Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I am seeing little flare-ups between people on the forums. I understand why. We have not seen a potential pandemic of this magnitude since the 1910's. So for many of us, this is new territory.

This will impact all of us differently. Everyone is a little frazzled, annoyed, scared, angry, and want to blame someone.

To provide an example, this is my life during the pandemic:

• I am in good health and in my 50s, so I am minimal risk from the virus.
• I am working remotely and dealing with isolation.
• I have seen a large portion of my retirement savings disappear and wonder how I will recover.
• I have family who has lost their jobs and income due to this
• My parents are both in their 80s and have underlying health issues. For them the virus is real.
• My daughter and son-in-law work in a level 1 trauma center and are in the middle of the storm. For them the virus is real.

Each of us has similar stories. Each of us will be impacted. Each of us will have to deal with this new normal.

I have a couple of requests during this time:

• Stop the dark humor that makes fun of the virus.
• Have more patience for others.
• Give people some breathing room for mistakes.

During these trying times, please be patient with others.

This is just beginning and will be going on for the next 12 to 18 months. Please be civil and helpful to one another.

thank you,

jeff

For those of us in Europe here’s a message from the artist David Hockney, It’s the start of spring here but the sentiment works wherever you are



They can’t cancel Spring


Things will get better, but in the meantime be kind and understanding.

I’m sorry but I disagree with your stance on black humour. Talk to any police officer, fire brigade officer, ambulance staff, servicemen in Afghan or Iraq and they’ll all tell you that black humour gets them though it. Having a laugh in the face of adversity is more beneficial than letting things get you down. The benefits will hugely outweigh the downside.

I believe you’ve said in the past if you don’t like a topic then don’t read it, same applies IMHO.

Gallows humour does not work for everyone, Steve. Especially if you aren't face to face and cannot judge the social context, as is the case on an internet forum. So let "Silence be Guilden", as your signature has it.

+1 to SpyderFan.

That’s what smilies and emojis are for.

elanfan1 wrote:I’m sorry but I disagree with your stance on black humour. Talk to any police officer, fire brigade officer, ambulance staff, servicemen in Afghan or Iraq and they’ll all tell you that black humour gets them though it. Having a laugh in the face of adversity is more beneficial than letting things get you down. The benefits will hugely outweigh the downside.

I believe you’ve said in the past if you don’t like a topic then don’t read it, same applies IMHO.

I appreciate your directness. I have family members who are police officers, doctors, and nurses. I am aware of the use of dark humor to help deal with the trauma of seeing death and trauma every day. The use of dark humor is used in private and with similar individuals. It is never used in public settings where people will not understand it or be upset by it.

This forum is a public setting. Your use of dark humor will upset people who have family members who are dying with the virus. Be respectful of other people's situations in life.

Have a laugh of the adversity in private. Have a laugh at the craziness of the media in private. Have a laugh at the people buying all the toilet paper for respiratory illness in private. Have a laugh about me in private.

When you come to the forum, be respectful and understanding of what people could be going through.

My stance is if you don't like something move on. I also believe you do not need to be an ass just because you can.

black, jewish and english humour are similiar - BUT they never designed to hurt your peers - so this is a LOTUS website and has nothing to do with politics or personal judgement - stick to your cars, parts etcc.... and forget your useless PM BORIS!!!!!!!!!!! sandy

el-saturn wrote:black, jewish and english humour are similiar - BUT they never designed to hurt your peers - so this is a LOTUS website and has nothing to do with politics or personal judgement - stick to your cars, parts etcc.... and forget your useless PM BORIS!!!!!!!!!!! sandy

No politics or personal judgement eh Sandy? You nailed it

Isn't the reason that we're all here is because we share a common interest in something that is FUN? That should be the guiding spirit.

I think this weekend I will have some fun making progress toward getting my engine back together. The sense of accomplishment sure will be fun! And I might just come here to talk about it.

I, fer one again. Don’t believe humanity should have, ever been different.
Kindness, is Humans Being
As we are, Humanbeings.
Just be

We all take our cues from those with the gold, or those in power. We have evolved a bit since cave times. Is it exponential. Nope.
Exponential is understanding how to LISTEN
Don’t have an opinion (except for the correct way to connect polarity, or chase threads, or the amazing knowledge bestowed within your ears about the cars we care about)

Your thoughts dont matter, what matters is you CARE

Love each other, as we all are brothers and sisters.

Gargle your warm salt water, and prey to your VERY own god, it is not a air born virus!

The four A’s are what’s needed

Appreciate
Accept
Apologize
Acknowledge

We all do our best

Love

My younger son recently joked that he hoped I got a discount at the opticians on a recent eye test (I lost my left eye to cancer last year) I thought it was funny, but appreciate many would not.
These are unprecedented times, I think Boris & Co are doing the best they can, although there are lots of things that are not joined up and still need work. My wife is panicking as supermarket shelves are bare and we can't get online deliveries (we are meant to be in self-isolation due to my advancing cancer and type 1 diabetes).
Assuming we manage not to starve, I'm sure my family and most of the rest of the world will survive, albeit with the trauma of interrupted education (two of my children) threat of job losses and significantly impacted pensions and savings (which will probably recover in a couple of years). However, it is probably a good time to buy that next Lotus!
Keep the humour coming, but warn when it may not be to everyone's taste.

Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself.

Tim

Jeff, it's a perfectly reasonable request and I for one will try to be more thoughtful and respectful.
However, as a doctor, I'm worried that if I cut out the black humour I'll have nothing to say......

Well; I've completely missed the posts referred to; unfortunately that's not the only thing I missed today. I've been replacing the felt on my shed roof today; must have knocked in several hundred nails, every single one a direct hit; then I went to do a job on the S4 which required a single hammer blow on a punch to knock a pin out.
I missed....... and hit my thumb a mighty blow, damn it hurt and is still red and throbbing several hours later.
Lotus humour! Chill guys.

As there is virtually no traffic on the roads around here in these strange times, my mission tomorrow is to drive into Manchester (a big city) along roads which were in place when the Elan was designed and to photograph things which were there when I used my first one as an everyday driver (1975) to get to work along many streets which have now been "pedestrianised". There is a chance I'll be "talked to" by people wearing uniforms, and who are ill-informed about the current restrictions, if this happens I'll endeavour to avoid incarceration. If I manage to get a decent set of photos I'll post a link. My rear number-plate might be accidentally obscured; the front one, thanks to Ron Hickman, is well hidden from surveillance cameras.

Now; how's that for thread drift?