The grumpy thread

[Pete-M]

Of the newer cars I've driven, I'm a big fan of the Ford Focus.

Really? I occasionally have to drive them for work, and I find them frankly dreadful. Agreed, the diesel versions are quite punchy, and they handle well for their size/weight, but I can't stand the total detachment of driving them. It's like playing an incredibly boring computer game - there's no sense of actually being on a real road at all. I find myself fighting sleep every time I drive them, even when I'm not remotely tired.

Eh? This post makes no sense at all to me. Focii are ace things, a lot more talkative than a lot of older stuff. I prefer driving a Mk1 Focus to a Mk2 Golf GTi or similar as the Focus is more fun, handles better, grips better, steers better, brakes better and rides better.If you found it 'detached' you didn't try hard enough. The harder you push the Focus, the more it comes to life. I've driven a Mk1 Focus 2.0 Zetec (when new) back to back against a Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and I preferred the Focus. I really rate the Focus.

[Guest]

Of the newer cars I've driven, I'm a big fan of the Ford Focus.

Really? I occasionally have to drive them for work, and I find them frankly dreadful. Agreed, the diesel versions are quite punchy, and they handle well for their size/weight, but I can't stand the total detachment of driving them. It's like playing an incredibly boring computer game - there's no sense of actually being on a real road at all. I find myself fighting sleep every time I drive them, even when I'm not remotely tired.

Eh? This post makes no sense at all to me. Focii are ace things, a lot more talkative than a lot of older stuff. I prefer driving a Mk1 Focus to a Mk2 Golf GTi or similar as the Focus is more fun, handles better, grips better, steers better, brakes better and rides better.If you found it 'detached' you didn't try hard enough. The harder you push the Focus, the more it comes to life. I've driven a Mk1 Focus 2.0 Zetec (when new) back to back against a Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and I preferred the Focus. I really rate the Focus.

It must be the petrol ones that handle, because I drove a TDCi Mk1 and it had the cornering abilities of a mallet. My 306 would have shit on it down a country road. Was impressive in a straight for such a dull mobile though.My Ka 3 was a reet laugh though, even though it was criminally underpowered. You could drive that car at 100%. GR8 4 ANNOYIN UR COLLIGE FRENDZ WOT AVE MK3 GOLF GTIS WOT FINK THEYS THE BEST AND FAZTEZT CARZ IN DA WERLD INNIT.

[Justin Case]

How is having heater controls that you need a Phd to operate considered a good idea from a safety point of view? Give me 2 sliders, one marked 'HOT' and 'COLD', and the other marked 'SCREEN' and 'CAR' (or a blue rectangle and a red rectangle, and a pictogram of a windscreen and a stick man with an arrow pointing at his feet... I'm not fussy.)

I can live with the PhD controls of climate control systems, a small price to pay for not sticking to the seats in summer and being able to see through the windscreen in winter. But why do we have to something like the control panel of a jumbo jet taking up most of the centre console, making everything else too small and fiddly to use. All anyone needs is a knob on the left with OFF-VOL, a knob on the right with TUNE and two pushbuttons marked MW and LW

[Pete-M]

I really rate the Focus.

It must be the petrol ones that handle, because I drove a TDCi Mk1 and it had the cornering abilities of a mallet. My 306 would have shit on it down a country road. Was impressive in a straight for such a dull mobile though.

I should have pointed that out, yeah. The diesel ones are rather nose heavy, but people who buy diesel cars don't know about cars...Petrol ones are ace fun. The 1.4 is crap, the 1.6 is ok, the 1.8 is a whole world better than the 1.6 and the 2.0 isn't as quick as it should be but it's nicely torquey. The ST170 is very very good fun and the RS is just manic.Diesel estates aren't quite as bad as the hatch to hustle about.

[Guest]

people who buy diesel cars don't know about cars...

[Mr H Sceptre]

Of the newer cars I've driven, I'm a big fan of the Ford Focus.

Really? I occasionally have to drive them for work, and I find them frankly dreadful. Agreed, the diesel versions are quite punchy, and they handle well for their size/weight, but I can't stand the total detachment of driving them. It's like playing an incredibly boring computer game - there's no sense of actually being on a real road at all. I find myself fighting sleep every time I drive them, even when I'm not remotely tired.

Interesting. I actually find the Focus a lot more involved than many other new cars I've driven.

[Pete-M]

people who buy diesel cars don't know about cars...

People who buy diesels do it to save money, there's no other reason to do it. Give 90% of diesel buyers a choice of handling & performance or saving £10 a week and they'll all go for the bloody diesel.If anyone's typing out a long rant about diesels brilliant torque curves and fuel range, don't bother.... you're a cheapskate and I know it

[Mr Lobster]

As above, Mk1 Focus is a superb thing. I had a 1.8 Focus when it was new and it was superb. Really handled well. I do quite like the current Focus as well although it's not a patch on the original. I agree that not all new cars are bad just that a lot are dumbed down to lowest common denominator level so they become bland and diluted. I absolutely love my Seat (Toledo 20V Turbo) despite the fact that it is pretty recent being a 2004 car. Fast, reliable, comfy, did just over 1000 miles in the space of slighty less than a day in June and enjoyed every minute. It's a touch thirsty but then I'm not a big fan of modern diesels either.Theres nothing wrong with diesels, just that modern diesels try too hard to match the performance of a petrol engined car and become less reliable and more expensive in the process.

[pogweasel]

It is well documented that I like a Focus, mainly for the reasons as set out by Pete. Plus they are pretty well screwed together. We are on our second, both 'mingebag' diesels. Good as they are, little things piss me off though, like the poundland digital clock clearly lashed in as an afterthought, and that everyone's got one. And while they handle nicely, they are still very neutral safe-understeery, hence why I have to keep my BMW too, because sometimes I want, nay need to scare myself silly....

[whitevanman]

people who buy diesel cars don't know about cars...

People who buy diesels do it to save money, there's no other reason to do it. Give 90% of diesel buyers a choice of handling & performance or saving £10 a week and they'll all go for the bloody diesel.If anyone's typing out a long rant about diesels brilliant torque curves and fuel range, don't bother.... you're a cheapskate and I know it

Sorry Pete, but I have to disagree with you. I actually like driving diesels, having to run a Forester turbo at the moment.fantastic motor.........but I cant wait to get back to the Turd Blow diesel P100..guess I'm just weird

[seth]

Metric Fasteners.

Sounds like a French car. Japanese cars tend to use 10, 12, 14, 17 and 19 in my experience whereas French also throw 11, 13, 15, 16 and even occasionally 18 in as well.

Nope. Was a Mazda. Maybe I didn't use all the spanners I mentioned but they were certainly all out at the end of the job so things were near enough in size for me not to be able to tell what they were.

 

Modern cars? I dislike them for reasons already stated - size and lack of vision. I feel much more like I'm going to have a crash whenever I do drive one. I've never found the driving experience difficult - they seem to do what they're supposed to. Its just little things like some of the controls (and aforementioned quantity of them) that can be infuriating.

[Mr Lobster]

The Post Office.

 

National Strike.

 

Great. Thanks very much for that.

 

Really, really a big help.

 

Thanks once again.

 

That is all.

 

 

 

"Hello, is that DHL / ParcelNet / HDN / etc..."

 

 

Clifton, who has threatened to bring the Cumbrian village of Greendale to a standstill, said: "He knows fuck all about it anyway. I'm the one who's out there in all weathers delivering erection pills and Leona Lewis CDs while he sits in the van with his tongue stuck halfway up his crack

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/busi ... 910082119/

[ChinaTom]

"Go Compare"and "Where is this product going wrong? Nowhere"Day spoiling - even if you happen to be just walking past the tele at the time.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Alan Sugar. Wanker.His style of management is totally unacceptable in the 'real world'. Shouting & swearing at folk in no way motivates them to do a better job.So the bloke owned Amstrad, & fucked it up. big deal. And now our wonderful Government want him as a business 'zsar'. What a joke.

[Mr Lobster]

And now our wonderful Government want him as a business 'zsar'. What a joke.

On the bright side, come May 2010 - You're Fired!(Hopefully)

[Mr H Sceptre]

And now our wonderful Government want him as a business 'zsar'. What a joke.

On the bright side, come May 2010 - You're Fired!(Hopefully)

Very true!

[Richard]

The Royal Mail is being groomed for privatisation, I imagine the strikes are being orchestrated as part of the big plan, as are the alternating stories about record profits and financial crisis. We will miss it when one of the courier companies does buy it for £7.50.

[brammy777]

University days at college.Im not a fan, sure i should be thankful they want me to go into further education and the fact i have a chance to and probably will.But they are so so pushy its unbelievable. We never get told the other options, its made to seem like:'University or die'And today i had to sit through a presentation which me and my classmates presumed was showing what we, as automotive students could do in University.But no, instead it was what engineering students could do. Im not an Engineering student, i did it at school and it wasnt my cup of tea at all.And they ruined our timetable today and tomorrow in doing this. Waste of time.

[Richard]

Oh, and Alan Sugar- Cunt and crook.

[Richard]

University days at college.Im not a fan, sure i should be thankful they want me to go into further education and the fact i have a chance to and probably will.But they are so so pushy its unbelievable. We never get told the other options, its made to seem like:'University or die'And today i had to sit through a presentation which me and my classmates presumed was showing what we, as automotive students could do in University.But no, instead it was what engineering students could do. Im not an Engineering student, i did it at school and it wasnt my cup of tea at all.And they ruined our timetable today and tomorrow in doing this. Waste of time.

I can tell you that doing an Engineering degree will have a more detrimental effect on your career prospects than a string of armed robbery convictions. Next time the snake oil salesmen come round ask them for real examples of people who have benefited from going to their university. They will not be able to provide a single one.

[warren t claim]

Twats on Ebay who will always put in their ad "car is advertised elsewhere and can be withdrawn at any time" yet when I ask them how much they are asking for it they clam up and refuse to tell me. Why? Surely there is a price on the advert they have placed?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I can tell you that doing an Engineering degree will have a more detrimental effect on your career prospects than a string of armed robbery convictions.

Sorry, but i am going to have to query that one. Are you sure its right?

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The Post Office.National Strike.

Oh for fucks sake, not again. So when does this one start? I've got loads of stuff to send out tomorrow.

[r.welfare]

I have an Engineering degree, but am not an engineer. The maths bit helped with my current career though, definitely. That said, if I'd known what I do now was what I wanted to do at 18, I would have just gone into it straight from school and been at the same position salary-wise 2 years earlier.

 

On the other hand, my mate (who did the same degree) went to work as an engineer at Lucas/TRW, and thoroughly hated it. So much so that he trained as a teacher and emigrated to Australia*.

 

Seems that, down this way in at least, a University degree is still a requirement to get the door open to an interview to your first white-collar job if that's what you want to do.

 

The actual degree itself doesn't matter half as much as you think though, so if you want to go to Uni, make it easy on yourself and do a BA in Geography or something where you only have 4 hours of lectures a week - leaving you much more time for drinking and shagging**.

 

* There may have been other circumstances leading to this than just his choice of vocation and employer.

 

** Other pastimes are available.

[pogweasel]

I have an Engineering degree, but am not an engineer. The maths bit helped with my current career though, definitely. That said, if I'd known what I do now was what I wanted to do at 18, I would have just gone into it straight from school and been at the same position salary-wise 2 years earlier.On the other hand, my mate (who did the same degree) went to work as an engineer at Lucas/TRW, and thoroughly hated it. So much so that he trained as a teacher and emigrated to Australia*.Seems that, down this way in at least, a University degree is still a requirement to get the door open to an interview to your first white-collar job if that's what you want to do.The actual degree itself doesn't matter half as much as you think though, so if you want to go to Uni, make it easy on yourself and do a BA in Geography or something where you only have 4 hours of lectures a week - leaving you much more time for drinking and shagging**.* There may have been other circumstances leading to this than just his choice of vocation and employer.** Other pastimes are available.

Hang about now Welfare, I am going to have to pull you up on this. I have a BA in Geography and had to do a gruelling 12 hours of lectures a week. Still plenty of time for drinking & shagging though.Did it help though? Not sure. I still had to start work on the bottom rung (min wage), though that was mostly because I didn't go down the route of obvious 'graduate' jobs I suppose.

[Cavcraft]

University days at college.Im not a fan, sure i should be thankful they want me to go into further education and the fact i have a chance to and probably will.But they are so so pushy its unbelievable. We never get told the other options, its made to seem like:'University or die'And today i had to sit through a presentation which me and my classmates presumed was showing what we, as automotive students could do in University.But no, instead it was what engineering students could do. Im not an Engineering student, i did it at school and it wasnt my cup of tea at all.And they ruined our timetable today and tomorrow in doing this. Waste of time.

I can tell you that doing an Engineering degree will have a more detrimental effect on your career prospects than a string of armed robbery convictions. Next time the snake oil salesmen come round ask them for real examples of people who have benefited from going to their university. They will not be able to provide a single one.

Ah. Not quite the adopted theory where I work I'm afraid. In fact, quite the reverse: get a degree in engineering (or other subjects) and as long as you promise faithfully to have no 'shop floor' experience and swear blind you will only believe what you have read you'll be fine.All this based on the fact that when a 'real life' problem rears it's ugly heads and the only fix is one you didn't read about at university that you categerocially refuse to believe it will work and also refuse to put your name to it. Which should just nicely fuck the day up for those who are waiting round for your two bastarding brain cells to rub together.

[r.welfare]

Hang about now Welfare, I am going to have to pull you up on this. I have a BA in Geography and had to do a gruelling 12 hours of lectures a week. Still plenty of time for drinking & shagging though.

Meh. Folk I knew doing Geography at Reading between '95 and '98 had 4 hours. Us Engineering lot had about 25, inc. "practicals". Basically, the full 4.5 day week (Wednesday afternoon off for "sport") was filled.Anyway, I think everyone is sort-of right here - perhaps qualifications on paper may assist you to get into the job you want, but common sense/real life skills will help you do that job better than just having theoretical skills.

[Richard]

I can tell you that doing an Engineering degree will have a more detrimental effect on your career prospects than a string of armed robbery convictions.

Sorry, but i am going to have to query that one. Are you sure its right?

It's certainly my experience- though my degree is from a pretend university (Abertay), which doesn't help. Even in 1995 there were nowhere near enough jobs for Engineering graduates and the graduates:vacancies ratio can only have got worse. I know the odd person benefits from further education but they are very much in the minority.

[Guest]

I did a HND in Computing at Uni (the degree follows on from it) and I dropped out because I hated doing it and the bulk of people there had strange personality defects. Never again! No matter how bleak my life gets, I don't think I could ever set foot on a University campus again. Can't hack it! It's not for me.

[chester drawers]

University days at college.

Im not a fan, sure i should be thankful they want me to go into further education and the fact i have a chance to and probably will.

But they are so so pushy its unbelievable.

We never get told the other options, its made to seem like:

'University or die'

And today i had to sit through a presentation which me and my classmates presumed was showing what we, as automotive students could do in University.

But no, instead it was what engineering students could do. Im not an Engineering student, i did it at school and it wasnt my cup of tea at all.

And they ruined our timetable today and tomorrow in doing this.

Waste of time.

At 18 I didn’t have anywhere near enough maturity to make career decisions and was pushed down the university route 'cos it was the done thing. I wanted to study sound engineering but was “advised†not to as my mathematical ability was shite. So I ended up on some pretentious arts degree at a Polyversity by default and hated it. I should have dropped it, but didn’t.

 

Arseing around in a couple of dead-end jobs after graduation gave me sufficient motivation to pull my finger out and do what I should have done in the first place – follow my instincts. Blagged my way into electronics and IT and got the relevant qualifications by studying in my own time.

 

Rambling aside my point is this: Find out as much as you possibly can about all of the options open to you and make an informed decision about what’s right for you. There are plenty of alternatives to full time university study – vocational training, modern apprenticeships etc. but don’t write off anything (including university) until you’ve looked carefully at them all. If you’re still not sure, there’s a lot to be said for taking a year out to think about it.

 

I completely agree with your argument that university sales pitches are nothing to do with careers advice; they’re designed solely to relieve you of cash you don’t yet have. Good luck!