The grumpy thread

[NorfolkNWeigh]

A tale of 2 Land Rovers, one of these cars has catalytic converters,dpfs a nd all that green vegan type shite,it does 40 mpg and is all modern and wholesome. The other has a bigger engine no anti pollution bollocks whatsoever.

 

So why is the 'green' modern Gaylander £40 a year more to tax????

[rml2345]

"I never watch Top Gear but last night's episode deeply offended me as it has lowered the value of my six month old Golf which I shall have to set fire to immediately thus lowering the tone of the close.

The BBC should be ashamed and pay the difference in house prices caused by this rubbish." Copyright Daily Mail letters page forever and ever...

[Bobthebeard]

A tale of 2 Land Rovers, one of these cars has catalytic converters,dpfs a nd all that green vegan type shite,it does 40 mpg and is all modern and wholesome. The other has a bigger engine no anti pollution bollocks whatsoever.

image.jpg

So why is the 'green' modern Gaylander £40 a year more to tax????

Because they write the rules basically! It is all about raising revenue. Forget the 'green' thing. The 'green' issue only suits the Government when it suits them TBH.

It will never actually make any sense.

[Ratdat]

I don't watch TG anymore because whilst it has raised the odd chuckle in the past, there's now too much of it that is so woefully weak that it's insulting to even the mildly intelligent. It simply makes me cringe too much for it to actually be fully enjoyable. Shame really, as it has been quite entertaining in the past but it's become kind of like a semi-reality version of Last of the Summer Wine or Only Fools and Horses... both programs which were original and entertaining but outstayed their welcome for far too many years becoming laboured and stale in the process.

 

But then most TV is utter shit, so much so that I doubt I see more than one hours worth a week if that. If it wasn't for the existence of some good films on DVD I doubt I'd even have a TV.

[Bobthebeard]

I don't watch TG anymore because whilst it has raised the odd chuckle in the past, there's now too much of it that is so woefully weak that it's insulting to even the mildly intelligent. It simply makes me cringe too much for it to actually be fully enjoyable. Shame really, as it has been quite entertaining in the past but it's become kind of like a semi-reality version of Last of the Summer Wine or Only Fools and Horses... both programs which were original and entertaining but outstayed their welcome for far too many years becoming laboured and stale in the process.

 

But then most TV is utter shit, so much so that I doubt I see more than one hours worth a week if that. If it wasn't for the existence of some good films on DVD I doubt I'd even have a TV.

Not sure much has changed since the dawn of TV. My grandad used to actually throw stuff at the telly back in the 1960's. His grandad probably chucked stuff at the 'wireless set'.

Before that, folk used to pelt politicians/actors/thespians with eggs and rotten fruit.

[vulgalour]

We should make our own show called Bottom Gear and it should feature woefully bad cars, poorly edited reviews with bad segways and inappropriate music and at least one incident per show of an accidental* boob or bottom shot from camera three while the operator is on his fag break.

[dollywobbler]

We should make our own show called Bottom Gear and it should feature woefully bad cars, poorly edited reviews with bad segways and inappropriate music and at least one incident per show of an accidental* boob or bottom shot from camera three while the operator is on his fag break.

 

I have been attempting this with my own videos. I'm yet to crack the music/bottom angle though. Needs more work.

[vulgalour]

Should you choose to accept it, then that is your mission Agent Dollywobbler.

[Junkman]

Before that, folk used to pelt politicians/actors/thespians with eggs and rotten fruit.

 

This kind of most appropriate behaviour should urgently be resurrected.

[Junkman]

I have been attempting this with my own videos. I'm yet to crack the music/bottom angle though. Needs more work.

 

At least my bad taste in music you can lift off the 'favourite driving choons' thread.

For everything else, Dugong could consult.

[Brent_Crude]

I do watch it when it's on, but these days more in hope than expectation. The specials can be interesting sometimes, if you ignore the blatant set-ups. But each to their own...

 

I am of the same opinion. When I saw they were having a hot hatch feature, I thought they had a really good chance to come up with an evocative and interesting feature that a good many of us could relate to as these were/are 'achievable' cars, unlike most of the motors they drive on the show; but it just decended into farce and they missed a great opportunity. The twatting about and pre-conceived nonsense isn't what bothers me so much, as I take the show for what it is, but it is these missed opportunities where they take a great feature idea and ruin that does irk me.  

 

Just sometimes though, on the odd, rare occasion they can still come up with something really good - the 'SAAB RIP' feature for example or the rather moving V12 Vantage piece with a stunning backdrop that Clarkson did a while back, spring to mind.

 

I still watch it and will continue to, as it is always preferable to the incessant period dramas that occupy the other channels on a Sunday night. Besides, if it gets boring, I can always have a look on Autoshite! 

 

I always thought there was room on Beeb Four for a mid-week 'Top Gear 2' type show presented by proper motoring journalists (our very own Dolly Wobbler, perhaps!) doing some proper car tests and more of the decent features that TG used to put out. They should definitely get Chris Goffey back too. Anything car-related always seems to get lapped-up by the public, even utter tosh like 'Classic Car Rescue' on FIVE. Maybe Hammond/May/Clarkson could occasionally do a serious feature to help pull in the viewers, where they actually use the journalistic 'skills/knowledge' that got them where they are in the first place, but they wouldn't 'anchor' the show. Sod it, I am going to speak to Tony Hayers about this right away! 

[twosmoke300]

My grandad used to put a towel over the tv when cliff richard came on !!

[MrDuke]

I don't like new Top Gear, but I'm going to surprise people here and say that it isn't even about the car destruction for me. I just don't have any desire to watch mind-numbingly tedious interviews with soap stars interspersed with footage of near-identical supercars driving around a barren-looking airfield. What I resent is that in some people's eyes that somehow makes me the boring one.

 

Yeah, you say that, but I hear they're going to be setting fire to a Tredia Turbo next week..........

[M'coli]

Don't like Top Gear?  Then watch "Call The Midwife": decent enough stories, quite a lot of attractive young women in fantastic 1950s clothes, and the occasional bit of 50s Autoshite too.  What's not to like?

[jmsguzzi]

It's a shame because James May is actually a good chap and i enjoy watching his other shows and reading his columns. Richard Hammond is my least favourite, Hamster is an appropriate name as he seems to  love crawling up Jeremy Clarkson's arsehole. I did however surprise myself last week while watching the Men and Motors Youtube channel by actually enjoying Richard Hammonds car reviews so seemingly he used to be a decent journalist. Clarksons always been a bit of a prick but at least he was entertaining 10 years ago but now it's just sad watching him.

 

Fifth Gear is on the Discovery channel now i think so i can't watch it but i didn't like Jason Potato and that posh lass who used to scream all the time though Tiff was ok and that young Johnny is a bit of an autoshiter. 

 

I still watch Top Gear because sometimes they do something half decent.

[Ghosty]

A tale of 2 Land Rovers, one of these cars has catalytic converters,dpfs a nd all that green vegan type shite,it does 40 mpg and is all modern and wholesome. The other has a bigger engine no anti pollution bollocks whatsoever.

image.jpg

 

So why is the 'green' modern Gaylander £40 a year more to tax????

The fact one of them is PLG and the other isn't?

[Angrydicky]

Richard Hammond is an odious unfunny twat.

[beko1987]

Fucking Hoover, fucking carbon brushes that shit themselves after not being touched for 29 years, fucking nearly killing myself with plastic fumes when I didnt notice it sparking when using it...

 

[outlaw118]

Been having a few "issues" of late, a couple of you will be aware of them, but I'm not going to bore everyone else with them.

 

Suffice to say my employee 'elfcare scheme has taken over my " treatment" (eventually) and made me an appointment at 5pm tomorrow at an establishment in Norf Lahdan. According to RAC routefinder it's 22 miles, or 45 minutes, using the A13 and A406. Cushty.

 

As my employers had promised to "help in anyway they can" (or words to that effect) I emailed the union rep, and asked if, in his opinion, it would be ok to use the company van. (HMRC issues, no personal use, so not taxable benefit). Or, if not, can I be paid, or claim the time, or claim the fare if I have to use public transport. I wasn't expecting much, just one of the above would have been nice.

The response from Union chappie was "Can't see the van use being a problem, I've got some experience in this sort of thing, but talk to the boss on Monday".

 

As this is the GOM thread, you know that this hasn't gone well.

 

I can't use the van, I need to go in my own time (ie make up the hours), and no transport costs will be payable.

 

So I need to resurrect The Shed (see news 24 thread), knock off early tomorrow, then will have to work until at least 730 Wednesday and Thursday. And be out of pocket for pez & parking.

 

WHAT THEY SAID : "We understand that this is a difficult time, we will do what we can to help"

WHAT THEY MEANT: "You're suffering, but we really don't give a flying toss. You're on your own fatty".

 

How to improve* morale, in one easy step.

[chaseracer]

If it's Occupational Health it should be in work time, though they're not obliged to pay travel expenses.

[outlaw118]

Occupational Health have referred me onto our healthcare provider Allianz Surgical, who have made the appointment for me, if that makes ha'porth of difference.

[chaseracer]

Is it work-related? If so: works time.

[chaseracer]

Less important than our good friend the driver of the "twat-wheeled custard-fuck" but a grump nonetheless: some BASTARD has touch-parked against the Merc hard enough to kink the wheelarch lip.  Clearly a non-OEM panel... 

[outlaw118]

It's not 100% work related, but I'd say that it's a good portion of it; certainly more than half and half.

 

Sorry to hear about Das Panzerwagen, that kind of thing really makes my shit itch.

 

To (sort of) quote John Travolta in Pulp Fiction " You don't fuck with another man's automobile. It's against the rules".

[outlaw118]

Grrrr, I'm too fat to chuck myself out of this window.

 

Damn you pies!

[RedSparrow]

Meh, I was quite enjoying the new TG episode up until they started dicking around with JCBs etc. It was more like an episode of Braniac or a kids science programme.

Surprised they still haven't come up with some new ideas and are still recycling the same old jokes though.

Yes, Hammond still needs replacing. I recon Jimmy Carr or as I've said before Sabine Schmidt.

[beko1987]

Went to the local blood session at lunchtime with my letter,got told ah sorry sir, we are really busy, there may be a 2 hour delay... Could you go away please?

 

Fine. Fuck you NHS Blood service!

[jakebullet]

I'm 40 today. It sucks balls.

 

As well as the usual 'my family are tossers' issues, ebay's decided I'd like a shitload of disputes, paypal's decided I'd like a fraudulent payment, and amazon has balls'd up the description of one of my things on the German site so it's about a third of it's actual price, and some clever Kraut has gone and bought the lot.

[The Moog]

I really love where we live. the house is amazing. So why the grump. the fucking landlord. Nothing but a bully.

 

Electric bill was 350 a month. So he asked me to investigate. Spoke to boiler people diagnosed broken pump. Plumber comes out , no isn't broken just boiler is a rubbish type. Phone back boiler people. Wrong type of boiler for house on wrong tariff means will be mega bills. Report to landlord and had stand up row. Apparently all my fault. Doesn't listen,accuses me of lying.

 

Now glass is broken on the fire ( it was crackd before we moved in) supplier can't fix for 8 weeks. Can I measure it. fair enough it is roughly this. No he wants exact measurements Which means dismantling the fire to remove the glass. Fuck that he will then say I have broken it. He won't pay for someone to come and measure it. Now saying I need to do better than rough calculations otherwise he won't fix it.

 

Its a real shitter. My missus loves this house but I think we are going to have to move. It isn't going to get better.

[Lord Sterling]

Been trying to watch a particular episode of Minder which I have never seen fully. There were several interruptions in which about 10 other episodes were trying to record on Sky+ then the electricity cut off about 10 mins before the end. As this is Sky+ it takes about 10 minutes to load/initialise then try and switch on.

 

Fitst world problems and all that.