The grumpy thread

[NorfolkNWeigh]

You aren’t investing in them, you are paying them to do a job. If they do it they get paid, if they don’t they don’t. Simple isn’t it? People don’t become more productive my continually being measured, as the old saying goes -a tree doesn’t grow any faster if you measure it more often.

BL went tits up because the design of the cars was crap, why would you buy a 70s BL car when the opposition were miles ahead in terms of looks and modernity? It’s amazing how many people seem to ‘forget’ what the problem at BL was. There were thousands of cars sat in holding lots, the workers could have built ten billion, but its no use if no one wants to buy them!

I'm not normally a BL apologist but the looks and modernity of 70's BL cars compared to the opposition was not the problem. Anyone that's ever read a 70's Giant Test that with a BL car knows that 9 times out of 10 it would be ahead of the Ford, Vauxhall or Chrysler competition , sales weren't far behind either.

Whatever the problems of BL modern design wasn't one of em.

[chaseracer]

Whatever the problems of BL modern design wasn't one of em.

 

And the Marina wasn't a warmed-over Morris Minor!  The sprawling, poorly-planned, internally-competing range didn't help either.

[Ghosty]

Remember the idiot dumping cars in my town to advertise his recovery business?

 

I saw his truck the other day, after all a ten year old Transit beavertail with a Michelin man on the roof, and blue and hi-vis stickers all over isn't hard to spot.

 

The fucker was using said Transit beavertail to move a crew cab L200, and the Transit was listing severely.

 

Considering an L200 weighs going on for 1900kg, there is no way in hell that was legal or safe.

[eddyramrod]

Sheridan Smith.

What????  My beloved Sheridan in this thread???

Sadly yes.  I watched her TV Special last night.  She was funny, down to earth and singing beautifully.  So far so good.

BUT... all her dresses showed off plenty of flesh.  Normally that would be a good thing, but since I last saw pictures of her exposed flesh she's had big chunks of it covered in tattoos.

 

OK, this is very much an eye-of-the-beholder thing I suppose, but I'm no fan of tattoos.  I completely fail to see any merit in them, on anyone.

It's a disaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaster, dahling.

[Tamworthbay]

I'm not normally a BL apologist but the looks and modernity of 70's BL cars compared to the opposition was not the problem. Anyone that's ever read a 70's Giant Test that with a BL car knows that 9 times out of 10 it would be ahead of the Ford, Vauxhall or Chrysler competition , sales weren't far behind either.

Whatever the problems of BL modern design wasn't one of em.

Strangely I love BL stuff from the 70s but it is shite. Look at the Dolomite, they invested in designing a fwd system before the whole world went that way, then threw it away and went back to the rwd Dolomite, no part of which belongs in the 70s let alone the 80s. And the all important small car market? One of my favourite cars, the mini, already more than a decade old and almost offensively basic compared to the likes of the Fester or Gulf. Then look at the design of things like the coke bottle cortina, nothing new underneath but a sexy covering. The princess was hardly a looker was it?

[M'coli]

BL didn't design the Dolomite, as that wasn't from the Issigonis school of expensive design.

 

Oddly enough what you said about the Dolomite's rwd layout not belonging in the 70s is more than amply contradicted with what you say about the Cortina. The Cortina didn't even have McPherson struts!

[Cheggers]

Sheridan Smith.

What???? My beloved Sheridan in this thread???

Sadly yes. I watched her TV Special last night. She was funny, down to earth and singing beautifully. So far so good.

BUT... all her dresses showed off plenty of flesh. Normally that would be a good thing, but since I last saw pictures of her exposed flesh she's had big chunks of it covered in tattoos.

 

OK, this is very much an eye-of-the-beholder thing I suppose, but I'm no fan of tattoos. I completely fail to see any merit in them, on anyone.

It's a disaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaster, dahling.

There's a bit more of her than there used to be too...

 

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[Coprolalia]

Lol, Christmas in the NHS.

 

TBF my job is better than most and I've managed to swap on-calls to get a week this year. First time in 5 years I'll be off for most of it.

The poor nurses I work with have to do one 'shit shift' - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, NYE, NY Day, and one 'not as shit' shift on the days either side.

 

One of my poor colleagues drew the short straw and is doing 48 hours on over Christmas Eve and Day. Brutal!

[bramz7]

Great.

 

Heater matrix and fans both broken on the Safrane.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

 

It's quite easy to forget that people either didn't know or care how old fashioned most of the cars they were buying in the 70's were.

[dollywobbler]

Sheridan Smith.

What????  My beloved Sheridan in this thread???

Sadly yes.  I watched her TV Special last night.  She was funny, down to earth and singing beautifully.  So far so good.

BUT... all her dresses showed off plenty of flesh.  Normally that would be a good thing, but since I last saw pictures of her exposed flesh she's had big chunks of it covered in tattoos.

 

OK, this is very much an eye-of-the-beholder thing I suppose, but I'm no fan of tattoos.  I completely fail to see any merit in them, on anyone.

It's a disaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaster, dahling.

 

How dare she treat her body as hers to do with what she likes eh?

 

Nowt wrong with a bit of ink either.

[eddyramrod]

There's a bit more of her than there used to be too...

 

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I can't and won't complain about that!

 

DW: fair point, but in this age of not offending minorities, don't I count?  A man who dislikes tattoos is very much a minority these days!

[scaryoldcortina]

I caught a very small bit of that TV special, just long enough to realize that it was Janet from two pints doing a Shirley Bassey impression and I didn't like it much, and then went and did something more interesting instead.

 

With a girl who has tattoos. So there. Ner.

 

Edit - I suppose it was far more watchable than Ball and Bloody Boe, those two grinning bearded twats need to get in the sea together.

[Cavcraft]

There's a bit more of her than there used to be too...

 

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There’s a bit more of me when I see her on telly.

[Guest Hooli]

Lol, Christmas in the NHS.

 

TBF my job is better than most and I've managed to swap on-calls to get a week this year. First time in 5 years I'll be off for most of it.

The poor nurses I work with have to do one 'shit shift' - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, NYE, NY Day, and one 'not as shit' shift on the days either side.

 

One of my poor colleagues drew the short straw and is doing 48 hours on over Christmas Eve and Day. Brutal!

 

I like xmas day oncall, we never get called & as it's normally a BH we get a day in lieu too.

[chaseracer]

The Cortina didn't even have McPherson struts!

 

The first two did, with cart springs out back... 

[Supernaut]

I know how to annoy you even more.

 

I added 17-Coffees to my Mondeo's insurance policy so we can share the driving down to Birmingham next weekend for the classic car show.

 

They reduced my premium by... £138! It was only £330 in the first place! I don't know either, but I'm not questioning it.

Remember this?

 

They sent me THREE separate emails all saying they would REDUCE my policy by £138.

 

Today, Sheila's Wheels took £138 from my card. Angry but polite email already sent, and I'll be calling them when I get home from work too. WTAF.

[purplebargeken]

^^ Good luck.

[Cheggers]

Remember this?

 

They sent me THREE separate emails all saying they would REDUCE my policy by £138.

 

Today, Sheila's Wheels took £138 from my card. Angry but polite email already sent, and I'll be calling them when I get home from work too. WTAF.

Are you sure they didn’t say they’d reduce your bank balance by £138?

 

 

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[anonymous user]

Probably does reduce your premium, it's just the handling fee is £276

[Supernaut]

Sorted. They admitted their mistake and refunded the charge. It's now costing me a total of ZERO to have Mr Coffees on my insurance until next September.

 

I was just very polite and patient on the phone, but you could tell they were used to ANGERY people by the way the guy was talking faster and faster and more nervously as he realised that they had, indeed, fucked up.

 

I just thanked him profusely and told him to enjoy the rest of his evening. Mistakes happen. *shrug*

[Pillock]

Nothing unnerves a call centre worker more than being pleasant, even when they've screwed up.

 

He'll be sitting there with his little plastic cup of warm brown liquid in the break area, wondering if he remembered that conversation correctly. "But.... but the man said have a nice evening. It looked like we'd taken loads of money out of his bank. Maybe he misheard me".

[Supernaut]

Nothing unnerves a call centre worker more than being pleasant, even when they've screwed up.

 

He'll be sitting there with his little plastic cup of warm brown liquid in the break area, wondering if he remembered that conversation correctly. "But.... but the man said have a nice evening. It looked like we'd taken loads of money out of his bank. Maybe he misheard me".

The thing is; I've been on the other side of it too.

 

I was a bicycle mechanic in Halfords for two years when I was a student. We dealt with the really angry unreasonable customers by calling the store manager over to deal with it then suddenly being very busy with something else.

 

The pleasant, patient people got very good, very quick service, funnily enough.

 

 

Heh, I just remembered a mildly amusing incident from my time there. My colleague who was usually really quiet and polite suddenly started shouting at a customer who had just walked in the door to get out of the shop immediately. I was completely taken aback.

He told me afterwards that apparently, on a shift when I wasn't on, this customer was sick of waiting in a queue so set off the fire alarm. He was subsequently banned from the shop.

[MarvinsMom]

gotta drump about the lexus.

 

its been assessed and will need £3500 of bits (brand new wing, bonnet and bumper from lexus toyota)

 

i've been in contact with a breaker who have one with the same paint code as ours,

 

said wing, bonnet, bumper and lights off this breaker will be £400, plus what ever to get the bit fitted and blown over, cos i can see there been no chance of the colors been a dead match, and i is OCD anal about stuff like that, i'd NEED the paint 

work to match, cos, OCD.....

 

now been offered £1800 settlement on the vehicle by insurance which is damn near what we paid for it, all told.

 

i'm minded to get the car back and fix it, kerry is minded to take the insurance blood money.

 

what to do we do? like what do we do for the best?

 

i like it and wouldn't mind it back, kerry isn't so fussed...... plus if we get the pay out, then maybe in the new year, we go and get a yank, and maybe i can buy the SWEEEEEET little R-reg the first time around Mini 1000 super-delux we know locally, which i would love to own.

 

but, i do wonder how much longer the Rover has in it, the front is clattering again (shagged out droplinks, AGAIN!) its got 150k on the clock and is a 16 year old Rover. plus the Lexus is much easier to drive up and down to nottingham been an auto.....

 

the collectives views and suggestions are welcomed.

[richardmorris]

I try and be polite with customer care if there's a problem - got £60 odd of out Halifax a few months ago despite me telling them I didn't want any money.

Earlier, For Mother's Day this year I'd ordered a large bouquet of flowers from the local garden centre ( as I have quite a few times now). Had a email from my mum saying how lovely they were with a photo. Yes, but not the ones I'd ordered - a smaller one. So called them up and explained - they were very apologetic and said they'd refund me, so I said that there is nothing wrong with them and they are nice so just refund the £8 difference in cost. She said not at all, I was being so nice about their mistake they'd refund everything.

[Cheggers]

gotta drump about the lexus.

 

its been assessed and will need £3500 of bits (brand new wing, bonnet and bumper from lexus toyota)

 

i've been in contact with a breaker who have one with the same paint code as ours,

 

said wing, bonnet, bumper and lights off this breaker will be £400, plus what ever to get the bit fitted and blown over, cos i can see there been no chance of the colors been a dead match, and i is OCD anal about stuff like that, i'd NEED the paint

work to match, cos, OCD.....

 

now been offered £1800 settlement on the vehicle by insurance which is damn near what we paid for it, all told.

 

i'm minded to get the car back and fix it, kerry is minded to take the insurance blood money.

 

what to do we do? like what do we do for the best?

 

i like it and wouldn't mind it back, kerry isn't so fussed...... plus if we get the pay out, then maybe in the new year, we go and get a yank, and maybe i can buy the SWEEEEEET little R-reg the first time around Mini 1000 super-delux we know locally, which i would love to own.

 

but, i do wonder how much longer the Rover has in it, the front is clattering again (shagged out droplinks, AGAIN!) its got 150k on the clock and is a 16 year old Rover. plus the Lexus is much easier to drive up and down to nottingham been an auto.....

 

the collectives views and suggestions are welcomed.

How would Kerry feel about having it back as she was driving when the accident happened?

 

 

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[MarvinsMom]

i think kerry would be ok about driving it again, it is the sort of car that she really likes.

 

but she has varied from wanting it back and fixed, to wanting to never ever seeing it again! (all in the same day, even the same hour too)

 

when i bumped the mini 8 years back (i ran into the back of a car that stopped suddenly....), i was exactly the same, when dealing with the insurance and sorting parts and bodyshop bills i went from never wanting to see the mini again, to missing been behind its steering wheel.

 

that car nearly went for salvage, in the end i'm pleased that the FiL played merry hell with the insurance and got the cart returned. and truth be told, i can see kerry been exactly the same, in a few months time it'll be "we shoulda got that car back" or "wish we still had that lexus" 

 

its nearly 18 months since the Jaguar went, and even longer since the Rover 820 coupe went, and even now we both get pangs of guilt about selling them both on!

[M'coli]

Take the money.  There're other Lexuses out there that you haven't had a prang in.

[eddyramrod]

Or, Jo: you could take the money and buy the Gran Fury from the ebay thread?

[chaseracer]

Take money.  Buy bits.  ROFFLE project.