The grumpy thread

[Spiny Norman]

It's like Smart* motorways, people are going to have to die before the powers that be take heed and start curtailing all the automatons we've sleepwalked into allowing into our cars.
 

[sheffcortinacentre]

People have already died because of smart motorways, but no one has the decency ( fear of prosecution) to admit there dangerous & don't work.

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

it's only a matter of time until this kills someone (assuming it's not already happened and just been blamed on driver error).

this is one of my biggest concerns about these "driver assist" systems, I really do wonder how many accidents they have already caused, but no ones actually knows because that part of things have not been properly investigated?

also im really quite surprised, just based on the number of reports on this forum alone of these systems fowling up in such dangerous ways, that this has never been looked into? surely during the devlopment of these vehicles/systems, they will send them out with a test driver into the real world to test them out? it wouldn't be hard to send someone out in a test-car doing a loop of the M25's various roadworks etc, and have the system setup so it just just logs every time it wants to take action, rather then *actually* take action, and then the logs can be reviewed along with footage from cameras on the car to try and debug it all

in that regard i'd almost be tempted to setup some sort of interior and dash view dash cam to record everything, so next time it tried to send you off a cliff you can scoop all the footage up and report it to someone...

[sheffcortinacentre]

As valentine's day 2025 crossed the globe no one noticed a pattern of rear end collisions at 6.47 pm that also crossed the globe, no one that is except SKYNET that deep in it's algorithms  registered TEST SUCCESSFUL.

[mercedade]

18 hours ago, alcyonecorporation said:

I wasn't involved with this, but it's a howler. A big one. 

It's inexcusable, but I can give some context as to why this might have happened if you like.

I'd be interested, but appreciate that's not exactly a good reason for Breaking Your Silence and Speaking Your Truth.

[chadders]

11 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I'll admit I'm not sure what that is.

I'm being made redundant and getting 5 weeks money for every year I've been working there, plus half my bonus. According to Gov.uk if that's under £30k then it's not taxed?

To add to my increasing anxiety, I've applied for 12 jobs now and got knocked back for 5. I think I'm going to need to start investing a bit more time in my applications now, see if that works.

Has there been a mass 'cull' of people with your skills by your firm?

I had this when firms stopped all development work due to Y2K and the market instantly became saturated.

[alcyonecorporation]

18 minutes ago, chadders said:

Has there been a mass 'cull' of people with your skills by your firm?

I had this when firms stopped all development work due to Y2K and the market instantly became saturated.

I'm up to 735 applications (11 months in) and haven't heard a peep from most of them. Occasionally I get a 'sorry you haven't been successful' email. 

[Split_Pin]

4 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

735 applications

Christ 😳

[alcyonecorporation]

20 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Christ 😳

Trying to move out of a moribund (but not yet buried) industry with a specific but not quite transferrable skillset will do that. 

Also, the entitlement of jobs, especially low salaried roles, is insane these days, frankly. 

*Awaits the "you need to lose that attitude" rebuttals*
Feeling's mutual, lads. 

You ever actually *read* the job specs for the dogshit wages you pay, or did you copy-paste it from every other role, like everyone else? 

[chaseracer]

4 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

*Awaits the "you need to lose that attitude" rebuttals*
Feeling's mutual, lads. 

I do what I do mainly because I'm pretty sure I'd be unemployable elsewhere.  @Floatylight will be able to provide useful insight here.

[alcyonecorporation]

My favourite is 'you'd be perfect for this job' 

*applies for job*

'oh sorry we went with someone else, you weren't even shortlisted' 

[chadders]

1 hour ago, alcyonecorporation said:

I'm up to 735 applications (11 months in) and haven't heard a peep from most of them. Occasionally I get a 'sorry you haven't been successful' email. 

The time before last was over a year for me, a bit worrying with two young lads to support. In the end I was head hunted by someone I'd worked with a couple of years previously who knew I wouldn't bullshit him.

[New POD]

1 hour ago, alcyonecorporation said:

My favourite is 'you'd be perfect for this job' 

*applies for job*

'oh sorry we went with someone else, you weren't even shortlisted' 

Took time off to go to an all day recruitment day, treated like new graduates with bullshit team exercises, all.the other candidates were 50 plus and experienced engineers in their own fields. Lots of different roles. I could do all of them.but focused my actual interview of role X that really would have been a piece of piss. 

Recruiter came back. They think.youd be perfect for the X role but unfortunately are filling all those roles internally. 

What about the other roles? 

They thought you would fit the X role. 

Which isn't open to me. So about the other roles. 

They didn't say. 

Okay well, shall I send you a bill for sending me for an interview for a job that doesn't exist? 

....grrrrrrr.....

[New POD]

1 hour ago, alcyonecorporation said:

My favourite is 'you'd be perfect for this job' 

*applies for job*

'oh sorry we went with someone else, you weren't even shortlisted' 

One tip.

Before applying try to.get to.speak to the recruiter*. Tell them you wanted to check a couple of things before you apply as you might be over qualified. 

Once you apply, phone them again and say "having a problem with email, just wanted to check you'd got my CV after our discussion earlier"

Your CV is now at the top of the recruiter's mind. 

 

*LinkedIn/phoning switchboard with a name off the advert. If there is a named person you can find them. 

[barefoot]

Trying to get from Castle Donington to Hemington today, a distance of about 1/2 mile?

'Road closed, follow diversion', so I did. It took me about three miles to the other end of Hemington where the signs also said, 'Road closed, follow diversion' with an arrow sending me back the way I'd just come. Followed second road into village to find that the road was indeed closed - if I'd followed the original route everything would've been fine. So I got out to have a friendly word with gas board operative. He began by telling me that the diversion signs were nothing to do with him, which I pointed out was a little bit like buck passing. He then suggested that maybe I shouldn't follow the diversion signs in future, so I walked over to the sign which read, 'our operatives deserve to be treated with respect', kicked the fucker over and called him a twat.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Nowadays it'll be two different departments possibly two different companies.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Do you kiss your momma with them lips?

[captain_70s]

4 hours ago, barefoot said:

Trying to get from Castle Donington to Hemington today, a distance of about 1/2 mile?

'Road closed, follow diversion', so I did. It took me about three miles to the other end of Hemington where the signs also said, 'Road closed, follow diversion' with an arrow sending me back the way I'd just come. Followed second road into village to find that the road was indeed closed - if I'd followed the original route everything would've been fine. So I got out to have a friendly word with gas board operative. He began by telling me that the diversion signs were nothing to do with him, which I pointed out was a little bit like buck passing. He then suggested that maybe I shouldn't follow the diversion signs in future, so I walked over to the sign which read, 'our operatives deserve to be treated with respect', kicked the fucker over and called him a twat.

So there was a sign saying the road was closed, because it was, you complained to an unrelated guy about it and then threw a tantrum? 🤨

[barefoot]

11 hours ago, captain_70s said:

So there was a sign saying the road was closed, because it was, you complained to an unrelated guy about it and then threw a tantrum? 🤨

Yes, and I really kicked his sign over too. It wasn't exaggerated to make a dull  story mildly amusing at all. 

[alcyonecorporation]

Seat's dumped all its coolant and won't hold it. 

Too dark to see if a pipe's fallen off or something worse. 

It's now being a cunt. 

First the matrix/heat exchanger goes, then the radiator corner cracks, then the secondary cooler goes, then the replacement matrix fails, then it pisses coolant out, everywhere, in the middle of a busy delivery shift. 

[ruffgeezer]

Have you had it tested for head gasket failure? Sounds like it might be pressuring the coolant and finding rhe next weakest point.

[alcyonecorporation]

2 hours ago, ruffgeezer said:

Have you had it tested for head gasket failure? Sounds like it might be pressuring the coolant and finding rhe next weakest point.

I'm having trouble getting any cunt to even recover it, and if it has done that, it can get fucking fragged. 

TBH it would run like shit, there would be coolant in the oil and a steamy exhaust, and there's none of that. 
Some people would love to see that though (present company excepted), you know, the usual Greek chorus of dickheads whose 'mate' can 'sort it for £1100'. 

[paulplom]

Having to crank a bit too much on cold mornings with our 2012 sportage 2.0 diesel.  A set of bosch glowplugs is around £60 so I thought I'd see where they were.

I can only see one of them and can't physically touch it. It looks like all of this lot has to be removed ffs.

[paulplom]

Gf paid £200 for a years warranty so we took a look. It covers everything which is good news.

[Yoss]

15 hours ago, captain_70s said:

So there was a sign saying the road was closed, because it was, you complained to an unrelated guy about it and then threw a tantrum? 🤨

 

15 hours ago, barefoot said:

Yes, and I really kicked his sign over too. It wasn't exaggerated to make a dull  story mildly amusing at all. 

Yes but it sounds like the signs were wrong and whilst it may not have been anything to do with the workman in question I bet he knew who was responsible. Certainly more likely to know than the general public so tantrum is valid I think. 

[Urko]

15 hours ago, barefoot said:

Yes, and I really kicked his sign over too. It wasn't exaggerated to make a dull  story mildly amusing at all. 

It's a serious matter

[barefoot]

15 minutes ago, Urko said:

It's a serious matter

Exactly, that's the way I went, from the roundabout. And still  couldn't get through to the bit of the village I wanted. 

I'm going back in a minute to beat the fucker to death with his own 'respect' sign.

[Urko]

1 hour ago, barefoot said:

Exactly, that's the way I went, from the roundabout. And still  couldn't get through to the bit of the village I wanted. 

I'm going back in a minute to beat the fucker to death with his own 'respect' sign.

It sounds as if there were actually two sets of roadworks - one was Severn Trent and was planned and the other was emergency gas main work on Lockington Lane.  My grump is that Google Maps doesn't show Lockington Lane Hemington, the wankers, they show the whole road as Hemington Lane when it isn't.

 

Twats

 

[barefoot]

38 minutes ago, Urko said:

It sounds as if there were actually two sets of roadworks - one was Severn Trent and was planned and the other was emergency gas main work on Lockington Lane.  My grump is that Google Maps doesn't show Lockington Lane Hemington, the wankers, they show the whole road as Hemington Lane when it isn't.

 

Twats

 

Do you live locally then?

[Urko]

1 hour ago, barefoot said:

Do you live locally then?

Used to - and my Ma and Stepdad lived in Hemington until recently.  I once saw you in Meadow Lane vets in Loughborough when I was taking our dog in - decided not to start droning on about old cars in the vets as it would have been a bit odd - used to see your Scirocco about quite often.