The grumpy thread

[beko1987]

  On 25/12/2023 at 20:30, EyesWeldedShut said:

Probably not.
Ayrshire folks leave secondary school with two club feet due to too many Eightsome Reels, Dashing White Sergeants and the like.
Stress fractures and bunions abound - a  legacy of Rabbie Burns and the need to continually feed the resulting tourism machine with young, good looking and  nimble Scottish country dancers.
Hence a locally high proportion of Mobility vehicles, badermatics and no flicking of clutch pedals - heavy duty bungees may* be a local substitute for clutch flicking

If it don't get you in your twenties, it'll bite you later (hence Ovlov Badermatic here 45 years after my last Eightsome Reel  )

 

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I used to with my laguna 2! The pedal would progressively get lower and lower with each push. Fine sometimes, with maybe 5/6 pushes an entire journey, but I'd be crawling in thick traffic with the pedal on the floor and the bit point on the weight of my foot. 

Pulled it back up, normal service was resumed for a short while. 

I started to get more scared that one day the pedal wouldn't return and I'd have to have an FTP and was instrumental in scrapping the car sadly when I totted up parts (slave cylinder needed the gearbox out, and there's a few 'while your in there' s on a 200k laguna 2 that had a vibrating dmf anyway... 

Still slightly regret it now, was probably the best car I've ever had 😢

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 25/12/2023 at 22:13, beko1987 said:

Still slightly regret it now, was probably the best car I've ever had 😢

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Shh! Are Lagunas not one of the horseless carriages of Beelzebub that Shall Not Be Mentioned?

Actually - I had an 'S' plate Laguna Estate that was a very good car and would probably have been a longer term prospect if it had not ate the cambelt, 
To be fair, that was 100% my fault in that I knew the alternator belt was fraying, bought a new one and just never got around to fitting it before the old one broke, slipped under the cambelt cover and tripped the cambelt.
Up until that point all it had done was two 'drumstick' track rods and the usual stuff (ironically including a new cambelt).

For some reason Renaults seem to have 'meh' reputation in the UK? Kind of a Marmite marque?

[Garythesnail]

  On 22/12/2023 at 13:53, Popsicle said:

Amazon guys though, the conditions of entry for them are have you a vehicle and when can you start.

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  On 22/12/2023 at 14:15, sierraman said:

bottom feeders that will cut corners. 

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Son in law , who works for one of the national recovery services, when allocated a job to assist a Mercedes Vito van with DPD stickers was politley told to FRO by plod who were already on-scene.

No tax, MOT, insurance and dodgy tyres. Prick was already in  cuffs in the back of the plodmobile.

Good.

[beko1987]

  On 26/12/2023 at 09:07, EyesWeldedShut said:

Shh! Are Lagunas not one of the horseless carriages of Beelzebub that Shall Not Be Mentioned?

Actually - I had an 'S' plate Laguna Estate that was a very good car and would probably have been a longer term prospect if it had not ate the cambelt, 
To be fair, that was 100% my fault in that I knew the alternator belt was fraying, bought a new one and just never got around to fitting it before the old one broke, slipped under the cambelt cover and tripped the cambelt.
Up until that point all it had done was two 'drumstick' track rods and the usual stuff (ironically including a new cambelt).

For some reason Renaults seem to have 'meh' reputation in the UK? Kind of a Marmite marque?

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It helped I had a phase 1 mark 2 I think, and a basic one at that. So a nice manual handbrake, nice manual gearbox, and little toys to break! Back windows still did a Renault iirc, but I never sat in them so wedged them up and left it be

The 2005 Initiale Paris was lovely too but had many issues that weren't worth fixing. 

The main issue with them nowadays is the amount people want for them 😢

[sierraman]

  On 24/12/2023 at 13:16, AnnoyingPentium said:

Come out of my work, go to start the Vectra and the clutch pedal sinks into the floor. AVAS.

Merry Christmas folks.

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Possibly clutch slave cylinder. Gearbox off job then. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

  On 26/12/2023 at 11:07, sierraman said:

Possibly clutch slave cylinder. Gearbox off job then. 

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Yeah that's what I'm reckoning too. Got a clutch kit here including the slave cylinder ready to go on. I'll farm that out methinks.

[sierraman]

  On 26/12/2023 at 12:23, AnnoyingPentium said:

Yeah that's what I'm reckoning too. Got a clutch kit here including the slave cylinder ready to go on. I'll farm that out methinks.

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100% would, not the weather for pissing about with that on a driveway. 

[hairnet]

  On 24/12/2023 at 11:15, myglaren said:

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which is why xmas week you go nowhere near a large supermarket

 

[Pieman]

  On 26/12/2023 at 13:06, hairnet said:

which is why you go nowhere near a large supermarket 

 

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FTFY.  As soon as 99% of people go near one, they lose their ability to think or notice anyone else is around them.

[Zelandeth]

My entire goddamn house reeks of cigarette smoke.  My lungs feel like they've been through a cheese grater, and my head is pounding (even more than usual) and has been for about 48 hours now.

Having chain smoking relations over for Xmas sucks.  Especially if you've got asthma.

I thought it was about the most repulsive habit on the planet even before seeing it in black and white as a cause of death on my mother's death certificate.

Sure it will only take about a week to get rid of the stink.

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:08, Zelandeth said:

My entire goddamn house reeks of cigarette smoke.  My lungs feel like they've been through a cheese grater, and my head is pounding (even more than usual) and has been for about 48 hours now.

Having chain smoking relations over for Xmas sucks.  Especially if you've got asthma.

I thought it was about the most repulsive habit on the planet even before seeing it in black and white as a cause of death on my mother's death certificate.

Sure it will only take about a week to get rid of the stink.

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If a visitor was smoking in my non-smoking household I'd be pretty livid!

Anyone who does come over knows and will usually not smoke for the duration, or if they're here for a while they stand outside a good distance away for a fair while to avoid it wafting through which I don't mind

[New POD]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:12, RoverFolkUs said:

If a visitor was smoking in my non-smoking household I'd be pretty livid!

Anyone who does come over knows and will usually not smoke for the duration, or if they're here for a while they stand outside a good distance away for a fair while to avoid it wafting through which I don't mind

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I don't know anyone in my extended family that smokes. If i did have visiotrs that smoked  and they wanted to smoke when visiting me, I'd give them a head torch and the key to the shed, and tell them there's a bed made up for them in there. 

[Zelandeth]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:12, RoverFolkUs said:

If a visitor was smoking in my non-smoking household I'd be pretty livid!

Anyone who does come over knows and will usually not smoke for the duration, or if they're here for a while they stand outside a good distance away for a fair while to avoid it wafting through which I don't mind

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She does actually smoke outside. 

However the way the prevailing wind goes it just blows straight into the conservatory and then diffuses through the rest of the house.  Being absolutely frank through, she could not touch one the whole time she's here yet the whole place would still stink of cigarettes within about 30 minutes of their arrival as, and there's no way to be polite about this, they just perpetually reek of smoke, and it's such an utterly cloying, pervasive scent that it gets onto and into every damned thing.  When smoking 20+ a day, it never really gets a chance to dissipate.

I have tried to raise the subject of quitting, but they're absolutely disinterested in even discussing it and take it as a personal insult.  Given we otherwise get along well with them, and I'm the only one in the house who's really bothered by this other than from the aspect of watching someone we care about literally burning away days of their life, it's just not a fight worth having.  

Doesn't mean it doesn't make me damned grumpy though.

Also point of note, aside from the asthma, I have apparently got an exceptionally keen sense of smell.  Which I tell you is a goddamn curse.

[Barry Cade]

What is it lately with people not having their dogs on leads? We always get " oh, they're fine- they won't bother you" well, they do because mine are twats and get proper over excited when other dogs come towards them..

We had Christmas in the Astro, and had taken the dogs for a walk, on leads of course. We got back to the van and opened the side door, let the dogs in and I got in to take their leads off when a spaniel came bounding up. Roscoe the basset had jumped in and went round the table leg ,then spotted the daft spaniel and lunged out the van to sniff its arse probably.. ripping off the table leg, busting the table rail off the worktop, bending the cupboard door hinge and crashing a basin full of dishes and soapy water all over the floor and my jeans.  Then I hear the woman shout , " he's OK, just wants to play  hahaha..  

I hope you hit a big pothole on the way home.. 

[plasticvandan]

Man buys two stroke car,complains about smoking relatives 😂

[GrumpiusMaximus]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:31, Barry Cade said:

What is it lately with people not having their dogs on leads? We always get " oh, they're fine- they won't bother you" well, they do because mine are twats and get proper over excited when other dogs come towards them..

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This.  Our dog (half Labrador, half Golden Retriever, all idiot) gets very over-excited at the presence of other dogs and can sometimes lunge towards them, barking.  It can look aggressive but it's just excitement.  As a result, we generally avoid other dogs - especially small dogs - when we're on a walk and avoid places where other people let their dogs off.

So when somebody on a residential road has their Yorkshire fucking Terrier off the lead and surprises you around the corner it's just twattish behaviour on their part, with no concern for the well-being of others.

[cobblers]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:31, Barry Cade said:

What is it lately with people not having their dogs on leads? We always get " oh, they're fine- they won't bother you" well, they do because mine are twats and get proper over excited when other dogs come towards them..

We had Christmas in the Astro, and had taken the dogs for a walk, on leads of course. We got back to the van and opened the side door, let the dogs in and I got in to take their leads off when a spaniel came bounding up. Roscoe the basset had jumped in and went round the table leg ,then spotted the daft spaniel and lunged out the van to sniff its arse probably.. ripping off the table leg, busting the table rail off the worktop, bending the cupboard door hinge and crashing a basin full of dishes and soapy water all over the floor and my jeans.  Then I hear the woman shout , " he's OK, just wants to play  hahaha..  

I hope you hit a big pothole on the way home.. 

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100%, it does my head in so much, I'm overly polite and avoid confrontation to an absolute fault, but this sort of thing is what will really get me throwing volleys of fucks at people.

 

We had two whippets (now one, sadly) and Pearl was just so reactive to other dogs. We tried training it out of her, but she had terrible recall and if a dog came up to her when she was on a lead, she would kick off - her only defence would be to run away and she couldn't do that on a lead so she felt mega vulnerable. Her kicking off would then set our other dog off and we'd have a right carryon of whippets tangling leads up, yelping, snarling etc, all while we'd get some lass wandering round the corner shouiting "its ok he's friendly" FUCK OFF!

Just today we were out near Loch Lomond with the remaining whippet. He's on steroids and has an immune condition so were not able to walk him - I have to carry him around in a flipping baby carrier when were away from home to minimise his chances of picking anything up.

Put him down for one minute to rest my back, and all of a sudden three stinking springers come bounding up, surround him and fucking tag team the poor old lad, he was terrified.. "They just want to play!" Fuck off!!!

[Pieman]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:31, Barry Cade said:

I hope you hit a big pothole on the way home.. 

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Should have let her tyres down, and then said "I just want to play too".

As for smoking, if anyone started puffing away in my house without asking they'd get a bucket of water emptied over their head.

[Zelandeth]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:45, plasticvandan said:

Man buys two stroke car,complains about smoking relatives 😂

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I can stand in a workshop of stone cold Gardner engined buses just started so you can barely see the far wall, doesn't bother me in the slightest.  Whiff of cigarette smoke though has me coughing like I'm the one who smokes 40 a day and has for the last 30 years.

[barefoot]

  On 26/12/2023 at 21:12, Pieman said:

Should have let her tyres down, and then said "I just want to play too".

As for smoking, if anyone started puffing away in my house without asking they'd get a bucket of water emptied over their head.

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Do you have tiles, carpets or laminate flooring?

[Pieman]

Yes.  

[Metal Guru]

  On 26/12/2023 at 20:58, cobblers said:

100%, it does my head in so much, I'm overly polite and avoid confrontation to an absolute fault, but this sort of thing is what will really get me throwing volleys of fucks at people.

 

We had two whippets (now one, sadly) and Pearl was just so reactive to other dogs. We tried training it out of her, but she had terrible recall and if a dog came up to her when she was on a lead, she would kick off - her only defence would be to run away and she couldn't do that on a lead so she felt mega vulnerable. Her kicking off would then set our other dog off and we'd have a right carryon of whippets tangling leads up, yelping, snarling etc, all while we'd get some lass wandering round the corner shouiting "its ok he's friendly" FUCK OFF!

Just today we were out near Loch Lomond with the remaining whippet. He's on steroids and has an immune condition so were not able to walk him - I have to carry him around in a flipping baby carrier when were away from home to minimise his chances of picking anything up.

Put him down for one minute to rest my back, and all of a sudden three stinking springers come bounding up, surround him and fucking tag team the poor old lad, he was terrified.. "They just want to play!" Fuck off!!!

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Complaining about someone’s dog bring as response on a par with saying you want to molest their children. 
( I’m imagining , I’ve never done that ).

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 26/12/2023 at 21:12, Pieman said:

As for smoking, if anyone started puffing away in my house without asking they'd get a bucket of water emptied over their head.

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Our out-laws smoke and are house trained such that even in the (perpetual) gales up here they'll stand outside and shiver in order to get the nicotine fix.
The smell is pervasive - years ago my wife was convinced I smoked at work as my clothes reeked when I came home - joys of being trapped in a mini-bus with a number of hairy arsed coppers for hours on end.
The thing that used to get me was the scum that would coat the inside of the windscreens - foul - "that's your lungs that is" - no reaction.
 

[myglaren]

  On 26/12/2023 at 21:12, Pieman said:

Should have let her tyres down, and then said "I just want to play too".

As for smoking, if anyone started puffing away in my house without asking they'd get a bucket of water emptied over their head.

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Same here.  Except they would have to call an ambulance for me.  Extreme reaction to tobacco smoke, like Asthma on steroids.

[hairnet]

stupid is as stupid does

he must be the stupidest son of a bitch alive

ffs

*hides under duvet

*looks at knives

 

[willswitchengage]

Driving looks fun today.

[RoverFolkUs]

  On 27/12/2023 at 18:59, willswitchengage said:

Driving looks fun today.

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The M25 is broken.. I'd be more concerned if it wasn't as it probably means there's some sort of cataclysmic natural disaster going on somewhere else 🤣

[jakebullet]

The Mrs's mother is causing problems again. We got ghosted when we went to Whitby, with the resulting previously mentioned blame it on the cat shitting excuse. Now she's not even bothered to send a crapmass card, so we've decided sod it, let her get on with it.

Except sudden burst of enthusiasm, do we want to go there for a new year's meal, she's paying?
Er, how about a resounding FUCK NO? Don't fancy driving to find Jesus has told her to ghost us again.

It's difficult as she's clearly totally fruit loop. Some scammer only has to mention THE LORD, and she's on them like a rash. 'Cos anyone who says JESUS can't possibly be a bad person. Just hope she hasn't got online banking.

[High Jetter]

  On 27/12/2023 at 18:59, willswitchengage said:

Driving looks fun today.

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It took our friends 8.5 hours to do a 4.25ish hour journey yesterday using M23, 25, 40, 42 & 6. Apparently there were a fair few accidents slowing things down as well as weight of traffic.

Wife and her sister are leaving shortly to do the same trip, hopefully it will be quicker today.

[Markeh]

I'd quite happily not leave the house today, the weather is utterly horrific. Started last night with awful wind, rain and thunder. At one point so violent it set multiple car alarms off on my road, mine included. The rain and wind are back today, although seem to be dying down now.