The grumpy thread

[sheffcortinacentre]

Welcome to the 1980's

[paulplom]

15 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Bing bong bollocks.

Corner of the frame on my glasses just snapped (not the hinge), while I was gently cleaning them. Not dropped, not abused.

Only bought them new in June...

I just buy poundland ones every weekend. I must lose or break a pair everyday.

[Split_Pin]

4 minutes ago, paulplom said:

I just buy poundland ones every weekend. I must lose or break a pair everyday.

I've still got a pair of yours in my garage 😂

[GrumpiusMaximus]

On 09/02/2025 at 19:19, Wibble said:

And the article inside also titled it as a Mk2! At least PC have a section where they publish mistakes they’ve been called out for. CW have had articles finish mid paragraph and never rectified it, so you never got to read the end.
 

I think PC is a far better mag but have mostly given up on them all now and rely on here for getting my fix.

Years ago, my mother bought a health and diet magazine from WHSmith as it looked vaguely interesting to her.  After reading a few pages, she started noticing a large number of typos and grammatical errors so in the end she went through the whole magazine like a Year 8 English teacher, marking the mistakes in biro.  She spent a couple of hours on it.  Eventually, she sent her corrected copy back to the publisher with a covering letter.

Much to my surprise she actually got a response, which told her that it was the last edition they were ever going to publish anyway but they hadn't made the announcement yet so they didn't think it was worth editing properly.  I think she somehow managed to get a refund...

[Split_Pin]

Sorry chaps I need to vent, my 'keeping the lights on' facade will slip off otherwise.

Since being told I'm getting made redundant a few weeks ago the following has happened:

- My severance will give me about 7 months' wages which is good

- I'll be scored for a matched role. There are twice the number of people compared to the roles. My face never fits so I've zero chance, I wrote that off as soon as I knew anyway.

- I've applied for 11 jobs. Been knocked back for 5 so far, had one 1st stage interview but I'm clearly under qualified and I didn't fancy it anyway.

- Audi is falling to bits:

- Intake leak thankfully fixed

- Boot leaking

- Drivers window mechanism totally scrunkled up, window held up with wedges.

- Slow puncture (already bought 2 brand new rear tyres to cure same)

E46:

All back together but because the lower intake pipe is maladjusted by a few mm, none of the rest, including the airbox will go back in. The jubilee clip is inaccessible for the lower pipe now its all built back up. It's definitely going once I get a job sorted, I wish I'd kept the red Audi and sold this instead.

75 has no chance of going back on the road any time soon.

Must keep marching.

[comfortablynumb]

Keep going @Split_Pin, gets to us all sometimes.

Been in the same position myself, redundancy, and a job ' offer' where my face didn't fit, and never would.

I was actually relieved when it was over.

Hope things improve for you soon 👍

[EyesWeldedShut]

5 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

Keep going @Split_Pin, gets to us all sometimes.

Indeed - time for an XM or, maybe, a C6 to relieve the Teutonic-ness** on the driveway and inject some fun* into your life ?

** OK so the 75 is only part-German I'll admit

 

[Split_Pin]

11 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

time for an XM or, maybe, a C6 

Once I get a new job that's certainly not out of the question!

[EyesWeldedShut]

3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Once I get a new job that's certainly not out of the question!

[Split_Pin]

2 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Still have them from when I owned the Audi A8 last year!

[paulplom]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

I've still got a pair of yours in my garage 😂

Don't lose them!

[alcyonecorporation]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Still have them from when I owned the Audi A8 last year!

worn when removing the front bumper, no doubt 

[hairnet]

wearing reading glasses and driving 300 miles isnt the greatest

thinking id left them at home

went in bag for cable and i have brought them with me

verdict: helmet

[MikeR]

54 minutes ago, hairnet said:

wearing reading glasses and driving 300 miles isnt the greatest

thinking id left them at home

went in bag for cable and i have brought them with me

verdict: helmet

I know the pain , my main issue is forgetting a set when I take my camera out and I cant see the rear display properly ...a  walk out into the wilds as well .

Anyway I bought a load of those cheap reading glasses to leave at home , in the car , in the garage , in the caravan , in my overnight bag , in my coat ...etc 

even bought a set of pink round ones I know would not get pinched , I find 1.5 strengh works ok for my close up .......

[MikeR]

5 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Sorry chaps I need to vent, my 'keeping the lights on' facade will slip off otherwise.

Since being told I'm getting made redundant a few weeks ago the following has happened:

- My severance will give me about 7 months' wages which is good

- I'll be scored for a matched role. There are twice the number of people compared to the roles. My face never fits so I've zero chance, I wrote that off as soon as I knew anyway.

- I've applied for 11 jobs. Been knocked back for 5 so far, had one 1st stage interview but I'm clearly under qualified and I didn't fancy it anyway.

- Audi is falling to bits:

- Intake leak thankfully fixed

- Boot leaking

- Drivers window mechanism totally scrunkled up, window held up with wedges.

- Slow puncture (already bought 2 brand new rear tyres to cure same)

E46:

All back together but because the lower intake pipe is maladjusted by a few mm, none of the rest, including the airbox will go back in. The jubilee clip is inaccessible for the lower pipe now its all built back up. It's definitely going once I get a job sorted, I wish I'd kept the red Audi and sold this instead.

75 has no chance of going back on the road any time soon.

Must keep marching.

I hope your notice takes you into the new tax year before you get your wedge , otherwise the tax man will love you ,

your bank may also check up with you about the money and where it came from so it may be worth pre warning them incase they flag it up .

I got done late in the tax year and I had a large tax reduction on my wedge as a result ,

which I got back in dribs and drabs over the following year with a lower tax code .

good luck for the future 

[New POD]

12 hours ago, Markeh said:

Oh goodie. 'Team update' meeting put into my calendar for 9:30am at 4:55pm yesterday. Only just saw it as accidentally went onto work emails rather than personal ones.

Looks like it's to do with the replacement (or lack thereof) for someone who resigned last week... but having been through redundancy once and had a couple more scares since in my short 8 or so years of proper employment, it always brings an overwhelming sense of dread when invites like that show up.

My boss forwarded a meeting request this morning at 9am for a meeting at 12 noon with no agenda in a programme managers office but with "Teams" details.

My lunch is officially 12 til 12.40

I sent back a comment to both saying that as I was working from home today I'd connect via teams. I was the only one connected and waited 10 mins, before sending message saying "I'm assuming you are running late but I'll stay on line. 

At half past I got a message saying "the meeting is in my office. 

I went to find lunch instead. 

[Split_Pin]

54 minutes ago, MikeR said:

I hope your notice takes you into the new tax year before you get your wedge , otherwise the tax man will love you ,

your bank may also check up with you about the money and where it came from so it may be worth pre warning them incase they flag it up .

I got done late in the tax year and I had a large tax reduction on my wedge as a result ,

which I got back in dribs and drabs over the following year with a lower tax code .

good luck for the future 

Severance pay is not taxable under £30k, I'll be fine.

[LightBulbFun]

having a parcel flag up as damaged is bad enough at the best of times, but I am especially grumpy that this happened *after* I had paid for the VAT charges I got stung with (and the fact it took a good 5 days for their letter with the charge details to get here)

[wuvvum]

Another pathetic payrise this year - even worse than last year in fact.  Admittedly not entirely unexpected this time around given everything that's gone on with Rachel Reeves' massive black hole, but still not ideal given that everything else continues to go up, and the increases in minimum wage have meant that the multiplicator between min wage and my salary has been reducing at a rate of knots.

I've been there nearly 14 years now and to be fair it isn't bad as jobs go, but there have been a few things that have pissed me off recently apart from the money situation so I'm going to have to have a long hard think - I'm 45 now so if I'm going to make a career move I need to pull my finger out a bit.

[High Jetter]

4 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I need to pull my finger out

Careful, you don't want a flood 😀

[sheffcortinacentre]

Your just a drone, so need to be paid as little as they can get away with.

[hairnet]

20 hours ago, MikeR said:

I know the pain , my main issue is forgetting a set when I take my camera out and I cant see the rear display properly ...a  walk out into the wilds as well .

 

47 years of wearing one pair for everything

[hairnet]

smol country is smol

[Cavcraft]

On 12/02/2025 at 07:12, Split_Pin said:

Sorry chaps I need to vent, my 'keeping the lights on' facade will slip off otherwise.

Since being told I'm getting made redundant a few weeks ago the following has happened:

- My severance will give me about 7 months' wages which is good

- I'll be scored for a matched role. There are twice the number of people compared to the roles. My face never fits so I've zero chance, I wrote that off as soon as I knew anyway.

- I've applied for 11 jobs. Been knocked back for 5 so far, had one 1st stage interview but I'm clearly under qualified and I didn't fancy it anyway.

- Audi is falling to bits:

- Intake leak thankfully fixed

- Boot leaking

- Drivers window mechanism totally scrunkled up, window held up with wedges.

- Slow puncture (already bought 2 brand new rear tyres to cure same)

E46:

All back together but because the lower intake pipe is maladjusted by a few mm, none of the rest, including the airbox will go back in. The jubilee clip is inaccessible for the lower pipe now its all built back up. It's definitely going once I get a job sorted, I wish I'd kept the red Audi and sold this instead.

75 has no chance of going back on the road any time soon.

Must keep marching.

So sorry to hear this.  Easy to say, but keep being positive as it gives off good vibes when you do get an interview. Something will turn up and all being well it'll turn out to have done you a favour finding it.

[maxxo]

Fuck

M1 smart motorway around Sheffield area

50 popped up on the gantry above me

FLASH

so that’s another ticket

[cort1977]

22 minutes ago, maxxo said:

 

so that’s another ticket

Maybe, wait and see, in my experience not all flashes lead to a ticket.

That sounds wrong now I've typed it out...

[juular]

Did think there was usually a one gantry leeway for smart motorways especially just after a change of limit.

[alcyonecorporation]

On 11/02/2025 at 20:53, beko1987 said:

Oh no, in a skoda youd get it confusing the 30mph little road running next to/crossing over the a47 with the nsl road your on. It'll then brake itself VERY FUCKING HARD down to hit that speed that it now thinks it should be doing 😂 

It's why I cover the pedals alot now in it. To recover from the above once I noticed as we scrubbed off speed I hit the throttle but too hard, thrusting it into 'here we fucking go' mode and off we fucked going faster than we were before and jerky with it 😡

As you finish fucking about and settle back down you have to be in manual mode anyway as the car still thinks it's in a fucking 30 as its not seen a new sign to update it since so it tells you off for exceeding the speed limit by a shocking 40mph*. I had it do that for 15 mines before as a lorry bloody hid the only repeater on the a14 for bloody ages. 

It's got another spot on the a16 just past crowland where you exit the 60mph averages and it thinks it's 70 so launches you up.10mph in a fraction of a second, before braking heavily by itself for the roundabout 3/4 a mile ahead! It's fun now I expect it... 😂

Many, many, many years ago, I had a similar incident with my 306. 

If the pads/shoes are low they (and ZXs, I believe) stick the handbrake light on permanently, even when the handbrake is off. 

One of my smart arse housemates, sitting in the back, decided to yank the handbrake up 'because it won't do anything if you say there's a fault and I don't believe you.' 

She decided to do this as we were rounding a bend and a bus was coming in the opposite direction. 

Yeah, cheers for that. Massive accident narrowly avoided. 

I didn't allow her in the car again. 

[alcyonecorporation]

On 08/02/2025 at 18:10, Billy - Medhurst said:

Bet they earn more than I do and cant even as a writer / proof reader cant get the model right.

I wasn't involved with this, but it's a howler. A big one. 

It's inexcusable, but I can give some context as to why this might have happened if you like.

Will anyone listen, or will I get shouted down? 

Also, this urban myth that car mag editors and writers are paid more than surgeons NEEDS TO FUCKING DIE. Lavish salaries and press junkets died  20 years ago, and the industry hasn't had a payscale review since then. EMAP pissed most of the goodwill and money straight up the wall, or their noses. Most beloved names are, were - and remain -  independently wealthy freelancers,  even the seminal LJKS. 

The average wage for a staff writer and section editor is pitiful. When I started at Kelsey in 2014, I was on £14k a year. 

[Zelandeth]

On 11/02/2025 at 23:34, alcyonecorporation said:

The very same. It wanted revenge. 

Worst one we had for it was a Q5 (which was an all round utter turd of a vehicle anyway).  Nothing like having it just randomly slam on the anchors in full emergency stop mode out of nowhere when you're cruising on the motorway.  How the car behind us didn't end up parked in the boot I've no idea.

It did this several times in the ~6 months we had it.  Though pretty much all of the ones with Pre-sense as Audi call it or equivalent have done at least *something* outrageously dangerous at some point.

The lane departure warning system in the current Multivan it absolutely hopelessly incapable of dealing with seams running along the road surface - makes contraflows through roadworks on the motorway even *more* fun!  The speed limit detection is absolutely awful as well, quite often picking up numbers from things other than speed limit signs.  You'd think there would be some logic in there so that it would do a sanity check before deciding that the 100kph limit sticker on the back of a touring coach from the continent was a 100mph speed limit sign and adjusting the adaptive cruise accordingly.  Apparently not - this is the third vehicle with this feature we've had, and they've all done it.  This one seems to be the worst for it so far though.

I'm also pretty sure in performance terms that the 1.9SDI Caddy I had could give it a run for its money.  It is hilariously sluggish unless the battery is charged...which it never is as the company car scheme refuse to provide the means to do so and instead want you to use the charge point at the office.  One of the three they have.  In a building of 1500 employees, who probably 60% of which have company cars, and who are being pushed (hard) to take EVs or plug in hybrids like this.  Yeah, that's been well planned hasn't it.