Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.  (Read 1575787 times)

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11550 on: 11 November, 2019, 10:53:21 pm »
Being on a bus, at night, in surroundings you're not that familiar with. The lights are on and you can see: sod all.

I once did a several of laps of Southampton in similar circumstances before the bus driver thought to ask whether I was planning to get off at any point.  I'd naively assumed that I'd see the distinctive and well-lit railway station forecourt through the misted, rain-soaked windows, unaware that on the return journey the bus dropped off at some nondescript place on the other side of the building.

Buses became a lot more usable when we all started carrying high-sensitivity GPS receivers around with us...
Quite. I'd be screwed if it weren't for Google maps.
That goes for a lot of things though. But especially the dark.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11551 on: 12 November, 2019, 10:04:57 am »
The British Gas app that says 'it looks like there's something wrong here, are you sure' every time I input my meter readings, forcing me to go back and check I've not transposed a number (and numbers terrify me), which I haven't, so no, there's nothing wrong. As proved by the fact I don't have a bill for £3 billion.

Every form on the internet for displaying the 'form incomplete/you've done something wrong' whatever message and not telling you what, oh no, but cryptically encoding the source of the problem somewhere in the long form itself, perhaps a smidgeon of extra border around a text box, an inkling of pastel colour, or some vague signifier guaranteed to be lost in a form that has busied itself asking questions about stuff there's no reason for it know.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11552 on: 12 November, 2019, 10:41:27 am »
I always take that British Gas app to mean "Surely you must have used at least half of Qatar since your last reading, it's supposed to be winter!"
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11553 on: 12 November, 2019, 11:09:15 am »
I think I get the 'it looks like you've done something wrong' message every time I input a reading. And because numbers jumble up in my head the moment I look away, I might have, so I have to go back and check. I should just pony up and get a smart meter, reading the meters involves waving my phone about in the cupboard of IT spaghetti under the stairs and hopefully capturing a picture of the meter, then the fraught transposition of those digits into the app.

Basil

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11554 on: 12 November, 2019, 11:28:22 am »
The SSE web page always announces that something is wrong when I input my reading.  It then always accepts the very same numbers on a second attempt.  Very odd.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11555 on: 12 November, 2019, 12:33:06 pm »
We've got smart meters, which means I don't have to go through the faff of submitting readings to avoid random-number billing.

Instead I get bombarded by emails (and, a recent development, paper letters) reminding me to submit readings every month.   :facepalm:

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11556 on: 12 November, 2019, 12:44:53 pm »
I get the monthly emails, but then I have dumb meters. My energy supplier (So) aren't rolling them out until sometime 2020 to ensure all their customers get SMETS 2 versions.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11557 on: 12 November, 2019, 01:13:20 pm »
I've held out because no one at BG seems to know what smart meter they offer. I only read the meter quarterly*, so in theory it's not that bad, other than the terror I'm submitting a reading that's a fit for a small country's energy needs. It's not so much getting that bill that I fear, it's having to deal with customer services. It took about four months to convince them that we had a metric and not imperial gas meter ('but our database says...')

*they've mostly given up sending me notes about paying by monthly direct debit, at least.

Giraffe

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11558 on: 13 November, 2019, 06:07:00 pm »
One suppliers site came up with "Unexpected reading" - I didn't know if it was quantity or timing. Re-entered it and OK.
2x4: thick plank; 4x4: 2 of 'em.

ian

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11559 on: 13 November, 2019, 08:10:12 pm »
Hmm, it seems to be the default stance. I'm not sure what they expect, well other than the £267 that I now owe them.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11560 on: 13 November, 2019, 09:15:38 pm »
West Midlands Ambulance Service - This would be a rant, but I know it's not the fault of the people at the sharp end, so: I called you at 17.08 to request an ambulance for an old chap I'd found staggering in the street. I had to leave him in the lovely and capable care of Carmel and John - a lovely couple who threw open their doors to two strangers in need - 45 minutes later to pick up my daughter. Carmel has just phoned me to say that the ambulance arrived at 20.30. That really isn't good enough...
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11561 on: 14 November, 2019, 11:47:30 am »
They left an 82 years old on the floor here with a broken hip for 3.5 hours.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11562 on: 14 November, 2019, 12:24:42 pm »
I would commend the BBC series "Ambulance" to you, to get a real insight into the issues the ambulance service faces in trying to get to patients. Not least the long waits at A&E that crews have, not being able to just abandon their patients. And of course, the many vexatious calls and callers they have to deal with (which is nobodies fault other than, perhaps, societies, not even the government of the day).
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11563 on: 16 November, 2019, 02:47:00 pm »
Grumble.  Stiff neck & sore shoulder for the last few days.  I've not been doing anything physical either.  Possibly sleeping in an awkward position.  :(    Time to stick a heat pack in the microwave & bake the affected parts.

Not fast & rarely furious

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11564 on: 16 November, 2019, 08:25:37 pm »
Self: you had an almighty off yesterday and escaped relatively lightly. Today should have been devoted to recuperation. Instead you traipse around as normal until, bending over, one of your ribs gives way. You now lie in agony on your bed hardly daring to move. Eejit.
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

ElyDave

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11565 on: 16 November, 2019, 08:29:59 pm »
I would commend the BBC series "Ambulance" to you, to get a real insight into the issues the ambulance service faces in trying to get to patients. Not least the long waits at A&E that crews have, not being able to just abandon their patients. And of course, the many vexatious calls and callers they have to deal with (which is nobodies fault other than, perhaps, societies, not even the government of the day).

Generally I'd agree wholeheartedly, but they don't always get it right.  I requested the notes from my SMIDSY, and apparently I was
- weight bearing
- passive aggressive
- demanding "a scan"

I had a fractured pelvis, and required the assistance of two people to walk 100 yards to a petrol station, I also had an elbow the size of a canteloupe melon.  I ended up walking with a stick for 8 weeks and on co-codamol. The notes also say that they had intended to discharge me at the scene without my insistence.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Mrs Pingu

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11566 on: 16 November, 2019, 11:00:28 pm »
 :o >:(
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Kim

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11567 on: 16 November, 2019, 11:22:41 pm »
To be fair, I once spent 6 hours in A&E in pain and breathing on manual while watching The Fucking Hoobs because the paramedics decided I'd had a panic attack and biased the triage nurse against proper investigation.  To be fair, two doctors failed to find anything wrong with me either, so I don't really blame them apart from the inappropriate treatment for the assumed condition.  As far as they were concerned, I was a mental heath case wasting their time with fictitious breathing problems.  This came as something of a shock, given how I've been treated when presenting with unambiguous breathing problems in the past.

CAMRAMan: GWS, and I suggest avoiding all kids' TV to be on the safe side.  Also, comedy.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11568 on: 17 November, 2019, 09:58:51 am »
Have given in and gone to A&E. The wait begins...
And I was in, reviewed, x-rayed and diagnosed with 2 broken ribs, in <2 hours. And I got to see my x-ray!
The last time I had 3 broken ribs I was in Budapest and subject to their health regime, which was quick, albeit brutal. They gave me niflumic acid as painkiller and it was brilliant. Today, I asked for, and got, co-codamol.
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11569 on: 17 November, 2019, 01:33:13 pm »
GWS and don't catch a cold in the meantime.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11570 on: 17 November, 2019, 01:35:22 pm »
Yesterday, as  Saturdays go, was quite stressful.
5 weeks to go 'til Christmas, and I get it into my head that it is a good idea to go to shopping in Harrods food hall, Fortnum & Mason, Borough Market and M&S Foodhall.
I also took my Mum to do her weekly Sainos shop.

I'm still deliberating which of the two was more stressful.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11571 on: 17 November, 2019, 07:18:29 pm »
GWS and don't catch a cold in the meantime.
Thanks. Fortunately I had a cold a couple of weeks ago and I'm not planning on getting a new one any time soon!
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11572 on: 18 November, 2019, 09:16:35 am »
Royal Fail/DVLA, et al: These flats have been inhabited at least 6 weeks now. Some organisations have the full list of properties in their address lists, some don't - including the DVLA. I don't know whose responsibility that is, but it's a PITA trying to update details and/or open accounts with utility providers, for example. Sort it out!
Haggerty F, Haggerty R, Tomkins, Noble, Carrick, Robson, Crapper, Dewhurst, Macintyre, Treadmore, Davitt.

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11573 on: 18 November, 2019, 09:49:05 am »
The list as used by many an online entity has developed a completely mythical Flat B at my street address, but so far no goods, services, letters or bailiffs have turned up.
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Satisfying the Bloodlust of the Masses in Peacetime

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.
« Reply #11574 on: 18 November, 2019, 10:01:05 am »
Similarly, when residents' parking permits were introduced, some of my neighbours discovered their addresses did not officially exist, at least according to the city council.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.