The grumpy thread

[Tadhg Tiogar]

14 minutes ago, Mally said:

I'm on holiday in Spain. That's not the grump.

Was last in this hotel 20 years ago. Everyone but me was very old.

Now, everyone but me is very young.

The real grump would be if one of your fellow guests tested positive for Coronavirus, resulting in an enforced extended stay....

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

I specifically requested the seller to package this fragile item (a vintage Philips SL25 lamp from October 1983) well with lots of bubble wrap, but sadly the seller did not follow these instructions and the inevitable happened  

at least getting a refund was quick and painless...

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

at least getting a refund was quick and painless...

Still sucks though. I won't buy Hoover Turbopowers because they are so fragile they smash even with excellent packaging. 

[LightBulbFun]

5 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Still sucks though. I won't buy Hoover Turbopowers because they are so fragile they smash even with excellent packaging. 

Yeah, I was looking forward to getting it, intact!

hopefully the Ballast will come in useful for driving my 21W 2D lamps at least...

(the inner sleeve of the box helpfully contains some technical data and tells me the lamp runs at 225Ma, and since these are not Power factor corrected, that will be the current the tube runs at as well, which matches up pretty nicely with a 21W 2D tube, and I have been struggling to get a suitable magnetic ballast for my 21W 2D lamps, so at least I get 1 thing out of it!)

[Mally]

2 hours ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

The real grump would be if one of your fellow guests tested positive for Coronavirus, resulting in an enforced extended stay....

I'm a bit wary of that.

Home tomorrow, so a good chance I'll make it.

[Fumbler]

Instructor came and waited while I went elsewhere to wait for him (as per my instrucions), only to text me that he moved on to another client. Despite having my number beforehand he didn't text me to say that he was at the location. Oh well.
I suppose the lucky thing is that I have been driving on private roads and practising hill starts, bay parking and all that jazz since June when I bought the car. That'll help in the long run.

Thanks, by the way, for the motivation you guys gave- it is much appreciated!

[LightBulbFun]

39 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

Instructor came and waited while I went elsewhere to wait for him (as per my instrucions), only to text me that he moved on to another client. Despite having my number beforehand he didn't text me to say that he was at the location. Oh well.
I suppose the lucky thing is that I have been driving on private roads and practising hill starts, bay parking and all that jazz since June when I bought the car. That'll help in the long run.

Thanks, by the way, for the motivation you guys gave- it is much appreciated!

sorry to hear it did not go to plan! which driving school or thing are you with if you dont mind me asking? im with BSM if it helps any!

but very cool to hear you have managed to get lots practice on private roads beforehand, thats something I wish I had more of, and still I could do now between lessons etc!

[rainagain]

I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but I had a buyer on gumtree supposedly coming tonight to view my  MINI. He even messaged me in the afternoon confirming he was coming. I told him I couldn’t let him test drive it 6-7 as my OH was going out then and I couldn’t leave the kids. He said that was fine and he’d come after that. 
 

He never turned up, I message him asking if he was still coming, got a reply saying he’d seen another one and bought it. 
 

Why do people have no manners anymore? If I told someone I was coming to see them and then changed my mind I’d have the decency to at least let them know. 
 

edit: it was also extra annoying as I’d washed the car on Sunday for the ad pics and washed it again tonight for the viewing as thanks to the road salt it was filthy again. I’d also moved all my stuff out of the boot, which I’ll have to put back now. 

[richardmorris]

23 hours ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

This flu can fuck off now.

My business is down about 75%, nobody is flying anywhere. So far so bad.

Thats Ok though I’ve got a long weekend away booked for Mrs N’s birthday in a couple of weeks , finally booked and paid for the hotel on Saturday, guess where?  Yes, Venice!
Oh, and Mrs and 2 offspring have got a week in the sun booked for late April, Tenerife of course.

The airlines and hotels won’t entertain any changes or refunds until the Governments involved ban travel.

Everyone wears masks in Venice for the biennale anyway.

[yes oui si]

Personally I'd rather an inconvenienced holiday than putting myself and others at risk travelling to an area with confirmed instances of a deadly virus. 

My grump is with the pub bore knowitall cunts who keep parroting "It's no worse than 'flu," when it's already about six times more fatal, and those who are experts in the field are shitting themselves over it. 

[High Jetter]

Yes, a customer told me today to prepare by stocking up with enough provisions for at least a fortnight to be ready for the enforced quarantine that's imminent. 

[LightBulbFun]

alright now I have fished out the bits I want, 

who wants a shoebox full of broken glass? maybe @jakebullet can up his "confetti" game LOL

 

I dont think I have seen one quite so broken before! the only bit of recognisable tubing left was that U bit you see in the background, its quite sad seeing all that remain of the tube otherwise is just its 2 electrodes and stem assemblies...

do have to wonder how much Hermes is to blame, at least it actually got here unlike a Thinkpad @beko1987 sent me (when I saw it was being sent by hermes was actually hoping that maybe this might "clean out the pipe" so to speak and cause my thinkpad to actually show up, but sadly no thinkpad showed up)

(I once had a Philips SL9 sent to me (I think via royal mail) in nothing but its original box wrapped in 1 sheet of brown paper for the address and stamps amazingly despite the lamp cap being squashed and the outer Jar being broken, the inner tube somehow survived!)

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, Fumbler said:

Instructor came and waited while I went elsewhere to wait for him (as per my instrucions), only to text me that he moved on to another client. Despite having my number beforehand he didn't text me to say that he was at the location. Oh well.
I suppose the lucky thing is that I have been driving on private roads and practising hill starts, bay parking and all that jazz since June when I bought the car. That'll help in the long run.

Thanks, by the way, for the motivation you guys gave- it is much appreciated!

If you're up near Gravesend way, I would highly, highly recommend Basil Johnson.  @dozeydustman have both had him as an instructor and he is as good as they can ever get.

[Fumbler]

9 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

If you're up near Gravesend way, I would highly, highly recommend Basil Johnson.  @dozeydustman have both had him as an instructor and he is as good as they can ever get.

Thanks for the recommendation but unfortunately I'm quite far from Gravesend. I do have another person to look into though so we'll see what happens next.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

16 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

Thanks for the recommendation but unfortunately I'm quite far from Gravesend. I do have another person to look into though so we'll see what happens next.

Best of luck with the lessons.  I think I may have been the worst learner ever - but having a bad lesson only means that you learn a lot.  You might have some idea of clutch control if you're already doing hillstarts at least!

[Fumbler]

Just now, GrumpiusMaximus said:

You might have some idea of clutch control if you're already doing hillstarts at least!

Indeed I have. The hills I've been practising on were incredibly steep as the property is on a valley slope. Big beautiful Victorian manor house. Shame the care home that was occupying it went pop.

[dollywobbler]

1 hour ago, yes oui si said:

Personally I'd rather an inconvenienced holiday than putting myself and others at risk travelling to an area with confirmed instances of a deadly virus. 

My grump is with the pub bore knowitall cunts who keep parroting 'it's no worse than 'flu," when it's already about six times more fatal, and those who are experts in the field are shitting themselves over it. 

Entirely unrelated, but the pic in your signature isn't working and is just a huge Tinypic holder. 

[yes oui si]

19 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Entirely unrelated, but the pic in your signature isn't working and is just a huge Tinypic holder. 

I only browse on my mobile and don't see sigs - it's probably been like that for months. 

It should be an image from Game of Thrones; Arya Stark saying "Lots of people name their cars!" and the Hound replying "Lots of..." 

[New POD]

I went swimming again this evening at the Adam Peaty memorial pool in Uttoxeter. 9 til 10 is adult lane swimming after Swimming club for Adam Peaty wannabees. And wow are they fucking quick.in the water.

Anyway, I was cracking on, my target is 64 lengths in an hour which is a mile. I was on my 49th Lengths at 44 mins when my left leg decided that I was to Drown. Fucking cramp. I've NEVER had cramp in my life before.  Never really understood why people drown in quarry pools. 

Anyway i survived.  

But I decided that my session was over..

[captain_70s]

8 hours ago, Nyphur said:

You'll probably be absolutely shite at it, and make more cock-ups than you've got fingers and toes. And that IS fine. That's why we all have lessons and an instructor sat beside us, no-one is expected to be great from their first lesson.

On my first lessons I stalled when pulling away form a junction on a rural road and a guy behind me in a Transit van started mashing the horn and flashing the lights while my driving instructor aggressively flicked him the Vs out the window.

[N19]

Going away for a long weekend. Bought train tickets in good time, so as to get the cheaper apex tickets. For safety, put them in my oyster card holder. 

What have I managed to lose for the first time in my life...? Ah feck. So will need to buy fresh tickets tomorrow at the walk up rate. Another £98 to British Rail... 

[New POD]

6 hours ago, captain_70s said:

On my first lessons I stalled when pulling away form a junction on a rural road and a guy behind me in a Transit van started mashing the horn and flashing the lights while my driving instructor aggressively flicked him the Vs out the window.

My driving instructor smoked 10 fags in my first lesson. 

 

[eddyramrod]

They did in those days.  All my lessons were conducted in a thick poisonous fog regardless of the weather outside.

[High Jetter]

9 hours ago, N19 said:

Going away for a long weekend. Bought train tickets in good time, so as to get the cheaper apex tickets. For safety, put them in my oyster card holder. 

What have I managed to lose for the first time in my life...? Ah feck. So will need to buy fresh tickets tomorrow at the walk up rate. Another £98 to British Rail... 

Top tip: Buy early, but don't collect tickets from the machine until the day before. That way a) you can't lose them and b) refunds are easy if you decide not to travel.

[N19]

2 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Top tip: Buy early, but don't collect tickets from the machine until the day before. That way a) you can't lose them and b) refunds are easy if you decide not to travel.

Probably a wise idea. I always make a point of getting them before the day (in case of hiccups, queues etc). Of late I've been buying them in person from my nearby BR station. But yes, good plan!

[yes oui si]

Yeah, just stick a space saver on the front end of several tons of Swedish steel with your kid in the back... 

[Jazoli]

Might not have had a choice, its not unsafe, don't see what your problem is really, if it was my Volvo I'd be telling you to mind your own fucking business

[yes oui si]

3 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

Might not have had a choice, its not unsafe, don't see what your problem is really, if it was my Volvo I'd be telling you to mind your own fucking business

Sticking it on the front instead of the rear is less safe, and this was the second time I had seen it like this in a fortnight. The first time it followed me out of the same town and stuck behind me up to 60*mph.

[New POD]

I understand that skinny spares have a different more grippy compound, which give more grip but wears out much quicker, so up to 80 km/h Its pretty much designed to work the same ish as a standard tire, but above that they will overheat and explode. 

That said I once saw someone doing 100 mph with one on an Alf 147 and he didn't die in time I was able to continue to see him disappearing into the distance. 

[MikeR]

I thought the idea was to put the space saver on the arse end  .

and move a good back tyre to the front to replace the duff wheel you thrown in the hedge as it wont fit in the space saver well ...