Grumble Thread

[smittims]

I still rely on post for bank statements and utility bills as I like to have a paper copy and don't pay online,and sometimes we get letters from friends and relatives . But the proposed changes would seem to be an improvement on what we get here. Despite living a mile away from what used to eb,at any rate, a major sorting office, we rarely see a postie and get post about once a week, a wodge of stuff presumably accumulated since the last one. Bills often take two weeks to get to us, giving us a day or two to pay before the deadline.

For someoene who likes the old GPO documentaries and can remember the great days of the General Post Office (remember those halls with lino floors and a smell of franking ink?) , it's a case of sic transit gloria mundi!

[Serial_Apologist]

Might 'alternate days' turn out to mean 'Tuesdays and Thursdays only' ?

Not in "the best of all possible worlds", Mr Pangloss!

[LMcD]

Not in "the best of all possible worlds", Mr Pangloss!

I shall 'Make My Garden Grow' while waiting for the postie.

[Sir Velo]

I'm glad to saywe still have several banks in Crewe,

Banks: who needs 'em eh? Recently I was the surprise recipient of a cheque paid as compensation from ParcelForce for a scandalously delayed delivery. After initially cursing their 20th century approach to banking I remembered that my bank's app now offered online cheque deposits and, so with a scan of the cheque, a thumbprint to verify ID and, voila! the money is in my account! What could be simpler?

[Pulcinella]

Banks: who needs 'em eh? Recently I was the surprise recipient of a cheque paid as compensation from ParcelForce for a scandalously delayed delivery. After initially cursing their 20th century approach to banking I remembered that my bank's app now offered online cheque deposits and, so with a scan of the cheque, a thumbprint to verify ID and, voila! the money is in my account! What could be simpler?

ParcelForce delivering on time?

[Sir Velo]

ParcelForce delivering on time?

Now that would be asking too much of the poor darlings. Somehow ParcelForce has managed to become Ebay's preferred courier and, having an item surplus to requirements to flog, I was forced to avail myself of their services knowing full well their propensity to screw things up whenever the possibility admits itself. Sure enough, having paid £10 for a "24" hr delivery they were 48 hours late in collecting the parcel. The parcel, by the way, was not held at an obscure location, but deposited with a Post Office so no excuse you'd have thought for non collection.. Several emails and phone calls later they finally admitted their culpability and a cheque was en route.

[Dave2002]

I cannot see that this is rational. Creating laws is one thing. Preventing people from breaking them is another - that is what I would term policing/enforcing them. How do you stop any e-scooterists from jumping any of the traffic the lights in a town or city? Or prosecuting them if they do?

e-scooterists - a bit hard - unless using face recognition. However cars can be done moderately easily. I believe in some countries - e.g. Netherlands - traffic issues are just dealt with automatically. Speed through a restricted area - get picked up on a camera - and the fine comes through the post a day or two later. Actually that was what I was told many, many years ago. Nowadays it could just take the money from one's accound, and put a mark on one's "infraction" file. I haven't kept up with what happens in other countries.

The situation in the UK is different, and most people seem to work on the principle that they bust the rules for as long as they can get away with them.

One rule which sadly I probably break moderately frequently now is the 20mph one, as the stretch of road right outside is now 20mph - though the markings on the road itself still say 30mph.
I don't do it deliberately. An item on the news recently suggested that the 20mph limits do save some injuries - even deaths - so I should try to observe the rules.

There are on-going deliberations about whether to revert to the previous time limited restrictions.

However it does look as though many of the drivers who pass by haven't really any intention to keep their speed down.

Bring back the men with the red flags I say - and that could increse employment opportunities!!

[Pulcinella]

One rule which sadly I probably break moderately frequently now is the 20mph one, as the stretch of road right outside is now 20mph - though the markings on the road itself still say 30mph.
I don't do it deliberately. An item on the news recently suggested that the 20mph limits do save some injuries - even deaths - so I should try to observe the rules.

There are some crazy 20mph zones hereabouts, especially those near schools that really are necessary only in school term time (and probably even only at the start and end of the school day).
It is no wonder that they are frequently ignored (the warning light flashes) at other times.

[oddoneout]

Now that would be asking too much of the poor darlings. Somehow ParcelForce has managed to become Ebay's preferred courier and, having an item surplus to requirements to flog, I was forced to avail myself of their services knowing full well their propensity to screw things up whenever the possibility admits itself. Sure enough, having paid £10 for a "24" hr delivery they were 48 hours late in collecting the parcel. The parcel, by the way, was not held at an obscure location, but deposited with a Post Office so no excuse you'd have thought for non collection.. Several emails and phone calls later they finally admitted their culpability and a cheque was en route.

Are there any courier/delivery services that are sufficiently better to offer a real alternative? Judging by what I read, hear, and also sometimes observe in my road, they are all much the same - even when they change name (Hermes/Evri) to try and fool folk.

[oddoneout]

e-scooterists - a bit hard - unless using face recognition. However cars can be done moderately easily. I believe in some countries - e.g. Netherlands - traffic issues are just dealt with automatically. Speed through a restricted area - get picked up on a camera - and the fine comes through the post a day or two later. Actually that was what I was told many, many years ago. Nowadays it could just take the money from one's accound, and put a mark on one's "infraction" file. I haven't kept up with what happens in other countries.

The situation in the UK is different, and most people seem to work on the principle that they bust the rules for as long as they can get away with them.

One rule which sadly I probably break moderately frequently now is the 20mph one, as the stretch of road right outside is now 20mph - though the markings on the road itself still say 30mph.
I don't do it deliberately. An item on the news recently suggested that the 20mph limits do save some injuries - even deaths - so I should try to observe the rules.

There are on-going deliberations about whether to revert to the previous time limited restrictions.

However it does look as though many of the drivers who pass by haven't really any intention to keep their speed down.

Bring back the men with the red flags I say - and that could increse employment opportunities!!

Hence the high rate of illegal mobile phone usage. My home county is a large rural one so the chances of getting caught are very low compared with more urban areas. Unfortunately the consequences can be worse due to higher speeds out of built-up areas, and narrow country roads with bends and poor visibility. The frequent sightings of drivers exiting the car park in town directly opposite the police station, while using mobiles, even when the police were still actually in situ(no longer, it's all back office and car parking, no public contact) did rather make the point.
The positive effects of the 20 mph limits have been picked up by insurers, so perhaps as lower premiums feed through it might reduce the level of objection and active rule breaking. Changing habits does take time though, and if the road is still marked incorrectly that doesn't help does it?

[Serial_Apologist]

Hence the high rate of illegal mobile phone usage. My home county is a large rural one so the chances of getting caught are very low compared with more urban areas. Unfortunately the consequences can be worse due to higher speeds out of built-up areas, and narrow country roads with bends and poor visibility. The frequent sightings of drivers exiting the car park in town directly opposite the police station, while using mobiles, even when the police were still actually in situ(no longer, it's all back office and car parking, no public contact) did rather make the point.
The positive effects of the 20 mph limits have been picked up by insurers, so perhaps as lower premiums feed through it might reduce the level of objection and active rule breaking. Changing habits does take time though, and if the road is still marked incorrectly that doesn't help does it?

Most road markings around here have not been renewed for a long time and in many cases are now invisible; this is especially noticeable to cyclists such as myself in the large number of negligent drivers, particularly as regards cycle lanes and the special place for cyclists just ahead of many London traffic lights. One's understanding is that markings have to be visible to be legally enforceable. If that is so one wonders if lack of available policing has been an additional cost saver!

[oddoneout]

Most road markings around here have not been renewed for a long time and in many cases are now invisible; this is especially noticeable to cyclists such as myself in the large number of negligent drivers, particularly as regards cycle lanes and the special place for cyclists just ahead of many London traffic lights. One's understanding is that markings have to be visible to be legally enforceable. If that is so one wonders if lack of available policing has been an additional cost saver!

What I have been noticing in the past 2 years or so is that new or renewed road markings simply don't seem to last any time, and they don't seem to be as thick. I am assuming that the aim of minimising disruption to traffic by using quick drying paint has a trade off in terms of longevity. It rather seems to be a false economy/expensive solution though as some markings, notably yellow boxes in town at two very busy and awkward junctions, only lasted a few months, and so now have all but disappeared. It will obviously cost to get a team out to do the work again - and again and again - so what now. Short disruption periods on a much more frequent basis, or more significant disruption much less frequently. All hypothetical now though as road maintenance isn't getting done at all.
When the relocated Lidl opens by one of the junctions the disappearance of the yellow box won't make any difference as the traffic is already gridlocked several times of day anyway as the several sets of traffic lights along a very short stretch of road already can't manage the flow effectively. Visibility difficulties mean that even those few drivers such as myself who try and think ahead and not block the junction(s) can't get sufficient information to decide whether to proceed or not. Mind you the latter then lays you open to the harassment from drivers behind who don't want to think beyond their own tin box.
Highways didn't object at planning stage even though the town council did its own traffic survey to demonstrate that there was a problem with the county council's figures and projections, and many townsfolk lodged objections, not least as no-one can see why Lidl is moving from its existing site beside Tesco and across the road from Aldi a few hundred yards up the road off a purpose built double roundabout off the bypass. Whether they are banking on the slightly closer proximity to the town centre increasing customer flow I don't know - but as it will make things much more difficult for those who come in from out of town on that bypass I don't know if that will add up. It also means that I can't use the bus to access all 3 stores in one trip as I can currently, as there won't be enough time with the additional walking needed before the (hourly) bus makes its return journey.
Doubtless even more of this sort of thing to look forward to as planning becomes obsolete rather than just inadequate.

[Jonathan]

All this talk of Parcelforce reminds me that a former colleague (who was at one time a postie) used to refer to them as Parcelfarce.

[Serial_Apologist]

January Saturday, 9.45 am in one of Sainsbury's megastores in S London - a four-mile cycle ride in each direction. Four of the items I regularly buy are off the shelves again, for the third week running. This has always been the branch I go the distance for because nearer branches stock more limited ranges of product. None of the walk-through checkouts are being operated. Long queues waiting to enter the self-checkout "compound", which I have no choice other than to use. Determined not to allow myself to become stressed I calmly put my groceries through the procedure, including one item that refuses to register until the fifth attempt. What's this? the machine won't accept my card, or what? Only two staff members, wearing hi-visi jackets, in attendance. One comes and flips through the procedure: "See? Easy!" - big smile. I then discover one cannot leave the pen without registering one's receipt on another machine to open the barriers. Where is mine? Somewhere at the bottom of my bag? Walk back to the check out machine against a tide of irritated public trying to find a machine that isn't "Sorry - out of action". No loose receipt anywhere to be seen. The two attendants are now nowhere to be found. "Help, I can't get out, I've lost my receipt" I say to the man in front of me. "Just follow me through - all being well it should be OK" he says. I get back to where I've parked my bike, offload my woes onto the poor sweet Turkish lass Annie, always there selling the Big Issue. Spend the rest of today totally wiped out; ask myself, is this final decision time for giving up on Sainsbury's entirely?

[smittims]

Our local Tesco seems poorly-managed. Despite the size of the building we're surprisd tp find how often they don't have even some basic items like a 2-pint carton of whole milk or half a dozen eggs. or small pork pies. Yet aboiut half the store is given over to clothes and stationery.