The grumpy thread

[Remspoor]

10 hours ago, artdjones said:

I'm having a good time however. The Landes is not very crowded.

That is where I encountered the 30KPH suspension testing track. Drove from Bordeaux to Langon not wishing to use the Motorway rather enjoy the villages and countryside. I got it wrong again.

 

[Remspoor]

On 20/09/2026 at 21:03, iainrcz said:

The Mrs didn't pack a butter knife for our holiday.

We're living like fucking animals.

Dont worry because if you are in the UK knives are dangerous and you are not allowed to carry them in public.

[loserone]

44 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

Dont worry because if you are in the UK knives are dangerous and you are not allowed to carry them in public.

The legal carry rules are pretty straightforward really, I have carried since I was a kid.

 

Some of my colleagues live in rough parts of London and are probably aligned to the narrative you note, though.

[Bfg]

For those unaware of, or generally not interested in my old car shenanigans, I still attach this link to the grumpy thread  because next weekend I'm on a Distinguished Gentlemen's run in support of Movember ..a charity in support of men's mental and physical health issues, both directly and as an awareness campaign.  Certainly, the run I join, which goes through Colchester, Essex is a big enough event to need police escort and traffic control, and it attracts widespread media coverage and articles.   

  

Many of you may not be aware of the charity behind it ...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movember

Wishing you well, Pete. 

     

[grogee]

2 minutes ago, Bfg said:

For those unaware of, or generally not interested in my old car shenanigans, I still attach this link to the grumpy thread  because next weekend I'm on a Distinguished Gentlemen's run in support of Movember ..a charity in support of men's mental and physical health issues, both directly and as an awareness campaign.  Certainly, the run I join, which goes through Colchester, Essex is a big enough event to need police escort and traffic control, and it attracts widespread media coverage and articles.   

  

Many of you may not be aware of the charity behind it ...  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movember

Wishing you well, Pete. 

     

I'm doing similar, except it's around Warwickshire. Good luck to you and your fellow DGs. AFAIK we're not getting a police escort but maybe not as many cars as yours, 100-150 I think. 

[Bfg]

^  Great stuff..  I don't know about numbers .. I believe there are several groups with differing starting and ending places but perhaps it comes down to how much disruption we make through narrow city streets .. or how much good-will media the local police get from supporting us & easing that congestion .. perhaps if you mention that aspect to your local constabulary, you'd all benefit from a boost in positive media attention.  

As an aside . . .  I wonder how many of us use our interesting car, motorcycle or other vehicles in support of charities ?  or to simply to take old folk out of a care home for an hour or two ?  Perhaps we should start a new thread to encourage it.  

 

[MAF260]

Bamboo is a bastard of a plant!

A previous owner of the house thought it was a great idea to plant a load in a raised bed at the back of the garden about 8 years ago. This summer I noticed some shoots sprouting up in a couple of places it shouldn’t be, so decided to take action.

First, cut it all down

Then try to remove the roots by hand, using and axe and a spade  impossible!

So today this arrived

And I’ve spent a couple of hours fighting with the roots which are everywhere. The spread and density is quite shocking

I’ve had to dig down quite a way to get the worst of it up. The garden now looks like a battlefield.

Next job is to sift as much of the roots as I can from the soil and then think about how to rebuild and plant with something which isn’t invasive!

[myglaren]

Leave it until it flowers, then it will die.

Spoiler

They flower after about 180 years   

 

[Zelandeth]

18 minutes ago, MAF260 said:

Bamboo is a bastard of a plant!

A previous owner of the house thought it was a great idea to plant a load in a raised bed at the back of the garden about 8 years ago. This summer I noticed some shoots sprouting up in a couple of places it shouldn’t be, so decided to take action.

First, cut it all down

Then try to remove the roots by hand, using and axe and a spade  impossible!

So today this arrived

And I’ve spent a couple of hours fighting with the roots which are everywhere. The spread and density is quite shocking

I’ve had to dig down quite a way to get the worst of it up. The garden now looks like a battlefield.

Next job is to sift as much of the roots as I can from the soil and then think about how to rebuild and plant with something which isn’t invasive!

Yep.  Previous owner of this place did the same.  In the end we had to get a specialist in and it cost us about ten grand to get rid of it.  Basically if there's anything left of it whatsoever, it will grow back from that.

They ended up digging down two to three feet over the whole affected area and removed an ungodly amount of material (including where it had forced itself into the concrete under what used to be the patio).  Left the garden a totally barren brownfield site which then cost another small fortune to get something resembling sorted.

They still had to come back twice to deal with it sprouting up again (thankfully the work was warrantied for ten years).

 

I'm starting to get quite pissed off with the Churchill Hospital.  Do we or do we not have a sodding appointment tomorrow?  Repeatedly telling us "you'll get back to us" really isn't good enough when we're talking about having to likely get up around 5am and have to block out the entire day around it.  I really need to know before 7pm the preceding day.  Especially as due to my own health issues, ensuring that I'm up to that early a start and long day means making substantial adjustments and limitations on what I can do the day before.

[grogee]

2 hours ago, Bfg said:

^  Great stuff..  I don't know about numbers .. I believe there are several groups with differing starting and ending places but perhaps it comes down to how much disruption we make through narrow city streets .. or how much good-will media the local police get from supporting us & easing that congestion .. perhaps if you mention that aspect to your local constabulary, you'd all benefit from a boost in positive media attention.  

As an aside . . .  I wonder how many of us use our interesting car, motorcycle or other vehicles in support of charities ?  or to simply to take old folk out of a care home for an hour or two ?  Perhaps we should start a new thread to encourage it.  

 

Most of the 'events' I attend with my Maestro are charity, I did a dementia thing in June (mainly because my stepmum works for the charity) and now this thing. 

I like your idea taking old folk out, I bet there are insurance hurdles but I'm sure there would be people who would appreciate the gesture. 

Related: I paid for a prostate blood test via one of the charities who benefit from Movember, would recommend, I'll put more details on the WTF is wrong with you thread. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

I went to the dentist today and had my small denture adjusted, it took about 15 minutes and cost me £95. And the denture cost about £300 something I was pressured into buying and should be replaced now, after 5 months.

And the dentist has started pressuring me to go through an expensive and drawn out nightmare to replace my missing front teeth.  And booked me an appointment in a few weeks for images and examinations.

I can't afford this and I don't want it, and I'm angry. I'm going to call to cancel the appointment and never go there again.

I’m left with the feeling that I don’t own my own teeth, since I don’t get to decide what I want to do with them. All the dentists just try to pressure me into something expensive and totally ignores me and what I want.

There’s a strong chance I’ll stop going to the dentist for the rest of my life now if  I can.

[myglaren]

I should go too, been putting it off for at least ten years now.

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I'm going to call to cancel the appointment and never go there again.

This.

That's not a Dentist, that's a Salesman!

Is there another Dentist in a sensible distance?

I know nothing about Health Care in Norway, is there something like the NHS there?

[Dyslexic Viking]

2 minutes ago, Momentary Lapse Of Reason said:

Is there another Dentist in a sensible distance?

I know nothing about Health Care in Norway, is there something like the NHS there?

There are others, but they’re probably just as bad.

There is, but dental care isn't covered. For me, at least. 

[chodweaver]

28 minutes ago, Momentary Lapse Of Reason said:

This.

That's not a Dentist, that's a Salesman!

Is there another Dentist in a sensible distance?

I know nothing about Health Care in Norway, is there something like the NHS there?

Favourite soapbox of mine too, at the moment. The practice I've been going to for about 10 years has gradually turned into an appalling Nip/tuck bunch of c*nts - two handsome and impossibly well groomed blokes in their 30s, who are trying desperately to 'improve my self image' through a finance agreement for £7500 when what I want is one cap and one filling on teeth that I've broken on a cherry stone and had a filling in for twenty years, respectively. That these guys need my 7.5 grand to keep themselves surrounded by a bevvy of pretty teenage girl 'dental assistants', 'hygienists' and 'administrators' (it takes four of them to staff the reception desk that used to run on one) with eyelashes you can see from space, but not an ounce of common sense or courtesy between them, BOILS MY PISS.

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

29 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

There are others, but they’re probably just as bad.

I suggest that you do a bit of research on the other Dentists and see if they are just Salesman as well.

If any of them is OK then get on their books for your teeth.

 

Pays to look after what nature gave you!

(unless you intend changing your name to Harald Gormsson  )

[adw1977]

My dentist tried to sell me a £15k "treatment plan" a couple of years ago, but he got the message when I literally laughed in his face and he's been fine ever since.

[matt79]

21 minutes ago, chodweaver said:

Favourite soapbox of mine too, at the moment. The practice I've been going to for about 10 years has gradually turned into an appalling Nip/tuck bunch of c*nts - two handsome and impossibly well groomed blokes in their 30s, who are trying desperately to 'improve my self image' through a finance agreement for £7500 when what I want is one cap and one filling on teeth that I've broken on a cherry stone and had a filling in for twenty years, respectively. That these guys need my 7.5 grand to keep themselves surrounded by a bevvy of pretty teenage girl 'dental assistants', 'hygienists' and 'administrators' (it takes four of them to staff the reception desk that used to run on one) with eyelashes you can see from space, but not an ounce of common sense or courtesy between them, BOILS MY PISS.

Run by a company / franchise called MyDentist by any chance?

[High Jetter]

22 minutes ago, chodweaver said:

Favourite soapbox of mine too, at the moment. The practice I've been going to for about 10 years has gradually turned into an appalling Nip/tuck bunch of c*nts - two handsome and impossibly well groomed blokes in their 30s, who are trying desperately to 'improve my self image' through a finance agreement for £7500 when what I want is one cap and one filling on teeth that I've broken on a cherry stone and had a filling in for twenty years, respectively. That these guys need my 7.5 grand to keep themselves surrounded by a bevvy of pretty teenage girl 'dental assistants', 'hygienists' and 'administrators' (it takes four of them to staff the reception desk that used to run on one) with eyelashes you can see from space, but not an ounce of common sense or courtesy between them, BOILS MY PISS.

Mine too. In 1999/2000 I I needed a new dentist as I'd got fed up with the current one who sang Christmas carols whilst working. All year round.

Got into another surgery with a young, not long-out-of-traning guy. He was excellent. (A hygienist appointment then cost £25) Wife and I moved with him when he took over a retiring dentist's surgery.  He was incredibly patient with me and my knack of fainting with needles and generally problematic extractions. Got me in at a small local hospital for a full upper clearance in the end, and did the moulds and fitting for my first dentures - but that episode is another story. He was an incredibly talented, down-to-earth guy who was doing some top-level work in hospitals alongside the bread-and-butter stuff. I even knew his parents, who were customers of mine. Anyway, I went to book a check-up in 2021 to find the surgery had been taken over- with no notification to patients from either party -  by a small chain of surgeries, who had no dentist for the surgery they'd just taken over  - but I could be seen at another. Long story short - poor customer service, no obvious maintenance of the semi-basement rooms it occupies, newly-trained dentists from various cultures with widely varying degrees of skill and communications, who seem to change frequently..

The current one seems to be a keeper, has been there over a year now, is Spanish, speaks well, and is into F1. Seems pretty good at what he does, but hurt me so much he could not remove my last 2 faithfully-hanging on real teeth, which had to be removed under sedation (£75 not included in the £332.10 level 3 band for the new dentures I needed after 2.5 years, previous ones lasted at least 10). I have been back for adjustments to my new lower denture several times now, another visit tomorrow. Oh, and their hygienist charges £75, payable when booking, and now only works on Saturdays - not that I bother with such nonsense, though the wife does.

Having said all that, @Dyslexic Viking, dentistry seems much better here than Norway for those who don't have or want to pay mega-bucks. I hope you find one who strikes a comfortable balance of cost and skill. 

[DavieW]

On 21/09/2026 at 19:17, DavieW said:

F me, Premier Inns have gone downhill. Booked dinner for 7pm when I checked in. Came down a couple of mins before to be told "take a seat and I'll call you when your table is ready"  Restaurant isn't even 1/4 full. I take a seat and 3 others pitch up and get taken straight away. Server comes across and takes me to my table. I've now sat for 15 mins and not had my order taken yet. 

Heaven help the place when the extra rooms are built and open for customers. 

Tonight's fun and games. 

The guy in front in the queue can't be given a table because "the reception didn't book you in" Fortunately he did book me in. 

The guy behind me was in the same situation as the one in front and ended up having a blazing row with the server. She ended up shouting "don't speak to me like that", turned and walked away. 

An absolute shit show of a place. I wonder if the others will be the same now the restaurants are in house by Premier Inn. 

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, Momentary Lapse Of Reason said:

This.

That's not a Dentist, that's a Salesman!

Is there another Dentist in a sensible distance?

I know nothing about Health Care in Norway, is there something like the NHS there?

We had a great dentist prior to Covid. Never got the feeling you were pressurised into treatments or unnecessary work.
However they sold the practice and the lot that have taken over always seem to find something that needs doing. You just feel they are more interested in the money than whether you really need the treatment.

[Spiny Norman]

2 hours ago, DavieW said:

She ended up shouting "don't speak to me like that", turned and walked away. 

 

Quite fucking right. 

The way some members of the public speak to retail/service industry employees is shocking.  

[castros_bro]

Dentists ....................... Teeth, money, pain, money, extraction, money, drilling, wonga.    

Wikipedia quote (so must* be true)         On 1 January 2025, dental amalgam was prohibited for use in the EU, except when deemed strictly necessary by the dentist based on the specific needs of the patient.^[141] The British Dental Association has worked with the Council of European Dentists to prevent an immediate ban of amalgam until further research into practicalities has been undertaken,^[142] which is currently ongoing.^[143][144] The European Commission will report to European Parliament by June 2020, and to the European Council by 2030 regarding the viability of ending dental amalgam use by 2030.^[140]

UK NHS dentist only use amalgam unless you pay for private, my quote was £750 for two non amalgam fillings and I probably need 6 plus a root canal which they previously bodged by leaving a bit to fester and rot. The obvious thing is to find a different dentist so, from a recommendation, I checked one out last week.  October return flight £80 + bus from airport £14.

 

[horriblemercedes]

15 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Quite fucking right. 

The way some members of the public speak to retail/service industry employees is shocking.  

It's a long time since I've had this problem, but I'm always bemused by the ones who just won't speak to junior staff and must have the attention of a manager. It's not only rude, but in my experience, that manager just says "here you go, our junior sales assistant will be able to help you with that" and leaves them to it.

I've never understood the superiority feeling that must be involved in insisting that a junior member of staff is not good enough to serve you.

 

[Spiny Norman]

I'll quite happily dump anyone who asks onto my manager, he's paid more than me and it keeps the moaning cunts out my face. 

In another work related grump, a question for those who work in  these kinds of places where you're on shifts and are given a weekly rota. 

How long before the week do you get that week's rota? A week? Two weeks? Two days? For us it's  often the latter and rarely more than 5-6 days ahead and sometimes even after that it gets changed often completely fucking up your plans. I rarely know more than a few days in advance what my days off are going to be next week. It's about to trigger a rather tetchy conversation with management... 

[horriblemercedes]

7 minutes ago, Spiny Norman said:

I'll quite happily dump anyone who asks onto my manager, he's paid more than me and it keeps the moaning cunts out my face. 

In principle yes, but I remember one particular job I had where people would phone and lots of them would insist on speaking to a particular person. They wouldn't even say what it was about. Just "I will speak to Mr Smith about it, thank you."

 

Nine times out of ten, he'd tell them that I was the one they needed to speak to and just hand the phone back, then grumpy because of wasting his time. To be honest in that particular place, I think it was because he quite liked his name to be attached to everything, but didn't like the consequence that it meant that so many people asked for him by name.

[mercedade]

16 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Quite fucking right. 

The way some members of the public speak to retail/service industry employees is shocking.  

When I am world king, everyone will:

• spend six months of national service on the tills of McDonalds/Tesco/Harvester, so that when they are released into the real world, they have some idea of just how thick, rude and unpleasant people feel comfortable being to people in paid positions of service.
• do their CBT within 12 months of passing their driving test. It totally transformed my perception of risk and vulnerability. I've not ridden since, but would happily do another refresher.

I'd also make it illegal for everyone apart from me and my friends to drive on a Sunday, but that's a separate concern.

[horriblemercedes]

24 minutes ago, mercedade said:

When I am world king, everyone will:

• spend six months of national service on the tills of McDonalds/Tesco/Harvester, so that when they are released into the real world, they have some idea of just how thick, rude and unpleasant people feel comfortable being to people in paid positions of service.
• do their CBT within 12 months of passing their driving test. It totally transformed my perception of risk and vulnerability. I've not ridden since, but would happily do another refresher.

I'd also make it illegal for everyone apart from me and my friends to drive on a Sunday, but that's a separate concern.

It's interesting how people switch. People who seem normal socially but just treat people in that position like dog dirt, just because they've decided that that person is beneath them. I think that some of these people don't even realise how horribly they are behaving - it's like they don't get that the person in front of them is a human.

[chadders]

1 hour ago, horriblemercedes said:

It's interesting how people switch. People who seem normal socially but just treat people in that position like dog dirt, just because they've decided that that person is beneath them. I think that some of these people don't even realise how horribly they are behaving - it's like they don't get that the person in front of them is a human.

Recently I spent some time in the company of about 10 or so Oxford grads, all in their early 30s by the way.

The sheer level of arrogance and entitlement was amazing, only one said  "please and thank you" to the serving staff, who were great by the way. Someone who was with them at a prior event told me how they were the same then.

[alcyonecorporation]

8 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

It's a long time since I've had this problem, but I'm always bemused by the ones who just won't speak to junior staff and must have the attention of a manager. It's not only rude, but in my experience, that manager just says "here you go, our junior sales assistant will be able to help you with that" and leaves them to it.

I've never understood the superiority feeling that must be involved in insisting that a junior member of staff is not good enough to serve you.

 

The worst customer I ever had at the Co-Op was a homeless bod, who received vouchers to buy food. 
He was non-verbal, and instead communicated by grunting and squealing. 
Those transactions were never easy, but we always muddled through. 

One particular day was rather different, however:
'Fuck off, you smelly bastard, I'm not serving you,' I said. 

He came back with his social worker and a police officer, telling them that I'd sworn at him. 
Fuck knows how he managed to articulate that, but there they were. 

I had indeed sworn at him, and there had been a good reason. 
In front of eight customers, because apparently I hadn't packed his bag right, he spat in my face. 
That part, curiously, was omitted from his account of events. 

Luckily, I don't work in retail any more.