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Culture Of Fear At UFO Bonnybridge?

Do the Bonnybridge UFO's need a dedicated website?

  • yes?

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • no?

    Votes: 6 75.0%
  • other?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8
A

Anonymous

Guest
I was doing a google search , and what i found curious was a lack of sites dedicated to the phenomenon happening at Bonnybridge up in Scotland. You would think that the level of sightings in Bonnybridge would be enough for someone to catalogue the history and promote the UFO issue at Bonnybridge . But alas..nothing.

I find this strange. I actually took a trip to Bonnybridge to do a nosy and what i found curious was the level of fear from the locals. In the pubs and cafes in the area ,there was a unusual level of fear that i found disturbing. Why would the locals behave in this way? The amount of people who would bring money into the area through the sightings would be beneficial. But they dont seem to want it. Its all very strange. And i thought that the abductee Gary Woods would have a sight on the internet, but Google doesnt register anything of that nature. Has the military/spooks played a part in this? Have the locals been exposed to more then they would actually want to know? And for the amount of reported sightings , why has their been no attempt to catalogue it properly?
 
Skeptical01 said:
If I were them, I would be much more afraid of every UFO buff that comes up for a "nosy".

S :?

Fear ? I'd have thought disdain and disbelief would be enough of a shield for you ;)

Are there any mil bases near by, if so there could be quite a bit of economic arm twisting being done, if it was deemed necessary.
 
I suspect it's not fear its just people getting pissed off with the antics of some of their visitors and one of their councillors.

Scotsman
Falkirk Councillor Billy Buchanan brought the story into the national arena, by holding a public meeting to discuss the number of people who were visiting his surgery (political that is, not medical) to complain about things in the night-sky. The public meeting held in 1993 considered the following possibilities:

Bonnybridge was a "thin place" where this world is very close to another dimension or world. (a theory put forward by a UFO lecturer Malcolm Robinson)
"Zal-us" and the "Council of Nine" had an important message to give the world, and their chosen route was through Falkirk Town Council.
The Ministry of Defence was testing a top-secret weapon.
Alcohol might be playing an important role in the sightings.
There really was something outlandish going on.
There really was money to be made by pretending there was something outlandish going on
 
crunchy5 said:
Skeptical01 said:
If I were them, I would be much more afraid of every UFO buff that comes up for a "nosy".

S :?

Fear ? I'd have thought disdain and disbelief would be enough of a shield for you ;)

Actually, I was being quite serious. You must agree that there are any number of dysfunctional personalities attracted to the UFO phenomenon - some of which the townsfolk might find unsettling.

As for disdain and disbelief, I reserve that for the self-styled "investigators" whose misguided efforts probably do more to convince witnesses to clam-up than any government agent.

S
 
Falkirk has built a nice hangar for UFOs to land in, assunimg they float on water;
The Falkirk Boat Wheel
I am not surprised that the alien Council of Nine have decided to contact the city fathers. They probably want one to take home.
 
Regardless of where you stand on the UFO issue , i feel an important part of British history is being disregarded here by the lack of info or a dedicated group / person, making an honest neutral attempt to record and catalogue the historical and recent sightings in Bonnybridge.

Something is definitely happening in Bonnybridge , and its not being scrutinised because of a lack of collection of information. Why? Are people afraid to record the sightings? Are the reports going missing?

All these issues raise more questions than answers.
 
once went to bonnybridge

the only odd thing there is the unusually large electrical sub-station at one end of the village
 
Its not just the case of building a website about Bonnybridge.

The Bonnybridge phenomeon has gone on for more than a decade and no one in the UK has bothered to make an effort to catalogue the history properly. There is something not right about that. If i lived in Bonnybridge and i was being ignored because of all the damn weirdness going on around me, i would want to show the world what was happening. Why this lack of motivation? Why this lack of decent investigation? Why has no one persisted in keeping a record of sightings in Bonnybridge?

What concerns me is that there ate probably sightings happening in Bonnybridge now and there is no one recording it for historical purposes.

British history is being lost here.
 
Hasn't the Bonnybridge fuss, as with all UFO flaps, blown over by now?
 
This is the thing. We dont know since there is no one locally in Bonnybridge collecting and collating the sightings and reports. There are no feet on the ground so to speak.
 
I wish i could share your humour here. I find it tragic that something this important has been swept away through a lack of info and reporting. What happens if a Bonnybridge local has a genuine experience and they dont have anywhere to turn to? To me Bonnybridge is turning into a tragedy.
 
Skeptical01 said:
...

As for disdain and disbelief, I reserve that for the self-styled "investigators" whose misguided efforts probably do more to convince witnesses to clam-up than any government agent.

S
Only Randi approved Skepti-Clowns™ allowed? :madeyes:
 
Pietro_Mercurios said:
Only Randi approved Skepti-Clowns™ allowed? :madeyes:

When are you guys going to get it? The thing that is required is people who have some real skill in investigation and who do not bring a preconceived solution with them. This applies to CSI's Schutzstaffel but it also applies to the true believers who come in ready and willing to twist any story to some paranormal conclusion.

Who among us knows the first thing about interviewing witnesses? How would you tell if someone is lying or telling the truth? How many of us know how collect evidence? How many of us know anything about conducting even basic scientific analysis and would be able to write-up their findings in any kind of cogent form?

What I am saying is that sending unqualified people to investigate the alleged Bonnybridge events is probably worse than doing nothing. In any event, it certainly doesn't require yet another half-baked UFO website.

S
 
Skeptical01 said:
Pietro_Mercurios said:
Only Randi approved Skepti-Clowns™ allowed? :madeyes:

When are you guys going to get it? ...

... In any event, it certainly doesn't require yet another half-baked UFO website.

S
Don't know us too good, do yer, Randi-fanboy? Come to lay a little skepti-truth and enlightenment on the poor deluded boobs? :rofl:
 
Who would be qualified to investigate UFO sightings? The irony is that most of the UFO phenomenon is reported and investigated by people who have had to educate themselves from scratch because the so called experts are to afraid of what would happen to their professional reputations if they got involved in the UFO phenomenon.

I cant believe that some people have voted against the idea of having a dedicated Bonnybridge archive. British history is vanishing because of the lack of information.
 
wowsah156 said:
...
I cant believe that some people have voted against the idea of having a dedicated Bonnybridge archive. British history is vanishing because of the lack of information.
I've got to admit, I can think of a lot of reasons why the good people of a sleepy little Scots town like Bonnybridge might react with fear and loathing at the though of making a big thing of a spate of UFO incidents. Fear of the threat of alien abduction, or of the threat of a visit from the MIB, or even from military intelligence, would actually be well down the list. ;)
 
Pietro , you post doesnt make sense. If i lived in Bonnybridge and i was living through this UFO phenomenon and was being ignored by the authorities i would be doing everythng to prove that i wasnt going mad. I would be recording all the sightings. And comparing/collating it with other people who had the same experience.

The scenario at Bonnybridge doesnt make any sense either way. Even if someone is sceptical they would want the info to disprove it. The info for the sightings and experiences are not there. Its very fustrating. So whats a Fortean to do?
 
Pietro_Mercurios said:
Don't know us too good, do yer, Randi-fanboy? Come to lay a little skepti-truth and enlightenment on the poor deluded boobs? :rofl:

I am not exactly sure where you get the impression that I have anything to do with Mr Randi. And if you consider yourself a poor deluded boob, well that is certainly your prerogative. While I can appreciate your self-deprecation, I do wish you would more effectively argue your point. How is it that you are so well qualified to objectively investigate this or any case?

Please note, that I have not offered any explanations, prosaic or otherwise, for the alleged events in Bonnybridge. I have just argued that they need to be investigated by qualified people and that a website prematurely proposing paranormal solutions is not in the best interest of the truth, whatever it may be.

S
 
wowsah156 said:
The info for the sightings and experiences are not there. Its very fustrating. So whats a Fortean to do?
This is what is what puzzles me; if the information is not there, what makes you think it really exists?
 
Skeptical01 said:
... I have just argued that they need to be investigated by qualified people and that a website prematurely proposing paranormal solutions is not in the best interest of the truth, whatever it may be.

S
Well, you make several assumptions. Foremost amongst them being that no one here is 'qualified' to ask questions, or to make such investigations. Second that there is such a thing as a qualified UFO enquiry expert, or do you mean, 'Scientists', perhaps?

Why aren't non 'Experts' allowed to use their iniative and ask questions? What is this cult of the 'Expert', anyway?

Just because some of our number might put forward 'paranormal' explanations for certain phenomena, that doesn't necnessarily mean that we are all going to believe such an explanation. We do like to keep all all options open, though and to idulge in healthy debate.

However, some of us do find those who discard any possibility of alternative theories for certain phenomena, whether paranormal, or other, on the grounds that such explanations are de facto impossible, to be quite amusing.

:)
 
Pietro_Mercurios said:
However, some of us do find those who discard any possibility of alternative theories for certain phenomena, whether paranormal, or other, on the grounds that such explanations are de facto impossible, to be quite amusing.

:)

I don't think anyone is suggesting that we disregard any possible explanations. My point is that there is danger when the investigator brings a prepackaged explanation with him. This is equally dangerous for both the believer and the would-be debunker. Both sides run the risk of missing the truth simply because it does not fit with their preconceived notions.

As you suggest, scientists may not be any better equipped to do field work in UFO research than some members of the general public. If I had to pick a person to do the job, I think I would select someone who does investigative work for a law enforcement agency. They are well-grounded in the sciences and know the procedures for collecting evidence without contaminating it. More important, they know a thing or two about human psychology. In the vast majority of UFO cases, the only thing we really have is human testimony. For that reason, having an investigator who can extract information from a witness without coloring it in any way is vital. Finally, in most cases, criminal investigators are responsible only to the truth - not to any particular belief or frame of reference. At the end of the day, objectivity is the only thing that will yield answers that are acceptable to all.

The bottom line is investigation, real investigation, is painstaking, frustrating, time-consuming work. A lot of people say they are interested in it but they are merely interested in playing at investigating. They don't have the time, skill, or desire to do what is really needed to get the job done right. Now, if I'm wrong about this and all of you are eminently qualified for this work, then I offer my sincere apologies and I look forward to reading your peer-reviewed findings in the near future. If not, I merely suggest caution. If something is really happening in Bonnybridge, wouldn't it be tragic if evidence and testimony was lost because we rushed in unprepared?

S
 
Eburacum the thing is that there are some reports , but other sightings dont get any coverage. The locals are too confused to come forward. There must be at least one person in Bonnybridge who is doing this?!

I am going to do a google to see if i have missed an archive somewhere.
 
I live quite near Bonnybridge, and to be quite honest , the whole thing was a complete and utter hoax and perhaps that was why people are reluctant to discuss the matter.

It was all dreamt up by local Councillor Billy Buchanan as a means to attract visitors and tourism to the area , but has kind of back fired. If you look at any of the 'reports', it doesn't take long until Billy Buchanan's name turns up somewhere.

He was planning a UFO 'theme park' to help draw in revenue and cash in on the 'sightings' , but locals feared that this would just ridicule the area. And as for that meeting he held in Falkirk Town Hall where he said an alien would turn up........ - You've got to ask yourself , just what planet is Billy Buchanan on ?
 
I think Bonnybridge would be an ideal place for this years un-official Fort-Fest! That'll learn 'em! Oh yes!
 
Pietro_Mercurios said:
Why aren't non 'Experts' allowed to use their iniative and ask questions? What is this cult of the 'Expert', anyway?

The important thing is to have people who won't bias the results and know what they're doing. You wouldn't have a team of fundamentalist Christians investigating a case of alleged Satanic Ritual Abuse, and you wouldn't sned a group of amateurs looking for evidence fo nuclear weapons in Iran (say).
 
gerardwilkie you state that the Bonnybridge scenario is a hoax. Which part of the Bonnybridge UFO history is a hoax? There were sightings of UFO's in the Falkirk triangle long before 1992. There have been recorded sightings going back to the mid 1970's long before Buchanan was a councillor. So what exactly is the hoax ?
 
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