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

[orienteer]

When tracking items from overseas thru Royal Mail, I see them arrive at Heathrow (about 4 miles away), then spend several days being transported to Birmingham and back. No wonder our roads are so busy.

[hellymedic]

This item is supposed to be sent via Royal Mail Second Class.

Greenford would be fair and reasonable; Windsor/Slough slightly less so.

If I lived 200m south, my address would be in London NW9, not Edgware HA8 and my package would take a totally different path.

[Ruthie]

Someone badly needs to apply their l33t 'shopping 5k1llz to the bottom picture so he's holding Gordon the Gopher.

Yep.  Still upsetting 

[jsabine]

What sort of gesture? I tend not to be terribly proactive in offering up such a seat, assuming that if anyone wants to use it they'll make that clear, though I'll give them access with a good grace. Equally, there are some journeys where, as the latecomer, I'll choose not to ask, preferring to stand rather than get someone to shuffle out of my way so I can shoot sit down and then, ten minutes later, having to do the whole thing in reverse.

Were there folk standing on this train?

Sorry, but that attitude is bloody rude and inconsiderate. 

Eh? I've just said I'll give them access with a good grace. How is that rude or inconsiderate?

If you only buy one ticket, you get one seat (if you're lucky) so if the train is at all busy, then you make sure you occupy only one seat, and make it easy for others to access the seats that they have paid for.  If the train is really empty, then its OK to spread a little, but if someone wants to sit by the window and your bag is there, you move it, without being asked.

No-one's said anything about *not* making it easy for others to access the seat, beyond the simple fact of sitting in the aisle seat.

Once I have done that - sat in an aisle seat - then if someone wants to sit in the window seat, then they will have to engage with me in some way. This may be by asking if the seat is free, it may be by tapping me on the shoulder, it may be by catching my eye, it may be by standing passively until I ask if they want to sit down. (It may be by forcing their way past me, treading on my corns, but I hope not.)

Given that I wouldn't expect someone who's indicated that they'd like to use the seat beside me to ask separately for my bag, if any, to be moved, then the bag is something of a red herring, so I'll repeat the question I asked of Ashaman42: what sort of gesture needs to be made?

[tiermat]

When tracking items from overseas thru Royal Mail, I see them arrive at Heathrow (about 4 miles away), then spend several days being transported to Birmingham and back. No wonder our roads are so busy.

I raise you a set of garden lights I ordered, from a company in Harrogate (about 15 miles away) that were sent to the Tyneside sorting hub (about 60 miles in the opposite direction) before heading towards me. The stupid thing is that the truck would have had to go past the town I live in (and if the A1 was shut overnight, possibly through it!) to get from point A to point B!

[Paul]

Look, I don't want to be this guy, but where does everything go? Well, everything apart from the ballpoint pens, which are accounted for.

Like (I suspect) many, we have several incomplete cutlery sets.

I've done a quick tally of the old cutlery against the new cutlery. Each started with 6 knives, 6 forks, 6 dessert spoons and 6 tea spoons. The survival rate is thus:

OC: 4 knives, 4 forks, 3 DS, 3 TS

NC: 6 Knives, 4 forks, 5 DS, 0 TS

How? Why? But mostly: where?

Also, where the hell is my favourite blue towel?

[Bledlow]

Mrs B takes cutlery to work with her packed lunches.

Sometimes it stays there.

[citoyen]

Given that I wouldn't expect someone who's indicated that they'd like to use the seat beside me to ask separately for my bag, if any, to be moved, then the bag is something of a red herring, so I'll repeat the question I asked of Ashaman42: what sort of gesture needs to be made?

Leaving your bag on the seat can be read as a passive-aggressive statement to the effect that "this seat is taken" - whether you intend it that way or not.

Leaving the seat free would be a clearer signal.

[mcshroom]

Why did I decide to drive over Hardknott on the way home yesterday?

This is the result of hitting a roadside rock whilst avoiding a kamikaze motorcyclist coming the other way on Wrynose. Of course, this being a modern car it only has a can of gunk in the back, which I can't see being any use here

[David Martin]

Steel rim, plastic cover?

[mcshroom]

Indeed. Bent steel rim and cracked plastic cover. Not worried too much about the cover and the tyre is still fully inflated, but the dented rim is going to need attention or more likely, replacement.

[davelodwig]

Indeed. Bent steel rim and cracked plastic cover. Not worried too much about the cover and the tyre is still fully inflated, but the dented rim is going to need attention or more likely, replacement.

I've dented a steel rim or two,

the joy of them is often a tyre fitter with a big hammer can often put them right or at least they've always managed to for me. Given the tyre is still inflated I'd be tempted to take it into an independant tyre place and get them to take a peek.

[Pickled Onion]

I have this evening purchased an item from ebay.
I note the vendor is situated on the other side of Brent, some 10km away.
Wonder when I'll receive said item and how far it will travel...

I sold an item on ebay the other day. The buyer paid on Sunday night, delivery offered was RM 2nd class, dispatch in two days. I noticed the address was an office on my commute: judging from the feedback I think she was a little surprised to find it had been dropped in the mailroom at 0800 on Monday and on her desk before she arrived at work.

[hellymedic]

My package arrived yesterday, by First Class Royal Mail. There was no clue on the packaging to indicate its route.

[ElyDave]

why can't they put installation instructions in the various bits of stuff I've ordered to put on the new bike, rather than just the operating instructions?

Now I've got to go and search shimano and you tube.

[Tim Hall]

Lost credit & debit cards between work and home. Arse.  Have invoked magic spell(666) to make them reappear instantly.

Clouted ankle with laptop bag as it toppled off a chair. That smarts, and I'm meant to be doing an FNRTTC tomorrow. Arse.




666.  Called bank to stop them.

[Tim Hall]

Lost credit & debit cards between work and home. Arse.  Have invoked magic spell(666) to make them reappear instantly.

Clouted ankle with laptop bag as it toppled off a chair. That smarts, and I'm meant to be doing an FNRTTC tomorrow. Arse.




666.  Called bank to stop them.

See. Looking in the Big Red box for tools for the FNRTTC and found the credit cards.

[ElyDave]

Fnrttc?

[L CC]

FNRttC

[fuzzy]

As I was waiting behind a van to cross Marlow Bridge this evening, the reversing lights came on giving me flashbacks to when a Tosco delvery driver overtook me then stopped and slammed it in reverse as he had passed his intended drop address. This manouver killed my bike and caused minor injury to me. The lights stayed on briefly even when the van moved off. I decided to let the driver know that he may have a problem so, when it stopped for traffic, I pulled up beside his window, smiled and tapped to get his attention. He sneered at me and then blanked me and moved forward. I stopped beside him again and said that I wanted to tell him about a problem with his lights. He sneered and blanked me again. I shrugged and rode off.

I am about to Gewgal the company and bring it to their attention along with the fact that the incident happened as their driver drove a big Mercedes van accross a 3 ton MGW bridge..........

[ElyDave]

FNRttC

Ta, there would seem to be scope for that from Cambridge-ish?

[mcshroom]

FNRttC

Ta, there would seem to be scope for that from Cambridge-ish?

Build it and they will come

We've done similar rides on here (See FNRttS (Smoke) and FNRtSR (Somewhere Random) for more details). All you need is a decent route, somewhere to stop that's open in the early hours, and a good place fro breakfast at the end.

[Andrij]

How have both Oxford and Cambridge ended up with such rubbish rail stations?  One doesn't expect the grandeur of London St Pancras, but surely two such grand cities should have something nicer.

[Basil]

How have both Oxford and Cambridge ended up with such rubbish rail stations?  One doesn't expect the grandeur of London St Pancras, but surely two such grand cities should have something nicer.

I'd keep quiet about that if I were you.  They'll only build a smaller version of Grand Central Mordor Central.

[Kim]

I always assumed that Cambridge was optimised for freezing wind on the platform, as suits its fenland location.  A sort of early prototype for Bristol Partway.

I'm not sure what Oxford's excuse is, but it's telling that they hid it behind the bike sheds.  I used it in daylight for what may be the first time last weekend, and was underwhelmed.