The grumpy thread

[Pieman]

In that case, I give up.

[jakebullet]

Mechanic pissing me about again. Phoned him last Friday, right kid you're in the book for Thursday this week. Knowing I'm going to prolly get pissed around I check yesterday. Ah... well I've got a complicated one come in for Thursday so maybe won't be doing yours.

Is it too much to think that if you're in the book he should be telling other people who come along later unlucky, not me?

Then today I book the cinema. 10 minutes later he phones up, somebody cancelled, can you come now? Er, no. Maybe Friday then kid.

[cobblers]

Went in to a modern "food court" thing today. Not far off the middle of town, but zero phone signal inside it on EE or O2.

They insist that you scan a QR code to log your car onto the parking app.

They insist that you scan a QR code to look at the menu and order food.

"Use the wifi" they said:

This was the wifi:

Which provided no working internet connection, so we gave up and went somewhere else.

Half an hour later, my wife got an email saying "we saw you parked in our car park but didn't pay, we'd ordinarily fine you but we'll let you off this first time because you were only there ten minutes". Fuck knows how they got her email address!!!!! Presumably from one of the other parking apps she uses.

After this, we went to look at a big fridge for our new house. 80% of them had WIFI, I had to actively avoid WIFI enabled fridges!!!!

One of them had a fucking camera inside it and a 24" LCD on the outside, in order to view the food that is inside the fridge using a camera. Give me fucking strength man!"!!!!!!!

[Pieman]

What happens if I throw my smartphone away and refuse to replace it?  Am I not allowed to live?

[cobblers]

Just now, Pieman said:

What happens if I throw my smartphone away and refuse to replace it?  Am I not allowed to live?

I'm very much considering this, and getting some basic phone that I can't make myself miserable scrolling bad news for 5 hours a day

[myglaren]

Mine is capable of it but I only use it to text (never speak to) people, use as a shopping list, a Kindle reader and a camera.

Sometimes as a satnav and mp3 player in the car.

[IronStar]

8 hours ago, Pieman said:

Every time I have a weekend I am not working, I invite friends to come and maybe spend time with me.  Every time, they come up with an excuse a couple of days before and cancel on me.

I don't have any friends who live close to me and my girlfriend died last year.  Is it too much to ask to have something to look forward to in life other than working and sitting in my house?

Try talking to them about how you were looking forward to it, it’s important to you, and that  you can’t make plans of they cancel on short notice. People usually don’t have a bad intentions, but often forget that this may severely impact or inconvenience others. 

[Sigmund Fraud]

1 hour ago, Pieman said:

What happens if I throw my smartphone away and refuse to replace it?  Am I not allowed to live?

I've never owned a smartphone, and I'm very much still alive.

There are at least 2-3 occasions every week when someone instructs me to "scan this QR code" or "download this app". I respond by showing them my battered old Nokia and asking if there's an alternative way. So far, there has always been an alternative way to get things done.

[sheffcortinacentre]

3 hours ago, Pieman said:

What happens if I throw my smartphone away and refuse to replace it?  Am I not allowed to live?

The looks I get when I say I haven't got one & don't want one , you'd think I'd just asked if I could shag their wife 

[EyesWeldedShut]

8 hours ago, myglaren said:

Sometimes as a satnav and mp3 player in the car.

My old phone lives in the glovebox and is our mp3 player - bluetooths though a Chinesium dongle to the radio - couple of thousand tracks set to random but there's a few playlists if needed. It will satnav using Google or Apple maps but my tourettes and blood pressure prefer using an atlas and/or memory mostly. (Satnav retained for final stages of unknown destinations where previous recce with Google StreetSpy has not been 100%)

My 'real phone' often stays at home as I'm usually accompanied by a doom scrolling family member should we need to (God forbid) make a phonecall or some other life changing functionality like saving thirty seconds by pre-ordering a McDonalds. (In true life-balancing karma that saved thirty seconds is negated by the artery hardening saturated fats then consumed?)

7 hours ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

So far, there has always been an alternative way to get things done.

Ditto on this - I guess there's a degree of FOMO involved for some people though? Trouble is that they are then fecked if the forget/lose/discharge their smartphone - self reliance is now digitally based?  
There's also now an expectation that we have, at the very least, internet access and that seems to be morphing into the SmartPhone - e.g. RyanAir have a £55 fee for airport check in if you do not do so online prior to travel - I can see the online bit shifting to 'app based'.

Back to my gifferdom, thank you for reading.

[goosey]

No hot breakfast at the Hotel where I’m at today as the Chef didn’t turn up 😢

 

first world problems 

[barefoot]

After about five years of Nokia dumb, I had to buy a smartphone last year to put my Download tickets on. It wouldn't let me put two on my wife's. I've now retired from the festival but my new phone only pings for calls and texts. 

[Merryck]

11 minutes ago, barefoot said:

After about five years of Nokia dumb, I had to buy a smartphone last year to put my Download tickets on. It wouldn't let me put two on my wife's. I've now retired from the festival but my new phone only pings for calls and texts. 

My phone's been on silent for at least the last 10 years.

If it made a sound I'd be horrified.

[mercedade]

Some interesting innovations - I like the idea of a smart phone that only does the things I want 

https://www.thelightphone.com/lightiii 

Whilst the gamblers amongst us might hand over control to an app that only unlocks your phone if you're near a physical 'key'

https://getbrick.app/

[Yoss]

A friend at work is not online at all, no computers and a basic mobile for texts and calls only. 

A couple of years ago Royal Mail stopped issuing physical pay slips saying we had to download an app. He has been protesting ever since and we all seem to agree that not issuing somebody with a payslip whether digitally or papery must surely be illegal but he hasn't got anywhere yet.

He's been told that not being online is 'lifestyle choice'. But he argues that having to pay £300 a year (based on a rough estimate of £25 a month for internet access) cannot be right but he hasn't got anywhere yet. He's been to the union and Citizens Advice who both agree with him but Royal Mail still refuse. It's not like it would cost them anything to post one out because they are Royal Mail FFS. 

Just to wind him up further I took part of my pension early last year. You can do this when you're 55. Okay so you might get slightly less overall but I figured it's better in my bank account than theirs as the way things are going the company might not exist in five years. And neither might I for that matter. But every month I get a pension statement through the post and it is identical to our old payslips so I find it highly amusing to tell him I've got a payslip. Every month. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, Merryck said:

My phone's been on silent for at least the last 10 years.

If it made a sound I'd be horrified.

Mine rang yesterday - I froze. Turns out the wee 'silent' switch had got knocked off. It was worth it to watch the other staring at me as I failed to answer it, I could feel them urging me to go for my pocket. These guys get whiplash if their phone makes any sort of 'ting'. Why is that?
Anyways - some London number - no idea who and they never left a message. Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.

[Yoss]

6 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Mine rang yesterday - I froze. Turns out the wee 'silent' switch had got knocked off. It was worth it to watch the other staring at me as I failed to answer it, I could feel them urging me to go for my pocket. These guys get whiplash if their phone makes any sort of 'ting'. Why is that?
Anyways - some London number - no idea who and they never left a message. Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.

My current phone has a thing where it flashes up suspected spam caller and a big stop sign in red. No idea how it works this out but when I keep getting calls from Barnsley on a number very slightly different from the one that rang me yesterday its probably right.

I don't cut them off, I just let ring as long as possible. I figure if we all do that they'll spend a lot more of their day listening to a ringtone and have less time to bother other other people. 

[Metal Guru]

22 minutes ago, Yoss said:

My current phone has a thing where it flashes up suspected spam caller and a big stop sign in red. No idea how it works this out but when I keep getting calls from Barnsley on a number very slightly different from the one that rang me yesterday its probably right.

I don't cut them off, I just let ring as long as possible. I figure if we all do that they'll spend a lot more of their day listening to a ringtone and have less time to bother other other people. 

99% of spam calls are on my lane line. I’m getting rid of it this month, so problem solved.

[IronStar]

Chronically online, glued to a smartphone here for a different perspective. 

I'm turning 30 this year. All my friends work different shifts, and a lot of them have moved abroad or to different cities. Many have kids. We no longer have time to meet up in person as often as we'd like to, but we still deeply love and care for each other, so we have group chats. The longest-standing one is turning 10 this year, and the amount of shit said there, life events, celebrations, disasters, and support that happened on there is enough to fill a lifetime or 3. We had a chat about it, and despite not seeing each other all that often anymore, we still feel very close and deeply connected to each other thanks to it, and we feel that all the others are there for us any time we need them, a single message away. A friend got banned from Facebook a few months ago for $RANDOM and there's a real sense of void left without him there. Needless to say, we're in touch much less with him as he's not on there anymore.

Same with other friends / friend groups. Life happened everywhere, but my phone is constantly buzzing as someone wants to share something with me / group.

Other functions? Satnav? Check. Music? Check. Calendar? Check. Credit card? Double check, I didn't pull out my physical ones for a loooong time. Loyalty cards? Check. Home control? Check, most of the things at home are smart. Camera? For almost all intents and purposes, check. I have a DSLR if I really want to do something that's not a snap. General internet browsing? Oh yes!

Next to all knowledge of the world is a pull a phone from my pocket away from me. Most of the entertainment as well. I work in the IT industry, and the only time I use a laptop or any other form of desktop computing is whilst I'm at work. Why bother, when my phone does everything the laptop does, in a more convenient form factor with a battery that lasts longer?

If I can concentrate almost everything I need for my (digital, and at this point in general) life on a single device as opposed to having to do with 25 different cards / devices / things, it would seem really daft not to. We live in an ever-accelerating world, and getting most of the things done as conveniently and as fast as possible is an important part of day-to-day life for me, as I can do more in less time.

When we get to a point where there's a better interface device than a smartphone, I'll be the first in line. 

[Remspoor]

18 hours ago, meggersdog said:

I employ a part time mot assistant, a single mother who works during school hours.She has three children in full time education. Previously the social were paying towards her rent and that was it, no free school meals no help with anything else. She has now been forced onto universal credit but because of her hours she has to have an interview and sign on. First couple of times she has had to take time off work.I am not paying her to sign on so her wages are down. They have now agreed to a telephone interview and this is my grump.

We don't have avery good mobile signal here so my assistant gave them the works number. So today I answer the phone to an 0800 number. As usual I answer with the name of the company. "err, what" I repeat the name of the company "oh, I was told to ring this number by a person"  Okay well I am a person so who did want to speak to. ( for the purpose of this let's call my assistant Jane) . " I want to speak to Jane"  sure who's calling " I AM NOT GIVING YOU MY NAME" erm, sorry "it's got nothing to do with you." she shouted . Oh says I " look it's a business matter with Jane and nothing to do with you"  with the phone in hand I went into the workshop and found Jane. Holding the phone near my face I loudly inform Jane there is some arsey woman on the phone for her.

WTF a not very civil, civil servant. If I am paying someone by the hour then taking them away from their work to answer a phonecall   has a lot to do with me.  

I feel sorry for your tester too. she has to deal with that sort of person to get some financial support. I hope she manges to get past the Rottweiler.

[MorrisItalSLX]

19 hours ago, meggersdog said:

I employ a part time mot assistant, a single mother who works during school hours.She has three children in full time education. Previously the social were paying towards her rent and that was it, no free school meals no help with anything else. She has now been forced onto universal credit but because of her hours she has to have an interview and sign on. First couple of times she has had to take time off work.I am not paying her to sign on so her wages are down. They have now agreed to a telephone interview and this is my grump.

We don't have avery good mobile signal here so my assistant gave them the works number. So today I answer the phone to an 0800 number. As usual I answer with the name of the company. "err, what" I repeat the name of the company "oh, I was told to ring this number by a person"  Okay well I am a person so who did want to speak to. ( for the purpose of this let's call my assistant Jane) . " I want to speak to Jane"  sure who's calling " I AM NOT GIVING YOU MY NAME" erm, sorry "it's got nothing to do with you." she shouted . Oh says I " look it's a business matter with Jane and nothing to do with you"  with the phone in hand I went into the workshop and found Jane. Holding the phone near my face I loudly inform Jane there is some arsey woman on the phone for her.

WTF a not very civil, civil servant. If I am paying someone by the hour then taking them away from their work to answer a phonecall   has a lot to do with me.  

This reminds me of a time I’m not proud of at work some years ago.

I answered the phone and a woman with the roughest, gravelly voice asked to speak to Shane. I put the phone down and find Shane outside having a fag, I tell him there is some old bag on the phone for him and he heads inside to take the call.

As it turns out, the woman on the phone was Shane’s wife.

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, Yoss said:

A friend at work is not online at all, no computers and a basic mobile for texts and calls only. 

A couple of years ago Royal Mail stopped issuing physical pay slips saying we had to download an app. He has been protesting ever since and we all seem to agree that not issuing somebody with a payslip whether digitally or papery must surely be illegal but he hasn't got anywhere yet.

He's been told that not being online is 'lifestyle choice'. But he argues that having to pay £300 a year (based on a rough estimate of £25 a month for internet access) cannot be right but he hasn't got anywhere yet. He's been to the union and Citizens Advice who both agree with him but Royal Mail still refuse. It's not like it would cost them anything to post one out because they are Royal Mail FFS. 

Just to wind him up further I took part of my pension early last year. You can do this when you're 55. Okay so you might get slightly less overall but I figured it's better in my bank account than theirs as the way things are going the company might not exist in five years. And neither might I for that matter. But every month I get a pension statement through the post and it is identical to our old payslips so I find it highly amusing to tell him I've got a payslip. Every month. 

HMRC state:

Quote

You must give your employees and your ‘workers’ a payslip on or before their payday.

and, sadly, also:

Quote

Employers can choose whether they provide printed or electronic (online) payslips.

https://www.gov.uk/running-payroll/payslips

[EyesWeldedShut]

5 hours ago, Yoss said:

I figure if we all do that they'll spend a lot more of their day listening to a ringtone

They don't - that's the trouble. I've done call centre work - running an automated software dialler (we called it 'the dialler' ) - that gets setup with a list of customers/targets/whatever using inhouse data (e.g. we were into Collections so we'd setup something like (1) all accounts delinquent more than 180 days (2) located in Glasgow (3) not called in the last four weeks).
You then get  team of agents ready and flick the switch - the dialler will ring out and, if the phone is answered, pass the call to the first free agent.
The agent (usually) has a bit of a delay between getting the call routed to them and the account coming up on their screen - so you'll get a bit of waffle before they launch into their sales pitch or monetary demands.
A wily customer will spot the lag between them going 'Aye? Whit issit?' and  the agent talking to them so hang up. If they do then the number goes back into the dialler but they'll likely not pick up a second time.
Decent dialler setup will pause outward calls if there's no agents free so that the list gets worked through. I guess pure sales calls would just not bother with that.
You can also obfuscate the number you are calling from - we did that as folks quickly learned that calls from 0987654321 were folks after their money - hence you'll often see very similar numbers popping up on your screen.

[wuvvum]

7 hours ago, IronStar said:

Next to all knowledge of the world is a pull a phone from my pocket away from me. Most of the entertainment as well. I work in the IT industry, and the only time I use a laptop or any other form of desktop computing is whilst I'm at work. Why bother, when my phone does everything the laptop does, in a more convenient form factor with a battery that lasts longer?

I have to disagree with this bit.  I fucking hate typing anything more than a few words on a touch screen.  Give me a proper physical keyboard any day.

[Spiny Norman]

4 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I have to disagree with this bit.  I fucking hate typing anything more than a few words on a touch screen.  Give me a proper physical keyboard any day.

This.
And a decent 14-15" screen I can actually read....

[IronStar]

25 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I have to disagree with this bit.  I fucking hate typing anything more than a few words on a touch screen.  Give me a proper physical keyboard any day.

Matter of preference / getting used to. I can probably type faster on the phone with predictive text than on the laptop, but slower than on full size mechanical keyboard. I’m an early adopter and spend ages typing on it though. For the record I’m not even fastest in my friend group. 😄 I’ve seen people using speech to text, but my primary language is Serbian so that’s a hit and miss with it.

As for convenient form factor, it fits in the pocket rather than a bag, and I can use it while walking / cooking / doing next to anything, so it will always get points compared to something I need two hands and preferably a desk to use.

[Popsicle]

Mrs P's Qashqai, well I say Mrs P's but number one child seems to be always in it these days, has a wheel bearing type noise coming from the ns front, as I can't be arsed it was booked in at the friendly local garage that does what I'm too idle/incapable of doing. Got a call around midday telling me the bearing is fine but the gearbox is at fault 😒. Sigh not sure if its worth bothering with anymore.

I trust the garage and I get decent rates with them. The clutch has been getting heavy so probs needs doing too. He said if I get a used gearbox he'll fit it and supply/fit a new clutch and flywheel for £600, so better than I thought, but still its a 14 year old 170k odd mile Qashqai at the end of the day - decisions, decisions.....

[MikeR]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

I have to disagree with this bit.  I fucking hate typing anything more than a few words on a touch screen.  Give me a proper physical keyboard any day.

thats why I like my chrome book , its like a 11 inch android phone with keyboard , dam big battery as well ..

[camryv6]

On 23/07/2024 at 16:39, meggersdog said:

I employ a part time mot assistant, a single mother who works during school hours.She has three children in full time education. Previously the social were paying towards her rent and that was it, no free school meals no help with anything else. She has now been forced onto universal credit but because of her hours she has to have an interview and sign on. First couple of times she has had to take time off work.I am not paying her to sign on so her wages are down. They have now agreed to a telephone interview and this is my grump.

We don't have avery good mobile signal here so my assistant gave them the works number. So today I answer the phone to an 0800 number. As usual I answer with the name of the company. "err, what" I repeat the name of the company "oh, I was told to ring this number by a person"  Okay well I am a person so who did want to speak to. ( for the purpose of this let's call my assistant Jane) . " I want to speak to Jane"  sure who's calling " I AM NOT GIVING YOU MY NAME" erm, sorry "it's got nothing to do with you." she shouted . Oh says I " look it's a business matter with Jane and nothing to do with you"  with the phone in hand I went into the workshop and found Jane. Holding the phone near my face I loudly inform Jane there is some arsey woman on the phone for her.

WTF a not very civil, civil servant. If I am paying someone by the hour then taking them away from their work to answer a phonecall   has a lot to do with me.  

As an MOT tester myself i would never take a phone call during an active MOT ?

[louiepj]

I assume that means I'm not going to receive my 10 litres of 20W50 and two cans of engine flush for £14.87 then?  Sigh.

I have also had to just ask for refund on two carousel oil orders.