The grumpy thread

[outlaw118]

Last Saturday SWMBO was unwell. She'd been getting worse all week, but we (I) decided to call 111 on Saturday morning. An ambulance came crewed by two not unattractive young ladies (bonus for me) and checked her out, prodded and poked, decided that, at this point, there was no need to go to hospital. Long story short, after a visit to the out of hours GP, and 2 doses of whatever on the nebuliser, there was no improvement, and was told that, yes, A & E beckons. Predicted a 3 hours wait for an ambulance, but obviously I took her; was advised that she wouldn't have been seen any faster even if she was delivered by a noisy ice-cream van.

So that's the first grump - 3 feckin' hours!

Then, waiting. The department wasn't busy to the untrained eye; we arrived about 16.00, got triaged pretty much straightaway. 3 more hours in the waiting room. 

£2.85 for a 500ml bottle of Diet Coke. Fuck me. 

Saw the first A & E matey at 19:15, put her on another nebuliser. Then another. I got sent out about halfway through the 2nd one, as there were "space issues" - despite Madam needing assistance with walking, as we didn't bring her walker. Fine for another family of 4 of our Asian friends* to take up seats though, along with a bunch of Irish caravan enthusiasts, who had been celebrating something, and it all kicked off, and one of them had been hit with something, and stank of piss, sweat and booze. Lovely. 

More waiting about ensued, Stepdaughter_Outlaw turned up at 22:00 and took over, I nipped home for some shut-eye and returned at 4am Sunday morning.

NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. Still in A&E. Promises of seeing a respiratory doctor at 8.00, and then, hopefully, discharged. We were assured that she was on the list.

Was she bollocks - if she was he ignored her.

13:00 got moved to a ward, despite being told she'd see the doctor and be going home. Given another nebuliser, then a lovely^ cottage pie. Doctor on next shift will see her at 17.00.

No he didn't.

Try 20.00.

I appreciated busy, I get it. But why set timescales, and not stick to them. The NHS  - particularly Basildon Hospital appears to be a disorganised mess. She didn't need to be transferred to a ward, they only moved her to get her out of A & E (confirmed off the record with a member of staff). So, she was blocking a bed, that someone who actually needed it could have had.

And then, to add insult to injury, they've got a new way of organising the parking - blue badge holders have to register with a company called Nexus (IIRC) which I did. However, due to utter cunts without badges taking up the allocated spaces when I came back from Maccy's I had to park in the main car park. Considering they run that too, and my numberplate and her blue badge are registered, you'd think it'd be free wouldn't you? Nope. £10 to get out of the car park, which I've emailed them about, but all I've had is a holding email. Can't see me getting that back then.

 

[goosey]

Idiot brother in law has 2 Labradors he can’t handle already so he’s decided to treat himself to a red Labrador puppy the fuckin moron 

[grizz]

Saw this…….

[Metal Guru]

13 hours ago, goosey said:

Idiot brother in law has 2 Labradors he can’t handle already so he’s decided to treat himself to a red Labrador puppy the fuckin moron 

Same with kids. The worse people are with them, the more they have.

[artdjones]

I knew large families back in the sixties who were perfectly ok, when they were common enough, but several I've been closely acquainted with since have had high levels of dysfunction/stupidity/outright sexual and physical abuse.

[Tenmil Socket]

I bought 4 slices of turkey at the Deli counter in Morrisons yesterday, £4.20!

[Metal Guru]

It’s windy. Nothing can move , most of the news is dedicated  to it. FFS! You would think it’s Armageddon.

[horriblemercedes]

Esure/Sheila's Wheels messed up my car insurance. I had a policy with each (they are the same company).

 

I logged on to Sheila's Wheels to cancel my policy over live chat, only they cancelled the esure one by mistake. I've been back on live chat for ages trying to make them see the mistake and eventually they admitted it, but said they couldn't reinstate a cancelled policy. Apparently it's just not possible.

 

They have agreed to refund fees in the end to leave me slightly better off (by about £3 or something), but it was a lot of hassle for a mistake that shouldn't have happened. When I logged into Sheila's Wheels website, it didn't occur to me they might just decide that the esure policy was the one to administer. I've got the transcript. At no time was I asked to confirm the policy number or anything like that. It's just "your policy".

As that's the only policy I had with Sheila's Wheels and it's the only one shown when I log in there, am I stupid for assuming we were talking about that policy?

[artdjones]

2 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

Esure/Sheila's Wheels messed up my car insurance. I had a policy with each (they are the same company).

 

I logged on to Sheila's Wheels to cancel my policy over live chat, only they cancelled the esure one by mistake. I've been back on live chat for ages trying to make them see the mistake and eventually they admitted it, but said they couldn't reinstate a cancelled policy. Apparently it's just not possible.

 

They have agreed to refund fees in the end to leave me slightly better off (by about £3 or something), but it was a lot of hassle for a mistake that shouldn't have happened. When I logged into Sheila's Wheels website, it didn't occur to me they might just decide that the esure policy was the one to administer. I've got the transcript. At no time was I asked to confirm the policy number or anything like that. It's just "your policy".

As that's the only policy I had with Sheila's Wheels and it's the only one shown when I log in there, am I stupid for assuming we were talking about that policy?

You aren't stupid, but it's always as well to assume that some random person you are talking to on the phone is.

[New POD]

6 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I bought 4 slices of turkey at the Deli counter in Morrisons yesterday, £4.20!

You could buy a turkey leg for about 3.50 and cook it and let it go cold. 

[New POD]

On 03/08/2025 at 15:37, outlaw118 said:

Last Saturday SWMBO was unwell. She'd been getting worse all week, but we (I) decided to call 111 on Saturday morning. An ambulance came crewed by two not unattractive young ladies (bonus for me) and checked her out, prodded and poked, decided that, at this point, there was no need to go to hospital. Long story short, after a visit to the out of hours GP, and 2 doses of whatever on the nebuliser, there was no improvement, and was told that, yes, A & E beckons. Predicted a 3 hours wait for an ambulance, but obviously I took her; was advised that she wouldn't have been seen any faster even if she was delivered by a noisy ice-cream van.

So that's the first grump - 3 feckin' hours!

Then, waiting. The department wasn't busy to the untrained eye; we arrived about 16.00, got triaged pretty much straightaway. 3 more hours in the waiting room. 

£2.85 for a 500ml bottle of Diet Coke. Fuck me. 

Saw the first A & E matey at 19:15, put her on another nebuliser. Then another. I got sent out about halfway through the 2nd one, as there were "space issues" - despite Madam needing assistance with walking, as we didn't bring her walker. Fine for another family of 4 of our Asian friends* to take up seats though, along with a bunch of Irish caravan enthusiasts, who had been celebrating something, and it all kicked off, and one of them had been hit with something, and stank of piss, sweat and booze. Lovely. 

More waiting about ensued, Stepdaughter_Outlaw turned up at 22:00 and took over, I nipped home for some shut-eye and returned at 4am Sunday morning.

NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. Still in A&E. Promises of seeing a respiratory doctor at 8.00, and then, hopefully, discharged. We were assured that she was on the list.

Was she bollocks - if she was he ignored her.

13:00 got moved to a ward, despite being told she'd see the doctor and be going home. Given another nebuliser, then a lovely^ cottage pie. Doctor on next shift will see her at 17.00.

No he didn't.

Try 20.00.

I appreciated busy, I get it. But why set timescales, and not stick to them. The NHS  - particularly Basildon Hospital appears to be a disorganised mess. She didn't need to be transferred to a ward, they only moved her to get her out of A & E (confirmed off the record with a member of staff). So, she was blocking a bed, that someone who actually needed it could have had.

And then, to add insult to injury, they've got a new way of organising the parking - blue badge holders have to register with a company called Nexus (IIRC) which I did. However, due to utter cunts without badges taking up the allocated spaces when I came back from Maccy's I had to park in the main car park. Considering they run that too, and my numberplate and her blue badge are registered, you'd think it'd be free wouldn't you? Nope. £10 to get out of the car park, which I've emailed them about, but all I've had is a holding email. Can't see me getting that back then.

 

My wife was Blue Lighted to A&E in Southport 4 weeks ago.  Spent 12 days there.  Lost nearly a stone in weight. The staff were generally rude, lazy and stupid. Not all but most.  Its not just Bazildon. 

[Tenmil Socket]

40 minutes ago, New POD said:

You could buy a turkey leg for about 3.50 and cook it and let it go cold. 

The Mrs wanted sliced turkey. 

[New POD]

4 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

The Mrs wanted sliced turkey. 

Do you own a knife? 

[Floatylight]

Firmly in the realms of HFM!!!!

[Tenmil Socket]

7 minutes ago, New POD said:

Do you own a knife? 

I’m only allowed a spoon…

[sheffcortinacentre]

1 hour ago, Floatylight said:

Firmly in the realms of HFM!!!!

If you've got correct ends cost a fraction of that at a good hydraulics place to have it made up.

[sheffcortinacentre]

1 hour ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I’m only allowed a spoon…

You are rupric  & icmfps

[Floatylight]

15 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

If you've got correct ends cost a fraction of that at a good hydraulics place to have it made up.

I've ordered one from ebay which looks right so fingers crossed.

[EyesWeldedShut]

Just in the door - new handbrake shoes/back plate/discs/pads going swimmingly until: balls.
Hub stuck.
Hub puller called in: double balls.
Inner race stuck on stub axle. Caged bearings no longer caged. Strong language similarly uncaged.

The race is off with just a steel wedge tapped into the gap at the back. Grease inside the hub is a bit creamy so it looks like the seal has started going  at some point. Stub axle itself is all nice and shiny. That old race is just tight enough on the stub to ensure that the bearing goes 'ping' when you pull it (the other side, of course, was as loose as a Cardiff virgin).
Complete new hub unit with bearings on way - Wednesday now  

Total tits of an 'effing "quick" job (and there's no beer in the house)

 

[High Jetter]

15 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

(and there's no beer in the house)

Shoddy quartermastering. You're on parade 

[GeordieInExile]

Twat. 

What do we think? Head gasket or something less serious? 

Might bang a bottle of K seal through to be safe, although looking at the coolant I think someone already has. 

[GeordieInExile]

(No mayo in the oil and no visible coolant leak underneath the car... although obviously that doesn't mean something terrible hasn't happened. Let's hope the K seal works...)

[Zelandeth]

That coolant around the strut top looks quite oily to me...

[alcyonecorporation]

I have decided that I can't be bothered trying to get the Subaru into car shows any more. 

Nowhere round here will take it. The final straw was an event about 20 miles from here, when I was angrily directed into standard parking while a fucked 2004 MG ZR was enthusiastically waved on to the field with big, beaming smiles. I decided to go for a nice drive instead. 

The Subaru is 32 years old.

There are fewer than 30 left on the road; grey import Alcyones now outnumber UK SVXs.

It's hard to take an old car to an old car show when no-one will let you in.
I don't get a lot of time to drive it nowadays, and won't be wasting any more of the chances I get by attending car shows. 

It can get into Radwood, and Rustival will probably have it. It isn't ever being shown at FOTU, because it isn't unexceptional, no matter what a few gobshite car spotters think. 

[GeordieInExile]

23 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

That coolant around the strut top looks quite oily to me...

It's been manky like that since I got the car... a mechanic actually told me to leave it be lest draining and refilling should cause problems!

[Wibble]

24 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

I have decided that I can't be bothered trying to get the Subaru into car shows any more. 

Nowhere round here will take it. The final straw was an event about 20 miles from here, when I was angrily directed into standard parking while a fucked 2004 MG ZR was enthusiastically waved on to the field with big, beaming smiles. I decided to go for a nice drive instead. 

The Subaru is 32 years old and there are fewer than 30 left on the road; grey import Alcyones now outnumber UK SVXs.

Hard to take an old car to an old car show when no-one will let you in.
I don't get a lot of time to drive it nowadays and I won't be wasting any more of the chances I do get to drive it by attending car shows. 

It can get into Radwood, and Rustival will probably have it. It isn't ever being shown at FOTU, because it isn't unexceptional, no matter what a few gobshite car spotters think. 

That is absolutely mad and I don’t blame you for giving it a swerve. I can’t imagine you’d experience such ignorance at Rustival.

[sheffcortinacentre]

1 hour ago, Wibble said:

That is absolutely mad and I don’t blame you for giving it a swerve. I can’t imagine you’d experience such ignorance at Rustival.

Ah but MG/jags etc are thorough breds,, same as modern supercars are welcomed.

I've about given up on car shows as there just a pissing contests for who's spent the most money & can brag the most about their life.

When was the last time you saw a cherished daily, or ongoing project belonging to a real enthusiast who's not bothered what it's worth or wether he's got genuine factory air in the tyres or matching reclining rear as trays.

Next time you attend somewhere, answer the wannabe  mike the Muppet brewers with no you don't want to sell it & don't know/care what it's worth  & chuckle at the totally bewildered reaction.

[Wibble]

3 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Ah but MG/jags etc are thorough breds,, same as modern supercars are welcomed.

I've about given up on car shows as there just a pissing contests for who's spent the most money & can brag the most about their life.

When was the last time you saw a cherished daily, or ongoing project belonging to a real enthusiast who's not bothered what it's worth or wether he's got genuine factory air in the tyres or matching reclining rear as trays.

Next time you attend somewhere, answer the wannabe  mike the Muppet brewers with no you don't want to sell it & don't know/care what it's worth  & chuckle at the totally bewildered reaction.

The last time I had my Cortina on show, was the last time it will be showed. Having to be on site before a certain time and being told I can’t move it until 4.30pm was the last straw. I don’t want to be held hostage all day, just thought folks would enjoy seeing it, as they generally do when I take it to the supermarket. Actually, I probably get more interest there. I do believe Rustival to be different but it’s too far for me to be on site for 9.30am. I had intended to take the Senator but might just take the Skoda now and park up with the general visitors.

[barefoot]

I take the Scirocco to the local bash. It's great, no one ever speaks to me. 

[reb]

I'm hungover as shit, I haven't slept, and I can't go to sleep because I have an appointment to go to.

I'm really good at making good life choices.