Today, I rode what I expect to be my last journey on the Rushcliffe Villager 2. Despite existing for under two years, the service will be cancelled as of this weekend. While Cotgrave will still have the Cotgrave Connection for bus access to Nottingham, it will no longer have the RV2 route to Bingham and villages such as Aslockton and Cropwell Bishop will have to rely on county-operated buses for the time being.
Understandably, there has been some criticism for the cut. Areas of Cotgrave that aren't serviced by the Cotgrave Connection will lose out as will the outer villages around Bingham. Many older people use the RV2 but the company's defence is that the numbers are low and that the service is operating at a loss.
A bit of scenery from the RV2 route appears in this post of mine from late 2015. It is a beautiful route and travels around a large portion of Rushcliffe.
Showing posts with label Companies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Companies. Show all posts
Friday, 21 July 2017
Saturday, 8 July 2017
Skylink Derby
Using one of the tickets I was given at the Trentbarton focus group last month, I rode Skylink Derby. As this Trentbarton line is joint-operated between them and Kinchbus, the MANGO cards are not used on this service and so it has not been, until today, a route I had explored.
Skylink Derby begins in Derby (obviously), goes to East Midlands Airport as Skylinks Nottingham and Express do, through Loughborough and all the way to Leicester. I travelled all the way to Leicester and walked around the centre there for a short time. This marked the first time I can recall of my stepping foot in Leicester during the daytime, rather than past midnight. Most of my experience with Leicester comes via travelling through it rather than walking around it.
As for Skylink Derby, it's a fun route; it's long and there's plenty of scenery to observe while riding it. Also, as a result of riding Skylink Derby and using it to travel to Leicester, I have visited all of the outer regions of the Trentbarton network, as viewed here (map is outdated as it shows the defunct Radcliffe Line and Ruddington Connection and doesn't show Skylink Express but nevertheless shows the distant points of the network).
Skylink Derby begins in Derby (obviously), goes to East Midlands Airport as Skylinks Nottingham and Express do, through Loughborough and all the way to Leicester. I travelled all the way to Leicester and walked around the centre there for a short time. This marked the first time I can recall of my stepping foot in Leicester during the daytime, rather than past midnight. Most of my experience with Leicester comes via travelling through it rather than walking around it.
As for Skylink Derby, it's a fun route; it's long and there's plenty of scenery to observe while riding it. Also, as a result of riding Skylink Derby and using it to travel to Leicester, I have visited all of the outer regions of the Trentbarton network, as viewed here (map is outdated as it shows the defunct Radcliffe Line and Ruddington Connection and doesn't show Skylink Express but nevertheless shows the distant points of the network).
Wednesday, 5 July 2017
The misogynistic woman
I was at my grandparents' house today doing some work for them. The day progressed as normal until the evening, when the Rushcliffe Mainline wasn't running through the area where they live because of nearby roadworks; as a result, I was required to take a Trentbarton-supplied shuttle bus to Bingham, which would take me to an RM bus for Nottingham. This involved a longer trip back to Clifton but was otherwise no big deal.
In Bingham, a woman in her 50s or 60s, who appeared to be annoyed, boarded. When the bus took its detour, she asked me if the bus was bound for Nottingham; I confirmed that it was, just that it was taking a longer route back. She appeared to accept this but then asked the woman in front of her the same thing and received the same answer; she then appeared to ask the driver it and, again, received the same answer. At this point, she sat back down after she'd been standing to question the driver.
The woman muttered to herself from then on but otherwise appeared to not be bothering anyone; however, once the bus was in Nottingham and we were coming up to the last few stops, another woman who looked as though she was in her 50s then boarded. Then, the angry woman launched a misogynistic tirade against this new woman, calling her all sorts of anti-woman terms on the basis that she was "dressed like a prostitute" (yes, those were her words); this tirade continued until the new woman left at the second-to-last stop and even after that, the angry woman continued her rant.
As for why the driver didn't do anything, he was concentrating on evening driving but also, this bizarre behaviour occurred in the last five minutes of the journey; it likely would have been more of a hassle for everyone if he'd told her off. When the bus came to the end, her angry woman got off whereas the driver, as well as an NCT driver who was also on boarded, talked about the weird rant by the woman.
I hope the angry woman has since calmed down and that the new woman wasn't heavily hurt by the incident.
In Bingham, a woman in her 50s or 60s, who appeared to be annoyed, boarded. When the bus took its detour, she asked me if the bus was bound for Nottingham; I confirmed that it was, just that it was taking a longer route back. She appeared to accept this but then asked the woman in front of her the same thing and received the same answer; she then appeared to ask the driver it and, again, received the same answer. At this point, she sat back down after she'd been standing to question the driver.
The woman muttered to herself from then on but otherwise appeared to not be bothering anyone; however, once the bus was in Nottingham and we were coming up to the last few stops, another woman who looked as though she was in her 50s then boarded. Then, the angry woman launched a misogynistic tirade against this new woman, calling her all sorts of anti-woman terms on the basis that she was "dressed like a prostitute" (yes, those were her words); this tirade continued until the new woman left at the second-to-last stop and even after that, the angry woman continued her rant.
As for why the driver didn't do anything, he was concentrating on evening driving but also, this bizarre behaviour occurred in the last five minutes of the journey; it likely would have been more of a hassle for everyone if he'd told her off. When the bus came to the end, her angry woman got off whereas the driver, as well as an NCT driver who was also on boarded, talked about the weird rant by the woman.
I hope the angry woman has since calmed down and that the new woman wasn't heavily hurt by the incident.
Sunday, 11 June 2017
London 2017 - National Express
My chosen method of travelling to and from London yesterday was via National Express - a coach company. While coaches take longer to reach London than trains do, they are significantly cheaper. Once I knew when I'd be travelling to London, I booked a month and a half in advance and paid a low fare for my tickets; the other trade-off besides the journey taking longer is that I was restricted to taking the buses at the specified booking times. For example, my bus from Nottingham was only the one at 6:05am and my return from London was at 9:30pm; if I'd missed them I'd have to have bought a new ticket for another bus and it would have been more expensive.
The route down was fun. While much of it took place on the M1 (the UK's main motorway from the south to the north), there was a brief stop in Milton Keynes and the route through London to the Victoria coach station took the bus through the Royal Borough of Kensington, which I'd never seen in person before. For the route back, it again stopped briefly in Milton Keynes but also went through downtown Leicester, which makes it the second time I've seen Leicester between 12:00am and 2:00am.
Will I travel via National Express again. Most certainly, yes!
The route down was fun. While much of it took place on the M1 (the UK's main motorway from the south to the north), there was a brief stop in Milton Keynes and the route through London to the Victoria coach station took the bus through the Royal Borough of Kensington, which I'd never seen in person before. For the route back, it again stopped briefly in Milton Keynes but also went through downtown Leicester, which makes it the second time I've seen Leicester between 12:00am and 2:00am.
Will I travel via National Express again. Most certainly, yes!
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
Jacket luck
I had a bout of good luck yesterday afternoon. As it was raining outside, I wore my thin coat over my fleece; however, by the time I made it to my bus it had stopped raining, was warm and I was sweating. I tied both my fleece and my coat around my waist before I boarded the 48 to the city centre.
When I arrived in the centre, without noticing it my jacket slipped off me. It was only when I was in Bulwell that I realised it had come off; at first, I thought I'd lost the coat but then I remembered, assuming it had come off on either the 48 or the 17 (my bus to Bulwell), there was a chance it would be in Nottingham City Transport's lost and found collection. After I'd finished in Bulwell I returned to the city centre on the 68 line.
On that bus back I realised there were other places it could have come off. When I was in the Victoria Centre, for example, although there was a chance I could get it back in there, too; but there were other places, like Bulwell bus station and the entire stretch from the 48 to the 17. I had conceded that the coat was lost but I hoped that someone in need would pick it up, such as a homeless person.
As luck would have it, when I returned to the bus stops back to Clifton, the jacket was next to a bin; it was dirty from being trodden on but it was there! I picked it up in relief and couldn't believe my luck in retrieving what I thought was a lost coat.
When I arrived in the centre, without noticing it my jacket slipped off me. It was only when I was in Bulwell that I realised it had come off; at first, I thought I'd lost the coat but then I remembered, assuming it had come off on either the 48 or the 17 (my bus to Bulwell), there was a chance it would be in Nottingham City Transport's lost and found collection. After I'd finished in Bulwell I returned to the city centre on the 68 line.
On that bus back I realised there were other places it could have come off. When I was in the Victoria Centre, for example, although there was a chance I could get it back in there, too; but there were other places, like Bulwell bus station and the entire stretch from the 48 to the 17. I had conceded that the coat was lost but I hoped that someone in need would pick it up, such as a homeless person.
As luck would have it, when I returned to the bus stops back to Clifton, the jacket was next to a bin; it was dirty from being trodden on but it was there! I picked it up in relief and couldn't believe my luck in retrieving what I thought was a lost coat.
Friday, 2 June 2017
Trentbarton HQ
This afternoon, I travelled to Heanor, Derbyshire, on Trentbarton's Rapid One route to visit the company's headquaters there; however, it was not merely a social call. No, I was there to attend a focus group for how Trentbarton can incentivise more younger people into using their buses.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I attended but the meeting was set out as a chat situated upon comfortable furniture, with a tin of Fox's biscuits on the coffee table; in addition to the two ladies running the group, there were two customers like me who were also in attendance. It was mostly a Q&A session about the services, such as friendliness of the drivers and state of the buses, as well as about fares and methods of pay, such as the MANGO cards.
Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable session. It was a relaxed setting and the ladies who ran the meeting were highly pleasant. Given the amount of times I've travelled on Trentbarton buses, going to their headquarters was something of an honour.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I attended but the meeting was set out as a chat situated upon comfortable furniture, with a tin of Fox's biscuits on the coffee table; in addition to the two ladies running the group, there were two customers like me who were also in attendance. It was mostly a Q&A session about the services, such as friendliness of the drivers and state of the buses, as well as about fares and methods of pay, such as the MANGO cards.
Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable session. It was a relaxed setting and the ladies who ran the meeting were highly pleasant. Given the amount of times I've travelled on Trentbarton buses, going to their headquarters was something of an honour.
Saturday, 27 May 2017
Three-day bank holiday ticket
On some bank holidays, Trentbarton has on offer tickets that last three days and allow anyone who purchases them access to travel on any Trentbarton line, minus any bus routes it operates with another company, such as Pronto with Stagecoach.
Today, as a treat to myself for my completing my first year at university, I purchased one of these tickets and used it to explore some routes I'd not travelled on before; one of these routes took me to Burton on Trent, which is not a place I had been to before today.
Tomorrow, I'll see if the weather is decent enough for me to visit Calverton. I've not been there since the end of Access and I do miss it.
Today, as a treat to myself for my completing my first year at university, I purchased one of these tickets and used it to explore some routes I'd not travelled on before; one of these routes took me to Burton on Trent, which is not a place I had been to before today.
Tomorrow, I'll see if the weather is decent enough for me to visit Calverton. I've not been there since the end of Access and I do miss it.
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Free ride Sunday
For every Sunday this month, Trentbarton has been offering a free ride hour between 10:00 and 11:00am on any of their routes, minus some that are joint-operated with another company, such as Pronto. They opened this offer last year but as I possessed a college-provided bus pass back then, the offer wasn't of any use to me. This year, however, I decided to use it.
I travelled on the Rushcliffe Mainline to my grandparents' town and then walked back to Nottingham. Prior to today, it had been ages since I lasted walked my old bus route and it seemed like a good opportunity to do so. The bus driver was one I recall seeing when I was a regular on the Rushcliffe Mainline/Villager and it was good to see her again.
I travelled on the Rushcliffe Mainline to my grandparents' town and then walked back to Nottingham. Prior to today, it had been ages since I lasted walked my old bus route and it seemed like a good opportunity to do so. The bus driver was one I recall seeing when I was a regular on the Rushcliffe Mainline/Villager and it was good to see her again.
Saturday, 24 December 2016
Justified in not going there
My family has a long-standing policy of not purchasing food from McDonald's on the basis that the food is of poor quality. Yesterday afternoon, I went with a friend to the cinema but first we went to a McDonald's in the city centre at her request; we only went there for her to eat, as I had made clear that I had no intention of ordering anything.
In my view, the long-standing policy was justified. I was unimpressed by the general filthiness of the venue as well as the cafeteria-like nature of the main eating area. While a cafeteria seems appropriate in an educational facility, I didn't think it worked in a restaurant - not even a fast food one. As if this all wasn't enough, my friend ended up finding some "gross" in her food, which not only put her off her meal but also from going to McDonald's again, at least for the short term.
To be fair to McDonald's, this is only one venue and it's more than possible that due to my long-term negative view of the company, I was looking for problems. That being said, the experience has not encouraged me to take up eating there anytime soon.
In my view, the long-standing policy was justified. I was unimpressed by the general filthiness of the venue as well as the cafeteria-like nature of the main eating area. While a cafeteria seems appropriate in an educational facility, I didn't think it worked in a restaurant - not even a fast food one. As if this all wasn't enough, my friend ended up finding some "gross" in her food, which not only put her off her meal but also from going to McDonald's again, at least for the short term.
To be fair to McDonald's, this is only one venue and it's more than possible that due to my long-term negative view of the company, I was looking for problems. That being said, the experience has not encouraged me to take up eating there anytime soon.
Monday, 3 October 2016
The new bus pass
My major decision of the afternoon was to purchase a bus pass from Nottingham City Transport (NCT). When I first moved onto campus I doubted whether or not I would need one but after a great deal of thought, I decided that I would.
A bus to Nottingham and back costs £3.50; this week alone, I will be making three trips to the city centre, which would amount to £10.50. I'm still going to be making at least a trip per week to the city centre for various reasons and during holidays I'll be taking even more trips there. I think it's a wise decision to purchase a pass, which cost me £229. I shall be noting when I do use the bus so that when my pass expires, I can calculate whether or not I saved.
I selected an NCT bus pass because even with the student discount it's cheaper than a pass for Trentbarton Zone B, where Clifton is located. In addition, my current main two uses for using Trentbarton are either for the pleasure of riding or to visit my grandparents; I'll stick to my MANGO cards for now when riding with Trentbarton.
A bus to Nottingham and back costs £3.50; this week alone, I will be making three trips to the city centre, which would amount to £10.50. I'm still going to be making at least a trip per week to the city centre for various reasons and during holidays I'll be taking even more trips there. I think it's a wise decision to purchase a pass, which cost me £229. I shall be noting when I do use the bus so that when my pass expires, I can calculate whether or not I saved.
I selected an NCT bus pass because even with the student discount it's cheaper than a pass for Trentbarton Zone B, where Clifton is located. In addition, my current main two uses for using Trentbarton are either for the pleasure of riding or to visit my grandparents; I'll stick to my MANGO cards for now when riding with Trentbarton.
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
The flask
Nearly three weeks ago, I participated in an online competition hosted by Trentbarton. Needless to say, I won the competition, which involved working out route names in emoji format. This was my reward:
A flask from the 200 Degrees coffee shop in Nottingham. It will keep food cold or warm for a fairly decent length of time either way (I think it's six hours if hot, 24 if iced). My grandparents and uncle were enthusiastic about it, as was my mother; they all agreed that it is a sturdy flask and wouldn't have been cheap if bought.
While I'm pleased at winning a useful item, I'm delighted that I won a Trentbarton competition. I've ridden on their routes hundreds and hundreds of times (easily north of 500), so it seems fitting to win something sponsored by them! I'll have to visit 200 Degrees, too.
While I'm pleased at winning a useful item, I'm delighted that I won a Trentbarton competition. I've ridden on their routes hundreds and hundreds of times (easily north of 500), so it seems fitting to win something sponsored by them! I'll have to visit 200 Degrees, too.
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Champagne from the Spondon Flyer...
...apparently doesn't exist. See the back of this bus:
It's in brackets under the "fly first class" banner. The Spondon Flyer is a TrentBarton bus in Derby, which services the the Spondon area of the city. I am board another bus in this picture - I wasn't standing in the middle of the bus station's bays! I haven't travelled on the Spondon Flyer yet but I'd like to at some point.
Saturday, 16 April 2016
A Clifton walk and Skylink Express
I visited Clifton today and spent some time walking around there, as well as taking a very short visit to the NTU campus. I planned before the break ended that I would visit Clifton again this weekend for purpose of walking around the place. For about half an hour I was also in Ruddington, as it is right next to Clifton and you can walk from one to the other. I enjoyed a worthwhile afternoon and am glad I went out.
I also rode another Trentbarton bus route: Skylink Express. It's a fast route to East Midlands Airport, getting there in half the time to the regular Skylink; however, Skylink Express travels there via Clifton. Originally, I travelled to Clifton on the Ruddington Connection until that line was closed; without any buses to Clifton on which I could use my pass, I opted to visit other places instead (when I visited the NTU campus there last month, I rode South Notts 1). Skylink Express is a new route, which was introduced when Club Class was closed down.
After my walking, I went to my aunt and uncle's house, as we were all having dinner there. My uncle cooked up a storm for everyone. In all, today's been positive.
I also rode another Trentbarton bus route: Skylink Express. It's a fast route to East Midlands Airport, getting there in half the time to the regular Skylink; however, Skylink Express travels there via Clifton. Originally, I travelled to Clifton on the Ruddington Connection until that line was closed; without any buses to Clifton on which I could use my pass, I opted to visit other places instead (when I visited the NTU campus there last month, I rode South Notts 1). Skylink Express is a new route, which was introduced when Club Class was closed down.
After my walking, I went to my aunt and uncle's house, as we were all having dinner there. My uncle cooked up a storm for everyone. In all, today's been positive.
Monday, 4 January 2016
The Comet
This afternoon, a new addition made it onto my list of Trentbarton routes on which I have ridden:
It's the Comet, which travels between Derby and Chesterfield. I was free today because college starts again tomorrow and I had received a free ticket from Trentbarton last month as a result of a driver mix-up, so my Red Arrow to Derby, Comet to and from Chesterfield and Indigo ride back to Nottingham were all covered by that ticket. Unlike the last time I visited Chesterfield, the rain was light and infrequent rather than constant.
Thursday, 10 December 2015
"Hi, Billy Mays here"
The other day, I stumbled across this tribute video to Billy Mays:
I remember Billy Mays from the early/mid-2000s when he starred in infomercials promoting OxiClean. He promoted a whole range of products, such as Awesome Auger, Gopher and Zorbeez but he was most famous for his OxiClean promotions. He was also known for his booming voice, which became his trademark, along with his catchphase, "Hi, Billy Mays here".
Mays died in June 2009 of heart disease. I hadn't seen him on TV for a few years by then but I remembered him well and I recall being saddened by his death.
I remember Billy Mays from the early/mid-2000s when he starred in infomercials promoting OxiClean. He promoted a whole range of products, such as Awesome Auger, Gopher and Zorbeez but he was most famous for his OxiClean promotions. He was also known for his booming voice, which became his trademark, along with his catchphase, "Hi, Billy Mays here".
Mays died in June 2009 of heart disease. I hadn't seen him on TV for a few years by then but I remembered him well and I recall being saddened by his death.
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Red Arrow route review
So, just prior to last month's half-term break I encountered the unveiling of Trentbarton's improved Red Arrow bus fleet. I noted in my post from then that I had yet to travel on a Red Arrow; well, I have since rectified that problem.
The first thing I noticed when I boarded one of the new Red Arrows was the presence of a "new car" smell. Prior to stepping on board I had never experienced such a smell on a bus before; while I'm not particularly enamoured with the scent of a new vehicle, I nonetheless found it impressive on a bus. Secondly, I noticed air-conditioning. On the other bus routes I'm used to having the windows open for cool air, including on the routes that are significantly longer than Red Arrow.
As for the seats, I found them to be comfortable. They were firm but gave just the right amount of give for a comfy ride. In addition, they were equipped with belts, which I think is excellent, as I think seat belts on buses is a great idea, especially since buses frequently come to sudden halts or sharp turns. However, despite the notification advising passengers to wear the seat belts, I appeared to be the only one who heeded the advice.
With regards to the journey itself, it was a stable ride with no obvious bumps. The Red Arrows are a fast route between Nottingham and Derby, so the Queen's Medical Centre is the final stop within Nottingham; after that, the remainder of the route is non-stop to Derby's bus station. The journey took a little over half an hour, although that time can vary depending on traffic.
Overall, I found Red Arrow to be a worthy route and I was beyond satisfied with my ride. For anyone seeking a fast and comfortable bus journey between Nottingham and Derby, Red Arrow is my recommendation and choice.
As for the seats, I found them to be comfortable. They were firm but gave just the right amount of give for a comfy ride. In addition, they were equipped with belts, which I think is excellent, as I think seat belts on buses is a great idea, especially since buses frequently come to sudden halts or sharp turns. However, despite the notification advising passengers to wear the seat belts, I appeared to be the only one who heeded the advice.
With regards to the journey itself, it was a stable ride with no obvious bumps. The Red Arrows are a fast route between Nottingham and Derby, so the Queen's Medical Centre is the final stop within Nottingham; after that, the remainder of the route is non-stop to Derby's bus station. The journey took a little over half an hour, although that time can vary depending on traffic.
Sunday, 25 October 2015
Bus connection photos
Here are pictures of three bus lines:
Here is the middle and back of a Rainbow One bus; coincidentally, I was on board a Rainbow One bus when I took this photograph. On the Trentbarton buses I've travelled on so far, the interior colours match the exterior, so seats on the inside of Rainbow One buses are blue.
This is a current Red Arrow bus, which I am assuming will be gradually replaced with those from the new fleet. This picture was taken on the same day and place as the aforementioned Rainbow One bus. The image is a little blurred because both the Red Arrow and my bus were in motion.
And this is the Calverton Connection. This was on a different day to the above two images and I was standing outside rather than on a vehicle. The only other black buses I've seen and ridden in Nottingham were (I think) a reserve Rushcliffe Greens bus I encountered a few months ago.
Friday, 23 October 2015
The Red Arrows
Mere serendipity allowed me to witness this spectacle this morning:
For most of today in Nottingham's market square, Trentbarton was unveiling their upgraded Red Arrow fleet, which the company's website notes is composed of Plaxton Elite-i class buses, with a focus on greater customer comfort and expanded timetables. The event consisted of displaying the new buses, having people tour them and giving out information about the Red Arrow line.
Red Arrow is the non-stop route between Nottingham and Derby. While I have not yet travelled on the Red Arrow line, the route has certainly interested me in the past (the current Red Arrow buses are still, in their own right, impressive behemoths observable in the centre of Nottingham) and seeing this new fleet has most definitely increased my curiosity. I shall have to plan a trip to Derby soon - not necessarily to see Derby but to ride Red Arrow and back!
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Phone resurrection
Back in early 2014, my Hong Kong uncle gave me his phone, a Samsung Galaxy S III. I gave my phone at the time, a Samsung Galaxy Ace II, to my mother. When my mother received a better phone, she returned the Ace II to me. Here is the Ace II:
I am using the Ace II again but not as a phone: I am using it as a media player; rather than continuing to use my current phone for music, I'd prefer to place a storage card back into this device and use it instead for my headphones/earbuds instead. Unfortunately, a used Ace II isn't worth much now so it's better that I keep it. Also, the Ace II is not affected by any headphone jack bugs.
In my opinion, this is a good way to re-use an obsolete device!
In my opinion, this is a good way to re-use an obsolete device!
Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Internet commenter behaviour over phones
Yesterday evening, the Samsung Galaxy S5 was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. While I occasionally followed the device itself - and some others - due to my minor interest in certain tech products, what really captured my attention was the Internet commenter behaviour over the phone.
Among the negative responses that I've read is that its design is "boring" and "ugly". Okay...why do people care about how a phone looks? It's a tool and as long as that tool does what you want it to do, its looks don't matter! So what if it looks boring; you're not getting married to it, after all. My computer desk isn't sexy; in fact, it's fairly boring in appearances but it serves its purpose perfectly.
Next complaint? "Not innovative enough". Tell me, just how many times can anyone innovate and re-innovate a flat rounded-rectangle before it becomes a dodecahedron? Until phones are completely bendable or made to be extremely energy efficient or become key tools like in ReBoot, the room for innovation is fairly limited for now.
The third complaint and my favourite complaint of all: "Doesn't meet my expectations". Right. Again, it is a phone, a tool. What "expectations" did you have for it? For to it have an infinite battery life? A 500-megapixel camera? The ability to fly? To prepare your food for you? I wonder if the people who have high expectations for gadgets are the same people who have high expectations when it comes to relationships, and then whine about being single because no one meets their ridiculous standards.
As for positive reception, it consisted of the usual fanboyish and outlandish "IT'S AWESOME/BEAUTIFUL/EVERYTHING I EVER DREAMED OF!" to some people providing a furious defence of the phone against its critics, as though criticism of the phone were somehow a poisonous personal attack against all of them and their collective reputations. Unsurprisingly, the latter almost always descended into name-calling from the critics and defenders alike. Somewhere in the mix were some reasonable human beings adding helpful positive commentary about the device.
Like all other phones and tools, the Galaxy S5 is not something worth getting angry or defensive about, and Internet flame wars over a phone are amongst the most pointless activities one can imagine, let alone engage in. I do not subscribe to the nonsensical notion that phones are a fashion statement or a status symbol; they are a means of communication and entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. Productive discussion and idle chit-chat about them is fine, but fights and rampant fanboyism over a tool is just stupid.
Finally, it could be argued that I am defending the Galaxy S5, thereby contradicting the message of my post by being a crypto-fanboy. In reality, I've observed the above criticisms of the Galaxy S5 be applied to other phones, too (every iPhone, for example, receives all of the above complaints); I merely singled out this particular model for my post and point here because this behaviour was something I wanted to write about and because it's a recent product unveiling. I am not some self-appointed valiant defender of everything Samsung...just a person who wants to write about some people's bizarre behaviour over everyday gadgets!
I should also note that it doesn't matter how good or bad the phone is, anyway...I'm not getting one! It would be an understatement to say that I am extremely satisfied with the phone I recently received from my Hong Kong uncle; I am not greedy or stupid to want more when I already have what I need and want.
Among the negative responses that I've read is that its design is "boring" and "ugly". Okay...why do people care about how a phone looks? It's a tool and as long as that tool does what you want it to do, its looks don't matter! So what if it looks boring; you're not getting married to it, after all. My computer desk isn't sexy; in fact, it's fairly boring in appearances but it serves its purpose perfectly.
Next complaint? "Not innovative enough". Tell me, just how many times can anyone innovate and re-innovate a flat rounded-rectangle before it becomes a dodecahedron? Until phones are completely bendable or made to be extremely energy efficient or become key tools like in ReBoot, the room for innovation is fairly limited for now.
The third complaint and my favourite complaint of all: "Doesn't meet my expectations". Right. Again, it is a phone, a tool. What "expectations" did you have for it? For to it have an infinite battery life? A 500-megapixel camera? The ability to fly? To prepare your food for you? I wonder if the people who have high expectations for gadgets are the same people who have high expectations when it comes to relationships, and then whine about being single because no one meets their ridiculous standards.
As for positive reception, it consisted of the usual fanboyish and outlandish "IT'S AWESOME/BEAUTIFUL/EVERYTHING I EVER DREAMED OF!" to some people providing a furious defence of the phone against its critics, as though criticism of the phone were somehow a poisonous personal attack against all of them and their collective reputations. Unsurprisingly, the latter almost always descended into name-calling from the critics and defenders alike. Somewhere in the mix were some reasonable human beings adding helpful positive commentary about the device.
Like all other phones and tools, the Galaxy S5 is not something worth getting angry or defensive about, and Internet flame wars over a phone are amongst the most pointless activities one can imagine, let alone engage in. I do not subscribe to the nonsensical notion that phones are a fashion statement or a status symbol; they are a means of communication and entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. Productive discussion and idle chit-chat about them is fine, but fights and rampant fanboyism over a tool is just stupid.
Finally, it could be argued that I am defending the Galaxy S5, thereby contradicting the message of my post by being a crypto-fanboy. In reality, I've observed the above criticisms of the Galaxy S5 be applied to other phones, too (every iPhone, for example, receives all of the above complaints); I merely singled out this particular model for my post and point here because this behaviour was something I wanted to write about and because it's a recent product unveiling. I am not some self-appointed valiant defender of everything Samsung...just a person who wants to write about some people's bizarre behaviour over everyday gadgets!
I should also note that it doesn't matter how good or bad the phone is, anyway...I'm not getting one! It would be an understatement to say that I am extremely satisfied with the phone I recently received from my Hong Kong uncle; I am not greedy or stupid to want more when I already have what I need and want.
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