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Minor Strangeness (IHTM)

On my cycle home today I pulled up at a set of traffic lights alongside a middle aged man on a wheelchair who was propelling himself via use of full size skiing poles exactly like a skier, sticking the spikes into the road & shoving backwards. He was turning right at a major road junction & decided to take off early from the lights in an effort to avoid getting stuck in the middle of the road whilst waiting for a gap in the traffic, in front of an oncoming bus which was forced to give way to him.

Because he wasn't or couldn't apply equal pressure to both poles he wasn't exactly going in a straight line. And what he'd do going downhill I didn't hang around to find out. Wish I had now. Old bill would've probably had a word with him.
Bizarre indeed. Wouldn't have thought he was going to last long in today's maniacal road system. Would have made a classic You Tube tho' !
 
Bizarre indeed. Wouldn't have thought he was going to last long in today's maniacal road system. Would have made a classic You Tube tho' !

Yes - It looked like an incident waiting to happen. He was in one of those fairly flimsy looking lightweight wheelchairs. I reckon even a pothole could spell disaster for it, leaving aside traffic.
 
On my cycle home today I pulled up at a set of traffic lights alongside a middle aged man on a wheelchair who was propelling himself via use of full size skiing poles exactly like a skier, sticking the spikes into the road & shoving backwards. He was turning right at a major road junction & decided to take off early from the lights in an effort to avoid getting stuck in the middle of the road whilst waiting for a gap in the traffic, in front of an oncoming bus which was forced to give way to him.

Because he wasn't or couldn't apply equal pressure to both poles he wasn't exactly going in a straight line. And what he'd do going downhill I didn't hang around to find out. Wish I had now. Old bill would've probably had a word with him.

This reminds me that last night on way home we stopped beside a house where a sheet had been draped in an upstair window, presumably because there were improvements going on. I did a double-take because it looked exactly like a stereotyped cartoon ghost! Wish I'd had time to take a photo.
 
Snap up that that Burberry rucksack. It's 40% cheaper in the sale! (humans of late capitalism are weird … you could buy a good laptop for that price)
sale01.jpgsale02.jpg
 
Yes - It looked like an incident waiting to happen. He was in one of those fairly flimsy looking lightweight wheelchairs. I reckon even a pothole could spell disaster for it, leaving aside traffic.


He may have been training, (something a bit odd with that get up). Not checked the Highway code for ages but I'm assuming as long as he is not impeding traffic or going above a certain speed he is ok to be on the road, (foolish though it is). Unpowered wheelchairs are treated as pedestrians.
 
He may have been training, (something a bit odd with that get up). Not checked the Highway code for ages but I'm assuming as long as he is not impeding traffic or going above a certain speed he is ok to be on the road, (foolish though it is). Unpowered wheelchairs are treated as pedestrians.

In training for what? Wheelchair skiing isn't a sport is it? I'm doubtful - he looked to be 50s to 60s. Another guy at work has also seen him. If I see him again I'll try to get a vid.
 
In training for what? Wheelchair skiing isn't a sport is it? I'm doubtful - he looked to be 50s to 60s. Another guy at work has also seen him. If I see him again I'll try to get a vid.

Probably not a good idea to upload a video of someone without their permission. Though I don't know how you'd go about getting that permission.
 
Skiing for paraplegics is a recognized sport in the Paralympics context, and it's been part of the Paralympics for over 40 years. It's done with special 'sit-skis' rather than using one's wheelchair.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Para-alpine_skiing

Skiing on snow for paraplegics may indeed be a thing but you're unlikely to keep your chops up for it in your 50s/60s in a wheelchair in the Grays Inn Rd in central London..
 
At last. something strange happened.

Today I was in a local cafe. It was quiet and one of the staff was taking the opportunity to clean some stools.

I was sat on a bar stool, close to a window. she was cleaning the stools around a table just behind me. So I had to partially turn to face her as we spoke. I was facing the tables where the event happened. Her procedure was to place a stool on a table, clean it then, when all the stools were done, clean the table.
The tables were in pairs. and on each table there is a salt and a pepper pot. located together in the centre of the table.

So. she had a stool on one of the tables. Cleaning it while I was talking to her.

There was a sound of something falling.

She stopped, and said 'what was that ?'

We then found that the salt pot from the table adjacent to the one she was working on was missing, and was on one of the chairs close to the table.

Now, I know the pots were in the centre of the table. and she was no where near them.

Also if it had just been knocked over then there would have been an initial 'clatter' and the sound of it moving across the table. The pots are hexagonal, they won't roll.

There was just one single sound of the pot as it landed on the chair.

I watched as she carried on with the cleaning (when the pot had been put back in it proper place) and despite the table she was working on moving about a little bit and tapping against table with the pots on, they did not move at all.

Very strange.
 
Had a bit of an odd feeling a couple of mornings ago, i was out walking the dog behind where i live at approx 7.40am (before work) it was still very dark at the time. There we were on one of the many paths that weave in and out of the wooded areas in between 3 separate ponds. there was nobody else around.
Anyway, we were on this path when for no apparent reason i went absolutely freezing cold from head to foot - i particularly remember my back shivering from the feeling, (i was wearing a thick coat with a jumper and t-shirt, thick trousers and boots,with a bobble hat and gloves) it was cold but above freezing point. NOW the strange part is that the dog - who was on his extendable lead, at the same exact time stopped dead in his tracks, until i caught up with him, and then stayed right by my side looking rather on edge/nervous about something unseen.
The above situation went on for about 200 yards or so - him staying with me acting nervous, me feeling very cold until we reached another pond and everything felt normal again. I have been all over these areas many many times (lived here 15 yrs) and never experienced anything like this before.
Although there have been a few people ending their lives around the area over the past few years, nothing has happened (to my knowledge) for about 2 yrs now - and the last one was about 500 yds from this spot.
I also know that there are resident deer around, but the area we were in has rather rough terrain between the trees and i have never seen a deer in there. ( i can understand the dog being spooked by a deer but my own feelings of coldness?? and i didnt hear anything anyway)
 
Had a bit of an odd feeling a couple of mornings ago, i was out walking the dog behind where i live at approx 7.40am (before work) it was still very dark at the time. There we were on one of the many paths that weave in and out of the wooded areas in between 3 separate ponds. there was nobody else around.
Anyway, we were on this path when for no apparent reason i went absolutely freezing cold from head to foot - i particularly remember my back shivering from the feeling, (i was wearing a thick coat with a jumper and t-shirt, thick trousers and boots,with a bobble hat and gloves) it was cold but above freezing point. NOW the strange part is that the dog - who was on his extendable lead, at the same exact time stopped dead in his tracks, until i caught up with him, and then stayed right by my side looking rather on edge/nervous about something unseen.
The above situation went on for about 200 yards or so - him staying with me acting nervous, me feeling very cold until we reached another pond and everything felt normal again. I have been all over these areas many many times (lived here 15 yrs) and never experienced anything like this before.
Although there have been a few people ending their lives around the area over the past few years, nothing has happened (to my knowledge) for about 2 yrs now - and the last one was about 500 yds from this spot.
I also know that there are resident deer around, but the area we were in has rather rough terrain between the trees and i have never seen a deer in there. ( i can understand the dog being spooked by a deer but my own feelings of coldness?? and i didnt hear anything anyway)

Nice account. I know walking or cycling near water can drop the temperature really quickly and alarmingly. I remember cycling home one night next to an at the time an unknown stream and the sudden drop in temperature was like something out of a classic "cold spot" haunting. It was actually quite freaky.
 
Had a bit of an odd feeling a couple of mornings ago, i was out walking the dog behind where i live at approx 7.40am (before work) it was still very dark at the time. There we were on one of the many paths that weave in and out of the wooded areas in between 3 separate ponds. there was nobody else around.
Anyway, we were on this path when for no apparent reason i went absolutely freezing cold from head to foot - i particularly remember my back shivering from the feeling, (i was wearing a thick coat with a jumper and t-shirt, thick trousers and boots,with a bobble hat and gloves) it was cold but above freezing point. NOW the strange part is that the dog - who was on his extendable lead, at the same exact time stopped dead in his tracks, until i caught up with him, and then stayed right by my side looking rather on edge/nervous about something unseen.
The above situation went on for about 200 yards or so - him staying with me acting nervous, me feeling very cold until we reached another pond and everything felt normal again. I have been all over these areas many many times (lived here 15 yrs) and never experienced anything like this before.
Although there have been a few people ending their lives around the area over the past few years, nothing has happened (to my knowledge) for about 2 yrs now - and the last one was about 500 yds from this spot.
I also know that there are resident deer around, but the area we were in has rather rough terrain between the trees and i have never seen a deer in there. ( i can understand the dog being spooked by a deer but my own feelings of coldness?? and i didnt hear anything anyway)
Wasn't in the woodland round Whelley was it? Years ago, I had a friend who lived on Wigan Road who started to walk his dog there. The dog was as fierce as they come but would shiver and wimper when they went there to the point he had to walk him elsewhere. Quite what the problem was my mate never found out.
 
At last. something strange happened.

Today I was in a local cafe. It was quiet and one of the staff was taking the opportunity to clean some stools.

I was sat on a bar stool, close to a window. she was cleaning the stools around a table just behind me. So I had to partially turn to face her as we spoke. I was facing the tables where the event happened. Her procedure was to place a stool on a table, clean it then, when all the stools were done, clean the table.
The tables were in pairs. and on each table there is a salt and a pepper pot. located together in the centre of the table.

So. she had a stool on one of the tables. Cleaning it while I was talking to her.

There was a sound of something falling.

She stopped, and said 'what was that ?'

We then found that the salt pot from the table adjacent to the one she was working on was missing, and was on one of the chairs close to the table.

Now, I know the pots were in the centre of the table. and she was no where near them.

Also if it had just been knocked over then there would have been an initial 'clatter' and the sound of it moving across the table. The pots are hexagonal, they won't roll.

There was just one single sound of the pot as it landed on the chair.

I watched as she carried on with the cleaning (when the pot had been put back in it proper place) and despite the table she was working on moving about a little bit and tapping against table with the pots on, they did not move at all.

Very strange.

If it was a table that had just been cleaned then it is possible that there was a thin film of liquid left on the surface and when the salt and pepper pot were replaced on the table that that thin film acted as a sort-of lubricant (possibly including a small trapped air bubble under the pot). It would only need for the table to be slightly off level for the pot to slowly slide across the surface and then drop off the edge, onto the chair.
 
Nice account. I know walking or cycling near water can drop the temperature really quickly and alarmingly. I remember cycling home one night next to an at the time an unknown stream and the sudden drop in temperature was like something out of a classic "cold spot" haunting. It was actually quite freaky.

It's a bit like the mist that rises up off water. If you don't know you are walking/cycling over a stream it can seem very spooky - a sudden patch of coldness and fog that you just walk right out of and doesn't move.
 
It's a bit like the mist that rises up off water. If you don't know you are walking/cycling over a stream it can seem very spooky - a sudden patch of coldness and fog that you just walk right out of and doesn't move.

Yup, there's a famous haunted lane near'ere where a ghostly figure is said to drift across the road. I investigated and it's just where it crosses a stream. Dammit.
Used to know someone who met it while reeling home from the t'pub one night. He offered it a chip.
 
My minor strangeness for today is about my wok. My big expensive wok with the special finish.

The cats knocked it off the counter when we were out last week, probably when charging around fighting, possibly with one of their 100 pals who break in most days to help help them wreck the joint.

The wok is now severely dented on one side, which means it fits neatly on the cooker next to another pan. Genius!
 
My minor strangeness for today is about my wok. My big expensive wok with the special finish.

The cats knocked it off the counter when we were out last week, probably when charging around fighting, possibly with one of their 100 pals who break in most days to help help them wreck the joint.

The wok is now severely dented on one side, which means it fits neatly on the cooker next to another pan. Genius!

Not a catastrophe after all.
 
Not a catastrophe after all.

lol escargot you are certainly a glass half full person.

Heh, yup, there's my whole life right there! It meant I could process all my vegetables at once on my two favourite cooker burners.

Techy was a bit fed up about the dent but I didn't care even before I noticed how well the pans now fit.
It's only a thing and it's nice for the cats to have the run of the place.
 
It's a bit like the mist that rises up off water. If you don't know you are walking/cycling over a stream it can seem very spooky - a sudden patch of coldness and fog that you just walk right out of and doesn't move.
I used to fish into the night on the Kennet and Avon canal and the mist would rise off the fields and roll down the canal until the bridge and the hedge on the far bank were grey ghosts. So although I knew there was nothing to be concerned about, I'd pack up and saunter in a relaxed way back along the tow-path in the grey and failing light. After all, the rustlings and shadows are only furry folk in the hedge and the level-crossing lights in the mist.

Probably.
 
Wasn't in the woodland round Whelley was it? Years ago, I had a friend who lived on Wigan Road who started to walk his dog there. The dog was as fierce as they come but would shiver and wimper when they went there to the point he had to walk him elsewhere. Quite what the problem was my mate never found out.

Actually, you are not a million miles off! it was on what is locally known as the Rabbit Rocks at Higher Ince. (it is right behind my house) Whelley is about 3/4 of a mile away - tother side of the canal
 
TrevP666,

We considered that. But the table the pots were on had yet to be cleaned.

I have seen that effect on my kitchen top, which slopes very slightly. If it is wet and I place an inverted glass on it, the warmth of the glass lifts it enough for it to move down hill.

When we were talking about it, one of the staff said that it was her husband watching over her. He had died last September, relatively young.

So it brought her a bit of comfort.

INT21.
 
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