The grumpy thread

[Pieman]

I've only ever been towed once, over a very short distance from the sliproad of M42 J10 to the adjacent Tamworth services after my clutch cable gave up.  That was scary enough!

[Lankytim]

7 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

This.  Being towed is unnerving.

Being towed on a rigid bar on *anything* is absolutely terrifying.  You're just too close to the tow vehicle and can't see a damned thing that's going on.

... Especially when it's dark out, and the interior light has switched on in the towed vehicle and you can't reach the switch to turn it off.

A while back I got roped into helping a mate pick up a smart roadster with a broken engine he'd just bought. I was dragged behind his Merc sprinter on a solid bar at a considerable rate of knots, hitting 70 on a dual carriageway and absolutely powerless to convey my absolute terror to him. After a minute or so the screen and all the other windows were completely covered in filthy rain water and all I could do was keep the Roadster roughly in-between his dimly visible tail lights. 

[goosey]

I once saw a bloke in a Range Rover do a snatch pull on a very stuck Series 1 at an off road event using a long chain, guy in The RR floors it like a loon which ripped out the ball and pin hitch off the front bumper on the series 1 and sent it flying through the RRs back window skimming the driver and straight out the front windscreen, luckily the flying hitch just ripped part of the RR drivers left ear off and he wasn’t seriously hurt or dead 

[Zelandeth]

21 minutes ago, goosey said:

I once saw a bloke in a Range Rover do a snatch pull on a very stuck Series 1 at an off road event using a long chain, guy in The RR floors it like a loon which ripped out the ball and pin hitch off the front bumper on the series 1 and sent it flying through the RRs back window skimming the driver and straight out the front windscreen, luckily the flying hitch just ripped part of the RR drivers left ear off and he wasn’t seriously hurt or dead 

Ouch, that could have been really nasty.  Kinetic ropes are your friend in those situations!  Hopefully they at least learned their lesson...

[goosey]

Would have been early 90s not sure KERRs we’re as popular back then, I was just helping my Dad out for the day. Think I was only 11 

[Bren]

Decided to do some work on the SD1 for first time since forever.

Reassembled front drivers side brakes. Noticed bulging behind the underseal at the back of the pedal box.

I now have a 10p sized hole to weld. I thought I had done all of the welding.

[Talbot]

Quote

various frightening towing shenanigans

I think it depends a lot on the two people doing the towing and being towed.  I have also had some utterly frightening towing experiencies, but do also remember a breakdown I had in my first Talbot Express SWB van.  The head-gasket was 100% SNAFU, so the AA bloke who had come out to me got special permission to extend his working hours and tow me home, as he lived only about 5 miles from me and it was on his way home anyway.

So, we had a 2-ish-tonne Talbot Express on a rigid bar on the back of a VW transporter (IIRC).  He had warned me that he couldn't do all the braking for all of us, as 2 tonnes was "quite a bit" to have on the pole, so I needed to "help him out" with that.  We ended up doing about 30 miles like this, using a route I've never used before, with me having to assist the braking.  The AA guy was absolutely superb, moving over to the nearside a lot so that I had a smidgen of visibility past the offide of his van, signals were all clear, road positioning perfect etc.  It was a genuinely good experience to be towed by him.  I was also quite lucky that the Express didn't have PAS, so it was just as easy to steer as normal.  The battery lasted all the way home too, which meant I had wipers/lights etc, and could even have the radio on in the background.  Not the worst thing.

.. in stark contrast to the bellend who I tried to tow off a motorway roundabout once as he'd broken down.  I was about to go through the details of what he needed to do (ignition on, brakes will be wooden, heavy steering etc.  and he just said "I know what I'm doing"....  Which he didn't, as he forgot to put the key in the ignition.  First bend we came to, his steering locked and he shot off the road and up the embankment, pulling my car around sideways and snapping the (admitedly cheap) tow-rope.  Luckily on a B-road, not the motorway.  He was about to have a go at me over it, so I just lef him there.  Twazzock that he was.

[Bren]

Had hospital appointment on Tuesday. Staff already aware that potentially I gave some kind of vasculitis. Took bloods and urine - straight away urine showed traces of blood - among my symptoms back pain has been prevalent.

Back in a month. Will probably need lots more tests before getting a definitive answer.

Still looking at replacing the vectra- head says don't spend money. But head also says you may not be able to repair it for much longer.

[goosey]

Don’t understand how it costs $300 to ship an ECU the size of a piece of toast to the U.K. 

[MikeR]

Cliff Richard for Xmas on BBC ! 

Come on , I am paying a telly tax for this .

[hairnet]

wheeler dealers describing their latest buy as mini ferrari on epg on tv

no its not a monte carlo

 

[hairnet]

6 hours ago, goosey said:

Don’t understand how it costs $300 to ship an ECU the size of a piece of toast to the U.K. 

welcome to the practicalities of the b word

depending on its value = $$$$$$$

[Wibble]

7 hours ago, Bren said:

Had hospital appointment on Tuesday. Staff already aware that potentially I gave some kind of vasculitis. Took bloods and urine - straight away urine showed traces of blood - among my symptoms back pain has been prevalent.

Back in a month. Will probably need lots more tests before getting a definitive answer.

Still looking at replacing the vectra- head says don't spend money. But head also says you may not be able to repair it for much longer.

Those symptoms must be worrying you. My thoughts are with you and fingers crossed.

[sheffcortinacentre]

14 minutes ago, hairnet said:

wheeler dealers describing their latest buy as mini ferrari on epg on tv

no its not a monte carlo

 

Well what do you expect from wanker dealers

[Spiny Norman]

I like the show, but then I like most car shows on TV. I was surprised they made no mention of fitting 'mini Ferrari' brakes after adding 100bhp to it.
Or polishing the cloudy headlights which spoiled the look of it IMO.

[barefoot]

I no longer watch any of the motoring programmes on the telly. They are all idiotic & aimed at window lickers & twats. Instead, I watch that nice Henry Cole polishing bits of motorbikes, for two reasons. 1, I know absolutely fuck all about motorbikes, so I learn lots & 2, he appears to have about the same  level of motor skills as I do.

[Rocket88]

46 minutes ago, barefoot said:

I no longer watch any of the motoring programmes on the telly. They are all idiotic & aimed at window lickers & twats. Instead, I watch that nice Henry Cole polishing bits of motorbikes, for two reasons. 1, I know absolutely fuck all about motorbikes, so I learn lots & 2, he appears to have about the same  level of motor skills as I do.

At least him and Sam Lovegrove seem to be genuine friends, rather than Brewer’s sidekicks…..

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, Rocket88 said:

At least him and Sam Lovegrove seem to be genuine friends, rather than Brewer’s sidekicks…..

Ruined by Jo Brand narrating.

[Rocket88]

25 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Ruined by Jo Brand narrating.

I thought that was an odd choice as well…..

[Bren]

Looking through the classifieds. Grump.

Cat S. Cat N. Mileage approaching 200k. Some even higher. Poor quality pictures.

Lots of fit for scrap for top dollar. Want a half decent diesel estate? You're looking  at £10k to start.

I could do with what some of these motor traders are smoking.

 

[sierraman]

4 minutes ago, Bren said:

Looking through the classifieds. Grump.

Cat S. Cat N. Mileage approaching 200k. Some even higher. Poor quality pictures.

Lots of fit for scrap for top dollar. Want a half decent diesel estate? You're looking  at £10k to start.

I could do with what some of these motor traders are smoking.

 

Worst are those default backgrounds of a what looks like a fucking motel car park that you get via BCA when they can’t be arsed to take more pictures. 

[Rocket88]

12 minutes ago, Bren said:

Looking through the classifieds. Grump.

Cat S. Cat N. Mileage approaching 200k. Some even higher. Poor quality pictures.

Lots of fit for scrap for top dollar. Want a half decent diesel estate? You're looking  at £10k to start.

I could do with what some of these motor traders are smoking.

 

Errr…… not here…..

[GrumpiusMaximus]

People getting excited about Christmas.  For fuck’s sake.

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

People getting excited about Christmas.  For fuck’s sake.

It's not even fucking Halloween yet.

Also tagging @Datsuncog to prod him for the Christmas rant.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Yet my house is filled with Christmas presents for everybody…

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I have two months of this every year.  The ‘compromise’ is that the tree goes up on December 1st.  My preference is that the tree goes up ‘never’.  It’s mandatory fun and I fucking hate it.

As a kid, my Mum would get so stressed about everybody having a good time that nobody ever had a good time.  I’m 34, you’d have thought I’d have got over it.  But no.

[Yoss]

As a postman of 32 years, Christmas lost any appeal it might have had a very long time ago. In the old days it was only really the final two weeks where work went mad and it was mostly because of all the cards. Now it starts with Black Friday and doesn't die down for the whole month. And obviously it's all packets now. There are still lots of cards, if not as many as there used to be, but obviously the packets are a lot more hassle.

I try not to go on about it but you lot started it and it is the grumpy thread. 

[goosey]

16 minutes ago, Yoss said:

As a postman of 32 years, Christmas lost any appeal it might have had a very long time ago. In the old days it was only really the final two weeks where work went mad and it was mostly because of all the cards. Now it starts with Black Friday and doesn't die down for the whole month. And obviously it's all packets now. There are still lots of cards, if not as many as there used to be, but obviously the packets are a lot more hassle.

I try not to go on about it but you lot started it and it is the grumpy thread. 

Do you get many tips ? When I did parcel and medical delivery, we would always get a couple of pounds here and there. Was one of the only perks of the job

[Yoss]

52 minutes ago, goosey said:

Do you get many tips ? When I did parcel and medical delivery, we would always get a couple of pounds here and there. Was one of the only perks of the job

It really does depend on the area. The best delivery I had was a nice area with lots of old people. And it takes time to build a rapport with customers too. I was on that delivery for six chritmases. The first year I got £240, by the last year it was £512 and enough chocolate, biscuits and alcohol to last me until Easter (seriously, that's not an exaggeration). But most deliveries don't get anywhere near that.

This will be my first Christmas on this one and I doubt I'll even get a fifth of that, its a weird area with a lot of Polish people. Not being xenophobic, but they are always at work, I never see them. It is generally the pensioners that tip. But I don't mind because it's an easy delivery (the deliveries are all supposed to be the same length but they are so not) and it's part time. I'm now on a 30 hour week. We paid the mortgage off a couple of years back so I'm now just coasting towards retirement! The good thing with this duty is it's only a four day week and I've already checked my calender for Christmas week and I've got the 23rd and 24th off that week. I'll take that over any amount of tips. 

[artdjones]

39 minutes ago, Yoss said:

the deliveries are all supposed to be the same length but they are so not

Don't I know it. The year I worked there my brother's walk was about 300 houses, the postwoman on the next walk less than 250, and mine about 450. It was a former council estate where everyone had bought there houses, so were now getting lots of post. They had to give me an hour's overtime every day just to get the delivery finished, and I went from 15 stone to 12 stone 4 in the year. The only time in my life I had a six-pack!

There was so much post at Christmas that I took out 2 bags some days, absolutely rammed with just cards and letters, and so heavy that I had difficulty carrying them together across to my car.