Litter

 Creative Writing, Opinion  No Responses »
Nov 012013
 

By Bob Smith.

what-they-now-do-with-waste-plastic flat

We hiv a problem in Aiberdeen
Keepin the bliddy pavemints clean
Litter strewn fae pillar tae post
Plastic cups an half aeten toast
.
Fag eyns lyin ootside office doors
As weel as aat o shops an stores
Lazy buggers jist fling them doon
Fin binnin them wid be a boon
.
Grub containers aa ower the place
Efter some bodie’s fed their face
If on the hoof ye maan eat
Dinna leave boxies on the street
.
Young mithers strollin doon the wye
They hear their little darlins cry
A sweetie is gien tae the geet
The wrappers drappit at their feet
.
Skweelkids oot fer denner or lunch
Some are a maist untidy bunch
Throwe a bag o crisps they cha’
Syne chukk the bliddy bag awa
.
Pavemints strewn wi chuddy blob
Spat oot o some nyaff’s gob
Stickin tae the slabs an sheen
Aroon oor toon o Aiberdeen		 Fowk oot waakin their family pet
Some hinna got the message yet
Seems they think it fair absurd
Tae pick up their doggie’s turd
.
Nae jist in the toon ye’ll see
Fowks trash an cuttins fae a tree
Oot some bonnie kwintra lane
The litter dumpers are a bane
.
Auld cookers, beddin an sic like
Left aa aroon bi some orra tyke
Ower damn’t lazy tae show their face
An tak it tae a recyclin place
.
Ess problem society his richt aneuch
An een aat’s proovin affa teuch
Fowk are feart tae challenge dumpers
Fa micht turn oot tae be face thumpers
.
They say educashun stairts at hame
It’s time tae pit litter in the frame
So’s the neist generation are mair aware
An littered streets they are nae mair.
.
.
.
.
©Bob Smith “The PoetryMannie” 2013
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DJ Format In The Tunnels Mix

 Articles, Opinion  No Responses »
Nov 012013
 

This is only the second time I’ve ever watched a DJ gig, and the first time I’ve critiqued one. This time at least DJ Format turned up punctually unlike my recollection of a late DJ Yoda many moons ago. Andrew Watson reviews this late-night Tunnels show from 27 October.

DJ-Format-on-the-decksWarming up was a local DJ, Mike emblazoned on the back of his shirt. There were, as predominates in hip-hop, James Brown samples galore, and even some Gil Scott Heron. The seguing of songs was almost seamless, and the eclectic mix of tribal/world music tested and pleased the ear.

At first I was rather confused, as there were two guys behind Mike, the stage partially belonging to two randoms and a performer.

It wasn’t until about an hour into the set that it became apparent that DJ Format was waiting in the wings for the support slot to end.

He urged those sitting beyond the stairs leading down to the dance floor to come forward.

Personally, I was rewarded for my compliance with a spin of a somewhat modulated version of Eazy-er Said Than Dunn by Eazy-E.  More often, though, it was a case of turning to my friend to ask whose song the Southampton DJ was playing.

Though not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes his ear for nearly-inaccessible, ear-to-the-underground samples alienated me. On the other hand, lack of familiarity with the material played wasn’t a pre-requisite to enjoying the show.

Things picked up, however, when he blasted a piano-driven instrumental of Sam and Dave’s Hold On, I’m Comin’. The pricking of interest amongst those on the dance floor was palpable.

DJ Format, real name Matt Ford, was a canny man demonstrated by his chopping and changing of samples to run with whatever music he was playing alongside. For example, I recognised a guitar lick belonging to another song that I had in mind. He eventually played that song after permuting it for other purposes.

My only criticism would be that when he did eventually play Wrath of Kane by Big Daddy Kane he cut it too soon, leaving out the best verse, but one of the strengths of music is its occasional unpredictability, going in direction other than anticipated.

Arguably, one of the strongest draws were his connections to Los Angeles collective Jurassic 5. He was their bus driver, before later finding acclaim and opening for DJ Shadow.

Work done with the former was showcased, shifting emphasis and giving him ample room to display his renowned scratching technique.

Performance-wise, the only blip of the night was a skipping record. He launched it into the crowd and my friend got him to autograph it at the end of the show.

This was an exhausting gig, given the 2300 Sunday start time, and it was a tad pricey at £10. There was some break-dancing to entertain those in the crowd keener to keep their feet together and just watch.

Smithy’s Scribblins No. 11 – Aboot Chivalry

 Aberdeenshire, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 282013
 

By Bob Smith.

manners

A think it wis Edmund Burke the 18th century statesman, author an philosopher fa said “The age o chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists and calculators has succeeded”.

O coorse wi aa think o chivalry as bein connectit wi knights o aulden days fa gid aboot savin fair maidens fae dragons an sic like an upholdin a quine’s honour an chastity tho’ only if the lassie wis fae the same class system as thersels.

They warna interestit in the peasant quines ither than haein them as a ‘bit on the side’. Fooiver, thingies hiv moved on a bittie sin thae days an a wid like tae think there micht be a bit o 21st century chivalry  in some o us.

A wis listenin tae a programme on the radio nae lang ago fin they teuk ess throwe-han. They war spikkin aboot chiels gien up their seat on a bus tae a wumman bodie or huddin the door open fer the female sex an wis ess noo a form o sexism. A lot o fowk hid differin opeenions wi the feminists scraichin awa aat it wis indeed sexist.

Some ither fowk thocht it wis an act o ‘chivalry’ tae gie up yer seat tae the opposite sex tho’ they widna gyaang as far as layin doon their coat or jaicket on tap o a puddle tae save a wifie’s feet gettin weet like yon Sir Walter Raleigh did wi Queen Bess. Na na the feminists war haen neen o’t.

They war weel capable o staanin on a bus or openin an waakin throwe a door thersels. A hiv tae say maist feminists, tho nae them aa, git richt up ma nib. On seein some feminists on TV a maan say they display aa the instincts o a female black widda spider.

Fit’s wrang wi gein up yer seat tae a puir quine traachlin wi a couple o geets or an auld wifie fair forfochan wi cairryin the messages? Ess wid be a chivalrous act in ma beuk tho nae doot some wid think it jist gweed mainners.

Noo masel fin a ging oot a waak wi the wife I try tae myn an bide on the kerbside o the pavemint. Ess sort o thingie his its origins awa back in the days fin gentlemen wore their swords on the left but unsheathed em wi their richt han. The ladies aye bade on the mannie’s left so he cwid draw his sword withoot her gettin in the wye. A hiv tae tell ye – a nae langer weer ma sword.

Maist war a bunch o thieving murderin cyaards

Later on in time bi bidin on the kerbside o the pavemint ess mint the mannie cwid protect his fair maiden or meybe his floosie fae the mud or dirt splashin up  fae unner the wheels o cairrages.

A hiv bin kent tae escort auld wifies fa are a bittie shoogly on their shanks across the busy streets. Feminists nae doot widna leuk upon ess as bein an act o chivalry. Wid they prefer me tae leave the puir soul tae tak her chunces wi aa the mad buggers drivin aroon in cars nooadays?

Gyaan back a fyow decades in history the knights involved in the Crusades war leukit upon as chivalrous chiels. Naething o the sort. Maist war a bunch o thieving murderin cyaards faa war only interestit in foo muckle plunder they cwid git their hans on.

The Japanese Samurai fa war the military nobility o medieval an early modern Japan  hid their ane form o chivalry ca’ed bushido fit some say dictatit aat fechtin hid tae be face tae face. Nae sneaky ambushes fae ahint rocks fer em.

Some dictionaries ca chivalry a knightly devoshun tae the service o weemin, (or wis’t a nightly devoshun tae servicin weemin), haen the inclination tae defend a weaker pairty or bein ‘gallant’.

In the 21st century a wid say the devoshun tae weemin cwid noo be describit as bein thochtfu tae the opposite sex bi offerin em yer seat fin they’re fair traachl’t an bein ‘gallant’ meanin helpin auld craiturs across the roddie.

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Captain Phillips – Andrew Watson Reviews

 Articles, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 282013
 

Vue on Shiprow was an apt setting for viewing Tom Hank’s seafaring thriller Captain Phillips, writes Andrew Watson.

vuepicAlthough this is a tad more intelligent than recent fellow claustrocore film Escape Plan, it didn’t entertain to the extent that the combined brawn of Stallone and Schwarzenegger did.

Captain Phillips is based on a true story, or at least on the written account of a man taken hostage by Somalian pirates.

What should be borne in mind with such accounts is that embellishments to known facts don’t illuminate actual events.

It’s more shocking, for example, to know for a fact that three people really died in an incident than that six perish in a fictionalised account.

I daresay that Mel Gibson’s Braveheart would have benefitted hugely from a massive dose of truth given the factual historical inaccuracies in that film.

Anyway, Richard Phillips (Hanks) is the merchant sea captain of MV Maersk Alabama which runs into difficulty when being pursued by opportunistic ransom seekers during a routine exercise that turns into a real life threat.

On the other side of the story, it’s interesting to see that the Somalian pirates originate from a community bullied by warlords to whom they owe money, a somewhat sympathetic perspective offering a rationale for their seeking ransom money from merchant vessels.

The efforts of the pirates eventually see them board the Maersk Alabama, via a mobile ladder clasped to the side of a ship that dwarfs their own vessel.

What follows is a glorified cat and mouse chase, as Hanks’s character sends his crew down to the engine room in a bid to avoid capture. They eventually overcome the boarders who are forced into retreat, taking just the captain with them on the emergency lifeboat.

Basically, the film is divided between the single setting on the Maersk and on the lifeboat, the compactness of the latter, of course, defining claustrocore filming.

Towards the end, a protracted stand-off between the pirates and the US Navy SEALs, climaxes when the SEALs eventually outmanoeuvre and outwit the boarders who number fewer than half a dozen.

To sum up, Captain Phillips is at times frustratingly dull, yet at others engaging.

 

Widdie’s “Olive Brunch”

 Creative Writing, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 242013
 

UTG long - Credit: Mike ShepherdBy Bob Smith.

Widdie’s noo back,wi mair bliddy cack
The fifty million is back on the table
Bit only ye see, if wi him ye agree
Aat there’s only ae horse in the stable

John Halliday’s plan, seems nae aneuch gran
The gairdens they still wull be sunken
Is it his fear, aat fowk they drink beer
In the airches wi an attitude drunken?

The plans need transformin, afore the mannie is warmin
Tae ony ideas the chiel wid see fit
If it’s nae tae street livel, t’is the wark o the devil
Onything else Sir Ian sees as shit

The P&J it dis cry, compromise wi shud try
Nae chunce o ess cumin tae pass
Sir Ian his a goal, tae fill in the bowl
An smore the gairdens en masse

Widdie’s “olive brunch”, fin it cums tae the crunch
Is nithing the sort if ye think
An ultimatum mair like, an een wi shud spike
Tho the eyn gemme is noo at its brink

So fa’ll raise the bar, in ess oot an oot war?
Wull fifty million bi seen as a bribe?
An concrete wull flow, on the girss doon alow
On champagne Sir Ian wull imbibe

Can the gairdens survive, fowks hopes kept alive
Or micht it dee in a nest o vipers?
Wull siller win the day, in aa ess affray
Help’t oot bi some ither snipers?

© Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie” 2013

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Escape Plan – Andrew Watson Reviews

 Articles, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 242013
 

Vue on Shiprow was almost vacant as I sat down this afternoon to watch Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s Escape Plan. Andrew Watson reviews.

vuepicI was a bit dubious about this example of situation genre, popularly dubbed ‘claustrocore’, where most or all of the film is shot in the one setting. Think Phone Booth.

There was enough variety in this action thriller, however, to assuage negative assumption.

Ray Breslin (Stallone) is the movie’s protagonist and co-owner of a firm testing the infallibility of maximum security prisons. Rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson), makes a glorified cameo appearance as Ray’s business partner Hush.

Breslin successfully escapes one of many prisons he’s testing without a hitch.  A more lucrative offer comes in, and although the stakes are far higher than usual, both sides deal in.

Once on the inside, Ray meets fellow inmate, Emil Rottmayer (Schwarzenegger).  Favours between the two are drawn as Stallone’s character scopes out the nooks and crannies of his toughest challenge yet.

Their contrasting roles, with stonefaced and serious Sly and amiable Arnie, ensure that the onscreen chemistry bubbles.  They bounce off each other quite well, and the film is almost totally devoid of any big-time ego clashes.

The pair are pitted against jail warden Willard Hobbs (Jim Caviezel), and his second-in-command played by ex-football hard man, Vinnie Jones.

Standing, or rather hiding, between good and bad is Dr Emil Kyrie (Sam Neill).  Paid to oversee the wellbeing of the prisoners, with his employers bent on doing the opposite, he cuts a perplexing insight into the psyche of a beleaguered conscience. It’s a pity the role is so minimal for such a fine actor.

Among the highlights is a punch -up between the two megastars, before they’re rounded up and thrown into isolation.

Stallone, the smaller of the two, takes a while to overcome Arnie, who initially laughs off the the assualt.

Schwarzenegger’s feigning Christian babble is hilarious, as the subtitles translate his almost-incoherent German cries.  All part of the ruse, whilst Stallone plots an escape route.

The nailbiting conclusion has you wondering if both will survive, but no spoilers from me.

On the whole, not the most earth-shattering piece of cinema you’re likely to see this year, especially, in terms of script complexity, as its overall simplicity is definitely the most prominent feature.

Mail Share Flotation – Sell-off Or Sell-out?

 Featured, Information, Opinion  3 Responses »
Oct 242013
 

The 540 year-old business which delivers letters by hand to every front door in the UK, has been sold off by the party with the biggest majority in the House of Commons. Duncan Harley applies his magnifying glass.

Postie Van throw keys 2 by Duncan Harley

The familiar red mail vans parked outside a Royal Mail depot. Photo by Duncan Harley.

The share starting price was, of course, unknown. Indeed, if investors offered to buy there was no guarantee either of a successful bid or of a profitable purchase.
If the general public wanted to take a punt on the UK postal industry, they had to be aware that the cost of the shares would be between 260p and 330p each, and the price to be paid would be completely unknown until the very day of the sell-off.

What does this mean?

Well, imagine walking into your local supermarket to buy a pint of milk and being faced with a label on the shelf reading something like, “This product may contain nuts and will cost between 43p and 62p depending on consumer demand, best of luck and we hope you reach the checkout safely and in one piece. Signed, your pal Vince”.

It’s even worse of course if you are a UK postal worker. Vince Cable’s sell-off capitalises on the fact that 149,638 employees have each been awarded around £2,230 worth of shares.

Some doubt if the deal, which ties the Post Office employees into a three year retention of share certificates before being allowed to sell, is fair.

It’s a bit like saying, “Here’s two grand’s worth of milk Jess*, mind you don’t spill it all over your grubby paws yah fat pussy, and if you do, it’s your problem. Signed, The Management”.

No wonder the postal unions are encouraging their members to withdraw their labour. The Communications Workers Union balloted 115,000 members on striking on November 4 and reports a 78% vote in favour. In response, Royal Mail said that it was, “…very disappointed that the CWU was pushing forward with a strike”.

Royal Mail stated that they will, “…do all that we can do to protect our business and minimise the effect of any industrial action on our customers’ mail”.

In 1916, Éirí Amach na Cásca (The Easter Rising) graphically illustrated the importance of control of communication in the face of authoritarian rule. Organised by the Military Council of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the Rising began on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, and lasted for six days.

Postie Van throw keys by Duncan HarleyMembers of the Irish Volunteers led by Patrick Pearse, seized key locations in Dublin and proclaimed the Irish Republic independent of the UK. The main Dublin Post Office, then a key pre-internet communication centre, was seized by the rebels and shelled mercilessly by the British Army until the maimed and shocked defenders surrendered.

In a series of courts martial, 90 Irish people were sentenced to death.

Fifteen of those had their sentences confirmed by the UK government and were executed by firing squad at Kilmainham Gaol. The rest saw their lives squandered in British jails until Irish Independence arrived.

The outcome of the current postal sell-off might not include death by firing squad; it might, however, result in big profits for the fat cats.

David Cameron, in a rare interview, declined to comment on the historic link between the Royal Mail and the British people but said, “The political system is broken, the economy is broken and so is society. That is why people are so depressed about the state of our country”.

Postman Pat’s cat, whatever his name was*, is no doubt licking his paws with glee.

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/david_cameron.html#zRBqFI3BlZP2tVF1.99

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Musings Of A Newish Music Photographer No.2

 Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion  7 Responses »
Oct 232013
 

Julie Thompson shares her experience as a fledgling music photographer, and a few of her pictures from Catfish & The Bottlemen, Café Drummond, 11th October 2013, and Grzegorz Kupczyk’s CETI album launch, Lemon Tree, 12th October 2013.

bisongrass2Looking back over the last two nights of shooting, I find myself reflecting on the contrast between the venues.
I found Café Drummond, admittedly a small venue, to be frustrating in the extreme whereas The Lemon Tree was much more fun.

Why? It was all down to the lighting.

Lighting is a major factor in live music photography; dim lighting can mean you come away with nothing apart from noisy, poor resolution images. Picking through your images from the evening afterwards can be soul destroying.

If you do find any that look half ok, you zoom in to check focus and their eyes are so dilated they look like they’ve been taking something very interesting indeed. Welcome to Café Drummond – the home of ‘high ISO hell’ (as a fellow photographer put it).

catfish3The light in Drummonds was so dim that even lenses designed to work in low light were having trouble finding a focus. Orange backlights and few front spots meant that the backs of the band were brighter than their fronts; tricky to deal with because it’s the faces you’re interested in.

Café Drummond doesn’t have a photo pit or the 3 song limit. You’re in amongst the crowd, trying to keep out of the way of dancers & beer. You also have the hazard of people wanting you to take their photos as they mug for the camera.

Between sets I was approached by a girl who was interested in what camera I was using.

We chatted briefly, culminating in getting out my phone and showing her some of my more recent flickr images. She got excited over the Johnny Marr photos from last week, made a mental note of my flickr name and then went back to her friends.

redfoot2Two more frustrating sets later, I head home.

On later perusal, I have a few images that look ok, but they’re not images I will treasure and I mentally cross this venue off my list of places to shoot again.

On a plus note I seem to have acquired a new flickr follower.

How were the bands?

Well, because I was shooting the complete sets, I suffered from what I call ‘concentration deafness’. I certainly wasn’t standing there wishing my earplugs were stronger though. I do remember thinking that some of them didn’t look old enough to be in a pub, but I think that’s more an issue of my age than theirs.

velvet audio 2The support acts – Redfoot the Fence and Velvet Audio – were well received and enjoyable to listen to. As for the headline act – Catfish & The Bottlemen  – they were pretty tight and well-rehearsed.

They did seem to be struggling with their sound at one point, as the lead singer kept asking for volume increase.

As it turned out, he was getting a hum through his floor monitor so he couldn’t actually hear what they were doing.

They were plenty loud enough for those of us in front of them and the crowd was rocking.

I would go to see them again and hope (on a purely selfish note) that if they return to Aberdeen, their next venue is better for shooting.

The following evening I was expecting a much better experience. I’ve shot at the Lemon Tree before and, though the lighting can be variable, it is usually an order of magnitude brighter than what I’d just experienced.

There is a good sized photo pit here, and they generally enforce the 3 song limit.

bisongrass3There were three of us in the pit for the first band – Bisongrass – and we were treated to an energetic performance from their lead singer, who spent a lot of time hanging from the light fixtures at the front of the stage and clambering around in the pit.

Some bands can be fun to shoot and some can be so static that it is difficult to get an interesting shot of them. Metal bands are rarely boring to shoot, which means I’m in for a great evening.

Between sets, I discover a few acquaintances dotted around and kill some time chatting. Back at the pit, there is a small altercation going on; some more photographers have arrived unexpectedly and one of the first photographers is unhappy that the pit will contain more people for the next sets.

This issue is resolved by staggering the group into two sessions, although the pit is certainly big enough for 5 people in one go.

Thrashist RegimeNext up is Thrashist Regime.

Before we go into the pit, I chat to another photographer who has shot them before.
He warns me that the lead singer has a habit of disappearing into the crowd with his radio mic, sometimes even into the street outside.

Sure enough, he’s over the pit wall and off into the crowd. The band is a fun shoot with lots of crowd interaction.

At one point the singer jumps into the pit next to me, startling both of us as I don’t think he’d noticed me there.

I get given a microphone to yell into (I declined to comment) at which he laughed and moved on to a more willing participant.

Once more out of the pit and watching the rest of the set from behind the rail, I’m left roaring with laughter as a gentle ballad to an explosive event a few years back in Auchenblae is announced and then thrash metalled out.

CETI 1Finally the headline act arrives onstage.

Grzegorz Kupczyk’s CETI are a well-known Polish
old-school heavy rock band that have recently signed
with Fat Hippy Records and are tonight launching their
new album, ‘Ghost Of The Universe Behind The Black Curtain’.

With a fairly large Polish community in Aberdeen, they attract many tonight who are familiar with their work.

Unusually, the most flamboyant band member on stage
is the Bass guitarist. Later on he performed a fascinating solo, something not normally seen these days.

It is obvious from watching, that they are familiar with performing to a larger crowd than they had tonight; audience interaction is constantly sought.

CETI 2Indeed some of their gigs in Poland include festivals attracting 20,000 people. They are known as the ‘Polish Iron Maiden’; not a bad description.

They were a joy to shoot and fun to watch. Despite the language barrier I found them entertaining; some of the largest laughs on my part were purely from body language and one occasion where Grzegorz asked, ‘How are you doing Aberdeen?’ to which a lone Aberdonian voice replied ‘Not so bad’.

More photos:

Redfoot the Fence: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladypakal/sets/72157636600131244/
Velvet Audio: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladypakal/sets/72157636469947603/
Catfish & The Bottlemen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladypakal/sets/72157636599729676/
Bisongrass: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladypakal/sets/72157636517473364/
Thrashist Regime: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladypakal/sets/72157636595480775/
CETI: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladypakal/sets/72157636481781833/

Stuff Yer Donald Trump

 Creative Writing, Opinion, Sport  1 Response »
Oct 212013
 

By Bob Smith.
empty-golf-course2

A wis spikkin tae a gowfer
T’wis jist the ither day
Fa wis tellin me a story
Aboot Americans here tae play
.
He wis playin ower at Murcar
An met some Yankee billies
Fa’s opeenion o The Donald
Wid gie Dod Sorial the willies
.
The chiels hid played Royal Dornoch
An ither courses aat war gweed
Afore tryin oot Murcar’s challenge
Far ye hiv tae use the heid
.
Fin ask’t aboot playin Trumpie’s
They fair did hoot an holler
Sayin they hid nae intenshuns
O gien The Donald a dollar
.
Their opeenion o the Trumpie
Wid mak Donald tak the hump
The haill lot they did cry
“Stuff yer Donald Trump”		 Noo a’ve heard the same opeenion
Fae Yanks playin “the hame o gowf”
Maist widna be spennin ony siller
At the Menie course an howff
.
It wid appear aat The Donald
Is nae weel thocht o at aa
Fowk in the lan o his birth
Nae langer heed his blaw
.
Noo in the rest o Bonnie Scotland
Seems the mannie’s thocht a joke
Only in the rich Nor-east corner
At Donald– fun ye canna poke
.
The mannie’s “tilt at windmills”
Fin he roars an teers his hair
If they warna near his gowf course
Div ye think the bugger wid care?
.
Awa wi yer “Love o Scatland” min
Some think yer jist a bam
We’ll aye drink a toast tae justice
O coorse wi a Glenfiddich dram

©Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie” 2013
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Bipeds, By-passes And Bye-bye Responsibility – A Response

 Aberdeen City, Environment, Opinion  No Responses »
Oct 212013
 

Voice reader Frank Paterson has been moved sufficiently by Fin Hall’s recent article on traffic management, Bipeds, by-passes and bye-bye responsibility, to add his own views. ‘It’s good for Aberdeen Voice to publish an article on such an important and contentious issue’, he says. Thank you, Frank.

Traffic Congestion. Picture Credit: Ian Britton. http://www.freefoto.com/preview/41-17-With the greatest of respect to the writer, the article is a good reflection of mainstream NE thinking on transport, in grousing about congestion but failing to suggest ways of dealing with it, apart from demanding more road building.
This, as previous Voice articles have explained, will only exacerbate the problem.

This really is vital issue as the growth in road traffic is presenting an enormous threat to the environment and economy of Aberdeen.

Far more importantly however, it is disastrous to people’s health. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that air pollution is officially a cause of lung and bowel cancer.

The writer urges Aberdeen drivers to be more considerate without taking into account Aberdeen’s transport system’s role in causing poor behaviour. The system is not only a complete embarrassment, but is also completely dysfunctional.

It appears to me that the article was unkind to George Kilbride, who was only attempting to action what transport managers throughout the world know to be the only viable solution to congestion and pollution, that is, modal shift in transport use. With sufficient political will this is achievable, as can be demonstrated by examples from many world cities.

unwillingness to change lifestyles is the root cause of the discontent expressed

However, experience shows that attempting to accommodate the current problems of motor transport by demand management, which has been the case up till now, results merely in the relocation of congestion.

This continues to be the case with the proposed AWPR and Third Don Crossing.

The footprint of cars and goods vehicles is too large, and fuel combustion too great, for individualised motorised travel. An aspiration of many is to drive the largest of vehicles but fundamentally there is not enough room within Aberdeen, and air quality is too poor, to accommodate current traffic comfortably, let alone more and larger vehicles.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Local Transport Strategy 2012 states (Para 8/28):

“The guiding principle of the LTS aims to encourage individuals to change their travel behaviour. If we are to succeed in achieving this, our citizens must feel comfortable and safe whether walking, cycling or using public transport or when choosing to drive”

Transport professionals are clear on what must be done, but politicians are afraid to act, so an unwillingness to change lifestyles is the root cause of the discontent expressed in the previous article. Anger and bewilderment will increase along with congestion until the inevitable restrictions on car use are enforced by necessity of space and clean air.

However, the perennial congestion at Aberdeen’s traffic pinch points demonstrates how much inconvenience car users are willing to endure before shifting to more sensible modes of travel.

Like the public smoking ban, the occupation of public highways by tons of steel and the discharge of combustion waste into the air people breathe, will need to be curtailed eventually. This will be necessary for everyone’s benefit, despite the inevitable outcry.

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