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

[andrewc]

Seagulls..
I recollect installing roof mounted condensing units for the Chelsea Girl shop in Sunderland.
Of our own volition we chose to wear hard hats,goggles,ear defenders & paper overalls for protection from beaks & shit.
For 5 days we were subject to aerial attack from the multitude of seagulls nesting on the flat roof.I didn't realise how aggresive these birds can be

Our aircon isn't working, apparently they need to fix / replace something on the roof , and can't because of nesting seagulls.

[jogler]

My Sunderland experience was before the rise & rise of H&S which is why the management were amazed at our interest in PPE.

[LindaG]

They've started flying huge raptor shaped kites from the roofs at my workplace to address this problem.

[dasmoth]

Apple, your 'puters are generally nice (if a little weak on the expandability front), but would be nicer still if they still stayed up for more than 10 minutes at a time in warm weather.  Judicious use of smcFanControl seems to have stabilized matters for now, but it does rather sound as though I'm testing jet engines in here.  And rather goes against the grain of the "just works" expectations.

Maybe it's time to give Linux-on-the-Desktop another whirl...

[mrcharly-YHT]

My ankle isn't working properly (when walking).

My back feels like someone had done up the tendons with a set of fencing strainers.

Yesterday's work was a waste of time, because there was no bug in the memory configuration, just user error.

Today's important job I've done twice, because one person insisted that only the latest examples would do - so I reconfigured and built them all, only to find they aren't compatible with the customer's toolkit.
   
The winds are gusting 35-45mph out there and they'd better bloody be a tailwind, 'cause if they are a headwind when I go home I'll be a bit irritated. Just a bit.

Please, oh please can there be cold beer in the fridge when I get home?

[Arch]

Guard (or train manager or whatever they call you nowadays) on the 15.57 TPE to Manchester:

I realise that your main job is to see to the running of the train, and checking tickets and stuff and providing basic information over the tannoy. But really, you should also learn how to make an effective, non-irritating announcement. Not, for example:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for the short formation of this train which is due to a signalling error at Manchester Piccadilly which put us on the wrong platform so we were unable to connect to the further two coaches we normally have, and this means this train is a short formation, due to a signalling error at Manchester. This train was placed on the wrong platform to form up with an additional two coaches and due to a short turnaround time at York there wasn't time to reshunt us to meet those coaches, so this train is a short formation and not the usual formation of four coaches, as we were unable to connect with a further two coaches at Manchester due to a signalling error at Manchester...."  and so on, for what felt like 10 minutes.  After every stop.

Also. Don't try and blame the overcrowding on a pop concert in Manchester. I've been travelling on TPE York-Manchester for 20 months now, and it's always overcrowded because your effing trains are never long enough, even when they haven't been reduced to half their length by a signalling error at Manchester, causing them not to connect with two extra coaches due to being directed by a signalling error to the wrong platform..... (I've never seen a 4 coach train on this service anyway. They come in sets of three. How they managed to make today's a two coach train, I don't know. I'm not even sure it was two coaches, I think he meant three...)

Also, trolley lady on the same service. Try not sucking lemons to improve your sourfaced expression.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

You know, Mr Roadie, your blingy bike and all your club gear would be more impressive if you were cycling on the road instead of the pavement.

[eck]

Woman in the CTC Membership Department: why oh why did you have to be so apologetic, efficient and pleasant when I rang to complain that I'd been charged the wrong rate for my membership fee? I wanted a proper argument. No wonder people complain... 

[Mr Arch]

Door to door chuggers:

When I thank you kindly for your presence and then politely refuse your 'wares' and ask you to leave please do not persist in trying to persuade my mum to give you cash for stuff she doesn't want, to 'support' a 'charity' she's never heard of and doesn't want to support.

Next time I may not be so polite about it!

[Arch]

Door to door chuggers:

When I thank you kindly for your presence and then politely refuse your 'wares' and ask you to leave please do not persist in trying to persuade my mum to give you cash for stuff she doesn't want, to 'support' a 'charity' she's never heard of and doesn't want to support.

Next time I may not be so polite about it!

Next time, just drive the tractor over them, Isn't that why you keep it in the hallway?

[Arch]

Oh, and a delayed grumble on MFWHTBAB's behalf.

Old woman in Morrisons. You have no idea what MFWHTBAB's injury is, or how he did it. Suffice to say he's in a wheelchair pushing himself round the supermarket, crutches neatly stowed in custom built holders at the side.  Asking him what he'd done to himself might be seen as caring, but then calling him 'silly' for hurting himself is just rude. Maybe we'll come round and call you silly when you fall over and break a hip.

Last week a different old lady spoke to him like he was a three year old. What is it with old ladies?!?!

I suppose, at least, we haven't yet encountered anyone who addresses me and ignores him (in a "does he take sugar?" style), but there's time.

[Kim]

If he were a couple of decades younger, they'd be telling him that he'll be better and playing football in no time.  If you're young, male and have an injured leg, that's what you're supposed to want to be doing (and not, for example, going to the loo without assistance).  If you're female they tend to be slightly less assumptive, but make more of a deal about casts.  (Why yes, I have spent rather a lot of time in orthopaedics/physiotherapy clinics).

[Mr Arch]

If he were a couple of decades younger, they'd be telling him that he'll be better and playing football in no time.  If you're young, male and have an injured leg, that's what you're supposed to want to be doing (and not, for example, going to the loo without assistance).  If you're female they tend to be slightly less assumptive, but make more of a deal about casts.  (Why yes, I have spent rather a lot of time in orthopaedics/physiotherapy clinics).

Quite!

It was one of the things I was determined not to need help with, along with washing myself.  Both stated off as slightly messy attempts but I think I might have got it sussed now.

[Arch]

 

If he were a couple of decades younger, they'd be telling him that he'll be better and playing football in no time.  If you're young, male and have an injured leg, that's what you're supposed to want to be doing (and not, for example, going to the loo without assistance).  If you're female they tend to be slightly less assumptive, but make more of a deal about casts.  (Why yes, I have spent rather a lot of time in orthopaedics/physiotherapy clinics).

Quite!

It was one of the things I was determined not to need help with, along with washing myself.  Both stated off as slightly messy attempts but I think I might have got it sussed now.

And I must say how impressed I am with your determination this last few weeks. Well, not impressed exactly, because I knew you'd cope, but proud of how well you've coped.

[Mr Arch]

And I must say how impressed I am with your determination this last few weeks. Well, not impressed exactly, because I knew you'd cope, but proud of how well you've coped.

But the first couple of weeks, especially when you weren't able to come over for the weekend, I sat and cried in the bath due to the pain and the onset of depression as it was all so difficult to cope with.

Then I got my act together.

[Arch]

And I must say how impressed I am with your determination this last few weeks. Well, not impressed exactly, because I knew you'd cope, but proud of how well you've coped.

But the first couple of weeks, especially when you weren't able to come over for the weekend, I sat and cried in the bath due to the pain and the onset of depression as it was all so difficult to cope with.

Then I got my act together.

You hid it well. And you made your bath seat, and your toe protector and sorted out your sofa to sleep on and all that. Many would just have sat and felt sorry for themselves - me probably included.

 

[CAMRAMan]

I can sort of understand why the powers that be would use the Metropolitan Police to escort the Feckin' Huge Sponsorship Junket TM Olympic Torch Relay around the country, but why so many of the feckers, and why let them build their part up by waving to the crowd acting all nice on their motorbikes?

So much security and still two little Coventry toe rags manage to evade them all and grab the torch there yesterday.

Disillusioned (though not surprised) of Warwick.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

SMART Centre at AAH, it's lovely that you have a telly in the main reception area so people who are waiting can watch Wimbledon. It would be even nicer if you sorted out the aspect ratio so that watchers can see all of the little score graphic rather than just the score of the player on the bottom half of it. Knowing Andy Murray has won three games isn't useful without knowing how many his opponent has won.

[Kim]

Expecting correct aspect ratios is like expecting people to not use Comic Sans.  That way lies insanity.

[Arch]

SMART Centre at AAH, it's lovely that you have a telly in the main reception area so people who are waiting can watch Wimbledon. It would be even nicer if you sorted out the aspect ratio so that watchers can see all of the little score graphic rather than just the score of the player on the bottom half of it. Knowing Andy Murray has won three games isn't useful without knowing how many his opponent has won.

Couldn't you just wait for a shot that had the scoreboard in the background?

I was watching a TV set to News 24 at Manchester Picadilly the other day, and the live subtitles on the sport section said that in a test match, India were chasing a total of 2733.

Swiftly corrected to 273....

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I wasn't there for very long.

[mcshroom]

Yes ok you managed to get me home around a derailment and a closed main line last Friday, but in the process First Scotrail you managed to break a spoke on my tourer (which explains the wonky wheel)
 
Somehow I managed to ride a 900 mile tour on those wheels, including about 300 with lots of luggage, without doing that, but you manage it with (probably) a bus

Oh well, off to the LBS tomorrow (which probably won't have double-butted spokes so it'll have to be plain gauge)

[Kim]

This is why correct number of spokes for a touring wheel is n+2, where the extras are cable-tied to an unobtrusive bit of bike frame.

If you've got a hub gear in a small wheel or something similarly exotic, it's probably worth having some more squirrelled away at home, because they can be a right arse to order online, let alone from a LBS.  (DAHIKT)

[Jacomus]

Dear 'Y', I thought that I had asked a very simple question:

'How much money are you willing to spend on 'X', I know things are very tight at the moment?'

The correct response is to give the answer and leave it to me to assess my ability/willingness to pay the larger balance. I don't need you to rant at me about how tight things are and then go on to tell me that I'm wasting my money. Its my money and I'll use it as I see fit, and I happen to think that this is a very good way to spend it. However, without your support, it isn't going to happen.

Well done.

[essexian]

Now don't get me wrong, I am happy the Olympics are in London and would be very happy to attend but sadly, I am bring priced out of the games as the rip off's have already started.

What am I on about? Well I am looking to come down to that London for the time trails on 1st August but instead of the £9.50 to £11.00 each way I can book for the week before the games, I can not find a ticket for less than £29. I very much doubt this is supply and demand: seems more likely to be a rip off to me.

Looks like I am going to miss it then.