The grumpy thread

[vulgalour]

Nattering to art friends tonight - something I can indulge in now I have good internets again - and I'm reminded of a character I never got to do anything with.  This happens quite a bit, I do comic book type stuff in addition to the car stuff.  So, imagine if you will a character set in 1930s New York, a member of an organised crime syndicate, a big mouth, likes his coffee, likes his cigars and enjoys a good bank heist and a bit of car theft on the side.  Oh, and he's an anthropomorphic Magpie too and named after an American gun manufacturer.  He's got all this character and background planned out and I never have the opportunity to explore his world.

 

It's the frustrating nature of my work.  He's not a profitable character, he won't generate me any income and I haven't the spare time to devote to him so he sits there in my imagination unable to be used and I just get grumpy about it.  For some idea of his world, it's a bit like the truly excellent http://www.lackadaisycats.com/with more of a leaning towards the violence and atmosphere of things like Sin City and Tank Girl.

 

Maybe one day I'll have enough time to do some scribblings and set up a Patreon or something for him.  So much research though, the cars and clothing alone is so much work, let alone home furnishing, architecture, maps, weather, historical and political climate, colours... there's an absolute crapload of work involved in building a really good graphic novel or comic, it's so much more than just a charismatic character.

[chaseracer]

Make sure you get a Renault 20 in for the OFSTED.

He'll never understand.

 

FTFY.

 

[michael1703]

^Tell him you've had a Renault 20 in.

He'll understand.

Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've mot'd

 

I probably mot more rover P4s in a year than the rest of the country, had about 4 morris marinas in the last 6 weeks,lots of 90's chod,some Porsches and lots of rot boxes.

[beko1987]

Could you not get a rot box in for a test in front of him and show how picky and truthful you are? Or does it not work like that?

 

Are all your mot tools on the special board all the mot places I've been to have? Is that the legal requirement?

[Timewaster]

Wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've mot'd

 

I probably mot more rover P4s in a year than the rest of the country, had about 4 morris marinas in the last 6 weeks,lots of 90's chod,some Porsches and lots of rot boxes.

Could explain the ministry visit!

[DeeJay]

Offer him a couple of stamped, blank certificates.   

[strangeangel]

Bastard puncture put paid to my last ride out of the year

[MarvinsMom]

been to the temple of doom (aka the farther in laws)and the foot-well of the metro is swimming, after all that rain.

 

bollocks.

 

i guess i will be taking the interior out of that , though i've got no idea where i shall be putting the carpet to dry out.

 

own fault, as i didn't put the cover on the car the last time we were over there to look at it.

 

in better news, having borrowed their ladders, i've been up and cleared out the gutters, so i'm hoping*  that will put an end to them overflowing.

[Cheggers]

been to the temple of doom (aka the farther in laws)and the foot-well of the metro is swimming, after all that rain.

 

bollocks.

 

i guess i will be taking the interior out of that , though i've got no idea where i shall be putting the carpet to dry out.

 

own fault, as i didn't put the cover on the car the last time we were over there to look at it.

 

in better news, having borrowed their ladders, i've been up and cleared out the gutters, so i'm hoping* that will put an end to them overflowing.

How tall is this Metro that you need ladders to clear the gutters?

 

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[Pillock]

Offer him a couple of stamped, blank certificates.

Ask him if he can sign off your garage without visiting, sort of a "distance inspection" as it's how your place tends to do MOTs

[JohnDeere]

Driving back from visiting my uncle last night, through a winding stretch of 50mph road, I suddenly had the pleasure of encountering the LED loveliness of the front of an Aldi heading towards me on my side of the road. No doubt he had more important places to be than everyone else, and decided it would like to overtake, in the wet, dark, bendy road.

 

Much chuntering of my ABS, black rubber deposited on tarmac and brown stains deposited on seat as I stopped two-and-a-half tonnes of Land Rover in 5 metres in order to kindly let Mr Tosspot avoid hitting me.

[Lacquer Peel]

I sometimes look on the new car comics websites because I bought Autocar religiously when I was young and I am still interested in some new cars, especially if they're something different like the new Mustang.

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ford-mustang-versus-bmw-m235i-comparison

 

Troy Queef writes...

 

like staging an NFL game at Wembley

 

The Mustang is global now, Limey

 

a fog so sumptuously thick that even air traffic control has bent to its will

 

like a herd of bison, the Mustang is best viewed in proper Panavision

 

That notion hardens like animal fat in the arteries upon driving.

 

Awful, unreadable dreck. I can't believe he referenced Alan Partridge unironically at the start of the article, he's like Partridge if he wrote about cars.

[Timewaster]

Facebook idiots:

 

"Stop forrin aid and help or own people who are flooded out" etc etc.

 

The same bunch who go on about homeless soldiers and Muslims wot get given a 5 bedroom house the day they arrive blah blah blah

 

One post is actually complaining that there are no adverts on TV raising money for something that happened 48hrs ago during a 4 day weekend.

Do they think the TV is magic?

 

edit: I've been flamed on FB with several comments about "charity begins at home"

 

yes but it doesn't fucking finish there your cretin. We can help more than one thing at a time.

[cobblers]

How tall is this Metro that you need ladders to clear the gutters?

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It's that curious tall one they were all arguing about on retro rides the other week:

 

[The Moog]

Last day of holiday and feel like death warmed up. Previous 36 hours have been a round of sweating and urgent bathroom dashes with support from aching all over and shakiness.

 

Managed to dive twice yesterday, and determined to do the same today.

 

I think spending 20 hours in a flying metal tube means you catch anything going around. Not looking forward to the return leg tomorrow

[fordperv]

It's that curious tall one they were all arguing about on retro rides the other week:

 

Was there ever an answer? I did read the thread on there when it got put up, I searched Google when I saw it but came up with nothing

[Cheggers]

Was there ever an answer? I did read the thread on there when it got put up, I searched Google when I saw it but came up with nothing

Surely some kind of camera glitch, as the bumper and bonnet edge are converging at a far greater rate than they would if it were just perspective making it appear that way.

 

Either that or the passenger side is taller than the drivers side, making it some kind of BL NASCAR prototype

[chaseracer]

I sometimes look on the new car comics websites because I bought Autocar religiously when I was young and I am still interested in some new cars, especially if they're something different like the new Mustang.

 

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ford-mustang-versus-bmw-m235i-comparison

 

Troy Queef writes...

 

...nothing about "a dab of oppo".  Disappointing.  Appropriately named writer, though.

 

However, he did remind me that I need another straight-six in my life ASAP...

[twosmoke300]

Customers ! For those that don't know run a small garage . I'm a one man band but have one mechanic that comes in as I need him on a self employed basis .

I've had customers ring and text me all over the Christmas period . In fact the only day I haven't had calls was the big day itself .

What is wrong with these people . I wouldn't dream of calling the garage on Boxing Day ffs .

Time to change all paperwork to the landline number only me thinks .

I wouldn't mind if it were breakdowns but most are mots that have run out ( despite reminder stickers and text reminders at the beginning of Dec) and one was to swap his wheels front to rear ! Hardly an emergency job .

 

Grrr . Rant over sorry

[burraston2006]

Bored of this Christmas period now ( in truth I was bored of it by about 6am on the 1st of december!).

My question is- I've got today off and nothing planned so is it too early to take the decorations down? 

I wanted to do it yesterday but the millstone had invited people (I don't like) around for drinks etc and was politely informed to leave them alone.

[MarvinsMom]

no, its not too early. you miserable git.

 

if you want rid of xmas shizzle then go for it.

 

ours will be comming down on 3rd January, before going back to work

[Sealtainn]

Taking ours down today as cats keep swinging off the tree, the dog's trying to eat the decorations and the baby keeps careering into it in his walker then trying to grab the fairy lights !!

 

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[320touring]

Customers ! For those that don't know run a small garage . I'm a one man band but have one mechanic that comes in as I need him on a self employed basis .

I've had customers ring and text me all over the Christmas period . In fact the only day I haven't had calls was the big day itself .

What is wrong with these people . I wouldn't dream of calling the garage on Boxing Day ffs .

Time to change all paperwork to the landline number only me thinks .

I wouldn't mind if it were breakdowns but most are mots that have run out ( despite reminder stickers and text reminders at the beginning of Dec) and one was to swap his wheels front to rear ! Hardly an emergency job .

 

Grrr . Rant over sorry

Certainly that is not ideal, however, a positive spin would be 'Despite this traditionally being a quiet time of year for the garage trade, I have already had enough bookings to secure work til the 2nd week in Jan'

 

 

one of these annoying situations where your work geets busier as others are off theirs- So they have time to call you up!

 

Also shows that you're in demand and trusted-a good thing in a mechanic:)

[Cavcraft]

Or have an answerphone message that says 'All calls to this number over Christmas cost £8 per minute'.

[panhard65]

I just had a second customer ring me up. "I need to book a service" she says, "oh and it has to be by friday". Not really a problem as I had nothing booked in just in case of emergencies. What really is annoying though is it isn't a service it's the mot that is due. The one I sent a reminder about at the begining of December and then sent a second text reminder a week ago about. Hopefully the testing station will be open next week. I had a crap December with bugger all work in and now they all start ringing wanting everything done straight away.

[twosmoke300]

I have had a mental dec , infact the whole year has been silly busy which is good but I feel frazzled and need some time off . 

Having said that im in work now tiding up and doing paperwork.

[Richard]

Text received on my own phone this morning.

 

Hello Richard, hope you're having a good Christmas break. Can you give me a ring please. Thanks, Boss.

As it happens I'm not having a good break because I know this sort of thing is likely to happen. 2016 will be job hunting year I think.

[mercrocker]

"Hello Boss, I was. Thank you. Now fuck off. Thanks, Richard"

 

Hmmm...it probably reads as a better idea than it actually is.

[dollywobbler]

Surely some kind of camera glitch, as the bumper and bonnet edge are converging at a far greater rate than they would if it were just perspective making it appear that way.

 

Either that or the passenger side is taller than the drivers side, making it some kind of BL NASCAR prototype

 

That'd be quite a glitch given that there's no bodywork between headlamps and bumper on a normal Metro.

[jakebullet]

Usual post xmas ebay sales falling off a cliff has been turned up to eleventy. Not fun to find you've earned a fiver all day.