The grumpy thread

[GrumpiusMaximus]

5 hours ago, Markeh said:

I wish your brother's project team and manager could teach my manager/higher ups - I get pestered several times daily some days!

Go and work at Autotrader.  In all seriousness, they're a very, very good employer.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

4 hours ago, MikeR said:

at home on my own and just done 3 things in half an hour that would not of got done any other time  , not that any one of them is noticeable ...

If you clean up properly, nobody will ever notice.  Three in half an hour would leave you a bit sore.  Unless that's what you're into and I'm not one to kink shame.

[eddyramrod]

5 hours ago, Bren said:

Purchased a new outside tap from screwfix.

Useless straight out of the packaging.

It's replacement did work.

Is everything unfit for purpose?

Totally.

[eddyramrod]

It's true though... 50 years ago I was one of the many avid watchers of Tomorrow's World on BBC.  Every week Raymond Baxter, James Burke, Judith Hann and Michael Rodd took great pains to tell us how much better our lives would be in the future when all this technology became normal and commonplace.

They lied.

Ok we have the internet, which is simultaneously a massive positive and a vast, deadly, crime-ridden sewer, but I suppose that second is just human influence.

Ditto card payment, and contactless.

But the rest?  It's all rubbish.  Worse, it's all cynically marketed at the consumer as the greatest thing since sliced bread, and the consumer laps it up.  Said consumer spends every penny he doesn't have, lining the pockets of those at the top of the chain, who do precisely nothing of any value.

Anyone know the story of The Emperor's New Clothes?

[cobblers]

Here's one for you that's rubbed me up the wrong way.

There's a company a few doors down from us. I'm quite friendly with them.  One of their drivers reversed the van into one of my employees cars. Not horrific, just deep scuffs on the back bumper and tailgate.

Lad came over and owned up to it, and one of their managers came over and asked my bloke if he wanted to go through insurance or get them to fix it. Knowing the gaffer of this company is pals with a guy who comes out and does absolutely dogshit "smart repairs", our bloke took it round the corner to a decent bodyshop for a quote. £1700 ish with the VAT for a new rear bumper plus tailgate repaired and painted.

After some tooing and froing it turns out they're trying to make their employee pay out of his own pocket for the repair!

Surely that's not on? Their excuse is that he's already pranged the van a few times. This will be more than a months wages for him!

[Wibble]

That’s outrageous! On the rare occasion one of my guys prangs a van they get told, “ don’t worry about it, the miles you do, these things happen eventually”

[eddyramrod]

I believe it.  Literally nobody  who employs a driver is capable of treating him like a human being on any level, let alone a highly-skilled professional doing a miraculous job in increasingly hostile conditions, against impossible deadlines, rampant over-regulation and endemic undervaluation.

Wait a minute, what did I do for a living all those years, by choice?  Oh... yeah...

[GrumpiusMaximus]

18 minutes ago, cobblers said:

Here's one for you that's rubbed me up the wrong way.

There's a company a few doors down from us. I'm quite friendly with them.  One of their drivers reversed the van into one of my employees cars. Not horrific, just deep scuffs on the back bumper and tailgate.

Lad came over and owned up to it, and one of their managers came over and asked my bloke if he wanted to go through insurance or get them to fix it. Knowing the gaffer of this company is pals with a guy who comes out and does absolutely dogshit "smart repairs", our bloke took it round the corner to a decent bodyshop for a quote. £1700 ish with the VAT for a new rear bumper plus tailgate repaired and painted.

After some tooing and froing it turns out they're trying to make their employee pay out of his own pocket for the repair!

Surely that's not on? Their excuse is that he's already pranged the van a few times. This will be more than a months wages for him!

I pranged a car with a van (took the rear bumper off) at one of my old jobs.  In my defence, it wasn't in a parking space and I was driving a van which was really only suitable for site use as it was barely roadworthy and the mirrors were shit.

Estates team manager came out and just said that the insurance would sort it.  Never heard another word.  I didn't see that car ever parked outside of a space again though.  Strikes me as part of the cost of doing business really.  After all, why would you bother with insurance?

[RoverFolkUs]

22 minutes ago, cobblers said:

Here's one for you that's rubbed me up the wrong way.

There's a company a few doors down from us. I'm quite friendly with them.  One of their drivers reversed the van into one of my employees cars. Not horrific, just deep scuffs on the back bumper and tailgate.

Lad came over and owned up to it, and one of their managers came over and asked my bloke if he wanted to go through insurance or get them to fix it. Knowing the gaffer of this company is pals with a guy who comes out and does absolutely dogshit "smart repairs", our bloke took it round the corner to a decent bodyshop for a quote. £1700 ish with the VAT for a new rear bumper plus tailgate repaired and painted.

After some tooing and froing it turns out they're trying to make their employee pay out of his own pocket for the repair!

Surely that's not on? Their excuse is that he's already pranged the van a few times. This will be more than a months wages for him!

What a load of bollocks, that's what insurance is for. 

It would be completely unlawful for his wages to be docked and leave him paid below minimum wage anyway, even if he consented to such a deduction

It's a company owned vehicle, so why should he pay out of his own pocket? Nobody should have to pay out of their own pocket even if it was their privately owned vehicle. Because that's what insurance is for!

If the company don't want to go via insurance then that's on them surely

Yeah, I agree, bollocks!

[cobblers]

14 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

 Strikes me as part of the cost of doing business really.  After all, why would you bother with insurance?

Yeah, that's my understanding, business comes with good and bad, you can't just take all the profit and expect the employee to cop for it when anything goes wrong. Unless you're some cunt like amazon/yodel etc. They have insurance and that's what it's for.

If the guy really is totally useless, then all you can really do is investigate it and do a disciplinary, surely?

I'm starting to understand why this place goes through more staff than anywhere I've ever known. I feel really bad for the guy. 

 

[New POD]

1 minute ago, RoverFolkUs said:

What a load of bollocks, that's what insurance is for. 

It would be completely unlawful for his wages to be docked and leave him paid below minimum wage anyway, even if he consented to such a deduction

It's a company owned vehicle, so why should he pay out of his own pocket? Nobody should have to pay out of their own pocket even if it was their privately owned vehicle. Because that's what insurance is for!

If the company don't want to go via insurance then that's on them surely

Yeah, I agree, bollocks!

I think the words you are looking for is 

Vicarious Liability

https://www.davidsonmorris.com/employer-vicarious-liability/#:~:text=What is vicarious liability UK,has done no wrong itself.

[RoverFolkUs]

7 hours ago, artdjones said:

I hated being called away during timing belt changes, and any work on brakes or suspension. Times when you just can't afford to be distracted.

I had a similar thing with a former colleague, was quite a morally difficult circumstance really. 

In short he tended to struggle with recognising social cues, and was on the autistic spectrum. Very much on the "mild" end of the spectrum

Consequently, you could be in the middle of doing something quite important, or trying to get something finished at a fast approaching deadline, or just anything that needs more significant concentration such as the jobs you describe, but he would continuously come over and talk about a subject that isn't relevant to the task or circumstance in hand therefore could have waited until lunch time. 

Or I could be talking to someone else or be on the phone and he'd just interrupt without fully realizing that it wasn't appropriate 

At times it was fairly frustrating because I wouldn't ever dream of snapping back because he meant no harm but a nod, smile and "oh right" or "just a moment" which some people might perceive as "could you please be quiet" was never really understood

I did try mentioning it a few times that I would appreciate it if I could be left undisturbed while on jobs unless it was something that I need to know immediately but it never did quite register

It was just incessant chit chat about something that happened ages ago which everyone is well aware of or is no longer relevant, plans for the weekend, what he got up to last weekend. A new film that's coming out soon. An event in his romantic life. Etc etc 

I hope this post doesn't sound nasty, because it certainly isn't intended in that way. 

I've got no problem with someone struggling to recognise when I'd rather be left alone to concentrate on something but it really was constant and extremely distracting. Meaning I'd lose track of where I was or have to retorque a bolt or recheck timing again or something because of this background conversation

[RoverFolkUs]

9 minutes ago, New POD said:

I think the words you are looking for is 

Vicarious Liability

https://www.davidsonmorris.com/employer-vicarious-liability/#:~:text=What is vicarious liability UK,has done no wrong itself.

That's the one!

[eddyramrod]

Oh and... "professionals"?  You'd expect to include dentists in that, right?

Last Wednesday I went for a regular checkup.  Nothing much to worry about, just receding gums which is normal at my age.  Bit of a scrape at some residual plaque; again, no problem.

I've just spent Easter Weekend filling up on Ibuprofen instead of chocolate, because of raging toothache that's cost me several hours of sleep.

OK, that would be bad enough.  This morning I tried to ring the practice to get an appointment so the offending tooth could be looked at.  40 minutes later, still only getting the answering machine, so I drove up there.  ONE receptionist working.  In post-Easter week?  What are the practice management thinking?????  I really felt for her, she was snowed under.  Guess what MrsR did for 37 years?  Anyway, she managed to fit me in (which is why I had time in town to go looking at BuM).  I returned at the appointed time... and was seen after 45 minutes by one of the other dentists, who numbed-up my mouth and whipped the tooth out.

Of course it might just be the same syndrome that causes a car to fall apart as it leaves the MoT ramp...

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

It's true though... 50 years ago I was one of the many avid watchers of Tomorrow's World on BBC.  Every week Raymond Baxter

... Me too. My dad was there once, promoting an electric can crusher. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

10 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

But the rest?  It's all rubbish.  Worse, it's all cynically marketed at the consumer as the greatest thing since sliced bread, and the consumer laps it up.  Said consumer spends every penny he doesn't have, lining the pockets of those at the top of the chain, who do precisely nothing of any value.

Isn't that just a falling of scales from (older/more mature) eyes? I have that disease very badly and it's been diagnosed as age related cynicism.
To be honest, I caught it from t'missus who, as a wrinkled crone of 54 years, is constantly wondering aloud how she fell for all that consumer bollox for all those years - look at the money she wasted etc etc.

We no longer have 'labour saving devices' - it's a 'life hack' - aka some twat in a plaid shirt on YouTube spending 5 minutes slobbering over a Binford spanner then showing you how to lefty-loosey a nut. Great. Bet he cannot wire a plug or sew on a button? See. We had the Boys' Brigade back in the day  

Upwards and onwards, work beckons, joy...

[eddyramrod]

1 hour ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Isn't that just a falling of scales from (older/more mature) eyes? I have that disease very badly and it's been diagnosed as age related cynicism.

To some extent, yes; but also there's an element of early withdrawal from consumerism when I was about 9 and my dad drove himself into the ground trying to rebuild his agri-business after the 1967-8 foot-and-mouth.  Money was in short supply from then on, and I've spent a lot of that time ignoring trends that have obsessed others.

The world is marching out of step, and it's picking up speed as the cliff-edge beckons...

[eddyramrod]

19 hours ago, Bren said:

Is everything unfit for purpose?

Further to this, and my reply of "Yes"...

We bought a new kettle sometime last year.  It looks like this, but black...

Not quite the right model but it IS a Swan.  It's nothing but fucking useless.  Look where the handle is: your hand gets scalded when you pour.  That handle is secured* by one barely-accessible and (crucially) barely finger-tight nut inside the kettle body at each end.  If you fill it enough for a hot-water bottle then while boiling it will shoot boiling water out of the spout, all over your worktop and its own lead and base.  It also leaks anyway.  The lid requires force to remove and refit, and is too small to allow you to refill from the tap without getting water down the side of the bloody thing.

This morning we've ordered a new jug-style one online.  When it comes, if I can't foist this piece of shit onto someone more needy, the tip will beckon.

[cobblers]

2 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Further to this, and my reply of "Yes"...

We bought a new kettle sometime last year.  It looks like this, but black...

Not quite the right model but it IS a Swan.  It's nothing but fucking useless.  Look where the handle is: your hand gets scalded when you pour.  That handle is secured* by one barely-accessible and (crucially) barely finger-tight nut inside the kettle body at each end.  If you fill it enough for a hot-water bottle then while boiling it will shoot boiling water out of the spout, all over your worktop and its own lead and base.  It also leaks anyway.  The lid requires force to remove and refit, and is too small to allow you to refill from the tap without getting water down the side of the bloody thing.

This morning we've ordered a new jug-style one online.  When it comes, if I can't foist this piece of shit onto someone more needy, the tip will beckon.

The problem is nowadays a kettle that "just works" is too basic and too easy. Most people spend £10 more and get the next model up with some blue LEDs in it etc, so the designers are forced to make something that looks a little bit more fancy each time and eventually it ends up objectively worse to use, but "it's what people want". See also: touchscreens in cars etc.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I remember by parents buying a 'lifestyle' kettle, having it replaced three times by the manufacturer and then being told by the retailer that most kettles available to retail use the element from just a couple of factories and that they're all the same.

Then they went and bought another 'lifestyle' kettle and completely missed the point.

[captain_70s]

I am a big supporter of buying the second cheapest supermarket appliances, they're just robust, functional and dirt cheap. 

Second cheapest because the cheapest is usually hideous white plastic.

[iainrcz]

Jesus pissing christ.

So that's another pair of tyres as I bet it's not repairable.

[barefoot]

If you can find a place that repairs lorry tyres with a vulcanising machine, they can sort anything unless it's practically on the bead.

[Cavcraft]

12 minutes ago, barefoot said:

If you can find a place that repairs lorry tyres with a vulcanising machine, they can sort anything unless it's practically on the bead.

This.

A 'major' repair will also be the strongest part of the tyre when done. If you're anywhere near Cheshire there's at least one (probably two) places that still do it.

 

[Volksy]

16 minutes ago, barefoot said:

If you can find a place that repairs lorry tyres with a vulcanising machine, they can sort anything unless it's practically on the bead.

That's awesome.

I have the same issue with one of the brand new Michelins I put on the back of mine less that 3 months ago! 

[Talbot]

On 4/2/2023 at 10:00 PM, RoverFolkUs said:

This happened to me in a Tesco during lockdown 1, I went there to pick up a prescription for someone and it wasn't ready. Pharmacist took my number and called me 20 minutes later just as I'd got home to apologize for the cockup and it was in fact ready on the shelf as it should have been. Not to worry, off I went again, not thinking about the car park. 

Bang, PCN through the post. Contested it with the store manager and he "dealt with it" and I never heard a peep afterwards 🤔🤔

Don't know if it's a combination of a lack of enforcement action during lockdown, and the fact the "appeal" was that I was collecting a prescription for a vulnerable person during lockdown and the second visit was due to the store's cockup and not my personal gain... Does make you wonder if the stores always have back door access to contest the fines for people, because that must be what happened in my case 🤔

Follow up on this.

Went back to Sainsbury's, explained the situaiton.  The've cancelled the PCN.  Clearly they do have a "back door" method to get rid of PCNs if they want to, as all they needed was the PCN number from the letter.  Very glad it's sorted!

[MikeR]

stay away from Southport /Ainsdale if you dont want to pop a blood vessel , road works starting up all over the place as well as the continuing upgrade of the cycle path on the by pass for the next month ....  just stay away !

[eddyramrod]

TBF, I know Southport well, and have used that cycle path far more times than I care to remember.  It really does need upgrading!  Just cutting back the shrubbery would be a good start.  Road works: we have them here in Barrow too, but it doesn't matter how many there are, the roads are still nothing more than a few narrow strips of tarmac between the potholes.

[andy18s]

5 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Further to this, and my reply of "Yes"...

We bought a new kettle sometime last year.  It looks like this, but black...

Not quite the right model but it IS a Swan.  It's nothing but fucking useless.  Look where the handle is: your hand gets scalded when you pour.  That handle is secured* by one barely-accessible and (crucially) barely finger-tight nut inside the kettle body at each end.  If you fill it enough for a hot-water bottle then while boiling it will shoot boiling water out of the spout, all over your worktop and its own lead and base.  It also leaks anyway.  The lid requires force to remove and refit, and is too small to allow you to refill from the tap without getting water down the side of the bloody thing.

This morning we've ordered a new jug-style one online.  When it comes, if I can't foist this piece of shit onto someone more needy, the tip will beckon.

Glad to see someone took him seriously then....#sarcasm...

[MikeR]

17 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

TBF, I know Southport well, and have used that cycle path far more times than I care to remember.  It really does need upgrading!  Just cutting back the shrubbery would be a good start.  Road works: we have them here in Barrow too, but it doesn't matter how many there are, the roads are still nothing more than a few narrow strips of tarmac between the potholes.

I agree the cycle route through the woods is sheer dangerous , a lot of head high over growth coming over from the walled garden , as well as the path switching sides on a very busy road ! .

any way the coastal road is open ..at the moment ...