The grumpy thread

[Popsicle]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Here once you get in they just bark orders at you and challenge everything.  Apparently I can only dispose of a maximum of 5 litres of waste engine oil once every six months, and should have stripped the broken chair I dropped off last time to its bare component parts rather than just put it in the clearly labelled furniture bin...

The oil thing in particular is just ridiculous.  Out of three cars I have oil to dispose of from, two of those take (significantly) more than five litres!  Rover is damned near double that on its own.

Of course it's not council run, it's subcontracted to the lowest bidder (Serco in this case).

We have the 5 litres of oil per visit rule at Derby's tip. Fortunately for me the oil recycling drum is on the way out of the tip, so away from staff, if I park the van in front of the drum and unload from the side door, nobody can see me emptying a 20l Mannol drum.

[IronStar]

What do they expect you to do if you have more, 1963 Popular Science trick?

[Pieman]

How about just burn the lot in the garden?  I would love to, but then again I am a bit of a pyromaniac.

[Unlucky Alf]

I’ve been thinking of using my old engine oil for creosote covering the sheds, Anyone doing that?

 

[Metal Guru]

7 minutes ago, Unlucky Alf said:

I’ve been thinking of using my old engine oil for creosote covering the sheds, Anyone doing that?

 

Everyone used to do that years ago. Doesn’t it stay sticky for ages though? And can you still get creosote? I thought it had been banned due to being a cancer cocktail.

[High Jetter]

5 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Manning your centres with actual human beings would be a good start so when your ANPR system at the gate is on the blink they'll actually check the booking rather than just refusing to let you in.

The whole point of bookings and ANPR is to save the wage cost of manning the gates, I suspect. They're threatening to bring bookings in down here too. I have no beef with our centre, the guy who is usually on the control access point is a diamond, very helpful - though he won't stand for folks trying stuff on.

[Zelandeth]

3 hours ago, Popsicle said:

We have the 5 litres of oil per visit rule at Derby's tip. Fortunately for me the oil recycling drum is on the way out of the tip, so away from staff, if I park the van in front of the drum and unload from the side door, nobody can see me emptying a 20l Mannol drum.

5 litres per visit I could make work, though it would be annoying.  5 litres max per six months though is just daft!

Granted this is the same mob who kicked up a huge stink when I arrived once with a tiny amount of quadruple bagged, very clearly labelled (suspected to be) asbestos and had specifically checked everything was in order beforehand...before eventually taking it from me and lobbing it straight into the general household waste skip. 

They also have an ANPR system which doesn't work for any of their own wagons so have to have someone on the gate full time anyway. 

Also to turn away all the folks who have fallen foul of the system not forcing reg numbers to be input in caps, and the system being case sensitive.  Yes that caught me out once before.  I was absolutely incandescent at the stupidity of it at the time.  Not least because I had an absolutely crammed full Merc S123 of stuff to get shot of - and needed to use the car in an hour's time so had to decant it all again back at home only to put it back in again the next day.

Edit: it might actually have been the Renault 25 now I think about it, can't remember for sure.  It was one of the cars I've had which you could cram an unreasonable amount of stuff into the back of either way.

Forgot that they flat out refused to let me in without a business permit in either the wheelchair adapted Caddy or non-van Pug Partner because they were "commercial vehicles."

[Popsicle]

12 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

5 litres per visit I could make work, though it would be annoying.  5 litres max per six months though is just daft!

Granted this is the same mob who kicked up a huge stink when I arrived once with a tiny amount of quadruple bagged, very clearly labelled (suspected to be) asbestos and had specifically checked everything was in order beforehand...before eventually taking it from me and lobbing it straight into the general household waste skip. 

They also have an ANPR system which doesn't work for any of their own wagons so have to have someone on the gate full time anyway. 

Also to turn away all the folks who have fallen foul of the system not forcing reg numbers to be input in caps, and the system being case sensitive.  Yes that caught me out once before.  I was absolutely incandescent at the stupidity of it at the time.  Not least because I had an absolutely crammed full Merc S123 of stuff to get shot of - and needed to use the car in an hour's time so had to decant it all again back at home only to put it back in again the next day.

Edit: it might actually have been the Renault 25 now I think about it, can't remember for sure.  It was one of the cars I've had which you could cram an unreasonable amount of stuff into the back of either way.

Forgot that they flat out refused to let me in without a business permit in either the wheelchair adapted Caddy or non-van Pug Partner because they were "commercial vehicles."

Sounds a shit tip to me.

Ours is booking in advance only, except Sundays when it's a free for all, but normally long queues. 12 permits per household over a rolling 12 month period, no restrictions on vans up to 3.5t if booked in advance. 15 minute slots are booked and they have your reg number on the system so are expecting you.

They do normally have a quick shufty in the back of the van, but don't seem overly bothered about what's in it, they just direct you to the suitable area for your different types of waste.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Cold, miserable and grumpy.

[comfortablynumb]

The kings Lynn dump has a rule of a maximum of 4 tyres, once a month, at a cost of £30!

I've just found a local company, Envirotyre, who've told me that I can take as many as I want in, with or without rims, for £1.40+vat , just ring them when I'm on my way!

Since I've got 30+ kicking around here, including some knobbly off-road stuff, looks like they'll be getting my business 

Oh, and KL have done away with their oil receiver entirely..🙄

[comfortablynumb]

Just now, Dyslexic Viking said:

Cold, miserable and grumpy.

Is it because you haven't seen the mask?

Ok, ok, I'm leaving..

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

I wish once the UK has taken our snow, you would take the cold too.

[captain_70s]

14 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Cold, miserable and grumpy.

Only -1C outside here, but I'm jealous you can get your house that warm!

[Dyslexic Viking]

5 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

Only -1C outside here, but I'm jealous you can get your house that warm!

The heat is thanks to a wood stove and considering that this house is a over 100 years old log house, with probably no insulation in the walls in that part of the house, yours must really be bad?

[captain_70s]

1980s built, brick. Bad 40 year old double glazing and a boiler that is probably underspecced for the size of house.

No wood burner though, which would make the place significantly toastier!

I'm also a cheap fucker and won't run the heating all day...

[Dyslexic Viking]

The UK's way of heating houses seems unnecessarily complicated and expensive. In this house there are electric heaters where most are only set to about 15 degrees and the rest of the heat is provided by wood stoves, much due to having of almost free wood. Electricity and heat pumps are the most common here. Wood as the main heating source was more common before, but now for most people it is just extra heating and for emergency purposes.

[sheffcortinacentre]

9 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Milton Keynes Council - please for the love of dog, sort out your fucking recycling system please...

It's absolutely no wonder we have a horrific flu tipping problem - because it's so fucking impossible to get rid of crap any other way!

Manning your centres with actual human beings would be a good start so when your ANPR system at the gate is on the blink they'll actually check the booking rather than just refusing to let you in.

If you're going to insist on automated barriers, providing a means for folks who can't get in to turn around would be appreciated.  Having to do a 72 point turn in front of a queue of 15 other cars isn't embarrassing at all.

Welcome to the modern world were we only recycle if there's a profit in it.ours are privately run, have all the " do the work for us" only take anything profitable rules so there's excessive fly tipping.

Everything goes in the bin, I've not been to tip in circa 20 years on principle ,my mate likewise he says he doesn't work for free.

As for bin wagon mixing recycled waste they all do it when there's an excess/backlog or any other problem .

Recycling is just another modern life con to save money & get free labour that snowflakes lap up.

[cort1977]

Christ, didn't realise our tips in Aberdeenshire were so good. Bookings and ANPR were brought in with covid but thankfully got rid of years ago. 

Unlimited oil, no permits, no issues with my van and they once turned a blind eye when I nicked an unused loft ladder out of the skip.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Ours you can't take (recycle) anything if your lucky you'd get barred, god knows alternative.

No commercials or trailers ( yes even with one bin bag) unless pre-booked ( my falcon ute) full stop as system doesn't compute. It's a complete farce unless your mr2.4 with a couple of carriers with extremely well sorted valuable items.

[High Jetter]

Yep, they're really helping recycling...

[sheffcortinacentre]

Even employees are vetted re social media,eBay,car boot selling  god forbid they take & sell something from there.

[Lord Sterling]

11 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Why the fsck we still need a booking system I've no bloody idea.  It's an answer to a question nobody asked.

Same issue in Birmingham. Earlier this year, Ma_Sterling had booked us a slot at the recycling centre, the nearest one in King's Norton had no places available, but the next next one which did have places was Tyseley around 8 miles away, and it was bloody busy when we got there.

Thankfully, the recycling places where I live have no such system, just drive in, dump your rubbish into the containers provided and off you go, plus there are two, Kidderminster and Stourport. It's also simpler to get to than Tyseley. The mad thing is, I have to pass by a Bromsgrove council-run recycling place on the way there. I did once get lucky there and had a bloke who basically asked me if I lived in Worcestershire, which I do but didn't ask for proof of address and I managed to unload the rubbish there instead.

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, cort1977 said:

Christ, didn't realise our tips in Aberdeenshire were so good. Bookings and ANPR were brought in with covid but thankfully got rid of years ago. 

Unlimited oil, no permits, no issues with my van and they once turned a blind eye when I nicked an unused loft ladder out of the skip.

I’ll have to stop moaning that my local one is closed Mondays and Fridays and lunch times. No limits, drive up a ramp so no lugging rubbish up steps, generally helpful staff.

[Mrcento]

2 hours ago, cort1977 said:

Christ, didn't realise our tips in Aberdeenshire were so good. Bookings and ANPR were brought in with covid but thankfully got rid of years ago. 

Unlimited oil, no permits, no issues with my van and they once turned a blind eye when I nicked an unused loft ladder out of the skip.

Similar to Dundee, to be fair.

The general rule here is 'just don't take the piss'.

If you go in with a car, there'll generally be no questions asked. No official limits on oil etc, no permits needed, they'll just direct you to the disposal points. No need to book etc. Admittedly, actually getting the place open can be a challenge.

Vans, you'll generally be weighed in, and weighed out. That's about it (no doubt they do have ANPR to make sure you're not taking the piss/returning later to dump another 200kgs etc).

[paulplom]

The tips around here are great. Nice friendly staff and no visit limits. Also if you wear a skirt they even help you unload your car.

In other news. Fuck. I've been having problems with cold starts in the mornings with the van just catching. Charged the battery overnight and it made no difference. Mot time in May iirc. the mechanic mentioned the starter was getting a bit lazy. It's booked in today for a new starter and typically it's fucking freezing. Anyway IPLAC so I can jump start it if needs be. 

[Remspoor]

18 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Why the fsck we still need a booking system I've no bloody idea.  It's an answer to a question nobody asked.

If not you get the peasants queuing up causing traffic jams. 

[Remspoor]

13 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

I’ve been thinking of using my old engine oil for creosote covering the sheds, Anyone doing that?

 

I did that in the UK with my garden fencing. Now here in Spain I have a wooden railing along the road. I do not have so much engine oil these days as the modern is serviced by the garage. I now use old cooking oil. 

[myglaren]

1 hour ago, Remspoor said:

If not you get the peasants queuing up causing traffic jams. 

Before we had the booking system there could be a half mile queue of cars waiting, now down to about a dozen.  You can turn up half an hour before the scheduled time and there is no restriction on the time you take to unload.

[Tenmil Socket]

I commute each day on the motorway. In a morning, the exit I use can be pretty backed up down the slip road. The last couple of weeks I've been gob smacked at the amount of empty beer cans that have been thrown out of peoples cars... lots of empty beer cans on the right hand side and none on the left. I even spotted a green Co-Op bag with 4 empty Carlsberg Export cans in it!

[Lord Sterling]

Oh dear. The Jag XJ has failed it's MoT, quite spectacularly. A lot of the failure is down again, to underside corrosion. 

The last time this happened was to the Micra which was subsequently sold for scrap. I'm now at a crossroads on what to do.

Any good welders out there?