UK today.

[Fungus]

Sounds like you were taken by the cleaners there old bean ...right I will get me coat...

"taken to the cleaners"

HTH

[Fungus]

UK urban public space has become very much like urban space in the United States (grotty and unkempt)

Some trends I have noticed:
- function always take precedence over form
- walled housing estates
- unmaintained street furniture
- little consideration for pedestrians (pavements that abruptly stop)
- primacy of the motor car (although this is a long term trend, it's dominance of the landscape continues no matter what politicians say - storing up problems for the future)
- dilapidated road signage and, perversely, in some places, superflouous road signage.
- the 'Docklands effect' (1) vast swathes of new build lego houses BUT NOT A SOUL ANYWHERE! (2) poorly designed fenestration; low ratio of windows to brickwork

and finally

- nobody gives a sh!t about these things except me.

"dilapidated road signage "

Come to Luton and you will enjoy bad signage:

Speed limit signs placed only at the junction of a road with a roundabout, where you don't see them because you are concentrating on other traffic for reasons of safety. I've twice nearly received a speeding fine due to not realising the limit on a dual carriageway had dropped from 40 to 30.

Road lanes that are left turn only, except you don't know that until the car in front moves to reveal the arrow painted on the road.

"low ratio of windows to brickwork"

It is government policy to have small windows for reasons of energy conservation.

We also have a problem with poor quality housing, due to the government for years ignoring the need to build houses, and now that it's too late, removing planning laws, and encouraging hasty building of huge numbers of ugly and poor quality flats.

"primacy of the motor car "

We are a relatively densely populated country, so what do you expect us to do? Public transport is tulipe and impractical. Cycling is dangerous and usually impractical. 'Pedestrianing' is impractical.

[ASB]

We are blessed with what must be one of the shortest stretches of 30mph in the country.

Road comes down a hill: 40mph limit.

At bottom of hill about 40 yds from roundabout: 30mph.

10 yds further on: 20mph.

Why do 20mph signs not have the required red circle like all other speed limit signs?

Why are there not reminders on the lamp posts as there should be where lamp posts are present but the limit is other than 30mph?

don't answer that: we all know the reason: it's to catch more "criminals"...

t's a 20 mph zone not a 20 mph limit by the sound of it. If it were a 20 mph limit then there is a minimum distance of 30 before it.

Info on signage requirements here:-

http://www.abd.org.uk/speed_limit_signs.htm

[The Master]

We are blessed with what must be one of the shortest stretches of 30mph in the country. Why are there not reminders on the lamp posts as there should be where lamp posts are present but the limit is other than 30mph?

don't answer that: we all know the reason: it's to catch more "criminals"...

Your concern for these ape-descended primitives is admirable, o trusty minion. By the way, don't forget to charge up the transmat so that we can get to work tomorrow.

[AlfredJPruffock]

"taken to the cleaners"

HTH

Aye Fungus

In this context he was in fact taken by rather than to the cleaners, so to speak.

[PRC1964]

What's wrong with the UK today?