In the news

Very much "well, I guess we'll try and dump a bit less shit into the waterways, but it'll be expensive so all your bills will go up, yes, yes, profits were great last year aiming for more next year with these higher bills."

Got to keep the shareholders happy

What's that? Chomsky in being a bit not right shocker?

They've agreed that the shareholders will pay for this*.

*Initially, then it'll all be charged back to us in the form of higher bills to pay for the investment they haven't bothered their arses with in decades because all the should-have-been-investment money went to the shareholders.

Yes but all the shareholders are then wealthy enough to give employment to plebs/a pleb.
The joys of trickle-down economics.

Let's be honest most of the shareholders are foreign pension funds.

I seem to remember that previously UK-based/regulated pension schemes were not allowed to invest in infrastructure assets.

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/transport/council-to-scrap-ps17m-cycle-lane-just-eight-months-after-it-was-introduced-4140966

In September, 78-year-old Dorothy was left with two black eyes and a broken wrist after tripping over a divider. While 27-year-old Samantha Skene shattered her elbow after she tripped following a night out at The Townhouse.

A 'night out'.

Similar thing near me:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-65397742

That has been in the news for a while, I still don't get the optical illusion thing.

From the comments on the article there may well be problems with the cycle lane, as there can be, but the notion that evidence for that includes someone tripping up after a night at a cocktail bar made me laugh.

Neither do I, they have changed it once already.

I've experienced this. It's the light coloured curbs with new tarmac coupled with speed bumps. The curbs can look like white painted lines, that are flush with the road surface, rather than raised curbs. I decked it when they installed something similar by the Tate on embankment (they also changed the radius of a corner I've ridden for 6 years). Once it all gets a bit weathered in, with dust etc at the base of the curb, it gets easier to see what's what - but it shouldn't be this complicated...

My view on the cycled lane in the article with all that road furniture could be replaced by a painted cycle lane separated from the road with a wideish painted hatched area. Then bang some cameras in with clear signs and ticket any motorist who blocks it (like they do with yellow box junctions).

The Canadian municipal workers pension fund is the largest shareholder of Thames water.

Reassuring to see the Tories have a long term strategy for manufacturing in the UK.
Definitely not just a succession of panic-driven short term 'fixes' driven by bad headlines resulting from the unsatisfactory 'oven ready deal' espoused by a certain Johnson B.

Yep,
and they told the then management team of Thames Water
to stop arguing with OfWat and deliver the steady flow of dividend income.

Self self destructs.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/new-european-self-destructs-in-guardian-feud/

For context on Self..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6190959/Writer-Selfs-wife-Deborah-Orr-bizarre-divorce

You missed the actual Self article which is here:
https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/my-obsession-with-adrian-chiles-column/

I couldn't finish it though. It reminded me of one of the more biologically obsessive short stories from Self's 90s Grey Area.

Thanks, the linked second picture does look just like a painted line..

I guess the Tata / JLR battery plant will make the batteries just for JLR.

Not for more inexpensive cars that might be needed come the day I might buy an EV.

The snark around a deeply unpleasant and egotistical man is more interesting than his rantings. I couldn't finish the actual thing either.

Legendary combo of story and journalist

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-65633762

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/16985796/

Made me chuckle.

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Speeding police officer smashes into rear wheel of a bike, seriously injuring the rider. Gets written up as:

Speeding in a police patrol car, Acheampong veered close to the
cyclist who lost control and disappeared underneath the BMW police
car,

https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-11-05/met-police-officer-cleared-of-causing-serious-injury-by-dangerous-driving