Where is everybody?

[JMC]

TBF to everyone, Yes, No or on the fence, 6pm on a week night was an awful slot for the meeting

'No' still managed to outnumber 'Yes' by close to 100 to 1 

Could that be because on the whole they are alot older and retired/around more in the day or a business only open till 5? (No offence intended on either side). The YES campaigners that i know of have young children or work at that time. Many people don't get home till at least 6.

[Belle Star]

TBF to everyone, Yes, No or on the fence, 6pm on a week night was an awful slot for the meeting

'No' still managed to outnumber 'Yes' by close to 100 to 1 

[Miss Marple]

TBF to everyone, Yes, No or on the fence, 6pm on a week night was an awful slot for the meeting

It was 5pm to start at 6pm and only room for 250 when full the doors would be locked !  Now that's what I call democracy in the 21st century !

[moorendman]

oh, dont smile O'Reilly


.........with apologies to fawlty Towers

[Miss Marple]

I have been in meeting after meeting today but just could not concentrate and have been clock watching desperate to get home and ask ......... Where were you on Wed Dave old boy ! Didn't see you supporting your 2 mates from the YES campaign ?   What's my old saying ? Oh yes ! Fantastic stuff is Arm Chair Socialism    lol

[Dave]

where are they all when it comes to turning out to show their support?

Dave, I'm sure that you witnessed or have read about the march which must have consisted of almost 1000 Marple people. Does that count?

[not posting as moderator]

Howard, I did not ask that question, I only tried to answer it! 

[HWL1973]

TBF to everyone, Yes, No or on the fence, 6pm on a week night was an awful slot for the meeting

[Howard]

where are they all when it comes to turning out to show their support?

Dave, I'm sure that you witnessed or have read about the march which must have consisted of almost 1000 Marple people. Does that count?

[not posting as moderator]

[sleepless]

The negative replies to this message seem to prove the point - those in favour of the supermarket seem to be more active and responsive than those against. 

[Dave]

I'm certainly not 'rubbishing' any petition, moorendman.    Indeed, I think it was you that pointed out that it doesn't matter where the signatories live, and I agree entirely with that.   I was only providing an answer to sleepless's question:

If 7,000 people have signed a petition against the supermarket where are they all when it comes to turning out to show their support? 

[moorendman]

Apathy is evenly spread across both sides of debate it would seem:

But only three people responded when he asked for a show of hands in support of a new supermarket.

From The Manchester Evening News report on the meeting.

I cannot understand why there is this constant need to rubbish a petition which clearly has a great deal of local support. Perhaps MIA could furnish Dave with a copy and he could personally validate the veracity and location of the signatories. The Yes campaign has managed 231 likes on its facebook page , so in the interests of balance, Dave, when you have finished establishing the accuracy of No petition you could undertake some cyber forensics to examine the facebook "likes" for duplicates and residency status.

[Dave]

OP writes 'If 7,000 people have signed a petition against the supermarket where are they all when it comes to turning out to show their support?  Or are they all sitting back and thinking somebody else will solve the problem for them?'
No, they're in Hyde, Glossop, New Mills, even Salford and Harpurhey, which according to MIA is where many petition signatories live. The 7,000 isn't all Marple residents, that's for sure! 

[Harry]

Well a lot of them will have been at home somewhere in Greater Manchester or Derbyshire.

What's been a real eye opener for me whilst collecting signatures in Marple is the amount of elderly people who make full use of their bus passes and come to Marple from Ashton, Denton, Glossop, Hyde Mossley, New Mills and countless other places to shop in our local shops ....

Many people sign a petition because they are asked to. Not because they have any interest in the subject.

[Rachael]

Well, I wanted to attend, but couldnt as I was working, Im sure it will be the same for many others from yes and no groups .

[sleepless]

The Yes Campaign must be taking great heart from the low turnout at Wednesday's meeting by No Campaigners who were hardly storming the doors to get in.  Same for the Rally in the Park.  If 7,000 people have signed a petition against the supermarket where are they all when it comes to turning out to show their support?  Or are they all sitting back and thinking somebody else will solve the problem for them?