f0b61704aec4d7/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-1.pdf

The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 – extract below, which I think is Chris’s 20cm Eureka! moment, if he’s arguing about there being an entrance sign to a permits only locality. 

[NotNigel]

I’m guessing it’s the size of

I’m guessing it’s the size of the ‘P’ that was in question as the actual sign looks a lot bigger than 20cm.

[David9694]

blameless drivers, miraculous

blameless drivers, miraculous drivers…
 

A44 Cotheridge crash on black ice: teen’s ‘miracle escape’

Now her family wants answers because they say the road had not been gritted – however, Worcestershire County Council insist the road was treated.

Miss Leather said: “I am so thankful to still be alive and thank goodness there are some lovely people in this world willing to help.

“Please get something sorted with this road, so no one has to go through what I did.”

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23974718.a44-cotheridge-crash-black-ice-teens-miracle-escape/

Driver rescued from flood water by firefighters in Droitwich

https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23979869.driver-rescued-flood-water-firefighters-droitwich/

4×4 vehicle leaves B4214 road at A465 junction near Bromyard

https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/23979709.4×4-vehicle-leaves-b4214-road-a465-junction-near-bromyard/
 

[HoarseMann]

David9694 wrote:

So you’re saying size does matter?

100%!

[David9694]

So you’re saying size does

So you’re saying size does matter?

[HoarseMann]

David9694 wrote:

Anyway here’s plucky Chris and his tiny road sign: 

This does seem a bit picky, but fair play to him, rules are rules!

I once got a parking ticket which I thought was very unfair. I parked for 15 mins in a marked bay, with a sign saying you could park for an hour between 11am and 6am (it was the afternoon). I came back to the car to find a traffic warden writing me a ticket. He said – look, you are parked on double yellow lines! (the double yellow lines did run down the length of the road, but this was clearly a mistake). But nope, he wouldn’t listen and issued me a ticket. I wanted to contest it in court, but my other half was not keen (not got time for that, just pay the £30!).

Anyway, somebody must have taken the council on and won, as a few months later I got refunded the fine I’d ‘received in error’!

They’ve now removed the double yellows at the parking bays.

[IanMSpencer]

I was quite proud of avoiding

I was quite proud of avoiding replying “but cyclists…”

 

https://x.com/Russ_Parsons/status/1733287828807630862?s=20

[David9694]

or find it vandalised by a

or find it vandalised by a driver if you leave in the road/ car park.

[David9694]

The ridiculous car centric

The ridiculous car centric design of these “out of town” centres – if you just want the shops on this development then all is well.  If you want something else you either have to move your car 300 yards or, like in the equivalent at Salisbury, fight your way along muddy paths, through the bushes and a long since broken fence to cross the road to get to for example B&Q if you’ve been to Halfords. 

I’d have thought a simple time limit would be more effective in this instance. 

[Hirsute]

Oh, hang on, this is the

Oh, hang on, this is the UNcropped version

Cargo bike locked & blocking the pedestrian walkway into Waitrose, Headington @BadlyParkedOx @HeadingtonNews
Not worried about the elderly, disabled or less mobile, they’ve blocked the entrance instead of using the cargo bike parking spaces provided on the London Rd. Nice 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/9LSgcyhETA

— Innkeeper55 (@Innkeeper55) December 8, 2023

“Bollocks. The bollards are there to stop drivers smashing into the supermarket. They don’t form the boundary of a “pedestrian walkway”. The rest of the footway is to your left.”

[Author]

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