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John Paddington

@padders123.bsky.social

230 followers 410 following 1.1K posts

Transport technology, Birmingham and some other stuff. Occasional photos of Travel Basil to promote St Basils homeless charity that works with young people in Birmingham.

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · Nov 16

Also: if you're wondering about my banner photo, it was taken in Kharkiv, Ukraine about ten years ago. It's a reminder of happier times and also the sadness that there is war there.

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 15h

What happens if hard workers are on minimum wage and can't afford a house?

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Reposted by John Paddington

Nigel Auchterlounie @n-auchterlounie.bsky.social · 14d

It's Bluesky so I would like to now talk to you, with authority, about something I know nothing about.

TV production.
UK TV can't afford to make TV (see article) so...

Here's a still from Blake's 7 series 4 ep9 "Sand"
Isn't it terrible. So unconvincing.
TV is so much better now...

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 15h

So even though that I've ordered with a credit card (that proves I'm over 18), Uber wants to scan my ID , store details about it exposing me to data security risks?

(And we've seen already with the Discord leak how this can be exposed...)

Screenshot from Uber Eats email saying they're rolling out age verification.

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 1d

If the government wants something real world impacts, create some new youth clubs as this article suggests

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Britain's youth clubs have been quietly decimated. What's most revealing is that few seem to care | John Harris

These vital spaces have been the first targets of cuts in a nation that favours age over youth – despite being the remedy for blights such as social division, polarisation and loneliness, says Guardia...

www.theguardian.com

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 1d

Will check it out next time we're in Harborne

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 1d

Is that in the Hospice shop?

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 1d

Especially when Deliveroo can easily do a rug pull at some point and start running the cooking part themselves. (They've suggested this in the past)

Reposted by John Paddington

Tom Sasse @tomsasse.bsky.social · 1d

A new disruptive transport technology is rapidly changing cities across the rich world. It is not the self-driving electric car, but the humble bicycle, writes @dlknowles.bsky.social www.economist.com/internationa...

Forget EVs. Cycling is revolutionising transport

Pedal power is booming, spinning up a new culture war

www.economist.com

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 1d

From working in a combined authority, our biggest problem was responsibilities were not clear. Especially in things like transport. The last thing London needs is to make the role of TfL less clear.

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 1d

The European funded projects I'm involved in all target LinkedIn to share ideas and recommendations on policy.

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 3d

I'm travelling from London on Eurostar Sunday so looks like I might get to try this out (as I'm Carte Blanche status).

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 3d

Or:

betterstreetsforbirmingham.org/red-means-st...

@betterstreetsforbirmingham.org

Study finds hundreds of Birmingham drivers running red lights

Better Streets for Birmingham found that over the course of 44 hours and 56 minutes, 576 drivers were running red lights at 21 junctions across the city.

betterstreetsforbirmingham.org

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 4d

Should be huge news and why the online safety act was always a bad idea.

404 Media @404media.co · 4d

BREAKING: A catastrophic breach has impacted Discord user data including selfies and identity documents uploaded as part of the app’s verification process, email addresses, phone numbers, approximately where the user lives, and much more.

🔗 www.404media.co/the-discord-...

The Discord Hack is Every Users’ Worst Nightmare

A hack impacting Discord’s age verification process shows in stark terms the risk of tech companies collecting users’ ID documents. Now the hackers are posting peoples’ IDs and other sensitive informa...

www.404media.co

Reposted by John Paddington

Dr Amy Kavanagh @blondehistorian.bsky.social · 4d

What does this letter say?

Imagine this letter contains essential information and you can’t access it.

You can’t decipher the blurred text, the paper colour makes the type disappear, and the few words that you manage to read are worrying or confusing. 1/

Purple and blue text on a white background. The image is of a blurred indecipherable letter, text is greyed and blacked out, words emerge like offer or overdue. Tables and figures are partially visible.

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 4d

Give people and parents more control of algorithms would fix this quite quickly, yet it's never discussed...

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 4d

MPs should not be allowed second jobs. It needs to be a fully time job to scrutinise legislation, respond to constituent queries etc.

For those who need to maintain CPD for their profession, such as doctors, lawyers, etc. they can do a week or two volunteering working in the public sector.

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 4d

Twelve Jobs Nigel has earned over £1 million in additional income since the general election.

To understand the scale of it, since the July 2024 election he's earned roughly £100k more as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion than Starmer gets as PM.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Nigel Farage earns over £1m from 12 'second jobs' - check how much your MP earns

The Reform UK leader's most lucrative second jobs include hosting on GB News, serving as a brand ambassador for Direct Bullion and recording videos for Cameo

www.mirror.co.uk

Reposted by John Paddington

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 4d

"Are they [MRPs] any use to anyone at this stage of the Parliament? No! Do something more useful. Stop producing these polls. They're not magic."

Expert pollster @psurridge.bsky.social reflects on polls and electoral reform

Catch up on the discussion in full here 👇 www.youtube.com/live/ivRLHUb...

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 5d

Commercial law seems to have a different chair and sitting further away from the other two. Seems appropriate.

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 5d

Remember cutting stamp duty will simply increase house prices as buyers have more money to spend and sellers will use the fact that there is more demand than supply to put up prices.

The only sensible way of doing is is also to reform council tax and / or introduce land value taxation.

Reposted by John Paddington

Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 6d

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter

Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

37 650 1.9K

Reposted by John Paddington

General Boles @generalboles.bsky.social · 6d

Everyone who advocates for turning the UK into the UAE assumes they'll be the one with a marina penthouse rather than the guy working on a building site in 50c heat

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 6d

Plus the high public transport subsidy, congestion charging and huge costs to register a car.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/busines...

Cost of car ownership soars in Singapore

The city-state introduced a 10-year certificate of entitlement system in 1990 as an anti-congestion measure.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by John Paddington

John C @badsocialism.bsky.social · 6d

So much of British policing boils down to the idea that there's no point dealing with Low Intensity Crime even though Low Intensity Crime is the crime 90% of people have to deal with

Will Yeates @wyeates.bsky.social · 6d

The British Transport Police (BTP) says it will not investigate bike thefts outside stations where the bicycle has been left for more than two hours.

Bike thefts at stations 'decriminalised'

Bike thefts at stations 'decriminalised'

The British Transport Police will not investigate many categories of bicycle theft, the BBC learns.

buff.ly

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John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 6d

And of course, it looks like the play area has a road in-between it and the houses.

Screen shot from google maps which shows the former play area to the left. There are houses to the right of this road.

John Paddington @padders123.bsky.social · 6d

This is also the problem - too often the rich and powerful opt out of public services so not interested in making things better.