What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[maxxo]

Taxis

had to admit defeat to walking home from the pub tonight as the pavements are like glass and I’d already fell on my arse

rang the local company

a lovely warm 12 plate Mondeo arrived 10 mins later with a very friendly driver and I paid the sum of £3.80 to get home safe

lovely jubbly 

worth every penny 

will use again

[Floatylight]

  On 11/01/2025 at 00:27, maxxo said:

Taxis

had to admit defeat to walking home from the pub tonight as the pavements are like glass and I’d already fell on my arse

rang the local company

a lovely warm 12 plate Mondeo arrived 10 mins later with a very friendly driver and I paid the sum of £3.80 to get home safe

lovely jubbly 

worth every penny 

will use again

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£3.80!!!!! Round here it's almost a tenner to do 1.5 miles!

[reb]

  On 11/01/2025 at 02:35, Floatylight said:

£3.80!!!!! Round here it's almost a tenner to do 1.5 miles!

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Given it was a 12 plate we can't rule out the possibility that when he slipped he hit his head and did a Life On Mars

[reb]

I've been trying to spend less money so far this year, prompted by realising I should have far more cash than I do. Part of this has involved identifying things that I "need to buy" but actually already have something that will do the job.

"Need": New TV

Reality: current TV is a decade old and, other than that one time it wouldn't switch on, is going strong. New TV would probably last 3 years then leave me TV-less

"Need": Soundbar

Reality: the guy who lived here before me (with the flatmate I had when I first moved in) left behind a pretty high end Samsung soundbar that I'd shoved behind the sofa. I even managed to find the power adapter (which was somewhat suspiciously sat at the top of a bag for life full of tat) so all I needed to buy was one of those weird toslink optical cables

"Need": bluray player

Reality: PS3 continues to do sterling work as a dvd and bluray player. I'll probably still buy a dedicated one at some point, as the interface is a bit annoying (particularly since the controller died and I'm relying on a USB keyboard which works but is clearly not ideal) and with it being top loading I can't put it in the TV unit so it's sitting awkwardly on the floor

"Need": to continue filling every available surface with books

Reality: ok I used this one to justify spending a bit of money. Bought a Kobo ereader so that I can take advantage of the internet being full of public domain and otherwise free ebooks. I'll probably continue to buy books, but only when I find something interesting and cheap in the charity shop.

[Metal Guru]

  On 11/01/2025 at 06:26, reb said:

I've been trying to spend less money so far this year, prompted by realising I should have far more cash than I do. Part of this has involved identifying things that I "need to buy" but actually already have something that will do the job.

"Need": New TV

Reality: current TV is a decade old and, other than that one time it wouldn't switch on, is going strong. New TV would probably last 3 years then leave me TV-less

"Need": Soundbar

Reality: the guy who lived here before me (with the flatmate I had when I first moved in) left behind a pretty high end Samsung soundbar that I'd shoved behind the sofa. I even managed to find the power adapter (which was somewhat suspiciously sat at the top of a bag for life full of tat) so all I needed to buy was one of those weird toslink optical cables

"Need": bluray player

Reality: PS3 continues to do sterling work as a dvd and bluray player. I'll probably still buy a dedicated one at some point, as the interface is a bit annoying (particularly since the controller died and I'm relying on a USB keyboard which works but is clearly not ideal) and with it being top loading I can't put it in the TV unit so it's sitting awkwardly on the floor

"Need": to continue filling every available surface with books

Reality: ok I used this one to justify spending a bit of money. Bought a Kobo ereader so that I can take advantage of the internet being full of public domain and otherwise free ebooks. I'll probably continue to buy books, but only when I find something interesting and cheap in the charity shop.

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Currently going through my mother’s possessions as she died just before Xmas, I’m going to try to avoid acquiring things I don’t really need because it just ends up as rubbish for your children to get rid of.

[horriblemercedes]

  On 11/01/2025 at 07:36, Metal Guru said:

Currently going through my mother’s possessions as she died just before Xmas, I’m going to try to avoid acquiring things I don’t really need because it just ends up as rubbish for your children to get rid of.

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My dad was a real hoarder - it was hell trying to get rid of his stuff. It made me determined to have more of a minimalist approach to possessions 

[reb]

  On 11/01/2025 at 07:36, Metal Guru said:

Currently going through my mother’s possessions as she died just before Xmas, I’m going to try to avoid acquiring things I don’t really need because it just ends up as rubbish for your children to get rid of.

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Part of my long term plan is to simplify my possessions such that it'll be easier for whoever is dealing with it after I die.

If I have kids I'll instruct them to keep anything they want, send books to the charity shop, electronics to the recycler, then chuck everything else in a skip. Even the useful shit I own is just mass produced tat anyway.

[New POD]

  On 11/01/2025 at 07:36, Metal Guru said:

Currently going through my mother’s possessions as she died just before Xmas, I’m going to try to avoid acquiring things I don’t really need because it just ends up as rubbish for your children to get rid of.

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My mum's plans once my Dad dies (he's in Palitive care and has only days left if that) is to sell up, get a small flat and reduce the stuff to.the bare minimum.  She's always been.a bit ruthless.  Helped us move house by saying 1000 times.  "This. I've never seen you use it. Why are you keeping it? "

It's one reason why I gave away the ikea cutlery, and got out the silver that until that point was a Christmas only thing.  

It's always interesting if you rent a cottage for the weekend and look at what equipment you actually use in the kitchen.  

[Supernaut]

  On 11/01/2025 at 07:50, horriblemercedes said:

My dad was a real hoarder - it was hell trying to get rid of his stuff. It made me determined to have more of a minimalist approach to possessions 

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Living with my parents at the moment is making this abundently clear.

My dad has managed to fill two large farm sheds with complete and utter junk, sorry, I mean "things that might be useful". Meanwhile the four bedroom farmhouse doesn't have a single square inch of wall or flat surface that isn't covered in stuff.

 

[comfortablynumb]

Since dad died a couple of years ago, mum has taken it into her head to start clearing stuff out, notably the garage.

Every time someone goes down to hers, they take whatever it is that she's sorted out that time.

I have two rules on this;

1, tools, drills, workbench are to stay with her, when we need to work on the house I don't want to be dragging tools 88 miles to find out I didn't bring the right one.

2, take whatever she's sorted out, at 91 nearly it's hard work for her, and we've adopted a ' take it away and we'll sort it at home' approach, which keeps her happy. Also makes sure she's not inadvertently chucked something she should be keeping, although she's still sharp as a tack 😁

Edited January 11 by comfortablynumb
Spelllllling

[myglaren]

  On 11/01/2025 at 06:26, reb said:

Reality: ok I used this one to justify spending a bit of money. Bought a Kobo ereader so that I can take advantage of the internet being full of public domain and otherwise free ebooks. I'll probably continue to buy books, but only when I find something interesting and cheap in the charity shop.

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I use a thing called Bookbub, have a daily email from them with half a dozen discounted books, mostly £0.99p or £0.00.

Mainly Kindl but Kobo is catered for too.

If you sign up and have an account with them you can tailor your recommendations to suit your reading tastes.  Mine is predominantly Scandi stuff.  I buy several every week.  Read Kindl books on my phone.

I must join the sling it out crowd, I have tons of stuff I will never use, just in case it might come in useful.

[Markeh]

  On 11/01/2025 at 06:26, reb said:

Reality: current TV is a decade old and, other than that one time it wouldn't switch on, is going strong. New TV would probably last 3 years then leave me TV-less

Reality: PS3 continues to do sterling work as a dvd and bluray player. I'll probably still buy a dedicated one at some point, as the interface is a bit annoying (particularly since the controller died and I'm relying on a USB keyboard which works but is clearly not ideal) and with it being top loading I can't put it in the TV unit so it's sitting awkwardly on the floor

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Richer Sounds 6 year warranty and PS3 media remotes are available.

[auntiemaryscanary]

  On 11/01/2025 at 07:50, horriblemercedes said:

My dad was a real hoarder - it was hell trying to get rid of his stuff. It made me determined to have more of a minimalist approach to possessions 

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So was my dad unfortunately. Although we got rid of some stuff via the scrap man, charity shop, tip and car boot 95%+ of his stuff completely filled one of these

It was a somewhat depressing experience.

Whilst I haven't filled the family home with shit things I have to be careful not to go the same way. Whilst a fair bit of stuff in the mainly ordered garage and 2 sheds is family/household stuff (garden furniture, gazebo, kids bikes, fans, dehumidifier etc) I am accumulating a lot of "that will come in handy" crap and tools/things.

So to go no further on the slippery slope I'm having a serous prune. Stuff is falling into 4 categories: 1) gumtree 2) car boot 3) charity shop 4) tip.

Yes, my kids will eventually have to deal with some of me and the wife's stuff they won't need a f-ing 40 yard RoRo skip.

[Tayne]

Humans may just be programmed to posses and hoard, I’ve had to clear a deceased estate but I’ll still admit I own to much stuff. 

[hairnet]

Yow

You might make morocco if tou had a parasail lmao

Velefique ftw

 

R4 damn missed lmao

[hairnet]

Further down

 

^^^^ this is why i have auto

[High Jetter]

  On 11/01/2025 at 00:27, maxxo said:

paid the sum of £3.80 to get home safe

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That is seriously cheep, it's about the start rate here. What distance do you reckon the journey was?

[maxxo]

  On 11/01/2025 at 11:41, High Jetter said:

That is seriously cheep, it's about the start rate here. What distance do you reckon the journey was?

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I’d say around a mile to a mile and a half, took about 5 minutes or so I reckon

i don’t know the going rate for taxis, but I must admit considering how cold and icy it was it was worth every penny

[comfortablynumb]

Last time I got a taxi into our local town, 4 miles cost me £15....😱 

Next time I'll walk

Edited January 11 by comfortablynumb
Additional

[hairnet]

Oof

 

I wanted a bastard churro lmao

[hairnet]

Like Southport but less scousers

[captain_70s]

  On 11/01/2025 at 12:53, comfortablynumb said:

Last time I got a taxi into our local town, 4 miles cost me £15....😱 

Next time I'll walk

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My last taxi the meter started at £8 and the 11 mile trip from one side of Glasgow to the other cost nearly £30.

I'd actually have been better off finishing work 3hrs early and getting the last train...

[New POD]

  On 11/01/2025 at 13:44, hairnet said:

Like Southport but less scousers

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Not many scousers in Southport.  Its all Romanians. Or something like that.  They come over here harvesting our cabbages* 

Drinking in our pubs, shopping at Lidl, paying tax and national insurance and generally being normal people

 How dare they. 

* other vegetables are needing harvesting too. 

 

[High Jetter]

  On 11/01/2025 at 12:50, maxxo said:

I’d say around a mile to a mile and a half, took about 5 minutes or so I reckon

i don’t know the going rate for taxis, but I must admit considering how cold and icy it was it was worth every penny

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Not really the right thread for this, and @warren t claim will have more info, but round here Rate 1 (not Sundays, Bank holidays or Christmas etc) is £2.60 start then £1.60 a mile for the first 5 miles, £2 a mile thereafter, so you did well there. Note these are hackney prices, PH are likely to be a bit less.

  On 11/01/2025 at 12:53, comfortablynumb said:

Last time I got a taxi into our local town, 4 miles cost me £15....😱 

Next time I'll walk

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Ouch! Though, that might have been his only job for an hour so not that lucrative.

  On 11/01/2025 at 13:59, captain_70s said:

My last taxi the meter started at £8 and the 11 mile trip from one side of Glasgow to the other cost nearly £30.

I'd actually have been better off finishing work 3hrs early and getting the last train...

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Sounds like a rip-off.

[comfortablynumb]

My son in law had to go to Norfolk and Norwich hospital for a knee op, daughter MK2 hasn't got a full license, so since he had to be there for 7am they looked at a taxi, from watton, which is about 20 miles away .

Obviously it's an early run, so you'd expect to pay extra, but they were getting quoted £85.

Guess what came next?  "Dad....." 😁

[New POD]

  On 11/01/2025 at 15:00, comfortablynumb said:

My son in law had to go to Norfolk and Norwich hospital for a knee op, daughter MK2 hasn't got a full license, so since he had to be there for 7am they looked at a taxi, from watton, which is about 20 miles away .

Obviously it's an early run, so you'd expect to pay extra, but they were getting quoted £85.

Guess what came next?  "Dad....." 😁

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Just had a return quote to Manchester Airport a distance of 52 miles. 

£75 each way. 

 

[IronStar]

I keep saying how modern SUVs are stupidly large and van-sized and wondering why the fuck do buy something the size of the moon. Mrs. Star thinks I’m talking BS and exaggerating. So today, there was a facelift Vivaro A parked next to a Q7, with Q7 dwarfing the Vivaro which is a bit taller than Q7. 

- See what I’m telling you? They’re buying the fucking delivery-van sized SUVs for no apparent reason. 
- They must have a miniature penis. 
- 🤣

 

I fully expect next-gen or generation after it Q7 to be LWB Ducato sized if this stupid trend continues. 

[hairnet]

I got taxi to aeropuerto 22 quid one way ( manxhester)

Its 11 miles 8 quid was the dropp off charge and uber tax

But only cos of the weather and it was dark

Id crash getting off rhe drive

Itll be the tram back on monday

[captain_70s]

  On 11/01/2025 at 14:21, High Jetter said:

Sounds like a rip-off.

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Thursday, 1am, freezing, gale force winds. Was going to Uber but there were 3 cars active across the whole city. 

Think they realised they could charge whatever they liked as I was otherwise out of options...

[hairnet]

Soon