I have not seen a single episode of any of those programmes. (I haven't actually even heard of half of them…) How embarrassing..

some inconsiderate f**ker stole my mop and bucket last night (I'm an office cleaner) so I couldn't clean the floor properly, then returns it today completely filthy and caked in mucky grit. it's been a dull day, so was absolutely seething!

Most people who are overweight are overweight because of their own fault. I don't understand however, how ridicule or bullying is going to help anyone.

I accept that some people in denial need to be told the harsh truth but chipping away at someone's already low self esteem is just gonna make the situation worse.

The fact that some people here are joking that fat people are as good as not human is quite terrifying. Dehumanising someone is one of the first steps towards treating that person like an object or an animal – and an attitude that can often lead to abuse.

Call me over-dramatic if you like, but it's not particularly pleasant 🙁

I tend to leave a thread after there is horrible name-calling. I'm of a far too delicate disposition to take it 🙂

Not going to get into debate, but to see someone suggest that people above a certain weight belong in a zoo is one of the most offensive things I've ever read on this forum.

Hmmm, I would always be reluctant to join a singleton's mtb ride. If the ratio is as one-sided as some claim, then it is surely awkward for both men and women. Men have to compete to get the few women available (and yes, we're only going to pick a few men we like the look of – it's not the scenario I'd imagine being able to get to know someone very well/taking the time to get to know everyone equally)
and for the women (well, I would feel certainly) it would be like walking into the Lion's den..

Casual mixed-group rides would be far less intimidating – and surely you can 'get to know someone better' on/after these rides anyway?

girly input: don't do it. get a good haircut instead

mine is def aluminium… it's also probably not the bike for long long excursions but I'm sure you've figured that out already 🙂

depends how tall you are perhaps? I am 5ft 4 and I use a 14" msisle (with pikes) for all my riding. It is quite a heavy xc bike but I haven't had anything else to compare it with. It's a tatty bike but very pretty if that helps 🙂

I must say the idea does appeal to me very much. I live in Scotland and would love to go biking in Wales for a bit, but I don't have anyone to go with – the hassle of having to research accommodation and trails, not to mention having to ride unknown places on my own, does put me off somewhat.

I like the idea of the varied riding because I've never experienced proper natural xc trail riding before. The fact that I'd be guided by someone who knows the way would be a big plus, especially in an environment that I would assume to be female-friendly and welcoming etc.

Sorry I don't really have any suggestions but if this was going to happen in the Summer and was reasonably priced/well-run I would seriously consider signing up for something like this.

I am a young woman in a small car and I leave plenty of room, – Enough of a gap that people are constantly taking advantage of that fact and pulling in front of me at the last minute to get off at their junction – If I have to overtake on a country road, I'd make sure I was on a decent length of straight (my car needs it..) and I'd start a good way behind the vehicle I wanted to overtake anyway, or else I can't see what's coming!

I certainly haven't noticed that many other women drivers on my tail (apart from a few in giant volvos or bmw's) – perhaps I'm immune from their road-rage, being their kind and all… or perhaps it's just that men notice women more often than other men??

One reason to not live in England. That and the depressing endless rows of identical houses that you can see from the motorways.

Not saying you don't get the same in Scotland of course, but seems to happen a lot more after you get past Northumberland

I once parked on the 'wrong' side of the fuel pump and attempted to drag the hose out to reach around my car. Couldn't do it! I couldn't make it stretch at all, so had to reverse back and go find a space on the side I normally use… 😳

People like me is why you're having to wait those precious extra few minutes… 😉 (though I'd never sit in the middle of the forecourt)

hmmmmm. it would help if I could accurately remember my sit bone width… but I think I was recommended a saddle width of 135mm-143mm, which suggests the spoon would fit okay..

theotherjohnv: thank you very much for your kind offer – I unfortunately live in Dundee (an impressive 8+ hours away). Think I'm gonna take the chance and buy the spoon – but I wouldn't wait around for me to try it out unless you're thinking more than a month ahead!

Luckily, I'm not going to have any whistling problem; 'cause I don't go fast anyway 🙂
hmmm, I might try wiggle with that then. It might just be the misleading picture but that specialized windie looks absolutely massive! However, if nothing else works, who knows?

I did consider such torture methods, but would that actually kill him?

..not an angry/twisted person, honest.. 😈

Hating it. More to do with the fact that I've done no proper exercise for the past week and it's driving my legs crazy! Also my poor dad has come over from Hong Kong (where it's 18°C), so he's not all that happy 🙂

I can (just about) do it on a hardtail – and I'm really really rubbish. therefore, if you are better than rubbish you should manage on a rigid no bother 😀

This is Paddy (friend's dog). He's a working dog who can't retrieve a stick!

Pah, didn't get snow days. As kids, if there was heavy rain at night we'd pray we'd get a Black Rainstorm Warning or a Typhoon 8 in the morning and not have to go to school. Not as fun staying indoors all day but at least it wasn't bloody freezing like in this country!

I was born on the Isle of Wight, but don't remember anything about it. Moved up to Glasgow after a year, (had a scottish accent), then down to Sutton Coldfield (had a brummie accent), then to Warwick (??accent?), then to various parts of Hong Kong (americanized accent) then to Edinburgh (milder accent) then to Dundee (hybrid accent).

Sadly, I wouldn't consider any of these places my 'home'. It's also a tad tedious to explain when anyone ever asks where I'm from. I have never lived in the same house for more than 3 years and get itchy feet if I stay anywhere for too long.

So a bit envious of those people that like a place enough to consider living there for 15(plus) years, – would quite like to do too that one day.

the jobs will go to the well prepared and persistant.

that's you screwed then kenneth…

Either she won't enjoy it and you'll get loads of abuse, or she will like it and you'll have to sacrifice riding time with the boys to take her to rubbish trail centres

How true. that's what my riding is often like – though mainly the first.. If she really doesn't want to do it you're gonna be hard pressed to get her motivated. girls are stubborn like that.

take her on a blue run. go very slowly. ask her whether she'd rather you go in front or behind. don't go off at your normal pace – it's demoralising. don't make her do anything she doesn't want to. don't say 'I know you can do this' because that's not what it's about – it's whether she wants to do it. this might take years of patience (I'm not kidding) so good luck 🙂

No one I know has a dog because we're all students and can't keep pets. TPT is right – I should really be drawing something. I've decided to do something constructive and start researching for my essay for next semester 🙂 thankyou everyone!

I'm sorry – walking by myself just makes me feel really bad – I find the large open sky very intimidating and a reminder that I'm all alone. I know some people take comfort from that fact – like when looking up at a starry sky – but I just see a summing up of our insignificance and a potential meteor about to wipe out the earth 🙂

hahahaha, TJ – thankfully I think they all live slightly out of reach (desperately hoping that's the case anyway)

I don't know anyone with a dog 🙁

I'm in Dundee. I did check the cinema – all the films are crapola unfortunately
and (poor excuse here) I don't want to go biking or walking because I just get moody when left alone with my thoughts.

If I thought every time I bought something slightly unnecessary about all the homeless starving poor people that could have benefited from my money, then I'd get very very depressed very very quickly.

I personally would go to lunch (as long as I was fairly sure I'd enjoy the company) and give another £36 to a charity to assuage guilt.

If you really want to go for a ride, why not though – explain to your friends that you need to cheer yourself up.

if you're fairly decent, doing your test in dundee shouldn't be difficult. taking it in edinburgh though..

second the quality of NHS mental health services. most of the time they just couldn't be bothered (I'm not blaming them; there were more pressing, immediate issues than a depressed person). I had one nurse who was truly sympathetic to me in my whole experience of the system. I sought out private counselling after getting fed up of getting nowhere. Still took me long enough to find a good counsellor but was very much worth it.

Family and friends subject is quite hard; obviously everyone has very different experiences. I know my family cared very much about me but because none of them had ever experienced what I was going through they obviously couldn't understand. I now have a friend who has experienced similar issues and it is wonderful to be able to talk to someone who can truly empathise with those very low moments. The idea of hurting my friends and family was something that was sometimes even alluring to me – I sometimes saw suicide as an opportunity to spite everyone and give them a good kick in the teeth. No wonder I thought of myself as evil!

I would say that my experience of the Samaritans has unfortunately been pretty poor. I have personally found Breathing Space Scotland consistently better. Tel: 0800 83 85 87 in case anyone wants it

Muddydwarf – that sounds like a sad situation – being alone and not having much to do; it's not much of a surprise you feel very low. You might not want any suggestions, but I always thought the idea of helping others was a good way to feel a bit better – child mentoring or something like that. I personally could never get the motivation to do exercise or go biking when I felt crap but doing something small (going to a counselling meeting) each week was enough for me

When I feel lonely I think about this and try take heart from it:
"If you don't hunt then you don't eat. Sorry, but its a fact of life. At 40plus I saw her waiting for a tram. A little voice in my head said "That's the rest of your life standing there." Except I was too scared to do anything. But not too scared to go back every day for six weeks and not see her again. We met by accident in a different town. Didn't hesitate that time. Invited her to coffee which became dinner which became the rest of our lives. Ten years on and I still resent those six weeks we lost. Don't be timid. If the answer is no then its forgotten soon enough. If its yes then its great."

I personally find it bad enough if I walk on the street with music on and would never ride on the road with headphones on. But neither would I ever drive with headphones on. I just feel my senses are distracted too much and I wouldn't be able to hear sirens etc.

I accept however that it's down to your own judgement whether listening to loud music through earphones compromises your awareness of your surroundings or not. I certainly can't listen to music (properly listen – slightly different if it's just background music) and concentrate on my surroundings at a sufficient level for me to feel safe on the road!

"Amongst people under 35, more people die from suicide than in road traffic accidents."

I have attempted suicide twice (and overdosed purely as cries for help on a few other occasions) but both times I chose pills because I was frightened of the finality of a method like hanging. I didn't really want to die 100% but my frame of mind was such that if I had been told I was going to die (as a result of overdose) I wouldn't have minded all that much.
I don't actually know anyone who has committed suicide but I'm sure it will be emotionally 'interesting' if/when someone does.

Tastiest thing I ever had in a McDonald's was a carton of milk.. but the hash browns definitely have their place in 'greasy pleasures' 🙂

Our cats aren't very good at catching birds at all. bring in plenty of dopey rodents though.
no need to post but I like seeing other people's cats, awwwww

Many years ago, my younger brother pointed at a map and said 'daddy, is this where you work?' – My dad wasn't paying attention and said 'yes', so for years, my brother thought our dad commuted to Antarctica every day!

I really enjoyed last Christmas – I spent Christmas Eve with OH's family and then drove down from theirs Christmas morning (wonderfully quiet roads) and spent rest of day with own family. Two quite different experiences but both with lovely sets of people.
This year I can't do that and I think I'm gonna be rather sad about it 🙁

I've been a kitchen porter, laundry assistant, general domestic and waiting/dining assistant all in various care homes. Been a chambermaid for hotel run by a large company and at the moment I am an office cleaner.
Chambermaid probably the worst; closely followed by the dining assistant's job (far too much work for one person) Best, least stressful jobs would be current job or laundry assistant.
I wouldn't consider any of these jobs 'lowly' but neither would I use the term character building (some of them were soul destroying at times). It's just a job; sometimes I enjoy it. Interestingly, I've not really met many other students in the same line of work.

I took a lot of lessons to pass my test (over 40 hours) – but I didn't really get any practice in between, and it was drawn out for over a year. Not the cheapest way to do it but I found driving with my parents incredibly difficult.

My first lesson I was driving around a quiet neighbourhood in the first 10-15 minutes. My first instructor was of the 'you learn best by doing' camp. I had two other instructors who would show me umpteen diagrams and talk at length about the 6 different mental stages whilst approaching a roundabout whilst sat in the car.

My last (and best for me) instructor again felt it was best to just learn by doing/practice.
I paid between £18-£20 per hour (after introductory rates) depending on instructor