The wheels on the bus go round and round

I used to work with someone who declared that the only people who travelled by bus were women and poor people. Hmm, I use the bus and I sort of understand what he was getting at, but, and it is a point my former colleague would struggle to get round, I am neither a woman nor poor. I feel that the reasons you see women and people with less money (I don't think we can just label them as poor) could be more complex than their gender or their economic status. Possibly the biggest reason could be simply that a lot of people are totally opposed to public transport, particularly buses. On hearing that I sometimes use the bus, there are people at work who give me quite a pitying look and declare they would never use the bus (what, not even if the alternative was never to travel anywhere?). Those people are probably also the same people who are wedded/welded to their cars. If they can't drive somewhere and park outside their destination, then they won't go there. So back to "women and poor people" - is it because in a one-car household "the man" has the car. I acknowledge that I use our car more than my long-suffering wife, so guilty as charged. And running a car is expensive and in an area like North Devon where wages are low, many people would struggle to keep a car on the road. And in North Devon, where we have no rail transport - except to take you out of the area - buses are the only option.

I'm back, I'm back as a matter of fact, I'm back (with a point of view to put)

Or something along those lines. Actually, the first part of that is Gary Glitter so probably best not to quote too freely from him, given his illegal predilections. Anyway, for some unknown reason, I stopped blogging, and now, for some equally unknown reason, I decided to do some more.

I suspect part of it is to do with a story currently doing the rounds in North Devon about a piercing parlour that has opened up in Barnstaple. This is an issue that has got some people very hot under the collar arguing for an against. The other reason to re-enter the blogosphere (silly word) is another blog I read by a journalist called Keith Topping. He urges everyone in Britain to exercise their right of free speech (for so long as we still have it).

So, back to piercing. The argument going on among commentators on the North Devon Journal website seemed to split into two camps. Most of the anti-piercing people seemed to think 'the pierced' were weirdoes who were unemployed and who would never get a job. Meanwhile, the pro-piercers seemed to take the - not unreasonable - view that it was their choice to do to their bodies whatever they liked. They also pointed out that piercing and other body modifications were increasingly fashionable, and that many of them had a range of responsible jobs. Where their approach tended to fail slightly was when they suggested that those opposed to them should shut the f*ck up. Erm, wasn't all this about freedom of choice and so on?

On the basis that I've got an opinion (they are, after all, like arseholes - we all have one) I just wanted to give my two penn'orth and whether anyone is interested or not I really don't care - it's my blog. As far as I can see on this, if you want to have metal bits sticking out of your head, neck, back or genitals (if you so choose), or have lumps cut out of your flesh, or get branded, well. . .that's up to you. Whatever turns you on, baby, if indeed it does turn you on. Having said that, I do find the impression created by some piercings to be, quite frankly, rather threatening. Little metal horns poking out of someone's forehead are somewhat redolent of classic depictions of the devil - literally, the horned one.

The pierced persuasion argue that people should have an open mind about their appearance. Let's face it, if you were about to get jiggy with a man or a woman wearing a very sober business suit who, when they were in their birthday suit, suddenly revealed some spectacular genital piercing what effect would that have on your frame of mind? Would you suddenly decide you'd gone off the whole idea? Or would you go 'right on, let's do the wild thing'? Personally speaking I certainly wouldn't say 'Let's call the whole thing off'. But then on the quiet I am very broad-minded.

The question that crops up with being open-minded is that presumably that extends to people who want to use their right to be small-minded. Or does it? Am I clever enough to have stumbled on the classic liberal dilemma while whittering on about piercing? Obviously, the answer to that is YES, but isn't it all about that 'I disagree with what you say, but would defend to the death your right to say it'. I'm not sure who said that (Voltaire, maybe?) but surely he would have extended that to piercing. I dunno. However, I am sure on one thing, no piercing for me, thank you.

Oh, by the way, the man in the red Renault Megane estate who was living in a lay-by on the A39 has gone. Who knows where? Maybe with the changing of the seasons he moves on.