Boris Johnson - My Hero

[robgmun]

Honestly with the state of our politics these days we might as well put him in as our PM, might as well have a laugh.

This to be honest! Might as well!

 

[MuttsNutts]

Not forgetting his awesome tackle playing at soccer aid. What a winner.

I was just tinking the same I watched that and me an my mate was on the floor laughing at the way he played foorball and took out that player.

What a tackle! Boris should have been in the world cup just as ugly as wayne rooney but the blonde hair would have stood out any cross from the wingers would have easily picked the blonde buffon out

 

[stockhausen]

... sections of lines and stations have been frequently closed at weekends since time immemorial. ...

I'm sure they have. I understand that the Northern Line has got significantly worse since BJ became Mayor? From personal experience, the Piccadilly Line from North London to Kings Cross, Central London and Heathrow has frequently been closed at the weekend; this used not to be a problem just a few years ago.

... Have you or your friends lived in/near London for very long? ...

No idea, sorry - from birth I would guess apart from Uni & trips abroad?

... As a user of the underground for many many years, things are getting better, but that is mostly due to general advancements and improvements such as the Jubilee speed increase or things like AC and WiFi; I think it's probably a stretch of the imagination to attribute those to the mayor.

I probably have done so but can't recall ever having been on the Jubilee Line, is it fairly recent?

I wasn't aware that Tube trains were air conditioned now - still it probably wouldn't have made any difference this summer

Is WiFi actually available on London Underground now? If it is, as you say, I very much doubt that it has anything at all to do with BJ.


Again, as I understand it - BJ has increased fares on buses and the Tube by 50% since becoming Mayor - presumably that has something to do with his efforts to get people out of their cars and onto public transport


I genuinely believed that BJ would make cycling a safer and more attractive proposition in London; so far as I can tell, he has done Sweet FA to improve the situation - as was shown yesterday evening. That has been a huge disappointment, anyone who has been to Holland, or even Cambridge will know what a different place a truly cycle friendly London could be

Perhaps Bradley Wiggins achievements in France and at the Olympics will force BJ actually to do something more than talk the talk - I certainly hope so.

I was just tinking the same I watched that and me an my mate was on the floor laughing at the way he played foorball and took out that player.

What a tackle! Boris should have been in the world cup just as ugly as wayne rooney but the blonde hair would have stood out any cross from the wingers would have easily picked the blonde buffon out

JEEZUS! What an abuse of the English language

 

[Deleted member 66701]

I like Boris as a person but I don't like his politics.

 

[Zogger]

I'm sure they have. I understand that the Northern Line has got significantly worse since BJ became Mayor? From personal experience, the Piccadilly Line from North London to Kings Cross, Central London and Heathrow has frequently been closed at the weekend; this used not to be a problem just a few years ago.

From my personal experience the Victoria line was closed pretty much every weekend when Ken was mayor for a good while. This is how rail improvement works...

 

[robgmun]

I'm sure they have. I understand that the Northern Line has got significantly worse since BJ became Mayor? From personal experience, the Piccadilly Line from North London to Kings Cross, Central London and Heathrow has frequently been closed at the weekend; this used not to be a problem just a few years ago.

Would you like to venture a guess as to why? Go on, if you're a true Londoner i think you can guess

No idea, sorry - from birth I would guess apart from Uni & trips abroad?

Same here, east london born and bread, i even went to Queen Mary And Westfield Uni! So you say you're a Londoner but then....

I probably have done so but can't recall ever having been on the Jubilee Line, is it fairly recent?

I wasn't aware that Tube trains were air conditioned now - still it probably wouldn't have made any difference this summer

Is WiFi actually available on London Underground now? If it is, as you say, I very much doubt that it has anything at all to do with BJ.

....you go on as if you haven't stepped inside the capital in the last few years! I call shenanigans.

Again, as I understand it - BJ has increased fares on buses and the Tube by 50% since becoming Mayor - presumably that has something to do with his efforts to get people out of their cars and onto public transport

Again, you show signs of not being truthful. you would have known if you're a Londoner. Not as high as 50% but not far off, but then again what would have Comrade Ken would have done? Freeze fairs staving the tube of money and then raping us with Council Tax which more the doubled (that's right more then a 100% increase) under Ken without any improvements in service at all.

In fact our bin collection went from weekly to every two weeks. This created a problem with vermin and made the area scummy and unsafe. Under Boris it's actually gone back to weekly without any council tax rises!

All in all, Ken cost Londoners more then Brois ever did

I genuinely believed that BJ would make cycling a safer and more attractive proposition in London; so far as I can tell, he has done Sweet FA to improve the situation - as was shown yesterday evening. That has been a huge disappointment, anyone who has been to Holland, or even Cambridge will know what a different place a truly cycle friendly London could be

London is about 20 times the size of Cambridge, hats off to any human being who even has the balls to tackle that problem. And they're hugely popular, i see brois bikes everywhere

 

[Kimi]

If he went for PM, he'd get it, i think its his long term aim

 

[buchtis]

Bozza roxx!

 

[skippy2421]

Borris is a genius. Only he would describe the women beach volleyballers as "glistening like wet otters". He does have a way with words.

 

[PistolPete]

My wife works for the same company as his wife and I sadly missed out on a chance to meet him at the last Xmas party. Gutted.

 

[ntg]

I'm sure they have. I understand that the Northern Line has got significantly worse since BJ became Mayor? From personal experience, the Piccadilly Line from North London to Kings Cross, Central London and Heathrow has frequently been closed at the weekend; this used not to be a problem just a few years ago.

No, Northern line's performance has improved dramatically since BJ got Mayor, but the improvement has nothing to do with him or any previous Mayor.

All weekend closures are due to the line upgrades, not because there are problems.

I probably have done so but can't recall ever having been on the Jubilee Line, is it fairly recent?

I wasn't aware that Tube trains were air conditioned now - still it probably wouldn't have made any difference this summer

The Jubilee line has seen a service frequency increase (not as much as speed increase). For the end user the benefit is pretty much the same, they just get to their destination faster as they wait less at platforms.

Is WiFi actually available on London Underground now? If it is, as you say, I very much doubt that it has anything at all to do with BJ.

WiFi is provided for free by Virgin during this Summer. After the end of Summer it will be subscription only.

The tube is not AC, some platforms/stations are and there is better airflow in carriages (not to be confused with AC).

Again, as I understand it - BJ has increased fares on buses and the Tube by 50% since becoming Mayor - presumably that has something to do with his efforts to get people out of their cars and onto public transport

All Mayors increase fairs as the revenue makes up for the tube's expenses (it's not all paid by the gov). Also, don't confuse increasing fairs headlines with the actual cost of trips for commuters. Many paper tickets have increased in price while the oystercard fare has staid the same.

Also, talking about fares, I'm sure you were excited at Ken's plans to allow more free travelling for special groups of people at the expense of commuter fare payers. Hey, let's give a free pass to anyone who doesn't go to work and get the working commuter to pay for it.

Also, despite the changes he has done to the congestion charge zones and not taxing 4x4s, guess what, traffic in London has not been worse off. It's the same, which only goes to prove that Ken's measures were more punitive and revenue making than actually traffic improving.

I genuinely believed that BJ would make cycling a safer and more attractive proposition in London; so far as I can tell, he has done Sweet FA to improve the situation - as was shown yesterday evening. That has been a huge disappointment, anyone who has been to Holland, or even Cambridge will know what a different place a truly cycle friendly London could be

The bike scheme has greatly improved cycling rates in London and there is a constant push through businesses to get more people on bikes as well - something that was not seen under Ken. London is still far away from being Holland but it's much better than where it was 5 years ago.

Mind you, I'm not even remotely suggesting that all the improvement we've seen are down to Boris initiatives, but he must have had something to do with it for sure - at least he seems to understand where he needs to keep his nose out and let the professionals do their job, instead of micromanaging everything for electioneering purposes like Ken.

 

[stockhausen]

Londoner . . . can't read, can't write

... if you're a true Londoner ... So you say you're a Londoner ... you go on as if you haven't stepped inside the capital in the last few years! ... if you're a Londoner ...

Care to point out where I have said I'm a Londoner, true or not

... east london born and bread ... Freeze fairs staving the tube of money ... Ken cost Londoners more then Brois ever did ... i see brois bikes everywhere

I wouldn't for a moment question that you are a "True Londoner"


ps - they aren't "brois bikes", they are Canadian manufactured "Barclays Cycle Hire Bikes" and the concept was kicked off by your hated Ken Livingstone, BJ just inherited it.

 

[Soundood]

under Boris as mayor, all this has happened,

tubes have got better, including engineering finish time stats,
London is a cleaner city, with a 14% increase in waste clearance funding,
he has managed to cut 5000 police, but at the same time cut crime,
it has cleaner air thanks to the correct management of the congestion zone,
babys are born healthier than 10 years ago, with mortality rates lower
we now have new buses with individual heated seats for winter travel
men have noticed an increase in libido since boris joined office
some women have started to experiance multiple orgasms for the first time
thanks to boris you can pick up a happy meal for 55p in some areas in london
all football games are now free to go and see, due to boris paying this,
drugs are now free and can be picked up at many steet corners thanks to boris

etc

 

[stockhausen]

Overall, a good post, except for the diabolical capitalisation

under Boris as mayor, all this has happened,

tubes have got better, including engineering finish time stats, REALLY? SAUCE?
London is a cleaner city, ... REALLY? SAUCE?
he has managed to cut 5000 police, but at the same time cut crime, EXCEPT IN TOTTENHAM!
it has cleaner air thanks to the correct management of the congestion zone, REALLY? SAUCE?
babys are born healthier than 10 years ago, with mortality rates lower AH, HA, HA, HA; YEAH, RIGHT
we now have new buses with individual heated seats for winter travelREALLY? SAUCE?
men have noticed an increase in libido since boris joined office
some women have started to experience multiple orgasms for the first time
thanks to boris you can pick up a happy meal for 55p in some areas in london OR SINCE THERE ARE FEWER COPS ABOUT, YOU CAN GET ONE FOR FREE IF YOU MUG SOMEONE
all football games are now free to go and see, due to boris paying this, GOOD NEWS THAT, IF ONLY ONE WASN'T LIMITED TO SUCH GOD-AWFUL CLUBS IT MIGHT BE WORTH RELOCATING
drugs are now free and can be picked up at many street corners thanks to boris WOT, NO HOOKERS?[/B]

etc

Nice one Brucie.

 

[stockhausen]

More stupidity from BJ

BJ talking about Bradley Wiggin's suggestion that cyclists should make every effort to avoid serious injury by wearing a helmet, not riding along with iPods and phones glued to their ears and that they should have lights:

London Mayor Boris Johnson said there were no plans to require cyclists to wear helmets or to provide them for the capital's fleet of hire bikes.

He said: "I think he's [Bradley Wiggins] quite right to say that people should do if they've got one. "But we've absolutely no plans to make them mandatory. But the evidence is mixed. I have to say that in countries where they have made them compulsory, it hasn't always necessarily been good for cycling."

Go on then BJ, expand on that mindless tosh

 

[robgmun]

Go on then BJ, expand on that mindless tosh

You first..

You actually haven't replied or commented on any of mine or kgi's rebuttals. Basically we've proved you wrong, what do you know about how good a mayor BJ is? You don't even frigging live here!

You just ignore what people post and carry on with your mindless waffle, basically you avoid debate when it suits you, you don't like BJ for the sole reason that he's a Tory, not for what he has or hasn't done for the people of London. You don't care if hes the best thing since sliced bread you don't like him because he's a dirty right-wing tory that probably cheat his taxes and sell his grandmother if he could get money for her. What is the actual point of you coming into this thread if you are going to dodge engaging anybody in a debate?

 

[xarr]

A quick lolstockhausen to get it out of the way.

Born and bred Londoner here and I have always lived and worked in London.

Red Ken showed no insight in to London's transport system, bendy buses work very well in many European cities due to wide boulevards with lots of road space, but not in London. Boris knows that London is a large enough city to have a unique transport system, so orders a London designed bus built to meet the cities needs, not only functional but an exceptional piece of design.

Ken introduced a congestion charge that didn't reduce congestion, which was then turned in to an environmental tax and then extended the zone to a residential area because he decided that the local residents could afford it without looking at the impact on local business or if the extension would achieve its aims. Boris rightly decided that it was doing more harm than good and removed it.

Boris bikes (call em what you like, Londoners call them Boris bikes) have been a great success, with the area covered being extended all the time, a cheap, quick and easy way to travel around a congested city.

The tube has been no different under Ken or Boris, there will always be minor improvements in a variety of targets due to a continuing massive upgrade program. Yes it is annoying to have the tube shutdown to improve it but it needs the investment and this is the easiest and quickest way to do it. I am a shift worker and have always been (shop work, now nursing) and the weekend closures are well publicised and have replacement services where necessary.

The role of the London Mayor is largely ceremonial with little real power, but Ken goes after Venezuelan oil instead of doing deals on our doorstep. Boris supports the city and knows that London is reliant on it and ensuring a good relationship with it is crucial.

Boris is a great Mayor of London as he knows and understands the city and does what is best for London within his remit, Ken looks to abroad without being able to come up with his own ideas.

 

[rsatd]

I wonder why he doesn't go for a pm?

 

[stockhausen]

The following comes from a quick Google, it certainly isn't complete and some of it may be wrong - if anyone can prove that it is, I will accept their proof unless I can disprove their assertions:

• The oyster bus fare has risen from 90p in 2008 to £1.35 in January 2012
• The daily peak Oyster cap for zones 2 to 6 has risen from £9.00 to £15.00
• The off-peak Oyster cap has risen from from £5.10 to £8.00
• These peaks rose again in January 2012 to £8.50 and £15.80 respectively
• So far as I am aware, very few of BJ's vanity Routemasters at £1.4 million each have actually surfaced yet although I understand he has got rid of all the "Bendy Buses"
• As I understand it the Barclays Bikes are VERY expensive to use after the first hour or so?

So far as I can see, BJ's much publicised "cycle superhighways" are just a splash of blue paint and another photo opportunity - other than that he hasn't actually done anything worthwhile at all.


As to BJ's impact on the environment:

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has been accused of “public health fraud” for ordering the use of “dust suppressants” to keep down pollution where official monitoring is carried out and thereby avoid millions of pounds in European Union fines.

As xarr points out, "the role of the London Mayor is largely ceremonial with little real power"; so much so that I believe that when BJ got the gig, he planned to hire a deputy to do all the actual work whilst he concentrated on appearing on HIGNFY, admiring himself in the mirror and gurning at the cameras at every opportunity - he was told quite clearly that that was not going to happen.