The grumpy thread

[cros]

I don't like car clubs. I reluctantly belong to a couple to source and sell hard to get parts as I acknowledge their usefulness in this regard, but these days old cars are used or fixed so seldom that there is very little movement in this once rich resource.

I recently put a wanted ad in one club mag for, amongst other things, an ordinary looking plain black 1930's steering wheel as my vehicle is lacking in the helm department. Immediately the ad. came out a person of advanced years phoned saying that he did indeed have the part I sought along with 25 chests of components that he would probably never need for his own moter. With alarm bells ringing I asked how much, and there followed 20 minutes of "but what would happen if I broke my steering wheel, they're very rare you know". I was instructed to ring him back in 2 weeks if I can't find another - can he seriously imagine he's going wear his out or pull on it so hard that it breaks?

[richardmorris]

I don't like car clubs. I reluctantly belong to a couple to source and sell hard to get parts as I acknowledge their usefulness in this regard, but these days old cars are used or fixed so seldom that there is very little movement in this once rich resource.

I recently put a wanted ad in one club mag for, amongst other things, an ordinary looking plain black 1930's steering wheel as my vehicle is lacking in the helm department. Immediately the ad. came out a person of advanced years phoned saying that he did indeed have the part I sought along with 25 chests of components that he would probably never need for his own moter. With alarm bells ringing I asked how much, and there followed 20 minutes of "but what would happen if I broke my steering wheel, they're very rare you know". I was instructed to ring him back in 2 weeks if I can't find another - can he seriously imagine he's going wear his out or pull on it so hard that it breaks?

 

If he didn’t want to sell why call you?

There are people like this in all clubs, as you surmise. The hoarders of rare and needed parts that they think are worth thousands rather than selling them at a fair price to enable other cars to live on and be used.

[richardmorris]

^ BLOODY CYCLISTS, THINK THEY OWN THE.......

 

Ah.

 

In fairness walkers are not banned from the trails, but it’s a bloody stupid place to stand to look at your phone when bikes are doing 20mph+.

It was really busy there this morning( and I started at 7.30), but amazingly I was the overtaker more often than overtakee.

[Kiltox]

Working on my FiL’s pisshat earlier - knackered window regulator and door handle cable. Hate jobs like that

 

Window opens now so he can get out of the car whilst I wait for the cable to arrive!!

[mk2_craig]

 

I am £150 poorer this afternoon, my wife used the shower in our 1st floor bathroom and the waste water pissed through the lounge ceiling. To calm her down I phoned an emergency plumber *then* took off the bath front panel, just a pipe joint unscrewed so coulda easily sorted it myself. Ah well

[SiC]

For a moment I thought that was some fancy £150 arty multi coloured light.

[richardmorris]

For a moment I thought that was some fancy £150 arty multi coloured light.

 

The car looks to be ok though.

[SiC]

Probably done more miles around the room than my MGB has done on the road in the time I've owned it.

[chaseracer]

Bit of a squeeze for you, no? 

[drum]

How long before the bucket of water landed on somebody's head?

[Saabnut]

I don't like car clubs. I reluctantly belong to a couple to source and sell hard to get parts as I acknowledge their usefulness in this regard, but these days old cars are used or fixed so seldom that there is very little movement in this once rich resource.

I recently put a wanted ad in one club mag for, amongst other things, an ordinary looking plain black 1930's steering wheel as my vehicle is lacking in the helm department. Immediately the ad. came out a person of advanced years phoned saying that he did indeed have the part I sought along with 25 chests of components that he would probably never need for his own moter. With alarm bells ringing I asked how much, and there followed 20 minutes of "but what would happen if I broke my steering wheel, they're very rare you know". I was instructed to ring him back in 2 weeks if I can't find another - can he seriously imagine he's going wear his out or pull on it so hard that it breaks?

What car is it for? I have some pre war stuff in my shed

[DeeJay]

Yeah, but what if your steering wheel breaks?

[mk2_craig]

How long before the bucket of water landed on somebody's head?

Mr. Kitty damn near sent the whole rig flying when she did that stupid hungry cat thing of rubbing her side against the washing line poles. Fortunately there was next to nothing in the bucket so not enough weight for it to drop

[vulgalour]

Spent a [expletive removed] long time with Mike today working on getting the Princess ready to drive home only to have the [expletive removed] clutch hydraulics [expletive removed] fail [expletive removed] completely and the [expletive removed] exhaust with its [expletive removed] [expletive removed] [expletive removed] clamping system is blowing loud enough that you'd think we'd parked a [expletive removed] WW2 bomber in the unit.

 

Not in the best mood.

[DodgeRover]

^^^^ do not like

[Bren]

Thank you to whoever sprayed the roof rails on our passat. Life is so much easier if you mask everything off first.

[robinmasters]

Ok, here’s what I suggest you say you’ll do in your first 90 days. I’m assuming this is some sort of manager or team leader job here - if it’s screwing the tops on toothpaste tubes or being a lighthouse keeper then I agree it’s a stupid question, otherwise I think it’s fair enough.

 

I’ll spend the first 1-2 weeks sitting down with the people I’ll be working with to understand the business and them. I will use my ears and mouth in the proportions in which God gave them to me, 2:1, because I learn more that way.

 

I’ll meet with my new bosses too, to make sure I understand what they expect of me / my team and the goals of the business as a whole.

 

I will want to review the numbers. I want to see not just the financials but also quality measures, customer feedback and how our people are both performing and feeling. (We don’t measure those things? Well, maybe we can start, in the first 90 days.)

 

Then, based on what I’ve learned and working with the team, we’ll set out a plan for the rest of the first 90 days. From my experience this will be a mix of:

- simple changes we can make that will deliver small improvements quickly

- good stuff that we do that we should protect or do more of

- stopping doing some low value tasks that we do because we always have, or because we thought somebody else wanted them but actually they don’t

- a plan to make a plan - that is, how we are going to work out the longer term actions to get the [whatever bit of the business this is] where we want it to be

 

At the end of the 90 days I’ll want to get people together to review what we’ve achieved and learned, and how we need to tweak things as a result, because I’m all about trying things out and learning from them.

 

Obviously you can adjust this to suit the specifics of the job. And maybe it’s even actually a way to start the job if you get it - may even beat assuming your boss is a c***. Good luck.

Really useful advice, which has confirmed to me that I never want to have another job where you have to spout that sort of cobblers to succeed. A grump, because that's where my experience puts me. Bugger.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

What a sodding weekend.........

 

Saturday - pick up Lada....... or would I? Just as i was headed out the door I heard a load of bleeping - into kitchen..... splosh. Dishwasher had shit its load and flooded the place. Clean that up then....... bollox. Called Lada boy - no worries, nothing planned so I'll see him half an hour later.

Got there..... silence - calls, texts, nothing (eventually got a - sorry, nipped round to pick up mate, then train station, then etc... etc... message - nob-polisher!). Piss off home again and head to collect new (to me) garage keys. He's a no show too...... most of Saturday a waste.

 

Sunday I didn't fucking move - can't fail if you don't try. One day won't make much* of a difference.

 

Chase Lada boy, re-arrange transport and key collection for this evening I hope.

[sierraman]

Why do people ask on Gumtree if something is still for sale then you hear no more from them. Is that all they actually wanted to know?

[Mr A Lawrence]

yeah but is it still for sale??

[alcyonecorporation]

yeah but is it still for sale??

 

 

no

[Mr A Lawrence]

fucking paypal.

 

two itens sold on ebay last night and theyve paid but fucking paypal have put some kind of hold on the money.

 

one of the items is destined for saint petersburg but im not so confident sending it until the moneys in my bank.

 

fuckers 

 

tried phoning them but all i got was an automated message.

[Talbot]

Spent a [expletive removed] long time with Mike today working on getting the Princess ready to drive home only to have the [expletive removed] clutch hydraulics [expletive removed] fail [expletive removed] completely and the [expletive removed] exhaust with its [expletive removed] [expletive removed] [expletive removed] clamping system is blowing loud enough that you'd think we'd parked a [expletive removed] WW2 bomber in the unit.

 

Not in the best mood.

 

I laughed really quite loudly to this post.

 

Sorry.

 

Not sorry.

 

:mrgreen:

[Tamworthbay]

If anyone tells me the private sector does a better job than the NHS I will punch them in the face, then regret not punching them harder and do it again. Two twathole companies transferring a contract have fucked up for two months, no one wants to take responsibility, there is no chain of accountability and the upshot is that I am completely out of medication. In a week or so my joints will begin to grind to halt, in two I am fucked, I have been told it could take a month to sort. Then they have the cheek to be upset that I raised my voice at that point. If I had said what I was thinking I would have been locked up. They are bastards, if you work for one you are a bastard for supporting the system, if you own one I hope you have to experience similar service should you ever need vital medication. Not happy.

[omegod]

fucking paypal.

 

two itens sold on ebay last night and theyve paid but fucking paypal have put some kind of hold on the money.

 

one of the items is destined for saint petersburg but im not so confident sending it until the moneys in my bank.

 

fuckers 

 

tried phoning them but all i got was an automated message.

 

You've probably hit some form of income limit, anti fraud bollox, I've had cause to contact them a few times and they've been sound in terms of sorting issues quickly

[tooSavvy]

yeah but is it still for sale??

Ha Ha ... 'my' B&D drill stand had been on the Gumm for 21days.

 

My opening line, contact Email, "this may be a long shot, but.."

 

Ponggd back in 5mins 'AoK' & deal done inside the hour.

 

TS

[Cavcraft]

Special 'hats off' to the HSBC bank who've took a mere 9 weeks (and counting) to sort out a new account. Award yourselves a further pat on the back for not actually bothering to tell potential customers anything of use, and getting them to spend countless hours on the phone or in a branch to tease information out of you. You know the stuff you should have said fucking weeks ago? That stuff.

[captain_70s]

On Saturday night I couldn't sleep, heard the sound of a car outside the flat making a sound recognisable as somebody attempting to park while not able to use a clutch, then a crunching plastic sound, then more frantic revving and clutch slipping.

 

I lug myself out of bed and peek out the window to see a couple attempting to exit their car, now parked alongside my Civic. I say attempting as they were so pissed they could hardly stand or walk, indeed the bloke driving managed to open his door into the Civic hard as he unloaded his ample frame from his vehicle due to reduced motor functions and parking too close despite miles of free space on the passenger side. Also he was wearing shorts, in January, certified bell-end.

 

I did go outside and try and work out what they'd hit but couldn't see any damage to either my car or anybody else's...

[vulgalour]

People who drink and drive can do one.  Tosspots.

[tooSavvy]

People who drink and drive can do one. Tosspots.

... into the bag, Sir! <keep going! keep going!!>

 

TS