Passports

[Johnny Kieran]

I remember getting nicked for being in a punch up at the Kent Arms, and ending up at Woolwich nick, then getting a telling off from a police woman for wearing me knife and spike. Only nipped ashore for a quick one, but others in there thought they would be "the quick one".

[j.sabourn]

Most seamen had a knife as a working tool , the favourite in my time was a Green River. JS
Crocodile Dundee would never have got away with his knife. JS

[James Curry]

He's a British actor, and usually talks a lot of sense.
What I do, and have always done if I'm afraid I might get mugged, stabbed, or generally attacked in any way, is avoid those areas and people altogether.

Not long ago he was being considered as a replacement for Daniel Craig (James Bond) Not sure how that would work? how would he blend into a crowd in Moscow?

[Austin Carl Largan]

#123

Point taken, however I would like to mention that I have a legal right to protect myself in West Palm Beach, this also applies to my home. If there are intruders I am entitled to protect myself and my property, with force if necessary without fear of legal recriminations. I have a house in Wales also and one time I made inquiries as to what one can do if one becomes aware of an intruder, as in burglar or whatever. I was told that I should prepare a secure and safe place, such as a room with a secure door fitted with bolts all round, and if ever threatened, to retire there forthwith and call the police. DON'T attempt to protect yourself as this could lead to me being prosecuted by the police and sued by the intruder. I prefer the West Palm Beach solution; anyone intruding into my home will be greeted with the action end of my 'people greeter'. I am also permitted to 'stand my ground' if attacked in the street.

Austin

[Austin Carl Largan]

#133

The answer to the Idris Elba question is easy. He would restrict his activities to 'Black Ops missions' only.

Austin

[Austin Carl Largan]

The Coconut Republic Passport.

One time when I was based in Trinidad......I had a friend from Norway who was assigned there to work with the United Nations. His problem was that when he reported to the office there in P.O.S. they were not aware of his transfer, did not know who he was and were definitely not expecting him. So while they sorted it all out he used to ride with me between P.O.S., San Fernando and Chagaramus, just to kill time and get some sightseeing in. The road to San Fernando passes through large coconut groves and the first time we entered one of them my friend suddenly shouts out "Stop.....stooooooop..." I thought he was about to throw up and pulled over quickly. He jumped out of the car, and running into the coconut grove, spread his arms out wide and shouted "Coconuts.....Coconuuuuuuuuuts". He had never seen a coconut tree before in all his life, as they are not too common in Norway. So he stood under a tree and had me take a photograph of him to send to his family. I advised him not to stand there for too long as he might just have found himself returning to his family in a long box.

There is a passport link to this story. His previous employer was the Norwegian Immigration service and his particular remit was reviewing the applications for political asylum, of which there were many. So I sounded him out as to what was his general policy towards the so called 'seekers'. His reply was that it was difficult to maintain an objective point of view in the light of the obvious lies, deception and fabrication prevalent on 99% of the applications. I remarked that it must have been difficult for him to maintain an unbiased view of the so called future citizens. He carefully, after some thought, nodded his general assent.

Austin

[Austin Carl Largan]

#132

J.S., I just don't believe this.......Crocodile Dundee could get away with anything, anywhere, any time.......

Austin

[j.sabourn]

#136 We spent a couple of weeks with Norwegian friends at their home in Flora very close to the Arctic circle . Hours of daylight was nearly non stop and the lighthouse stayed unlit. Fishing was bountiful and the fish used to jump on the baitless hooks, and most residents had a loft of fish drying out a years supply at a time. How the Trinidadians would have fitted in to this lifestyle would be hard to conjecture as was a total different way of life. Cheers JS.

[j.sabourn]

As to capital and corporal punishment I would vote to bring it back. If you are willing and able to plan and accomplish the murder of someone then you should expect the same to happen to you. All this tripe about getting the wrong person is miniscule compared with the animals walking around at large. JS
In 1991 when I came out here to live permanently we lived next door to a police sergeant of at the time the motorbike division. I asked him one day what to do if had an intruder in the house who was a menace to our lives. His answer was to protect yourself and he then said off the record , make sure he is dead before you call the police or he will sue you. I would have no hesitation in doing so to protect family and self , he then asked me if I had a firearm in the house and if so then use it , which I would do in any case regardless of the pussyfooters . JS…..

[Austin Carl Largan]

#138
J.S. When I was laying pipe (not a metaphore) in the North Sea, most of our deck ratings were ex Basque fishermen. When the Mackerel were shoaling in a feeding frenzy, they would cast multi hook, un-baited lines into the shoal and pull them out quickly: Every hook would have a Mackerel on it and as the line was retrieved, dozens of other fish from the shoal would leap out of the water trying to snap on. All that was needed was something silver and glittering in the water and they would go for it. On deck we had a large skillet on a tripod, held over an oxy/acetylene torch and they (the Basques) would gut the fish with one swift flick of a knife and toss him into the pan. They were so fresh that they would thrash around for a couple of seconds. The deck was littered with guts and most of them had a tiny, still beating heart attached. They did the same with the cod. Pull them up, gut them and straight into the pot. 5 minute old fish, straight out of the sea. I have never tasted any better fish, anywhere else in the world. I read stories of today's over-fished seas and see sad, old, supposed fresh fish with dull eyes in sunken sockets laying there in the ice tray in the supermarket and I think back to my days in the North Sea with nostalgia.

I have also seen Honduran fishermen hauling fish up onto the deck and after cutting the fillets off them, toss the body back into the sea, where it would swim off. I thought to myself, "man, that's heartless". But I guess when you are a fisherman you don't have time for the niceties.

I had to routinely visit a vessel we had out in a place called Cayo Arcas in Mexico, boring duty for the crew and all they did all day was to fish, with hand lines. They were all lined up in the fo'csle, Captain, Chief, Mates, cook and crew, all hand lining. I had never done anything like that before so I said "Let's have a go" The Captain gave me his line and I pulled on it for a while. Presently I felt what I thought was a bite and hauled it up. Sure enough, I had hooked a sucker fish, a Remora. I had no idea what it was so I asked if were any good. The Captain said, "Nooooo, no-one eats those, they are a sh*t eating fish, all they do is hang around the sh*t pipe all day waiting for someone to flush, the only person who does eat them is the Chief"
he said with a grin, jerking his thumb at the Cayman islander Chief, who was standing further down. Not missing a beat the Chief replied "It's not true Mr. Austin, they only eats the paper"

All the best

Austin