It's 'wheelie' No Buisness Of Theirs Is It?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2295103/Are-straight-gay-bisexual-The-curious-question-asked-council-survey-WHEELIE-BINS.html

[Baldric]

I assume they've got a load of Pink Bins they want to get rid of!

[DangerUXD]

you couldn't make it up!

[emmie]

perhaps one should tell them to bin off,

[starone]

What a cheek! Someone should be being reprimanded for this. It is no business of anyone else what sexual preferences one has.

[Old_Geezer]

They were probably bin curious.

And anyway, maybe one group is more inclined to do what the council tell them without question. Could be useful.

[lumination]

i used to work for a council and i do remember this question. Also used to ask race i think???
its just to see if the bin men are targetting some people, the question can come across as intrusive but on the other hand i can why its asked as in some places it has happened before...

[ll_billym]

To be fair there is a box for 'Prefer not to say'.

[chrisgel]

I think their excuse was that they wanted to be sure they got a representative cross section of people. However they have been warned about this before.

[sp1814]

AOG

AOG

This is the reason why councils ask about sexual orientation in mail shots.

The census happens every ten years, and whilst this can provide guidance to local authorities with regards to local amenities, ten years is a very long time to wait to collect data.

Now, forget about the wheelie bins for a moment - the form was simply a useful way for the council to poll as many people as it could in one go.

And why?

Because it helps the planning department for a start.

A council will want to know how to plan and adjust school placements. Areas of Brighton (which has a high gay and lesbian population), will recognise that they will not have such a high demand for primary school placements in those areas, because a much smaller percentage of gay couples have kids (compared to their straight counterparts).

It could also help councils decide whether funding for local initiatives (eg.
Food Chain) makes sense, based on the demographic of the local population.

It's all down to demographics. Data helps councils decide whether a second Mosque can be build by the roundabout (based on the number of residents that tick 'Muslim' as their religion.

Data also helps councils decide on the number of care workers it needs, depending on the age bracket residents say they are in.

I think it's just data collection, nothing more sinister than that.

[youngmafbog]

I'm sure you are right SP, but it is not perhaps the best way to collect the data. Things like this do get peoples backs up and then how valid is the data?

My council operates online surveys which I am signed up to. The problem there is that you probably don't get a full x-section of society.

A case of damned if you do and damned if you don't I suspect.

[Quizmonkey]

It was reported in the DAILY MAIL. Nuff said.

[WELSHYORKIE]

Surprises me that there isn't an 'All of the above' box

[anotheoldgit]

Quizmonkey

/// It was reported in the DAILY MAIL. Nuff said. ///

And we all know that they shouldn't report on such things, especially when it contains such passages as;

*** Former Tory councillor Peter Smallbone said: 'The survey doesn't ask whether you want one [a wheelie bin], but does ask about sexual orientation.

'It's typical pointless lefty nonsense,' he said. ***

[anotheoldgit]

Quizmonkey

Any better?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/er-why-birmingham-council-wheelie-bin-survey-asks-are-you-gay-straight-or-bisexual-8540699.html