Yes, BP have utterly failed in the PR exercise to win hearts and minds. Every move by the top has been utterly ill judged and ill redeeming.

Their terrible safety record goes back many years - I worked for them at BP Saltend and Grangemouth back in in the late 1990's. There was a focus on personal protective equipment i.e. proban overalls, safety goggles and boots. Also the usual near misses and safety stats by HSE wankers.

Meanwhile, in-process inspections on live process equipment was discarded as too costly. They ain't in the same league as Shell on this, who are miles above BP. Incidently, BP have been desperately recruiting inspection engineers in the last couple of weeks in attempt to give the impression they are focused on the integrity of their process plant.

And as a reminder to the Americans here, BP no longer stands for 'British', this was discarded in the last name change, so don't blame us. BP has effectively used the lobbying system in the US to ensure safety equipment at the well head was not mandatory.

Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2010-06-20 08:02:28)

Formby, I wouldn't have crewed an early Sea Shepherd voyage, bought Julia Butterfly's sleeping bag and practiced several chapters of A FIELD GIUIDE TO MONKEYWRENCHING VOLUME III if I was not aware.
Sammy, there was a reason french was the language of diplomacy and not english.
I am guilty of imprecision not sentiment. Some of the gems I've gleaned from the web include " The Queen is  majority stockholder in BP (some substitute Thatcher) and through some miracle of clairvoyance the posters are privy to her conversations, which to whit run " It blew up in America, let the americans clean it up." You are dealing with people who's entire world view of the UK comes from Masterpiece theater  and two brits in union jack briefs posing as two 'lords' wrestling the undertaker.
I watched UNFORGIVEN last night, the final scene my favourite for interpersonal problem resolution. Richard Harris played 'English Bob' and received the same jingoism as Tony and was thrashed by Gene Hackman. That is what I am trying to explain, to share and why our late artist chose his exit time badly.

"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum AGREED to have  fight."
Had I only known: I would have borrowed the questing knight's amour.

'Ol Tony's just a rough-and-tumble, salt of the earth, yacht-owning plain fellah, and we Yankee rustics should know better than to think of him as a clueless, incompetent, woefully out-of-touch rich person.

http://www.examiner.com/x-55063-Media--Culture-Examiner~y2010m6d20-BP-CEO-Tony-Hayward-enjoys-yacht-race--no-relief-for-Gulf-coast-residents

I feel like Billy Bud reprieved from hanging because Sammy magnanimously let me off. I made a comment and you form the british square . The resulting manuever takes me back to a warm night In Santa Cruz with the first influx of Punk Rockers scaring all the balding hippies. Yes, another great movie- Lets do the time warp again.

Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2010-06-21 03:12:44)

Charles Heston told of a night out with Gary Cooper. A bunch of rowdy young men at a table turned as they walked past. One made a crack about cowboys to the Coop.Gary turned, looked him in the eye and said "smile when you say that." The heckler  cowered with his face lowered.
It took place in London. I was hesitant to mention this. I really am more anglophile than phobe; the whiskey, clothing, Gilbert and Sullivan, Dianna Rigg, easilly provoked forum members, vintage Rolls Royces, Murder Mysteries, Mitchell's Wool Fat shaving soap, Hackney ponys..........

Last edited by ckav (2010-06-21 13:04:01)