Month: July 2022

Back in the 19^th century, rag-and-bone men went from house to house with their hand carts, gathering unwanted bits and pieces. You could say they were the original recyclers because they collected anything with a resale value and put it back in circulation. Scrap metal was melted down and reformed, rags were sold to paper mills for use in the making of certain types of paper and old bones were used in fertilisers and soaps.

Just in case you didn’t know, soap was once made from ash and lime mixed with oil and beer or mutton fat which was heated to a high temperature before being mixed with flour and made into the required shape. None of your fancy cleansers back then.

Anyway, I’m too young to remember rag-and-bone men, but I do remember the traditional dustmen. They hoisted the bins onto their shoulders and tipped the contents into the back of the dust lorry. You knew when they were coming too because they dropped the metal lids on the footpath as they went along and made quite a racket.

Lonnie Donegan had a song about them that hit the top of the charts in 1960.

Oi! My old man’s a dustman
He wears a dustman’s hat
He wears cor-blimey trousers
And he lives in a council flat

Everybody had coal fires or stoves in those days and anything that could burn went in there so lots of dust and ash ended up in the bins, which is possibly where the name ‘dustman’ came from.

There wasn’t much household waste though because very little was thrown away. Clothes, for example, were handed down from one child to the next and when they were torn, they were patched. When they could be patched no longer, they were cut up for rags and any decent pieces left over after that were put aside to be used in future patching jobs or given to the rag n’ bone man.

Before refrigeration, food was bought as it was needed so there was little waste. Fruit and vegetable skins went onto garden compost heaps or were given to the guy who collected food for his pigs.

I can remember as a child, putting the metal bin out on collection day and I think it was more awkward than heavy, but they were eventually replaced with a plastic version and the hot ashes put holes in many of them until people tuned in. I don’t know if they made life any easier for the bin men, but things certainly got quieter on collection day.

The term ‘dustman’ is still used even though waste disposal has changed completely. Gone are the days when everything ended up in the local tip or quarry. They weren’t the most hygienic places. They stank and attracted lots of rats and other vermin and regularly went on fire, sending putrid smoke over our towns.

These days we have green bins, brown bins, waste bins and glass bins and trying to figure out what goes where can be taxing at times. Choosing the right day for the right bin can be tricky too but it’s worth the effort because the end result is a cleaner environment.

Cyprus, my favourite holiday spot, has a different system. They use large industrial type bins, and everything goes into those. They’re placed by the footpaths in residential areas, but the downside is the area around the bins can get messy. While they do have lids, nobody bothers closing them, so cats and birds get in and scatter stuff everywhere particularly when the bins are full. Startled cats frequently jump out and frighten the life out of you when you throw in a bag. Especially at night when it’s dark.

Cyprus experiences the heat of the Mediterranean sun, so the bins can get smelly, but they’re emptied regularly, and the system works well most of the time. There is also an unofficial system in operation and I’m pretty sure it involves a secret society of rag-and-bone men.

I had a few things I needed to get rid of and as recycling isn’t popular in Cyprus yet, I wasn’t expecting to find a recycling centre, so I asked a local resident where the nearest tip was. He advised me to leave the items on the ground by the bins. I thought this was unusual and felt a bit uneasy but did as I was told.

I had two old suitcases I didn’t need anymore, so I brought them out by the bins and left them there. I felt like a criminal as I walked away and when I left the complex shortly after that, I half expected to be abused by someone for littering the street but then I noticed the cases were gone. Both of them. I tried again the next day and put out an old TV set and hey presto, that disappeared too.

I followed that up with an old deck chair, the metal kind with canvas material for a seat. The screws were rusted, and it wasn’t in the best shape, but I opened it up and put it in the same spot. When I checked half an hour later, it was gone as well but there was nobody around. I haven’t seen anybody taking anything either, so there is only one explanation; they are invisible.

Here at home, our refuse collectors are very visible. They’re hardworking too, and we’d be lost without them. They’re out and about in all weathers, exposed to fumes, gasses, dust and God knows what as they go about their business and we’re grateful for the work they do. I’m grateful to my rag and bone people in Cyprus too but I can’t tell them. Maybe I should just leave a note by the bin.

Back in the eighties, I was a young garda attached to Blarney Garda Station. I had recently been transferred from Blackrock in Dublin, and I was delighted with my new surroundings. Village life moved at a slower pace than what I had been used to which suited me fine.

It was a lively spot in the summertime though with all the tourists milling about but there was always a good atmosphere around the place.

I didn’t realise until I got there how popular cycling was. The Blarney Cycling Club is one of the oldest in the country if I’m not mistaken, so it wasn’t unusual to see races being held in the village and I can remember the first time I had to perform traffic duty at one of them.

The cyclists were doing laps of the village and to keep the regular traffic flowing, there were a few of us positioned at different points around the village. We would hold up the traffic until the bunch of riders passed our points and then we would let the traffic flow until the cyclists came around again. It was a stop-go system and it worked fine most of the time.

I had my back turned to the few cars stopped behind me when I heard a shout. I turned around and saw a man leaning out the driver’s window and I could tell he was agitated. As I walked towards him, I could hear him swearing, and it was directed at me. He had a big red head on him, and he wasn’t a happy camper, but it wasn’t until I got up close that I saw the collar. I realised then that I was dealing with a priest, and he was in a right state. Swearing like a trooper.

I was taken aback at first. I tried to engage with him, but he wouldn’t allow me to get a word in. He was ranting about being late for a funeral, and he was threatening to drive past me. I explained to him that driving into the middle of a group of speeding cyclists might not be the best course of action and could in fact increase his workload with extra hospital visits and potential funeral services.  

I only really got his attention when I suggested he was heading for a visit to a cell and not the kind used by monks. When the cyclists passed, I sent him on his way, and he took off leaving a trail of dust behind him. I think that was probably my first experience of dealing with road rage. I don’t remember it being common back then, but it certainly is now.

A survey conducted on behalf of AA Ireland, found that 70% of drivers have experienced another driver’s road rage and over half have encountered aggressive driving from someone else. One in four has experienced verbal abuse from another driver and over 50% of drivers admitted to shouting insults from inside their car. This drops to 30% though if they think the other person can hear them.

They also found the most common type of road rage people identified was aggressive driving. Over half said they had experienced dangerous overtaking, beeping or flashing lights, tailgating and so-called “brake-testing”. 25% drivers have suffered verbal abuse from another driver, but only 1% said they had encountered physical violence outside of the vehicle.

One woman in her sixties found herself in that 1%. She contacted Joe Duffy’s Liveline programme and described an incident she had with another driver on the M50 in Dublin. I didn’t catch what she did to annoy the guy, but they were stuck in heavy traffic when this character approached her car and started banging on the driver’s window with his elbow.

He was shouting at her and opened her door and spat in at her before returning to his car. He cut in in front of her and then kept tapping his brakes. The woman was terrified, so terrified that she wouldn’t even report it to the gardai in case he found out where she lived and came after her.

It’s a pity she didn’t report it because he deserved at least a fine. There was no excuse for that behaviour. Abusing her was bad enough but spitting at the woman is unforgivable and speaks volumes about the guy she was dealing with. He could do with visiting someone like Paul Hunter.

Hunter from the Cork Hypnosis Clinic provides therapy for people who struggle with road rage, and he told the AA why some people struggle to control their emotions. He says 75% of the time it’s about other issues. Something that happened in their personal life like a row with their partner, or trouble at work, then a small thing on the road tips them into unreasonable anger.

Fortunately, we’re still reasonably restrained here unlike the States where that anger can be extreme. NBC reported that in Texas, a man was recorded on video firing seventeen shots at a car during a suspected road rage incident. In the video shared by police, the driver of a white BMW pulled in front of a burgundy Chrysler, got out and began shooting at it.

He fired 13 rounds before he put the gun back in his car and grabbed a second firearm. He then fired four more shots, jumped into his car and fled the scene. No one was hit, but several vehicles, including an occupied vehicle, were struck by gunfire. Thankfully we haven’t reached that stage of aggression here yet.

In the meantime, here’s some advice. The best course of action in road rage situations, is not to engage with the other driver. Report the matter to the gardai instead and let them deal with it.

They say if it wasn’t for bad luck, some people would have no luck at all. That could certainly be applied to a particular hotel in Kerry that shall remain nameless. Happy to be fully operational again after the pandemic, they had every reason to feel optimistic for the summer season. There was a sense of normality as tourists returned, and weddings were back on the agenda, but that was about to change.

My wife and I arrived there around 1pm for a wedding in May. The sun was shining and the forecast for the rest of the day was good too. We gathered our bags from the car and made our way to reception to check in, hoping that a room would be ready so we could change into our finery. 

As we went through the front door though, we sensed that something wasn’t right. The first thing we noticed was the reception area was a bit dark as if someone had forgotten to turn on the lights. The two ladies behind the desk didn’t look very relaxed either and seemed to have a lot on their minds.

Just then a guy dashed through a door from one side of the hotel, hurried across the reception area and disappeared through another door on the opposite side. That wouldn’t have been unusual in normal circumstances, but I noticed the guy was soaking wet. An alarm bell was ringing in my head.

One of the receptionists told us there had been an incident. A water pipe had burst in an upstairs area and one half of the hotel was flooded. It had only happened at 9.30am that morning so at this stage they were still just trying to get to grips with the situation.

When the alarm was raised initially, they thought a few towels and a couple of buckets would be sufficient to contain the water, but it turned out to be more serious. One staff member later described how when they started opening the bedroom doors, water gushed out to meet them. He said it was like the Titanic, so they knew then, they had a significant issue to contend with.

The wedding was due to take place in the hotel at 2pm so by now, guests were arriving in their droves, and all looking for the same thing – a room to change in. The receptionists were in an impossible position but in fairness to them they kept their cool as they juggled things around. Their priority was to look after the wedding party.

There was no electricity in reception, so they were working without their computer system. They were relying on paper lists of guests and their allocated rooms but by then, they knew fifty per cent of their bedrooms were already out of action, so they had to arrange alternative accommodation in other hotels nearby. They were operating in poor light too which didn’t help.

Word of the flood was spreading and there was a realisation that rooms were scarce. Half of the hotel was out of bounds at this stage, but people needed to get dressed and the clock was ticking. Some went outside and got changed in cars and in the back of vans while a few went behind trees in the car park. Others were sent to various bathrooms.

I was directed to a disability toilet which had plenty of room to get changed in, so I was happy out. When I was dressed, I went to leave the bathroom but discovered there was a new problem. There was no handle on the door.

I couldn’t open it, so I had to phone reception for assistance. The receptionist was surprised to hear she had another issue to deal with on top of an already heavy load. Just then, I heard my wife’s voice, so I rang her, and she let me out. As I passed reception, I heard one of the receptionists saying, “I can’t deal with that just now, I have a man trapped in the toilet.” As I passed her, I held my arms in the air and declared I had escaped, and she laughed.

I felt sorry for the staff, but there was a lighter side too. It was like being in an episode of Fawlty Towers. For a flood to happen in a hotel on a normal day would be bad enough but for it to happen on the day of a wedding just magnified the problem. It must have been extremely stressful for the staff, but they coped very well under the circumstances.

They did their best to shield the wedding party and guests from the mayhem that was happening in the other half of the hotel. Once the wedding ceremony got under way, I suspect most people had forgotten about the inconvenience of having to get dressed in the bushes and got on with enjoying the rest of the day.

Some of those who were transferred to alternative accommodation may have been unhappy but in fairness to the hotel staff, they did their best under difficult conditions. Speaking to some staff members the following morning, they all agreed they had never put down a day like it previously and hoped they would never have to do so again.

They said about half the bedrooms were out of commission as a result of the flood and it was unlikely they would be able to use them again before the end of the summer. Bad news for the hotel and a serious blow to their season, but hopefully they will be up and running again soon.

It may be totally unconnected, but I should mention, for those of you with a superstitious bent, that the wedding was held on Friday 13^th. Probably just a coincidence.

Did you know that Ireland is considered a good value for money destination? Well, according to Failte Ireland, it is but they are concerned that rising car rental prices are undermining that reputation. They also worry that those who cannot secure a car booking may decide not to come to Ireland.

20% of all overseas tourists to Ireland rent a car and those who do, spend more time and money and are far more likely to visit rural Ireland. Car hire plays an important role in facilitating tourism but the cost of renting a car here is high compared to the European average.

According to the Irish Examiner, some visitors to Ireland are cancelling their holidays altogether because of the rising cost of renting a car. Visitors here face being stung for far higher costs than those in a number of other top European holiday destinations.

A reporter tried to book a car for the two-week period from eight different airports around Europe and the results showed Dublin was the most expensive. The cheapest option there was a VW Golf at €211.72 per day or €2,964.06 for the fortnight. The only cheaper option was a VW Mini Up at €,2024 or €144.57 a day. 

I know a little about this subject because over the years I have spent a fair bit of money on car rentals abroad, particularly in Cyprus. Costs are rising there too, not nearly as much as Ireland, but enough to make me consider my options and I think my renting days are coming to an end.

Not so long ago, I was able to pick up a car in Paphos airport and hold onto it for a few weeks for a couple of hundred Euro. There were days when it was just parked up without moving, especially when I was on my own, but at that price, it didn’t matter. I was more likely to use it when my wife joined me or if we had visitors.

That’s changed now because the cost of car rental has gone through the roof. I noticed it first about twelve months ago when there was a significant jump in price but this year it’s even worse. I was looking at prices for next September/October and the best price I can come up with is about eighteen hundred Euro. Granted that’s for an extended stay but it’s still too expensive for something just a bit larger than a wheelbarrow and I can’t justify it.

I’ve now decided that the next time I travel to Larnaca, I’m going to try public transport. I have never used it before, so I have no idea how efficient or punctual the buses are but there is only one way to find out and that’s to jump on. If I need a car for any reason for a day or two, I’ll hire one.

It will be different but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Apart from the cost of renting a car, minding it comes with responsibility and I’ll be happy to have that monkey off my back. In Cyprus, when you hire a car you either pay excess insurance, which is an additional daily cost and can be expensive for long stays, or else you pre-authorise a payment on your credit card to cover the cost of any damage caused to it.

That sum varies but it’s usually about €800 or €900. If you return the car without a scratch, that preauthorisation is marked void and there’s no problem. But if you return the car with a mark above the size of a €2 coin, the rental company takes the cost of the repair from that sum. It’s a bit hit and miss though.

Last April, my rental was parked on the side of the street when someone reversed into the driver’s door and drove off. A local guy witnessed it and said the driver was a little old lady. When she was later questioned by the police, she denied hitting my car. It’s possible she didn’t even realise it because the damage was minor, but it was still going to cost me.

The police investigation went nowhere, and I was left to pay for the damage. When I returned the car to the company, they sent a photograph of the damaged door to the maintenance people who estimated the cost of repair at €350. That amount was then charged to my credit card.

To counteract that, I take out an annual insurance policy, around €50, to cover that excess insurance, so I can claim those costs when I return home. It’s a little tedious and time consuming but it’s worth it in the end. Still, it’s not what you want to be dealing with when you’re on holidays.

I’ve been involved in several incidents out there over the years so I’m constantly on my guard and not only when I’m out on the road either. I even worry about the car when it’s in the designated parking space so not having that responsibility next time will be a relief. If I’m thinking that way, you can be sure visitors to Ireland will be thinking similarly and that’s not the only problem for Failte Ireland.

The hospitality industry is crying out for support. Hotels constantly remind us about their struggles during Covid and how badly they need business. They want the tourists to come. They would also like the rest of us to holiday at home, but while they deny price gouging, the costs are still outrageous.

Expensive hotel accommodation, the cost of eating out, and our unpredictable weather are already serious considerations for any would-be tourist. Add the exorbitant cost of car hire to the pot as well and Failte Ireland have every reason to be concerned.