The grumpy thread

[New POD]

Just now, rusty_vw_man said:

Bloody autodoc.co.uk does my head in. They tempt you in with scene tax free prices and easy part number search function, but then always take longer than suggested to deliver..... much longer...... apparently it’s because this order is ‘hard to pick’. Not sure how some oil, filters, pads and discs can be that tricky. 

I’m mostly grumpy though that I never learn - this is the third time in only a few months it’s happened, so I only have myself to blame really.... twat. 

And my recent delivery took almost 3 weeks and came from Berlin.  

 

[Zelandeth]

Oh kill me now...

After a day over two weeks my repeat prescription was finally ready to collect.  So we have to go into the town centre to get it.

In what is apparently an effort to encourage social distancing as apparently for some reason it's been deemed okay to reopen all the fashion shops now, they have closed all of the car parking around the Centre.  Including blocking off one bit so the only way to exit is to drive the wrong way through a one way system and go through two no entry signs.  Because that's always fun isn't it.  Especially when your ASD makes disobeying things like that seriously freak out.

So apparently it's a good way to make people behave with respect, common sense and consideration by ensuring that they are utterly stressed out and pissed off before they even get out of their cars is it?  Also means that rather than being spread out over about six or seven car parks, folks are just crammed into the couple which are still open.

Ended up in another car park, then spotted a tiny sign cable tied to a lamp post declaring that it's for blue badge holders only...of course immediately after I've paid the £2 to park for an hour.  So wound up having to shuffle off to another one and pay it again.

Then got there to find that only 1/4 of my prescription has arrived...so I'll need to do the whole sodding lot again after trying to get hold of my sodding GP surgery for the third time in the last week, explaining that yes, I ran out of antidepressants on Thursday and it would be really nice if they could start caring about that please...It has been a complete and utter shit show on that count since they stopped automatically repeating prescriptions.

I should not have to waste the time of the surgery by phoning them up *every single time* I need repeat medication...however it is currently taking them 14-20 days on average to issue it, and "the system" won't let you request anything more than seven days early.  So every time I wind up having to chase stuff.  That was before the pandemic arrived!

[PhilA]

Bloody hell. Mounting ring fractured. Spent nearly 2 years hunting for parts to repair that.

 

Phil

[mitsisigma01]

17 minutes ago, PhilA said:

Bloody hell. Mounting ring fractured. Spent nearly 2 years hunting for parts to repair that.

 

Phil

What is it? 

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Oh kill me now...

After a day over two weeks my repeat prescription was finally ready to collect.  So we have to go into the town centre to get it.

In what is apparently an effort to encourage social distancing as apparently for some reason it's been deemed okay to reopen all the fashion shops now, they have closed all of the car parking around the Centre.  Including blocking off one bit so the only way to exit is to drive the wrong way through a one way system and go through two no entry signs.  Because that's always fun isn't it.  Especially when your ASD makes disobeying things like that seriously freak out.

 

Never mind asd, my fear of it not being an official diversion and there being a camera happily pinging fpn's to everyone would make me worried about that! 

I don't like diversions in unfamiliar places normally. Being flung into the wrong side of the road or around a roundabout the wrong way when I have no idea where I am other than 'I need the 3rd exit' always makes me cross... 

[rusty_vw_man]

20 hours ago, rusty_vw_man said:

Bloody autodoc.co.uk does my head in. They tempt you in with scene tax free prices and easy part number search function, but then always take longer than suggested to deliver..... much longer...... apparently it’s because this order is ‘hard to pick’. Not sure how some oil, filters, pads and discs can be that tricky. 

I’m mostly grumpy though that I never learn - this is the third time in only a few months it’s happened, so I only have myself to blame really.... twat. 

FFS - chased it today as it says 'awaiting collection by shipping company' like it has for the last 3 days. Turns out they are still awaiting parts that weren't in stock despite what the website says - at least 48 hours for them to arrive., but then they can't tell me how long tit will then take to ship to me. I thought Germans were supposed to be the model of efficiency. .. Wish I'd paid about 15% more and bought them off a uk supplier, at least they would be here now....

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

.... only 1/4 of my prescription has arrived...so I'll need to do the whole sodding lot again after trying to get hold of my sodding GP surgery for the third time in the last week, explaining that yes, I ran out of antidepressants on Thursday and it would be really nice if they could start caring about that please...It has been a complete and utter shit show on that count since they stopped automatically repeating prescriptions.

I should not have to waste the time of the surgery by phoning them up *every single time* I need repeat medication...however it is currently taking them 14-20 days on average to issue it, and "the system" won't let you request anything more than seven days early.  So every time I wind up having to chase stuff.  That was before the pandemic arrived!

Do you use the "myGP" app? Can use that to order prescriptions without phoning up.

[loserone]

14 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Do you use the "myGP" app? Can use that to order prescriptions without phoning up.

Look for the "NHS App".  It's made by NHS digital rather than a company who want your data, and uses the same open backend.

[PhilA]

53 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

What is it? 

An illuminated Budweiser beer sign. Hung from the ceiling. It lit up and the scene inside would go round and round.

[somewhatfoolish]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Prescription palaver.

Is it not possible to use one of the prescription mailing/delivery services? Some of them do seem a bit snakeoily but the more mainstream ones must be ok?

[mitsisigma01]

I searched ebay for the bud lamp.... I see why you're not a happy bunny, one went for 1280 odd us dollars!!! Dropkick the waitress into the kerb 

[PhilA]

Yeah, they're not cheap. The clear panels are hard to get and expensive, too.

 

Phil

[camryv6]

58 minutes ago, PhilA said:

Yeah, they're not cheap. The clear panels are hard to get and expensive, too.

 

Phil

Is it worth claiming on insurance if you have it ?

[Bren]

The bottom hose I bought for the SD1 does not fit. It is touching the alternator bracket.

Offering it up to the old one soon shows why - it is too short.

I have sent Rimmers an email. Why are so many car parts utter shite?

[PhilA]

9 minutes ago, camryv6 said:

Is it worth claiming on insurance if you have it ?

Sadly no

[PhilA]

On 6/14/2020 at 10:47 AM, Tamworthbay said:

After having two houses trashed by tropical storms in North and South Carolina my brother moved back to Tucson. Just spoke to him and they are waiting to hear if they need to evacuate due to massive fires. He has spent the afternoon watching the planes dump water and packing up the essentials. I told him God hates him for moving to America. It could be three houses in three years ?

Welcome to America. The postcards and news don't generally focus on the random carnage the country itself can inflict.

Anywhere you go there is risk of some natural disaster uprooting everything, there's no escaping it.

He just got unlucky. Next he could move to Oklahoma. Watch out for twisters.

 

Phil

[Pieman]

On 6/14/2020 at 2:43 PM, Zelandeth said:

Are the general populace really honesty this hopeless these days?

Yes they fucking are.  If it doesn't involve staring at Love Island or hasn't got a Snapchat filter on it they don't understand it.

Today's annoyance: bloke in a Megane estate while I was on my way home tonight.  I come off a roundabout onto a road that I know goes from two lanes to one up ahead, there are a couple of lorries in front of me but as I am in no hurry I hang back, rather than act as a "typical German car driver" would (NB: I was not in a German car) and try everything to push in front of them.  Megane driver takes umbrage at me hanging back as he clearly does want to try and push in front of the lorries, but with me there as well there won't be enough time/room for him to get past both of them and me as well.  So as the road begins to narrow he sits so close behind me he is basically trying to push me out of the way so he can have a go at the lorries at the next roundabout.  I just manage to stop myself brake-testing him, and I watch him get more and more annoyed as he sits behind me, which he had to for several miles until we hit a dual carriageway.

Impatient prick.

[Zelandeth]

12 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Is it not possible to use one of the prescription mailing/delivery services? Some of them do seem a bit snakeoily but the more mainstream ones must be ok?

They could in theory deliver it...the issue really is with the practice though.  The only way to get stuff ordered now is through their web portal (which is utter garbage), but the biggest issue is that it blocks you from ordering anything more than 7 days before it's due (based on when it's calculated you have medication for - yes they cut it that fine).  However it's taking more than double that for the practice to even send the prescription to the pharmacy. 

I believe it *may* be possible to use a third party app or service to actually do the ordering bit...but it doesn't really help us beyond avoiding having to deal with a website that looks like it was coded by a twelve year old in 1997.  Which is moderately irritating, but nothing more.

It's not us remembering to order stuff on time or anything like that... it's that we simply can't get it in time if we order it as soon as we physically can.

This wasn't a huge problem before the system changed as your script just came through every "n" days...and yes the second one was late...but so was the first one, so you never actually ran short.  The doctors knew this, so always gave you a few extra doses with the initial script.  Now it's basically impossible not to have this problem.

My husband is on very important meds following a stroke in 2016, and we literally have to chase every single prescription.

If we could change surgery we would have by now, however none of them around us are taking out of zone patients.  Spending 7 minutes of a 10 minute appointment with my actual GP once before she realised she had the wrong patient's records on the computer in front of her made me adamant we go elsewhere as soon as we can.

They have also prescribed medication on three occasions now which have a record of interacting badly...we only caught that because we actually read the leaflets.    Responses of "oh I didn't know you were on that..." do little to instill confidence.

The complete disinterest in cries for assistance with a mental health problem a family member was having until something actually happened didn't help either.  Once they had spent 24 hours in a police cell on suicide watch, oh *then* they wanted to offer help...nearly five years on we're still dealing with the fallout from that.

I do feel so sorry for the folks in that surgery who work their asses off to try to give a good service as I know they're in there and I hate to tar them with the same brush, and I know they are over-subscribed by something like 60%, but I can only call it as I see it. 

[Tamworthbay]

8 hours ago, PhilA said:

Welcome to America. The postcards and news don't generally focus on the random carnage the country itself can inflict.

Anywhere you go there is risk of some natural disaster uprooting everything, there's no escaping it.

He just got unlucky. Next he could move to Oklahoma. Watch out for twisters.

 

Phil

He was in Boston for 35 years with no problems but his retirement has been less than quiet so far! At the moment the fires are being kept in check but he is still sat with suitcases packed ready in case they get the shout to evacuate.

[Bren]

Rimmers agreed to refund me for the rovers hose. I sent photos - they did'nt think and inch and three eighth's difference would be an issue.

Put it another way - if I was running a machine that was chopping items that much shorter I would be getting my P45.

[adw1977]

Very minor grump in the scheme of things, but what has happened to "seedless" grapes in the last few weeks?

This one was from Tesco, most of them were similar, but I've had equally seedy ones described as seedless from Sainsbury's recently. 

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, Bren said:

Rimmers agreed to refund me for the rovers hose. I sent photos - they did'nt think and inch and three eighth's difference would be an issue.

Put it another way - if I was running a machine that was chopping items that much shorter I would be getting my P45.

Very reminiscent of a few of the hoses in the set for the Jag I got from British Parts.  Thankfully nothing which has actually caused issues on anything I've come to fit...yet...but it does absolutely reek of penny pinching.

[Bren]

I accept penny pinching but not to the point where what you are selling becomes useless shit.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

17 minutes ago, Bren said:

I accept penny pinching but not to the point where what you are selling becomes useless shit.

Seems to have worked for countless Chinese contractor factories......

[EyesWeldedShut]

Feckin' PSA HDi Diesels keep eating my tools......

OK, which Gallic design engineer thought he'd have a total feckin' laugh and built an engine with all the stuff you need to access on the left hand side. THEN fuck up the user by saying 'oops this has to go transverse cos now we have the front wheel drive era'. THEN the Germans buy out Mini and, in an unholy alliance of all that is not good plonk the HDi engine under the bonnet and call it a 'COOPER D'.

Every, single feckin object that drops down the back of that engine either gets wedged between the starter motor and the block (RESULT - you can fish that out with a magnet) or disappears to the side of the starter into NeverNeverLand. A well tarined gerbil may be able to get in there and find it but I can't and trying to get at it form underneath is just as bad (if you can be arsed getting the car up in the air).

Currently my 'favourite all time' 10mm short spanner is down there and I am truly grumpy. 

Even more grumpy as the owner of said vehicle (t'missus) seems to think that 'favourite all time' spanners grow on trees (or in Halfords).

And Another Thing - it's raining and I do not have a garage.

Feckit..... I'm off to the pub (mentally)

[Burnside]

WTF is wrong with people.  I live in a busy residential street with a 30mph limit. An have just heard, then saw 2 cars racing at 60mph + while the one over takes the other, barely missing having a head on with some park cars in the process to beat the other. 

I'm pig sick of it, the way these morons are going round here. Someone going to end up being killed.  I just hope it not some poor sod minding his own business.

[beko1987]

Got cocky earlier. 4pm and work was dead (I'm in limbo anyway atm as stuff gets taken away from me) so I pulled the car round to behind the gate, got changed and dropped the oil

Hadn't done it yet, and it wasn't going to do itself. Seemed quite healthy which is good. Nipped in, no emails. Good, back out. 

Just finished tipping the new oil in after doing the sump plug back up, then spotted the oil filter... And remembered I hadn't changed it. Bastard. Cheered myself up by fitting the new dipstick

Sod it, it's not rusty so can't be too old, will do it again later in the year. Fitted all the engine plastics so my mild oil weep turns into 'undertray prevented inspection) and emptied half a can of wd40 into the rear seatbelt mechanisms and perked them up a bit. 

Just got the new front seatbelt to fit on Saturday morning and she's ready for a test in the 24th. Or an extension but I won't take the piss and expect one, I'd present it now and expect a pass but with advisories

[paulplom]

Sad day. I've been a subscriber to car mechanics for twenty odd years. It's been going back hard over the last couple of years. The issue that came though the door today may as well have been printed on tracing paper. The quality is shocking. I'm not sure also if it's me, but the content over the last year or so has become very, very boring. I used to be looking forward to it every month. I'm still only half way through last months.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[Bren]

13 minutes ago, paulplom said:

Sad day. I've been a subscriber to car mechanics for twenty odd years. It's been going back hard over the last couple of years. The issue that came though the door today may as well have been printed on tracing paper. The quality is shocking. I'm not sure also if it's me, but the content over the last year or so has become very, very boring. I used to be looking forward to it every month. I'm still only half way through last months.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
 

I think it is a reflection of modern cars - less DIY friendly and getting less so all the time.

I like Mike Humble and Stephen Wards' columns but I have no intrest in hybrids or EV's because if I own one it will be decade's away.

[puddlethumper]

No more Classic Van and Pick-up. I am well pissed off. Really looked forward to it.