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

[Mrs Pingu]

I can’t remember where I put the reports of my leaking toilet, but I’ll continue here only because I CBA to really rant about it.

I _think_ I’ve diagnosed the issue to a failure of manufacture with a molding that hasn’t been properly glazed in within the innards of the toilet basin. This is allowing a minor, but persistent, leak between the flush pipe inlet and the double walled portion of the ‘frame’ of the toilet. I say t_think_ because the toilet is one of those fancy back-to-wall types that is firmly affixed in place, with the suspected fault deep within the fabric of the construction and diagnostics have been with a newly purchased endoscope and strategically placed fluorescent dye stuff.

I suspect that this has been an issue since it was installed new, but because the plumbers were a bit dim and the installation a bit dodgy, the leak went undetected and the water soaked into the floor. In replacing the now rotted floor with a properly installed tile I’ve left the water nowhere to go and so it’s become obvious. The only proper so.union I can see is to replace the toilet bowl which is not a popular choice 10 days before a full family Christmas and 5 days before they all start descending on us.

Pah!

I think we had the same issue when we got our last bathroom done up. It was mainly completed but when my plumber came back after I'd painted, to install the radiator, he appeared unexpectedly with a new cistern in tow because he thought there was a small leak in a seal somewhere and he was doing the right thing getting a new one.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think it's usually a neutral question. It can of course be used in an exclusionary way, just as many questions can, and yes it's more likely to be used that way to a black person, as well as more likely to be perceived even if the intent isn't there.

So we could do with a non-exclusionary way of asking the same question. "Where do you live" might cover it at least in many cases. "Where you're from" can of course be the place you live or any/many of several other places.

[Beardy]

Replacement toilet ordered. I might be able to repair the hole in the faulty toilet, but the idea of taking it out and searching for what is in effect a slow puncture with no guarantee that I’ll either find it or be able to fix it even if I do, not only fills me with dread, but has also been decreed A BAD IDEA™ by Dr B. It’d take a braver (or more foolhardy) individual than I to risk the wrath of Dr B so close to Christmas.

[chrisbainbridge]

does it have to be done prior to Christmas.  Can it not wait until after the festivities?

[Mrs Pingu]

In Dr Bs' corner, if it's new and faulty why should you fix it? You're due a new one.

[Beardy]

It will probably wait until after Christmas, even if it turns up in super quick time. I’m not sure I could cope with the stress if I tried to do it before.

It’s not new, that’s the annoying thing. It’s been leaking into the floor for 5 years and has managed to rot the floor boards.  The boards were on a solid floor with a sheet of plywood over the top, and it wasn’t until that started to,rot through that we first saw the signs of rot. We can’t chase the plumber either because he stopped trading 4 or so years ago and retired.

[Mrs Pingu]

Ah. Yes, that is annoying.

[Mrs Pingu]

You know how the Guardian has a little hide button, so you can hide stuff on the main page like the Sport section (useful when the tour is on) or the World Sportsball Cup?
I wish they'd make one for Harry & Meghan. I'm bored seeing it.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I wish they'd make one for Harry & Meghan. I'm bored seeing it.

It's a handy way of tuning republican sentiment into a royalist cause.

[ElyDave]

I think it's usually a neutral question. It can of course be used in an exclusionary way, just as many questions can, and yes it's more likely to be used that way to a black person, as well as more likely to be perceived even if the intent isn't there.

So we could do with a non-exclusionary way of asking the same question. "Where do you live" might cover it at least in many cases. "Where you're from" can of course be the place you live or any/many of several other places.

Depends who's asking, could be TEH FENZ, about 20 miles North of Cambridge, Wiltshire, The UK, all over the place.  Each of which is contextually defendable

[Cudzoziemiec]

I think it's usually a neutral question. It can of course be used in an exclusionary way, just as many questions can, and yes it's more likely to be used that way to a black person, as well as more likely to be perceived even if the intent isn't there.

So we could do with a non-exclusionary way of asking the same question. "Where do you live" might cover it at least in many cases. "Where you're from" can of course be the place you live or any/many of several other places.

Depends who's asking, could be TEH FENZ, about 20 miles North of Cambridge, Wiltshire, The UK, all over the place.  Each of which is contextually defendable

On wow! Not just a cool dude but The Actual Fonz!

[Mrs Pingu]

I've been wondering for a few weeks (since it got dark and cold) why the PIR light out by the door to the garage keeps going on. It's finally occurred to me - it's sited quite close to the flue for the boiler, the heat from that must be setting off the sensor.
I know it was just a replacement for one that was there before (which didn't work) but why did the sparky not think to point that out when he installed the new one?

[hellymedic]

I think it's usually a neutral question. It can of course be used in an exclusionary way, just as many questions can, and yes it's more likely to be used that way to a black person, as well as more likely to be perceived even if the intent isn't there.

So we could do with a non-exclusionary way of asking the same question. "Where do you live" might cover it at least in many cases. "Where you're from" can of course be the place you live or any/many of several other places.

The problem to me seems to be the implication that the person being asked doesn't really belong in the group.
Suspect nobody would take offence at an Audax reunion if posed that question.

'Where are you REALLY from?' is more offensive...

[hellymedic]

D and I are planning our seasonal visit to his Dad in Christchurch, Dorset.
We've done this most years apart from 2020, since ??2002.

I've been trying to book myself a wheelchair bay on the trains and received this as part of a an email from SouthWestern Railway.

<<All our trains have wheelchair spaces, with a companion seat adjacent to them, however, seats on our trains are non-reservable, this includes the wheelchair spaces. >>

WTAF?

I'm not too worried about our outward journey from Waterloo cos getting a bay from a terminus of origin should be fine.
I'm anxious about joining a train en route from an unstaffed station...

[barakta]

Scotland and Germany have the sensible "where do you stay/live" which is distinct from "where are you from" which avoids this problem.

I figure that it doesn't cost white folk a lot of thought to think a little about what they ask and not to zoom into the first non-white person and ask 'where are you from' and maybe ask something else or not ask it of anyone for a bit. If in a group where everyone's asked/discussing where they live or origins, by all means ask the BME person at their turn, but equally don't do the 'where are you really from' and be hyper alert to it being a sensitive subject.

[Kim]

I've been trying to book myself a wheelchair bay on the trains and received this as part of a an email from SouthWestern Railway.

<<All our trains have wheelchair spaces, with a companion seat adjacent to them, however, seats on our trains are non-reservable, this includes the wheelchair spaces. >>

WTAF?

I reckon that's either "Computers are hard, so we're not bothering."  or  "Running a train service is hard, so we're not making any promises."

[hellymedic]

I think it's the latter but travel as a wheelchair user is stressful and this only increases the stress.

[The Family Cyclist]

Didn't have a good night's sleep as littlest monkey had a bad dream and woke me just after 4am

Got up to walk dog at 0540 as usual. Walked said dog and came home much in need of tea. Made a big mug of tea and put on table. The wife had left a clear biro on the table which with our multi coloured table cloth I missed so stuck mug on it and sloshed tea all over table.

[chrisbainbridge]

woke up at 6:00 for the loo to find radiator stone cold.  Checked the boiler, not working.  Wife/vicar phoned the contract plumber as we are in a tied house.  I poured warm water over condensate pipe outside.  Still not started properly.  runs for a few minutes, cuts out, etc.  Waiting for call back from plumbing contractor.

Lounge fire lit, couple of fan heaters and a dimplex running.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Diesel stove/heating refused to fire last night. Listened carefully, couldn't hear the ignition spark. "Ah, the electrodes are coked up again"
Stove is very hot, so can't do anything last night. We have a solid fuel stove in living room, so no great hardship.

This morning, open up stove, give electrodes a polish. Test fire - electrodes spark immediately, but cut out before diesel starts spraying through nozzle.

Weird, thinks I, starting to suspect ignition capacitor is dying (I assume there is one).

Try it again - electrode doesn't spark at all.

Third time, ignition.


Now I'm wondering if it is the capacitor, and that it either is losing capacity or being very slow to 'fill'.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I've been trying to book myself a wheelchair bay on the trains and received this as part of a an email from SouthWestern Railway.

<<All our trains have wheelchair spaces, with a companion seat adjacent to them, however, seats on our trains are non-reservable, this includes the wheelchair spaces. >>

WTAF?

I reckon that's either "Computers are hard, so we're not bothering."  or  "Running a train service is hard, so we're not making any promises."

It'll be like bike spaces and indeed any seat. On some trains, determined mostly by what rolling stock is being used, nothing is bookable, although it all exists.

[Beardy]

I've been trying to book myself a wheelchair bay on the trains and received this as part of a an email from SouthWestern Railway.

<<All our trains have wheelchair spaces, with a companion seat adjacent to them, however, seats on our trains are non-reservable, this includes the wheelchair spaces. >>

WTAF?

I reckon that's either "Computers are hard, so we're not bothering."  or  "Running a train service is hard, so we're not making any promises."

It'll be like bike spaces and indeed any seat. On some trains, determined mostly by what rolling stock is being used, nothing is bookable, although it all exists.

Bookable seats require the intervention of a Real Human Bean ™ to place tickets in booked seats. This is a cost to the business and any extra charges levied for booking seats won’t be sufficient to cover. Shareholders ROI MUST be protected and maximised.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I've been trying to book myself a wheelchair bay on the trains and received this as part of a an email from SouthWestern Railway.

<<All our trains have wheelchair spaces, with a companion seat adjacent to them, however, seats on our trains are non-reservable, this includes the wheelchair spaces. >>

WTAF?

I reckon that's either "Computers are hard, so we're not bothering."  or  "Running a train service is hard, so we're not making any promises."

It'll be like bike spaces and indeed any seat. On some trains, determined mostly by what rolling stock is being used, nothing is bookable, although it all exists.

Bookable seats require the intervention of a Real Human Bean ™ to place tickets in booked seats. This is a cost to the business and any extra charges levied for booking seats won’t be sufficient to cover. Shareholders ROI MUST be protected and maximised.

Quite a lot of seats have an electronic display now.


I think the real reason they are ditching the booking is because it enables them to switch around rolling stock more easily. If you have some carriages with 50 seats and one wheelchair space, some with 60 seats, then taking bookings forces you to ensure the right number of carriage type X are at the right place at the right time. That is expensive, both in planning terms and logistically.

No bookings, you can use any carriage.

[T42]

6 years ago we paid 12,000€ to have an electric chair put in to hoist the Inlaw Paw to his bedroom of an evening. He used it exactly once before a heart attack put him in bed for his last months.  Since then we've been taking the thing for a trundle every week or two to maintain the batteries, and dusting and greasing it sort-of regularly.

Today the bloody thing went clunk halfway up, its pilot lights went out and it's immovable.  I called Stannah (rot their knickers) and they want 300€ to come and look at it - after Christmas, leaving our stairs half-blocked until then.

[chrisbainbridge]

After faffing with the CH this morning i headed off to the office.  My main meeting was not till 11.30 so I thought I would get breakfast at the little cafe down the road.  Arrived at 09:00 to a freezing cold cafe, chef not back from the shops, not very welcoming so i left and went to work.

Come 11:00 i go to collect car from service and think I will get a bacon roll from just round the corner.  get in, order and they tell me they have run out of bacon!

Not my day.