There are some things in life, that are a constant wonder or puzzlement - such as why Chinese takeaways have the little slidey hatch between the counter and kitchen, why 99 ice creams are called 99's and what makes women tick.

Does anyone else have any little mysteries they want to share with the world?

(23 Mar 2014, 11:59 am)Andreos Constantopolous wrote There are some things in life, that are a constant wonder or puzzlement - such as why Chinese takeaways have the little slidey hatch between the counter and kitchen, why 99 ice creams are called 99's and what makes women tick.

Does anyone else have any little mysteries they want to share with the world?

Thats one mystery that will never be solved my friend

• Traffic congestion before 6.30am in the Stanley area.
  
• Why people on buses and trains insist on placing their bag on the seat next to them, with no intention of moving it.
  
• Smokers being oblivious to the fact that it stinks.
  
• Davey Bowyer's hate of E400s.
  
• Why Adidas 'popper' tracksuit bottoms were popular.
  

(23 Mar 2014, 2:35 pm)aureolin wrote

• Why people on buses and trains insist on placing their bag on the seat next to them, with no intention of moving it.
  

So other people don't sit next to them!

(23 Mar 2014, 2:57 pm)Dan wrote So other people don't sit next to them!

If there's not a pair of seats empty on a bus, I tend to sit next to the person with the bulkiest bag. May just be me being awkward though.

The 1445 Arriva service 5A Darlington - Bishop Auckland mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth, despite arriving in Darlington as Service X66!

(23 Mar 2014, 2:35 pm)aureolin wrote

• Traffic congestion before 6.30am in the Stanley area.
  

Traffic congestion in and around Newcastle before 6 am

"The whereabouts of the 16.12 GNE 309 from Whitley Bay to Newcastle"
After waiting around for 40 minuets the 16.42 arrived on time.

(23 Mar 2014, 2:35 pm)aureolin wrote

• Traffic congestion before 6.30am in the Stanley area.

Granted, I'm not there around 6:30 am, but I work in Stanley and I have never encountered any major traffic congestion. I find it's one of the easiest places to travel to as the journey time is the same no matter when I leave. The only time it seems to get busy is between 3:00 and 4:00 pm when there is usually a tail-back from Oxhill traffic lights to the roundabout near the bus station, but, even then, the waiting time is never more than 5 minutes.

The only explanation I can come up with is that people must be desperate to leave the town in the morning (as it is quite dismal) - the earlier, the better, must be a common thought.

(23 Mar 2014, 2:35 pm)aureolin wrote

Why people on buses and trains insist on placing their bag on the seat next to them, with no intention of moving it.

I'm guilty of this when travelling on National Express or Megabus. I also glare at anyone thinking about sitting next to me with a look which suggests 'don't even think about it'. Obviously, if the bus full I have no choice and readily accept it, but this has only happened on one occasion. I guess this is mainly because I like my space. But it's also because I find it very difficult to sustain small-talk over a lengthy period - something which, for some reason, I feel obliged to do if someone's going to be sitting next to me for most of the day.

A couple of things is a mystery to me

Bellybutton fluff, where does it come from and

Socks...whenever I put a pair in the wash, it seems like only one comes out, is the fluff filter in a washing machine really just socks that the washer has decided to devour

Where all the traffic suddenly came from on the green bridge in Sunderland. Currently a free for all who can get in first - traffic lights mean nothing!

When nothing at all is funny, but you can't stop laughing.
I've just spent 15 minutes on the verge of wetting myself and a guy named "Willy" in the pizza shop just stared at me and my mate as if we had issues.

(12 Apr 2014, 7:56 pm)Dan wrote When nothing at all is funny, but you can't stop laughing.
I've just spent 15 minutes on the verge of wetting myself and a guy named "Willy" in the pizza shop just stared at me and my mate as if we had issues.

To be fair most people probably would. Simple things amuse simple minds and all that

(12 Apr 2014, 8:22 pm)tyresmoke wrote To be fair most people probably would. Simple things amuse simple minds and all that

Proudest moment when a bouncer laughed at me rolling!

I'd probably be the same hahah. :p

There was guy that gave us a 'educational' talk once at college, around teenage pregnancy. His name was Rick Stifter. Awkward!

(12 Apr 2014, 9:09 pm)aureolin wrote I'd probably be the same hahah. :p

There was guy that gave us a 'educational' talk once at college, around teenage pregnancy. His name was Rick Stifter. Awkward!

Great name...

I was always very immature at those subjects

(12 Apr 2014, 10:38 pm)marxistafozzski wrote Great name...

I was always very immature at those subjects

Some people in my form asked my form tutor if you can get fake vaginas when we were discussing the subject, that was hilarious, but got themselves in a bit of trouble.

(12 Apr 2014, 10:40 pm)Tom wrote Some people in my form asked my form tutor if you can get fake vaginas when we were discussing the subject, that was hilarious, but got themselves in a bit of trouble.

I once accompanied a young lad I know to the local community house so he could get some free jonnies, the woman had to explain how to put one on, there was me, I think I was 21 and the kid I was with was about 15, he was taking it seriously, I just completely lost it when the woman said 'when your willy gets hard'...I walked out that room in tears, I nearly pissed myself giggling like a child...The word willy always makes me giggle uncontrolably...even at 31 yrs old

(12 Apr 2014, 10:38 pm)marxistafozzski wrote I was always very immature at those subjects

I was in college the other week and I had to be in a group of 3 and my lecturer without thinking said "We can have a threesome"

We were laughing our heads off, whilst feeling embarrassed at the same time.

(12 Apr 2014, 10:40 pm)Tom wrote Some people in my form asked my form tutor if you can get fake vaginas when we were discussing the subject, that was hilarious, but got themselves in a bit of trouble.

Apparently you can get fake vaginas - a fact I learned from watching the film 8mm some time ago.

One of the greatest (note that it isn't a little one) mysteries, is how posts to the forum grind to a standstill once the clock strikes 10.

There's always a little flicker of activity an hour or two later, but after the evening rush - nowt. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Because most of them go to bed at 10pm.

Don't hear a peep from me these days after 8! All starts again at 5am though!

It's usually pretty quiet on non-news Sundays too, so I always find myself asking a few rhetorical questions in the GNE threads...

I've been up at 5 every day this week, so been in bed just after 9.

(15 May 2014, 5:25 am)aureolin wrote I've been up at 5 every day this week, so been in bed just after 9.

Aha, me too. Squeezing in more last minute revision!

(14 May 2014, 10:07 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote One of the greatest (note that it isn't a little one) mysteries, is how posts to the forum grind to a standstill once the clock strikes 10.

There's always a little flicker of activity an hour or two later, but after the evening rush - nowt. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

I always keep a tab up for the forum just in case any news comes in. It seems strange to me too how everything suddenly stops and you see like 15 users online, go make a cup of tea and then there's only 4.

Do buses have extremely sensitive brakes? Or do quite a handful of drivers have poor judgement?

(15 May 2014, 7:27 pm)aureolin wrote Do buses have extremely sensitive brakes? Or do quite a handful of drivers have poor judgement?

I think it's the latter

Although, when the Head of Humanities at my school was undergoing her PCV training about fifteen years ago with a Tyneside Independant and for fun they let her have a driver of a Decker, and she did it down a long test road.
She described it as harder than trying to land a plane on a runway.

(15 May 2014, 7:32 pm)Marcus wrote I think it's the latter

Although, when the Head of Humanities at my school was undergoing her PCV training about fifteen years ago with a Tyneside Independant and for fun they let her have a driver of a Decker, and she did it down a long test road.
She described it as harder than trying to land a plane on a runway.

It's not just me that always feels like I'm going to be flung head first through a windscreen then?

(15 May 2014, 7:27 pm)aureolin wrote Do buses have extremely sensitive brakes? Or do quite a handful of drivers have poor judgement?

Modern buses tend to brake on the retarder more and have a habit of the brakes biting at the last minute as you come to a stop... Pulsars are terrible for this and it's bloody annoying as a driver too!