British people regarded as "barometers of popular views" -- taxi drivers, hairdressers and pub landlords

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It says here (in the final paragraph).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 10 October 2005 21:59 (twenty years ago)

they forgot to ask "white van man" and retired old soldiers!

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:11 (twenty years ago)

because these people interact/comunicate with the general public, they are exposed to popular views.

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:12 (twenty years ago)

http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Records%20Page/dickvandyke.JPG

I can think of one spry chimney-sweep that keeps him thumb on the nation's pulse!

― andy --, Monday, 10 October 2005 22:20 (twenty years ago)

they are not exposed to popular views about podcasting

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Monday, 10 October 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

People have "views" about podcasting?

― nabiscothingy, Monday, 10 October 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

It's political correctness gone maaaad. You couldn't make it up. What about the human rights of the victims? Etc etc...

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 05:58 (twenty years ago)

"British people regarded as barometers of popular views" = "The only working class people with whom newspaper columnists have conversations"?

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 06:42 (twenty years ago)

i've never heard of this notion before, but - as dj martian says - it does kinda make sense. i mean, people (er, me) do actually engage in conversation with taxi drivers and hairdressers, so during the course of a day your average taxi driver/hairdresser is going to be subjected to an awful lot of people talking an awful lot of shit.

i'm getting a haircut later today. i am going to try to steer the conversation round to podcasting.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 07:56 (twenty years ago)

If Taxi Drivers hear such a broad cross-section of views, how come they're all reactionary mentalists?

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 07:57 (twenty years ago)

i had a taxi driver once that was both a reactionary mentalist and a raving speedfreak. He railed against junkies, then declared he'd been banned from pubs all over melbourne and gave a hysterical, cracked- out laugh. PHEAR.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:00 (twenty years ago)

The moral is, never get into a taxi with more than 50 per cent of the bodywork dented.

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:03 (twenty years ago)

There's a taxi driver in London with the Cuban Flag on his cab, who regularly goes on aid missions to Cuba. If you see him and give a clenched fist salute, he'll usually shout back 'hasta la victoria siempre!' I imagine he gets lonely when having his brekkie in the cabbie rest stop cabins.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:14 (twenty years ago)

they can bond over castro's hard line on poofs, no?

― N_RQ, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:15 (twenty years ago)

Oh just morph into Nick Cohen NRQ.

Oh I forgot - you have!

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:22 (twenty years ago)

Don't mention the poofs!

― Don King of the Mountain (noodle vague), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:23 (twenty years ago)

it was just a zing, dave.

― N_RQ, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

Isn't that a piece of unhappy dead chicken?

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:32 (twenty years ago)

They forgot The Man on The Clapham Omnibus.

― Bidfurd__, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

Seems a little biased towards the self-employed or small business owners to have these three groups as yr barometer. (Though I guess most hairdressers and even pub landlords are employees really).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 08:38 (twenty years ago)

"British people regarded as barometers of popular views" = "The only working class people with whom newspaper columnists have conversations"?

Sounds about right

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 09:50 (twenty years ago)

what, so newspaper columnists live in some rarefied world where they never speak to anyone unless they've had them personally vetted?

most of the newspaper columnists i know are the kind of people who would (and in one case do) post on ILX.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:06 (twenty years ago)

ilx is middle-class.

― N_RQ, Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

what, so newspaper columnists live in some rarefied world where they never speak to anyone unless they've had them personally vetted?

No, most of them are just middle class tossers

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:10 (twenty years ago)

Oops!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:10 (twenty years ago)

Mind you the three women in my laundrette are amazingly well informed. They spend most of the day reading all the newspapers people leave behind and talking to customers. I have spoken to them about growing meat in laboratories, the chanegs in A-levels and the war in Iraq. They always know more about everything than me. I miss them now we have a washing machine again.

― Anna (Anna), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:39 (twenty years ago)

You could always go and bond with them over your tumble-drying.

Unless, of course, your new washing machine has a built-in tumble drier.

― Hello Sunshine (Hello Sunshine), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 10:59 (twenty years ago)

Last night, I dreamt I was watching a really good episode of Eastenders where Nana Moon spend almost the whole half-hour talking to Alfie and someone else about why she was a life long Conservative voter. It was a very touching insight into benevolent working-class Toryism and Dream Nana Moon is my new barometer of popular views.

― Alba (Alba), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 11:27 (twenty years ago)

actually, er, this whole "working-class" thing is a slightly specious argument, because nobody had mentioned class before alba's (i assume slightly tongue-in-cheek) comment about newspaper columnists. this thought occurred to me as i sat in the barber's chair just then: is the dude cutting my hair working-class? i wouldn't say so. (but then, as i often find when arguing with mrs fiendish, my views on class are out of sync with many other people's.

certainly, as i walked away from my own barber of choice, down king street, towards JAR hair at the end of the road - a palace of glasgow fashionista poseur wankery if ever there was one - i became more and more convinced that hairdressing is not really something one could categorise as a "working-class" activity any more. but in this day and age: what is?

i don't know any pub landlords, but: aren't most pubs owned and run by breweries anyway? which means business studies graduates in overpriced suits and audis.

and taxi drivers are a breed apart :)

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

Then of course you have your working class newspaper columnists... Elaine C. Smith for instance - let the ROFFLing commence

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:06 (twenty years ago)

christ, does she still have a column somewhere? what a horrendous woman she is.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

(i can't remember why i think that. it's something to do with an interview a long time ago. i might forget why i hold one, but i never forget a grudge.)

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:16 (twenty years ago)

Hunday Mail innit? Or the Daily Ranger?

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

They forgot The Man on The Clapham Omnibus.

I've always been disappointed with the level of conversation on the 88.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

My son drives a cab. All day long he has to listen to the boring monologues of alcoholics who've had their licenses revoked. So cabbies are rather a barometer of drunken views. The world is against me, my disability check is getting held up, I'm not allowed to see my kids, blah blah blah. But once in a while someone on a manic spree will give him a huge tip, so it's all good.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 14:16 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

oh dear

"the corner of 11th Avenue and Broadway," indeed

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 27 November 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

Italian Tony vs. (I assume) Irish Feargal.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 27 November 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

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