The grumpy thread

[myglaren]

automatic wipe would sweep the screen three times then go mental.

Isn't that pretty much par for the course with PSA auto wipers though?

 

There is a hypothesis that this is so. The answer seems to be an exceptionally clean screen in the sensor area.

This is the first car I have owned with autowipers.

 

The previous C5 was fitted with the sensor but it was presumably buggered as they never worked, neither did the windows close when it rained, which was often and usually resulted in a soggy bum on the way home from work.

[scooters]

Ok, now that I take more drugs than the stray cats who used to raid Pablo Escobar's bins I find that I need to be a bit organised. The consequences of being even an hour late with some of the pills are most unpleasant. I need to buy a watch that has a function allowing me to set up to 5 alarms per day. The only ones I can find are ones that have multiple alarms but they can split into daily, hourly, monthly, annual.

 

I have to be able to be beeped at 0700, 1230, 1900, 2130 every day..

 

Ideally very cheap but preferably not too hideous....

 

Any ideas?

 

I have already considered a 'giffer' spec Tupperware pill box with times scrawled in Boro on bits of old elastoplast and a windup alarm clock gaffer taped to the back.

[skattrd]

Scooters - what about using a mobile phone?

I can set multiple daily alarms on my android phone, and I'm sure most other smart phone type things can do the same ... or if need be with additional apps.

[scooters]

Yeah, might be a plan..only issue is I lugabout one of these new HTC one x phones which is rather large and tends not to be on me 24/7...I'll give it a whirl though, it does indeed have a sophisticated alarm system.

[Richard]

There do seem to be a number of watches available that are specifically designed for the purpose.

 

http://medicalarm.co.uk/index.php?main_ ... oducts_all

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=medic ... 80&bih=590 (as with all "shopping" searches some of those are the wrong thing entirely)

 

*Might fail on both the "cheap" and "not hideous" fronts. Maybe you could get the NHS to chip in.

[DSdriver]

Yeah, might be a plan..only issue is I lugabout one of these new HTC one x phones which is rather large and tends not to be on me 24/7...I'll give it a whirl though, it does indeed have a sophisticated alarm system.

My old fashioned Samsung phone which cost five pounds in CarPhoneWarehouse has an alarm that does all that and it vibrates as well which is handy if you're a bit mutton like me.

[DSdriver]

Now on to my own grump. I have been trying for weeks to find time to take my spare set of DS wheels in to be powder coated. The place I want to take them is about twenty miles away. Yesterday I got fed up with looking at them rusting away outside the workshop so loaded them into the back of the car and took them to a local Tonbridge wheel refurbishment company which is just down the road and was recommended by A60rod of this parish.

Them: "What colour do you want them?"

Me: "What colours do you do?"

Them: "Any colour you like"

Me: "Good, I'd like them grey like they are now."

Them: "We can't do that, what about off white?"

Me: "OK, if that's the nearest it will have to do.

As I walked in the door at home the phone was ringing. They were phoning to tell me that "for technical reasons" they could not do them and would I come and collect them again.

Something to do with the wheels not having a big enough hole in the middle.

I'm sure it could have been easily resolved if they applied themselves.

[Station]

That's fairly slack. Maybe they mount the wheel in the middle for electro-something or other as part of the process? I've encountered places that have said no just because they couldn't be assed that day.

[DSdriver]

They could have told me that when I took them in rather than waiting till I got home which meant another trip in Saturday morning traffic.

Anyway, feeling better now, just had the saloon out for a hoon, 2.3 efi FEEL THE POWAR. Was a bit fluttery though, last years petrol?

[pompei]

Not sure if this should be in the Grump or Grin thread ... Mrs P has seen a robin exiting from the underside of the Fronterror engine bay. Bet the little bugger is nesting in there somewhere. Means I can't move it which means I can't get the 500 out of the garage as it's right in front of the door...

 

At least it's not a fecking pigeon.

[Station]

At least it's not a fecking pigeon.

 

I was walking into work the other day which is in a nice area surrounded by proper mansions with nice cars and I happened to look up a driveway and saw one of those 'posh' pigeons (the wood pigeon thing) standing on the driveway looking at a DB5 with an almost admiring look in it's eye. It was actually standing there with it's head turned looking at it.

 

Just open the bonnet and check for a nest, it can't be helped if you have to shift it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Went into B+Q today as they had a big 2-page ad in the guardian this mornign with some 'this weekend 48h only' special offers including a Bosch drill at half price which looked worth having. Got there at 11 am (takes a while to read the paper you see), no drills surprise surprise. 'Sorry sir, sold out'! i asked some lad how many theyd sold - 12 apparently. a f***ing UK-wide promotion and they've stocked up in advance with the grand total of 12 drills. I asked if i couold order it, he crunched up his face and said 'you can sir, but it will take up to two weeks to arrive'!!!! 2 weeks for a fucking drill that you've got spalttered all over todays national press? I ordered it anyway like. Twats.

[Cavcraft]

Weird place like that are B&Q. Had the same with a stupidly cheap 2T genny advertised for something like £27.00 a couple of years back. 'Haven't got any, don't think we'll get any more in'.

Jibbed it, walked off and three weeks later I'm back in to get some decorating stuff for the bread knife and there was the £27.00 genny. They only had one so I got it, never used it and lobbed it on eBay for a very nice profit.

 

Today's minor grump:

 

Having a roadworking gang in my head c/w jack hammers, mixers, drill, the works. DEFO nothing to do with last night's kidney punishing session though.

[morris_ital_lover]

I was having a gander on the Hindustan website and it looks like they are now actively trying to replace the original Ambassador so in a while the greatest British automotive survivor of the 20th century wil finally come to an inglorious end.... well done Morris on that one.

[FredTransit]

Not sure if this should be in the Grump or Grin thread ... Mrs P has seen a robin exiting from the underside of the Fronterror engine bay. Bet the little bugger is nesting in there somewhere. Means I can't move it which means I can't get the 500 out of the garage as it's right in front of the door...

 

At least it's not a fecking pigeon.

 

Got a nest complete with 5 eggs on top of the truck's batteries! Moved it to the Mk1 luton's petrol tank. Hope she finds it, gotta move some motors so had to move it.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I was having a gander on the Hindustan website and it looks like they are now actively trying to replace the original Ambassador so in a while the greatest British automotive survivor of the 20th century wil finally come to an inglorious end.... well done Morris on that one.

 

Presenting the 2014 Hindustan Ambassador 2:

 

Should see them through to about 2040.

[Station]

Yeah, thanks for that.

 

[scooters]

Do not use D&G Autos in Inverkiething....

 

that Focus that I was helping a mate sell - 1st off they charged him nigh on 1000 quid to replace injectors and glow plugs - starting issue was actually a low voltage starter motor.

 

Friday I get a call from the buyer - windscreen wipers have failed - so I tell them to bring the car over here and they could take the Scoob for the weekend - low and behold the new wiper motor they installed 2 years ago at a cost of £300 they had a/neglected to grease and b/ had not secured the electrical connection plug properly - this was because the jaws which hold it in place were broken so it was loose - hence the intermittent wiper failures since they did the job - why then did they replace the motor? they didn't fix the problem and told John it would take them several days to test the wiper circuit for a fault - what utter mince - it took me about 10 mins with a multi meter to check the switch, relay, fuse box, wires and motor - 5 mins to notice the pivots were ungreased and very stiff and 3 fecking hours to remove the bloody linkage, grease it - test it and rewire the dodgey cables.

 

All because some lazy Fifer couldn't be arsed to do his job properly..

 

mind you - I would think twice before buying a Ford Focus TDci - Renner quality electrics!

[ruffgeezer]

Those shitty little autoped scooter things, if you can't do more than 28mph and you are in a 60 limit, get your shit out of my way you arsehole.

 

It's all very well "tucking in" to gain that 1/4 mile of an hour, but your shitty little leaf blower is still in my way, sounding like a swarm of spunk bees trying to exit a metallic jap's eye.

 

What is the penalty for punting the little bleeder into a hedge with the xantia's ample bumperage?

[ayd]

been back to my parents for a week to help out after mums hip operation.

£200 Audi performed flawlessly and covered 1100 miles in the week without missing a single beat.

Finally get back home today looking forward to sitting down, having a drink and ordering in a takeaway, go to shut the sunroof and it won't.

 

Spent from 3pm until now (after the 6 hour drive home) removing the trim, headlining and sunroof in a vein attempt to get it at least closed but it's really broken. A large clip at the back has snapped and the sunroof will not sit square no matter how much I try and persuede it.

Got it as close as I can and thrown it back in and just ordered a replacement from the bay. Just hope it doesn't rain or Iit will get soaked inside.

 

Seems my good deed or helping my parents repaid me by costing me a tiring afternoon and £60 for a replacement...fingers crossed it arrives quickly

[eddyramrod]

Seems my good deed or helping my parents repaid me by costing me a tiring afternoon and £60

 

Good deeds will always bite yer bum, you can rely on that... but we still do them. Humans, eh?

 

Meanwhile, Mrs R. It seems now she may have a skin cancer by her left eye. So now we need to be back in UK like half an hour ago. House full of tenants for at least another 3 months, 3 cars to sell, loads of stuff to pack (and no boxes), 3 animals to re-home and some other fiddling little detail... oh yes: no money. Life? Don't talk to me about life...

[messerschmitt owner]

what makes me grumpy today is chancing shysters selling Olympic torches at up to £175,000 on eBay and donating 10% of the proceeds to charity.

 

Supposedly, the people chosen for this - all 8,000 - are philanthropic do-gooders who have given their time and energy to good causes, other people and to charity - but no! It seems some are greedy scum, intent on making a bung out of it all, and a not insubstantial bung either.

 

There's 8,000 torches - it isn't like they'll be scarce in years to come.

 

Thank God we get rid of this nonsense from our streets this week!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Surely no-one is actually gonna pay £175k for a torch if there are 79,999 others knocking about. If they do, good luck to the seller I say, the idiot buyer deserves it.

[HillmanImp]

If I had it I would sell it if it was worth £175, let along £175,000. I am pretty sure 90% of them will be up for sale now they all think they are worth mega bucks. If they are not putting them up for sale they are already too rich and should give some of their huge wealth to charity.

 

I see Daily Mail readers are whinging because its the taxpayers money that paid for them and are sending abusive messages to the people selling them. I assume the same individuals are also aghast about this chap who is selling his Blue Peter badge which my TV licence paid for.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blue-Peter-Gold-Medallion-Competition-Winners-Badge-/221025455082

 

THE FUCKING BASTARD!

[willswitchengage]

what makes me grumpy today is chancing shysters selling Olympic torches at up to £175,000 on eBay and donating 10% of the proceeds to charity.

 

I posted one of those I found on "bargains" this morning - a few hours later and it has already been swiftly removed. I imagine the LOCOG 5-0 have finally found something useful to do with their time...

[Danblez]

I dont feel the need to vent in here often but for the love of god why are the DVLA SO SHIT?

 

Scenario:

 

I buy car, current owner sends off V5C and a refund for the tax.

I send off v890 (SORN notication) and tick the box which sates the V5C has already been submitted in my name!

 

All makes perfect sense at this point.

 

3 weeks later I receive a letter stating the car isnt registered to me (NO SHIT SHERLOCK!) and I need to fill in a V62 and send another v890 in.

 

Just got through to the bods at DVLA who say it was because it wasn't registered in my name and so I couldn't SORN it. Apparently I should have sent the v5c and v890 in together even though the previous owner wanted to send the v5c back. What is the point of the tick box stating it has been applied for in my name?

 

So it has now been SORN'D 3 weeks late and apparently I may get a fine for this in which case I will have to appeal. Even though I filled in the form they asked me to and ticked the correct box at the correct time!!!!!!!! ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

When i buy an old motor I never bother SORNing it till the logbook has come through in my name, which essentially means I SORN it 3 weeks late, and i’ve never had any bother. Just do it on-line when the v5 comes through and you’re laughing. You’re 99.5% unlikely to get a fine for doing that. Note, the whole UK population (inc children/animals and other non-motorists) has a 0.5% chance of receiving a fine off the DVLA at any time so you’re statistically no more likely to get a fine than anyone else if you follow this procedure.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

what makes me grumpy today is chancing shysters selling Olympic torches at up to £175,000 on eBay and donating 10% of the proceeds to charity.

 

Supposedly, the people chosen for this - all 8,000 - are philanthropic do-gooders who have given their time and energy to good causes, other people and to charity - but no! It seems some are greedy scum, intent on making a bung out of it all, and a not insubstantial bung either.

 

There's 8,000 torches - it isn't like they'll be scarce in years to come.

 

Thank God we get rid of this nonsense from our streets this week!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/London-2012-O ... 500wt_1028

 

36 bids to £80,000 for a photograph of the olympic torch printed on A4 glossy paper.

[Lankytim]

Guy at work---- Wanna buy a cheap Jag? It's an R reg, no tax or test and a bit tatty (guy suggests a tempting price)

Me----- Yeah, OK. When do you want me to come and get it?

Guy at work---- Errrr, well, you know, errrm...

 

END OF CORRESPONDENCE.

 

This is V annoying and seems to happen alot to me. I get the impression he thought I was going to say no, and when I didn't he didn't know what to do. I expect in the coming months i'll find out that he sold it to a scrap dealer for £10 because "I didn't think you wanted it, mate".

[Guest]

'Private' 'special' University facebook group going mental. I really am getting sick of it.