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Strange questions that sometimes need answering (or not asking in the first place really).

Bowser said:
You'd think MJ could have splashed out on a B&M.
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Funnily enough, I remember saying something similar a few years ago.

If I had that much money (and space), I might have built some more ambitious rides - but, then again, building thrill rides may have attracted rowdy teenagers rather than families and sick children.

I remember hearing speculation that the West Midlands Safari Park removed Cobra in part because they didn't want boisterous teenagers potentially causing trouble around animals.
 
Secret Weapon said:
Funnily enough, I remember saying something similar a few years ago.

If I had that much money (and space), I might have built some more ambitious rides - but, then again, building thrill rides may have attracted rowdy teenagers rather than families and sick children.

I remember hearing speculation that the West Midlands Safari Park removed Cobra in part because they didn't want boisterous teenagers potentially causing trouble around animals.
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You do realise that Neverland Ranch wasn't actually open to the paying public, don't you? It was for his (and his invited guests) personal enjoyment.

Jackson controlled exactly who came onto the property. Building a B&M invert wouldn't have "attracted rowdy teenagers", because teenagers couldn't just buy a ticket and wander in. The guest list was entirely at his personal discretion and famously... specific.

I think you're also vastly misunderstanding the private wealth of musicians, especially in 1990s and (importantly) their access to capital.

Whilst Jackson's net worth was astronomical, it was largely tied up in highly illiquid assets (namely the ATV / Sony music publishing catalogue and the real estate of the ranch itself). Buying an off the shelf Zamperla family coaster is one thing. Commissioning a $10 million custom B&M, paying for the massive civil engineering required to build it and then funding the exorbitant ongoing OpEx just to cycle it a few times a week for your invited guests is a completely different financial reality.

Even the King of Pop had a credit limit.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
You do realise that Neverland Ranch wasn't actually open to the paying public, don't you?
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You're right: I've just checked, and apparently they were unable to open it to the general public due to zoning restrictions (other than a handful of specific special occasions).

It seems that Michael Jackson wanted to open it to the public, though (according to the link below).

I wonder if he knew this before he bought it? I get the feeling that he didn't, because why else would he have kept trying to open it publicly? It's unfortunate, because I think the theme park could have been successful if paying guests had been allowed.

Even if he didn't have much cash available himself, he could have taken the Silicon Valley approach* of using his name to attract investors into the project (although this could have ended badly if the allegations against him were still made in this alternate timeline).

(*Elon Musk is a famous exception to this rule, as he actually used his own money - rather than investors' - to fund his third big project: SpaceX)

[On a sidenote: Neverland is an interesting choice of name, because I remember hearing that Peter Pan is one of the few (if not only) old British books that it is not in the public domain, as the profits from the book go to charity - but maybe this restriction doesn't apply in the USA?]

Maybe he should have built more rides around his music videos, such as a dark ride or scare maze around Thriller, a duelling coaster around Black or White**, a wooden coaster around Leave me Alone, a hall of mirrors for Man in the Mirror, a launched coaster for Speed Demon, etc

(**You could rig the ride so that the black and white trains arrive into the station at the same time, with the voiceover announcing that "it don't matter if you're black or white!")

www.cosmopolitan.com

Here's what happened to Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch

The price was recently slashed by $70 million
www.cosmopolitan.com www.cosmopolitan.com
 
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Petrol prices

I am very aware of 2 facts here. 1, some one dedicated to piece and lowering prices, is currently at war and making prices sky rocket and 2, someone will know the answer and I will have to concentrate really hard and try and read their reply. HOWEVER,

In my time on earth, motorway services have always had high fuel pricing. What I don't get now small village petrol stations charging high amounts.

On my round. 1 road in Rotherham has 3 petrol stations. Diesel prices are as follows £1.79. £1.58. £1.59. all withing 1/2 mile of each other.

How in earth can one charge such a high price, when the 2 further down seems to be holding a good price considering. The high price station, rocketed pricing up the Monday after the first attack by the Israelis and the USA.

Ive seen so many random prices driving around SURELY the government can step.and go. "Now listen, stop that. It's silly."
 
It is really random currently. There are two ASDA garages in my town, one has unleaded for 139.7p and the other for 147.9p, why?
Fuelmap.co.uk is very useful if you want to compare prices in your area.
 
Apparently it all comes down to the price of this delivery, and the likely price of the next one, at the petrol station.
The higher price either...
1. Has little competition locally so can get away with charging a bit more, or
2. Has had a more recent tankerful at a much higher price, with a warning of higher charges to follow on top of the current increase.

Asda has generally charged more recently where there is little competition, ever since the Isa brothers waded in.
They have to pay for their debt somehow.
 
It's blizzare. 3 in Castleford that always compete, one seems to have broken ranks and gone up.

I have a theory. Those that are closed to the motorway seem to have upped the price the most.
 
You can always rely on our government (of various colours) never to do much about petrol retailers ripping people off. The government spent ages coming to the conclusion that they've been ripping us off over the last several years, then have done nothing about it. We're now in the midst of another situation where it actively, right now, could be rife, and I'm seeing them not really do anything. But then, the government do get more tax money from higher petrol prices in total at the pump, if I'm correct (I know that around 55% of the fuel price we pay at the pump goes straight to the government through tax anyway)?

But anyway, none of this matters, because surely Labour will be getting the money back for us by having a stealth tax on Shell and BP just like they were screaming for the Tories to implement several years ago when there a was a massive price spike (I kind of understand why they didn't but Labour shouldn't pretend they didn't understand that too before calling for it)...
 
Trump has already defended the price hike in America by saying it's making us richer. I.e me and my mates.

It needs sorting now. After it reached £2 a litre when Putin kicked off. Everyone in parliament should have said no more.
 
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