MadManMike

The majority of people I know that don't want this vax are not anti-vax in general. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I had jabs for Malaysia last year and most of my friends are the same. Aside from any medical concerns, I find the amount of marketing behind this jab unnerving too - every platform is pushing it, it's always worded like you must have it as soon as you can... I still think there's more than health at play here and unlike many anti-vax things, this theory is backed by medical experts and not just YouTube comment section loonies.

It's absolutely not OK, I hope my comments haven't been taken that way. I'm still questioning things, definitely not trying to come across like I have all the answers. A lot of people aren't questioning anything, but I'm trying to make sense of it all because the last year and a half hasn't made much sense in many ways.

But why? Do the vaccines not work? This is my main question, amongst all the other thoughts I've spouted. Why are we having two jabs if they don't work? It doesn't matter how it spreads though, what matters is the serious cases. Using what you posted above, we should lockdown for colds, because they spread like wildfire. I totally get isolation and being careful, I'm not suggesting we all go out and kiss each other, I just don't see why the vaccine is being pushed so hard everywhere - basically mandatory without actually being mandatory - when it seemingly isn't that effective.

Depends on the source mostly, but you can certainly spin a lot of stats to show what you want to see, but the ONS ones are pretty straightforward - number of cases, number of deaths. In the mainstream media, they tend to just pick and choose the highest numbers, such as showing the hundreds of thousands of cases but ignoring the fact that hospitalisations are nowhere near as high as they were. A case isn't really significant if it's not a serious case. It's all printed to create fear and generate revenue, but so many people take it as fact and then panic.

The measures we've had since March 2020 based on a 0.001% chance of fatality is really not a proportionate response. And like I said, the way that Covid deaths are recorded isn't even accurate, so the percentage is even lower than that. I'd bet that flu cases are a similar percentage, but we don't make thousands (millions?) of people unemployed for that. We don't cause HUGE scale mental health issues for that. The impact of Covid isn't just death. If I get bored later, I'll run some statistics from the ONS website about flu.

The seatbelt one is interesting and a good comparison. I've been thinking about how to reply to it and I'm torn - I can see why it's a good idea to make them compulsory, but I can see the argument for not enforcing it too. I'd say there's more reasons to wear a belt than there is to take a Covid jab. My issue with the vaccine and the whole pandemic is how exaggerated it's become. I haven't run figures from the ONS for a few months, but last time I checked it was 0.001% of the population had died "from Covid" (So this includes all the people that tested positive up to 28 days before they died, not necessarily actually died from Covid) - let's be realistic, that number is tiny. I'm not saying Covid doesn't exist or that it's not bad, but that's surely a similar figure to the annual flu we have that wipes out some of the elderly and vulnerable? The flu jab is encouraged, but I don't have 5 texts and 3 voicemails telling me the NHS "needs to discuss my plans". I don't have to prove I've had it to go for a drink after midnight. I don't look at the vaccine as a conspiracy to microchip us all etc, we do that with our phones already, I just don't see the point in risking any side effects from a vaccine that hasn't been properly tested yet. I've had Covid already and possibly have it now, as my partner is in bed with it as I type (And she's had the jab, might I add!), I beat it with fairly minor symptoms last year and this time around I just have a headache and sore throat, it's (so far) not even as bad as a common cold. If we assume that the vaccine works, in a month or so everyone that wants it will have it and folks like my mother and grandmother already have both, so accidental transmission wouldn't be such a disaster as it is now - the only people at risk will be people like me, who don't want the jab. It's not even like having the jab stops you passing it on, it literally just protects you a little bit (Allegedly). I'm not anti-vax, I went to Malaysia last year and had vaccines for that, because the diseases I could potentially get there WOULD kill me, almost no question. Those vaccines are also decades old, tried and tested. If it's proven to be very effective in the years to come, I'll have it, but so far I'm seeing double jabbed people still getting as ill as I did last year, still passing it to others and having the added pleasure of side effects for a few days after each jab. If the jab works and everyone has been offered it, there should be no reason for anyone to pressure someone into having it. I see "selfish" and "murderer" banded around on Facebook a lot, usually by people that think only the un-vaxxed are passing it around.

You don't need to eat any humble pie, what drugs you choose to take is entirely up to you. The fact society has been conditioned to think it's OK to quiz someone on their medical records and pressure people into it because they're "mass murderers" if they don't is disgusting imo. It's simple for me: have your vaccines if you want, wear a mask if you want, distance if you want. I'll be sensible and avoid people if I'm not well (I'm isolating as I type this, actually, cancelled a week long holiday with my parents because of it). Nobody can tell me what I should do, it's my choice. It's all massively unethical and I'm surprised it's even legal. There's far more at play here than just health.

I've had several calls from the NHS about vaccinations. I've had three voicemails from an Irish lady, telling me "we need to discuss my vaccination plans" - are you actually f**king kidding me? I don't need to discuss my personal medical choices with anyone. Think what you like about taking / not taking it, but voicemails like that step WAY over the line.

Same with most things these days I think, just look at how Apple got caught out making their phones into bricks after a while. Appliances are the same, I remember my parents parents having stuff they'd used since the 70's and now a washing machine will pack up after 3 years and be cheaper to replace than repair.

Octavia estate is either 1.4 or 1.5tsi too, maybe even a 1.2, which isn't that inspiring but does the job...

Ah yeah I forgot you don't have the mk1 now. To be fair I was joking anyway, fitting a bike in is a pain the arse involving removed wheels, bungee cords and damaged seats - an estate is a much better idea.

I took my MTB to Bikepark Wales a couple of times in the Eunos, no excuse (We won't mention the fact I couldn't shut the roof, so drove home quite wet one time...)

I'm seeing "my" font everywhere, I think I might need to re-brand Quality riding anyway, CLS always was a beast!

Welcome to home ownership man, we moved in two months ago and every weekend has been power tool related, either inside or out. That and paint brushes. It's very satisfying though