The grumpy thread

[j-j]

Just one point regarding people not putting their lights on - I think the problem with some newer cars is that the gauge cluster is backlit at all times,

Not only newer cars, but old SAAB 900s too.

Also on my CX but it's only the speedo + rev. counter that light up with the ignition - everything else is with the lights only.I put on my dipped beam as soon as I reckon I can't be seen as well - so, that's every 10 minutes in the west of Scotchland then...Dunno about anyone else but I've always had a preference for sidelights that are separate from the headlights as you'd see pre 80s. Coming back into fashion tho in such modern grot as the BM MINI and the Fiat 500 etc.I have a peeve about modern car indicators housed in the headlights so you can't see 'em light up due to the headlight glare such as VW Golfs and such - good German efficiency there!

[Pillock]

It's the year 'two thousand' though.

No it's not, it's 2009 Seriously though, there's no 'right way', it's whatever sounds bestest. Twenty-oh-nine sounds wrong, it's better as two-thousand-and-nine. Two-thousand-and-ten sounds rubbish though. Twenty-oh-oh is very wrong.

[Pete-M]

My '61 P5 has a setting on the dash light dimmer to switch the dash lights on whenever the engine is running, the Audi also has them on all the time.I like it.

[j-j]

And thirdly the mong in a transit van who failed to comprehend that if I am already on the motorway, and they are joining, they give way to me. Twunts.

AND they're supposed to 'match the speed' of the traffic - unlike the koknobs I've lately observed - they just cruise in at 30-40 and drift into the center lane at 30-40.. great.

[pogweasel]

Making me grumpy this week:1) Really shit B&B's2) "English" Breakfasts3) Liverpool. I mean, fucking hell!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Liverpools bloody awful innit.Whats making me mad is, 'The Darling Buds of May', keep seeing a trailer on TV for that and just the thought of it coming out the telly into my 12-yr old eyes is making my blood boil, i hate that programme more that life itself or even Strictly come dancing or whatever it is.

[myglaren]

Just one point regarding people not putting their lights on - I think the problem with some newer cars is that the gauge cluster is backlit at all times,

Not only newer cars, but old SAAB 900s too.

Also on my CX but it's only the speedo + rev. counter that light up with the ignition - everything else is with the lights only.

On my BX too, caught me out a time or two, drove out of the very brightly lit supermarket car park onto the road and discovered I had no exterior lights on.

[pogweasel]

Liverpools bloody awful innit.

Disgusting. Anyone wanting to see what 'society' might look like after the apocalypse? Go to Liverpool. Without a shadow of a doubt the most horrendous shit-hole I have ever been to, and I have been to some right rough bits in the middle east, and Newcastle for that matter. Unfortunately I have to go there again next week. I think I shall only emerge from my Travelodge for the minimum amount of time necessary to get the job done and that's it.

[Guest]

Vic went to Liverpool once and said it was really good, loads of old "waffle" buildings, etc. You lot aren't very easily impressed.

[Station]

I think I agree on the Liverpool thing, the centre was done out big time in the most hideous mis-shaped architecture you could lay your eyes on.

 

If anyone's a even a small fan of architecture, you should look up 'Brutalism', which was popular post-war - a lot of old Russian and East Germany buildings look like this, and it's like a migraine in brick form.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalism

 

I wonder what they'll call the current monstrosities being built in Liverpool in twenty years time. Anyway, it's been built and it's FILTHY already, there's this strange black stuff on the streets, everywhere you go, and that's in the posh parts. The surrounding areas are so badly maintained, it's clear where all the money is going. 'Liverpool' is the bit in the middle, according to the councillers.

[RedSparrow]

I am afraid I'm a bit of a fan of brutalist architecture.

 

Some favourites include:

 

Palast der Republik, DDR

 

House of the Soviet, Russia

 

Nice.

[pogweasel]

I recently took myself to the design museum, and they had a 'thing' which had loads about british brutalist architechture, very interesting really. Clever what you can do with concrete.

[Milford Cubicle]

 

What about Cumbernauld?

I like brutalist architecture too, it's a shame a lot of it is being/has been demolished in this century.

[RedSparrow]

Great stuff. Thamesmead looks ace too.

[myglaren]

I am afraid I'm a bit of a fan of brutalist architecture.

 

House of the Soviet, Russia

 

Nice.

There was a block of flats near here that emulated that 'construction'. It was like a war zone there.

Bought by a private developer, converted into expensive luxury apartments, walls and elaborate fences around it, electric gates, CCTV. Cars still disappear regularly, the locals apparently still think it is a free for all there.

[pogweasel]

In theory, the philosophy works quite well, 'cities in the sky' was supposed to be about functional but stylish living, however the low cost and high density was siezed upon as a good 'fix' for social housing, so putting so many thick and poor people all together was always a recipe for disaster. The Barbican is probably the best example of brutalism which actually worked, rather than just being depressing and shit. I do like the Goldfinger stuff though, Trellick & Balfron are impressively menacing.How did we get here? Oh yes, I was berating Liverpool. It probably didn't help that the first site on my 'hitlist' was at the junction of hill street and mill street, in deepest Toxteth. What wasn't boarded up had bars on the windows, rubbish blowing about the streets and the handful of brave souls who ventured out seemed to be dead-eyed zombies shuffling about in search of the most disgusting forms of nourishment and/or hard drugs.

[seth]

but if it's one of the new sort of 3-wheeler types, forget it....

Not entirely true. We bought a Quinny buggy which folds down into a flat squarish frame, the seat comes off and squashes flat and all the wheels come off. That meant being able to locate the various bits in such a way that they could take up nooks and crannies that nothing else fitted in. It was not a major mission to put together, maybe 15 seconds. A straightforward umbrella fold was too long to go across the boot of the Herald.I have read several times of people complaining about being able to reach in and do up child seat belts etc. We've normally reached over from the front seats and I've wondered what all the fuss was about but then I realised most of our cars have not had high front seat head rests in the way... Between the ages of 3 months and 3 years our daughter rarely went in cars with more than two doors anyway.

[Richard]

In theory, the philosophy works quite well, 'cities in the sky' was supposed to be about functional but stylish living, however the low cost and high density was siezed upon as a good 'fix' for social housing, so putting so many thick and poor people all together was always a recipe for disaster.

Exactly. I think architecture gets too much blame for social problems. You can shut down factories and hospitals, take away all the services, move junkies in and then blame the flats for the inevitable carnage that ensues?

[Mr Lobster]

How did we get here? Oh yes, I was berating Liverpool. It probably didn't help that the first site on my 'hitlist' was at the junction of hill street and mill street, in deepest Toxteth.

Thats about 1/4 of a mile from my 'workplace'. And yes, its a bit grim. There are some nice areas but an awful lot of the city is eye openingly awful. And a lot of the locals do look rather like the only reason they've come out from wherever they live is to get another fix. A lot of them come to rent cars from us, hence the reason we have a big OMG POLICE LINKED PANIC SYSTEM which gets used surprisingly often (last was about a month ago when some bag head started throwing traffic cones at the girl on the counter when she refused to hire to him).To be fair though, a lot of places are a bit like that, only to a lesser extent. Liverpool does manage grim better than most other places though.

[RedSparrow]

Totally. Eastern europe is full of concrete tower blocks, especially in the cities. In Britain we associate them with social problems, but over there they are just normal housing for thousands of people. After WW2 people were grateful to be given them.

[michiel]

last was about a month ago when some bag head started throwing traffic cones at the girl on the counter when she refused to hire to him

Did he bring traffic cones with him? I've been there once, played the Cavern, gazed at the underdressed kids outside in the cold and slept in a closed and semi-derelict pub in a half demolished neighbourhood... don't feel the need to go back.

[Mr Lobster]

No, used the ones we have on site!Seeing some ranting scouser throwing traffic cones across a showroom wasn't something i ever expected!

[retrogeezer]

I have read several times of people complaining about being able to reach in and do up child seat belts etc. We've normally reached over from the front seats

So how do you pull the seat belt tight? I wouldn't be able to do that on my daughters car seat from the front, the way the belt goes through the guides would make it impossible.

[retrogeezer]

Totally. Eastern europe is full of concrete tower blocks, especially in the cities. In Britain we associate them with social problems, but over there they are just normal housing for thousands of people. After WW2 people were grateful to be given them.

It's also unusual for europeans to own their own homes, renting is much more the norm.

[seth]

I have read several times of people complaining about being able to reach in and do up child seat belts etc. We've normally reached over from the front seats

So how do you pull the seat belt tight? I wouldn't be able to do that on my daughters car seat from the front, the way the belt goes through the guides would make it impossible.

We've got (NOS) static Kangol belts. Tighten very easily with a tug on the buckle strap. The built in harness in her previous stage seat incarnation pulled from the front anyway.

[retrogeezer]

Ah, I see. So they aren't over shoulder inertia reel ones - makes sense now!

[pompei]

The Cavern is a grim place indeed. I went there last year to see Stackridge and whilst I knew it was a re-creation of the original it never occurred to me how awful it would be. They ran a wooden partition between the band area and the nightclub, so when there was a quiet passage all you could hear was BOOM BOOM BOOM and "Ay soft lad, where's me scouse" (Slips into stereotype mode) There wasn't even any running water in the bogs!

[whitevanman]

Whilst Liverpool is a shithole, Cumbernauld is far worse, a "new Town" that was built in the middle of nowhere and became a dumping ground for Glasgows unwanted scum...............after they filled up the Towns in the Borders its a disgusting place, dirty, full off unwashed and non working scum that have floated to the top of the cess pit of life....dont ever go there unless you have have a terminal illness and want to commit suicide legally.

[Cavcraft]

Ah yes, Liverpool. There a couple of weeks ago playing football. How we marvelled at a handful of kids bricking someone's windows in broad daylight at the side of a busy road, the huge dead rat on the field and the amount of rubbish strewn everywhere.Not a huge fan of going out drinking there either to be honest: there seems to be one street of half decent pubs and that's spoiled by the the fact you cannot get away from someone twatting on about The Beatles. Seeing as I cannot bloody stand them this doesn't really encourage me to go back.

[Richard]

Whilst Liverpool is a shithole, Cumbernauld is far worse, a "new Town" that was built in the middle of nowhere and became a dumping ground for Glasgows unwanted scum...............after they filled up the Towns in the Borders its a disgusting place, dirty, full off unwashed and non working scum that have floated to the top of the cess pit of life....dont ever go there unless you have have a terminal illness and want to commit suicide legally.

I went to Cumbernauld a couple of years ago to see just how bad the shopping centre was, I quite liked it.