The grumpy thread

[wuvvum]

I've never been asked to prove my identity to take out an insurance policy, they take your money and ask questions later.

 

I was asked for a copy of my driving licence when I first took out my trader's.  I would have thought that for what is technically a commercial policy, proving that you're legit would be a fairly high priority for most underwriters.

[Craig the Princess]

16 and a half years and well over 250,000 miles I've got a speeding ticket.

 

Popped into the village, didn't slow enough where it drops from 40 to 30, hairdryer caught me at 35. No excuse on my part, shit driving.

 

Fingers crossed for a speed awareness course option, conveniently the nearest one would be in Coventry, a good 100 miles away.

[richardmorris]

There are quite a lot of people who think they have to check the brakes are still there when driving on motorways. Easy to spot them and i try and pass them as soon as possible - not always easy in a 2cv.

 

On a similar note, if you in a car ( not lorry or hearse) are overtaken by a 2cv on the motorway you are driving too slowly.

[Guest Hooli]

I got overtaken by a 2cv once, but I pedaled faster up the next hill & got back past.

[richardmorris]

16 and a half years and well over 250,000 miles I've got a speeding ticket.

Popped into the village, didn't slow enough where it drops from 40 to 30, hairdryer caught me at 35. No excuse on my part, shit driving.

Fingers crossed for a speed awareness course option, conveniently the nearest one would be in Coventry, a good 100 miles away.

 

Oops.

 

35 would probably be speed course territory. My mechanic friend Pete has just done one ( 35 in a 2cv!)- crested a railway bridge and the camera was on a downhill bit. I passed it last week too ( forewarned!)

He said the first since he passed his test in 1964!

[richardmorris]

I got overtaken by a 2cv once, but I pedaled faster up the next hill & got back past.

 

 

You joke ( I think) but on a convoy once through the Surrey hills we slowed to allow the tail Enders to catch up and got overtaken down the steep hill by a few cyclists.

 

When I was about 10 we were on a family holiday in the south of France in the visa II club and got overtaken down mount ventoux by some bicycles too -my dad said he was doing 50.

[Guest Hooli]

I was once doing 60-70 down the south side of Holmfirth beacon following a cyclist overtaking cars. Very impressive reading of the road to straighten the bends at that speed from him. I was laughing too much to even think of overtaking him so I just followed & gave him a big thumb up at the end.

[M'coli]

With ph2 Clio 172 cruise it's much safer just to brake to slow, the - cruise button occasionally* increases speed

 

Great bunch of electricians, the French:)

That counts as an application of the brakes! :shock:   They're only for use in extreme cases!

[320touring]

That counts as an application of the brakes! :shock: They're only for use in extreme cases!

Ah ken, ah ken. Fast n dead is suboptimal

[chaseracer]

The aged parents have been with Natwest ever since the Mothership worked for the National Provincial's Llanrwst branch in the early 1960s, pre-me.  They responded last year to the 'consultation' on the closure of the last branch in Malvern and were basically invited to jog on.

 

They are no longer with Natwest. 

[richardmorris]

The aged parents have been with Natwest ever since the Mothership worked for the National Provincial's Llanrwst branch in the early 1960s, pre-me.  They responded last year to the 'consultation' on the closure of the last branch in Malvern and were basically invited to jog on.

 

They are no longer with Natwest.

 

 

I am a natwest customer, from 1990, as it was the on site branch at Nottingham university and so is work ( since 1988). More people change wives / husbands than banks.( I am not happy with them though, at work we’ve not heard anything proactive from our so called business advisor since 2009. )

 

But claiming it’s because customers are using online banking is a bit rich considering they’ve been actively encouraging you to do so. I visit a branch every week or two to pay in cheques, what the Chinese state call demand drafts ( confuses the tellers!) , or pay hmrc bills for work. Happily, so far, my visited branches are safe.

[Pillock]

I'm not with Natwest since they cheated me out of the third piggy bank in the collection.

[richardmorris]

I'm not with Natwest since they cheated me out of the third piggy bank in the collection.

I wouldn’t be too upset. My sister has the full set -worth about £20 on eBay. I still have my midland bank hold-all and dictionary though!

[BavarianRetro]

I was asked for a copy of my driving licence when I first took out my trader's. I would have thought that for what is technically a commercial policy, proving that you're legit would be a fairly high priority for most underwriters.

I've heard of people being required to actually prove trading.

 

My renewal came in recently. For the first time, it says something like, "in the event of a claim, you will be required to provide SIX items proving trading activity."

[cort16]

I bought some walnut whips this week and opened one and no walnut . Ffs where’s my fucking walnut there was just a space the walnut should have been . I put it down to a manufacturing malfunction . The next day I opened another . No walnut again then I noticed the box just said whips . No mention of walnuts so I google it and they’ve removed the walnut because of escalating walnut prices . Fuck sake.

I don’t even like walnuts.

[AMC Rebel]

Might or might not be the car. On my Aldi, if you are exceeding the set cruise speed and it can't maintain the speed, it'll apply the brakes. Quite hard and startling when you don't expect it. I've never owned a car that has done it.

 

I don't have the option on mine, but I suspect the cruise control that keeps a set distance from the car in front may do the same thing too, if it gets too close.

 

 

What is it with people in the middle lane cruising along, and their brake lights come on when there's more than enough room between them and the car in front?

Nobody's trying to get out of lane 1, loads of space, brake lights on, no sign of actually slowing. What the F is that about ?

Anybody else get that ?

 

Some idiots, some radar cruise.

 

The radar cruise on my previous Jag did that and it's weird.  When I find the gap shrinking, I move lanes (and I will admit sometimes I allow the gap to close very temporarily in the process) radar cruise doesn't know your plans (yet) so just says "too close" and slams the brakes on.

 

As I mentioned before (and I am deadly serious) I suspect there are also far more people with no licence and no training who are just winging it than anyone realises - and they are not all in cheapo motors, either.

[Pillock]

I bought some walnut whips this week and opened one and no walnut . Ffs where’s my fucking walnut there was just a space the walnut should have been . I put it down to a manufacturing malfunction . The next day I opened another . No walnut again then I noticed the box just said whips . No mention of walnuts so I google it and they’ve removed the walnut because of escalating walnut prices . Fuck sake.

I don’t even like walnuts.

 

BEST RANT EVER. Would read again. 444/10

 

Some idiots, some radar cruise.

 

The radar cruise on my previous Jag did that and it's weird.  When I find the gap shrinking, I move lanes (and I will admit sometimes I allow the gap to close very temporarily in the process) radar cruise doesn't know your plans (yet) so just says "too close" and slams the brakes on.

 

I've not got radar cruise on the BMW, but my cruise applies the brakes if I go down an incline and the speed creeps up. It puts the brake lights on at the same time.

Weirdly, if I'm on the limiter instead (which is more useful than cruise on busy motorways) and a hill, rather than my right foot, puts the speed over where I've set it the brakes don't come on. Only on cruise. It's even a thing on the build sheet, there's an option code for "CRUISE WITH BRAKING"

 

Also - found this out today. I've got hill hold on the brakes, and the lights also stay on until the brakes release when I move away. So anyone behind me getting blinded - sorry! I'm not even on the brakes, it's the car's fault!

[mat_the_cat]

When I was about 10 we were on a family holiday in the south of France in the visa II club and got overtaken down mount ventoux

 

I did that a couple of years ago - lovely descent, on fresh tarmac.

 

https://youtu.be/KocFXmuLJ3I?t=3m44s

 

My grump today is almost being hit by an oncoming van overtaking Had to drive off the road to avoid them.

 

[Supernaut]

Even worse, the twat shouldn't have been overtaking in the first place as shown by the solid line on their side of the road!

 

I'd say show that video to the police, but what will they do...?

[mat_the_cat]

They are keen to act nowadays!

https://www.north-wales.police.uk/advice-and-support/safer-roads/operation-snap

 

We've reported before and they were willing to prosecute, but in that instance it could have been an honest mistake (which we all do) so didn't feel fair to go any further. If the police had just gone round to have a quiet word, that would have seemed appropriate.

 

(This one)

Maybe they just hadn't seen the indicator in the sunlight?

 

However in this case, they actually started the overtake on a solid white line, and even when they must have seen us didn't attempt to pull back in but carried on regardless.

[Jim Bergerac]

I bought some walnut whips this week and opened one and no walnut . Ffs where’s my fucking walnut there was just a space the walnut should have been . I put it down to a manufacturing malfunction . The next day I opened another . No walnut again then I noticed the box just said whips . No mention of walnuts so I google it and they’ve removed the walnut because of escalating walnut prices . Fuck sake.

I don’t even like walnuts.

 

I always thought the Walnut was the worst part, still shabby though.

[Des]

I can't believe anyone is still buying the Whips, since the production cheapening that would shame Project Drive where they ceased being the exquisite creation of a continuous extrusion formed into a spiral, they have been vile.

Bastards began using sour walnuts about the same time just out of spite.

[Des]

And they deleted the cardboard square from the bottom of the packaging, what the fuck? Makes me want to hack N. Korea to set off their fireworks and end all life on this miserable planet.

[cort16]

The marks and Spencer ones are much nicer but what am I fucking made of money?

[SiC]

The marks and Spencer ones are much nicer but what am I fucking made of money?

You must be far wealthier now though, as you no longer having to constantly throwing money at your Panda...?

[wuvvum]

I've heard of people being required to actually prove trading.

My renewal came in recently. For the first time, it says something like, "in the event of a claim, you will be required to provide SIX items proving trading activity."

I've not been asked for owt like that so far - I think the number of vehicles coming on and off the MID every year is enough to convince them that I'm "trading".

 

I hope they never ask to see proof I'm making a profit mind...

[Cavcraft]

I've not been asked for owt like that so far - I think the number of vehicles coming on and off the MID every year is enough to convince them that I'm "trading".

 

I hope they never ask to see proof I'm making a profit mind...

 

..until there's a claim, and then it becomes a nightmare, I'm afraid. 

 

I appreciate people have said they haven't needed to show driving licences to get insured etc, but recently my daughter and son had to get some sort of code from the DVLA which they passed to their (intended) insurers to check they had the correct licence, and I assume, any points. Whether this is the future, a trial  or a one off, I don't know.

[treehugger]

They are keen to act nowadays!

https://www.north-wales.police.uk/advice-and-support/safer-roads/operation-snap

 

We've reported before and they were willing to prosecute, but in that instance it could have been an honest mistake (which we all do) so didn't feel fair to go any further. If the police had just gone round to have a quiet word, that would have seemed appropriate.

 

(This one)

Maybe they just hadn't seen the indicator in the sunlight?

 

However in this case, they actually started the overtake on a solid white line, and even when they must have seen us didn't attempt to pull back in but carried on regardless.

Was that a BMW by any chance? No suprise.

[BavarianRetro]

I've not been asked for owt like that so far - I think the number of vehicles coming on and off the MID every year is enough to convince them that I'm "trading".

 

I hope they never ask to see proof I'm making a profit mind...

 

I've not been asked either, but the renewal states that you'll be asked in the event of a claim. I'd heard that they were getting stricter on issuing traders' policies only to traders (about time too - I'll bet the number of claim free genuine traders is very, very high) and that Tradex or on the FCA watch list. Again. I think the two may be related. The six items would be pretty easy to put together for any genuine trader.

[wuvvum]

Oh yeah, I wouldn't have any difficulty getting together half a dozen (genuine) receipts if I had to. I'd have to cherry pick cars I sold on for more than I paid mind.