The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

[Butterfly]

So, for more years than I care to remember, I have been interested in photography. I even got paid for it as a copper. There were times when I had more 35mm film pots than I had £'s in the bank.

Now, when I need one to modify for telescope collimation, can I find one?

Can I bollox I even asked at the photographers next door to the bike shop.....

Digital 

I suspect we may have some spares. I'll point clarion in this direction.

[T42]

Heavy snowfall this morning.  Local bye-laws state that residents must clear their pavements by 7:30 am, but do not state that the snow will then stop falling. The bucolic who lives opposite cleared his 40 metres at 6 am, waking me up just as I was falling asleep again after an hourand a half awake. An hour ago the village idiot drove the village snow-plough (mini tractor with a blade on the front and a salt spreader on the back) round the streets (yup, we've got more than one!) like a blue-arsed fly, making little impression on it other than sending a spray over the pavements folk had cleared. Being coronarily challenged, snow-clearing is taboo for yrs trly (missus inquit).

Snow is still falling.

Our club's AGM is this coming Saturday in a restaurant several steep hills away along a narrow, twisty road.  Our prez is a bloody genius.

[rafletcher]

Bloody Met Office.  Our bright / sunny turned out to be dull, sleety and now rain 

[Diver300]

Halfords click and collect. Please do not tell me that the Thule bag for a Brompton will be ready to collect after 1pm at Banana Cycle Republic near Euston station, when it wasn't there at 16:15.

I am on Eurostar and my Brompton is now in a fetching pair of Costco bags for life, held in with a bungee strap. They were the plan B, and I am very glad I brought them.

Not a grumble:- How does my mobile phone work in the Chunnel?

[Bledlow]

There be them things called antennae in the tunnel, connected to cables running right through.

[Kim]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaky_feeder

[Mr Larrington]

Ordered Shiny Thing from Richer Sounds on Monday.  Arrived Tuesday.
Ordered Shiny Thing from The Mega-Global Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia yesterday.  Despatched yesterday.
Ordered other Shiny Thing from The Mega-Global Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia on Monday.  Not despatched yet

Bah!

[SoreTween]

I wrote to NHS blood & transplant about their policy of holding all three of their donation venues in the forest on Tuesdays:

Dear Mr Tween

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding the opening days
of your local sessions held in the Forest of Dean.  I am sorry that
you find it difficult to give blood as the sessions here are held on a
Tuesday.

We appreciate your desire for more varied session days but
unfortunately, we are not currently able to offer more non-Tuesday
sessions than we currently have.  As you have mentioned, once a
session is established on a certain day of the week it becomes
difficult for us to change this due to the donors who regularly attend
these not necessarily being able to change days and this is something
we keep in mind.  In addition to this, the team of Nurses and Donor
Carers who run these sessions are responsible for a huge area, from
Lydney to Weston-Super-Mare to Malmesbury, so this would also have an
effect on their schedules.

Our Planning department is tasked with booking four sessions each week
for this team, each at a different venue, with most venues used less
than once per month.  Some of the venues we use are particularly
flexible and we are able to book various days of the week but many
have schedules of their own, which we must work around.  I apologise
that we are unable to be more flexible.

However, I am pleased to inform you that  we have two Monday sessions
coming up at the Lydney Town Hall on 22nd May 2017 and 26th June 2017,
which may be convenient for you.  If you would like to book an
appointment, please call our helpline on 0300 123 23 23, or by visit
our website
www.blood.co.uk

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your commitment
to blood donation.  Your 10 donations have helped to save and improve
the lives of many people and we are very grateful for the support you
have shown us.

Mostly then: It's always been like that and we can't be arsed to look into changing it.  About the only argument with credibility is access to halls.

Never mind.  Today I made my first donation in Foreign Lands¹.  Unsurprisingly given this is a government bureaucracy I had to register all over again, upon selecting my house name & road the postcode came up as Silvyn or some such but other than that it was very smooth.  Possibly the best donation session I've had, I don't recall having one so low on pain, certainly not since I resumed donating in 2012.  I have zero bruise and I don't think that's happened before.

¹By about 400 meters, just off Chepstow High Street.

[perpetual dan]

I think Amazon have been sending my order by boat, from somewhere fairly well inland. 11 days from dispatch...

[hellymedic]

I don't think there's any relationship between the distance a package must travel and delivery time.

I have waited several days for Stuffs from within 5 miles.

[Mr Larrington]

They finally threw my Shiny Thing onto the van this afternoon.  Grrr.

[Mr Larrington]

Fortunately I checked my e-mail this arvo, there to find a missive from the Mega-Global Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia telling me my Shiny Thing was to be delivered today, rather than tomorrow as originally stated.  Otherwise I'd still have been in my dressing gown when the chap turned up at 17:45, which would have been embarrassing.  And also cold when unsticking the bell push, which has developed an unhealthy desire to remain on.

Tomorrow, lots of undignified grovelling under the desk in the Estate Office

[essexian]

Is it just too much to hope that "they" can do the same weather forecast for five days hence?

I ask as I am considering doing a couple of hours ride on Sunday with a local club but the weather is either chilly with some wind but no rain (which I can cope with), or throwing it down with nearly 7mm of rain expected (which I can't). Indeed, I have just checked five sites and each have something different.

To make it more grumblable, the forecasts were different yesterday and no doubt, they will change tomorrow as well.

Bah, British Weather! Okay, I know if we didn't have any then we would have nothing to talk to strangers about but frankly, I could live without that!

[Basil]

Bugger.  That's the second time I've done this. 
I caught the bus from Carmarthen which doesn't meet with the little connection shuttle to Llandysul.
I now have to wait for an hour in nowhere.
I could walk it.  About 4 and a bit miles.  But it's an unpleasant road with no FP and would take as long as waiting here.  Prolly best to sit and hope someone sees me and gives me a lift.

15 mins so far and no luck.

[robgul]

Bugger.  That's the second time I've done this. 
I caught the bus from Carmarthen which doesn't meet with the little connection shuttle to Llandysul.
I now have to wait for an hour in nowhere.
I could walk it.  About 4 and a bit miles.  But it's an unpleasant road with no FP and would take as long as waiting here.  Prolly best to sit and hope someone sees me and gives me a lift.

15 mins so far and no luck.

.... I assume that you have managed to exchange your English Old Codger Bus Pass to a Welsh Old Codger Bus Pass - or are you claiming dual nationality now? 

Rob

[Basil]

I have a Welsh Old Buggers pass.  Not sure if they have dobbed me in to the English pass people', so I don't know if that one still works or not.  Obviously,  you're not allowed both.

[Kim]

Did the CTC really just send out a spam with the subject line "Make cycling great again"?   

[Cudzoziemiec]

Did they? I deleted it. My mind was in Kazakhstan at the time (that's what you get for working late).

[hellymedic]

Did the CTC really just send out a spam with the subject line "Make cycling great again"?   

They did 

Something grates!

[SoreTween]

For the next two months the motons of Woking are going to be even more grumpy than usual.  Grumpy = impatient = dangerous.  The council have closed a bunch of roads in order to do some traffic flow related deckchair shuffling. No doubt the two months predicted are what the project planners quoted so when reality gets involved it'll be more like 2 years.

[Mr Larrington]

For the next two months the motons of Woking are going to be even more grumpy than usual.  Grumpy = impatient = dangerous.  The council have closed a bunch of roads in order to do some traffic flow related deckchair shuffling. No doubt the two months predicted are what the project planners quoted so when reality gets involved it'll be more like 2 years.

Which bits have they been messings around with?  I'm due to visit Fort Larrington shortly.

[SoreTween]

Which bits have they been messings around with?  I'm due to visit Fort Larrington shortly.

Victoria Way West of town is closed southbound, there's a diversion via Triggs Lane & half way to Guildford. You can't use the dizzying entrance/exit to the car parks. The Vic way junction by the travelsplodge is closed.  Cawsey way is out of town only.  Goldsworth Road shuts soon as does Victoria Way Westbound on the North of town.

If you want to cross any of the closed roads on foot phone the cuntcil first, many crossings are simply closed.  No crossings or access for cyclists remain open.

Diversions
The plan (Ha!)

My advice would be approach and leave in a spokeular manner and forget any thoughts of crossing or visiting town.  On the advice of colleagues who drive definitely don't go near town around 5pm.  40 minutes is reported to be average to escape the car parks.

[ETA] This is in danger of becoming a rant.  I just tried to contact the cuntcil about their utter and complete lack of thought for cyclists but the complaints site seems to be having a spot of bother.
[ET further A] Vic way crossing at Goldsworthy Rd open again.  Useless for leaving town due to one way on Cawsey but at least I can get to work without annoying peds.

[Mr Larrington]

Ta. Fort Larrington is on the Guildford side so an approach from the M25/A3 through Ripley and Send seems the best bet.  Especially if they're still mucking about with the A320 between Ottershaw and McLaren's.

[hellymedic]

Dear UK Government,
How come I am encouraged to file my Self-Assessment Tax Return online but when I need to complete my 'How Your Disability Affects You' form I have to create and print my own document to complete it?
Three phone calls to your call centre only achieved the advice to print my own paperwork.

I cannot hold a pen. There is no specific place on your 40 page form for me to mention this pertinent fact. There are questions about communication and reading  but none about writing.

You have different standards for collection and payment of money.

I am unimpressed.

[barakta]

Do complain IN your answers, a friend got some of her PIP on the grounds of access issues with the application process itself.

I have always just answered in typed form and said "I can just about do my signature and on a good day a few words, else I type"

It is intentional, shitweaselry by the state!