The grumpy thread

[sdkrc]

Recent cambelt and water pump...4yrs and 64k miles ago. 

[Cavcraft]

I wonder if the 'antis' who mention vegetarians far more than vegetarians do, and the 'antis' who mention Christians far more than Christians do have now teamed up with the 'antis' who mention electric vehicles far more than actual electric vehicle owners do? All those frothing haters and hysterical* memes must be their sole reason for getting up in the morning.

[Bren]

1 hour ago, sdkrc said:

Recent cambelt and water pump...4yrs and 64k miles ago. 

Yes. There is some utter shite being offered. Even traders are selling stuff that insurance have paid out on.

[jakebullet]

Twat next door again. Why use the open gate & path when you can climb over the wall?

I was going to have words but he'd gone out so I left a polite note "stop trampling my garden you cunt use the fucking gate".

I realise I should have used better language, bunglecunt & comic sans.

[Remspoor]

On 7/2/2022 at 6:42 PM, PhilA said:

Another Canute ran the stop sign and drove into this poor Canute who then crashed into the power pole.

And that's why the Canuting power is out.

 

Driving is hard

This is not the same location I take it. Linked to the right time stamp.

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

8 hours ago, Pieman said:

I wish manufacturers would fuck this stupid "keyless entry" off altogether.  It has no advantage whatsoever over unlocking and starting your car with a key and the ONLY change it makes is making your car easy to nick.

Nightmare when you're jumping between cars and some have buttons, and some have a physical key. I do grin when I get to valet something with a real key.

 

[PhilA]

7 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

This is not the same location I take it. Linked to the right time stamp.

 

No, different place. Looked similar though.

[Remspoor]

4 hours ago, jakebullet said:

Twat next door again. Why use the open gate & path when you can climb over the wall?

I was going to have words but he'd gone out so I left a polite note "stop trampling my garden you cunt use the fucking gate".

I realise I should have used better language, bunglecunt & comic sans.

 

IANAL but I think that he is trespassing. Obviously you cannot keep the ball as that is theft. Escalate things over a ball could make for a crap situation.

[Wack]

15 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

This is not the same location I take it. Linked to the right time stamp.

 

I only found out recently the US doesn't have an annual roadworthiness test like we do 

You can see that in the video by the amount of cunts with no brakes or maybe no reactions , add on the nutcases and the nutcases with guns it's not a place I'm in a hurry to visit 

[D.E]

The deadline I gave the garage has passed, do you lot think he's finished the job?

No. Of-bloody-course not. He did change the tyres (which is at least something, I guess)...

... but hasn't done the tie rod. I think it is fairly safe to assume by now that, for some reason, he really does not want to do (or cannot do) this job but doesn't have the balls to tell me, and no matter if I would give him another week of month he's just not going to do it. 

So, I am going to take it back unfinished and will search for a garage that actually can and will change a tie rod. I am never going back to this one, that's for sure. 

 

[sheffcortinacentre]

8 hours ago, Pieman said:

I wish manufacturers would fuck this stupid "keyless entry" off altogether.  It has no advantage whatsoever over unlocking and starting your car with a key and the ONLY change it makes is making your car easy to nick.

Yes but it's so tiresome not to mention hardwork using a key.

[jakebullet]

25 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

IANAL but I think that he is trespassing. Obviously you cannot keep the ball as that is theft. Escalate things over a ball could make for a crap situation.

There was this thing when I was a child, where you went next door, knocked on the door and politely asked for the ball back apologising for any damage you've caused. You didn't get your gormless father to climb over the wall to trample shit, and then stand on the person next door's garden furniture to get back over the wall.

Guess that's progress for you.

Question: is there anything stopping me from sticking trellis on the wall to make it like 3 foot taller, and growing stinky plants on it? I'd bang leylandii in down the side of the wall but don't want to wait for them to grow.

[PhilA]

1 hour ago, Wack said:

I only found out recently the US doesn't have an annual roadworthiness test like we do 

You can see that in the video by the amount of cunts with no brakes or maybe no reactions , add on the nutcases and the nutcases with guns it's not a place I'm in a hurry to visit 

Incorrect.

That's my inspection (MoT if you will) certificate glued (mostly) to the screen.

Not all states have a roadworthiness test, but the majority do.

Phil

[DavieW]

The council put up temporary traffic lights for the best part of a week to replace perfectly working pelican crossing lights. This is what we are left with - ignore the temp light units still cluttering the place up but how could anyone sign that off?

 

[Muniphobia]

2 hours ago, jakebullet said:

There was this thing when I was a child, where you went next door, knocked on the door and politely asked for the ball back apologising for any damage you've caused. You didn't get your gormless father to climb over the wall to trample shit, and then stand on the person next door's garden furniture to get back over the wall.

Guess that's progress for you.

Question: is there anything stopping me from sticking trellis on the wall to make it like 3 foot taller, and growing stinky plants on it? I'd bang leylandii in down the side of the wall but don't want to wait for them to grow.

I would have thought thorny plants are what you need along the wall or some holly

[mitsisigma01]

22 minutes ago, Muniphobia said:

I would have thought thorny plants are what you need along the wall or some holly

Or just razor wire 

[Metal Guru]

14 hours ago, PhilA said:

On more isolated sections of interstate (usually 2 lane) there tends to be slightly better lane discipline because the road calls for it- slower vehicles keep right.

Once the road enters a more urban area that often goes out the window because the road system forces chaos.

As a rule, I've found that in Europe the motorway system will generally force you to exit to one side (right on rhd roads, left on lhd) and if there is necessity for an interchange the exit lanes may grow to more than 1 on the exit side, while the main section of road continues. Lane 1 is always lane 1, 2 is 2. 3 or more continue alongside.

That system is what's attempted to be kept to here but once you enter a densely populated urban area that usually goes out of the window , and the principle of "the lane you're in is for where you're going".

Sightly less intense than D.C., interstate 10 into New Orleans is a reasonable example of the chaos. If I join I-10 at the 10/310 interchange and head eastbound, i have to join using the left of the two lanes. That then adds to the interstate and becomes what would be termed lane 1 in Europe. At that point I have 2 lanes to the right of me and two lanes to the left. The right hand two then peel off toward the airport and 3 continue east.

If I stay in that lane, never exit, it'll bring me through areas of road where I'm in the middle lane, with 3 lanes to my right and 3 to my left. Those lanes join and leave the road several times, and finally I'm forced off the road onto Canal St exit, about 15 miles later.

Around D.C. that can become more extreme- if you join in the right lane and stay in it, you can actually exit the road and peel off on the left.

Thus, around cities, the concept of "passing lane" goes well out the window and is replaced by the "this lane (or group of lanes) goes to X" principle whereby all lane position and passing rules vanish.

What makes it worse is when someone who's used to city interstate drives on rural interstate and ignores the rules. 

That and 44 ton semi trucks tend to sit in the middle lane if there's 3 and so if they're going slowly, traffic will just flow around them on either side.

I'm told it infuriates and confuses people whose experience of high speed roads being more ordered and the "middle lane hogger" being a rolling roadblock rather than a free for all moving traffic island.

Phil

The M8 through Glasgow is a bit like that. I think it’s the only bit of U.K. motorway I know where exits / entries can be on the right .

[PhilA]

10 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

The M8 through Glasgow is a bit like that. I think it’s the only bit of U.K. motorway I know where exits / entries can be on the right .

True, it peels off under the road. Been a while since I went that way.

That is, however, uncommon. Exits and entrances to the road on both sides here are common.

Primary reason is the Interstate was intended to be a quick route to out of the city, not a bypass route to get in and about the city faster than driving surface streets. Thus, it outgrew its original design spec significantly.

[Wack]

7 hours ago, PhilA said:

Incorrect.

That's my inspection (MoT if you will) certificate glued (mostly) to the screen.

Not all states have a roadworthiness test, but the majority do.

Phil

Thanks , I'd wondered how on some of the TV shows they pull a car out of a barn, get it running and drive it home , I can see rust not being a problem in the desert states but other things need checking

It seems bizarre that it's not mandatory across the US for cars to be checked annually  , I can't imagine that happening  here , Cheshire you need an mot , Lancashire you don't for instance.

[warch]

10 minutes ago, Wack said:

Thanks , I'd wondered how on some of the TV shows they pull a car out of a barn, get it running and drive it home , I can see rust not being a problem in the desert states but other things need checking

It seems bizarre that it's not mandatory across the US for cars to be checked annually  , I can't imagine that happening  here , Cheshire you need an mot , Lancashire you don't for instance.

My understanding of the Australian reggo system is that car’s are not subject to an inspection until they are sold to someone else. Australia is very heavily policed and the expectation is that the vehicle is completely roadworthy.

Lots of British vehicles are MoT exempt, especially things like classic cars and agricultural vehicles.

The nearest equivalent the UK has to states is the individual devolved administrations.  Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England could have their own rules if they wanted.

[Remspoor]

8 hours ago, jakebullet said:

There was this thing when I was a child, where you went next door, knocked on the door and politely asked for the ball back apologising for any damage you've caused. You didn't get your gormless father to climb over the wall to trample shit, and then stand on the person next door's garden furniture to get back over the wall.

Guess that's progress for you.

Question: is there anything stopping me from sticking trellis on the wall to make it like 3 foot taller, and growing stinky plants on it? I'd bang leylandii in down the side of the wall but don't want to wait for them to grow.

 

6 hours ago, Muniphobia said:

I would have thought thorny plants are what you need along the wall or some holly

I would also go for something with sharp pointy bits.

I hate leylandii. It grows too fast and creates much darkness.

To add to the holy suggestion  how about a nice rose will be great. The bigger the better. If it is too small they will trample on it before it has a chance to grow.

 

[Rocket88]

9 hours ago, PhilA said:

Incorrect.

That's my inspection (MoT if you will) certificate glued (mostly) to the screen.

Not all states have a roadworthiness test, but the majority do.

Phil

Any age exemptions, like the 40 year rule over here?

[andy18s]

20 hours ago, Pieman said:

I wish manufacturers would fuck this stupid "keyless entry" off altogether.  It has no advantage whatsoever over unlocking and starting your car with a key and the ONLY change it makes is making your car easy to nick.

I know of a guy who went out for a spin on his keyless Ducati.

Only when he stopped for fuel he couldn't open the cap,or restart the bike as the key he thought was in his pocket was hanging up at home..

[D.E]

Oh in the name of everything that's remotely holy, I've just called the garage to let him know I'll drop by today to pick up the 205, and he's busy changing the tie rod RIGHT NOW? He's either lying or finally pressured into doing it, albeit at the last minute. 

I think I am going to "coincidentally" drive past the garage later this morning to check if he's truly working on it. If he is I'll let him finish, if he isn't I will fart in his general direction.

[MorrisItalSLX]

2 hours ago, warch said:

My understanding of the Australian reggo system is that car’s are not subject to an inspection until they are sold to someone else. Australia is very heavily policed and the expectation is that the vehicle is completely roadworthy.

It depends which state you live in, In New South Wales where I live there is a yearly roadworthy inspection.

It is true that there is an expectation that vehicles are completely roadworthy. The police can stop you and inspect your vehicle if they believe it to be unroadworthy, and if it does not meet the standards they will issue you with a defect notice (with a hefty fine) and ground the vehicle until it is inspected by an authorised inspector and the defect cleared. This can be anything from structural damage to a dead tail lamp.

[warch]

10 minutes ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

It depends which state you live in, In New South Wales where I live there is a yearly roadworthy inspection.

It is true that there is an expectation that vehicles are completely roadworthy. The police can stop you and inspect your vehicle if they believe it to be unroadworthy, and if it does not meet the standards they will issue you with a defect notice (with a hefty fine) and ground the vehicle until it is inspected by an authorised inspector and the defect cleared. This can be anything from structural damage to a dead tail lamp.

Thanks, my wife's family lives in Queensland so I don't know if the rules are any different there. In theory the rules about roadworthiness also apply in the UK, but quite frankly where I live you could drive around in an untested vehicle for months and not even see a police patrol car, thanks to cutbacks.

My MoT exempt vehicle is subjected to a rigorous maintenance regime where anything defective or slightly iffy looking gets replaced. I see exemption as a privilege and shouldn't want to see any future administration consider removing that privilege because people are taking the piss. 

[MorrisItalSLX]

Queenslanders have always been an odd bunch…

Generally speaking, you vehicle will only get inspected by the police if it is obviously and blatantly unroadworthy, if you are pulled over for another matter and the policeman really wants to punish you or if there is an operation targeting unroadworthy vehicles (modified, decrepit etc.) underway.

[Metal Guru]

7 hours ago, PhilA said:

True, it peels off under the road. Been a while since I went that way.

That is, however, uncommon. Exits and entrances to the road on both sides here are common.

Primary reason is the Interstate was intended to be a quick route to out of the city, not a bypass route to get in and about the city faster than driving surface streets. Thus, it outgrew its original design spec significantly.

It’s the opposite with most English motorways. They were built as bypasses but as they are close to those cities and towns people use them to get from one side of town to the other instead of going through city centres, which clogs them up severely for through traffic.

[D.E]

1 minute ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

Queenslanders have always been an odd bunch…

Generally speaking, you vehicle will only get inspected by the police if it is obviously and blatantly unroadworthy, if you are pulled over for another matter and the policeman really wants to punish you or if there is an operation targeting unroadworthy vehicles (modified, decrepit etc.) underway.

This is quite similar to how things were handled here before the days of the mandatory inspection (which was introduced in 1985). Police would target cars that appeared unroadworthy, if there was anything wrong they would either give you the possibility to fix and show the repair at the police station, or (in case a car was a death trap, like the 2CV of one of my grandpa's collegues which had a fuel system made out of an old bucket and a hose) it could be seized.

[Yoss]

10 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

The M8 through Glasgow is a bit like that. I think it’s the only bit of U.K. motorway I know where exits / entries can be on the right .

M25 J5 for the A21 to Hastings is like that. You have to be in the outside two lanes to go to Hastings but the inside two to stay on the M25. 

In the above screenshot the main carriageway is marked as both the M25 and A21 at the same time but that goes south towards Sevenoaks. To stay on the M25 you need that slip road that drops down to the M26 where both that and the slip road rejoin the M25. 

It's interesting doing that with a Routemaster with its 40mph cruising speed.