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

[Ruthie]

We don’t have enough women in the cycling club to make it worthwhile getting women-specific club kit   

But do you have more women than people called John?

(This is my cycling version of the Bechdel-Wallace test.)

I don't know that we have a John.  Most people are called Dave.

[Mr Larrington]

[Diver300]

There is no post office at Gatwick. You can't post anything in the postbox there that is thicker than a wafer-thin mint, for "security reasons", but you can put hand grenades much larger items in the bins.

The nearest post office is over a mile away and there was a 1 hour wait for a taxi. (That alone deserves a full-on rant, TBH)

My plans to post some stuff at Gatwick before flying did not go well, or cheaply.

[andrewc]

I can't find my nice Austin Reed navy linen jacket      It's not in the wardrobe, not on the coat rack in the hall, not on the floor.  WTF have I done with it ?    I don't recall being drunk enough recently to have left it anywhere   

[Cudzoziemiec]

a) dry cleaners
ii) in America/airport/on plane
3) are you sure you're not wearing it? 

[TheLurker]

a ) dry cleaners
ii ) in America/airport/on plane
3 ) are you sure you're not wearing it? 

ζ ) Your wife has given it to a charity shop.

[andrewc]

a ) dry cleaners
ii ) in America/airport/on plane
3 ) are you sure you're not wearing it? 

ζ ) Your wife has given it to a charity shop.

I'm famously absent minded, but I think I'd remember getting married.....

So far this year I've left a tweed cap in Liverpool airport & my phone in the ferry terminal at Harwich.   Previously I've just walked away from (and lost) 2 bags of camera kit 

I can't find it in the flat & it's not at work.    I'll have to pack something else for NYC tomorrow.

[essexian]

I know it’s my own fault but frankly, when we brought a bungalow we should have known what type of people these properties attract. To us, it was a cheap way of getting a decent sized plot of land and a detached property and, as they are mostly two bedroom places, we hoped there would not be too many children around as, er, we don’t really like children…..

Fifteen years later, I now regret the purchase as the street is full of retired people. While that’s not bad in itself, it seems not having a job means you have time to do other things…. Other noisy things such as having extensions built; having metalworking as a hobby; taking three weeks to re-tile a bathroom and doing the tile cutting in the middle of their front garden (it took me three days to completely redo ours!); using a petrol mower to do your 20m2 front lawn and taking two hours to do so (my front lawn is 120m2 and takes me 17 minutes using an electric mower). Then there is their yappy dogs which I have grumbled about before and the fact that despite all having decent size drives, most of their visitors insist on parking on the pavements.

Before we brought this place we looked at a cottage by the side of the railway line in Carven Arms. However, CBH didn’t like the idea of two trains an hour going by….frankly living overlooking Crewe station would be quieter than it is here!

(only 38 months until I'll have paid the mortgage off so I can retire..... I have a list of things to do...... )

[Mr Larrington]

Curious.  Fort Larrington is a bunglehouse but both Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.)'s neighbours are families with young kiddiewinks.

[Si S]

Websites that only work during office hours, who on earth thought that was a good idea?

[Kim]

Websites that only work during office hours, who on earth thought that was a good idea?

Banks.

[SoreTween]

So, last night Mrs Tween & I went down to Cardiff Uni Student Union for the first night of the new Public Service Broadcasting tour.  Mrs Tween has gubbed her knee so this was a bit of a risk, high probability we'd have ended up sitting on the floor at the back seeing nothing, she can't stand for more than a few minutes.  This would be a shame, the visuals are more significant with PSB than most bands as they take inspiration from and extensively sample public service broadcasts and other public information films.
On arrival Mrs T spoke to one of the eventpeeps on the door & enquired if there was any chance of getting a seat somewhere.  This most excellently happened and we were guided by a succession of excellent eventpeeps up to the small balcony reserved for persons with mobility needs.  Chuffin fantastic   So off I toddle to the bar to get a drink, and the fun begins.
The balcony obviously is on the floor above where the gig is and so I was directed by one of the most excellent event peeps to exit the building on that floor ¹ and use the Taf Bar also on that floor. We had established that the direct door from the balcony to said Taf Bar was locked.  I exited the building and attempted to enter the Taf bar but was initially refused entry by a member of Union staff as I could not produce student ID, wot with not being a student.  I explained that I had been directed here by the excellent eventpeeps as I was seated in the balcony for the gig.  Grudgingly I was allowed in, I suggested he might like to speak to his colleagues & clear up the confusion.
So I queueued & purchased an IPA and a red wine and left to return to my seat only to be point blank refused exit from the building.  Absolutely no drinks outside ever even if only taking 3 steps to the other door back into the building.  He suggested I ask to be let out the other door direct to the balcony (I had observed while queueueing that the door was not locked but on a pass access system).  So I waited and asked a member of Union staff to let me out explaining balcony, gig etc.  Sure she says but you'll need those in plastic not glass to go into the gig with them.  Before I could even make the obvious next request another member of Union staff butts in:  You can't go that way, staff door only and you can't use the Taf bar for the gig, there's another bar downstairs for the gig.  I explain again.  Different license he bullshits, I have to use the other bar.  So why am I being directed to use the Taf by the event staff? Tough he says, drink up and you can leave.  You really want me carrying drinks on a busy staircase I ask?  Yes, please drink up and leave.  I decline and further reiterate that I have done exactly as directed, the problem is his to resolve as I have now paid for my drinks.  Mr Union Git then starts the whole passive aggressive interrupt the first word routine:

MUG: There's no need to take that tone sir.
Me: But -
MUG: There's no need to get angry sir.
Me: I -
MUG: Calm down sir.
Me: Balcony -
MUG: There's really no need sir.
Me: Could you -
MUG: No I could not sir.  You need to drink up and leave sir.

I was not angry, I was not getting anything other than mildly frustrated.  Now his attitude is starting to push my buttons but I am not going to let that show one little bit as that would justify his reading from the dealing with people script at me.  So after a couple more rounds of him point blank ignoring what I'm saying & simply reading more from the script I tell him straight:

Me: STOP READING FROM THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE SCRIPT AT ME, it's not going to work and is not resolving the issue.
MUG: ?!?

He didn't have a page to turn to for that.

I should have asked for the manager, instead I gave up.  I gifted the wine to the nearest student with a wine glass in front of her.  I did have to give a potted version of the story by way of explaining I'm neither trying to chat her up nor poison her.  Mr Union Git stood there watching while I drank the IPA. I suggested a better use of his time would be to go and speak to the excellent event peeps and get a coherent plan in place.  I pointed to the lady member of the excellent event peeps team stood on the other side of the door to the balcony suggesting she be a good place to start.  He left through said door.
A few minutes later I left through the exterior door past Mr intractable Union man, and back into the building.  As I passed I asked the excellent event peeps lady if Mr Union Git had spoken to her, he had not.  I'm really starting to get quite dischuffed with the Union staff but on the whole I'm through annoyed and laughing at the comedy of the disorganisation.  I explained, excellent events lady was deeply unimpressed with Mr Union Git and very apologetic despite there being no need for her to be. 
So I head from the Taf level (2nd floor) down one floor.  I'm just about to ask another of the excellent event peeps if the bar is on that floor or the ground when two other people heading for the other balcony on the 2nd floor (VIP area) ask where they should get their drinks.  Taf bar on the 2nd he says so I give my story.  He's straight on the radio for clarification but the constant stream of people coming down the stairs looking for the entrance to the gig (ground floor) make it difficult.  This chap is drowning but brilliant, patience of a saint repeating time after time 'go down to the ground floor & exit the building, join the queue & back in again for the gig'.  I tried to help directing people and explaining to the two VIPs about the left hand right hand disconnect so he had half a chance of hearing & being heard over the radio.  Eventually the Taf is confirmed.  I ask that a message to this effect be sent to the Union staff and the answer straight back over the radio was it's already happening.
And they were right, 20 seconds later Mr Union Git is holding the door for me, the door from the balcony into the Taf bar.  Did he apologise for a) being wrong and b) refusing point blank to establish the facts when politely challenged?  Oh dear me no.
Even at Student Union prices Mrs Tweens glass plastic of wine ended up quite expensive.

Event peeps - brilliant every one of 'em.
Student Union management - disorganised <deleted>
Student union staff - well trained in dealing with drunks - zero acknowledgement that not all situations are simply dealing with drunks and zero training in how to deal with non drunk situations.
Mr Union Git - nuff said.

Oh and the gig? Excellent.  Surprise guests for the last song - flippin superb.  Crowd response to the surprisingly surprise last song - only in Wales could the reaction be so utterly and doubly brilliant.

¹ This is one of those odd buildings with entrances on many levels.  Makes sense on a hill side but odd as that part of Cardiff is flat.

[Kim]

Student union staff - well trained in dealing with drunks - zero acknowledgement that not all situations are simply dealing with drunks and zero training in how to deal with non drunk situations.

That sounds familiar.

[ian]

Reminds me of my exciting Croydon Boxpark experience (the one where we left our bikes completely out of the way in an entirely empty area but broke some anti-bicycle rule, that resulted in the 'manager' and two hefty security guards threatening to call the police because we wouldn't leave with our drinks – fuck them, we were finishing them and anyway it's a non-booze zone outside, it's pre-apocalyptic Croydon after all). The best thing indeed is to be entirely reasonable and watch them struggle to find the right script. We quite enjoyed slowly drinking our beer with an audience of an angry young woman with a serious attitude calibration issue and two embarrassed security staff. I don't think I've ever drunk a beer that slow.

[T42]

Microwave just packed up. Bloody thing's only 16 years old.

[Kim]

Microwave just packed up. Bloody thing's only 16 years old.

Commiserations.  All the modern ones will be shit in comparison.

[hellymedic]

My first microwave was about £50 from Woolworth's, lasted about 10 years, the next was around £35 from Dixon's/Curry and lasted around 5 years. My current was about the same, also from DSG and is still going.

ETA ***!!! price has as good as DOUBLED in not very long! It's small and simple but...
http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/microwaves/essentials-c17mw14-solo-microwave-white-21729395-pdt.html

ETA Review of my emails shows I paid £34.99 including delivery on 4 August 2016, so only 14 months ago.

[T42]

Ours was Whirlpool. Just ordered a Samsung: 200€.

[Ruthie]

So there was water coming in through the roof of the bay window, and the landlady eventually fixed that (twice, because she bought cheap the first time).

But there was still water coming in, and it is a bloody mess, and trying to get a plumber round to look at things is a nightmare because they are so busy and important.  And I've got asthma and a damp room with blown plaster is suboptimal.

And it turns out that when I got my mate the handyman to fix the seal round the bath with the shower over, he fucked up, and that's where the water's been coming from, but I was blaming the roof, because both problems happened at the same time.

And he's going to fix the sealant and the water damage, but what a complete PITA this has been, and I think my landlady is going to be well pissed off.

FFFS.

[Guy]

As if by magic, Outlook falls over* - just as I'm about to use it


*again

[T42]

The set of silly buggers who don't put phones in landscape mode to take videos now includes my own skin & blister. Jeez.

[andrewc]

Iced mint tea in a jam jar 


I hope my Middle Eastern breakfast isn’t on a slate or plank

[hellymedic]

Iced mint tea in a jam jar 


I hope my Middle Eastern breakfast isn’t on a slate or plank

We Want Plates usually provides comical examples of madness.
http://wewantplates.com

Geeta's chutney jars seem to have morphed into hipster drinking vessels.

[andrewc]

Breakfast was on a plate
Chopped tomatoes, onion& cucumber. Grilled halloumi, scrambled eggs, hummus,labneh & flatbread.


Effy’s cafe on W96th st.

[Andrij]

Iced mint tea in a jam jar 

The only beverage which should ever come in a jam jar is moonshine.