Thursday, December 18, 2008
A second post from Tooting
Off to a bad start when the PC at this Internet shop announced that something was wrong with the security certificate for this site when trying to view my blog to remind myself what I had last been on. Something that last happened in the regional capital's library. Then, when trying again, found myself at the site of one of those Texas mega churches. Then, I notice that I have spelt 'blogspot' as 'blogpsot' or something. Odd how an error of that sort transports me to heaven. But corrected the spelling and here we are.
On the way here amused to see that one of the wine bars, in Garratt Lane, near Earlsfield, which I usually pass rather later in the day when it is full of bright young things, was full of a mother and baby group. It seems that things have moved on since my sprogging days. After that past a workmens' cafe, usually empty when I pass, was full of workmen tucking into heavy breakfasts. So some things don't change after all.
But then past a builder's pickup where someone was unloading white plastic tubs - the sort of thing that garden centres sell fertilizer in - which the label said were full of tarmac. Presumably for a patch it is cheaper to use the stuff pre-packed in tubs than mess about with the loose. But not sure how they do the hot bit. Maybe this is some special water bound tar macadam which does not need heat? Despite being a contradiction in terms. Like the strange varnish which I bought the other day, the brushes for which could be washed out in soapy water.
And after that past the spot where, on my last visit, I picked up a lady's purse. Walked past it assuming it was empty, then thought maybe I ought to take a look, and it was full. Change and a great slew of cards. Now what to do? I could hand it in to one of the convenience stores to hand. But then I thought not. Asking a busy shopkeeper for a receipt seemed a bit heavy handed. Lumbering him with it seemed a bit hard on him anyway. And would the lady think to go in all the shops she had been in that day? Police station down the road had been shut for many years.
Take a closer look inside and find a pass for St George's Hospital (late of Hyde Park Corner), complete with mug shot and phone number. Ah ha. Phone the lady up and arrange an assignation. Next problem find a phone, given that I usually travel without the mobile. Again, don't like to ask a busy shopkeeper. I thought that an estate agent might be the thing, so march off east along the lane. About a mile further along, come to an estate agent. Lady there quite happy to phone up the hospital for me. No said the phone. The lady of the purse has gone home and won't be back until Monday. Can you give me a phone number? No. Can you send her a message? No. Can you help in anyway at all? No. That would be a breach of her privacy. Frustrated here, take an even closer look at the purse and find a driving license, complete with another mugshot and an address. Which turns out to be more or less the same mile back along Garratt Lane. Return purse to grateful lady and, having lost more than half an hour, reduced to catching bus to next appointment.
Now onto lessons learned. Number 1, look at the purse properly in the first place. Getting the details quickly more important than the breach of the owner's privacy. Maybe go into a pub, take a refreshment and do the thing in style, rather than messing about in the dark outside. Number 2, handing it in to the nearby railway station not too clever either, even supposing they would take it. Which they probably would not unless you lied about where you found it, which would confuse things if the owner ever tried to claim it. And then all lost property handed in to the railway in this part of the world winds up in a large shed at Waterloo. Not terribly convenient if you live in Earlsfield. And do the people manning the shed contact the owners of property carrying contact details? Number 3, is it a very good idea to have a photo pass with your name and address stored along with all your credit cards? I was told afterwards that one is now required to carry one's driving license when driving, rather than being allowed to present it at a police station of your choice within 48 hours. But is it a good thing? Does the combination of driving license and credit cards give a bad person something to go on? While bricks and mortar shops require pin numbers, I don't think internet ones do. So the bad person could go on the spree on the Internet, perhaps from this Internet shop, from where I would be reasonably hard to trace. The bad person could hire a car using the license, providing they used their own credit card, thus scoring their traffic offences to you. Must think further, when last night's fumes have died down a bit.
On the way here amused to see that one of the wine bars, in Garratt Lane, near Earlsfield, which I usually pass rather later in the day when it is full of bright young things, was full of a mother and baby group. It seems that things have moved on since my sprogging days. After that past a workmens' cafe, usually empty when I pass, was full of workmen tucking into heavy breakfasts. So some things don't change after all.
But then past a builder's pickup where someone was unloading white plastic tubs - the sort of thing that garden centres sell fertilizer in - which the label said were full of tarmac. Presumably for a patch it is cheaper to use the stuff pre-packed in tubs than mess about with the loose. But not sure how they do the hot bit. Maybe this is some special water bound tar macadam which does not need heat? Despite being a contradiction in terms. Like the strange varnish which I bought the other day, the brushes for which could be washed out in soapy water.
And after that past the spot where, on my last visit, I picked up a lady's purse. Walked past it assuming it was empty, then thought maybe I ought to take a look, and it was full. Change and a great slew of cards. Now what to do? I could hand it in to one of the convenience stores to hand. But then I thought not. Asking a busy shopkeeper for a receipt seemed a bit heavy handed. Lumbering him with it seemed a bit hard on him anyway. And would the lady think to go in all the shops she had been in that day? Police station down the road had been shut for many years.
Take a closer look inside and find a pass for St George's Hospital (late of Hyde Park Corner), complete with mug shot and phone number. Ah ha. Phone the lady up and arrange an assignation. Next problem find a phone, given that I usually travel without the mobile. Again, don't like to ask a busy shopkeeper. I thought that an estate agent might be the thing, so march off east along the lane. About a mile further along, come to an estate agent. Lady there quite happy to phone up the hospital for me. No said the phone. The lady of the purse has gone home and won't be back until Monday. Can you give me a phone number? No. Can you send her a message? No. Can you help in anyway at all? No. That would be a breach of her privacy. Frustrated here, take an even closer look at the purse and find a driving license, complete with another mugshot and an address. Which turns out to be more or less the same mile back along Garratt Lane. Return purse to grateful lady and, having lost more than half an hour, reduced to catching bus to next appointment.
Now onto lessons learned. Number 1, look at the purse properly in the first place. Getting the details quickly more important than the breach of the owner's privacy. Maybe go into a pub, take a refreshment and do the thing in style, rather than messing about in the dark outside. Number 2, handing it in to the nearby railway station not too clever either, even supposing they would take it. Which they probably would not unless you lied about where you found it, which would confuse things if the owner ever tried to claim it. And then all lost property handed in to the railway in this part of the world winds up in a large shed at Waterloo. Not terribly convenient if you live in Earlsfield. And do the people manning the shed contact the owners of property carrying contact details? Number 3, is it a very good idea to have a photo pass with your name and address stored along with all your credit cards? I was told afterwards that one is now required to carry one's driving license when driving, rather than being allowed to present it at a police station of your choice within 48 hours. But is it a good thing? Does the combination of driving license and credit cards give a bad person something to go on? While bricks and mortar shops require pin numbers, I don't think internet ones do. So the bad person could go on the spree on the Internet, perhaps from this Internet shop, from where I would be reasonably hard to trace. The bad person could hire a car using the license, providing they used their own credit card, thus scoring their traffic offences to you. Must think further, when last night's fumes have died down a bit.
# posted by Jim @ 3:21 AM 
