The grumpy thread

[PhilA]

7 hours ago, Wack said:

 I can't imagine that happening  here

See: Jersey

[PhilA]

5 hours ago, Rocket88 said:

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

There are. Once a vehicle reaches 25 years old (in this state at least, it varies) you can apply to register it as an antique. That process involves an inspection and requires an affidavit from a car club or other knowledgeable source (museum etc) that the car is as it was when it left the factory without modifications.

The car then gets a special plate stamped ANTIQUE along the bottom and a silhouette of an old jalopy. That exempts it from annual safety test. However, it also exempts the vehicle from being used as an everyday hack, you're allowed to putz about in the evenings and go to and fro a car show or two at the weekend, but if you're in an antique plated vehicle sat in commuter traffic on the interstate at 5pm expect to get stopped and asked why you're there and where you're going and been. Usually your insurance will be void if you're using the vehicle for regular duty also.

That's why mine has a normal passenger car registration plate. It's registered and insured the same as any other vehicle, and requires inspection.

[wuvvum]

16 hours ago, PhilA said:

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

I'm assuming Michigan is one of the states that doesn't, given the condition of some of the heaps I saw on the road over there.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, PhilA said:

See: Jersey

My other half lived in Guernsey for a year.  Just before she moved over there, her Ford Ka was due an MOT it was likely to fail so instead she just exported it and sold it on just before she came back to the UK.  It was good thinking.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

2 hours ago, Yoss said:

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. 

That junction is an absolute menace.  It's much easier to arrive from the M26.  Did it yesterday.

Classic example of Ringways not being completed and making the best of what was already there with the M25.

[horriblemercedes]

First proper MOT failure I've had for a long time. I'm a bit surprised really. The pads all looked a lot thicker than that when I checked them last week and the handbrake holds the car very strongly, but I trust them so I must have cocked up. 

 

Anyway, could've been worse 

[PhilA]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

I'm assuming Michigan is one of the states that doesn't, given the condition of some of the heaps I saw on the road over there.

Holey sills, batman.

Given how much salt and grit they dump on the roads there annually, you'd think they would. But, no.

[artdjones]

10 hours 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.

The US is 50 countries federated together, lots of things are left to the individual states. 

[Wack]

48 minutes ago, artdjones said:

The US is 50 countries federated together, lots of things are left to the individual states. 

So not that united then 

I've no real interest in America so have been educated today 

[Ghosty]

15 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 .

 

The south east corner of the M60 has a slip road that comes in on the right going anticlockwise, as a result of an unfinished junction. 

[Zelandeth]

21 hours 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 

It was... interesting...the first time I drove on the Interstate in Michigan.

Nothing quite like watching a pickup truck bombing past you at 90+ that is visibly flexing in the middle by about a foot where the body is holding the non existent chassis together...

[Dead_E23]

16 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 .

The junction for the M62 from the A1 at Castleford is like that, as is the entrance to the M6 Toll from the M6 westbound.

[Wack]

18 minutes ago, Dead_E23 said:

The junction for the M62 from the A1 at Castleford is like that, as is the entrance to the M6 Toll from the M6 westbound.

On the M6 Lane 3 northbound just north of Birmingham splits off to the right  as it joins the Northbound toll road exit 

Over the years I've seen quite a few near misses as people swerve back into lane 2 because they think they're entering the toll road 

[Pieman]

11 minutes ago, Wack said:

On the M6 Lane 3 northbound just north of Birmingham splits off to the right  as it joins the Northbound toll road exit 

Over the years I've seen quite a few near misses as people swerve back into lane 2 because they think they're entering the toll road 

Whenever I see people do that on any junction I always wish another car would clip them and send them spinning like a top.

[Urko]

Trivia - first MOT in Norn Iron is at 4 years - Eng Scot and Wales it's 3.

[mitsisigma01]

4 hours ago, artdjones said:

The US is 50 countries federated together, lots of things are left to the individual states. 

The motorcycle helmet laws in the U S of Arse being another example. 

Only 19 states are compulsory, others are age related, varying ages and 2 don't have any helmet law at all ...

[Fumbler]

3 hours ago, Wack said:

So not that united then 

I've no real interest in America so have been educated today 

Indeed they're aren't really- just united through 1 umbrella Federal administration and that's just about it.

[Wack]

another nutter with a gun in the US, 6 dead many injured, seems to be a weekly occurrence, not caught him yet

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/six-dead-after-gunman-opens-fire-on-fourth-of-july-parade-from-rooftop-suspect-still-at-large/ar-AAZbHgA?li=BBoPWjQ

[Dyslexic Viking]

4 minutes ago, Wack said:

another nutter with a gun in the US, 6 dead many injured, seems to be a weekly occurrence, not caught him yet

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/six-dead-after-gunman-opens-fire-on-fourth-of-july-parade-from-rooftop-suspect-still-at-large/ar-AAZbHgA?li=BBoPWjQ

We have had 2 in Scandinavia recently also this is the new normal. And we have strict gun control.

[High Jetter]

Not that strict, obs

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, Wack said:

I've no real interest in America

Nuff said.

[Talbot]

2 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Not that strict, obs

Wrong.

[Dyslexic Viking]

8 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Not that strict, obs

If you have the right contacts most things can probably be obtained on the black market. As if you had the right contacts you could probably nuke the neighbor's cat for shiting in your flower bed as an example.

But the main problem with everything that is happening now is not firearms but what the hell has gone wrong with people to do these things. Even in little Norway, disturbing things happen almost daily now that is scary and this should get more attention and try to find out what has gone wrong in people's heads.

[Rocket88]

18 hours ago, PhilA said:

See: Jersey

Jersey are in the throes of introducing an MOT test…… but as they only have one establishment capable of doing the test, and a population of 100,000, Gawd knows how that’s going to work……

[Rust Collector]

This pisses me off more than it probably should.

I received an email from South East Water this morning - 'Your payment plan has been updated'.

Cool, second time they've done that with no warning. However; it's not what you think!

So, I was previously paying £36 a month, as this was just over my estimated usage and I didn't want to find myself in a situation where they took a reading and I found myself receiving a bill that put me in debt. However, their automated system sees my credit (presumably) and is hell bent on adjusting my payment (without asking me first!!!) to a value much lower than my usage in order to reduce my credit.

Why?! I bet if I leave it, then it will cross over in to debit and I'll get a snotty request to settle my account urgently (shout out to EDF who took 3 goes to set up a direct debit after taking over our account, not sending a bill despite us chasing, then issuing a bill to the tune of £500-600 with a notice that they'd be turning the power and gas off if it wasn't settled within 7 days) so why can't they just leave it the fuck alone, or at least ask me if I want to fuck around with the payment amount?

I've changed it back to the same amount as before, just like last time. Really pisses me off though 😅

[Rust Collector]

Fucking wankers

The slider is locked so that I can't put it back to what I used to pay.

Also, they say themselves that the payment should not be under my usage. Why the fuck did they change it to £22 themselves then?!

[Datsuncog]

On 7/4/2022 at 9:09 PM, Urko said:

Trivia - first MOT in Norn Iron is at 4 years - Eng Scot and Wales it's 3.

That's true.

On 7/5/2022 at 8:52 AM, Rocket88 said:

Jersey are in the throes of introducing an MOT test…… but as they only have one establishment capable of doing the test, and a population of 100,000, Gawd knows how that’s going to work……

Northern Ireland has 15 vehicle test centres, for a population of 1.9 million people.

I received a letter last Thursday advising that the MOT on the Corolla was coming due in August, and strongly recommending that I book a test now "to ensure you get an appointment slot before the current certificate expires".

The earliest date I could get, anywhere, is... 18th November.

And no - you can't book a test earlier than 6 weeks before expiry.

At present, there's an unofficial policy over here of police and insurers taking a 'pragmatic approach' to cars driving without a valid MOT - it's ok as long as you have a test booked, and the car's otherwise not obviously unroadworthy.

There's rumblings about moving to a two-year testing regime, as it appears that the backlog is unclearable - and with new car registrations down due supply problems, the number of cars needing a test just keeps going up and up as used cars are brought over from GB to plug the gap.

 

So - that might give an indication of how a Jersey system of that nature might work. Poorly.

[Zelandeth]

Just took the dishwasher salt out to top it up in the machine...bag is a bag of slush...

Back of the cupboard is sopping wet and there's a puddle underneath it.

I'm really fucking done with this house.  Odds on it being one of the half dozen push fit fittings underneath the cupboard floor that's leaking?

[mitsisigma01]

9 hours ago, Rust Collector said:

Fucking wankers

The slider is locked so that I can't put it back to what I used to pay.

Also, they say themselves that the payment should not be under my usage. Why the fuck did they change it to £22 themselves then?!

Because EDF are complete fuckturds, they won't answer the phone , the WhatsApp group won't call me , they won't message the billing or collections department and now they won't accept that I am a main supporter for my elderly neighbour, even though they said I was 6 months ago and they send all bills to my email address but their website won't accept the meter readings and want me to phone them even though they never answer the phone.... And repeat every month this whole fkin palaver.... 

Yesterday yet again they told me to apply for a smart meter ...it's not my account...and three times they have said in the past that we are not eligible for a smart meter .... But couldn't tell me why 😡😡😡😡

Fkin fuckturds...

Any recommendations 🤔🤔🤔

[High Jetter]

46 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Also, they say themselves that the payment should not be under my usage. Why the fuck did they change it to £22 themselves then?!

I've had this with a water supply company massively underestimating the monthly DD for my businesses (which consume a lot of water). Simplest solution is to set up a standing order to 'top-up' the DD level they choose, so you pay what you want each month.