The grumpy thread

[richardmorris]

Some wanker has squirted brake fluid or something oily like that all up the side of the Talbot while it was parked on the road near work today.

 

Used a whole bottle of tar remover and it's shifted some of it, but there's still bad marks. Hopefully it'll buff out when I eventually paint the bottom half.

 

At least it wasn't my T5, but FFS!!! I'm more pissed off with the owners of my company for forcing us to park up and down busy residential streets than the person who did it. I'd be pissed off if someone parked outside my house all day too, but there's no alternative.

If it was brake fluid you wouldn’t have any paint left.

[cobblers]

I've spilled dirty brake fluid down paint before and it's behaved just like this. This seems darker though, who knows what it is:

 

 

That's after I wiped it off with baby wipes, it can't have been on for more than an hour.

 

[New POD]

I'm pretty sure that in England & Wales the two forms of evidence required by law is them believing you were speeding & that being corroborated by the speed shown on the gun (or calibrated speedo if they are in/on car/bike). So yeah we're fucked as they can just lie & say what they want to charge you with speeding.

 

I don't know how it works about recording the info to send NIPs later.

 

In Scotland it requires two plod plus a gun unless stuff has changed since I last read about it up there.

A Mates dad was a magistrate and once told me that you should never doubt the integrity of a policeman in court. What you can do is explain that despite his years of service and experience he was mistaken probably because the car sounds fast when it's in a low gear. What you mustn't do is lie in court because that would be naughty.

[richardmorris]

This resolved itself better than I expected, after a minor argument with the letting agent.

 

Phoned their "emergency out of hours" number as no one was answering the office phone by 8:15 (their opening hours are from 8 ) and had the following interaction:

 

Me: Hello, I live at [address], my key has snapped in my door and the door is stuck unlocked. Are you able to get a lock smith out to me please?

He: I've just got back from Portugal.

Me: ....... Are you the locksmith?

He: No, I've just come back from Portugal

Me: ........... uhhhh

He: Can you phone the office?

Me: I tried but no one is answering.

He: I'll phone them and get them to arrange something and have the locksmith call you - I've just come back from Portugal you see.

 

True to word the locksmith phoned ten minutes later, arrived 15 minutes after that, and declared it fucked beyond repair after a further 20 minutes muttering. Pretty good service all round.

I have an "emergency lock" fitted until he can get the right slider or whatever and come back and fix it Thursday - so fingers crossed no one decides to try and boot the door in again between now and then.

 

So, could have been worse.

And your meeting? Are you promoted?

[DodgeRover]

Whatever it was wouldn't shift with neat snowfoam fluid, TFR or washing up liquid. It seemed oily but it's sank into the fairly pogweaseled white paint.

Sunblock? It's a bugger to get off.

[New POD]

Grumpy ?

 

A few weeks ago I mentioned on here that one of the many emails from recruitment companies that I get was about a job for a Continuous Improvement Leader in St Asaph.

It listed the salary band as 60 to 80 k plus pension private health care act.

 

I don't want a permanent job as a manager but greed yes greed alone and the fact that I could commute daily (just) made me send my CV.

 

Then I had another email for a contract role as an industrial engineer. With a 35 to 40 quid an hour rate.

 

So I let the RC know that I was interested. I'd actually like that role.

 

Now they want to interview me for the permanent job.

 

So.... I have no right to be grumpy.

 

But am

[MorrisItalSLX]

FFS My VHS Player has just died.

 

Where am I supposed to find a new one!

[Guest Hooli]

My parent's have a spare in the loft.

[Stanky]

FFS My VHS Player has just died.

 

Where am I supposed to find a new one!

 

1994?

[MorrisItalSLX]

My parent's have a spare in the loft.

Mine probably do too!

[oldcars]

And your meeting? Are you promoted?

No idea, he is just back from Portugal.

[Guest Hooli]

Dunno what ya all moaning about, I came home after a week away and found three-metre high holes in the skirting boards.
Should have fitted those giraffe-excluders.

[Supernaut]

three-metre high holes in the skirting boards.

How big are your skirting boards?!

[Guest Hooli]

Over three metres, obviously!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Urgh.  Just found out that the department head for one of the two departments I work for is leaving.  Really pissed off.  Not because he's leaving (he wanted to go last year but they persuaded him to stay for a bit) but because senior management have done absolutely no succession planning.  We have new senior management who have no idea how that department functions and there's a risk that they'll give the job to somebody that is just not capable of doing it.  Every single time they ask me to do something it's last minute and she's been warned about it.  Senior management could have been advertising this job since August but haven't bothered.  No thinking ahead at all.

 

Bad news.

[adw1977]

FFS My VHS Player has just died.

 

Where am I supposed to find a new one!

Ebay. I got one for 1p from Ebay once! Second hand of course, I don't think anyone makes them any more.

[alcyonecorporation]

No idea, he is just back from Portugal.

Everyone just stared at me for LOLing too loud on my lunch break.

You evil little sod.

[Guest Hooli]

Urgh.  Just found out that the department head for one of the two departments I work for is leaving.  Really pissed off.  Not because he's leaving (he wanted to go last year but they persuaded him to stay for a bit) but because senior management have done absolutely no succession planning.  We have new senior management who have no idea how that department functions and there's a risk that they'll give the job to somebody that is just not capable of doing it.  Every single time they ask me to do something it's last minute and she's been warned about it.  Senior management could have been advertising this job since August but haven't bothered.  No thinking ahead at all.

 

Bad news.

 

Sounds like my place. Given a yes no choice they go for option 3 - do nothing, then panic at the last moment. It's such a lovely* system to work under.

[Supernaut]

Sounds like my place. Given a yes no choice they go for option 3 - do nothing, then panic at the last moment. It's such a lovely* system to work under.

Snap!

 

Hence I snapped.

[Stanky]

Urgh.  Just found out that the department head for one of the two departments I work for is leaving.  Really pissed off.  Not because he's leaving (he wanted to go last year but they persuaded him to stay for a bit) but because senior management have done absolutely no succession planning.  We have new senior management who have no idea how that department functions and there's a risk that they'll give the job to somebody that is just not capable of doing it.  Every single time they ask me to do something it's last minute and she's been warned about it.  Senior management could have been advertising this job since August but haven't bothered.  No thinking ahead at all.

 

Bad news.

 

Not sure if this is desirable, but I'd be kicking their door in with a CV and a list of good reasons why they should appoint ME to the newly vacated position. With a payrise, corner office, expense account, company car allowance etc etc.

 

In management speak you are showing a desire for progression, identifying opportunities, showing initiative and solving business problems. All good things to senior managers, particularly those who are disconnected from the day-to-day running of departments.

 

Telling them they should have fixed this months ago is a bad idea, telling them your the person to fix their problem right here, right now will get you a lot of positivity. They get someone who knows the job, fits in with the team and costs them zero in time and recruitment fees to hire. They can then use the money saved to increase your salary for saving their bacon.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Not sure if this is desirable, but I'd be kicking their door in with a CV and a list of good reasons why they should appoint ME to the newly vacated position. With a payrise, corner office, expense account, company car allowance etc etc.

 

In management speak you are showing a desire for progression, identifying opportunities, showing initiative and solving business problems. All good things to senior managers, particularly those who are disconnected from the day-to-day running of departments.

 

Telling them they should have fixed this months ago is a bad idea, telling them your the person to fix their problem right here, right now will get you a lot of positivity. They get someone who knows the job, fits in with the team and costs them zero in time and recruitment fees to hire. They can then use the money saved to increase your salary for saving their bacon.

 

I tried that last year!  

 

I'm not eligible for the position but I gave them an option for me to join that department in a different capacity and train so I can at least take over 50% of the day-to-day workload and perhaps eventually get to that point.  And it wouldn't cost them more than about £600 in the year to actually get me trained up and salaried than I'm already on.  I had a meeting with the second-in-charge and the answer was 'no'.  This was after the person that is leaving and is currently head of that deparment had encouraged me to give it a go after I had a 'realism' check with him.

 

For me to actually go and do that - including arriving unannounced at the deputy's door and putting my case forward and selling them the idea - is pretty fucking unusual.  They just don't get the departments I work in at all.  I don't get it.  And it's not like I'm a rogue element or even unpopular with the senior staff; we all get on very well on a personal level.

 

So instead, they're losing the department head and they've got totally unqualified people doing some of the work, who are far more unqualified than I am and less interested in joining that department than I am.  It's absolutely fucking bonkers.

 

Beats me.

[xtriple]

I was wrong, bloody great dent in the rear wing of the XJ-S, sharp sod as well, thanks bins/wind! 

[Stanky]

 

I tried that last year!  

 

I'm not eligible for the position but I gave them an option for me to join that department in a different capacity and train so I can at least take over 50% of the day-to-day workload and perhaps eventually get to that point.  And it wouldn't cost them more than about £600 to actually get me trained up and salaried than I'm already on.  I had a meeting with the second-in-charge and the answer was 'no'.  This was after the person that is leaving and is currently head had encouraged me to give it a go after I had a 'realism' check with him.

 

Beats me.

 

 

Have the new senior management been in place since before then, or after? Who was it that said 'no'? Senior management or the 2nd in command (who almost certainly has eyes on the prize themselves) - Fuck them off if so and go straight to the top.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Have the new senior management been in place since before then, or after? Who was it that said 'no'? Senior management or the 2nd in command (who almost certainly has eyes on the prize themselves) - Fuck them off if so and go straight to the top.

 

 

It was the man at the top that said 'no', via his deputy.  Both of them are new to their positions but the man at the top is not new to the organisation.  The deputy is already two levels above the position that needs replacing.

 

Thing is that the department heads all have to be specialists and/or very experienced in that department.  So I wouldn't get the job at the top of that department but I sure as fuck could solve about 80% of their current problems for no more than £600 or so in the year!

 

And minimise the damage that will be done by the totally inappropriate appointment I'm worried they'll make.

[Stanky]

It was the man at the top that said 'no', via his deputy.  Both of them are new to their positions but the man at the top is not new to the organisation.  The deputy is already two levels above the position that needs replacing.

 

Thing is that the department heads all have to be specialists and/or very experienced in that department.  So I wouldn't get the job at the top of that department but I sure as fuck could solve about 80% of their current problems for no more than £600 or so in the year!

 

Is there anyone else within the organisation who can do it? because if they have to recruit externally I suspect they won't be able to get someone specialist or experienced in the dept? Obvs I don't know the role or company, or even industry (!) but surely promoting internally for a specialist role is the only logical option?

 

Is it not worth half an hour writing a letter (on work time) saying 'last year I applied for this role and was turned down, the position has come up again and following the feedback you gave last year I have worked to gain experience/knowledge in the areas you felt I lacked and now feel I am a strong candidate for all of the following reasons..."

 

Your call, but if the worst they can do is say 'no' again, I'd be smashing out a covering letter tout suite.

 

On the flip side, if they do say no, you have some pretty strong ammo if you leave the role you have in the future

 

"The company does not value my efforts to develop my potential, and does not promote and nurture talent when positions become vacant" hurts senior managers ears, believe me.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

That last sentence pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about it.

 

There aren't any other internal candidates because of the specialism required.  I've worked in the department as half of my job and ended up doing parts of the job that I was looking at by default because of staffing issues but that's never been acknowledged because I'm a lowly member of the 'support' staff - despite having approximately twice the brainpower of many of the mainstream staff... if I may blow my own trumpet.

 

Not bitter at all.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

As Halfrauds have long since stopped selling Castrol Transmax TQD-III (a.k.a. Dexron III), am having to buy own-brand Dexron III, or what Comma now calls "AQ3". Is there any difference between any of these other than price?

 

All I want to do is to be able to trace this apparent leak from the CX gearbox rather than pour vast quantities of Dex III into it.

[cort1977]

Is there anyone else within the organisation who can do it? because if they have to recruit externally I suspect they won't be able to get someone specialist or experienced in the dept? Obvs I don't know the role or company, or even industry (!) but surely promoting internally for a specialist role is the only logical option?

 

 

 

This all sounds like good advice to me.  Keep at them, you have nothing to lose.  As they say in the north east 'shy bairns get nowt'.

[Des]

Driving a high top today I noticed it a bit windy, enough to keep me under 60 but not too bad, so look what I come home to.

 

 

I shouldn't moan as it's very rare for there not to be something parked there, but I will, guess who gave away a chainsaw.

[Stanky]

Is their an office rule about playing bagpipes to destress during crunch periods?

 

De-stress or distress?