The grumpy thread

[castros_bro]

Happier times mopedding near Figueiró dos Vinhos before I left.

 

 

What has happened over the past week.

 

 

http://www.news24.com/World/News/in-pictures-portugals-horror-forest-fire-20170620

[beko1987]

I rent a council lockup in a block down the road, had a letter about planning application a few months ago, only surprise was that it wasn't levelled for yet more squalid overpriced housing years ago, the area's already rammed, apartments going up, houses being chopped into flats, so remove a load of parking and replace it with yet more tossers who'll be looking for somewhere to 'park' their Audis. Had a notice to quit in a Month delivered today. Just fucking marvellous, it's an old Bristol I've got stashed there so it's a long bastard, exceeds my garage at home by a foot, where the fuck do I go now? Extend the roof and build a forty five degree ramp?

Anyone know of a lockup going in the North Watford area?

No fuck it I'll get my arse out of this shitting cockwomble of a town, fucking toxic spunkdump.

Anyone want to buy a nice terrace home where vintage chic meets contemporary in a dynamic and up and coming congenial suburb with good schools, shops and leisure facilities plus a bold sense of local community to ensure the most vibrant social scene?

Not really, it's a tarted up shack in a shithole infested by subhuman garbage.

House roffle? I'll take 1/4 a ticket...

[clayts450]

Work-related whinge.

 

Enforced jollity - just FRO.

 

An event where everyone has to 'get involved' and play games and dress up and bring food in and generally be 'fun'. For two solid weeks.

 

Just wanna come in to work, do my job and fuck off, not engage with such stupidity.

 

Luckily my team know my feelings on the subject and leave me the fuck alone.

[bramz7]

Called up my insurers as I'd found a really nice three door low mileage ZX diesel, without a turbo.

 

Big fat no again! What the hell is going on? They just said underwriter refused. I suspect this is down to it being a three door..

[oldcars]

Work-related whinge.

 

Enforced jollity - just FRO.

 

An event where everyone has to 'get involved' and play games and dress up and bring food in and generally be 'fun'. For two solid weeks.

 

Just wanna come in to work, do my job and fuck off, not engage with such stupidity.

 

Luckily my team know my feelings on the subject and leave me the fuck alone.

2 weeks? No chance from me.

[Guest Hooli]

Work-related whinge.

 

Enforced jollity - just FRO.

 

An event where everyone has to 'get involved' and play games and dress up and bring food in and generally be 'fun'. For two solid weeks.

 

Just wanna come in to work, do my job and fuck off, not engage with such stupidity.

 

Luckily my team know my feelings on the subject and leave me the fuck alone.

I would go sick for that.

[alcyonecorporation]

Yes. all that shit is tiresome. 

The call centre I worked in was rather like that; it expected non hotdesk folk to decorate their work spaces at their own expense (with no exceptions). 

They stopped mithering me when I sent the MD an expenses claim for six past events. They stopped, but had the cheek to mention it on one of my reviews. 

"You're constantly negative"

"There's nothing to be positive about in our office space. I also find the accusations of 'constant negativity' hurtful and counter productive."

And no, I didn't get any of the money back. It was for the same box of tinsel each time, anyway. I was trying to make a point. 

[Rod/b]

My ankle has swollen up like a tennis ball for no reason and it fucking hurts. Fucking falling apart at the moment and I'm sick of it.

[alcyonecorporation]

POLLEN AND HEAT PLEASE FUCK OFF

THANKS 

WEATHER RELATED POST COMPLETE #petulantweatherstatements

[Guest Hooli]

I can hear thunder here.

 

 

Or is this one for the grin thread?

[Kiltox]

Work-related whinge.

 

Enforced jollity - just FRO.

 

An event where everyone has to 'get involved' and play games and dress up and bring food in and generally be 'fun'. For two solid weeks.

 

Just wanna come in to work, do my job and fuck off, not engage with such stupidity.

 

Luckily my team know my feelings on the subject and leave me the fuck alone.

Contractor. Doesn't apply to me. Do one.

 

[D Spares & Tyres]

On the way home from dropping the Rover off for MOT, a car pulled out in front of us and then panic braked for an oncoming bus. Immediately after, the passenger dropped a McDonalds cup out of the window.

 

The car then set off, but something seemed odd. Its road positioning was all over the shop, it would seemingly brake for nothing and then accelerate randomly, frequently straying over the centre line and into the path of oncoming cars. I wondered if, perhaps, the driver was pissed. Then, on a clear stretch, the cause became apparent. The aroma of whatever its occupants were smoking filled our car - it was pungent enough to be drawn in by our ventilation system. When our paths diverged, I saw that the driver was a middle-aged woman, the sort that you wouldn't necessarily have pegged as that type [/stereotype].

 

I did something I've never done before, and reported it to the police via 101, no doubt adding to the backlog of things they're under-resourced to investigate.

 

Thing is, these people really are out there, and until yesterday I had never witnessed the danger that drug driving can present.

Apart from the littering and cannabis, this is how most Rovers are driven....

[chaseracer]

Even FPB7's 60, which was so named because that's what it does flat out. 

 

Though the speedo will claim it's a 90... 

[alcyonecorporation]

Especially the littering and cannabis, this is how most Rovers are driven....

 

Rochdale, blud. Rochdale's the place. For Rovers and gorld i-Phone cases. 

[MrDuke]

My head, once again, can do one.

 

In a rare episode of semi-clarity, it dawned on me today that I will probably never ever get the Dolomite road legal. The work it needs is relatively straight-forward and well within my ability in theory, but realistically I'll never have the mental stability and discipline to see it through. Cost-wise, it wouldn't be done until the end of summer, and if this autumn/winter is anything like last year then literally all my energy will be expended on getting up, working and going to bed without doing anything utterly horrible in-between. Regular car maintenance to stave off the effects of cold & damp might just as well be quantum physics. It's also a total waste of a decent car, that someone else could be using and enjoying, instead of just decorating my drive and collecting rust.

 

The problem is, I will likely never be able to afford anything remotely 'classic' again, especially not another Dolomite. I know that's a really stupid reason to hang on to something, but there it is. Also, I know that the normal response to such a dilemma would be to just give it some time, until my mojo comes back - except it isn't just a loss of mojo, it's a debilitating mental issue that's eating away at me more & more each year.

 

The only slightly positive thing about getting shot of the Dolly, is that I'd then have Domestic Clearance to get a bike, possibly even to do a test and get something respectable. And I would genuinely love to be on two wheels, it's something I've been itching to do for ages. I'd just much prefer, on balance, to be able to override my stupid mind and finish my car instead.

 

 

Tl;dr - being mentally ill sucks donkey chode.

[The Moog]

Where are you Mr D?

 

Is it something the Shite Squad can help with?

[RoadworkUK]

Apart from the littering and cannabis, this is how most Rovers are driven....

Hey, I resemble that remark!

[HillmanImp]

Everytime I do anything mechanical, I must finish off what I am doing and subconsciously throw away 13ml spanners or sockets I've used in the bin. I can never fucking find any when i need them. 12ml and 14ml are fucking everywhere, probably from all the replacement tool kits I bought from Aldi every single time I can't find a 13ml socket or spanner. Where the fuck are they all?

 

Probably in the same place as the friggin 10s actually.

 

Bunch of friggin' arse mate.

[dollywobbler]

On the way home from dropping the Rover off for MOT, a car pulled out in front of us and then panic braked for an oncoming bus. Immediately after, the passenger dropped a McDonalds cup out of the window.

 

The car then set off, but something seemed odd. Its road positioning was all over the shop, it would seemingly brake for nothing and then accelerate randomly, frequently straying over the centre line and into the path of oncoming cars. I wondered if, perhaps, the driver was pissed. Then, on a clear stretch, the cause became apparent. The aroma of whatever its occupants were smoking filled our car - it was pungent enough to be drawn in by our ventilation system. When our paths diverged, I saw that the driver was a middle-aged woman, the sort that you wouldn't necessarily have pegged as that type [/stereotype].

 

I did something I've never done before, and reported it to the police via 101, no doubt adding to the backlog of things they're under-resourced to investigate.

 

Thing is, these people really are out there, and until yesterday I had never witnessed the danger that drug driving can present.

In my experience of being a young twat, you'd have to be very, very smashed on dope for it to make you drive like that. I used to drive doped up and my mates reckon I actually drove better, because I knew I was a bit mellow, paid attention more and was far less likely to dick about. I was probably more dangerous clean.

 

Whereas I've seen pissed people driving, and it is very scary.

[MrDuke]

Where are you Mr D?

 

Is it something the Shite Squad can help with?

 

Unlikely, unless they can facilitate a brain transplant   

 

Seriously, I do appreciate the sentiment, but it's more a case of me getting my head around my situation (which is constantly changing) and sorting out my priorities. To be honest, even if the initial MOT work was sorted, it would only be a matter of time until another routine problem arose, and then everything would just grind to a halt again.

 

It sounds utterly ridiculous, but I'm constantly discovering that I'm unable to handle situations or events that I wouldn't even have noticed a few years ago. I'll have days when I can do almost anything (that's when I start stuff), followed by weeks when I can barely do the minimum (that's when stuff gets shelved) followed by further weeks of self-hatred (when stuff goes rusty and stops moving) and then it's just a vicious circle.

[Bobthebeard]

Nothing to do with cars at all. Although I have several.

The previous owners of Beard towers unwisely planted some Eucalyptus trees (circa 1950) in the back garden. One blew down in the Great Storm of 1987 apparently. Before my tenure.

Smashed the garage roof and conservatory apparently, according to a neighbour.

They left the other one. This has now grown into a monster tree.

It is now unwell and the trunk is starting to rot badly. Needs removing before it falls down and breaks everything in the vicinity.

Best quote so far to remove it..

£600.

FFS.

[Rod/b]

In my experience of being a young twat, you'd have to be very, very smashed on dope for it to make you drive like that. I used to drive doped up and my mates reckon I actually drove better, because I knew I was a bit mellow, paid attention more and was far less likely to dick about. I was probably more dangerous clean.

 

Whereas I've seen pissed people driving, and it is very scary.

Mate, the draw that used to be about back in our day wasn't half the strength of the skunk that they get these days. I bet it's still 15 quid an eighth though.

[puddlethumper]

Sprinkle some Nescafé on top. Job jobbed.

Or find some tasteless people ? Shouldn't be too difficult.

[alcyonecorporation]

Sell them at a Starbucks as 'local produce'. No one will notice. Tax free earnings, too

[Lord Sterling]

Norwich/Norfolk etc...

 

I rejected a job to Norwich earlier in the week because I knew they'd keep me overnight in Norwich which price-wise would embarrass central London. Yet they still manage to trick me up here (me being too trusting and needing to get paid) so I had to fight work to get them to pay for half my board at Travelodge in Norwich centre. Now, thankfully I'm on my way out of here but not without it costing me nigh-on £20. Somehow everywhere else I seem to go is still fairly reasonable but bloody hell, Norwich....

 

Mind you, the last time I was in this area (Kings Lynn) I forced work to get me a hire car to travel 12 miles to my next job as I'd run out of money.

 

I'll be rejecting all jobs to that area of the country from now on.

[alcyonecorporation]

Next time, ring me. 

[Lord Sterling]

Next time, ring me.

 

Soz, I did think to phone you but thought you might have been busy. Will do next time though.

[Inspector Morose]

^ Guess where I'm heading in the bus this weekend?

[HillmanImp]

Nothing to do with cars at all. Although I have several.

The previous owners of Beard towers unwisely planted some Eucalyptus trees (circa 1950) in the back garden. One blew down in the Great Storm of 1987 apparently. Before my tenure.

Smashed the garage roof and conservatory apparently, according to a neighbour.

They left the other one. This has now grown into a monster tree.

It is now unwell and the trunk is starting to rot badly. Needs removing before it falls down and breaks everything in the vicinity.

Best quote so far to remove it..

£600.

FFS.

 

When I moved into our current place there was a friggin huge one of these in the back garden. Must've been about 1.5 times the height of the house and swayed around like a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man™ in high winds.

 

I had an idea in my mind on how to cut it down, by climbing up it, attaching some rope and then saw it until its weakened whilst someone put some tension on the rope to make to fall in the right direction, before I climbed down whilst my mate wrenched it off to where we wanted it to fall. However, before I could some pikey came round asking if we wanted any trees cutting down and he quoted me £250 to get shot of it, sent his 14yr old son up the tree who did exactly as I had been thinking. They took out the fence panels between my house and the neighbours to give it some extra room to fall and it was all done in an hour.  

 

The stump was still there but I hired a stump grinder from a tool hire shop for £100 for 4 days (I had a lot of stumps to get rid of) and, whilst it was hard work, it was all gone in about 3 hours.

 

I did several smaller trees the same way with no drama. Wish I had saved myself the £250 now and done it myself. They cut it at about roof height at first (i.e. about where the roof begins) which was a fair bit of height to come down and then cut the rest down the same way until they got to the base where they did it the normal way you see on telly.

[Ghosty]

Got nabbed by Northern Rail's snakey revenue bods yesterday 'cause I asked a guard for an excess on the train and he just said 'same price mate don't worry'. Bad practice on his part, and I should have asked him for something on paper but who thinks of that in the moment?

The revenue lady decided even though I hadn't really done anything wrong (acting on instruction/authority of a railway employee after all) that she'd still have me make a statement etc. Called her bluff a bit when I managed to get her to understand me properly at last (bought a ticket to Manchester when I wanted one to Salford - they're the same price. At first I think the revenue woman thought I wanted two separate tickets, not sure). She conceded that the tickets could well have been the same price - I questioned then if a zero fare excess was appropriate and she suddenly got very shirty, asking how I knew about that (I'm a member of RailUK forums and have heard quite a bit about it there), and if I'd been fined by Northern before (No, and it's not a fine). After that I was sent on my way rather promptly, hear from them in 4-6 weeks blah blah.

 

Railfourms members have since pointed out that my ticket was actually valid anyway...

 

The system is a racket - the RPIs are just generic bods with minimal ticketing knowledge that don't seem to know the rules properly or recognise slightly weirder tickets . If you make a genuine mistake or get caught out by bad practise as I did, they pull you in, make you make a statement, then if you are in the wrong you have to pay them £80 to make it go away. The policy is nonsense - a zero tolerance policy to not posessing a valid ticket, even if you genuinely didn't have chance to get one. 

 

I should hopefully be OK in this case because of my actually valid ticket, but it's a pisstake nonetheless.