The grumpy thread

[garethj]

Driving home from work last night I was followed by some car with the extra bright lights that were pointing a bit high, was in two minds whether to pull over or not but carried on and after a few miles he pulled off. And the next car behind had one sidelight working, and the dipped beam was really high – the headlining of my car was illuminated perfectly.

 

There were cars in front so I couldn’t put distance between us, fuck knows how he could see the road because his light was picking up the tops of trees rather than tarmac. Back in the ‘70s you could bolt a 55 watt spotlight on the bumper as a reversing light with a switch on the dashboard, I’m getting one of those.

 

The only thing to cheer me up was that the first twat with “ washes with a new bluey whiteness you’ll like†lights was getting dazzled by the dipshit behind.

[autofive]

this is when you need rear fog lamps

[Negative Creep]

Had to sign on today for JSA. I'd never been in a position of having to really look for work in this country; I worked through most of my degree but most of the jobs I've had I was pretty much given. The procedure is to go in every 2 weeks - you know what kind of place it is when the have 3 security guards in the main foyer and another 2 upstairs. To get JSA you have to fill out a card saying what you are doing in the search for work. I've made sure to keep it up to date with the references of the jobs I have applied for although since they only glance at it chances are I could write anything on it.

 

Surviving on £65 isn't really working though, especially as rent alone is £80. I'd been putting it off as I hoped I'd be working before I needed anything else but today I had to bite the bullet and enquire about Housing Benefit. I'm not sure if it's a mindset but I feel ashamed in having to do it, hence the delay in applying. I will be the first to admit I'm not the hardest worker in the world but having to ask for help just feels so wrong. However until I do find a job it's either do that or not be able to afford to live.

 

A number of people at both places do indeed look like Jeremy Kyle guests but without knowing their individual circumstances I do wonder what percentage need it as a safety net and which ones use it as a lifestyle choice. It's beyond me why anyone would want to do it long term but then again if you had kids and a council house I presume you get more so could happily survive. You don't have obvious security guards at the Council offices but all interviews take place between a security screen so I can just imagine what the staff have to deal with. I should say to their credit they have been very helpful in both places.

 

Jobs of any sort are hard to come by at the moment, even temp ones. I've already applied for several, booked in to the local job skills centre and with my old uni's career advisor this week so hopefully this will get me on the right path. Until then, sorry for taking your taxes

[Claypole]

I got a right ear full for not signing on sooner. It's not the money it's your NI contributions etc.

 

You can write the same thing every week on the card they don't give a monkeys.

If they print you something off to apply for they write it off after a few weeks if you don't hear about it - I never had a single no thanks letter so it's upto you whether you apply for them or not.

 

If you pay any council tax then they should sort that out too. They told me to apply but the Council Tax folks were on it before I'd had time to find their details.

 

I'm back working now (part time for now) but I'd decided it was enough when the security guard starts to recognise you every other week.

 

 

There's not much to do while waiting at the JC except watch for the people they discriminate against. ie. if you look normal then they will hassle you everytime, if you look like you'd kick off etc. then it's a quick in and out....

[Angrydicky]

Jobs of any sort are hard to come by at the moment, even temp ones. I've already applied for several, booked in to the local job skills centre and with my old uni's career advisor this week so hopefully this will get me on the right path. Until then, sorry for taking your taxes

 

Don't worry about it! Been there, done that, left school and signed on the dole as there were no frickin' jobs. It was so degrading going to sign on every couple of weeks with all those wasters (the seats in the waiting area in my local Job Centre were covered in tags and stank of fags), although it was easy to spot the genuine people. I'm so glad to be working at the moment, it really did feel horrible claiming JSA. Hope you find something soon, I really do sympathise.

[M'coli]

Top Gear has a lot to answer for - I've got a punter interested in buying the Saab for a stag do where

Basically everyone is to buy a cheap car, turn up and then do a set of challenges over the weekend just like they do on Top Gear. Part of the challenge is to buy something rare and interesting, something your Saab definitely is. Its all harmless fun, the car won't get destroyed (we have to get home, another part of the challenge).

 

However afterwards the car has to be sold on or scrapped. Sadly I would need to sell asap as I'm in the middle of buying a house, so my contingency plan is to scrap it.

He's arguing about the current cost of scrap too.

[Cavcraft]

'The car won't get destroyed' quickly followed by 'afterwards the car has to be sold on or scrapped'

[trigger]

I IZ HAVIN HASSLE OF POSTIE

 

Sorry that this is a little long winded but i need advice, You won't believe this story though.

 

Back on Saturday morning Er indoors was in the living room with the curtains shut when the regular postman and another one driving the RM van both turned up outside, They stood at the end of the driveway after posting our mail and started talking very loudly about how they were both on drugs, The driver was saying how he was "off his tits" on a "legal high" (maybe Methadone?) that he's been taking with red bull and how he was buzzing, the other one asked if he had any in which the driver said he had some in the van but he doesn't give them out, There was also a lot of strong swearing going on as well.

 

No this was at the end of the driveway at 8.45am and my wife could hear it perfectly clear inside a double glazed house so it was quite loud and clear.

 

She came up stairs and asked what i think she should, i told her to report to the Post Office as if the driver was on drugs then he needs taking off the road, She rang the PO complains number and reported it and they told her to contact our local police station as well which we did.

 

Then yesterday morning our regular postman (who's a young lad who never speaks and completely blanks you if you in the garden) starts to ring the door bell and thumping on the door, then as he's doing this the driver in the van who he was with on Saturday turns up and starts doing the same thing, Now I'm at work and Mrs. T's at home alone and gets scared (she's off work due to last weeks events so not really in the best of moods), After a few mins both postmen walk off and the one in the van just goes and sits in it, Mrs. T looks through the curtain a bit and it moves which the postie sees so he comes running up the drive again banging on the door.

 

After a few minutes he goes, he had no parcel and he didn't drop any collection form through the letterbox so they obviously wanted to speak to us..

 

Then this morning The van driver turns up again (He's also a young lad) and starts doing the same thing again, he starts to ring the doorbell and banging on the door and this time even shouts through the letterbox saying "answer the door i know your in there".

 

Again i was at work so Mrs. T hid and rings me up at work again in a flood of tears.

 

I'm not sure what to do know, Do i leave it?, do i contact the post office again? or do i even contact the police?.

 

I'm in all day tomorrow and Mrs. T is back at work so I'm thinking about answering the door and finding out whats going on, This isn't good though is it.

[pogweasel]

POSTAL WANKERS!

 

I am happy to report our post is brought by a cheerful lass on a bike, who shows no fear when on a daily basis our dogs attempt to lick her to death.

[seth]

Sounds like you need to get back on the phone to the Post Office and the Police pronto.

[trigger]

Sounds like you need to get back on the phone to the Post Office and the Police pronto.

 

I am thinking that, We had a lovely postman as a kid, An old boy with a big bushy beard who was really nice, where did it all go wrong.

 

The post office must of told them who made the complaint as well for them to be targeting us.

[Cavcraft]

Phone the Post Office and let them know, they'll take a dim view of this.

 

Claypole: It sounds like the old rock 'n roll office hasn't changed in the last 25 years or so. Sadly it never got you anywhere being nice to the staff as they appeared to see it as a sign of weakness and another excuse to royally piss you about, stop your money at random intervals and make you walk between different Social offices (about three mile apart) countless times.

 

I swear everytime I used to sign on someone would be either jumping over the counter or gripping some little office nazi by the scruff of the throat as that was the only time they'd actually help you.

[chaseracer]

Sounds like you need to get back on the phone to the Post Office and the Police pronto.

/\/\ This.

 

Get it done, Trig - neither of you need that kind of shit right now, least of all SWMBO.

[dollywobbler]

Definitely report it! I'd be tempted to record their antics as well. That's shocking.

 

Our postie is an epic gentleman, who even trudged down to our house when the track to it was covered in snow and his van couldn't do it. Rather oddly, I was on a training course at a house last week and our postie came to lunch! Clearly Wales is a very different country.

[Lord Sterling]

Trigger - Phone the Police. I know some people say they are useless, but also try and film them if they come around again. Present this to the Police and they should take it seriously. This is harassment.

 

DO NOT phone the Post Office, whoever you or your partner spoke to originally at the Post Office may well have informed those drugged-up harassing wankers.

[eddyramrod]

PO management and cops, and NOT in that order! Hit them hard Trigger, what they did was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of bounds. If you do answer the door, have your camcorder running on a tripod behind you, and a fucking hungry pitbull on a short leash. Or better yet, two. You really don't need this, and Mrs T absolutely doesn't. Make sure the cops understand how terrified she was.

 

There was a time, there really was, when postmen were like Pat...

[myglaren]

Sounds like you need to get back on the phone to the Post Office and the Police pronto.

 

Absolutely. A clear case of harassment and intimidation, even without the initial complaint.

[eddyramrod]

Tayne: yes, but why should he have to? Isn't all of that what Regan and Carter should be doing (with much heavier hands) on his behalf? Isn't that what he pays his taxes for?

[Lankytim]

Send a postcard addressed to yourself with "Dear postie, please stop taking drugs and harrasing my family, KTHXBAI" written on it. Should do the trick.

 

 

Actually, I think I stole the basic idea from Dave Gorman.

[trigger]

I might just do all this, I think for know I'll see what happens in the morning, they the start knocking again I'll speak to them out right and see what they have to say, and if i need to i will ring the police.

 

I'm really amazed this has happened to be honest, I'm put off ringing the police in case we have got the wrong end of the stick and they might have been told to speak to us to say sorry, I mean they still have there jobs and driving the van so the post office obviously hasn't suspended them.

 

Wish we never bloody reported them now, It's not like i live a rough area even!

[eddyramrod]

Don't be put off ringing the police, do it now. Definitely do it before the Pats come by in the morning, with a bit of luck you'll get a flypast at the right moment.

 

Doesn't an organisation the size of Royal Mail have random mandatory drug testing?

[seth]

they might have been told to speak to us to say sorry,

 

If that were the case surely they wouldn't banging at the door and shouting "we know you're in there" through the letterbox?

 

Assuming they were told about the complaint then it wouldn't have been hard to figure out who had made it if they remembered where they had their conversation. So a superior may not have told them were the complaint originated.

[trigger]

Assuming they were told about the complaint then it wouldn't have been hard to figure out who had made it if they remembered where they had their conversation. So a superior may not have told them were the complaint originated.

 

This did cross my mind, I suspect you could be right, I might get Hannah to call the local police station when she gets back in, The guys at work even said we should call the police just to be on the safe side.

[eddyramrod]

I do hope that was a deliberate misread, Norm; if not, your education has been sadly skimped. If you need the footnote, please ask, I'll deliver it by PM so as not to bore everyone else...

[autofive]

ring the old Bill Trig, do it now

its anti-social behaviour and you will get a crime number

 

in the morning, dont anwser the door but record their antics, take the van reg number and write down a brief description of the posties involved, then ring post office sorting office, ask to speak to the head honcho, then complain giving all the details and crime number, and ask for a different postman to deliver your post as your wife is considering an injunction against the two loons, or at the least contacting the local newspaper about ' this disgraceful intimidation'

 

dont take no for an answer from the head honcho, you & wifey are in the right, and post office staff are definately in the wrong

 

EDIT: you can also email a complaint via the post office website - and they usually get results too

[eddyramrod]

What autofive said! I would suggest photos rather than description, if you can.

[outlaw118]

Or your other alternative......

I can be at your house in just over 90 minutes. What time do the monkies turn up?

[Station]

I'm not sure what to do know, Do i leave it?, do i contact the post office again? or do i even contact the police?.

 

I'm in all day tomorrow and Mrs. T is back at work so I'm thinking about answering the door and finding out whats going on, This isn't good though is it.

 

I'd make sure I was in, open the door and then rape him. Seriously though, he's obviously about to lose his job with behaviour like that.

[trigger]

Right, Hannah's rang the local cop shop now, they took the log of it all and added it to the complaint from Saturday, They said that it did seem strange but there's little that can be done until we answer the door and get threatened by them.

 

I've also spoke to our neighbours just to check there hasn't been a parcel dropped off, it turns out their close friend is the night manager for the Ipswich branch and they asked if we want them to ask her to have a word to these postmen, I said to left it until I've spoke to them in the morning.

 

If they don't knock then I'm not going to worry though of course if they do and kick off I'll be prepared.

[fiatdaft]

this is just wrong,if you were closer i would lend you my rottweiler,hope they fuck off.