What's made you grumpy today?

[DaveMcT]

Just to make your day - complete with 36 month warranty

https://www.aldi.co.uk/microwave-oven-silver/p/097399304352800

 

[portland_bill]

Thanks anyway, but still no 'start' button on it. But I do need a start button, as there are others in the house who will definitely break it otherwise.
My brother bought one of those a few months back. It works fine, but is actually a bit small inside, so he moans about having to use a smaller plate (he moans about everything though - family trait).

 

[Schumi2001]

Now, I know some will reply 'you don't own the road outside your house'... but.

We've been living here for 16 years. It has all been very harmonious. Drive ways are too small, meaning most households park 2 cars on the drive and one on the road. Or one on the drive and one on the road... but we've all existed in peaceful harmony for a long time now. The unwritten rule being you park outside your own house and if you have visitors, they park on one of the bits of road that doesn't have houses on it.

Until 2 new neighbours moved in.

One works for the water board and has a LWB Transit. It won't fit his drive, so gets abandoned hanging over a corner.

Then the new next door neighbours ignore all current etiquette and park their guests (of which they have many!) as close to their house as possible. Which means I need to park where someone else would put their guests and guests end up parking outside someone else's house and so on...

The peace, organisation and harmony has gone and we now seemingly have cars abandoned anywhere and everywhere on the street!

Not assisted by the college across the road where they have more students with cars than they have parking spaces, so they have started migrating into the housing estate, despite it being across a road, a stream and fenced in!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Really annoying isn't it. Our estate was built about 35 years ago and at that time there were no parking restricted street anywhere near. Less than 5 minutes walk away is the local crematorium and although it has it's own parking it can't cope when a big funeral is on so people park in the streets around, where local residents also park. This was fine until the council extended the controlled (permit) parking boundary outward from the city centre and people who previously had parked in side street nearer the centre of the city started parking in the streets near us and catching the bus up to their work in town.

So now the streets near the Crem are full of commuter cars so a few of the people who previously could park near their houses are parking in our estate because a commuter has parked in front of their house. This isn't too bad most of the time but if a big funeral is now being conducted the whole situation degenerates rapidly into chaos with mourners parking, in a last minute panic when they realize they can't get a place in the Crem or on the main street, almost anywhere. Our streets are narrow, really only suitable for parking on one side, but they park on both sides, completely blocking the pavement, some with two wheels on the grassed areas, we've even come home to find a car parked across the end of people's driveway run ins (we're open plan fronts with paved run ins as driveways) or blocking in garages in the garage block (there is a garage block which serves the block of flats across the road from our house)

Numerous complaints have been made to the Police but I think they are just so busy with other, more important, things (and probably just too understaffed) to be able to attend in time to see the problem - they are only there for the duration of the service and some will then go to the wake at the hotel out on the main road. The fire service says it's dangerous as they would be unable to attend an incident. I've tried on a couple of occasions, gently because I didn't want to sound insensitive just in case the person was a close relative/friend of the deceased, to suggest that the way they had parked was totally unacceptable in any circumstance but it didn't go well - the implication being that I was a hard hearted insensitive so and so for even attempting to bother them with it at such a time.

The Edinburgh tram line is now being extended down to Newhaven (wonder what the overspend is going to be on that?) and there is talk of our entire area becoming a controlled zone. It's going to be very interesting to see how the Crem parking will then be achieved. Should make our street a lot quieter although I can see difficulties at times like Christmas when relatives come to stay for a week or so and where am I going to put one of our cars when I'm working on one of the kid's vehicles? - I may have to slab some of the front garden I think?

 

[Schumi2001]

Modern housing developments are dreadful for parking - I've seriously considered grasscrete type stuff so I can park on the lawn.

Already rent a lockup for 2 cars... I guess I'm part of the problem as I have 3 cars here as well as the 2 in the lockup.

We didn't have too many issues with the college, as they mostly park in places that aren't outside houses - although it makes access tight.

It's the new neighbours ignoring the unwritten etiquette of the last 16 years which is causing the problem.

The world would be a nicer place if people didn't do things just because they can / they're 'entitled to' and thought about the impact on others.

 

[portland_bill]

Twice in the past I have seen the Fire Service move vehicles very quickly.

The police can't spare the time, unless there is an emergency, or a disabled person needs access.

It may be different in other areas, but as a result of a badly parked vehicle restricting access, so creating a problem in case of any fire, I have seen a phone call to the Fire Service (not 999) result in a senior Fire Officer attending, very quickly, followed almost immediately by a recovery truck, and the offending vehicle removed.

If access along the street is less than would be required by a Fire truck, might be worth calling and asking the question. Worst case scenario is they say no.

I have also seen stories of parked cars delaying fire service vehicles. They make a report afterwards, that details any delay, including vehicle details of obstructions. The insurance company of the house affected does a calculation of the extra rebuild cost due to the delay, and each minute does more damage than the previous minute, then chases the owner of the offending vehicle(s) for their contribution to the rebuild costs. Be careful where you park.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Many years ago, late '70's maybe early '80's, one of my work colleagues was a retained fireman. An interesting chap who often smelt as if he'd been standing too close to the barbeque! I remember him telling me of one "shout" they'd been on where the way was blocked by one particularly badly parked car which was too heavy for them to lift manually out of the way (something they did often he told me). The commander authorized them to use the engine itself to gently push the vehicle out of the way! Apparently a small amount of bumper damage was inflicted but I don't know who paid for the repair. I wonder what the cost would be today with the excuses for bumpers we now have?

 

[perelaar]

While living in center Brussels 10 years ago, one particularly badly parked car blocked access to a burning building in our neighbourhood. Fire brigade actually smashed front and back windows and ran their hoses through the car. Could have gone next to it, but they wanted to make a point.
All neighbours present agreed - it could have been their house burning...

 

[SB1500]

When I was at university 2016-2019 here in N.I. I parked in nearby residential roads, as did most of the students who had to take responsibility for managing their own money. The university charged students and staff, it was relatively cheap but given the thousands paid in tuition fees I don’t see why. They had private companies manage it too, can’t be cheap. Plus many nearby office workers and other education places next to it filled the car park daily as it was cheap compared to nearby options.

Some locals had cones outside their houses which I moved. I emailed the council back in Year 1 who confirmed that we’re fine to park there and that a cone has no legal meaning. It was fine, the Panda never got any abuse (was already dented like hell up the side). One guy decided to try and block me in with his Range Rover which didn’t work out too well for him, I doubt he’d do that again considering a tight squeeze probably costs more to fix on that than my Panda was worth since I owned it.

Eventually I just started putting the cones in the boot! Then when I saw building sites / cones along the road would just leave them there...

It’s quite crappy but I certainly woulndn’t buy one of those houses next to the university without dedicated private parking and then be shocked or disappointed when it becomes a living hell to find a spot. Unfortunate yes. I’d happily join a petition with the local home owners to make the university consider giving staff and students included parking in all fairness.

Expect quite a backlash for this post, but still.

 

[SB1500]

While living in center Brussels 10 years ago, one particularly badly parked car blocked access to a burning building in our neighbourhood. Fire brigade actually smashed front and back windows and ran their hoses through the car. Could have gone next to it, but they wanted to make a point.

All neighbours present agreed - it could have been their house burning...

Was the burning building a reference to the EU headquarters?! ;-)

 

[perelaar]

Nope, residential building. No parking around main EU buildings, toeduce risk of terrorism.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Nope, residential building. No parking around main EU buildings, toeduce risk of terrorism.

He was trying to be funny.... trying

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The parking migration continues to gather pace. We've now had a rather scruffy black (nothing looks more scruffy than a scruffy black car does it) Audi sitting at the curb outside our door for the last 10 days - hasn't moved in all that time, no idea who owns it.

Usually one of the flats residents opposite us parks here. There is also a red special edition Fabia regularly being left in the layby opposite which is where most of the flats people park so that's two displaced locals. There is also a dark red Golf and a grey convertible new type Beetle now parking in our street every night. Although the Audi owner is unknown the other cars are all owned by people who live in the next street. I think they're all cottoning on that our street is a nice we quite dead end with no lorrys etc going past to knock your mirrors off! My bet would be there will be controlled (by permit) parking sooner rather than later.

 

[DaveMcT]

Residents in my town pushed for permit parking but most feel it caused them more problems than it solved. However, parking generally is good with reasonable car park costs for shopping etc. It would be expensive for daily work parking.

 

[dave]

some brainwashed idiot from Hartlepool on the news saying Corbyn isnt interested in the north and he is a London mp, so he is going to vote farage instead :bang:
that's the same Jeremy corbyn who campaigned for the minors when thatcher took away their income, i have news for him there were no mines in London.

 

[Schumi2001]

It's amazing the kind of excuses people will concoct to justify their voting for a racist, self-serving, bigot.

 

[andydiver]

There is no justification for voting for Farage, whether or not you wish to change or leave Europe.
On the hard left socialist agenda, with high public ownership, I truly wish it could be made to work. Real world experience indicates it has greater failings than the imperfect capitalist model. There is less accountability, as the controlling power (there has to be one) is over invested (literally) in not failing, and redundancies or death of a whole industry becomes acutely difficult, vis mining, however necessary. Aberfan was caused, in part, by a national coal board paralysed by its own implosion.

Also, to take this to a natural conclusion, Corbyn should be a leave advocate, as he could then borrow, subsidise and nationalise and increase working rights well beyond what EU rules would allow, the EU rules would hinder some of his ideas.

Honesty, he has some merit, he is too weak, too left, and about 50 years too late.

 

[DaveMcT]

I was an apprentice engineer when power stations were still nationlised.

Plant fitters were allowed to lift items up to 1 ton but never did so we had to wait for a rigger. Plant fitters were allowed to burn off seized bolts with oxy/acetylene torch but always called a welder.

I was working with a fitter and fitter's mate team to remove a boiler burner which weighed about 3/4 ton. Most of the bolts were seized. We spent most of our time waiting for the welder and rigger. Two men on the next burner were employed by a contractor. By the time we got one burner out, they had removed and replaced one and were just about to start ffitting the second new one. Two contract men were three times faster than three plus two CEGB staff.

Frankly it was embarrassing (not to mention boring) to be a "Board Bloke".

Ten years later the industry was privatised and suddenly all the silly job demarcations ended. There was no less safety but stuff actually got done in reasonable time. The new owners even had the finance to install a brand new boiler into our No 11 unit. The previous boiler was written-off by senior management demanding it was operated with blown out insulation. The excessive heat caused the supporting steel-work to fail and the boiler collapsed.

The site was eventually closed because of sulphur and CO2 emissions rules which suddenly became a problem when the state was not controlling the industry.,

 

[s130]

Like the classic demarcation of the piece of wood and steel bonded together. Chippy / carpenter was not allowed to drill steel and the metal worker not allowed to drill wood. Only solution that the unions would allow (reluctantly) was for managerial non union member to drill the hole under the guidance of the chippy and metal worker. (Or so the story went in those days ......)

 

[dave]

Like the classic demarcation of the piece of wood and steel bonded together. Chippy / carpenter was not allowed to drill steel and the metal worker not allowed to drill wood. Only solution that the unions would allow (reluctantly) was for managerial non union member to drill the hole under the guidance of the chippy and metal worker. (Or so the story went in those days ......)

lol that was Carry On at Your Convenience because they had combined tap and waste fitting tap fitter couldn't do it and waste fitter couldn't do it