The grumpy thread

[Rust Collector]

9 minutes ago, Talbot said:

ProTip:  when the interviewer asks you about your background, they mean your work history, not what can be seen behind you in shot...

I was chatting to my Dad last night, he's been in the NHS all his working life and was a senior manager for some time. His advice was to stick post-it notes round the side of my laptop screen with short notes based around the answers I'm expecting to have to provide. 'Just make sure they can't see them on the webcam' 😂

[artdjones]

The thread on "how long should I take to repair my tenant's heating?"

[rattlecan]

3 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Yesterday I began getting calls from unknown mobile numbers.  Today it's started with an unknown London number.  I wonder how long it'll persist before they give up.  I don't answer unknown numbers, as a rule, because of scam callers.  If I answer an unknown number I don't say anything, this usually results in them immediately hanging up, presumably because they think they've connected to an automated system or another scammer.  I've searched the numbers online and nothing specific is coming up beyond the London number doing nuisance calls from the start of this February, the mobile numbers don't bring anything up so are probably burner phones.

Best thing to do is nothing really.  Your data is always being traded for other people to make money off without your permission, that's the modern world, so someone somewhere has sold a list of phone numbers with mine on it, and someone else has bought it to try and sell stuff or scam people or both.  If you engage, answer the phone, get angry with them, etc. then you demonstrate there's a person there that could be taken advantage of so it's best to say nothing and ignore them.  Save yourself the stress too, no point getting angry at strangers.

What is interesting about it this time is it's my old phone which I haven't been using to sign up to any new things for a while now.  If I were going to get spam calls I would have expected them on my new phone since that's all internet connected and infected with Google and all that.  Only a matter of time I suppose.

I run my own small business & get absolutely inundated with them, both on my mobile & landline. Problem is, pretty much every number that calls you is an ‘unknown’ number.

Not so much scammers but just companies trying to flog you stuff you don’t want, need or can be bothered with & its particularly annoying when you are busy doing other stuff.

What I say to them now is ‘we have a no cold calling policy’ It literally stops them in their tracks. I’m sure they have some kind of ‘flow chart’ training as to the probable answers you are going to give them, but this seems to screw them up & there is kinda no answer for them to give you. 

[Rust Collector]

21 minutes ago, rattlecan said:

I run my own small business & get absolutely inundated with them, both on my mobile & landline. Problem is, pretty much every number that calls you is an ‘unknown’ number.

Not so much scammers but just companies trying to flog you stuff you don’t want, need or can be bothered with & its particularly annoying when you are busy doing other stuff.

What I say to them now is ‘we have a no cold calling policy’ It literally stops them in their tracks. I’m sure they have some kind of ‘flow chart’ training as to the probable answers you are going to give them, but this seems to screw them up & there is kinda no answer for them to give you. 

You can sign up to the Telephone Preference Service to try and cut down on the amount of cold callers, I've done that at my place of work as I was sick of my team having to answer several cold calls a day.

https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/

I still have to tell the odd one or two who call up to fuck off, but it's miles better than it was before.

[Rocket88]

Just signed up

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, artdjones said:

The thread on "how long should I take to repair my tenant's heating?"

Yup, burning for longer than it took to sort the original problem!

[Bren]

Potholes.

I know everbody complains about them.

Today I was unlucky enough to drive through Ormskirk. The pot holes are eye wateringly bad - the roads have deteriorated so badly in 12 months.

[High Jetter]

Some of our local roads look like target practice for the Luftwaffe...

[RoverFolkUs]

On 14/02/2024 at 17:44, Supernaut said:

Limp mode in the Astra is getting more frequent and more violent.

Tame mechanic isn't replying to messages.

Plugging in my own diagnostic dongle shows no stored codes.

 

Fuuuck's sakes.

What year and what engine?

[rattlecan]

1 hour ago, Bren said:

Potholes.

I know everbody complains about them.

Today I was unlucky enough to drive through Ormskirk. The pot holes are eye wateringly bad - the roads have deteriorated so badly in 12 months.

Never known it so bad, it’s like living in a third world country, which sadly is pretty much where we are going. They will NEVER come back, we will have this forever now. 

[Spiny Norman]

Aye it's going to get a lot worse. The roads in Glasgow are littered with deep, sharp edged craters everywhere. The council DGAF and their legal team sacks off all the complaints.
And now we're going to increase the average private car's weight by another half ton or so with all the EVs we're supposed to be buying. Fuck being eco-friendly, at this rate we'll all need Range Rovers just to get to work.
This is fairly typical, often these are every few yards.

[Split_Pin]

I wasnt sure whether to drop this in the grin, grump or daft tyre name thread.

Typical Rover rivet counter. Simpering over a little piece of plastic when at least one of the tyres on the car is a shitey budget. That's literally the first thing I spot on a car and it speaks volumes.

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, Spiny Norman said:

Aye it's going to get a lot worse. The roads in Glasgow are littered with deep, sharp edged craters everywhere. The council DGAF and their legal team sacks off all the complaints.
And now we're going to increase the average private car's weight by another half ton or so with all the EVs we're supposed to be buying. Fuck being eco-friendly, at this rate we'll all need Range Rovers just to get to work.
This is fairly typical, often these are every few yards.

There’s holes like that on the M8 ffs. 

[Spiny Norman]

7 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

There’s holes like that on the M8 ffs. 

Approach road to Clyde tunnel.

 

[plasticvandan]

Decided that even though I have paperwork to say it was done 2000 miles ago,I would change the oil and filter on my newly acquired Berlingo,having researched the recommended oil (total) to use it would be good peace of mind to get it done.filter change one of the easiest I've done,cartridge type and done from above,no mess! On unscrewing the sump plug it was tight all the way,never a great sign,and low and behold the thread looked... interesting.

Shows that despite a fully stamped book you can still find problems.fortunately there is a gsf up the road who had a new one on the shelf,which felt like it was.recutting a thread all the way in.It did at least tighten and seal on the new washer,but unless I go down the oil sucker route next time.i suspect it will be new sump time for the next oil change as I won't be able to trust it.That said it could.be fine now it's got a new plug in it.

Does seem a bit quieter and smoother.

Air filter looks a pita to do so will leave that for another day 

[Rocket88]

44 minutes ago, plasticvandan said:

Decided that even though I have paperwork to say it was done 2000 miles ago,I would change the oil and filter on my newly acquired Berlingo,having researched the recommended oil (total) to use it would be good peace of mind to get it done.filter change one of the easiest I've done,cartridge type and done from above,no mess! On unscrewing the sump plug it was tight all the way,never a great sign,and low and behold the thread looked... interesting.

Shows that despite a fully stamped book you can still find problems.fortunately there is a gsf up the road who had a new one on the shelf,which felt like it was.recutting a thread all the way in.It did at least tighten and seal on the new washer,but unless I go down the oil sucker route next time.i suspect it will be new sump time for the next oil change as I won't be able to trust it.That said it could.be fine now it's got a new plug in it.

Does seem a bit quieter and smoother.

Air filter looks a pita to do so will leave that for another day 

TBH, I wouldn’t disturb it again. Get one of those oil sucking things instead.

[artdjones]

2 hours ago, plasticvandan said:

Decided that even though I have paperwork to say it was done 2000 miles ago,I would change the oil and filter on my newly acquired Berlingo,having researched the recommended oil (total) to use it would be good peace of mind to get it done.filter change one of the easiest I've done,cartridge type and done from above,no mess! On unscrewing the sump plug it was tight all the way,never a great sign,and low and behold the thread looked... interesting.

Shows that despite a fully stamped book you can still find problems.fortunately there is a gsf up the road who had a new one on the shelf,which felt like it was.recutting a thread all the way in.It did at least tighten and seal on the new washer,but unless I go down the oil sucker route next time.i suspect it will be new sump time for the next oil change as I won't be able to trust it.That said it could.be fine now it's got a new plug in it.

Does seem a bit quieter and smoother.

Air filter looks a pita to do so will leave that for another day 

The suckers are pretty good if the tube is inserted carefully i.e. make sure it hits the bottom of the sump, but don't push it too hard so  it starts bending back up in a U meaning its sucking from a higher level, leaving an inch of the dirtiest oil behind. If I'm sucking out an engine I've never changed oil on before I push a meter long rigid wire down the dipstick hole after I've finished sucking, so that I can be sure all the oil is out.

Having said that, the sump in a Berlingo is one of the easiest to change.

[horriblemercedes]

11 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I wasnt sure whether to drop this in the grin, grump or daft tyre name thread.

Typical Rover rivet counter. Simpering over a little piece of plastic when at least one of the tyres on the car is a shitey budget. That's literally the first thing I spot on a car and it speaks volumes.

Sincere question - what is a wheel arch finisher? 

[Supernaut]

22 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

Sincere question - what is a wheel arch finisher? 

It's a pro wrestling move, involving hooking your opponent round the neck with a repair panel (bonus points for anything BL) then pulling them to the floor with it, thus finishing the match.

[Split_Pin]

23 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

Sincere question - what is a wheel arch finisher? 

Total mud traps, best off in the bin imo.

[Supernaut]

5 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Total mud traps, best off in the bin imo.

TOTAL MUD TRAPS, for all your mud traps and mud trap accessories!

 

No. I don't know why I'm so silly today either. I blame the rhubarb wine from last night.

[kevins]

19 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Aye it's going to get a lot worse. The roads in Glasgow are littered with deep, sharp edged craters everywhere. The council DGAF and their legal team sacks off all the complaints.
And now we're going to increase the average private car's weight by another half ton or so with all the EVs we're supposed to be buying. Fuck being eco-friendly, at this rate we'll all need Range Rovers just to get to work.
This is fairly typical, often these are every few yards.

yep my old rangie is the only one of our 8 cars I can drive around in without having to worry about pot holes, the idiot following a foot behind in his Audi/Bmw usually gets a nasty shock when I drive through a bad one with no braking or avoidance!

The work Transits are also pretty impervious to them.

[Remspoor]

Those nice Dutch folk set me two letters after my recent visit.

Two speeding fines. one 62kph corrected to 59 kph in a 50. The other 66kph corrected to 63kph in a 50.  Both on the same road one in the morning the other in the evening. now asking for money 261€. That is expensive.

The grumble is the wife is not letting me forget the amount. She who only has a motorbike licence and has not ridden for about 10 years.😞

[Spiny Norman]

6 hours ago, kevins said:

yep my old rangie is the only one of our 8 cars I can drive around in without having to worry about pot holes, the idiot following a foot behind in his Audi/Bmw usually gets a nasty shock when I drive through a bad one with no braking or avoidance!

The work Transits are also pretty impervious to them.

That's why I'm after a SUV/Jeep type of car, with the tallest profile tyres I can get. My old Citroen CX was fantastic over potholes. Oleopneumatic suspension and 80 profile Michelins meant you barely even noticed it running over a crater in the road.

Work vehicles are pretty much impervious to everything mind....

 

[rattlecan]

7 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

That's why I'm after a SUV/Jeep type of car, with the tallest profile tyres I can get. My old Citroen CX was fantastic over potholes. Oleopneumatic suspension and 80 profile Michelins meant you barely even noticed it running over a crater in the road.

Work vehicles are pretty much impervious to everything mind....

 

Yeh, in similar style my E30 320i is lovely to drive from that point of view. 70 aspect tyres on , what are by todays standards, tiny diameter rims, coupled with quite soft & waffty suspension. It’s really rather lovely

[myglaren]

Yahoo mail.

I have long held a Yahoo account since they parted ways with BT and took Flickr with them.

Not used much but it now takes an hour to log in.  They make you wait at least an hour after the initial login attempt.

[GMcD]

Spent the last hour pulling the washing machine out as it's decided to lose all its water and soak the utility. Even better waters seeped into both the toilet and my study through the wall. My study floor is squelching. 

Fuck sakes! 

 

[High Jetter]

5 minutes ago, GMcD said:

Spent the last hour pulling the washing machine out as it's decided to lose all its water and soak the utility. Even better waters seeped into both the toilet and my study through the wall. My study floor is squelching. 

Fuck sakes! 

 

Uh, that's not a washing machine!

[Metal Guru]

16 hours ago, rattlecan said:

Yeh, in similar style my E30 320i is lovely to drive from that point of view. 70 aspect tyres on , what are by todays standards, tiny diameter rims, coupled with quite soft & waffty suspension. It’s really rather lovely

I suppose this is tempting fate, but I have driven the last 20 years in a car with 40 or 45 profile tyres and not had a single puncture or any other pot hole damage. Wife’s Bini has 55 profile tyres and shudders badly if you hit a pot hole but again no wheel or tyre damage. In fact all of the punctures I’ve ever had , have been from nails or screws.

[rattlecan]

Arseholes in their company cars (usually reps, but not exclusively) sat outside my business unit  talking on their phones through the car speakers with the volume still on 90mph driving  setting so you can here them in the next county.

Which has just happened for 15 mins