Grouching

KIDS TODAY! WHAT DO THEY KNOW?

It seems that they don’t know who Groucho Marx was, going on what I saw in a pound shop recently.  Please click on the picture to enlarge.

Things are getting worse indeed.  Time was when a child could put on a Groucho Marx disguise for a fancy dress party, and everyone would say, “There’s Groucho”.  Today, however, this same kit is now a “Nerdy Glasses Disguise”!

Groucho was never a nerd.  Do Nerds have moustaches like that?  Gimme a break!  It is a Groucho Marx kit minus the cigar (of course). Come on; credit where credit is due.

Kiddie Speed Camera Fun!

IN SHAWLANDS ARCADE THEY ARE BRAIN-WASHING CHILDREN; they have removed the Stuart Little ride, and replaced it with an abomination — a SPEED CAMERA CHARACTER RIDE! This is not simply weird, but tantamount to an attempt to brain-wash pre-school children!

Such mechanised rides have been around for years — a mum would put in 20p or 50p and watch while their toddler was gently tilted back and forth to a loud signature tune.

It has always been a boat, train, truck or car theme — something the kiddies know and identify with — like Thomas The Tank Engine, Fireman Sam, or something from Disney – but this is nothing like that; this is a complete departure.

This is not about enjoying a ride in Postman Pat’s van, or speeding through outer space in a skyrocket.

• This is a ride about DRIVING SLOWLY IN A BUILT-UP AREA!

How messed up is that? It also seems to be about driving INTO speed cameras, as evidenced by the pictures (click to enlarge as ever) — I did not know that that was a problem.

Look, Nanny State — we KNOW we are not supposed to break the speed limit, but this doesn’t exactly fire up the imagination does it? Things are definitely getting worse when this comes to pass.

(By the way, there was a queue for the Santa Sleigh ride, but not for the Safety Cam Car — wonder why!) — Merry Christmas!

Broken Toys 4 Us

I AM ALWAYS AMAZED THAT STORES DO NOT SEE WHAT IS GOING ON.

How can a store hope to catch shoplifters if they cannot see the problems with their displays? I am fed up with goods that have no prices, and goods that are misplaced under wrong prices and descriptions. It really is tedious, and it is getting worse.

My Christmas shopping brought me to a toy store where I saw toy boxes. Please click on the pictures to enlarge.

Yes, all the lids are broken (not a sure sign of good quality) — but look too at the price tags and descriptions. The nearest one states

“BLUE CRATE WITH
RED FOLDING LID 75LT
12.99″

This is where you will find a blue crate with a BLUE lid. Now look along at the next one — the one under the RED crates with the BLUE lids, it states:

“UNDERBED BOX BLUE
WITH BLUE HANDLES
8.99″

No-one seems to have thought of how a customer would be able to reach up to the top box safely.

I could have taken dozens of pictures, but despite their obvious bad eyesight, someone would have eventually spotted me snapping away, so this will have to serve as an illustration. However, I did manage a quick snap of this inexplicable product on my way out. yes, it’s Spiderman Monopoly! Quite how one is reconciled with the other is just beyond my imagination. I gave it a pass.

This is a world going slowly mad.