Grumble Thread

[Pulcinella]

More news about ONS surveys.
This is from Max Hastings in today's Times.

The Office for National Statistics sent me a survey to be completed online. I got halfway before being stymied by a question about how many hours I work, including overtime. The system disliked my answer and refused to allow me to continue. I gave up, musing that if I am baffled by the survey, so also must be half the country. Presumably anxious young Britain satisfies the question about working hours with a nil declaration.

[LMcD]

I once attempted to complain online about a bus that failed to stop and pick me up. After being asked when and where this happened, I was asked for the driver's name......

[Dave2002]

Unfortunately I have found through bitter experience that buying what one might consider a premium-priced product does not ensure either (a) any better performance or (b) extra longevity. During covid, when such things were allowed, we set up a self-contained area for our workmen, with their own biscuits, tea making facilities etc. The kettle in this area, which was extremely moderately priced, has lasted better than the more expensive model in our kitchen.

Years ago we had an expensive kettle, which was supposed to save money by not heating water always to boiling point. Seemingly it was highly rated. We also later on bought a cheap kettle. which had fancy coloured lights from Lidl. The most expensive kettle failed after a few years - and probably cost more of our funds than the supposed savings in water heating. I never really noticed the improvement of not pouring boiling water onto coffee either.

The coloured light kettle lasted quite well for some years, but eventually failed. Now we have more or less the cheapest we could find bought from the local Tescos - and I hope it'll last a few years.

[cria]

I once attempted to complain online about a bus that failed to stop and pick me up. ...

Were you perhaps singing Nessun Dorma approximately at the time?

[Dave2002]

Biros. Mostly they are useless and don't work.

[Serial_Apologist]

I once attempted to complain online about a bus that failed to stop and pick me up. After being asked when and where this happened, I was asked for the driver's name......

Somehow reminds me of Tommy Cooper's joke about the man with a glass eye in a bus queue. Each time a bus arrives and the queue moves forward, he takes out the glass eye and bounces it up and down on the pavement. Eventually the next person in the queue asks him why he does this, to which he replies, "It's to check to see if there's any room on the top deck"!

[LMcD]

Were you perhaps singing Nessun Dorma approximately at the time?

If memory serves, it happened on a Wednesday, so I almost certainly wasn't.

[kernelbogey]

... the faithful old microwave....

Since many recent posts refer to longevity, or otherwise, of kettles, and echo a modern narrative about built-in obsolescence, I feel moved to boast about my best ever electrical appliance purchase, a combination microwave, which offers oven and grill facilities and also allows you to combine either of them with microwave. A whole chicken cooked on a combination of oven and microwave is truly superb. I am fairly sure I bought it in 1993, and it's still going strong, 31 years later, having only needed servicing once for a strange noise coming from the motor which turns the turntable. (Japanese manufacture since you ask.)

[smittims]

I'm wary of saying 'it's still going strong' in case it's 'famous last words', but my AR belt-drive turntable and AR5 speakers are now well over 50 years old and still sound superb.

[Petrushka]

Since many recent posts refer to longevity, or otherwise, of kettles, and echo a modern narrative about built-in obsolescence, I feel moved to boast about my best ever electrical appliance purchase, a combination microwave, which offers oven and grill facilities and also allows you to combine either of them with microwave. A whole chicken cooked on a combination of oven and microwave is truly superb. I am fairly sure I bought it in 1993, and it's still going strong, 31 years later, having only needed servicing once for a strange noise coming from the motor which turns the turntable. (Japanese manufacture since you ask.)

One room in my home still has a gas fire that was installed in November 1979 and still works perfectly. It always comes on first time after the summer shutdown and only requires the usual service for safety reasons.

It warms up the room very quickly, even on the coldest winter day, and I've got no plans to change it. Why would you?

[kernelbogey]

One room in my home still has a gas fire that was installed in November 1979 and still works perfectly. It always comes on first time after the summer shutdown and only requires the usual service for safety reasons.

It warms up the room very quickly, even on the coldest winter day, and I've got no plans to change it. Why would you?

It's a reminder to me how relatively recent the notion of built-in obsolescence was created. Things used to be made to last.

A friend quotes how his Dad used to refer to (say) a pair of trousers, commenting 'These'll last me out'.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's a reminder to me how relatively recent the notion of built-in obsolescence was created. Things used to be made to last.

A friend quotes how his Dad used to refer to (say) a pair of trousers, commenting 'These'll last me out'.

Shoes in particular seem no longer made to last, I had a very handsome pair of suede Clarks which lasted about four years, but was unable to find any repairers to replace the worn out soles. I was told everywhere that once the welts came apart separating the soles from the uppers they were past reparation. Such a waste! I suppose were one to buy very expensive ones, say over £100, it would be a different matter.

[Old Grumpy]

Could you ask your cobbler for a recommendation?

[Petrushka]

Shoes in particular seem no longer made to last, I had a very handsome pair of suede Clarks which lasted about four years, but was unable to find any repairers to replace the worn out soles. I was told everywhere that once the welts came apart separating the soles from the uppers they were past reparation. Such a waste! I suppose were one to buy very expensive ones, say over £100, it would be a different matter.

When I was working I needed a very good pair of shoes and settled for a pair of Barker's costing over £100 which were repaired more than once, thus extending the life of the shoe without having to pay out for a new pair until they too wore out. As retirement beckoned I got some cheapo cheapo shoes and I wore several of those out.

I've never worn shoes since retirement in 2019, only trainers, though I've got some good shoes stashed away should the need arise.

I've also got dozens of ties that I now never wear but they are there should I need one.

[muzzer]

A new low just now on the Today programme as Amol Rajan when reviewing the papers mentions the column by his co host….Emma Barnett.

Product placement on the Beeb!


And you wonder why people want the licence fee scrapped! These people are morons.