The grumpy thread

[beko1987]

  On 28/11/2020 at 20:49, louiepj said:

I just looked up the correct repair for this which involves removing wipers,scuttle, battery etc and then brake master cylinder and servo to replace a paper bloody gasket.
So a bodge with tiger seal will be definitely be done, after I fix the rear brakes.
Then I looked on ECP as their listings are easily found and they list four bloody parts to the brake cable!!! So that needs further investigation.

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What's up with the brakes? If it's the rears sticking are your handbrake cables cracked and perished? 

The old meriva used to do that and we've had a few mornings this week where I'd be out with the kettle, then tell Amy to dump the clutch and crack, off they went and away to work she could go! 

Cans of plus gas on a warm day made it fixed. 

[Supernaut]

Thought I'd be a flash git and treat myself to a new computer chair. It's all shiny and new and comes with a lumbar cushion and a neck cushion and everything.

It looks comfy but it's really not! Maybe I'll get used to it...? Bah.

[louiepj]

  On 28/11/2020 at 22:53, beko1987 said:

What's up with the brakes? If it's the rears sticking are your handbrake cables cracked and perished? 
The old meriva used to do that and we've had a few mornings this week where I'd be out with the kettle, then tell Amy to dump the clutch and crack, off they went and away to work she could go! 
Cans of plus gas on a warm day made it fixed. 

4 cables nope I was wrong its 5 bloody cables on the car but only four need replacing and you were right about the cable cracking and perishing. They go through quadrants on the rear beam and hide this damage:

[twosmoke300]

Make sure the new ones are well lubed and that they get clicked into those guides on the axle correctly !

[face]

Innocently and completely fucked up car insurance for me for life.

Hit a deer with my Golf. Going through insurance as fair bit of damage.

Decided to buy a second car a couple of days later.

Went on GoCompare, found a decent quote and took it. I entered a claim from a couple of years back, went to enter this very recent one and it wouldn’t let me proceed without a monetary amount. The Golf hadn’t been collected at this point, let alone examined and quoted for the work. So I left it off as I assumed as it had t been paid out, it wasn’t completed. That’s wrong I now know.

New car insurance company run the CUE check, see I’ve had this recent claim and subsequently cancelled my policy, giving a weeks notice.

That’s me royally fucked for life. I’m going through the complaints procedure as it was an innocent oversight. But I doubt I will get it overturned. I’ve never not paid anything I should be paying or even considered fraud.

If I was pissed and ran somebody over, that would eventually drop off my record. But not this.

Im stupid and that life-long red mark is cuntish at best.

[cort1977]

  On 29/11/2020 at 20:15, face said:

Innocently and completely fucked up car insurance for me for life.

Im stupid and that life-long red mark is cuntish at best.

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That's unfortunate but i would hope you could get that reviewed and overturned.  Have you spoken to them?  It may have been cancelled without any oversight at all.   I would write them an actual letter, explaining the circumstances and asking politely for it to be reviewed.  You wont get far with call centres but on the face of it they should be able to fix your fairly minor mistake.  

[face]

  On 30/11/2020 at 11:55, cort1977 said:

That's unfortunate but i would hope you could get that reviewed and overturned.  Have you spoken to them?  It may have been cancelled without any oversight at all.   I would write them an actual letter, explaining the circumstances and asking politely for it to be reviewed.  You wont get far with call centres but on the face of it they should be able to fix your fairly minor mistake.  

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Yeah they have a complaints procedure.

The call centre could do fuck all as it was the underwriter who cancelled it. Still they were nice enough.

Next step is a letter documenting what happened. If they fuck that off then I can refer it to the financial ombudsman.

[cort1977]

OK, well I hope the letter to the underwriter will sort it out.

[ruffgeezer]

No progress finding a reasonable automatic. 

Also got my sister in laws car to fix for mot which is proving to be a pain in the arse (well not the car as yet, just dealing with the various parties involved.) 

[rainagain]

  On 30/11/2020 at 11:05, Nyphur said:

Ah man that is an absolute bastard. Hope you can get it overturned.

My grump - supposed to be moving house today, collect keys from letting agent at 9:15. Turn up "we're still waiting for the landlord to sign some documents before we can give you the keys - can you come back at 11:15". Ok...

Phone call 10 minutes ago "They still haven't signed the documents, can you come in this afternoon instead?"

Yeah sure, I've got all the time in the world love. Not like they've had 2 weeks to get this shit sorted.

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I had similar shit with the first house I purchased. I was massively excited and had swapped shifts so I had the day off. I skipped down to the estate agents, the woman took the keys out her drawer and was about to hand them to me, when her colleague shouted over saying they were still waiting on one signature from the current owners, who were the previous owner’s kids.

It was like the bit in bullseye when they brought out the speedboat you could have won. She just tossed them back in the drawer and told me phone back in the afternoon. It ended up it wasn’t until the following day I got them, when of course I was working a late shift. 

[The Moog]

  On 30/11/2020 at 18:47, ruffgeezer said:

No progress finding a reasonable automatic. 
Also got my sister in laws car to fix for mot which is proving to be a pain in the arse (well not the car as yet, just dealing with the various parties involved.) 

Northern monkey has got an Auto Astra that I think he will be moving on

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[beko1987]

Of they've given you a weeks notice cancel it NOW. Then it's not down as they cancelled it. 

Had to use that many years ago when one too many direct debits bounced in a row... 

[beko1987]

  On 30/11/2020 at 19:00, rainagain said:

I had similar shit with the first house I purchased. I was massively excited and had swapped shifts so I had the day off. I skipped down to the estate agents, the woman took the keys out her drawer and was about to hand them to me, when her colleague shouted over saying they were still waiting on one signature from the current owners, who were the previous owner’s kids.

It was like the bit in bullseye when they brought out the speedboat you could have won. She just tossed them back in the drawer and told me phone back in the afternoon. It ended up it wasn’t until the following day I got them, when of course I was working a late shift. 

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My parents had similar. Verbal and an email go, I had the day booked off, was 2 weeks into lockdown 1 too. 

We'd moved a big van load and emptied it, and we're halfway through the 2nd when the call came that it was off. 

So I spent the afternoon trespassing and hastily unloading the garage back onto the drive. I've never seen my stepdad cry since his mum died... 

We laugh* about it now since it sorted itself out 3 weeks later. 

[ruffgeezer]

  On 30/11/2020 at 21:28, The Moog said:

Northern monkey has got an Auto Astra that I think he will be moving on

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
 

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Even I've got standards, darling.  😋

[New POD]

Apparently I'm not allowed to be be grumpy.  Not allowed an opinion either. 

It's all shite today. 

[clayts450]

Fuck winter.

Look at the plummetting MPG in me van:

 

[brownnova]

Picked my Saab up from the specialist complete with new balljoint (apparently the cause of the creak)... 

the grump is that when I got there the guy showed me some very worn brake pads and said that he couldn’t leave them one he’d seen how worn they are and had changed them.... now they desperately needed doing that’s no quibble .... I have a set in the garage ready... but to change them without calling me is a bit off... that was an extra £95... just before Christmas... there are times in my life when that would have been impossible. What if I couldn’t have afforded it? 

[Floatylight]

  On 01/12/2020 at 21:30, brownnova said:

Picked my Saab up from the specialist complete with new balljoint (apparently the cause of the creak)... 

the grump is that when I got there the guy showed me some very worn brake pads and said that he couldn’t leave them one he’d seen how worn they are and had changed them.... now they desperately needed doing that’s no quibble .... I have a set in the garage ready... but to change them without calling me is a bit off... that was an extra £95... just before Christmas... there are times in my life when that would have been impossible. What if I couldn’t have afforded it? 

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I'd have been livid, not difficult to make a phone call!

[brownnova]

Can’t say I was best pleased... but as I’m so very British I didn’t make a fuss... 

He’s my go to guy for Saabs... but I’ll specify that I want a phone call before any work IF I go there again... 

[robinmasters]

Went onto town earlier. Stopped beside a space, into reverse, car behind pulled up close behind me. I started reversing, was of it wasn't what clear enough what I was doing. Car beeped, but reluctantly moved. When I got out, the cars window went down and there were two uniformed police in it. 

'Didn't you look before you reverse?' 

'Yes, you were stationary.' 

'You got that close to my bumper'

By now I'm fucking seething inside. This berk wasn't paying attention and got too close to me. 

'Why are you driving around in an untaxed car? It's not insured either'

'It's taxed and insured'

Cue conversation about who I'm insured with (I don't know) and how I pay for tax (also don't know offhand). 

'You're not helping much.' (I'm not doing anything wrong, you jobsworth bellend)

His colleague then says he'll check 'the other one', as he's doing so I check .gov website on my phone-car shows as taxed. Colleague then confirms his double checking had revealed that the car is in fact both taxed and insured. 'Some times it takes a while to update'. Fucking double check before making accusations then. 

TL:DR chinless little prick takes revenge on his school bullies by treating me like a criminal for five minutes

 

[High Jetter]

When you stopped initially, had you already started indicating?

[New POD]

  On 01/12/2020 at 14:58, New POD said:

Apparently I'm not allowed to be be grumpy.  Not allowed an opinion either. 

It's all shite today. 

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It got worse.  Just find got back from taking the cat all the way to the *nearest out of hours vet in St Helens only 35 mins in the car.  I found her in the corner of the garden, both rear legs had failed. About 10:40.  She's been put to sleep now.  Prognosis was it would be pointless trying to fix her.  17 or 18 years old.  

[Mrcento]

I once had a similar type of wild police accusation.

Was coming home from work in the Cinquecento, inside lane of a 2 lane stretch, 25mph all the way. Flow of traffic. 4th gear. Cars, vans etc all passing me in the outside lane doing 35-40.

I get to the traffic lights, police car pulls up behind me. Cinq conks out. No power (It turned out to be a connection to the alternator i'd just changed was loose).

I get out, blocking traffic, open bonnet and the policeman behind gets out the car, i think he's away to offer me help to move it or just ask if a need assistance. He wasn't. I told him i lost electricity and it just cut out, he tells me to move it round the corner into the layby. I wiggle the terminals and get the electric back, he says to park up.

So i pull in as requested, he follows me in, then turns on his fucking blue lights (we're well off the road so it's nothing to do with safety, a total 'LOOK AT ME' move. Gets out the car and basically screams at me 'WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?

I'm utterly confused at this point.... i'd just had a tiny breakdown and had got going again, I hadn't done anything wrong bar given a few people a few seconds inconvenience.

DO YOU KNOW HOW FAST YOU WERE GOING?

(Now i can see where this is going) yes- 25, behind a van, being overtaken by everyone.

No, I had to do 60 all the way along here just to catch up with you and still couldn't get near you until you'd stopped at the lights. (he'd shown zero interest in me or the car until it broke down and i'd seen him in my mirror all the way along the road about 50ft back, he was talking absolute shite, he was driving at the same speed as me).

I was doing 25. If i'd been doing more than that, what about everyone overtaking me, you saw them, you were behind me long enough..... (this was the point he really realised i had been paying attention and knew the whole line of him chasing me at 60 was horseshit and totally changed angle)

And is this car insured?

Of course.

(We go through the whole license check, address, where have you been, where are you going schtick, all came back clear and i co-operated)

This car is modified.

Yup.

Do the Insurance company know?

Yup.

Everything?

Yes.

I bet i could call Traffic down, let them go over it and they'll find something. (i notice he's totally dropped the whole thing about speed now and has shifted onto looking for insurance fraud or a car defect)

Ok, do that.

Traffic know their stuff, they aren't kind.

That's fine.  I built it. No problem. I'll wait. (He wanders off and talks on his radio for a few minutes and wanders back over)

I'm Just going to issue you a warning today. Be thankful Traffic are busy, Watch your speed and watch your attitude.

(laughing) Ok, I will if you will, Thank you.

So it went from him accusing me of doing over 50 in a 30, driving so recklessly he felt the need to initiate a chase, to insurance fraud, to an unroadworthy vehicle, to threatening Traffic to come and give my car a going over to find something, anything wrong, to being waved on my way, warned about speed (he knew full well he couldn't prove, didn't happen and cameras would back me up) and attitude (for no doubt correcting him and being willing to go through with his threat to send Traffic down) 😂

To be honest, i think he saw the car, thought it'd be an 18 year old he could bully and was surprised it was a nearly 30 year old (at the time) beardy bloke.

[Mrcento]

  On 02/12/2020 at 01:52, New POD said:

It got worse.  Just find got back from taking the cat all the way to the *nearest out of hours vet in St Helens only 35 mins in the car.  I found her in the corner of the garden, both rear legs had failed. About 10:40.  She's been put to sleep now.  Prognosis was it would be pointless trying to fix her.  17 or 18 years old.  

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Sorry to hear that.

Rest in piece.

[horriblemercedes]

Sister asked for help finding a car. Said she quite liked the Vauxhall Viva. I got all excited thinking I could find her a slightly rusty HC and get her on here. Then I realised there's a shit new Vauxhall Viva and she meant that 

[beko1987]

  On 01/12/2020 at 21:30, brownnova said:

Picked my Saab up from the specialist complete with new balljoint (apparently the cause of the creak)... 

the grump is that when I got there the guy showed me some very worn brake pads and said that he couldn’t leave them one he’d seen how worn they are and had changed them.... now they desperately needed doing that’s no quibble .... I have a set in the garage ready... but to change them without calling me is a bit off... that was an extra £95... just before Christmas... there are times in my life when that would have been impossible. What if I couldn’t have afforded it? 

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Its shit like that which makes me charge nothing for looking at broken vacuums for people. Amount of blatently poor people who ro k up with an inherited dyson that's got a simple fault, cakking themselves that I'll charge a fortune, asking to be informed ASAP of the cost etc

Can feel their relief when I say £30 and job done to them, I save the £100 refurbs for the people who tell me their cleaner had broken said vacuum etc... 

Unexpected £95 bill would leave me begging to mummy, and I know their sorting their finances so they can survive until they die so would feel bad about that. 

. 

Bet when you change the pads next their a shitter brand than you had to fit... 

[155V6]

  On 02/12/2020 at 01:52, New POD said:

It got worse.  Just find got back from taking the cat all the way to the *nearest out of hours vet in St Helens only 35 mins in the car.  I found her in the corner of the garden, both rear legs had failed. About 10:40.  She's been put to sleep now.  Prognosis was it would be pointless trying to fix her.  17 or 18 years old.  

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So sorry to hear that,you did the kindest thing 😥

[GrumpiusMaximus]

When I was 19 or so I drove a wreck of a Mk1 Ford Ka.  My parents garage joined onto a lot of rented garages and we rented one of them for my car.  Coming home at midnight-ish from college one day (I'd been running sound for an evening show) a Police car with two youngish coppers followed me for a good half mile, turned into the garages with me and then decided to block me off my parking their car directly behind my garage.  Probably presuming I was a dealer or similar and looking for an easy collar.

I got out.  'Hello Officer, is there anything I can help you with?'  Well, as anybody that has met me knows, my voice matches my posh upbringing and I don't sound like I'm from the rough end of Northfleet.  This surprised them.  'Erm.  Yes.  Erm.  Well.  Erm.  Yes.  Your light there is smashed'.  'Yes.  I know.  It's a foglight and as I'm sure you know, it's not a legal requirement.' 'Ok.  Thank you.'

And they just drove off.

I laughed like a drain for a full minute afterwards.  It was the look of disappointment on their faces when I first opened my mouth that did it.

[cort1977]

While I have had many stops by the police (although not this millennium) the number of times they have been a bit arsey is outweighed massively by the number of times they have said things like 'we'll put you down as doing 76' or 'OK, but get that fixed ASAP' and let me go. 

It's a tough old job, they are human, some of them are wankers, some have bad days, but most are just trying to do their job like all of us.

[wuvvum]

It does seem to vary depending on whereabouts you are.  The closer you get to London and other major cities the more attitude the police seem to have.  I've had quite a few dealings with Norfolk Constabulary over the years, from both sides of the law, and I've almost invariably found them to be polite and professional.