Returned your Census Forms Yet?

[deptfordmarmoset]

I have done mine on foot as they were quite dense urban estates (houses and people!) but got a lovely rural round this afternoon which I will do on my bike.

When we get to phase 2 the houses should be further apart so may be more suited to the bike.

5 hours walking yesterday- proper bike ride this morning and out collecting on bike this afternoon. Should get my fitness up a bit.

I thought I was going to get 10 points for my I Spy Book of Census Collecting with my first ''hard'' refusal this afternoon, but the chap wouldn't go beyond ''I'm not cooperating'' and then, thinking about paying the fine, continuing, ''...but I'm not saying I won't do it either.'' Have the courage of your convictions, dear man! I was very disappointed in him - he went from an ''I'm a man of principle'' stance to ''In principle, I'm a man of principle...'' stance in a sentence.


Good luck with the rural round - it's been enjoyable enough in the sunlit streets of SE London, a bit of a country ride must be brilliant - particularly once you've got rid of those ''Dover bags'' which try to throw you off your bike under braking or while navigating corners....

Meanwhile, I'm getting more exercise from climbing stairs than from cycling but, hey, it's not raining!

 

[Over The Hill]

I thought I was going to get 10 points for my I Spy Book of Census Collecting with my first ''hard'' refusal this afternoon, but the chap wouldn't go beyond ''I'm not cooperating'' and then, thinking about paying the fine, continuing, ''...but I'm not saying I won't do it either.'' Have the courage of your convictions, dear man! I was very disappointed in him - he went from an ''I'm a man of principle'' stance to ''In principle, I'm a man of principle...'' stance in a sentence.


Good luck with the rural round - it's been enjoyable enough in the sunlit streets of SE London, a bit of a country ride must be brilliant - particularly once you've got rid of those ''Dover bags'' which try to throw you off your bike under braking or while navigating corners....

Meanwhile, I'm getting more exercise from climbing stairs than from cycling but, hey, it's not raining!

Yes same here no hard refusals yet. Certainly a 10 pointer when you do.

Nothing very exciting actually, few replacement forms, one continuation and a few empty houses and that is about it.
Event the grotty end of town has been fine.

Lovely afternoon out yesterday on the bike doing my rural round. Much easier than car as i can cut through bridle paths and right up the drive.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Are we supposed to be putting this on an internet forum ?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Are we supposed to be putting this on an internet forum ?

I don't think we're breaching any confidentiality clause here, are we? There actually is a local issue that I believe is of public interest that I'm not allowed to talk about, however, as long as there's no names or detailed procedures being mentioned on the forum, I don't see that it applies.

 

[summerdays]

I'm interested and I don't think you are giving anything away...? How do you know an empty house is empty and just not answering the door? Do you have to ask the neighbours?

 

[on the road]

Do you get commission for every form you collect?

Are you keeping a league table of who collects the most forms?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Do you get commission for every form you collect?

Are you keeping a league table of who collects the most forms?

Commission? Chance would be a fine thing! I suppose in a roundabout kind of way, councils get a sort of commission in the form of government funding for how many forms get returned. So if an area turns out to have, say, a particularly high number of young children, there should be a corresponding increase in funding for childcare facilites and education, etc.

Just because we're called census collectors doesn't actually mean we collect many forms. On the rare occasion that someone has a form all ready to go, we take them directly to the nearest post box.

 

[summerdays]

Question for the census collectors ... I'm responsible for a neighbours house whilst they are away (for 6 months), due back very soon. And when I checked the post they have both the questionnaire and a note saying that they hadn't filled in the form. Should I contact my neighbours and get them to fill it out (I would have to open the letter and get the code for them, so they could do it on the internet) or does it not matter if the house is vacant on the night in question anyway?

 

[Over The Hill]

Are we supposed to be putting this on an internet forum ?

I think we are OK as long as we are dealing in general terms with no specifics.

 

[Over The Hill]

Question for the census collectors ... I'm responsible for a neighbours house whilst they are away (for 6 months), due back very soon. And when I checked the post they have both the questionnaire and a note saying that they hadn't filled in the form. Should I contact my neighbours and get them to fill it out (I would have to open the letter and get the code for them, so they could do it on the internet) or does it not matter if the house is vacant on the night in question anyway?

I think it would be a good idea to do the form for them. If you are looking after the house then it is perhaps part of that role after all the envelope is not addressed to the owners.

I cannot remember how it goes but it should be quite short to fill in as unoccupied.

If not the house will remain on the list and keep getting visits for the next three weeks.

 

[summerdays]

I think it would be a good idea to do the form for them. If you are looking after the house then it is perhaps part of that role after all the envelope is not addressed to the owners.

I cannot remember how it goes but it should be quite short to fill in as unoccupied.

If not the house will remain on the list and keep getting visits for the next three weeks.

They should be back in that time period .... so they should be able to fill it in... I will send them an email asking them if they want me to open it (as then it would stop the poor person having to call - or is that a good thing from their pay packet point of view?).

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Question for the census collectors ... I'm responsible for a neighbours house whilst they are away (for 6 months), due back very soon. And when I checked the post they have both the questionnaire and a note saying that they hadn't filled in the form. Should I contact my neighbours and get them to fill it out (I would have to open the letter and get the code for them, so they could do it on the internet) or does it not matter if the house is vacant on the night in question anyway?

The property was vacant on 27 March so it will eventually go down as a vacant property. The problem is that the census collector will not know this - they can only mark it down as not having established contact. Can you leave a ''Please call at No X next door'' note? When the collectors make their next pass, they can see whether they can catch you in and remove it from their list.