Illusion35

Controversial maybe as I know they're doing their job - but very slow tractors/large farm vehicles on main roads between 8am and 9am. Could you not wait a few minutes? Or perhaps pull over every now and then so people's commute isn't three times as long as it should be?

Totally weird! Not even a birthday cake?! Longest two hours of my life, feel like I'm sat in a club on my own but it's got children in it!

Children's birthday parties that are basically for adults! Am at a party with my six year old daughter. In a sports club. Which finishes after her bedtime. All adults drinking heavily. No supervision of children at all. No activities, no party games, no balloons or anything. Just a disco that's so loud the children have all gone outside. Can't even work out who the parents of the birthday girl are and can't leave as nobody is watching the kids. FFS what's wrong with some people? Or am I just getting old?!

People who stand in the middle of the aisle in the supermarket having a nice long chat, oblivious to all the people trying to get past them. Especially on a Saturday morning when it is busy.

Thanks that's what I thought but couldn't quite seem to make that fit what was being sung in L/K - I must try harder!

What are the words to the Leonardo chant that was going for ages? Joined in as best I could but couldn't quite make out all the words? And I like clapping !

Picked up new bikes for my kids from Halfords today. Half an hour drive from home. Got home, found my son's front brakes didn't work. Put it back in the car, took it back to be told the front wheel wasn't tight enough. Put it back in car, back home again find my six year old daughter crying - chain had come off her new bike after 5 minutes and not got theright tools to remove stabilisers and mudguard to get at the chain. By this time it was raining stair rods. Put bike in car, back to Halfords to be told this time the back wheel wasn't tight enough?! Waited ages, dripping wet and soaked to the skin. Finally got home at 5pm after first picking up bikes at 12pm. FML and why can't Halfords actually build bikes that work!!!

Really sorry to hear this A very tough decision to have to make.

I didn't say they should be - I said they could be. I think most people would like to work less hours and be paid more! I don't think our pay/conditions will improve, strike or no strike - I don't think today's strike will make any difference at all to the way policy makers in central government think. Michael Gove seems particularly set in his way of viewing the education sector and I don't think striking will change it. A potential change of government next year? That might. One of the key elements of the 'five reasons to strike' set out by the NUT is to abolish performance related pay for teachers for instance. Why? The private sector has had performance related pay for years. If I perform badly and the children in my class do not make appropriate academic progress, why should I automatically be entitled to get paid more next year? Giving tenuous reasons for strike action like this is why 4 out of 5 state schools were still open today. I'm not anti unions or anti striking especially, if the case is strong enough and there's a chance of making a difference. Neither of those things were there for me, personally, today.

Couldn't agree more.

I'm a teacher. I do work an average of 50 hours a week as do all my colleagues. Sometimes more. I do think pay and conditions could be better but I didn't go out on strike today. I don't think striking has any real effect and think its a bit selfish of public sector workers to strike, causing disruption to others. I'm sure most people in most jobs would like to improve their pay and conditions but don't just refuse to go to work! I'm paid enough. Not a fortune, but enough. I get long holidays with my own children. I like working with children, although very hard work it's rewarding and hardly ever boring. Some people just moan incessantly regardless of what they have and are never satisfied. I think unions have a role to play but their power is decreasing - a lot of people defied the main teaching union by working today. I'm a member of the NUT but was not sufficiently convinced of their reasoning as to why a strike was necessary today or what it would achieve. I do hate the education secretary mind you - might have gone on strike if there was a chance it would get rid of him! Just my rather rambling thoughts!

People with road rage who just don't care who is around. I work in a school and the children who come on the bus came in upset today. Some idiotic man had taken offence at the bus driver's driving and stormed onto the bus shouting and screaming and assaulted the driver (hands round his throat, banging his head on the wheel) in front of 15 children aged between 4-11. Way to go, ignorant idiot! Only got off when a parent waiting to see the bus off threatened to call the police and then slapped her around the face before driving off at high speed. Where do these lowlifes come from?

People who do stupidly noisy work on their house or garden early in the morning at the weekend. 7am isn't a good time to mow your lawn, or cut paving slabs or use any type of power tool! Maybe you can't sleep (or do shift work) but your neighbours may wish to! Equally I know it is still light at 9pm onwards but this also isn't a good time to do these things. People's children are asleep and people might like to hear their television!

I'm new! Been lurking about for a while. See my rant on the plastic fans thread for a bit if an intro, !