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

[Mrs Pingu]

When the company said the insulation survey guy would come between 1 and 3 I wasn't expecting it to take a whole 2 hours!

So that went as follows:
1. Guy looks through underfloor hatch "yes, plenty room, no problem there"
2. "The front wall is granite so there's no cavity there" (really? It's not just decorative?)
3. Rear wall. I say "there's definitely a cavity here because I saw it when the walls got cored for the extractor vents". He says "i need to drill a hole and check anyway ". I point to where the (unused) aerial cable goes into the kitchen wall and say "can you not just use that one?". He says "naw it's not big enough". Spends 10 mins drilling the wall until his battery gives up. Doesn't reach a cavity when he expects to. At which point he decides to shove the boroscope in the aerial hole I pointed out earlier and says in a surprised manner "well, there is a cavity".
Yes I know, I told you that *and* showed you a photo.
4. Despite only wanting a quote for loft, underfloor and cavity insulation he has to start filling in some script on his tablet that involves all sorts of other stuff already covered in the EPC such as windows, doors, boiler. This involves him taking about 10 pictures of the front of the house, and 10 pics of the boiler, involves a lot of swearing about it not focusing on the boiler until I suggest he turns the light on 
5. He checks the loft and declares there to be plenty of insulation up there (thank heavens for small mercies). Then he had to draw the layout of the house.
2h 15 later he finally leaves.

[Beardy]

Today is my birthday. Yea. But have I got birthday cards? No, not a one. Nor any presents. You’d think I’d given them all the plague or something. Oh, wait…

[ian]

Roofer won't go up on a ladder, so now we need to get scaffolding etc.

Also a big bill because, despite buying a house that had a new roof, they did a shit job apparently (this being no surprise, we already had to retrofit ventilation etc). Much sucking of teeth from the roofers. Does no one in this country do anything right?

[Beardy]

Roofer won't go up on a ladder, so now we need to get scaffolding etc.

Also a big bill because, despite buying a house that had a new roof, they did a shit job apparently (this being no surprise, we already had to retrofit ventilation etc). Much sucking of teeth from the roofers. Does no one in this country do anything right?

When the primary motivation is money, how little can I pay, how much can I get out of them, how much profit can I get, etc, then the quality of the job is not going to,be of primary concern, with the the customer nor the tradesman. As one of my general managers told the whole unit, good enough is by definition good enough.

[cycleman]

Happy birthday beardy

[TheLurker]

Today is my birthday. Yea. But have I got birthday cards? No, not a one. ....

You must tell me how you do it. I've been trying to get my family to not send such things this 10 to 15 years past.  The buggers keep sending them though. It's bloody annoying.  Happy birthday Beardy.

Does no one in this country do anything right?

Looks at manager, any manager, wanting product (might be software, might not be, just sayin') delivered to stuuupidly tight deadlines for less money than it actually costs do do the job right.

*Wanders off thinking dark thoughts*

[ElyDave]

Last time I looked the hovercraft was still running from Southsea to the IoW, but that was a few years ago. I'm sure spesh will be able to advise.

The cross-channel monster hover between Dover and Calais died a death once the tunnel was built, though it limped on to the mid 90s.

On our races between Ramsgate and Calais/Boulogne/Dunkirk/Gravelines in that decade the noise of the hovercraft was almost a constant companion.

I remember travelling on that, must have been early 80s, all I can remember is the noise and vibration  how they ever got certified for civilian travel I have no idea

[rafletcher]

I only flew on it once, around 1985.  Boulogne to Folkestone on a glass calm day after a major overnight storm. Cross channel in 20 minutes flat.

[Basil]

For My birthday every year apparently I  'get' the hanging baskets.  Which I have to remember to order myself.  Pay for, and then collect when they're ready.     

[Cudzoziemiec]

We had a school day trip to Boulogne on a hovercraft circa 1981. What sticks in my memory is that there were sliding windows and one kid lost his British Visitor's Passport (remember them? little green booklets) out of the window. Fortunately this was on the way back.

[Mr Larrington]

A tale told by the brother of some motoring photographer chap, who worked on the car deck of the cross-Channel hoover, was that one rough day someone neglected to tie down the vehicles properly.  With the result that someone's shiny XJ6 literally hit the roof.

[robgul]

The hovercraft service from Dover was brilliant - IF the sea was reasonably calm - if not it was

In, I think, 2006 I used the IoW hovercraft with a bike across to Southsea - there were 3 of us and the thing only took 2 bikes at a time in a little cupboard on the outside, on top of the skirt - two of us went 1st and then had an ice-cream at Minghella's*  while we waited for Steve.

*. . . related to film-maker Anthony Minghella

[T42]

Some time in the 80s we crossed Dover-Calais. The trip was the usual loud, malodorous tooth-loostening thudfest, but worse by far was the [h]overpriced breakfast in the Dover hoverport cafeteria with hoverburgers slopping in horrible hovergravy with limp hoverchips, hoverVAT laid on with a spade. 

[rafletcher]

I hear tell car insurance prices are falling. Well the price of ancillary policies aren’t. I had excess insurance last year, £32. Same coverage this year, with a “loyalty” discount, £42!  Even shopping around the best I can see is £35. Bah.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Due to Amazon and Yodel stuffing up, I'm going to have to spend most of my Saturday taking buses to/from town, to get cat litter. I'll also be able to buy food, but could have done that by bike in much less time (and without waiting about).

Slog to-from town was a slog, as expected. Ended up walking the length of town (only a bit over a km), with shopping in bags, cat litter, birdseed  . . . worked out it was about 35kg or so. Didn't get home until 2pm.

So guess what was delivered this morning?

I now have 90l of cat litter, with another 20l on the way. FFS.

Even if I had an incontinent tiger at home, I wouldn't need that much.

[The Family Cyclist]

We may need a Hovercraft thread.... despite spending pretty much every holiday from age 6 to about 13 in Southsea with my Nan and seeing the Hovercraft hundreds of time I've never been on it. I do remember the wind having picked up once us being hearded off the beach next to the landing area so they had a bigger target to aim at

My Grandfather was also one of the first people on scene in 1972 when one overturned

And I currently supply air conditioning hoses to a Hovercraft manufacturer

[Mrs Pingu]

FFS I'm getting the cold again, 2 weeks after the last one.

[Kim]

Even if I had an incontinent tiger at home, I wouldn't need that much.

'Be careful what you wish for'?   

[benborp]

'arf a giraffe?

FFS! The size of impacting asteroids should me measured in aquatic mammals.

[spesh]

'arf a giraffe?

FFS! The size of impacting asteroids should me measured in aquatic mammals.

Or mega or giga-petunias?

[benborp]

Considering the animal-rights implications it would probably have to be peta-petunias.

[Beardy]

You could use virtual aquatic mammals to avoid the wrath of the animal rights people.

[Mr Larrington]

Why does my right arm appear to have been used as a scratching post by a discontented cat?  I don’t have a cat.  Discontented or otherwise.  Bah!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Could it have been a BEAR cub? You haven't been to Surrey, have you?

[Mr Larrington]

I have been to Surrey over the weekend, but the arms was mauled by Ghost Kitteh before I went there.