| War on the car sparks driver
rage Anti-car moves launched across country; Motoring groups furious at crackdown Special report: transport in Britain Joanna Walters, transport editor Sunday August 26, 2001 The Observer Sweeping measures are to be taken throughout Britain to make motoring increasingly untenable and force millions out of their cars and on to public transport. As more than 23 million people took to their cars this weekend, transport chiefs unveiled the unprecedented crackdown on private vehicles in a series of schemes to drive people off the roads. In 50 towns and cities, from Edinburgh to Exeter, bus drivers will be issued with remote controls to change traffic lights to green to take priority over cars, and to stop in the middle of the road, preventing motorists passing. Thousands of new bus lanes will be introduced. The initiatives, which follow moves to double the number of speed cameras, last night provoked an outcry from motoring organisations, who branded them 'draconian'. Kevin Delaney, a spokesman for the Royal Automobile Club, warned that the moves 'alienated' motorists and could lead to city centre businesses going bust as people drove to out-of-town shopping centres. 'Motorists feel there is a war against them, and every time they turn their back there is another attack,' he said, adding that they were being penalised and 'dissuaded' out of their cars without a viable alternative. Nigel Humphries, of the pro-car British Drivers Association, hit out: 'These are negative measures put in deliberately to obstruct the private motorist. The majority of people have little choice about how they travel, and they are being penalised.' |
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What the hell is the world coming to?!?
SATURDAY AUGUST 25 2001  Clever dicks try to end a spot of embarrassment BY TIM REID SPOTTED DICK, the Victorian suet pudding whose name has provided sniggers for generations of schoolboys, is being renamed after an outbreak of prudishness. Housewives are said to have become so embarrassed at the prospect of asking for the dessert that Tesco is to call it Spotted Richard. After watching helplessly as sales figures dropped, the supermarket surveyed hundreds of female shoppers to discover the reason. They still loved the taste of spotted dick, they said, but found the name too saucy. In an age where incestuous kisses on EastEnders barely elicit a flushed neck, it is perhaps refreshing that a double entendre of the Carry On variety can still produce excruciating titters. “Our research showed that people are actually embarrassed by the name,” a Tesco spokesman said. “Can you imagine a lady going up to a male assistant and asking where she can find a spotted dick?” What about a nice big tart? “Tarts? No, we don’t seem to have a problem with tarts,” the spokesman added. “We noticed that all our traditional puddings were selling very well — apple pies, crumbles — but for some reason sales of spotted dick were dropping off. So we carried out some taste tests and they all said they loved it, it was just the name. We hope we will ease customer embarrassment and increase sales.” Officials at the Pudding Club, which promotes traditional British desserts, were left choking on their custard creams. “We are absolutely outraged by this,” said Simon Coombe, the club’s chief taster. “spotted dick has always been spotted dick and there is no reason to change that. I have no intention whatsoever of following this ridiculous example and will continue to use the name spotted dick.” There is no clear answer as to how the pudding got its name. One school of thought is that the finished pudding looks like a spotty dog, and in the 19th century dogs were often called Dick. In Lobscouse and Spotted Dog, the cookery book based on the Jack Aubrey naval stories, it is mooted that “dick”, “duff” and “dog” in names of puddings are variants of “dough”. |