The grumpy thread

[barefoot]

If you can find a place that repairs lorry tyres with a vulcanising machine, they can sort anything unless it's practically on the bead.

[Cavcraft]

12 minutes ago, barefoot said:

If you can find a place that repairs lorry tyres with a vulcanising machine, they can sort anything unless it's practically on the bead.

This.

A 'major' repair will also be the strongest part of the tyre when done. If you're anywhere near Cheshire there's at least one (probably two) places that still do it.

 

[Volksy]

16 minutes ago, barefoot said:

If you can find a place that repairs lorry tyres with a vulcanising machine, they can sort anything unless it's practically on the bead.

That's awesome.

I have the same issue with one of the brand new Michelins I put on the back of mine less that 3 months ago! 

[Talbot]

On 4/2/2023 at 10:00 PM, RoverFolkUs said:

This happened to me in a Tesco during lockdown 1, I went there to pick up a prescription for someone and it wasn't ready. Pharmacist took my number and called me 20 minutes later just as I'd got home to apologize for the cockup and it was in fact ready on the shelf as it should have been. Not to worry, off I went again, not thinking about the car park. 

Bang, PCN through the post. Contested it with the store manager and he "dealt with it" and I never heard a peep afterwards 🤔🤔

Don't know if it's a combination of a lack of enforcement action during lockdown, and the fact the "appeal" was that I was collecting a prescription for a vulnerable person during lockdown and the second visit was due to the store's cockup and not my personal gain... Does make you wonder if the stores always have back door access to contest the fines for people, because that must be what happened in my case 🤔

Follow up on this.

Went back to Sainsbury's, explained the situaiton.  The've cancelled the PCN.  Clearly they do have a "back door" method to get rid of PCNs if they want to, as all they needed was the PCN number from the letter.  Very glad it's sorted!

[MikeR]

stay away from Southport /Ainsdale if you dont want to pop a blood vessel , road works starting up all over the place as well as the continuing upgrade of the cycle path on the by pass for the next month ....  just stay away !

[eddyramrod]

TBF, I know Southport well, and have used that cycle path far more times than I care to remember.  It really does need upgrading!  Just cutting back the shrubbery would be a good start.  Road works: we have them here in Barrow too, but it doesn't matter how many there are, the roads are still nothing more than a few narrow strips of tarmac between the potholes.

[andy18s]

5 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Further to this, and my reply of "Yes"...

We bought a new kettle sometime last year.  It looks like this, but black...

Not quite the right model but it IS a Swan.  It's nothing but fucking useless.  Look where the handle is: your hand gets scalded when you pour.  That handle is secured* by one barely-accessible and (crucially) barely finger-tight nut inside the kettle body at each end.  If you fill it enough for a hot-water bottle then while boiling it will shoot boiling water out of the spout, all over your worktop and its own lead and base.  It also leaks anyway.  The lid requires force to remove and refit, and is too small to allow you to refill from the tap without getting water down the side of the bloody thing.

This morning we've ordered a new jug-style one online.  When it comes, if I can't foist this piece of shit onto someone more needy, the tip will beckon.

Glad to see someone took him seriously then....#sarcasm...

[MikeR]

17 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

TBF, I know Southport well, and have used that cycle path far more times than I care to remember.  It really does need upgrading!  Just cutting back the shrubbery would be a good start.  Road works: we have them here in Barrow too, but it doesn't matter how many there are, the roads are still nothing more than a few narrow strips of tarmac between the potholes.

I agree the cycle route through the woods is sheer dangerous , a lot of head high over growth coming over from the walled garden , as well as the path switching sides on a very busy road ! .

any way the coastal road is open ..at the moment ...

[MikeR]

6 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Further to this, and my reply of "Yes"...

We bought a new kettle sometime last year.  It looks like this, but black...

Not quite the right model but it IS a Swan.  It's nothing but fucking useless.  Look where the handle is: your hand gets scalded when you pour.  That handle is secured* by one barely-accessible and (crucially) barely finger-tight nut inside the kettle body at each end.  If you fill it enough for a hot-water bottle then while boiling it will shoot boiling water out of the spout, all over your worktop and its own lead and base.  It also leaks anyway.  The lid requires force to remove and refit, and is too small to allow you to refill from the tap without getting water down the side of the bloody thing.

This morning we've ordered a new jug-style one online.  When it comes, if I can't foist this piece of shit onto someone more needy, the tip will beckon.

we have used cheapo tesco kettles for years  , at least the ones with a 360 base , I work on the principle that they work ok , and get binned when they dont ..

done the posh upmarket ones , most of which broke fairly quickly ..

[Volksy]

1 hour ago, Talbot said:

Follow up on this.

Went back to Sainsbury's, explained the situaiton.  The've cancelled the PCN.  Clearly they do have a "back door" method to get rid of PCNs if they want to, as all they needed was the PCN number from the letter.  Very glad it's sorted!

Yes, the store can call the parking company or the landowner/facilities management company to cancel tickets. 

On private car parks - which I manage a few - the landowner/manager has the authority to do this. 

[goosey]

Hopefully the fuckarse that nicked my prescription ray-bans gets the migraine from hell 

[Noel Tidybeard]

positive again!!

what a fucknugget of a headache😨

[GrumpiusMaximus]

4 hours ago, iainrcz said:

Jesus pissing christ.

So that's another pair of tyres as I bet it's not repairable.

I had this happen to me a couple of weeks ago.  Took it to the tyre place I usually use and they took a quick look and repaired it for £16.  Even better, the repair was done from the inside out so it's not even visible.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Had new carpets fitted today.  They were friendly, turned up when they said they would, did a great job and I'm really pleased.

Apart from the fact that one of them used my cordless vacuum cleaner, tried to empty it when I wasn't there and evidently managed to empty the entire filter housing into their rubbish bag and took it away with them.  I can't just buy that bit.  Whole thing is useless.

That'll be me asking for £270 off the bill tomorrow as that's what it will cost to replace.  I  actually own two of them but that's not the point.

[High Jetter]

Your vacuum? Tell them to get theirs out of the van, lazy gits.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

24 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Your vacuum? Tell them to get theirs out of the van, lazy gits.

That wasn't really the issue.  The issue was that the corded Sebo was sitting on the other side of the doorwayand that one doesn't require an instruction manual to use and is much better at the job they were trying to do.  I don't mind if they use my vacuum, just make sure you don't take away the most critical component in your rubbish bag...

I'm not annoyed at the fitters to be honest because I can't say with any authority that I haven't done something so patently stupid at some point.  They did a good job and the communication from the company has been excellent, so it's literally just this one thing.  They're just going to have to make good on the item.

They fitted a built-in front door mat because they had an offcut in the van and didn't charge anything for it, etc.  Can't complain about the work and I'm sure it's a genuine error.  If they do make good on the vacuum then I'd have no hesitation in recommending the firm at all, they've been thoroughly professional throughout the process from the very first phone call.

[Kiltox]

Well fuck

[iainrcz]

The cat failed its MOT? Bugger.

[jakebullet]

Ma has a tablet converted for low vision use. Complaining today this doesn't work, phone them up, moan moan. So I do, and support tells me the software version is old shit, but tablet too old to run latest version and I can't have any of the versions in between that would run on her old tablet. Buy a new one. Great.

Ok, can I transfer the existing software license? yes, that saves you £249. But you need a support contract to transfer, £99. Ok, so that's new tablet cost + £99? Nope. There's a £49 charge for transferring the license. Bit of a piss take, what does the £99 support do for me then?

[anonymous user]

On 4/11/2023 at 9:28 PM, RoverFolkUs said:

I had a similar thing with a former colleague, was quite a morally difficult circumstance really. 

In short he tended to struggle with recognising social cues, and was on the autistic spectrum. Very much on the "mild" end of the spectrum

Consequently, you could be in the middle of doing something quite important, or trying to get something finished at a fast approaching deadline, or just anything that needs more significant concentration such as the jobs you describe, but he would continuously come over and talk about a subject that isn't relevant to the task or circumstance in hand therefore could have waited until lunch time. 

Or I could be talking to someone else or be on the phone and he'd just interrupt without fully realizing that it wasn't appropriate 

At times it was fairly frustrating because I wouldn't ever dream of snapping back because he meant no harm but a nod, smile and "oh right" or "just a moment" which some people might perceive as "could you please be quiet" was never really understood

I did try mentioning it a few times that I would appreciate it if I could be left undisturbed while on jobs unless it was something that I need to know immediately but it never did quite register

It was just incessant chit chat about something that happened ages ago which everyone is well aware of or is no longer relevant, plans for the weekend, what he got up to last weekend. A new film that's coming out soon. An event in his romantic life. Etc etc 

I hope this post doesn't sound nasty, because it certainly isn't intended in that way. 

I've got no problem with someone struggling to recognise when I'd rather be left alone to concentrate on something but it really was constant and extremely distracting. Meaning I'd lose track of where I was or have to retorque a bolt or recheck timing again or something because of this background conversation

You have described me. I was not diagnosed as autistic until I was in my 50s.

I have gone through life missing social cues not realising that I was pissing people off hugely. Add that to not being able to see that there could be more than one right answer (if I'm right and your answer, or the way you get to it,  is different you're wrong)

It took a lot of work for me to recognise just some of how I came across to others, I'm less worse than I was, but still balls it up sometimes. I'm completely mortified when I look back at how I was and when I still catch myself boring people rigid now.

If you know someone like me keep reminding them, they will thank you in the long run.

It was not nice realising that I had fewer friends than I thought, just that some people are too polite to tell me I'm an annoying knob, but I'm getting there. In fact I'm happier now that I don't feel it necessary to make conversations.

[New POD]

1 hour ago, anonymous user said:

You have described me. I was not diagnosed as autistic until I was in my 50s.

I have gone through life missing social cues not realising that I was pissing people off hugely. Add that to not being able to see that there could be more than one right answer (if I'm right and your answer, or the way you get to it,  is different you're wrong)

It took a lot of work for me to recognise just some of how I came across to others, I'm less worse than I was, but still balls it up sometimes. I'm completely mortified when I look back at how I was and when I still catch myself boring people rigid now.

If you know someone like me keep reminding them, they will thank you in the long run.

It was not nice realising that I had fewer friends than I thought, just that some people are too polite to tell me I'm an annoying knob, but I'm getting there. In fact I'm happier now that I don't feel it necessary to make conversations.

I'm absolutely sure I'm not autistic but fuck me, there some of that describes me.  

[junkyarddog]

Went to go out in my Mondeo today to find a bird had shit directly onto the drivers door handle!!

To be fair I'm quite impressed by the accuracy.

[somewhatfoolish]

20 hours ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

That wasn't really the issue.  The issue was that the corded Sebo was sitting on the other side of the doorwayand that one doesn't require an instruction manual to use and is much better at the job they were trying to do.  I don't mind if they use my vacuum, just make sure you don't take away the most critical component in your rubbish bag...

I'm not annoyed at the fitters to be honest because I can't say with any authority that I haven't done something so patently stupid at some point.  They did a good job and the communication from the company has been excellent, so it's literally just this one thing.  They're just going to have to make good on the item.

They fitted a built-in front door mat because they had an offcut in the van and didn't charge anything for it, etc.  Can't complain about the work and I'm sure it's a genuine error.  If they do make good on the vacuum then I'd have no hesitation in recommending the firm at all, they've been thoroughly professional throughout the process from the very first phone call.

Why not phone them? I doubt they get their skip emptied very often.  

1 hour ago, junkyarddog said:

Went to go out in my Mondeo today to find a bird had shit directly onto the drivers door handle!! To be fair I'm quite impressed by the accuracy.

It was probably standing on the handle.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

57 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Why not phone them? I doubt they get their skip emptied very often. 

I did, first thing.  The big boss had to go bin raiding and only went and found it.  The fitter was nice enough about it but didn't realise what he had done and was on the verge of being defensive over the phone but accepted that he was the last person to use it...

[Markeh]

Trying to book a holiday abroad was problematic enough given I am terrible for actually choosing a suitable trip - cancelled one week of leave at work last month cos I couldn't find anything I wanted at the price I wanted, figured I'd try again in a couple of weeks and see what I could get.

Unfortunately, it now looks like a family member is extremely close to deaths door. Now I'm not that close and there's nothing I can do anyway, but sadly I'll be judged if anything happens before I go away and I don't cancel it/for not coming back early if something happens while I'm away, and I'm not in a position to throw £££ down the drain if it happens. So looks like I'm either wasting a week off, cancelling my leave again or maybe I'll be swapping a week in all inclusive sunshine for a few days in a caravan somewhere not too far away.

[Metal Guru]

5 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

Went to go out in my Mondeo today to find a bird had shit directly onto the drivers door handle!!

To be fair I'm quite impressed by the accuracy.

A bird shat on my car once. Never went out with her again!

[Remspoor]

6 hours ago, Markeh said:

Trying to book a holiday abroad was problematic enough given I am terrible for actually choosing a suitable trip - cancelled one week of leave at work last month cos I couldn't find anything I wanted at the price I wanted, figured I'd try again in a couple of weeks and see what I could get.

Unfortunately, it now looks like a family member is extremely close to deaths door. Now I'm not that close and there's nothing I can do anyway, but sadly I'll be judged if anything happens before I go away and I don't cancel it/for not coming back early if something happens while I'm away, and I'm not in a position to throw £££ down the drain if it happens. So looks like I'm either wasting a week off, cancelling my leave again or maybe I'll be swapping a week in all inclusive sunshine for a few days in a caravan somewhere not too far away.

Sorry to hear that. Would not a cancellation due to family member death be covered by your insurance?

Funerals in the UK do not happen immediately . So there maybe time to take the vacation before hand.

[Markeh]

2 hours ago, Remspoor said:

Sorry to hear that. Would not a cancellation due to family member death be covered by your insurance?

Funerals in the UK do not happen immediately . So there maybe time to take the vacation before hand.

This was my original plan (I've known he was ill for the last month or so), but his condition deteriorated significantly over the past couple of days and they've moved to end of life care - given the rate he's deteriorated at, I don't think I'm going to get time to. Will double check my travel insurance (fortunately I'm still covered on the one I took out last year)

[Back_For_More]

9 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

A bird shat on my car once. Got photos and am now admin of the speciality subscriber website.. 

Ftfy

[Rust Collector]

16 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

Went to go out in my Mondeo today to find a bird had shit directly onto the drivers door handle!!

To be fair I'm quite impressed by the accuracy.

A few weeks back I was chatting to someone who stopped me just as I was about to get in the car. I left the door ajar as we spoke for a few minutes, then once they left I got in the car. As I pulled the door shut, I discovered that a seagull had managed to shit directly on to the inner handle. I did not appreciate it, and I'm convinced that the gull meant to shit there.