Are You Observant Or Do You Miss The Signs ?

[Errol]

Expect gold to be accepted at most major banks (high street) soon as well. This was mooted several years back, I believe.

[Guest Bart of Darkness]

£15 for a pizza is absurd. It probably costs them about 50p to make. Thats $30! Do you think people in America pay $30 for a pizza?

Soon, with hyperinflation, they will be paying $10,000 for a pizza.

[mrg]

in answer to the post above re secondhand car prices...I saw a report about how secondhand car values have gone, and are going, very much down. I have always thought it was a deeply weird thing to buy a brand new car - when it drops a k or so as soon as you drive it off the forecourt.

Can't say I've noticed increase in misery levels generally though

[meow]

Actually here's a slightly daft sign that could have nothing to do with anything but interested to know if anyone agrees...

Dints in cars! Ever since the credit boom the amount of cars driving round with massive dints or knocks seems to have gone right up, it could just be a general decline in the standard of driving over the years or the fact there are so many more cars about now it's hard not to hit each other, but I wondered if it was more to do with "I'm paying £300 a month on something I don't own and I'll get another next year, so I don't really care if I reverse into someone else", will lack of money lead to more careful drivers? Doubly so if you have to slow down because fuel is so damned expensive.

Edited April 5, 2008 by meow

[BecksMyCat]

For sale signs everywhere!

Ditto, I am in a new build estate in North West London. Part of the estate are flats and these are now covered in for sale signs. The estate is only about 3-4 years old, so I am guessing the people in flats are worried about negative equity coming soon.

[uro_who]

I have noticed several odd things.

Diesel on the M6 has gone up to 117.9 p. At the same time, the motor way warning signs in that area have stopped giving traffic information and now have a permenant message saying 'Check your fuel level now'.

A large pizza from Dominoes now costs £14.99 (not that I eat large ones). Fifteen quid for a pizza? When did that happen.

Get someone to buy you a bread maker.

Flour, sugar, veg oil, sugar, salt, sachet of yeast, then tomato, bit o cheese, topping of choice. You'll have made one before you can hear the moped and it will have cost you £3. It'll make so much you can put half in the freezer for when you have the munchies next time - with the option for instant gratification.

Quite how they manage to make £3 of ingredients £15 of cost is beyond me.

[dog]

TRIO OF TOWN CENTRE PUBS CLOSE WITHIN THREE MONTHS

[uro_who]

Yes. I pick a friend from Thailand up in Birmingham the other week. Drove to Bridgenorth. He hadn't been back for sven years. Was appauled at the misery of the place and authoritarian atmosphere. Was particularly angered by the 'Check your fuel level' signs flashing on motorways.

Why is the obvious constantly and repeatedly stated by government and it's quangos?

Is it me or have we stumbled into 1986?

Huge screens everywhere with BBC reporting the news from the ministry

At war with a mystery nation

Thought crime

CCTV and spyware everywhere

And finally all created by a party called IngSoc, sorry NuLab.

Grim authoritarian @rseholes.

[shippers]

2 days a week I get a small shuttle bus to a clients, which also visits the deeside industrial park.

Used to be full of Polish people, seems to be less of them now. I think they're deffo heading back home.

Flats I'm in where quite empty before I moved in to them (I walked past the block to our office during my previous commute and remember them going up). Now they're filling up with couples, even some with kids.

Flat prices in general in areas I was looking at 6 months ago seem to be coming down, and I've noticed a few previously For Sale, now turning into "To Let"

Seem to be more For Sale boards appearing.

Workwise people have stopped speculatively looking at websites to see where they might invest next. There's less chatter about how their property is doing.

[Freeholder]

Is it me or have we stumbled into 1986?

Huge screens everywhere with BBC reporting the news from the ministry

At war with a mystery nation

Thought crime

CCTV and spyware everywhere

And finally all created by a party called IngSoc, sorry NuLab.

Grim authoritarian @rseholes.

This government would drive us straight through 1984 and Brave New World if given another term. Their destination is something by Philip K Dick.

[piece of paper]

Faceless man in long, hooded cloak carrying scythe down Threadneedle Street.

p-o-p

[bobby9983]

Jesus effing christ!

First off. If you don't like this country then don't live here.

Also, I think that if you go out looking for trouble generally you will find it.

Yes, Britain is a rip off.

Yes, there is a recession coming.

There have been recessions before.

If people can't borrow they will save instead.

Interest rates have been fifteen percent before and people still got by.

The only thing that makes you think this one is different.

Some kind of an epoch ending, Vonnengut grand AH-WHOOM.

Is because this time you have this forum to discuss it.

The great news is that some of the pissants on here who spend all day moaning rather than doing.

Will find themselves out of a job soon too.

Edited April 5, 2008 by bobby9983

[meow]

Faceless man in long, hooded cloak carrying scythe down Threadneedle Street.

p-o-p

Did you point him towards downing street?

[Bloo Loo]

Goldfinger is missing.

Used to be here.

now hes not.

[Converted Lurker]

3 year old cars; nicking them of distressed sellers for somewhere between 2.2K and 4K. Very agreeable to a tad of hustle on the day, made out chq 100 quid light, not quite as described... ahem...car gazundering Choice is overwhelming. Selling Ok too....it's when you (my dealers) can't sell them, a situation I remember well in the late 80`s 90`s, that I'll call a nationwide recession.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Converted Lurker

[piece of paper]

Did you point him towards downing street?

No, I feel intimidated by hoodies.

p-o-p

[Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable]

Local news headline - "Man shuns Lamborghini in favour of donkey."

[Injin]

Local news headline - "Man shuns Lamborghini in favour of donkey."

"..for companionship"

[frozen_out]

A streetsign outside a jewellers advertising scrap prices paid for gold items, cash paid instantly.

Never seen that before in my life, although I believe it happened last time gold was relatively expensive.

I noticed the 'check your fuel' sign yesterday for the first time and just thought 'What an odd thing to put on a motorway sign'.

[babesagainstmachines]

Also, I think that if you go out looking for trouble generally you will find it.

Well, duh!!

Interest rates have been fifteen percent before and people still got by.

And we had a Recession...

The only thing that makes you think this one is different.

Some kind of an epoch ending, Vonnengut grand AH-WHOOM.

Is because this time you have this forum to discuss it.

This is a good point. We have the Internet now. People can make us aware of things that are going on, the machinations of the powerful against the populace. The propoganda wall is failing.

The great news is that some of the pissants on here who spend all day moaning rather than doing.

Will find themselves out of a job soon too.

I'd worry about more than your job.

[insidetrack]

No new keels being laid on the Clyde this year. Only hairy Marys.

[we the sheeple]

chavvy looking people

cant make up my mind between phone4u ad characters and shaun of the dead extras

[MattW]

also, people have stopped laughing & smiling. Have a look around your local supermarket, shops, high street......see if you can notice the difference, we can.

Nothing new there - everyone has always looked quite miserable in Tescos. Customers and the staff. Shopping in Tescos is a necessary evil for me.

[Sofa Spud]

There was a 3 year-old Peugeot 407 HDI for sale in the nearby garage for £5995. Might have been high-mileage, but even so!

One sign to look for is more men of working age being at home fiddling with car or gardening during weekdays in non-chav areas. Lots of men and women who are freelancers, if they are doing less work, won't appear in the statistics. I count myself in this category.

I'm not being sexist as the situation applies to men and women alike, it's just easier to spot a trend of more men at home because of the number of women who'd be at home during the day in normal times.

More lorries parked in haulage yards during the day is another sign of a slowing economy, although this has to be a general trend not an isolated observation.

Edited April 5, 2008 by Sofa Spud

[Converted Lurker]

There was a 3 year-old Peugeot 407 HDI for sale in the nearby garage for £5995. Might have been high-mileage, but even so!

can buy 'em for 4K