The grumpy thread

[DodgeRover]

Big alloy winch bar, preferably with blood stains visible

[Des]

Does anyone know how to disable the invisibility cloak on a Land Rover 90? I didn't realise it was fitted and there must be a hidden switch, I'm getting fed up with people trying to kill me. It's not just the ones who pull out in front, or the pedestrians who step out in front, but now includes the ones who cut in front ( almost taking the wing off) and the ones who try to drive into the side coming up slip roads. I experienced a new version today when I was part way around a roundabout and a bright green something just drove straight onto the roundabout, my only option to avoid the collision was to yank the wheel sharply an continue back around the roundabout. I thought I was going to tip over and I'm convinced I had wheels off the ground. This was the closest it's been and I literally felt sick afterwards, I think I have pulled a muscle as my arm and chest are still painful. I'm not sure whether to get a florescent green wrap for the Land Rover, or to go for a bull-bar.

 

There's not a thing you can do, they're looking down at their phones.

I'm just waiting for the inevitable moron to rob me of my NCB and then I'll possibly consider an RSJ or railway track bullbar upgrade and start letting the fuckers argue with dashcam footage. While I believe everyone controlling a vehicle has a duty of care, anticipate mistakes and all that old hazard perception responsibility for others safety malarkey but fuck me it really seems increasingly as though I'm the only twat thinking that way, growing very weary of almost constant evasive action and near misses from the dumbfuckingly stupid here.

[scaryoldcortina]

It depends on the age of the car too. Whether your car is homologated with specific bulb requirements etc. I think pre 1986 is ok.

Not for MoT it doesn't. I'm going to check aim, beam pattern and colour after making sure all the bulbs, switches and warning lamps do their job and I'll also do a cursory check of headlamp levelling and washing systems on factory fitted Xenons and HID sets.

 

I don't give a wet shit if you bought chinese bulbs or mega expensive cree ones, they either meet the standards on the day or they don't. PS, mostly they don't....

 

I try not to listen to or read any consumer level "advice" about MoT testing because it's always at least partially wrong. If you want to know exactly what happens on a MoT test then RTFM

[Noel Tidybeard]

train air horn upgrade

[Lankytim]

Had a falling out with the Mrs the other night. She knows I think her brother is a massive twat (for various reasons) and to keep the peace I've agreed to go to his youngests christening, I did protest as I don't want anything to do with him, but OK.

 

Anyway, he sent us a joint whatsapp message last night asking us to be godparents, which for me is obv totally out of the question. Not religious, think he's a prick etc

 

This caused friction between the wife and me and she refused to respond to him so I said I'd politely decline on my behalf if she hadn't within 24 hrs. She didn't (as her party trick is to totally avoid difficult situations) so I politely told him that I couldn't make the commitment, which he seemed fine with.

 

Now I'm the bad guy for not giving her chance to respond, not liking her family etc.

 

All I want is to live my life without interference, focus on Mrs LT and the lanklets etc. I work 60hrs + PW and get 2 rest days and it's bad enough getting dragged to the other end of the country to spend time with people I actively dislike, fake smiles and back slaps etc. "How's your work going?" Actually, don't answer that because I don't give a fuck.

 

Arrgh!

[beko1987]

You should have said yes you'd love to, then took the pilot to the christening.

 

Amy doesn't speak to some of her family for some reason, we always used to get on well with them, but now we are not allowed

[richardmorris]

Not for MoT it doesn't. I'm going to check aim, beam pattern and colour after making sure all the bulbs, switches and warning lamps do their job and I'll also do a cursory check of headlamp levelling and washing systems on factory fitted Xenons and HID sets.I don't give a wet shit if you bought chinese bulbs or mega expensive cree ones, they either meet the standards on the day or they don't. PS, mostly they don't....I try not to listen to or read any consumer level "advice" about MoT testing because it's always at least partially wrong. If you want to know exactly what happens on a MoT test then RTFM

 

The UK Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations and the MOT are 2 different things.

Fbhvc site is down at rhs moment, but there's lots on bulbs needing to be E marked post 1972. And most LEDs aren't.

 

From practical classics site.

BRIGHT IDEA?

Be wary of swapping classic bulbs for LED ones that do not meet legal standards. A spokesperson for the DFT said ‘fitting LED bulbs is only permitted when the entire lamp unit, not just the light source, is replaced by a Type Approved lamp.’

[doobietoo]

Being old I often listen to radio 4 when travelling around as there are times I would rather not have music playing. I was listening to a program on which a climate scientist was saying that the jet stream was changing which was causing "extreme" weather events and that man made global warming was to blame....when questioned on this statement he basically said that all the figures for the weather were freely available and that computer models he and others had done proved his point and would in no way accept even the possibility that he could be wrong.

 Now let me get this straight, I am no climate change denier but when a leader in his field makes statements like this about something, the jet stream, that has as far as we know been around for 3 billion years but that we only have really studied and have data for, for 50 years it really does make life way too easy for those who are against the money and effort put into solving the climate change problem as is being shown by the events now taking place in America at the moment.

[Lankytim]

It's solar flares innit. And VW Passats.

[alcyonecorporation]

Why was the Laguna hatch thread removed?

[AMC Rebel]

Does anyone know how to disable the invisibility cloak on a Land Rover 90? I didn't realise it was fitted and there must be a hidden switch, I'm getting fed up with people trying to kill me. It's not just the ones who pull out in front, or the pedestrians who step out in front, but now includes the ones who cut in front ( almost taking the wing off) and the ones who try to drive into the side coming up slip roads. I experienced a new version today when I was part way around a roundabout and a bright green something just drove straight onto the roundabout, my only option to avoid the collision was to yank the wheel sharply an continue back around the roundabout. I thought I was going to tip over and I'm convinced I had wheels off the ground. This was the closest it's been and I literally felt sick afterwards, I think I have pulled a muscle as my arm and chest are still painful. I'm not sure whether to get a florescent green wrap for the Land Rover, or to go for a bull-bar.

I dunno about this but if you find out, let me know.  I'd have thought a Range Rover Classic in a weird orangey colour would be at least averagely visible, but I have been having similar issues.  It's different from other cars - in the Puma people would do aggressive and dangerous stuff seemingly cos it was small, but it showed they'd seen it.  They genuinely just don't seem to see the Rangey at all - and yet despite it being a similar size, the Disco seems visible.  None of my chod has daytime running lights, so it's not that.

[AMC Rebel]

Being old I often listen to radio 4 when travelling around as there are times I would rather not have music playing. I was listening to a program on which a climate scientist was saying that the jet stream was changing which was causing "extreme" weather events and that man made global warming was to blame....when questioned on this statement he basically said that all the figures for the weather were freely available and that computer models he and others had done proved his point and would in no way accept even the possibility that he could be wrong.

 Now let me get this straight, I am no climate change denier but when a leader in his field makes statements like this about something, the jet stream, that has as far as we know been around for 3 billion years but that we only have really studied and have data for, for 50 years it really does make life way too easy for those who are against the money and effort put into solving the climate change problem as is being shown by the events now taking place in America at the moment.

 

I find this stuff interesting.  It seems that there are various types of folk about - those who are convinced they know everything either because they think they have studied all the evidence for years, or they believe people who say they have, and the rest of us who are unsure about a lot of things.

 

My gentle suggestion that (and I always feel forced to say this) despite me thinking he is a despicable turd, Trump might not be the end of the world as we know it (just one example) upsets some people so much.  

 

I am fed up with so many binary arguments and vilification of people who think there might be more to an issue than the conventional received wisdom.

 

My biggest regret about Climate change, Trump, Brexit etc is all the binary views - it always has to be that only one version can be true or correct and everyone else is a fool or an idiot - surely there is always more to any picture?

 

TL:DR I agree we seem to be basing these studies by extrapolating the very small amount of reliable data we have.  It may be that we have the science right now - but we have always thought we were right about the science we had in the past - but some of it was right and some was total bollocks. 

[andy18s]

According to "experts" there's any number of volcanoes due to blow anytime soon,any 1 of which will plunge us into an ice age.....I personally don't worry about mankind "causing" global warming.....

[AMC Rebel]

The thing is - if even half what I read about global warming is true - we are fucked.  I don't say this as an excuse not to try to do anything but really it does seem as if we are pissing in the wind without a major change to our entire political and economic situation.

[Captain Furious]

I try and avoid getting involved in online discussions about politics, but the one argument that really gets on my wick, its not confined to Brexit, but i'll use that as an example.

 

"Brexit is not the will of the people because only 27% of the population voted for it."

 

Oh, so Remain is the will of the people because you're going to automatically count all those who weren't eligible to vote or didn't bother getting off their arses to put a cross in a box as being on your side, I see

 

You get it at GE's too, "omg the Tories only got 36% of the vote, democracy is broken"

 

I bet democracy would be working just fine if your party had won though, yer?

 

Some people need to look up democracy in the dictionary, it doesn't mean "get your own way, all the time"

[Craig the Princess]

I've deleted what I typed as we don't want to get into Brexit again.

[Cavcraft]

Some people need to look up democracy in the dictionary, it doesn't mean "get your own way, all the time"

Hallelujah, brother. Sick to death of people still going on about the result. If you don't like it then I'm afraid it's hard luck.

[Supernaut]

Let's all agree that whatever our political standpoint, the world is shit.

 

Yeah?

 

Ok then, now fuck off and enjoy your weekends.

[Craig the Princess]

Hallelujah, brother. Sick to death of people still going on about the result. If you don't like it then I'm afraid it's hard luck.

Are there any more of my rights you would like to remove then demand I shut up about?

[Lacquer Peel]

I try and avoid getting involved in online discussions about politics, but the one argument that really gets on my wick, its not confined to Brexit, but i'll use that as an example.

 

"Brexit is not the will of the people because only 27% of the population voted for it."

 

Oh, so Remain is the will of the people because you're going to automatically count all those who weren't eligible to vote or didn't bother getting off their arses to put a cross in a box as being on your side, I see

 

You get it at GE's too, "omg the Tories only got 36% of the vote, democracy is broken"

 

I bet democracy would be working just fine if your party had won though, yer?

 

Some people need to look up democracy in the dictionary, it doesn't mean "get your own way, all the time"

It depends what you define as a mandate to enact policies. I don't believe the country at large voted firmly enough in favour of the Tories or Brexit.

[AMC Rebel]

It depends what you define as a mandate to enact policies. I don't believe the country at large voted firmly enough in favour of the Tories or Brexit.

 

Somewhat paradoxically I agree about the GE (and all GEs) - and if it hadn't been for the GE result, we probably would never have had the referendum.

 

I have been in favour of PR for ages and I even bothered to vote in favour of it in the referendum we had - but -

 

I didn't vote in favour of the referendum (i.e. didn't vote Tory) and I didn't particularly want one - but once it was there I felt compelled to vote.  As it goes, the referendum result was arguably more emphatic, being done on a simple majority with a single question and a (for us) high turnout.  The problem with arguing about a higher threshold than a simple majority lies in the arguments about where you set it.

 

The arguments are far from simple.

[Captain Furious]

While there are some arguments to be made that FPTP isn't an 'ideal' system, but its what we have and everyone has to play under the same rules.  If the Tories mandate was not large enough, Labours was even less, so what can you do?

 

So far as the Brexit referendum it was a straight yes/no vote, no constituency boundary's or parliamentary majorities, straight up whoever gets the most votes wins.  Some would say it doesn't get any more democratic than that.

 

I honestly thought Remain would get it, and I'm entirely convinced the only reason they didn't was because brexiteers were more motivated to get off their arses and get down to the polling station, all of the polls predicted remain to win, but the margin was far, far narrower once likelihood to vote was factored in, that should have been a warning.

 

I don't really see a way around it, other than making voting compulsory.  Failure to vote will be punishable by a 10,000 year ban on moaning about the outcome.

[AMC Rebel]

  Failure to vote will be punishable by a 10,000 year ban on moaning about the outcome.

 

I'd vote for that!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Rights and freedoms of 100% of the population, taken away on the wishes of 1/3 of the population – ‘That’s democracy folks, get over it’

 

I’m not sure if these referendums are democratic at all - they certainly sound it in theory, but in practice I suspect they follow a ‘he who shouts the loudest/makes the most eye-catching claims, wins’ rule with almost 100% accuracy. Also If those eye-catching claims subsequently turn out to be 100% blatant lies what do you do? Nothing, cos its too late then. You just have to ‘suck it up’ and ‘accept the democratic will of the people’. Fucking bollocks. I am not going to stop ranting about it as I am ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FUMING about it still.

[doobietoo]

I didn't post to get into an argument it was just a grump but LP has bought up an interesting point.... what is "firmly enough" for you LP? 50.1%, 60%, 70%,100% and is this percentage of all people eligible to vote or just those who can be bothered to get out of their chair and walk to the local polling station once every 5 years.... 

As for PR in every system I have seen it seems to be the fringe parties that hold the balance of power and nobody actually gets what they voted for which can only be a bad thing IMHO

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Oh no

[AMC Rebel]

Rights and freedoms of 100% of the population, taken away on the wishes of 1/3 of the population – ‘That’s democracy folks, get over it’

 

But presumably the 33% on your figures don't mind losing those rights and freedoms.  A further percentage didn't care enough to bother voting at all.

 

 

 

I’m not sure if these referendums are democratic at all - they certainly sound it in theory, but in practice I suspect they follow a ‘he who shouts the loudest/makes the most eye-catching claims, wins’ rule with almost 100% accuracy. Also If those eye-catching claims subsequently turn out to be 100% blatant lies what do you do? Nothing, cos its too late then. You just have to ‘suck it up’ and ‘accept the democratic will of the people’. Fucking bollocks. I am not going to stop ranting about it as I am ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FUMING about it still.

 

There were blatant lies on both sides (I think the leave lies were probably more extravagant and blatant, but don't forget the emergency punishment budget we were getting as soon as we voted leave - that turned out to be a lie amongst a few others).  The losing side is perfectly free to keep reminding us of this and keep moaning, but it doesn't alter the result.

 

 

[AMC Rebel]

While there are some arguments to be made that FPTP isn't an 'ideal' system, but its what we have and everyone has to play under the same rules.  If the Tories mandate was not large enough, Labours was even less, so what can you do?

 

Except way more people (of those who bothered to vote) voted for something other than the Tories and their votes were effectively worthless.  In PR every vote counts for something and votes are more accurately reflected in the allocation of seats.

[Cavcraft]

Are there any more of my rights you would like to remove then demand I shut up about?

 

I haven't removed any of them, I didn't even vote to get out.

[AMC Rebel]

BTW - I don't want to fall out with anyone about this - I find the debate interesting, but I fully respect everyone's right to vote as they wish and be pissed off or happy with any outcomes.