No, I’m not being insulting. This is apparently a new and dangerous game, a bit like “planking” but faster. According to this report in Nice Matin today, four crew members, described as Australians and New Zealanders, from a boat in Antibes decided after a night on the town to try this game demonstrated on TV by a couple of Americans. It involves riding a dustbin down a flight of steps. In this case a short, but steep, flight of stone steps with a nice solid stone wall on one side. I know these steps well. Unfortunately the emergency services had to be called when one lad ended up unconscious at the foot of the steps. He is very seriously ill. Let’s hope this puts other boys off this game.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Je préfère la théière de Donald. 😎
Unless it’s chocolate, of course! Certainly seems less hazardous than planking or jackassing, which of course is done on TV with lots of back-up crew, paramedics, etc around. But I understand OZ’s objection to la théière – more a feminine hobby.
🙂
I’ll just chuck a plank on the fire, put the billy on top with the spout pointing north and wait for some jackass to brew me a cuppa 🙂
Mr Bear: es ist aber etwas langweilig.
Why should the spout point north, Donald?
As long as they kill themselves before they breed!
I think it’s a bit sad really, Sheona; they seem to be bored at a very early age and entirely lacking in any sort of purpose, not to mention common sense!
There surely are some very daft people about!
By the way, Sheona. I did answer your comment about Mary Stewart – at some length!
What now for Scotland
Having spent some long time on the answer, I hope you’ll take the time to read it! 🙂
Boadicea, I have put my answer on the thread, thank you. But I did forget to remind you that we Scots are never wrong – misguided, deluded, mislead, misinformed, touchingly naïve (husband says)- but never wrong.
Araminta, the lads involved in this stupidity in Antibes were not that young – the most seriously injured is 28. They were all employed on one of the boats in the marina, but they were certainly lacking common sense. I know that when they are working as crew, they have to work hard, are frequently not allowed on deck when off-duty and have to obey the owner’s rules. So if the owner is a non-smoker, there will be no smoking allowed anywhere on the boat. So I think when they are in port, the crew does run a bit wild.
Nonsense Sheona! It’s the English who are always ‘right’! 🙂
Boadicea, husband says the English are rarely wrong, except when they’re sober! I think you have been reading the Delderfield books, “God is an Englishman” for instance. This may be, but his mother was a Scot.
Cripes, I can see that when I get round to my post on Cromwell, we could have an interesting discussion, Sheona.
I was going to entitle it “God’s Englishman”, but I may rethink that one! 🙂
How about “Warts and all”, Araminta?
Bit harsh, Sheona. 😉
Sorry I too so long to reply, Sheona, I missed your question….
I have no idea why it has to point north, just one of them “Bush Tucker” thingies Australians are famous for. I do know that in the old days the Billy on the fire was also used as a clock so maybe the spout casting a shadow … etc, etc … 🙂
Sheona and Boadicea: both of you, I’m sorry to say, are wrong. It is the Germans who are always right, just ask us. No one else, just us. We’ll give you the truth about how right we always are.
I thought women were always right, even in the face of irrefutable proof? Women of all nations, I assume, so I guess Sheona and Boadicea must be correct, not you Christopher I’m sorry to say. 😉
Cuprum – Over the years I have asked every friend and acquaintance of the female persuasion this question: “If a man is standing alone in a forest, is he still wrong?”
Absolutely without fail, the answer was “Yes” and this invaluable knowledge has saved me many times. 😦 German women are particularly forthright on this subject, I have found. 😦 😦
OZ
I have been that man in the forest! 😀
OZ, the word I would use for your man in the forest is “lost”.
OZ, the word I would use for your man in the forest is “lost”.
Christopher, it was Boadicea who said the English were always right. I said we Scots were never wrong. That way we can both be happy.
Sheona – Men are never lost, which is why we never consult maps nor lower ourselves to ask for directions like girlies do.
OZ
On mature reflection I believe I may come to regret those last three words.
Whimper!
OZ
OZ – but when we do on rare occasions consult a map, we don’t turn it upside down so its facing the same direction as we are…….oops, quick, run and hide 😉
LOL oh that’s so true OZ but less of the ‘girlies.’ We be expert map readers, we be. Sorry, it’s a bit early for Talk Like a Pirate Day. Good job you’re hiding Cuprum. Report back on the Derren Brown, won’t you?
Arrgghhh, Jan – Oi be speakin’ Zommerzet all day, oi ‘ave. I did rather wonder why. It is an interesting point from Cuprum, this thing about girlies turning the map in the direction she is facing. I know this to be true as A Zangada used exactly this method several times to navigate us unerringly from Liverpool to Barcelona and, if you think about it, modern GPS systems work in exactly the same way.
Girlies are therefore like computers.
Neither forgets anything and you have to punch the information into both. 😀
INCOMING!!!!!
OZ
And men’s minds are like computers, minus the hard drive, I suppose. 🙂
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=10091153209
Having just driven once again with husband to the town in which he grew up, I realise that he navigates by the pubs of his youth. “We turn right by the Bunch of Grapes”; “we go past the Adam and Eve”; what’s the road number that The Trout is on?”
Having said that I have to admit that my mother also navigated round Glasgow by the landmarks of her youth which used to drive my father wild, as well as several miles in the wrong direction.