Monday 19 November 2007

Round-up

It's a quiet time of year for vole-watchers, but there's still the odd bit of news to catch up on.
.
Only just got any kind of real response from SWT re the mink raft prints I reported on Oct 22nd, and then it's to say they don't know what the prints are and can we carry on watching. So that's what we'll do.
.
The trolley at White Lion Meadow has finally been removed after spending almost four weeks in the water, and I notice that Whitchurch Tesco has installed some of those expensive new trolleys with wheels that lock at a certain point, meaning they can't be taken off the car park. They can still be pushed down the bank, though! So someone's spent an awful lot of money to no effect, because if the situation continues then the store is still open to prosecution. Remember my analogy about an engineer asked to build a dam but instead putting up a summer house and insisting it would do the same job? Well this time they've effectively added a weathervane on top and net curtains.
.
What beats me is that if they had the money to spend on a re-fit, then why not go for the relatively cheap and effective option of coin-release trolleys? It makes no sense at all.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

These infra red trolley devices are handy if you don’t want them wandering off round town, but they still don’t seem to get that this is a special case. The coin-op ones are also ideal for encouraging shoppers to leave them tidily parked after loading up their cars.

Will the Chester Zoo voles take to their burrows at this time of the year as well?

Kate said...

It does seem like monumental stupidity (in the original sense of the word). I really can't follow the logic behind spending all that cash and STILL not addressing the issue. Maybe they think there's no issue worth bothering about - but the law says differently.

Don't know about the Chester voles. It might depend on whether they're getting an extra food supply. I'll have to go up there and take a look.

Anonymous said...

An aquaintance of mine is in the supermarket security business which includes trolleys. He say's that Tesco will have no intention whatsoever of putting coin trolleys in unless they are facing imminent prosecution on environmental grounds. That said, when seriously threatened by the EA, he says they do normally comply. Perhaps you should picket the doors dressed as voles, at least it might attract some publicity !!!

Kate said...

Thanks, Anonymous. Luckily the EA are on the case, and I keep them up to date with this blog as well as other photos and records.