The grumpy thread

[eddyramrod]

13 hours ago, New POD said:

That's my current retirement planning issue.  How long do you plan to live for? 

I'm on borrowed time anyway, for nearly eight years now.  Fuck it, I'm going to enjoy myself whenever possible, and be grateful every time I wake up.

[Datsuncog]

53 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Possibly damage packaging and then stored somewhere damp?

Original Duracell packaging looked undamaged, and these weren't stored at any point - they went straight from the shop into the remotes less than three months ago. The remotes are used daily.

There's no damp anywhere in the house; after replacing the roof last year and having taken all the internal walls back to the framing to add insulation, I'm quite certain of that.

Just must be a manufacturing fail, which is a bit annoying for a manufacturer that styles itself as 'the #1 trusted battery brand'.

 

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

'Kodak*' or 'Panasonic*' batteries in packs of ten from Poundland have been my choice for well over a decade.

Normally that was my go-to - or else Hyundai branded ones from Poundstretcher - but I couldn't find any alkaline ones stocked by Poundland in December, so thought I'd treat myself with some premium ones instead, as Tesco had them on a Clubcard offer.

Never again, lesson learned!

[New POD]

2 hours ago, chadders said:

If you're that worried sell most or all of your assets and buy a Lifetime Annuity.

Me, I'm not Mystic Meg so have no idea when I'm going to die.

I think the retirement planning books  suggest using "some" of your pension pot to do exactly that. 

 

[New POD]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

I'm on borrowed time anyway, for nearly eight years now.  Fuck it, I'm going to enjoy myself whenever possible, and be grateful every time I wake up.

Indeed.

Wake up. Check elbows for splinters. Open eyes and thank a higher being for letting you experience another morning again. 

[Zelandeth]

Duracell have always had a poor record for leakage in my experience.

[vulgalour]

Things continue to be frustrating here.  Got my PIP claim in the process of applying for the tribunal and the deadline for the DWP to respond to that was the 28th of Feb.  2nd March I still hadn't heard anything so called the number (50 minute wait time, thank goodness for the callback option) to learn that the DWP had done diddly squat.  That gets escalated to the tribunal judge now, and a complaint lodged on the grounds of the DWP causing financial hardship and the worsening of my health.  Now can't do anything at all with that until the DWP respond, heck knows what happens if they don't, but I'm still looking at 5 months until I get an appeal.  Request for an Urgent Appeal Review (or similar wording) also lodged, but again that won't move ahead until the DWP respond to it.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get a Fit Note from my GP.  Finally had my phone appointment to discuss that today only to learn than my patient record hasn't been updated with the diagnosis I recieved from the neurologist last year.

I really have no words for the level of incompetence on display with this whole process at this point.  It's like I don't exist. If (and it's feeling like a pretty big if at this point) I am successful with this claim it's going to be a hefty pay out which will be nice because my debts are stacking up and I am too ill to work hard enough to clear them and have no government assistance whatsoever.  Financially I'm relying on the trickle of income from Patreon, the help of my partner's family, and the kindness of friends.

I am beyond done with this whole miserable experience.  If one more person tells me to 'keep my chin up' or similar I may commit crimes.

[robt100]

2 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Things continue to be frustrating here.  Got my PIP claim in the process of applying for the tribunal and the deadline for the DWP to respond to that was the 28th of Feb.  2nd March I still hadn't heard anything so called the number (50 minute wait time, thank goodness for the callback option) to learn that the DWP had done diddly squat.  That gets escalated to the tribunal judge now, and a complaint lodged on the grounds of the DWP causing financial hardship and the worsening of my health.  Now can't do anything at all with that until the DWP respond, heck knows what happens if they don't, but I'm still looking at 5 months until I get an appeal.  Request for an Urgent Appeal Review (or similar wording) also lodged, but again that won't move ahead until the DWP respond to it.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get a Fit Note from my GP.  Finally had my phone appointment to discuss that today only to learn than my patient record hasn't been updated with the diagnosis I recieved from the neurologist last year.

I really have no words for the level of incompetence on display with this whole process at this point.  It's like I don't exist. If (and it's feeling like a pretty big if at this point) I am successful with this claim it's going to be a hefty pay out which will be nice because my debts are stacking up and I am too ill to work hard enough to clear them and have no government assistance whatsoever.  Financially I'm relying on the trickle of income from Patreon, the help of my partner's family, and the kindness of friends.

I am beyond done with this whole miserable experience.  If one more person tells me to 'keep my chin up' or similar I may commit crimes.

With Mrs Robt100 in the early stages of a PIP claim, and seeing how stressful that has been I can only imagine how it feels, sorry to hear you're still going through it!
MrsRobt100 has just been informed she has a phone interview on Thursday next week. She also called DWP on monday to find out why she hasn't heard anything, only to be told "they cant hurry anything up" and "they dont know why its taken this long to get to this point", and also to tell her that the claim starts from late November, when she rang to find out why they hadn't responded to her letter application, rather than from the date the letter was recieved in early october because apparently "you cant apply by letter"....might want to read and correct your own website then(!). Plus many other false promises of deadlines and so forth. 

[myglaren]

2 minutes ago, robt100 said:

With Mrs Robt100 in the early stages of a PIP claim, and seeing how stressful that has been I can only imagine how it feels, sorry to hear you're still going through it!
MrsRobt100 has just been informed she has a phone interview on Thursday next week. She also called DWP on monday to find out why she hasn't heard anything, only to be told "they cant hurry anything up" and "they dont know why its taken this long to get to this point", and also to tell her that the claim starts from late November, when she rang to find out why they hadn't responded to her letter application, rather than from the date the letter was recieved in early october because apparently "you cant apply by letter"....might want to read and correct your own website then(!). Plus many other false promises of deadlines and so forth. 

Seems to be par for the course.  My eldest daughter is having a similar experience with them, complicated by the local council, the DVLA and her doctor's being involved and all acting similarly.

Fingers crossed for a resolution.

[Wibble]

I feel for you all. Mrs W is hitting a brick wall too. Not for PIP but for vacination  compensation . She has chronic ITP, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, all of which the consultants have said is from having the AstraZeneca vaccine. She was fine before and it’s been over 2 years now and they still say their agent hasn’t received her medical records from the GP, despite them saying they’ve sent them. Good luck to you all.

[High Jetter]

7 minutes ago, Wibble said:

I feel for you all. Mrs W is hitting a brick wall too. Not for PIP but for vacillation  compensation . She has chronic ITP, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, all of which the consultants have said is from having the AstraZeneca vaccine. She was fine before and it’s been over 2 years now and they still say their agent hasn’t received her medical records from the GP, despite them saying they’ve sent them. Good luck to you all.

2 years? I'd have been beating doors down before now.

[Wibble]

2 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

2 years? I'd have been beating doors down before now.

The doors are locked and nobody’s there. You get no response at all.

[sheffcortinacentre]

It's all utter chaos, more so since it's all now done by DWP who have no idea how to deal with this type of stuff/people,

I know someone (60, has autism , sciatica, Carpal tunnel Inc a failed op 18 months ago that's now trapping nerves in left shoulder (awaiting  2nd op) turned down twice for pip ( to fit)is single )& who's been on "the sick " 30 years ( due to all the different names it's had)  over the last 9 months he's getting reg phone interviews re when is he going back to work, constantly told different things by whoever phones, they flatly refuse to talk with GP,  you can't be on sick as it doesn't exist anymore, but he's not unemployed so doesn't sign on ( so doesn't appear  in stats)yet was told has got to go for a medical like when your on sick ( in autumn but could be Christmas due to backlog, Inc another veiled threats that if they decide he's fit then there's no appeal & he'll have to look for work).Has been close to suicide twice in 6 months due to veiled threats from them re reduced/stoppage of benefits if he doesn't improve his chances of getting back to work.

The guy worked hard in manual labour  type jobs until slipping at work around 30ish trapping nerves in his back & lost a tribunal due to his boss lieing & "losing" paperwork etc except one line in accident book.

His GP is furious especially as DWP will not correspond in any way. You can both see & hear the difference in him since last summer. He's the kind of person people say salt of the earth, lovely guy,etc  his friends & neighbours are genuinely concerned ,he's getting  out less,one was recently asked re his change in demeanor/behaviour is he having a breakdown?  He's to proud/scared to kick up a fuss.

Sorry for rant but but pisses me off how did we get to this situation this country is in today.

Thanks Keir starmer for being the working man's party leader,  I wouldn't piss on you if you where on fire.  Ashamed life long labour voter.

[New POD]

The film "I, Daniel Blake" was filmed during the last Labour government in the mid 90s, and whilst it was probably accurate as the time, it seems to be 100 times worse.  You obviously would not expect the conservatives to fix it, but you expect more of a Labour government.  

[LightBulbFun]

13 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Things continue to be frustrating here.  Got my PIP claim in the process of applying for the tribunal and the deadline for the DWP to respond to that was the 28th of Feb.  2nd March I still hadn't heard anything so called the number (50 minute wait time, thank goodness for the callback option) to learn that the DWP had done diddly squat.  That gets escalated to the tribunal judge now, and a complaint lodged on the grounds of the DWP causing financial hardship and the worsening of my health.  Now can't do anything at all with that until the DWP respond, heck knows what happens if they don't, but I'm still looking at 5 months until I get an appeal.  Request for an Urgent Appeal Review (or similar wording) also lodged, but again that won't move ahead until the DWP respond to it.

In the meantime, I'm trying to get a Fit Note from my GP.  Finally had my phone appointment to discuss that today only to learn than my patient record hasn't been updated with the diagnosis I recieved from the neurologist last year.

I really have no words for the level of incompetence on display with this whole process at this point.  It's like I don't exist. If (and it's feeling like a pretty big if at this point) I am successful with this claim it's going to be a hefty pay out which will be nice because my debts are stacking up and I am too ill to work hard enough to clear them and have no government assistance whatsoever.  Financially I'm relying on the trickle of income from Patreon, the help of my partner's family, and the kindness of friends.

I am beyond done with this whole miserable experience.  If one more person tells me to 'keep my chin up' or similar I may commit crimes.

you have my Sympathises, its all harrowingly similar to my experience and sadly one I have now heard is frightfully common it seems, feel free to give me a shout if you want to talk about it, or anything else, I'd like to think that most of us on here, are also here for you happy to be there for you (or anyone else) if needs be  in my experience once it gets to the Tribunal stage, you finally do end up in front of some pretty reasonable human beings who will actually look at things pragmatically, so fingers crossed for you there!

[artdjones]

8 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

It's all utter chaos, more so since it's all now done by DWP who have no idea how to deal with this type of stuff/people,

I know someone (60, has autism , sciatica, Carpal tunnel Inc a failed op 18 months ago that's now trapping nerves in left shoulder (awaiting  2nd op) turned down twice for pip ( to fit)is single )& who's been on "the sick " 30 years ( due to all the different names it's had)  over the last 9 months he's getting reg phone interviews re when is he going back to work, constantly told different things by whoever phones, they flatly refuse to talk with GP,  you can't be on sick as it doesn't exist anymore, but he's not unemployed so doesn't sign on ( so doesn't appear  in stats)yet was told has got to go for a medical like when your on sick ( in autumn but could be Christmas due to backlog, Inc another veiled threats that if they decide he's fit then there's no appeal & he'll have to look for work).Has been close to suicide twice in 6 months due to veiled threats from them re reduced/stoppage of benefits if he doesn't improve his chances of getting back to work.

The guy worked hard in manual labour  type jobs until slipping at work around 30ish trapping nerves in his back & lost a tribunal due to his boss lieing & "losing" paperwork etc except one line in accident book.

His GP is furious especially as DWP will not correspond in any way. You can both see & hear the difference in him since last summer. He's the kind of person people say salt of the earth, lovely guy,etc  his friends & neighbours are genuinely concerned ,he's getting  out less,one was recently asked re his change in demeanor/behaviour is he having a breakdown?  He's to proud/scared to kick up a fuss.

Sorry for rant but but pisses me off how did we get to this situation this country is in today.

Thanks Keir starmer for being the working man's party leader,  I wouldn't piss on you if you where on fire.  Ashamed life long labour voter.

I don't think it's just the DWP, although they are pretty incompetent. (I'm dealing with them about my UK State Pension, which is taking months to sort out, in contrast to 2 days with the Irish pension. They send you SMSs which specifically tell you not to contact them.)

Can you think of any interactions with large organisations in the UK where everything went reasonably smoothly? Public or private sector? I'm sure there are some. But it seems to be a 75/25 incompetence/competence ratio, from what I hear from friends and relatives. 

[chadders]

2 minutes ago, artdjones said:

I don't think it's just the DWP, although they are pretty incompetent. (I'm dealing with them about my UK State Pension, which is taking months to sort out, in contrast to 2 days with the Irish pension. They send you SMSs which specifically tell you not to contact them.)

Can you think of any interactions with large organisations in the UK where everything went reasonably smoothly? Public or private sector? I'm sure there are some. But it seems to be a 75/25 incompetence/competence ratio, from what I hear from friends and relatives. 

Renewing my road tax and dealing with some finance firms otherwise no.

But these were very standard transactions, I'm not certain that the outcome would have been the same for rarer ones.

[sdkrc]

I'm trying to get to London by train. 

I find out 40mins into my journey that my 11:25 connecting train is cancelled. The website isn't great for showing me alternatives and merely says cancelled train. 

I get told by 2 members of staff that I should be on the 11:30 alternative train BUT that my ticket is only valid to Newcastle. It says "only valid to Newcastle" on the screens. I get on the train and the announcer says "if you have a Lumo ticket to London please get off this train and take the 12:00 to Kings Cross". 

I hop off and wait for the 12:00. On the 12:00 I immediately hear the announcement that my ticket is NOT valid on this service and I should be on the 12:30. I confirm this with the staff on the train who apologise and say the announcer was wrong and I should have been on the 11:30. 

Holy fuck why are the train schedules here so wildly incompetent considering they've been doing the same thing for over a hundred years?

[bramz7]

In disruption, just get on the first train you can. Easier to seek forgiveness than get permission, as is often said. 

I appreciate working on the railway skews my judgement a bit but when I was a guard and came across people disrupted on their journey I just let them be. 

 

(Not everyone is like this)

[Split_Pin]

49 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

I'm trying to get to London by train. 

I find out 40mins into my journey that my 11:25 connecting train is cancelled. The website isn't great for showing me alternatives and merely says cancelled train. 

I get told by 2 members of staff that I should be on the 11:30 alternative train BUT that my ticket is only valid to Newcastle. It says "only valid to Newcastle" on the screens. I get on the train and the announcer says "if you have a Lumo ticket to London please get off this train and take the 12:00 to Kings Cross". 

I hop off and wait for the 12:00. On the 12:00 I immediately hear the announcement that my ticket is NOT valid on this service and I should be on the 12:30. I confirm this with the staff on the train who apologise and say the announcer was wrong and I should have been on the 11:30. 

Holy fuck why are the train schedules here so wildly incompetent considering they've been doing the same thing for over a hundred years?

I hope you get to London eventually.

[sdkrc]

45 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

In disruption, just get on the first train you can. Easier to seek forgiveness than get permission, as is often said. 

I appreciate working on the railway skews my judgement a bit but when I was a guard and came across people disrupted on their journey I just let them be. 

 

(Not everyone is like this)

I received similar advice elsewhere but the risk of getting charged a full price peak ticket from Edinburgh - London is too much risk for me. 

I've started a new job with a big commute and was planning on taking the train. I'm looking at big stinking diesels now as I've had too many experiences like this. 

[bramz7]

I understand that, I'm sorry for the crap journey you had. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

The main problem is that everyone has cut things into the bone in the name of maximum profit for least effort ( I know their in business to make money but it's never enough) so now things are just grinding to a halt . No one wants to keep stock as that costs rent/rates so the next one down the line can do that ( until it ends up back at the manufacturer) so he limits production & staff.

Then there's a shortage so people go elsewhere but it's same story so then price goes up as there hard to find or you have to find an alternative.

The whole world is grinding to a halt as everyone is expecting the other guy to sort it out.

The man in the street looks to their leaders, their leaders look to their industries &  they look to their employees. But non have a clue what to do.

[artdjones]

3 hours ago, sdkrc said:

I'm trying to get to London by train. 

I find out 40mins into my journey that my 11:25 connecting train is cancelled. The website isn't great for showing me alternatives and merely says cancelled train. 

I get told by 2 members of staff that I should be on the 11:30 alternative train BUT that my ticket is only valid to Newcastle. It says "only valid to Newcastle" on the screens. I get on the train and the announcer says "if you have a Lumo ticket to London please get off this train and take the 12:00 to Kings Cross". 

I hop off and wait for the 12:00. On the 12:00 I immediately hear the announcement that my ticket is NOT valid on this service and I should be on the 12:30. I confirm this with the staff on the train who apologise and say the announcer was wrong and I should have been on the 11:30. 

Holy fuck why are the train schedules here so wildly incompetent considering they've been doing the same thing for over a hundred years?

Because there didn't used to be wildly different fares for making the same journey?

Modern "efficiency " makes things more inefficient in this just in time world. Sorry, I meant this just too late world.

[robt100]

17 hours ago, Wibble said:

I feel for you all. Mrs W is hitting a brick wall too. Not for PIP but for vacination  compensation . She has chronic ITP, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, all of which the consultants have said is from having the AstraZeneca vaccine. She was fine before and it’s been over 2 years now and they still say their agent hasn’t received her medical records from the GP, despite them saying they’ve sent them. Good luck to you all.

After reading your message I had to look up what ITP is.....

...looks like I need a trip to the docs! Had an odd rash on my legs for years now, imcompetent GP just shrugged his shoulders and said 'carry on' about 8 years ago. Having seen images of IPT its identical to what I have. Would explain the exhaustion and cravings for iron rich foods I guess 😬

So thanks @Wibble, you've solved something that I have been trying to work out for years!

[Wibble]

15 minutes ago, robt100 said:

After reading your message I had to look up what ITP is.....

...looks like I need a trip to the docs! Had an odd rash on my legs for years now, imcompetent GP just shrugged his shoulders and said 'carry on' about 8 years ago. Having seen images of IPT its identical to what I have. Would explain the exhaustion and cravings for iron rich foods I guess 😬

So thanks @Wibble, you've solved something that I have been trying to work out for years!

Blimey! Mrs W’s main symptoms were constant bruises, exhaustion and feeling awful. It took a while to diagnose and destroys the platelets in the blood. When they finally did a platelet count and discovered it was only 9, they were shocked and said you must feel dreadful. It’s incurable unfortunately and I hope you don’t actually have it but it does help to know why you feel so bad I suppose.

[robt100]

Well @Wibble, the exhaustion/weariness is definitely a thing. One short, gentle day of window cleaning means sitting the rest of the day, the broken skin, easy bruising, the fact I've had problems with helicobacter pylori before which can be a cause of it. There is quite a lot that adds up, at least enough to back back to the GP and get them to check again. 
Also interested (probably wrong phrase) to hear your wife has fybromyalgia and osteoarthritis, as MrsRobt100 has been diagnosed with the former, but says a lot of it feels like the latter. But aparrently as her blood tests arent showing inflammation that 'cant be possible'.....


EDIT: Ive also been getting a rash/ITP like marks on my hands which was assumed to be from the dionised water I come into contact with. But im starting to wonder if that is also ITP as it is kept at bay with a steroid cream, with steroids being a main treatment for ITP from what I've read?

[Mally]

Manchester to Malaga this morning, with Tui. Departed 6:45 am.

40 mins into flight. Sorry folks problem with toilets. we are returning to Manchester.

Me, 'they forgot to empty them last night'.

Sure enough, Pump wagon turns up and empties yesterdays load.

We depart 3-1/2 hours behind  with working toilets.

[Wibble]

18 minutes ago, robt100 said:

Well @Wibble, the exhaustion/weariness is definitely a thing. One short, gentle day of window cleaning means sitting the rest of the day, the broken skin, easy bruising, the fact I've had problems with helicobacter pylori before which can be a cause of it. There is quite a lot that adds up, at least enough to back back to the GP and get them to check again. 
Also interested (probably wrong phrase) to hear your wife has fybromyalgia and osteoarthritis, as MrsRobt100 has been diagnosed with the former, but says a lot of it feels like the latter. But aparrently as her blood tests arent showing inflammation that 'cant be possible'.....


EDIT: Ive also been getting a rash/ITP like marks on my hands which was assumed to be from the dionised water I come into contact with. But im starting to wonder if that is also ITP as it is kept at bay with a steroid cream, with steroids being a main treatment for ITP from what I've read?

It does sound like you need a blood test to have a platelet count done asap. Sorry to hear about your wife too. When my wife was first diagnosed with ITP, she was warned she probably wouldn’t get away without other immune system related issues. They were right, as the other two are also related.

My wife also had x-rays to diagnose the osteoarthritis, they didn’t just rely on a blood test. I wish you both all the best.

[Zelandeth]

5 hours ago, sdkrc said:

I'm trying to get to London by train. 

I find out 40mins into my journey that my 11:25 connecting train is cancelled. The website isn't great for showing me alternatives and merely says cancelled train. 

I get told by 2 members of staff that I should be on the 11:30 alternative train BUT that my ticket is only valid to Newcastle. It says "only valid to Newcastle" on the screens. I get on the train and the announcer says "if you have a Lumo ticket to London please get off this train and take the 12:00 to Kings Cross". 

I hop off and wait for the 12:00. On the 12:00 I immediately hear the announcement that my ticket is NOT valid on this service and I should be on the 12:30. I confirm this with the staff on the train who apologise and say the announcer was wrong and I should have been on the 11:30. 

Holy fuck why are the train schedules here so wildly incompetent considering they've been doing the same thing for over a hundred years?

I made the mistake of trying to use the bloody train to get from Milton Keynes to Birmingham a couple of years ago following a breakdown.

Thanks to unannounced cancellations, delays, the boards showing the wrong information and ending up with me getting on the wrong train because of that and having to wait around and double back on myself it ended up taking nearly ten bloody hours door to door.

...I worked in public transport for damned near ten years so I'd like to think I've got more chance of making it work than your average man on the street too.  

Swore that was the last time I'd go near the bloody things after that.  Unless I absolutely, unavoidably HAVE to go into Central London anyway.  Which given that's about my least favourite place on the planet to go doesn't happen often anyway.

[High Jetter]

I think you have to know 'the system' to enable rail journeys to be as free of hassle as possible. Not entirely guaranteed, but a knowledge of which trains / operators any particular ticket type is valid for and using your preferred app  website to check live train times for your next leg (often showing platform numbers too, useful i n large stations) can save stress. Of course, wrong information is always a hazard, but if you know what should be happening you're better equipped to question - or re-route around - the issue.