Grumble Thread

[Andrew]

I thought the old "3" icon introduced in 2007 was quite clever with its musical references. The new one introduced this year reminds me of an upended McDonald's logo.

As I refuse, on principle, to eat any McDonalds food under any circumstances (I used to drive their delivery lorries back in the 1990s) does this mean I ought not to listen to Radio 3 ever again........? LOL!

[oddoneout]

As I refuse, on principle, to eat any McDonalds food under any circumstances (I used to drive their delivery lorries back in the 1990s) does this mean I ought not to listen to Radio 3 ever again........? LOL!

I think you should be OK so long as the 3 doesn't turn yellow - at which point you're looking at the golden arch of doom. The way things are going a tie up with MaccyD isn't the "would never happen" it might once have been...

[Bryn]

I think you should be OK so long as the 3 doesn't turn yellow - at which point you're looking at the golden arch of doom. The way things are going a tie up with MaccyD isn't the "would never happen" it might once have been...

Noty just yellow. Be wary of teal (Sedona, Arizona), too.



I seem to recall that at one time, the Windsor McDonalds was denied planning permission for the golden arches and had to make do with red. Today, however, they are as yellow as most.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Noty just yellow. Be wary of teal (Sedona, Arizona), too.



I seem to recall that at one time, the Windsor McDonalds was denied planning permission for the golden arches and had to make do with red. Today, however, they are as yellow as most.

I'd have thought they'd be more bothered about Pizza Express.

[oddoneout]

Just had my energy bills for the quarter and they really highlight just how warped the set up is now. Last year's bill for the same quarter electricity, the standing charges were one third of the electricity used cost, this year they are more than double.
The total gas bill is almost the same amount as the same quarter last year although my consumption is 55% less, because of the increase in the cost of the gas. The standing charges have gone up as well, but by less than a third rather than doubled like the electricity. The 2 gas bills looks slightly odd side by side as last year was £20 gas, £15 standing charges and this year it's £15 gas and £22 charges.
It really brings home something which the government either hasn't got its head round or is choosing to ignore, namely that it's the standing charges that cause major problems for those struggling with fuel costs, especially for those on pre-payment meters where the meter keeps ticking over even when no fuel is being used, so the next time any money is put on the card a significant amount of it will be swallowed up by the charges and not be available to cook or heat, but if the meter isn't fed then the power will stop.
Years ago I was on an electricity tariff set up by someone who recognised the various inequities of the system (not just the standing charges but the fact that the tariffs were weighted in favour of higher consumers so the less you used the more you were charged per unit) and so there were no standing charges, and one flat unit rate so those using more didn't get a discount. In my first year I paid one third less than I had with Npower despite using more electricity (it was a cold winter and the house was all electric). The big 6 didn't like it and kept up the pressure to get it stopped and sadly, as was inevitable they succeeded eventually after a few years - and not by fair means as far as I could see, but a social enterprise up against a determined cartel of multi million pound businesses never really stood a chance.
The thought of those millions(? even if it isn't yet it's going that way) faced with watching exorbitant standing charges accruing even if they use no electricity or gas is sickening.

[Pulcinella]

Credit card payment for an online transaction with Apple (a new iMac) rejected, despite it being well within my credit limit and using two-step authentication (one-time code sent to my mobile phone). When I eventually got through to the credit card company, after seemingly endless security questions, including the postcode of my previous house, I was told that the payment was declined because it looked unusual, as I didn't have a record of such dealings with Apple. I replied that I would hope not to have to make such a purchase that regularly, and calmed my rising blood pressure by resisting the temptation to ask the person I was speaking to how often he bought a Big Mac.

The card got revalidated and was subsequently able to be used, but I can imagine that there could be some transactions (such as travel/flights) where the offer/option saved is timed out and might be lost.
Apparently, the fraud department would have contacted me, but I got there first.

Should I be grateful for such scrutiny in the use of my card? I suppose so.

[french frank]

Should I be grateful for such scrutiny in the use of my card? I suppose so.

I made an in-person purchase of a new iMac a few years back, and arranged for the Apple store to deliver it. Before it arrived, Apple emailed me to say payment had been declined by the bank. Which meant a visit to my local branch where I had to speak on the phone to their fraud department, the bank validating that I was really me before I could speak to them, and insist that even though it was a debit card purchase (after I'd transferred the requisite sum to my current account), it was hard work persuading them that I was really me and really wanted to buy the computer with my debit card. I had to concede, though, that it was unusual and I didn't buy iMacs every day - or even ever before - with my debit card. I got the feeling they were even suspicious of the bank branch staff who rang through to them and identified themselves.

Should I have felt grateful? Probably, though I had a feeling that had it really been fraudulent they wouldn't have noticed.

[Serial_Apologist]

I made an in-person purchase of a new iMac a few years back, and arranged for the Apple store to deliver it. Before it arrived, Apple emailed me to say payment had been declined by the bank. Which meant a visit to my local branch where I had to speak on the phone to their fraud department, the bank validating that I was really me before I could speak to them, and insist that even though it was a debit card purchase (after I'd transferred the requisite sum to my current account), it was hard work persuading them that I was really me and really wanted to buy the computer with my debit card. I had to concede, though, that it was unusual and I didn't buy iMacs every day - or even ever before - with my debit card. I got the feeling they were even suspicious of the bank branch staff who rang through to them and identified themselves.

Should I have felt grateful? Probably, though I had a feeling that had it really been fraudulent they wouldn't have noticed.

Grateful for even still having a local bank branch? I should say so!

[french frank]

Grateful for even still having a local bank branch? I should say so!

Yes, there is that. It seems to be the last one on a long stretch of trunk road in a large city which previously had at least five neighbourhood banks in my memory. I'm only with this one because it gobbled up my bank and is now the last bank standing.

[Joseph K]

Feeling somewhat disappointed that an email I sent to the formidable guitarist Rosie Bennet, following my first and hopefully not only lesson with her, has gone unanswered for a week now. I guess it's possible she's on holiday and I'm simply being impatient.

[Serial_Apologist]

Feeling somewhat disappointed that an email I sent to the formidable guitarist Rosie Bennet, following my first and hopefully not only lesson with her, has gone unanswered for a week now. I guess it's possible she's on holiday and I'm simply being impatient.

I am likewise wondering the same about an email I sent a couple of weeks ago to one of our two local councillors about important matters.

[Joseph K]

I was looking forward to having a pastry after tea just now. But upon examining the plastic box they were in I discovered that loads of very tiny flies had managed to get into the box and were crawling all over them.

[Frances_iom]

I was looking forward to having a pastry after tea just now. But upon examining the plastic box they were in I discovered that loads of very tiny flies had managed to get into the box and were crawling all over them.

well shake them off - probably fruit flies after any jam or fruit

[Joseph K]

well shake them off - probably fruit flies after any jam or fruit

Yes indeed though I was fairly repulsed and got rid of the pastries. It's one thing having them over our bananas or satsumas which have skins, but next time the pastries go in the fridge...

[oddoneout]

I was looking forward to having a pastry after tea just now. But upon examining the plastic box they were in I discovered that loads of very tiny flies had managed to get into the box and were crawling all over them.

Extra protein - insects are the future!