Author Topic: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant. (Read 1625667 times)

matthew · « **Reply #7350 on:** 13 February, 2016, 05:43:49 pm »

Quote from: rafletcher on 13 February, 2016, 01:09:14 pm

Danm, the Independent is to cease print publishing. That means my wife will want the Guardian delivered instead. Best of a bad (remaining) lot I suppose..

I understand the problem of what paper to read instead as this will be my conundrum as well, that and trying to find out what they will do with my remaining subscription vouchers through till May.

ian · « **Reply #7351 on:** 14 February, 2016, 06:58:30 pm »

The cold finally blossomed. Mugfoo glo da sinosses. The army of archy-breaky has reached my spine, which they're now clambering up like they're being led by General Wolfe. I'm not sure there's room in my head for anything else as it already feels like a dangerously over-pressurized snot balloon.

Torslanda · « **Reply #7352 on:** 14 February, 2016, 08:18:59 pm »

If I want to cross the Channel I can book the tunnel pretty much as and when, if I want to fly to France it can be booked up to 12 months in advance, too.

But if I want to check a train journey, for June, no can do.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #7353 on:** 14 February, 2016, 08:25:23 pm »

Quote from: Torslanda on 14 February, 2016, 08:18:59 pm

If I want to cross the Channel I can book the tunnel pretty much as and when, if I want to fly to France it can be booked up to 12 months in advance, too.

But if I want to check a train journey, for June, no can do.

Yup. Just three months. More evidence of the shite public transport systems that we have to endure in the UK.

Torslanda · « **Reply #7354 on:** 14 February, 2016, 09:17:01 pm »

It's probably because they can't guarantee a service beyond a 3 month period in case one of the Kardashians develops a personality or maybe it's in case the banks foreclose or they get re-re-re-nationalised or something . . .

barakta · « **Reply #7355 on:** 15 February, 2016, 10:24:29 am »

*giggles at Torslanda*

mcshroom · « **Reply #7356 on:** 15 February, 2016, 10:48:12 am »

More boringly I believe 12 weeks is how far ahead the final maintenance plans are realeased for by Network Rail.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #7357 on:** 15 February, 2016, 11:40:24 am »

Quote from: mcshroom on 15 February, 2016, 10:48:12 am

More boringly I believe 12 weeks is how far ahead the final maintenance plans are realeased for by Network Rail.

sort of

There is a constant rolling planning period - complicated by multiple commercial companies bidding for access to the track. so it isn't possible to book so far ahead.

The solution would be to run all train services by a single body, you could call it something like 'UK Rail'.

Torslanda · « **Reply #7358 on:** 15 February, 2016, 09:23:15 pm »

That would never catch on!

The Germans and the French wouldn't be able to make huge profits and asset strip the UK network to subsidise theirs . . .

Polar Bear · « **Reply #7359 on:** 15 February, 2016, 09:57:20 pm »

I think that it's more likely they get a shock when they see the reality of running a UK rail franchise. Apparently the numbers of bidders for franchises is at it's lowest level and from a smaller pool of potential bidders since privatisation.

When you see what the Germans, Dutch and Danes do with their trains you have to wonder how our network and rolling stock are so appallingly shite.

David Martin · « **Reply #7360 on:** 15 February, 2016, 10:45:40 pm »

Our network suffers from the problem that much of it is 100+ years old and we have either not been able to afford to replace it or when we can, have been Nimby'd into inaction by politicians. Germany has the benefit that we spent some considerable effort on remodelling of their railways about 75 years ago, giving them the opportunity to build on a 20th century rather than 19th century infrastructure.
UK rail networks are complex. Germany carries 20% more passengers on a network 2.5 times larger, the UK has one of the most intensely used networks in the world, especially around London. Much of it is at capacity. The closest comparison in terms of railway density is the Netherlands in terms of Km rail per head of population and per km^2. But UK carries far more passengers per Km track per year.

It is much easier to run a railway at 95% capacity than 100%

perpetual dan · « **Reply #7361 on:** 16 February, 2016, 08:06:36 am »

I was booking a holiday by train for May at the weekend. I can't book the trip to London or the Swiss bit over the alps until March, and you'd have thought that they would have things running like, er, clockwork.

rafletcher · « **Reply #7362 on:** 16 February, 2016, 09:13:38 am »

Quote from: matthew on 13 February, 2016, 05:43:49 pm

Quote from: rafletcher on 13 February, 2016, 01:09:14 pm
Danm, the Independent is to cease print publishing. That means my wife will want the Guardian delivered instead. Best of a bad (remaining) lot I suppose..

I understand the problem of what paper to read instead as this will be my conundrum as well, that and trying to find out what they will do with my remaining subscription vouchers through till May.

As for the vouchers, I pay monthly, so will just stop the DD (in fact have done so already). They can chase me for any payment due after the credit expires, or I'll pay the Newsagent what's due.

I'll miss the Saturday general knowledge crossword, and my wife loves doing the "details" competition of a Sunday - we've won 3 times (just goes to show how few people enter!). We're outstanding our last bottle of Prosecco though - another week and I'll be chasing it up!

Hurrah, booze prize has arrived

rafletcher · « **Reply #7363 on:** 16 February, 2016, 09:17:31 am »

Quote from: Polar Bear on 14 February, 2016, 08:25:23 pm

Quote from: Torslanda on 14 February, 2016, 08:18:59 pm
If I want to cross the Channel I can book the tunnel pretty much as and when, if I want to fly to France it can be booked up to 12 months in advance, too.

But if I want to check a train journey, for June, no can do.

Yup. Just three months. More evidence of the shite public transport systems that we have to endure in the UK.

And most European systems are as "shite" it seems, looking at the booking-ahead limits here.

https://www.raileurope.com/rail-help/how-to/how-far-in-advance-can-i-purchase-a-train-ticket.html?country_origin=GB

rafletcher · « **Reply #7364 on:** 16 February, 2016, 09:20:08 am »

Quote from: Polar Bear on 15 February, 2016, 09:57:20 pm

When you see what the Germans, Dutch and Danes do with their trains you have to wonder how our network and rolling stock are so appallingly shite.

In contrast Belgian rolling stock is rubbish compared to ours, as is much of Italy's. Most local Dutch stuff is ok, but hardly a quantum better than the UK's stock.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #7365 on:** 16 February, 2016, 09:34:32 am »

The main issue I have UK rail transport is that it is so effing expensive.

Canardly · « **Reply #7366 on:** 16 February, 2016, 09:43:11 am »

It would help if there was some redundancy in the rail net and the costs are silly.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #7367 on:** 16 February, 2016, 10:34:51 am »

The problem IMO is not that you can't book far enough ahead but that you need to in order to get a reasonable price. There's far too much differential between Advance and walk-up pricing.

Kim · « **Reply #7368 on:** 16 February, 2016, 01:01:52 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 16 February, 2016, 10:34:51 am

There's far too much differential between Advance and walk-up pricing.

Except when there isn't.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #7369 on:** 16 February, 2016, 01:30:13 pm »

When there isn't, it's just right! I'd far rather pay £8.40 to Chippenham whenever than have a £4.20 fare if I book weeks in advance and £16.80 the rest of the time.

Basil · « **Reply #7370 on:** 16 February, 2016, 05:48:13 pm »

The difference between advance booking the two journeys and an off peak return to Birmingham from Carmarthen is so tiny that I'm happy to pay a couple of quid extra for the flexibility.

hellymedic · « **Reply #7371 on:** 16 February, 2016, 05:56:27 pm »

I am waiting to see if there will be any Advance tickets for my forthcoming trip to Cynghordy.
I'm sure we've had them before.
Seems only Off-Peak and Anytime fares are available right now. We're not going until early April though.

T42 · « **Reply #7372 on:** 17 February, 2016, 01:53:01 pm »

This is a good one.

At the end of 2008 the Social Security here (hereinafter referred to as the SS) accidentally set up a second contributions account for Mrs. T42. In 2011 they realized that although we were submitting her annual declaration of earnings, no contributions were being paid into the spurious account. That they were landing in the correct account was invisible to them because (deep breath and prepare to boggle) the accounts were not referenced by her unambiguous SS number but by her name and Register of Commerce number, and since they had her down for two different types of professional activity these numbers were different. They had also used slightly different spellings of her name - one of them left out her middle name, the other had it hyphenated onto her first name.

In 2011 they sent us out of the blue a demand for 8000+ euros, with about 3 minutes grace to pay. I battled with them for months, with them gazumping the penalties every month or so, before they finally admitted their mistake and cancelled everything. Zero excuses, of course.

This January, three days after I had my stent put in, a letter arrived from the SS, saying that they were recalculating Mrs. T's contributions and we would presently receive (get this) a final demand. Yesterday, after almost a month of nail-biting, a bailiff's letter arrived: 3000+ euros to pay in the next 15 days or else.

I just got off the phone to the SS-Einsatzgruppe. "Oh. The stop code on the 2011 dossier was unset by accident. Forget about everything. Very sorry and all that."

One of the things they tell you to avoid after a heart problem is stress.

Basil · « **Reply #7373 on:** 17 February, 2016, 07:36:18 pm »

Good luck Mr 42.

I've just had to explain to some studenty kid, when one of the bar staff reappeared from round the back and asked who's next.
"Mate. You know how I was already standing here when you arrived? Well, traditionally................"

ElyDave · « **Reply #7374 on:** 17 February, 2016, 08:56:04 pm »

I really feel for you T42, after all the arseache of my tax return this year and the morass that is HMRC self assessment, the difference after including all of my investments?

One single solitary pound.

Which of course I was required to pay immediately as opposed to the googles, amazons, starbucks etc of this world.