The grumpy thread

[purplebargeken]

Losing the power of speech surely has to be a bonus.

[mercrocker]

I tell them I don't have an email address, they can sod off, as you say inbox will be full of shit in three seconds flat.

 

Middle age grumpiness on my part has developed into early elderly cantankerous.   I now refuse to acknowledge to anybody that I have an online ability.  "Don't do internet" is my standard response to anybody that asks.   Make 'em do things the hard way or fucking leave me alone.

[doobietoo]

As my son in law has been taking our 3 grandchildren aged 10,9 and 6 to drift yo meets I thought I would introduce them to the delights of drag racing at santa pod. Unfortunately even after 30 years they still haven't got their act together as all we saw was a few demonstration runs and about 3 actual races all day. I fear on yesterday's showing that drag racing as a visitor attraction will decline even further than its present low point as all the kids will be going to see a sport that actually cares about its supporters and puts on a show.

[Tamworthbay]

As my son in law has been taking our 3 grandchildren aged 10,9 and 6 to drift yo meets I thought I would introduce them to the delights of drag racing at santa pod. Unfortunately even after 30 years they still haven't got their act together as all we saw was a few demonstration runs and about 3 actual races all day. I fear on yesterday's showing that drag racing as a visitor attraction will decline even further than its present low point as all the kids will be going to see a sport that actually cares about its supporters and puts on a show.

that's sad, it's not my favourite Motorsport by any stretch but an occasional trip used to be great fun. Noise to make your ears bleed and spectacular crashes. I haven't been for a couple of years but you need them to be flying sown the strip every few minutes. What meet was it? The last one I went to was the euro meet and that was pretty good.

[doobietoo]

Easter nats we left about 3 when they came on the tannoy saying they were trying to dry the track. ... the kids were rolling down the grassy bank next to the track at the time which was perfectly dry. It is really sad to hear the announcers saying there is this entertainment here and that going on there and yet not bothering about the reason everyone was there ie the racing.

[laser wheels]

Not a grump as such, more an observation: has anyone else noticed in the last few months new members joining and only posting creepy comments in the girly threads?

 

It's getting like the xhamster comments section in there.

 

I mean what I imagine the xhamster comments section to be like. *ahem*

[mercrocker]

There are only so many comments you can type using only the left hand, surely?

[Tamworthbay]

There are only so many comments you can type using only the left hand, surely?

the worrying part is the bit of text where the spelling mistakes get bad.

[purplebargeken]

Called in at Halfords to get a new wiper blade for the i10. This one has only lasted 53,000 miles. Cheap shite.

 

Sorry Sir, it's a dealer only part. WTF??

[Tamworthbay]

Easter nats we left about 3 when they came on the tannoy saying they were trying to dry the track. ... the kids were rolling down the grassy bank next to the track at the time which was perfectly dry. It is really sad to hear the announcers saying there is this entertainment here and that going on there and yet not bothering about the reason everyone was there ie the racing.

that's shocking, the nationals were always a decent day out. I bet it wasn't cheap either, £25-30 a ticket for adults?

[Junkman]

Fuck Summer time.

I'll miss that hour of sleep until November.

[Richard]

Yup, and we get the hour back when it's no use to anybody.

[mercrocker]

I always managed to get rostered on the Sunday after clock buggery.   Long since turned it to my advantage - I rock up an hour late, so does everybody else and nobody loses any sleep.   I make sure I am off when we go back to GMT, tho.

[Eddie Honda]

Today was Argos, went in to buy a TV so paid bird on the till, that'll be £129 and whats your email address? Nooooooo just let me buy the TV! You are not adding me to some wanky mailing list about offers on stuff I dont want every week.

Do retailers still ask for address details when buying a telly so they can grass you up to TV Licencing?

 

ANSWER TO MY OWN QUESTION: (as the last time I bought a telly it was before Comet went tits-up circa 2008).

 

"The Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1967 (as amended) has been repealed meaning that from 25 June 2013 onwards, TV dealers are no longer required to notify TV Licensing when they sell or rent out TV equipment."

 

So they don't.

[doobietoo]

that's shocking, the nationals were always a decent day out. I bet it wasn't cheap either, £25-30 a ticket for adults?

Yep 3 adults £25 per ticket.....The day out in total cost about £150 with food, petrol etc. So about £50 a race....

 

Its almost like they make more money on the "other attractions" and avoid racing at any cost.....

 

They did have time for a learner to spend half an hour doing an "introductory run" and for their own two seater to do a run with a passenger..... I am more sad than angry as I love the drags especially the feel and sound of the top fuellers racing each other and would love to pass this onto my grandkids....

We are going to try again on a Sunny dry day so hopefully they will put on a better show...

[cort16]

I drove my p6 to work a few months ago and although it never actually overheated it did blow out all it's coolant on the m8 for a laugh.

The stat look like it had suffered some kind of hernia so I bought a new stat with a little bleed back valve, which is supposed to help it self regulate.  I change it a couple of weeks back now and it's doing this weird thing where the temp goes up to nearly 100 degrees then starts gurgling and spitting water out the overflow before return to normal (if not slightly below) running temperature. It never actually over heats but but doesn't exactly inspire confidence to drive it anywhere. 

[scaryoldcortina]

^ Check your hoses, sounds like it's sucking air into the system. Air expands and throws the water out the top... Usual suspect is the bottom hose (rad to waterpump)

[cort16]

I keep saying I should replace the hoses but never do so I guess it's time to pull my finger out.

[Pillock]

To be fair to Santa Pod, when you're on a glued track you have to stop racing when there's any rain at all - the water sits on the glue instead of making the track damp, you've got slicks on and it gets very slippy very quickly. I know they don't bin it off easily, they will run as late in the day as light allows if they've missed racing due to weather.

 

At Easter Thunderball you're also watching stuff doing 7-8sec 1/4s rather than some noisy Subarus with drainpipe exhausts getting caned up the track, if I was crossing the line at 180+ MPH I'd want to know it wasn't like driving on a skating rink. Easter Thunderball is always a bit touch and go for weather, wait for Summer Nationals or Bug Jam and it should be better. Although I've seen a July BugJam completely rained off with zero racing (which gets you a refund).

[myglaren]

Middle age grumpiness on my part has developed into early elderly cantankerous.   I now refuse to acknowledge to anybody that I have an online ability.  "Don't do internet" is my standard response to anybody that asks.   Make 'em do things the hard way or fucking leave me alone.

I have the same thing with phones and tell them they can phone all they like but it will never be answered.

Unplugged my phone a couple of years ago as calls were 99% spam and I hate talking on the phone at the best of times.

[andrew e]

Why has the nations main drag strip got a "glued" track then? What is a "glued" track?

[myglaren]

We used to go to one in North Yorkshire, back in the sixties.  Can't for the life of me remember the name of the place now but passed it last year.

Was always a good turnout.  The stars being Art Arfonse (Green Monster) ,  Craig Breedlove (Spirit of America) and Dean Moon(Mooneyes).

There seemed to be quite a lot of races throughout the day.

[MarvinsMom]

maybe drag racing is like horse racing and cricket? (ok it isn't, i'm not quiet that stupid.....)

 

with horse racing on a really wet day, i think if they get through 3 races on the card before the meeting is cancelled, then they don't have to pay out any refunds.

 

cricket is the same, if they manage ever-so-many overs then no refunds are given.

 

presumably drag racing works on a similar principal, 3 races and no refunds given?

 

we were last at Santa Pod for mini in the park in august 2014. jeeeeeeeezus it was wet that weekend...... and the track was shut all day.

 

until this morning, i think that weekend at Santa Pod may well be the wettest that i have managed with my clothes on. and that includes the "life saving" thing we had to do at school wearing my pyjamas.

 

still at least now i know how to save a rubber block thing from the deep end of the swimming pool, while wearing my pj's

[dollywobbler]

Last time I was at Santa Pod, I was driving the wrong way down it in a Honda NSX, following my wife in a diesel X-Type Jag. She preferred the Jag.

 

I must concede, I've only been once when stuff was actually happening - a RWYB session in which I partook in my 2CV. Which was very boring. There was one 'proper' dragster doing some practice runs. I have never heard, nor felt a noise like it since. Quite incredible.

[mercrocker]

Top  Fuelers FTW....I have never forgotten that sound, like my ribs were going to explode.   There is an awful lot of mucking about at any drag race I have been to but Long Marston used to be good.

[Junkman]

Fucking summertime shit.

Now I'll have my morning erection at the bus stop until November.

[doobietoo]

Why cant people do their job properly, its not rocket science. Walk down the drive, open the conveniently placed OUTSIDE mounted gas meter door. You don't even have to knock on the door, read said meter.... THEN CLOSE THE DOOR AGAIN PROPERLY..... that way your customer does not get woken up at six o'clock in the morning on the one day he is able to get a lie in by the door banging in the fucking wind and does not have to go out in a force 10 with torrential rain in his pyjamas to close it.....MUPPET........

[Parky]

Despite the winds last night, it seems only one house lost any tiles in the wind. And no it wasn't mine!

 

However it was my neighbours (rented) house that suffered. The tiles dislodged and I heard the thunk-thunk-thunk CRASH!!! As they bounced down the roof and impacted with something solid before smashing into a zillion bits. I wonder what they hit?

 

MY FUCKING CAR!!! Here we go with insurance company bollocks. Texted the house owner this morning and look forward to a wall of silence so that looks like a replacement wing, indicator light and respray not to mention time in the body shop. I was going to put it on Autotrader today as well. Fucksticks.....

[Parky]

And this as well. Neighbour owns the Merc, wife owns the Fiat. What shitty shitty parking half way across my drive!

 

And she has gone away for a fortnight......

[doobietoo]

And this as well. Neighbour owns the Merc, wife owns the Fiat. What shitty shitty parking half way across my drive!

 

And she has gone away for a fortnight......

Seems like a roof tile should fall on her car......