Son Of Boaty

A couple of years ago we had the "Boaty McBoatface" scandal, when the public voted to give that name to a polar exploration ship ....

RRS Sir David Attenborough ... A Very 'Worthy' Name ...

..... but the snotty powers that be refused to accept the democratic vote (how familiar that sounds as Brexit approaches .... or not), and renamed the ship the Sir David Attenborough.

Son of Boaty McBoatface - 'Gritty McGritface'

Well a new public vote has led to the creation of "Gritty McGritface" .... after Shropshire Council has allowed residents to name its 24 gritters. Amongst the best of the winners were "Gritney Spears", "David Plowie" and "Usain Salt", and "Gritty McGritface" will be gritting the roads alongside them all, this winter.

More than 2,000 residents voted for their favourite gritter name, and other winners were "Gritty Gritty Bang Bang", "Frosty the Snow Van" and "Spready Mercury". Losers included "Wilfred Snowen", "Nicole Saltslinger", "Chairman Plough" and "Bob". Pity about Bob, I like that one.

Its not always a good idea to hold a public poll on things  ....

• In 2010 a poll amongst his fans ('beliebers' I believe, or is that bleeding idiots?), to decide a new tour destination for the singer Justin Bieber, resulted in North Korea taking the top spot - his fans were too stupid to realise that North Koreans can't see Western music. Needless to say, he didn't go.
• In 2012 Walmart held a Facebook contest to nominate a concert venue in any city where there is a Walmart store to be played by rapper 'Pitbull', Website 'Something Awful' (a comedy website), hijacked the poll, and launched a campaign encouraging people to vote for the city of Kodiak in Alaska. However Pitbull was made of sterner stuff, and he released a video acknowledging that the result was because of a joke, but added: "I will travel anywhere in the world for my fans." .... He honoured the result and flew out to chilly Kodiak and played the concert.  

...... but if you do, then it behoves you to accept the result.