The grumpy thread

[Wack]

On 1/13/2021 at 11:28 PM, myglaren said:

 

Eldest lad is on his third now - in London, neighbours with JK

 

He has my sympathy , is that why it was cheap 

[Talbot]

3 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Fair enough...I learned something today!  Thanks for that.

They could do better than having them parked on three consecutive overpasses though!

That absolutely smacks of "just go out there and do something" rather than active consideration of deployment location.  The reason I say so is that if someone was caught by all three vans, they could argue (and many people have successfully done so) that it is only one continuous speeding offence that has been detected several times, especially if there is no change of limit between the detection points.  Given that someone is either going to go barrelling past all three vans at speed, see one and slow down, (maybe getting a ticket) or pass all three at the speed limit or lower, the "best" they can hope for is one offence, split over all three vans.  Were these vans deployed better, that wouldn't be a restriction to their "effectiveness".

Hence my belief that they are simply covering contractual minimums and not actually being used properly.

[chaseracer]

On 21/01/2021 at 15:49, Soundwave said:

Well, I survived. Probably going to be sore in the morning though! 

Excellent news, but how are the teeth? 😉

[Mally]

6 hours ago, Talbot said:

  The vans are usually run by a speed partnership of some sort (IE farmed out) so it's not actually Police officers manning them, so they can't really be deployed elsewhere.  Also, the Police (or speed partnership) do not get to keep a penny of any fines they collect; it all goes directly to central gubbermint, so it makes no difference to the camera operator whether they catch 200 motorists or zero.

 

It may have changed, but I'm sure it was explained at my speed awareness course that whilst, as you say, the gubbermint get the fines.

If you are offered and accept a speed awareness course, the fee you pay for that (less expenses) goes to the force who pulled you. Which is why they like full courses.

[eddyramrod]

8 hours ago, MikeR said:

drove home today in the daylight and from the vantage point of the high road , I could see the local nature with its couple of ponds ,,,

has now become a major lake !!!!  , as have the local farmers fields ..

give it a few weeks of sun and we should still have a drought ........

High road?  Mike, I know Formby, I've worked there, and dated girls from there.  It's flat!  Where do you work that allows you to commute using a high road?

[MikeR]

ok , slightly higher

you can see Lunt is in a slight dip 

8 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

High road?  Mike, I know Formby, I've worked there, and dated girls from there.  It's flat!  Where do you work that allows you to commute using a high road?

 

[eddyramrod]

22 hours ago, MikeR said:

ok , slightly higher

you can see Lunt is in a slight dip 

 

Ah yes, I know where you mean.  High road duly conceded, well observed.

[Zelandeth]

Oh FFS.  Another friend of mine has just had a cancer diagnosis. 

That's three in as many months, plus a close friend who died from it at the end of last year when their treatment was stopped during lockdown.  All in their late 20s, early 30s.

Plus the news has come through that an artist I've followed since before 2000 passed away for reasons unknown last night.  I don't know them, but when it's someone whose work you've followed for so long it still stings emotionally.

[MikeR]

Bastard tap was dripping again. Turns out the seat has worn in one place ...

I look at the underside and 30 years of revenge stared back at me , can't even get the crows foot in to try the nut ..

Bigger bastard ,

I am wondering if the tap will turn in the sink and then twist it off ... But wait do I see putty ....

Don't bother looking in the reflection for a naked selfie....

[Crackers]

Walked down to the local EuroCrapRats this morning to pick up a coil and leads to fix the misfire that was making the Focus genuinely dangerous to drive.

"Right", says I, "I'll go and fit those straight away." (Let's just ignore the fact that the leads are all wildly incorrect lengths, that's ECP for you and I'm too lazy to go get a better set)

Started pulling plugs of, then ran back into the flat to grab a Torx driver.

Came back out again, walked past the nearside of the car as I always do, and "HMMMMmmmmmm" something doesn't quite look right there. Now I know I'm parked on a slope, and the rear of my Focus has always ridden a bit higher than the front but...

I'll just check the height on the offside, maybe I'm going nuts.

...

Nope, I can get most of a hand in that arch gap.

...

Back to the nearisde

And I can barely get two fingers in (lol) that one.

Oh.

 

Oh!

 

So that's gonna have to get recovered back to a garage somewhere and I'm without the car for another week at least.

It's not moved in 9 days, and was fine when I parked it (which was, ironically, only the second journey since the MOT!) so I have no idea when this actually happened!

 

Saving grace, I guess, is that it at least hasn't speared through the virtually brand-new tyre.

 

Even still: Oh bollocks.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, MikeR said:

Bastard tap was dripping again. Turns out the seat has worn in one place ...

Oh, a supatap - not seen one of those in ages. You can change the washer on those without turning the water off, IIRC. Can you grind the seat flat with a seating tool?

[MikeR]

27 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Oh, a supatap - not seen one of those in ages. You can change the washer on those without turning the water off, IIRC. Can you grind the seat flat with a seating tool?

yes they are great for changing washers , the seat has a chunk missing out of it some how and I tried a wetstone on it to flatten the seat a bit

but it would need a lot taking off !!!

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, MikeR said:

Bastard tap was dripping again. Turns out the seat has worn in one place ...

I look at the underside and 30 years of revenge stared back at me , can't even get the crows foot in to try the nut ..

Bigger bastard ,

I am wondering if the tap will turn in the sink and then twist it off ... But wait do I see putty ....

Don't bother looking in the reflection for a naked selfie....

Wow, haven't seen one of those in a while.  Had forgotten they existed.

Totally fitting a pair in the Utility Room if I come across a set now I've remembered them.  Or possibly in the van...

[omegod]

2 hours ago, Crackers said:

Walked down to the local EuroCrapRats this morning to pick up a coil and leads to fix the misfire that was making the Focus genuinely dangerous to drive.

"Right", says I, "I'll go and fit those straight away." (Let's just ignore the fact that the leads are all wildly incorrect lengths, that's ECP for you and I'm too lazy to go get a better set)

Started pulling plugs of, then ran back into the flat to grab a Torx driver.

Came back out again, walked past the nearside of the car as I always do, and "HMMMMmmmmmm" something doesn't quite look right there. Now I know I'm parked on a slope, and the rear of my Focus has always ridden a bit higher than the front but...

I'll just check the height on the offside, maybe I'm going nuts.

...

Nope, I can get most of a hand in that arch gap.

...

Back to the nearisde

And I can barely get two fingers in (lol) that one.

Oh.

 

Oh!

 

So that's gonna have to get recovered back to a garage somewhere and I'm without the car for another week at least.

It's not moved in 9 days, and was fine when I parked it (which was, ironically, only the second journey since the MOT!) so I have no idea when this actually happened!

 

Saving grace, I guess, is that it at least hasn't speared through the virtually brand-new tyre.

 

Even still: Oh bollocks.

Don't even get me started on bastard Ford coil springs, 2 weeks back our Fiesta one went and caused major headaches involving a psycho mobile mechanic, wife comes in last night saying her focus is making a funny noise, I think the passenger coil has gone near the top, ordered a new spring today from Eurocrapparts and was told they closed at 6:30, arrived at 4:15 and  I think you can guess the ending ..........

I have a spares focus and know one front spring is shite but will check the other one in case it's useable and can get us rolling again for Monday

[Crackers]

4 minutes ago, omegod said:

bastard Ford coil springs

They are made of cheese, I swear to christ.

This is the third one to fail in a year. I'm sure the final corner won't be far behind. Only got 70k miles on it too...

6 minutes ago, omegod said:

passenger coil has gone near the top

EXACTLY the same as mine has done. Top's gone and it's fired itself through the bottom of the rest of the spring.

[Bren]

I had a 'mare refitting one of those springy hose clips. Spent an eternity faffing with water pump pliers and mole grips.  No joy.

I then remember I had purchased a proper set of pliers for the job. Thirty seconds later it's on.

I is a dick.

[dave j]

29 minutes ago, Bren said:

I had a 'mare refitting one of those springy hose clips. Spent an eternity faffing with water pump pliers and mole grips.  No joy.

I then remember I had purchased a proper set of pliers for the job. Thirty seconds later it's on.

I is a dick.

I hate those clips! I haven't got the right tool for them so  have struggled a few times. A few times my  neighbour who is an RAC man has come over and done it in 2 seconds! 

[richardmorris]

Any English teachers able to explain what a fronted adverbial is? Even Michael Rosen doesn’t know.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/23/dear-gavin-williamson-could-you-tell-parents-what-a-fronted-adverbial-is

[GeorgeB]

26 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Any English teachers able to explain what a fronted adverbial is? Even Michael Rosen doesn’t know.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/23/dear-gavin-williamson-could-you-tell-parents-what-a-fronted-adverbial-is

It's an adjectival phrase.

[richardmorris]

16 minutes ago, GeorgeB said:

It's an adjectival phrase.

Yes, and?

[GeorgeB]

2 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Yes, and?

An adverbial phrase is a phrase used to enhance a verb. it usually comes after the verb. If it comes before the verb it is "fronted" (apparently, doesn't sound like good English to me).

[brownnova]

59 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Any English teachers able to explain what a fronted adverbial is? Even Michael Rosen doesn’t know.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/23/dear-gavin-williamson-could-you-tell-parents-what-a-fronted-adverbial-is

Sorry I teach RE... I don’t know shit... 

[Parky]

“Thank you for your application and your interest in our firm.  Unfortunately we feel you don’t have enough relevant experience for the role and will not be inviting you for interview”

For a role I have been successfully fulfilling for the last two decades.  I wish they would just say “We promised it to Colin in the admin team but have to be seen to be scanning the market first so it doesn’t look like favouritism”

One place even called me up first thing Saturday morning to tell me they didn’t want a Brit.  I might alter my name to Parkinnen so they think I am a Finn, or Van Der Park so they think I am Dutch.  See if that has any effect.

[richardmorris]

5 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Sorry I teach RE... I don’t know shit... 

In our immediate family, we have me ( chemistry graduate), my dad who taught biology for forty years, my sister a PhD from imperial, and my brother in law with a DPhil  from oxford, plus my mum with fifty years in the nhs radiology depts. none of us have heard of this. It’s not in my old “ first aid in English” book I’ve had for forty years.

[Minimad5]

42 minutes ago, Parky said:

For a role I have been successfully fulfilling for the last two decades.  I wish they would just say “We promised it to Colin in the admin team but have to be seen to be scanning the market first so it doesn’t look like favouritism”

Been on the receiving end of this in the past, boiled my piss and then got pulled in a few weeks later "We've noticed you've got an attitude, and are all negative" ... NO SHIT.

Anyway -keep your head down and something will turn up.

What field of expertise do you currently work in / looking for ?

[Wack]

When did crap like this become acceptable 

Yoof opens a police car door like he's getting into a taxi then starts abusing the copper because he has a camera

He needs to see the inside of a police cell , though with an attitude like that I doubt it'll be long 

What a cunt 

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSwsAP6q/

[Parky]

7 hours ago, Minimad5 said:

Been on the receiving end of this in the past, boiled my piss and then got pulled in a few weeks later "We've noticed you've got an attitude, and are all negative" ... NO SHIT.

Anyway -keep your head down and something will turn up.

What field of expertise do you currently work in / looking for ?

Financial Adviser.  Was largely a sales guy cum consultant but don’t want that sales pressure any longer.  Have UK qualifications and am self funding my NZ ones at considerable personal expense.  Don’t need a mega salary, just want a job in a bank or finance company office advising clients re options.  

[somewhatfoolish]

54 minutes ago, Parky said:

Financial Adviser.  Was largely a sales guy cum consultant but don’t want that sales pressure any longer.  Have UK qualifications and am self funding my NZ ones at considerable personal expense.  Don’t need a mega salary, just want a job in a bank or finance company office advising clients re options.  

Stupid question alert; is it possible/viable to self-employ at this?

[New POD]

13 hours ago, dave j said:

I hate those clips! I haven't got the right tool for them so  have struggled a few times. A few times my  neighbour who is an RAC man has come over and done it in 2 seconds! 

In the late 90s I worked for Garrett as a assembly engineer.  I think our standard time for fitting a hose to a waste gate including 2 of those clips was about 15 seconds.  I was too honest and in those days didn't forget I had tools in my pocket. 

[eddyramrod]

Political ranting on threads that were intended as simple fun.  Thanks.

 

Garythesnail, I'm sorry, I didn't see the last thing you typed in "Uninventing" as the notification appeared the moment I deleted the thread.  If it was in the original spirit of the thread, please feel free to PM me with it.  If you want to.