The grumpy thread

[gm]

i take it this is knackered ? went flat when i pulled it out  

 

[Metal Guru]

16 hours ago, alcyonecorporation said:

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. 

I had a supermarket job during the summer holidays when I was a student. We had a particular smelly customer. Every time they walked in, one of the checkout girls would call me , say she needed the toilet and get me to take over her till. After a few times of serving the “smelly woman”, I cottoned on and pretended I was busy elsewhere.  

[Zelandeth]

It doesn't matter how generally pleasant to work on a car is, anything involving messing with wiper linkages is going to be hell.

Especially when you discover that half the issues you've had for the last three years are someone else's hamfisted bodges and that everything is assembled wrong to start with.

Edit: This thirty minute job (four and a half hours and counting) refuses to die.  Now the bloody grub screw on one of the wiper arms has stripped.  That's going to have to be tomorrow me's problem as I'm officially out of time now!

[hairnet]

alex cnut riley

'airtight gap'

[richardmorris]

9 hours ago, gm said:

i take it this is knackered ? went flat when i pulled it out  

 

Looks too close to the side wall for a repair

[AnthonyG]

On 21/09/2026 at 19:51, LightBulbFun said:

good point I had not thought of it like that!

although I have to say Have you seen how disappointing B&Q's lightbulb range is, vs the sort of lamps you see people dump in those bins? good luck to whoever is trying to find a Chinese clone of a Japanese FML27 EX-D for an SAD-Full-Spectrum type lamp and a replacement for the proprietary amusingly cock-and-ball shaped cartridge system germicidal lamp from their Pond Filter at B&Q... 

as just a couple examples of some of the lamps I have fished out of there, and thats the criminal thing is also the number of still either pefectly good or completely unused lamps I have fished out of there, but thats a while other thing (I suspect theres a fair few people who do just use it for disposal so in that regard they should a bin at both the entrance and exit!)

 

 

I assume the staff know you have a penchant for lightbulbs? I’m not sure the people at my local store would let me do any bin diving!

I get that disposing of them is a cost to B & Q, so in a sense you save them money, but I can only imagine the insurance/legality nightmare if random idiots started taking ‘used’ stuff home and then having their house burn down as a result ‘well even though I didn’t pay for it it MUST be your fault’ etc etc. 

[Lord Sterling]

My ears have caused me so much issue recently. I've always been a stickler for gently cleaning them out having suffered from blocked ears in the past due to wax build up.

Over the last year, I've occasionally had some issues with the ear canal irritation. It got so bad whilst I was in Brussels that my right ear now feels blocked and it caused me to feel utterly dizzy for at least a few days. 

My right ear is still blocked but (very) slowly recovering. The left is Ok with the occasional flare up so I need to be very careful how I position my head when I sleep. I need to make an appointment at the doctors as this is ridiculous now.

Also, I have a Roku box and watch YouTube, unfortunately, I've always found the remotes to be occasionally rather unresponsive. I just will not let any adverts run preferring to restart the video and fast-forward it to where it left off. (And before anyone starts with the "just run AdBlocker" or "just" you would like to advise, Roku runs via my TV and router, not via a computer/laptop or via any other device where AdBlocker may be installed)

Today, it decided to not respond at all. No new batteries or anything worked. It occasionally worked and then just stopped. Unfortunately, I have all manner of old Roku remotes but because they're all different, I cannot cobble together one working one.  This is very annoying, so I cannot watch Roku at all on my TV. 

However, I've been paid by work, so I'll have to get a new remote from somewhere. I've bought a pack of 4 remotes too in case of breakage. The old parts will be binned and as they're useless now.

[Lord Sterling]

On 22/09/2026 at 21:37, Spiny Norman said:

Quite fucking right. 

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

Yep. The problem is the entitlement culture that has been festering for many years is showing it's face more and more. There is a reason I got out of the customers service industry and prefer working on my own away from everyone.

On 23/09/2026 at 09:13, castros_bro said:

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

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....

Earlier this year when I went to Brussels, my Dad arranged for me to go and see a dentist mate of his. I had some desperately needed filler work done and I've been right as rain ever since. My local dentist here in the UK wanted me to wait for 6+ months. I just walked out. There are many and varying reasons I need out of the UK for good.

[andy18s]

4 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

My ears have caused me so much issue recently. I've always been a stickler for gently cleaning them out having suffered from blocked ears in the past due to wax build up.

Over the last year, I've occasionally had some issues with the ear canal irritation. It got so bad whilst I was in Brussels that my right ear now feels blocked and it caused me to feel utterly dizzy for at least a few days. 

My right ear is still blocked but (very) slowly recovering. The left is Ok with the occasional flare up so I need to be very careful how I position my head when I sleep. I need to make an appointment at the doctors as this is ridiculous now.

Get yourself one of those cameras for your phone,then get stuck in.

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone....

[myglaren]

4 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

My ears have caused me so much issue recently. I've always been a stickler for gently cleaning them out having suffered from blocked ears in the past due to wax build up.

Over the last year, I've occasionally had some issues with the ear canal irritation. It got so bad whilst I was in Brussels that my right ear now feels blocked and it caused me to feel utterly dizzy for at least a few days. 

My right ear is still blocked but (very) slowly recovering. The left is Ok with the occasional flare up so I need to be very careful how I position my head when I sleep. I need to make an appointment at the doctors as this is ridiculous now.

A trick that I learned from a Leonard Cohen novel, "The Favourite Game", I think, was to use an eye-dropper to flood your lugs with Hydrogen Peroxide.  I use 12% but that may be a bit too concentrated and have heard that 3% is better.

[Lord Sterling]

2 hours ago, andy18s said:

Get yourself one of those cameras for your phone,then get stuck in.

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone....

 

1 hour ago, myglaren said:

A trick that I learned from a Leonard Cohen novel, "The Favourite Game", I think, was to use an eye-dropper to flood your lugs with Hydrogen Peroxide.  I use 12% but that may be a bit too concentrated and have heard that 3% is better.

Cheers. What I forgot to add was, I have one of those rubber bulb things that helps jet water and loosen up wax. Its always been effective. Generally, it'll feel like its giving me stereo hearing. However, this feel much worse now. It might be wax, but it must be very big as warm water isn't even touching the sides and I fear causing further light headedness.  I've used it and nothing cones out, even if the water is a lot warmer. I've just been using olive oil too, it hasn't done a lot but it feel like something is slowly working.  It does occasionally slightly clear up when I'm lying in a certain position or yawn/swallow etc... but then upright, it just comes back and blocks my ear.

[hairnet]

going onto youtube

in the first few thumbnails 

car dealer magazine with brewer and cars to avoid

not looking and would never from that cnut

couldnt block it quick enough

[castros_bro]

8 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Yep. The problem is the entitlement culture that has been festering for many years is showing it's face more and more. There is a reason I got out of the customers service industry and prefer working on my own away from everyone.

Earlier this year when I went to Brussels, my Dad arranged for me to go and see a dentist mate of his. I had some desperately needed filler work done and I've been right as rain ever since. My local dentist here in the UK wanted me to wait for 6+ months. I just walked out. There are many and varying reasons I need out of the UK for good.

 

When I worked in NL and got bad tooth ache I popped over to Brussels where my brother worked and "borrowed" his medical insurance to get superb treatment. Dentist asked if I was paying cash or insurance claim as there were two different prices. However the dentist in Ankara was even better and she was a Professor at METU where I worked.

Obviously as NOTHING to do with the subject - METU does degrees at a fraction on the cost of UK in both tuition and accommodation.  Middle East Technical University 

• 444 international-quota seats for 2026-2027 across roughly 39 English-medium bachelor's programs, weighted toward Engineering: 30 in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 24 in Mechanical Engineering, 22 each in Computer and Civil Engineering, down to single digits in smaller departments.
• Tuition: $1,600/year in Arts & Sciences humanities departments, the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, and the Faculty of Education; $2,400/year in Engineering, Architecture, and the Arts & Sciences science departments.

[GeorgeB]

21 hours ago, hairnet said:

alex cnut riley

'airtight gap'

Whut?

[Popsicle]

14 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

My ears have caused me so much issue recently. I've always been a stickler for gently cleaning them out having suffered from blocked ears in the past due to wax build up.

I get ear wax build up, stabbing pains and deafness, I get my ears syringed every couple of years to clear it all up. Docs prescribed me with an antibiotic spray called Otomize, seems to work well for me. Also regular drops of olive oil seem to keep the crap moving out of the canal. Like you I've never had much joy with home blast it in your ear kits.

I've even tried the Hopi candle stuff, where they pop a candle in your ear and set light to it, its supposed to act like a chimney and remove the crap in your ear canal. It smells lovely and having a young lass sliding a beeswax coated candle in and out of your ear is strangely erotic! But it did bugger all to help my hearing. The highlight of it though was that the lass doing it had huge tits and kept leaning in front of me to check I was alright, as I lay on my side with a stupid grin on my face. 

[Zelandeth]

Well that's fun.  Apparently a tin of baked beans in the pantry for reasons unknown decided to explode overnight.

So I've just spent the last hour scrubbing dried bean juice off the walls, ceiling, fridge and window.

[EyesWeldedShut]

A small poodle or Jack Russel terrier in each hand would make quick work of clearing up the bean juice.
You don't get exploding bean cans in this house as t'missus has a proper, serious, full on phobia about them - can't even bear to see them on somebody else's plate - some people are just weird......

[EyesWeldedShut]

On 25/09/2026 at 13:36, castros_bro said:

Obviously as NOTHING to do with the subject - METU does degrees at a fraction on the cost of UK in both tuition and accommodation.  Middle East Technical University 

• 444 international-quota seats for 2026-2027 across roughly 39 English-medium bachelor's programs, weighted toward Engineering: 30 in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 24 in Mechanical Engineering, 22 each in Computer and Civil Engineering, down to single digits in smaller departments.
• Tuition: $1,600/year in Arts & Sciences humanities departments, the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, and the Faculty of Education; $2,400/year in Engineering, Architecture, and the Arts & Sciences science departments.

Sweden has no fees for EU/EEA citizens. Some degrees are also offered as hybrid (distance/in person) and I  did 2/3rds of a Master's at Linnaeus University, paused it to do a MRes here in the UK and we managed to do the Brexit thing during that MRes.
If I want to finish the Swedish one it's £6,000 a year for the fees - I was a bit rankled about that but, seeing as I'm 64 now I guess it's not a life changer  
I was a bit grumpy at the time though

[High Jetter]

54 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Apparently a tin of baked beans in the pantry for reasons unknown decided to explode overnight.

We all know that baked beans can create gas 😀 but how, in a sealed can?

[auntiemaryscanary]

24 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

We all know that baked beans can create gas 😀 but how, in a sealed can?

I guess it's what known as "blown" - for whatever reason bacteria has got in (or not canned at a high enough temp to kill it in the first place) which releases gas and the can then swells/bulges and, possibly in this case, to the point that it explodes.

[hairnet]

Working

Broken

 

Less than 3 hours between the two

I watched a but of James may explorers then turned it off fir 10 mins while I went downstairs 

Back up waiting for kettle and it turns off then on then off and only sound

Glad its not mine

Sounds of the 80s and YouTube it is

[hairnet]

Looks like a rendering.of a spyshot of a Chinese suv no?

[Lord Sterling]

On 25/09/2026 at 04:39, Lord Sterling said:

My ears have caused me so much issue recently. I've always been a stickler for gently cleaning them out having suffered from blocked ears in the past due to wax build up.

Over the last year, I've occasionally had some issues with the ear canal irritation. It got so bad whilst I was in Brussels that my right ear now feels blocked and it caused me to feel utterly dizzy for at least a few days. 

My right ear is still blocked but (very) slowly recovering. The left is Ok with the occasional flare up so I need to be very careful how I position my head when I sleep. I need to make an appointment at the doctors as this is ridiculous now.

Ok, so further to this, I had a discussion with Mum and Sis_Sterling who suffers a similar ear condition to me. 

It would seem that I have some fluid stuck either in my middle or upper ear canal which explains my day of dizzyness that I suffered one day when Inwas in Brussels. I also suffer quite a bit with eczema in the outer ear canal which explains the itchiness. 

I've been using a very tiny slither of Vix just lightly touched on the outer canal which burns away the itching sensation. The inner fluid will need to be looked at by doctor of which I have an upcoming appointment. 

[MikeR]

Walked the dog today , near the house is a bench with a bin for dog shit next to it  , which I often need for the dog bag  , today a baghead was on the bench sucking on a balloon , refilled his balloon , and it burst , the face on him ! , so he just used the bottle , dumped it ,then he staggered off home around the corner ... How nice ... Sunday fix 

[artdjones]

On 25/09/2026 at 05:20, Lord Sterling said:

Yep. The problem is the entitlement culture that has been festering for many years is showing it's face more and more. There is a reason I got out of the customers service industry and prefer working on my own away from everyone.

We just came back from Spain to Ireland via Brittany Ferries. My wife got talking to a couple of the staff, and they said that they much prefer dealing with Irish people rather than British. The Brits on average are way more entitled. They were Brits themselves, so not likely to be saying it out of prejudice.

[iainrcz]

The SD card in my security camera pooped itself 🙄

[goosey]

On 23/09/2026 at 20:34, alcyonecorporation said:

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. 

When I used to deliver enteral feed supplies as a contractor, I had a few customers like that. People were often rude but a couple of times folk would get violent and if that happened I would go sit in the van call the office and usually wait for the persons carer/relative to come over to accept the items or just cancel the delivery completely. Daft as it sounds I actually quite enjoyed that job but you did sometimes get exposed to some quite upsetting elements of society 

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

We just came back from Spain to Ireland via Brittany Ferries. My wife got talking to a couple of the staff, and they said that they much prefer dealing with Irish people rather than British. The Brits on average are way more entitled. They were Brits themselves, so not likely to be saying it out of prejudice.

You can spot Brits a mile off abroad. The kids are so whiny  and every sentence begins with “I want…”

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, Metal Guru said:

You can spot Brits a mile off abroad. The kids are so whiny  and every sentence begins with “I want…”

Luckily, in September, all the brats are safely locked up again, so unlikely to bother one on the ship. And on land, French and Spanish children are as well behaved as could be reasonably called for.

I like children, but British and Irish ones don't get much discipline from their parents.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, artdjones said:

Luckily, in September, all the brats are safely locked up again, so unlikely to bother one on the ship. And on land, French and Spanish children are as well behaved as could be reasonably called for.

I like children, but British and Irish ones don't get much discipline from their parents.

About 15 ago years ago I was involved in kids rugby (primary age) . One year we organised an “international” tournament with teams from England , France and Ireland and us. the Scottish. (The Welsh didn’t turn up for some reason).

The French and Irish kids were superb but the English kids were awful. (I’m saying that as an Englishman, not a “hate the English bastards” Scotsman).

Now the Irish adults on the other hand …..