What's made you grumpy today?

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Missed bin collection today, again! The food bin, so that'll putrify.

The bins, for myself and neighbour go out around 10pm the night before, neatly placed between the two drives.
The food bin collector walks down the road with his wheelie bin, stops at my neighbour's bin. His wheelie bin is now masking his view to my food bin. So on he goes, down the road, not looking down. He is stood next to two waste bins, in front of two houses, yet does not have two brain cells to think that this might mean two food bins.
Biffa will now try to argue that I didn't put it out on time.

What am I supposd to do, place it on a pedestal at eye level? Stand outside and hand it to them? Collection times vary from 7am to mid-afternoon.

Our bin collections used to run like clockwork, being uplifted between around 7.00 8.30 am - you could almost set your watch by them. Just of late the big bins - Landfill one week and recyclables the next - are sometimes not collected until the next day. The much smaller glass collection bins are even more specific, being collected between 7.00 and 7.30 every second week. The one that "gets" me is, like you, the food bin. The chap emptying them walks down the road with a wheelie bin with no lid, emptying the food caddies into it as he goes. Later he rendezvous with the lorry at the main road to empty it. This is an excellent idea as our streets are narrow with many parked cars which make access difficult for the big lorry. However I've noticed that if I've not put out the larger landfill bin then he seems to completely miss that the much smaller food bin is at the end of our path. I've watched him from the bedroom window and it's the same every time. He comes down the road in a zig zag pattern collecting the bin from one side of the road then across to the next one on the other side and so on down the road. - no landfill bin and he just doesn't cross the road, although it's in plain sight on the pavement. I really can't understand it. As you say the contents then turn into a horrid mush which causes the biodegradable bag to then dissolve and mess up the inside of the bin! AAAARGH!

 

[The Panda Nut]

My brothers in hospital after aheart attack. It makesyoyu realise what's important. He seems to be OK but its never a good thing. I suppose it depends on the cause and if its possible to effect a fix.

I suppose its probably all down to not having bought the right car. I will tell him he should have bought a Panda.

Well Im glad its not me, at least not yet. Hes now needs open heart surgery for a multiple bypass and hes now in heart hospital 'prison'.... Not sure when it will be but has passed pre op assessments. At least it was found before it blew up. He had the aneurism done five years ago and has a scar from down below up to his breast bone. Now He will have an extension going upwards, not so good, but hes cheeful and accepting of the situation which will help. It does make you think about life quite seriously when problems are this close to home. We are however planning a post op trip to France to see my French sister and her brexiteer husband, whose logic really defies me.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Strimmer picked up a stone and threw it at the patio window….. that’s a few hundred quid I won’t be getting back

View attachment 472179

House insurance might help even with an excess. Its doable with normal tools but allow at least a half day for fiddling about.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Well Im glad itsnot me, at least yet. Hes now needs open heart surgery for a multiple bypass amd hes now in heart hospital prison.... Not sure when it will be butbhas passed pre op assessments. At least it was found before it blew up. He had the aneurism done five years ago and has a scar from down below up to his breast bone. Now He will have an extension going upwards, not so good, but hes cheeful and accepting of the situation which will help. It does make you think about life quite seriously when problems are this close to home. We are however planning a post op trip to France to see my French sister and her brexiteer husband, whose logic really defies me.

Fingers, toes and everything else crossed that all goes well with the operation.

Regarding the Brexit "thing". I've long been of the opinion that you're better fighting the enemy from within and in little stages - so you'll not be surprised that I think Brexit was the wrong thing to do. It's done harm which won't be sorted in my lifetime. However. it is what it is so we all just have to work with what we've got. I believe trying to get back in would be lunacy as the rest of the community would set crippling conditions - We blew it guys! Just all part of the continuing decline of Britain.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Communication regarding the fees for the solicitor handling the sorting out of my dead brother's estate. All, apparently submitted to some sort of independent governing body and fully audited and passed inspection. My God! Sorry, I just can't think of any better expletive, Talk about gravy train! what on earth can they have done to justify a fee as large as this. Luckily there's funds to cover it, but, as my old American boss would say, I'm absolutely Hornswoggled! He passed nearly two years ago and they still haven't sorted it all out so this is an "interim" payment - meaning, I suppose, there's more still to come? I feel physically sick - and I can't even have a whisky what with my tummy these days. Think I'll just go out in the rain and walk about for a while in the hope I catch pneumonia and won't have to worry about it all!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Communication regarding the fees for the solicitor handling the sorting out of my dead brother's estate. All, apparently submitted to some sort of independent governing body and fully audited and passed inspection. My God! Sorry, I just can't think of any better expletive, Talk about gravy train! what on earth can they have done to justify a fee as large as this. Luckily there's funds to cover it, but, as my old American boss would say, I'm absolutely Hornswoggled! He passed nearly two years ago and they still haven't sorted it all out so this is an "interim" payment - meaning, I suppose, there's more still to come? I feel physically sick - and I can't even have a whisky what with my tummy these days. Think I'll just go out in the rain and walk about for a while in the hope I catch pneumonia and won't have to worry about it all!

Wow Jock Im sorry to hear this. First thing. Tell them how you feel about the delay, second thing tell them how you feel about the fee, ask them for a detailed breakdown of what they have done, and how long it taken on each thing. Ask for justification then tell them your looking at whether the fee is reasonably justified and youll be communicating further once you have considered competence routes to arbitration. I reckon they might cough a bit as the whole saga does not sound like reasonable professional service one might expect. The word VULTURES comes to mind. If I was local I would want to know who it is I should avoid!
Two years..... This sounds unreasonable on the face of it.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Fingers, toes and everything else crossed that all goes well with the operation.

Regarding the Brexit "thing". I've long been of the opinion that you're better fighting the enemy from within and in little stages - so you'll not be surprised that I think Brexit was the wrong thing to do. It's done harm which won't be sorted in my lifetime. However. it is what it is so we all just have to work with what we've got. I believe trying to get back in would be lunacy as the rest of the community would set crippling conditions - We blew it guys! Just all part of the continuing decline of Britain.

Thanks for your kind comment. Hes 1 week in tomorrow. He has been pretty poorly, but seems at last to be improving. Not aided by a bowel infection. We are communicating by text and he sent me a photo. It looks as if he was attacked by a hippopotomus! But beautifully stitched up though. Water retention now a problem hes 1 + 1/2 stone heavier in 5 days of eating nothing! These are normal issues though as I understand it. He is improving if they can get his arhythmia and water works sorted.
I am on a diet! Cheese toasties are off the menu!
He does know hes still lucky to be here.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Wow Jock Im sorry to hear this. First thing. Tell them how you feel about the delay, second thing tell them how you feel about the fee, ask them for a detailed breakdown of what they have done, and how long it taken on each thing. Ask for justification then tell them your looking at whether the fee is reasonably justified and youll be communicating further once you have considered competence routes to arbitration. I reckon they might cough a bit as the whole saga does not sound like reasonable professional service one might expect. The word VULTURES comes to mind. If I was local I would want to know who it is I should avoid!
Two years..... This sounds unreasonable on the face of it.

Thanks. I've calmed down a bit now. Actually, although it's a pretty steep bill I guess it may be warranted. Not only have his business affairs turned out to be very complex but also there are other serious legal issues to be resolved. It's all a bit of a mess. The good news is that much of it is now resolved. Doubt if it'll be finalised this side of Christmas though. Oh, and I'm not meant to know about this yet, it's just that I know someone "who knows" The good thing is I'm fore warned so when the final bill comes in and I'm "officially" informed I'll be out of the starting blocks powered on Nitro!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Thanks. I've calmed down a bit now. Actually, although it's a pretty steep bill I guess it may be warranted. Not only have his business affairs turned out to be very complex but also there are other serious legal issues to be resolved. It's all a bit of a mess. The good news is that much of it is now resolved. Doubt if it'll be finalised this side of Christmas though. Oh, and I'm not meant to know about this yet, it's just that I know someone "who knows" The good thing is I'm fore warned so when the final bill comes in and I'm "officially" informed I'll be out of the starting blocks powered on Nitro!

Well if they can explain itmay be understandable but still worth asking for more breakdown and / or a recalculate. I suppose is payment for absorbing stress. If the bill gives thT back it deserves comment I feel. My dad hated solicitors, surveyors and estate agents. I think it is more competitive now which helps. We havedealt with house sale, conveyancing and surveying as a family over the years and it time consuming but not taxing or even difficult. Worst bit years ago was parking near the legal stationers in Manchester to get the official forms!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Well if they can explain itmay be understandable but still worth asking for more breakdown and / or a recalculate. I suppose is payment for absorbing stress. If the bill gives thT back it deserves comment I feel. My dad hated solicitors, surveyors and estate agents. I think it is more competitive now which helps. We havedealt with house sale, conveyancing and surveying as a family over the years and it time consuming but not taxing or even difficult. Worst bit years ago was parking near the legal stationers in Manchester to get the official forms!

I was just thinking. The sale of his house is being handled independently by a solicitor who is a friend of a friend. We are getting on very well with him and he's keeping us very well informed of all developments. He comes with very strong recommendation from an old family friend who has used him in the past. I've decided I'm going to ask his opinion.

Many thanks for your moral support, I'm feeling much calmer and more in control now

 

[The Panda Nut]

I was just thinking. The sale of his house is being handled independently by a solicitor who is a friend of a friend. We are getting on very well with him and he's keeping us very well informed of all developments. He comes with very strong recommendation from an old family friend who has used him in the past. I've decided I'm going to ask his opinion.

Many thanks for your moral support, I'm feeling much calmer and more in control now

Is very hard to take being charged a lot for services which require specialists that seem to have carte blanche with prices. More than likely they can justify, but, challenging this calmly and firmly is quite justified. I supppose with a business there will have been creditors and statutory steps, and time spans to follow to identify them which may explain time scales. Rates for this should be accountancy low level though not solicitor scales though I feel. I agree ask someone like your solicitor to scan over it Even if this costs a little it would be worth it for peace of mind. Not a problem anyone wants of that Im sure. I wish you sucess in getting it all sorted.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I was just thinking. The sale of his house is being handled independently by a solicitor who is a friend of a friend. We are getting on very well with him and he's keeping us very well informed of all developments. He comes with very strong recommendation from an old family friend who has used him in the past. I've decided I'm going to ask his opinion.

Many thanks for your moral support, I'm feeling much calmer and more in control now

Is very hard to take being charged a lot for services which require specialists that seem to have carte blanche with prices. More than likely they can justify, but, challenging this calmly and firmly is quire justified. I suppose with a business there will have been creditors and statutory steps, and time spans to follow to identify them which may explain time scales. Rates for this should be accountancy clerical scales not solicitor rates though I feel. I agree ask someone like your solicitor to scan over it Even if this costs a little it would be worth it for peace of mind. Not a problem anyone wants Im sure. I wish you sucess getting it all finally done.

 

[SB1500]

Speeding fine letter from last week…. This year as a whole I’ve been consciously NOT going above the limit, even sticking to the speedometer (knowing it’s a tad slower than reality) ‘just in case’.

It was a road I’d never been on, on the way back from a National Trust site, really beautiful along the water road… I must have mistaken it for a 60, but it was a 40, clocked at 54mph… Raging.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Speeding fine letter from last week…. This year as a whole I’ve been consciously NOT going above the limit, even sticking to the speedometer (knowing it’s a tad slower than reality) ‘just in case’.

It was a road I’d never been on, on the way back from a National Trust site, really beautiful along the water road… I must have mistaken it for a 60, but it was a 40, clocked at 54mph… Raging.

But so easily done, I sympathise. Here in Edinburgh the council is reducing a whole raft of roads which were previously 40mph to 30mph and loads more which were 30mph down to 20mph. It's very difficult when for years you've been used to it being a 40 to get used to going at 30 especially when many of the locals are sitting on your back bumper, and some even flashing you, because they haven't clocked the new limits. One we use a lot goes along the sea front (Seafield) two lanes in each direction and straight as a die, has been a 40 for as long as I can remember - now a 30. Right at the start, where it passes the dog and cat home, there's a small warning sign high up on a lamp post warning it's now a 30. It's not the usual red 30 "roundel" but a lettered sign and quite small, very easy to miss. They have removed the small 40 signs which were on some of the lamp posts which, of course, due to lamp post distancing automatically makes it a 30 limit, but my goodness it's easy to be confused. Not only that but it's now 30 all along Seafield and on out along the Sir Harry Lauder road right up to where the dual carriage way starts at the Asda roundabout. Previously all this was 40mph but now 30 with no obvious signage, if you miss that first sign and don't cotton on to the fact all the little 40 roundals have disappeared from the lamp posts, you can go the whole length of the road, several miles, in ignorance. It's daft! https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/30mph. I've been caught out on a number of them and had to stand on the brakes quickly, so far nothing through the letter box thank goodness.

 

[bugsymike]

Some years ago I got done twice in 15 minutes by same camera van, ironically trying to return a part for a credit note for £20 before my monthly account invoice, once going up the hill and down on the return, so the fine totally blew the credit note.

 

[ZaphodB]

Some woman today , whilst I was on way home on my bicycle , I was coming along to cross a side road, she drives across me right to left (no where near me really but I spot she's looking down at her phone as she's crepping along to the junction head.......

So I passed behind her as she was at the junction now and I did a small circle on the drivers side to shout at her to get off the ****ing phone you ****ing idiot ......

She just attempted to blank and ignore me as she was looking for a gap with which to join the main road.

Job done I carried on my way , I would hope it might make here think twice but somehow I doubt it.

 

[The Panda Nut]

But so easily done, I sympathise. Here in Edinburgh the council is reducing a whole raft of roads which were previously 40mph to 30mph and loads more which were 30mph down to 20mph. It's very difficult when for years you've been used to it being a 40 to get used to going at 30 especially when many of the locals are sitting on your back bumper, and some even flashing you, because they haven't clocked the new limits. One we use a lot goes along the sea front (Seafield) two lanes in each direction and straight as a die, has been a 40 for as long as I can remember - now a 30. Right at the start, where it passes the dog and cat home, there's a small warning sign high up on a lamp post warning it's now a 30. It's not the usual red 30 "roundel" but a lettered sign and quite small, very easy to miss. They have removed the small 40 signs which were on some of the lamp posts which, of course, due to lamp post distancing automatically makes it a 30 limit, but my goodness it's easy to be confused. Not only that but it's now 30 all along Seafield and on out along the Sir Harry Lauder road right up to where the dual carriage way starts at the Asda roundabout. Previously all this was 40mph but now 30 with no obvious signage, if you miss that first sign and don't cotton on to the fact all the little 40 roundals have disappeared from the lamp posts, you can go the whole length of the road, several miles, in ignorance. It's daft! https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/30mph. I've been caught out on a number of them and had to stand on the brakes quickly, so far nothing through the letter box thank goodness.

All these * stupid traffic signs everywhere all badly maintained and this sort of stuff. I begin to think sone of tje current wave of people who manage the roads are not just yhick, but alsp bone idle.
Prnciples of traffic management havalways been keep the traffic moving and MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT IS REQUIRED OF EVERYONE. the latter being a absolute cornerstone of the who lot. What is is these people dont understand about making things clear. CHALLENGE THIS! You ALWAYS used to get white on red signs even for tragfic management. Confusion and time to aclimatize are NORMAL EXPECTATIONS. This behaviour is not good enough and its time for some action. Im going to start rattling a few cages about the slapdash methodsbeing followed and ask for clarification of a few things. This has been coming for some time so I have a frw things In mind to either force DOT to change the law orgeet their statutory duty to rosd users fulfilled. Ive never before started an on line petition so if someone knows how, please enlighten me. I have sucessfully challenged the last few brushes with highways re speed, onstreet parking, yellowboxes and, bus lane cameras because rules and principles were not followed. It seems more general action is required to either remove or change rules that are being ignored. The trouble with retired people is tgey have enough time on their hands to be a gold plated nuisance to people in ivory towers! For starters road closed ahead sign misuse!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Some woman today , whilst I was on way home on my bicycle , I was coming along to cross a side road, she drives across me right to left (no where near me really but I spot she's looking down at her phone as she's crepping along to the junction head.......

So I passed behind her as she was at the junction now and I did a small circle on the drivers side to shout at her to get off the ****ing phone you ****ing idiot ......

She just attempted to blank and ignore me as she was looking for a gap with which to join the main road.

Job done I carried on my way , I would hope it might make here think twice but somehow I doubt it.

Using mobile phones whilst in the driving seat, often when stationary and then annoying everyone else because you don't move when the car in front of you does, and/or, even more dangerously, using it when creeping in very slow moving traffic, is something I quite often see when driving through the centre of our city. There are so few police out on patrol these days that there's little risk to doing this. I've had several incidents where the car behind has nearly run into me in very slow traffic because someone was texting. Avoided, I believe, because I lent on the horn button whilst at the same time activating my hazards and pumping the brake pedal to make the high level brake light light flash. So far disaster has been avoided but it's proably going to happen one day. My new mobile gets put in the little bin between the seats and the top closed to avoid temptation - I just won't have anything to do with my phone when driving. I've found there's no point in trying to chastise the perpetrator, either they ignore you entirely or you get a mouthful of abuse - funnily enough, in my limited experience, it's females who respond with the most foul language, which surprises me. The reaction I've had from males is usually either to be ignored or you get a rude gesture and told to "F" off. The "Ladies" though? I've given up now, don't attempt to even make eye contact and just count myself lucky they haven't damaged my car. I find it's good, at my age, not to raise the blood pressure anyway.

 

[sandeel999]

Any decent solicitors will give you up front costs, had this on my mums probate and the sale of three houses in the last 5 years. Always the amount stated was what was paid. Always ask to be contacted if there is any movement on the price quoted.
Most of what they do can be done by anyone and I do most of this myself.
Deed name changes they charge 800 to 1400 for round here can be done for gov fee only, quoted 1800 for power of attorney, got it done gov fee only, many of these things are quite straightforward.
Accountants are another scam used one once charged 570 to do a job that took me 5 minutes once I'd learned how to do capital gains tax myself its really easy most of the time. Been doing my own taxes for 20 years again so simple once you've done it once. I keep my books each week and add up and at end of year taxes done in an hour or two on gov.uk.
Also never get a will by a solicitor loads out there who come to you and do it for £99.00 but again these can be done by yourself with a little learning. Just need the signatures etc to be correct.
So many rip offs in this country you can get around by searching for info.

 

[porta]

Any decent solicitors will give you up front costs, had this on my mums probate and the sale of three houses in the last 5 years. Always the amount stated was what was paid. Always ask to be contacted if there is any movement on the price quoted.
Most of what they do can be done by anyone and I do most of this myself.
Deed name changes they charge 800 to 1400 for round here can be done for gov fee only, quoted 1800 for power of attorney, got it done gov fee only, many of these things are quite straightforward.
Accountants are another scam used one once charged 570 to do a job that took me 5 minutes once I'd learned how to do capital gains tax myself its really easy most of the time. Been doing my own taxes for 20 years again so simple once you've done it once. I keep my books each week and add up and at end of year taxes done in an hour or two on gov.uk.
Also never get a will by a solicitor loads out there who come to you and do it for £99.00 but again these can be done by yourself with a little learning. Just need the signatures etc to be correct.
So many rip offs in this country you can get around by searching for info.

That’s not so easy wehn there’s no will, and businesses are a nightmare to unravel, even wehn it’s a sole trader…that’s quite apart from the tax man. Ours was a long drawn out affair, we were given a rough estimate by our family solicitor but we were warned that cost would go up, think of every correspondence back and forth with the tax man, vat man and everyone in between
Edit: and the tooing and froing with our accountant