The grumpy thread

[Albert Ross]

They've applied incorrect test methods on this car. No dismantling is permitted. This is damage, and whilst the corrosion is indeed in a structural area, if it can't be seen, it can't be inspected. They've commited an offence by stripping it and also admitting it. I would be in touch with my area office to arrange an incognito test with a similar car. You might get them hauled over the coals for this. Tut Tut.

[ChinaTom]

Not wishing to insight wrath or anything; and not at all qualified to judge, but aren't they actually doing you a favour here? OK, so this particular example was not as bad as could be; but had it been as bad as they feared, by removing this bit of material they may have saved you a nasty accident. Seems to me there is an argument to support their actions that's as strong as the one that criticizes it.

 

But I may be missing something. I suppose the best couse of action would have been to mention it when you handed the keys over, but the chances are you will have given the keys to a receptionist and not actually spoken to a mechanic.

 

I suppose I'd be happy with this in the same way as I'm glad they search my luggage in airports.

[cms206]

I'm not at all angry Tom, indeed I am pleased that they found it... but at the same time, I'm not hugely pleased they've started buggering about with sound deadening in order to find it! The mechanic I gave the keys to was the one who did the MOT AFAIK and nothing was said until afterwards.

 

I expected it to fail on about a dozen things, so I should be grateful... just ain't got a garage to whip the engine and dashboard out to do the job!

[Albert Ross]

VOSA rules are quite specific. No dismantling. I agree, it could be dangerous, but it was hidden, therefore it could never have been inspected. What they should have done is add a caveat to the invoice stating that they are aware of a corrosion problem in this area on these cars, and due to VOSA regulations, they are not permitted to dismantle the sound deadening to inspect.

However, if "Sir" would pay a nominal sum of £5 to have this area inspected AFTER the MOT has taken place, (Which is timed and dated)then they would be happy to carry out this simple inspection. If not, then they have a timed and dated signature which removes their responsibility from any accident caused by the corroded bulkhead area. If the inspection is authorised, then obviously the cat is out of the bag, it's all in the open, and needs repairing prior to the retest, as it is therefore then visible. Simple really.

[trigger]

After my recent run of bad luck, I was hoping my luck would start to get better, Sadly today isn't that day, I jumped into my wife's 2004 Micra DCi to go to the DVLA office in town to put my number plate on retention (£105 which i can't claim back for! ) started the car up and noticed that it was sounding like a tractor.

 

 

GR8, The weld around the join for the back box has snapped off, Been around a few places, The middle section isn't made yet and the back box is on back order, My old work has found a company that does stock them both but it's £100 for both parts.

 

I'm hoping that my tamed mechanic will be able to weld them up for me, If not it's going to get even more expensive.

[dollywobbler]

I made the mistake of using the CX today. I'd been fiddling with it at the weekend to try and get it running. Looks like there's an air leak on the induction side of things. Thought I'd cured it, or at least improved things. The firing-back on the over-run and near constant misfire suggest otherwise...

 

However, I'd committed to the car and it got me to the office. Then I needed to nip out to collect some parts for the CX. Sadly, in the few hours I'd been in the office, the LH front tyre had gone COMPLETELY flat. The sidewall cracks looked to have got the better of it. I'd be trying to arrange for some new ones, but now my hand had been forced.

 

I had a spare, so set about changing them. This is quite easy on a CX. The wrench could actually crack the nuts (oo-er missus) and it's a simple case of suspension on high, slot in the jack, then drop the suspension. Bingo. Wheel in the air. Turns out the spare is almost as shagged as the knackered tyre, but it just about held. Then the car refused to start and two attempts was enough to flatten the clearly knackered battery. This was a problem as I needed the suspension up to release the jack.

 

Got a jump start from a colleague. Engine running really badly but I limped to the parcel place, then headed to Apex Tyres in Peterborough - a very sound bunch. £95 sees two new tyres fitted - an expense I'd hope to postpone a little longer - but the CX is running like shite now, and I have to back out of the bay using both feet - one on the throttle, the other hard on the brakes as I try to give it enough beans to keep the engine running while also trying to avoid reversing at 30mph in a small car park.

 

On the plus side, moving the spare wheel, which sits in the engine bay, must have nudged a wire, and the heater blower works again for the first time in weeks.

[Marshall]

Robson Green. That is all.

[pogweasel]

Robson Green. That is all.

ITV2 - 21:30 Robson Green's Extreme Fisting

Infuriating ITV-poster child and former half of suicide-inducing pop act "Robson & Jeremy" experiences first hand [literally] the inner world of Julian Clary, and travels to Venezuala to meet the shadowy character known only as Goatse. Also featuring clearly homosexual Dr Chris Jesson 'researching' watch removal from body cavities.

[R] [not in Scotland]

[Milford Cubicle]

[R] [not in Scotland]

[j-j]

[R] [not in Scotland]

Thanks - that cheered me up

[pogweasel]

Could be worse. Ever seen welsh telly?

[Marshall]

Thanks pog. I am now aware of Goatse's work:

LOL

That Armando Ianucci thing cheered me up too Milf!

 

(EDIT ^^^ I'm not saying Goatse's work cheered me up - Just to clarify! )

[Alexg]

Motorway drivers. I drove from Maidstone to Bournemouth on Sunday morning and was shocked by the dangerous and aggressive driving I witnessed on route.

 

For starters, lots of undertaking. Why people feel the need to leapfrog their way up a busy but still motoring fastlane is beyond me. Maybe save 20 seconds on their journey?

 

Early on after joining the M25 a lunatic in a 2001 A4 undertook and pulled into a not existant gap infront of a Mk3 Golf. I was 2 cars back but even my Mrs shouted 'oh my god'. I soon realised that these cars were in the middle of a right old ding-dong as they swerved into each others lane, blocked each other off etc etc. Totally bonkers, and fucking dangerous

 

I got cut up last week by a previous generation Black 3 series with a private plate (unlikely I know). The old classic BMW leap frog the que and change lane last minute move. I had to brake in the Mg and raised my hand in the air and shook my head, the bellend in the 3 series moved to the outside lane and slowed right down obviously wanting me to come alongside. I can drive this old tub slowly so I stayed just behind him, he then stuck his hand out the window and started giving the wanker gesture! WTF!? what have I done? So before thinking I stuck my hand out and gave a good solid V-sign. He had just started speeding off and then on seeing this suddenly slowed right down. Thinking I didn't want any hassle in my 1982 metro I

shot off down a side road. Not worth the grief...

[myglaren]

Re: Hotmail/Windows Live Mail problems.

 

Microsof are advising people to use Google Chrome

[eddyramrod]

Early on after joining the M25 a lunatic in a 2001 A4 undertook and pulled into a not existant gap infront of a Mk3 Golf. Totally bonkers, and fucking dangerous

 

I got cut up last week by a previous generation Black 3 series with a private plate (unlikely I know).

 

Seriously... is anyone surprised? You'll be comforted to know that it's not just a British phenomenon, I've noticed exactly the same bahaviour here, and in other countries. I think cars are too good, they make people feel invincible. Everyone should be in Anglias and A40s...

[Claypole]

Whilst progressing to Whitby for a day out with the missus on Sunday we had the misery of ending up behind an American "RV" (from Ireland).

 

I swear it had a gas turbine in the back.

 

The noise was absolutely horrendous, later on after it had dragged it's sorry wallowing ass into a couple of villages you could see everybody at the side of the road looking around like the Red Arrows were doing a fly past.

 

(No noise from our car as we were pedaling my dad's 1.4 Corsa).

 

[Guest]

This is doing my head in. I'll come in from work, have my tea, doze off not long afterwards, wake up and it's the middle of the morning, then have to go to bed again. I would wager from my last post here that I fell asleep not long after 7.00pm and woke up at 2.00am. That's 7 hours. I'll probably have another few hours now.

 

It's absolutely baffling - I'm not tired, I have no right to fall asleep every evening, but I keep doing it.

[wuvvum]

I'll come in from work, have my tea, doze off not long afterwards, wake up and it's the middle of the morning

Are you sure you're not tired?

[Negative Creep]

If you're falling into a pattern of early evening sleep then it won't help. You need to keep yourself up for a few evenings, doing whatever it takes, then get the standard sleeping times back

[Cavcraft]

When you complain about people not using indicators and someone pipes up and says 'if there is no-one else on the road what's the point in using them (indicators') then?

 

Well Captain Stupid, if no-one else was on the road they wouldn't be able to see you not indicating and if you were in a position to indicate (i.e overtaking) then someone would have seen you surely?

[dollywobbler]

I deal with undertakers by moving left into their path. Drives me mad that they do it because all the selfish bastards do is make the queue of fast lane traffic slow down and therefore get even longer.

 

Mind you, people who overtake trucks at almost the same speed as the truck should just piss off and not bother. Ok, if I'm in my 2CV, I might genuinely be going flat out, but moderns can travel at speeds much higher than a truck.

[pogweasel]

I deal with undertakers by moving left into their path. Drives me mad that they do it because all the selfish bastards do is make the queue of fast lane traffic slow down and therefore get even longer.

 

 

Aye, them undertakers, driving along so bloody slowly holding everyone up. And they've always got their lights on during the day. Go faster, corpse-carriers.

 

 

That IS what you meant? Isn't it? Oh, hang on...

[lancashireclamper]

This is doing my head in. I'll come in from work, have my tea, doze off not long afterwards, wake up and it's the middle of the morning, then have to go to bed again. I would wager from my last post here that I fell asleep not long after 7.00pm and woke up at 2.00am. That's 7 hours. I'll probably have another few hours now.

 

It's absolutely baffling - I'm not tired, I have no right to fall asleep every evening, but I keep doing it.

Suffered the same kind of thing last year, sleeping more and more feeling worse for it, total lethargy, went to see my GP, blood tests all came back clear, suggested I change my diet, cut down on the ale etc, nothing seemed to make any difference, more out of desperation than anything else I started going for a walk of an evening, just 20 mins or so and it seemed to help, bloody difficult to drag yourself out when all you want to do is sleep but it may help.

[HillmanImp]

This is doing my head in. I'll come in from work, have my tea, doze off not long afterwards, wake up and it's the middle of the morning, then have to go to bed again. I would wager from my last post here that I fell asleep not long after 7.00pm and woke up at 2.00am. That's 7 hours. I'll probably have another few hours now.

 

It's absolutely baffling - I'm not tired, I have no right to fall asleep every evening, but I keep doing it.

I do this. Its a bloody pain. I come in eat and fall asleep for an hour, wake up, feel like crap then its too late to really get anything started that i want to do which puts me in a bad mood as i have wasted yet another evening.

 

On the advice of LC, i think i might start going for a bike ride through Roundhay park each night when i get in. Or i could start riding my bike to work again but that seems to give me an awful cough. Probably the fumes.

[Station]

I used to come in from work, have a couple of hours sleep, and then do whatever, and then go to bed at 2am and wake up at 7.30am 'UNTIRED'.

[Lankytim]

I wouldnt bother about poor road manners. Undertaking is a dying trade..

[AlsoMike]

It's absolutely baffling - I'm not tired, I have no right to fall asleep every evening, but I keep doing it.

You need a change of routine Hirst, doesn't matter what it is you do, you just need something to do after you've eaten. Wash/polish the car, go for a drive, anything that gets you out of the house.

[dollywobbler]

It's absolutely baffling - I'm not tired, I have no right to fall asleep every evening, but I keep doing it.

You need a change of routine Hirst, doesn't matter what it is you do, you just need something to do after you've eaten. Wash/polish the car, go for a drive, anything that gets you out of the house.

Agreed. I got stuck in a habit of going to bed at 10pm and ended up feeling tired and really crap all of the time. Moved that to 11pm and things are much better.

[whitevanman]

Controversial I know but...English tourists.............why are they almost always the most ignorant, messy, illbehaved, loud and obnoxious visitors I get to my places of work, the children are even worse than the parents, why don't parents control their children now a days??.......if we are this bad at home feck knows what we are like abroad..........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** I appologies to any of you offened by the above statement, it's not personal **

[eddyramrod]

Since I live where they go.... the English tourist abroad is sunburned (within minutes of stepping off the plane) pissed as a fart (even before he steps off the plane, usually, and for the entire duration of his holiday) and rude to everyone. He wants nothing more than beer and televised football, and the chance to show off his tattoos all day. Meanwhile his kids can do what they like.

 

Stereotyping? Maybe, but stereotypes exist for the perfectly valid reason that there must have been a big enough sample of prototypes.

 

Oh yes: and I lived in a seaside town in England all my life, so I know nothing changes.