The grumpy thread

[Spurious]

  On 10/10/2023 at 21:57, Zelandeth said:

You have my sympathies.  We had a grain mite infestation a couple of years back which wiped out basically everything in the kitchen.  Getting rid of them was an absolute pain!

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I spotted them as the larvae tend to climb onto ceilings and spin their cacoon. So far after the "great mass extinction pantry moth event" there's been none spotted for 2 hours. 

Utterly hateful job throwing away food. Cockroach spray was super effective however and I'm crossing my fingers that there's none exploring the ceiling tomorrow morning. 

Root cause was herself's aunt brought over a batch of walnuts and they must have come in with them... 

[GMcD]

  On 10/10/2023 at 21:59, jakebullet said:

I suspect many know the phrase "You're good with computers" and the total despair that follows dealing with the terminally confused. I made the mistake of fixing the Mrs's mum's tablet when I was there so I am now the expert* 

Symptoms this time are, and I quote "There's something wrong with my google". 

Google what? Chuff knows.

Last time it was "Messenger isn't letting me login", which turned out to be she'd somehow stored her facebook password as the wireless password, so big surprise it wouldn't let her connect to the wireless. She has three tablets, and basically uses one until it's fucked up, then when she kills all three some lucky mug gets to sort them out.

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Just think..with three tablets you get to deal with her 66.666666% less in comparison to having one.

Glass half full n that. 

Buy another seven. 

[myglaren]

Grandson has started work at Durham University (work, not student).

He had booked a train for this morning but got on the wrong train.

£58 from Newcastle to Durham!

[New POD]

  On 10/10/2023 at 21:51, Burnside said:

The coolant bottle on my Stilo has developed a hairline crack, right were the rubber pipe joins on.

Just what I needed as I really needed the car tomorrow. Tried bodging it tonight, but can't seal it enough to stop leaking under pressure. So it will have to stay off the road till it's fixed. Great.

 

 

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Look...

On

the

bright

side.

You caught it before it ran dry and you cooked the cylinder head gasket.

My astra did that and i caught it. Just.

It turns out that it's a common thing on them.  On some they have a coolant level indicator. On my SRi it doesn't. But it does have tyre pressure monitoring and front and rear sensors. On my wife's poverty spec astra. It has the sensor. 

[New POD]

  On 10/10/2023 at 21:59, jakebullet said:

I suspect many know the phrase "You're good with computers" and the total despair that follows dealing with the terminally confused. I made the mistake of fixing the Mrs's mum's tablet when I was there so I am now the expert* 

Symptoms this time are, and I quote "There's something wrong with my google". 

Google what? Chuff knows.

Last time it was "Messenger isn't letting me login", which turned out to be she'd somehow stored her facebook password as the wireless password, so big surprise it wouldn't let her connect to the wireless. She has three tablets, and basically uses one until it's fucked up, then when she kills all three some lucky mug gets to sort them out.

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Just because I can record a macro in excel, and can sometimes modify it, (usually with dificulty)  people think I know all about computers. I don't.  

 

[Vince70]

I need a breather hose for my 2.0 V5 Golf as it’s torn and collapsed.

I recently bought a similar Hose for my 2.0 litre Golf which is an older car as it’s based on the MK3 and that cost me all of £7.50, but for the V5 it’s unobtainable, but I did find one for £265 in the US.

So the old girl might be getting a catch can.

[omegod]

Currently dealing with the the aftermath of my FIL's sad passing on Sunday.

 How the fuck can it cost £867 to dig a hole in an already purchased plot and how the fuck can a cemetery only manage to do one burial per day !  

[loserone]

  On 11/10/2023 at 12:09, myglaren said:

£58 from Newcastle to Durham!

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That's more than £4 a minute.  Fucking hell.

[myglaren]

  On 11/10/2023 at 14:49, omegod said:

Currently dealing with the the aftermath of my FIL's sad passing on Sunday.

 How the fuck can it cost £867 to dig a hole in an already purchased plot and how the fuck can a cemetery only manage to do one burial per day !  

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That sounds outrageous.  Could be some sort of scam, there have been lots of scams involving funeral services.   Funeral Scams

There is a complaints procedure Complaints about pre-paid funeral plans     (Financial Ombudsman Service)

I know of two locally.  One of my daughters works at a funeral directors and tells me of these things.

There's a petition going on at change.org currently about just this.  Be wary of doing any more than sign their petitions as they are a for-profit American organis(z)ation and not all contributions go to the intended recipients.

[louiepj]

I am sure someone on here once said whatever your question is? Honda Jazz is that answer.
Question: What car in your family is going to fail its mot every year with brake issues?

3 new calipers, discs, pads and a hose to fit.

[Burnside]

  On 11/10/2023 at 12:48, New POD said:

Look...

On

the

bright

side.

You caught it before it ran dry and you cooked the cylinder head gasket.

My astra did that and i caught it. Just.

It turns out that it's a common thing on them.  On some they have a coolant level indicator. On my SRi it doesn't. But it does have tyre pressure monitoring and front and rear sensors. On my wife's poverty spec astra. It has the sensor. 

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True,  funny enough my Cavalier went the same but that had done over 170,000 at that point. (Stilo only done 68,000)

It still got me the 20mins home though, without any problems thankfully.

Had no luck finding one locally today. Did try the local Fiat dealer on the off chance, promised to call me back but didn't! 

Rather buy a new one than used if I can. Looking like a eBay aftermarket brand or Fiat parts specialist is my best bet. 

Which shape is your Astra by the way @New POD ? 

 

[GingerNuttz]

Bloody Beyerdynamic DT 770 sliders broke 😑

No even a year old and they want £20 for a new set that are the same shitty plastic.

These better not break or I'll bin the headphones 😂

[omegod]

  On 11/10/2023 at 15:24, myglaren said:

That sounds outrageous.  Could be some sort of scam, there have been lots of scams involving funeral services.   Funeral Scams

There is a complaints procedure Complaints about pre-paid funeral plans     (Financial Ombudsman Service)

I know of two locally.  One of my daughters works at a funeral directors and tells me of these things.

There's a petition going on at change.org currently about just this.  Be wary of doing any more than sign their petitions as they are a for-profit American organis(z)ation and not all contributions go to the intended recipients.

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Thanks but this is the local councils charge 

[New POD]

  On 11/10/2023 at 18:42, Burnside said:

True,  funny enough my Cavalier went the same but that had done over 170,000 at that point. (Stilo only done 68,000)

It still got me the 20mins home though, without any problems thankfully.

Had no luck finding one locally today. Did try the local Fiat dealer on the off chance, promised to call me back but didn't! 

Rather buy a new one than used if I can. Looking like a eBay aftermarket brand or Fiat parts specialist is my best bet. 

Which shape is your Astra by the way @New POD ? 

 

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2 complimentary Astra Js. Mines a 1.4T Auto GTC SRi in white, hers is a 1.6 Auto 5 door exclusiv* in piss green.  Very few parts are interchangeable. 

*Meaning giffer spec. 

Tend to do long journeys in the GTC and at weekends use the 5 door for local trips. 

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 11/10/2023 at 16:25, louiepj said:

I am sure someone on here once said whatever your question is? Honda Jazz is that answer.
Question: What car in your family is going to fail its mot every year with brake issues?

3 new calipers, discs, pads and a hose to fit.

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"As a full time vehicle mechanic, what is the only car you can recall ever having to replace all 4 calipers in one shot, 6 weeks after the most recent advisory free MOT pass?" 

Answer... 

Honda Jazz! 

[High Jetter]

  On 11/10/2023 at 12:09, myglaren said:

Grandson has started work at Durham University (work, not student).

He had booked a train for this morning but got on the wrong train.

£58 from Newcastle to Durham!

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Got on the wrong train??? Understand why he's not UNI material

(sorry MG)

[Metal Guru]

  On 11/10/2023 at 22:36, High Jetter said:

Got on the wrong train??? Understand why he's not UNI material

(sorry MG)

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Went to London and back to get his £58’s worth?

[horriblemercedes]

I need to buy a new washer/dryer. £500 rough budget. I'm absolutely bewildered by the range of stuff on sale and no idea which features I do or don't want, which retailer to choose and which brands are good and bad.

 

This must be what it's like for people to choose a new car if they have no interest in them!

[cobblers]

  On 12/10/2023 at 10:16, horriblemercedes said:

I need to buy a new washer/dryer. £500 rough budget. I'm absolutely bewildered by the range of stuff on sale and no idea which features I do or don't want, which retailer to choose and which brands are good and bad.

 

This must be what it's like for people to choose a new car if they have no interest in them!

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Sort by price, scroll down til you see an brand you've heard of. Unless you spend a fortune then they're pretty much all made in the same few factories in turkey anyway. Don't get a Beko dryer with "Anti crease" because the fucking thing will kick on and run for a few seconds every 15 minutes, all day and night after it's finished a load of washing and there's no way to disable it. 

[Burnside]

  On 11/10/2023 at 21:46, New POD said:

2 complimentary Astra Js. Mines a 1.4T Auto GTC SRi in white, hers is a 1.6 Auto 5 door exclusiv* in piss green.  Very few parts are interchangeable. 

*Meaning giffer spec. 

Tend to do long journeys in the GTC and at weekends use the 5 door for local trips. 

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 That's a shame to hear Vauxhall don't have the interchangeability of previous generations, but then I suppose it's the same with most manufactures now.

Funnily enough though, it turn's out that my Bottle is shared with the Fiat Bravo II, so managed to order one through a Fiat specialist today for £38.09 delivered.  

I was just curious about your Astra, as I saw a rather nice looking Astra J Estate the other week. So thought they might be worth a look next time round?

 

[artdjones]

  On 12/10/2023 at 17:07, Burnside said:

 That's a shame to hear Vauxhall don't have the interchangeability of previous generations, but then I suppose it's the same with most manufactures now.

Funnily enough though, it turn's out that my Bottle is shared with the Fiat Bravo II, so managed to order one through a Fiat specialist today for £38.09 delivered.  

I was just curious about your Astra, as I saw a rather nice looking Astra J Estate the other week. So thought they might be worth a look next time round?

 

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They are inordinately heavy, like 200kg more than a lot of their competitors, so might not appeal to FIAT enthusiasts,as that takes any zip away in the lower powered versions.

[New POD]

Interesting* fact is that the astra J estate is bigger inside than an insignia estate of the same age. 

[sdkrc]

£176 for an off-peak return train ticket to London leaving at 4:30am. 

Took me an hour to get to the station including a 30min walk through Glasgow. No trivial feat at 3:30am with all the pissheads and junkies.

The woman checking the tickets sends me and a Chinese student away for having off-peak tickets 10mins before the train is due to set off. I have to bring up the website on my phone and argue with her that Friday is not peak. She refuses to budge. I even have a seat reservation for this very train...

I have to force her to read her company page which she reads incorrectly and says "no, you'll need to wait for the next train". Her colleague radios in and says we're good to go 3mins before departure. What a donkey. No sign of the Chinese guy who is probably waiting for the 5:33am "off-peak" train.

If your job for the day is checking tickets, make sure you know how to check tickets. 

 

[goosey]

Happy Friday the 13th 

be careful out there…..

[SiC]

  On 10/10/2023 at 17:55, Pieman said:

I will admit, in a situation like that I just do 70 along lane 1 and undertake the lot of them.  I'm past caring these days.

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Nothing illegal continuing driving along that lane if you were already in it iirc. Thats filtering through traffic rather than undertaking.

Undertaking would be in the middle/outside lane and moving into that lane, then accelerating past all the traffic and pulling in further up. Thats frowned upon/illegal by the police (driving dangerously/without due care iirc).

[horriblemercedes]

  On 13/10/2023 at 10:32, SiC said:

Nothing illegal continuing driving along that lane if you were already in it iirc. Thats filtering through traffic rather than undertaking.

Undertaking would be in the middle/outside lane and moving into that lane, then accelerating past all the traffic and pulling in further up.

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Yep, undertaking and continuing in lane are different things and just as you describe

[Rocket88]

  On 13/10/2023 at 10:32, SiC said:

Nothing illegal continuing driving along that lane if you were already in it iirc. Thats filtering through traffic rather than undertaking.

Undertaking would be in the middle/outside lane and moving into that lane, then accelerating past all the traffic and pulling in further up. Thats frowned upon/illegal by the police (driving dangerously/without due care iirc).

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It would be nice to see plod actually enforcing the law occasionally then….. it never seems to happen 

[Talbot]

Well fuck.

Merc-o-barge has broken down.   Alternator failed on the M54 near Telford.  Went from charging fine to dead in about 20 miles.  Premium paid for emergency breakdown cover, as 99% of the time I don't have it and don't need it.

Called around a load of local motor factors, and nothing on the shelf.  Tomorrow is the soonest they can do.

Couldn't have failed near home could it?  No, of course fucking not.

Cock.

[Talbot]

Don't suppose there is anyone near Telford who can lend me some wheels is there?  Recovery is looking to be bloody expensive.

[Remspoor]

  On 12/10/2023 at 10:16, horriblemercedes said:

I need to buy a new washer/dryer. £500 rough budget. I'm absolutely bewildered by the range of stuff on sale and no idea which features I do or don't want, which retailer to choose and which brands are good and bad.

 

This must be what it's like for people to choose a new car if they have no interest in them!

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  On 12/10/2023 at 12:56, cobblers said:

Sort by price, scroll down til you see an brand you've heard of. Unless you spend a fortune then they're pretty much all made in the same few factories in turkey anyway. Don't get a Beko dryer with "Anti crease" because the fucking thing will kick on and run for a few seconds every 15 minutes, all day and night after it's finished a load of washing and there's no way to disable it. 

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Under the cover of Covid when we could not really get out we purchased a Candy drier via the junglesite.  It was on ultra special low price offer. so lack of shops open and this price meant we bought it. The Drier does the job, just. Sometimes the water tank needs emptying halfway through a cycle. Or the filter gets blocked and need cleaning. Avoid.