Petty Things That Get On Your Nerves...

[Trackdaybob]

I've just discovered that the RBS branch in South St is closed. I can't be arsed heading up the Dunkeld Road. 

So my local branch in Lincoln? Closed.

Local branch in Kings Lynn? Closed. 

I can kind of understand that. 

Town centre branch in Scotland? Fuckin w**k!!!! 

I've had an account with them since 1992 but they can f**k off. I'm off to Halifax. Do they still do that £100 To swap offer?? Even if not, I'm off. 

[The Moonster]

On 21/01/2019 at 09:55, JTS98 said:

I thought it was more of an Asian thing because I've been over here for a few years now. But on a trip home last year I was making the short train hop from Edinburgh Park into the city centre and couldn't get a seat. From my standing position near the door I noticed that every single person on the train apart from me was staring at a phone. Every one.

Nobody talking. Nobody reading a book. Nobody looking out the window and daydreaming or thinking about something. Literally every person was looking at their phone. It's really quite sad.

It's amazing the extent to which tech companies have managed to convince us as a species that we absolutely need these devices and must have them on us all the time all the time all the time.

Since that journey I've made a conscious effort to leave my phone at home whenever I go out to meet someone one on one, or when I go for a walk, or when I go for a coffee with a book. It's really creepy how ingrained the use and presence of these devices in our lives has become. Quite unsettling in a way.

Not disagreeing that folk spend too much time on their phones but let's not pretend that before phones public transport was some sort of social networking hub where you would sit and have enlightening conversations with the strangers you happen to be sharing that bus/train with.  Phones have just replaced books/newspapers in that respect.

[Guest JTS98]

10 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

Not disagreeing that folk spend too much time on their phones but let's not pretend that before phones public transport was some sort of social networking hub where you would sit and have enlightening conversations with the strangers you happen to be sharing that bus/train with.  Phones have just replaced books/newspapers in that respect.

I agree. But I think that brings with it other changes in behaviour.

Whereas before people might have read the paper or a book or listened to music, now they are always connected to everything and almost feel a responsibility to be so.

For example, many people will be checking and sending work emails or texting colleagues back and forward in a time-slot where they might previously have had a bit of downtime and the chance to switch off and think about something else. Or they might be checking Instagram to see how much better other people's lives are than their own while travelling to a job they dislike. Or they might be exchanging messages with family members, feeling bound to reply instantly as the other person knows they are 'available', rather than just having a bit of time to themselves.

Sometimes it's good to be able to get work done on the move. Sometimes it's very handy to be able to get in touch with your boss or the HR department almost instantly. Sometimes it's good to be able to fire a message off to your partner or your mum. None of these things are bad in and of themselves. What is bad is the urgency culture and dependency culture around the idea of being available every waking (some some non-waking) moment of the day.

Edited January 22, 2019 by JTS98

[Miguel Sanchez]

Trying to explain the concept of the programme Pointless to Maw Sanchez

"So you pick the wrong answer?"

f**k off

[NJ2]

Trying to explain the concept of the programme Pointless to Maw Sanchez
"So you pick the wrong answer?"
f**k off

Family fortunes but in reverse. If she still doesn’t get it there’s no hope.

[Miguel Sanchez]

1 minute ago, NJ2 said:

Family fortunes but in reverse. If she still doesn’t get it there’s no hope.

Tried it. Still seemed unconvinced.

And while I'm here

The question was famous alumnus of whichever college they came from. Here are two options. Take a guess at what the answer to each is, then consider which would be the more popular answer:

"One half of a double act with Sue Perkins (MG)"

"Romantic poet described as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know'" (LB)

Are you really going to tell me that the sort of gonks they ask these questions of for this purpose would be more likely to name Byron than the other half of Mel and fucking Sue? Because that's what happened.

[Trackdaybob]

4 hours ago, JTS98 said:

What is bad is the urgency culture and dependency culture around

Some people are just weak drones. 

Changing times. 

[mathematics]

12 minutes ago, Miguel Sanchez said:

 

Are you really going to tell me that the sort of gonks they ask these questions of for this purpose would be more likely to name Byron than the other half of Mel and fucking Sue? Because that's what happened.

It’s not exactly an easy surname

[Miguel Sanchez]

1 minute ago, mathematics said:

It’s not exactly an easy surname

True. Could have 24 right answers and 50 variations of... er, however you spell/say it.

[Jacksgranda]

10 hours ago, Trackdaybob said:

I've just discovered that the RBS branch in South St is closed. I can't be arsed heading up the Dunkeld Road. 

So my local branch in Lincoln? Closed.

Local branch in Kings Lynn? Closed. 

I can kind of understand that. 

Town centre branch in Scotland? Fuckin w**k!!!! 

I've had an account with them since 1992 but they can f**k off. I'm off to Halifax. Do they still do that £100 To swap offer?? Even if not, I'm off. 

The RBS branch in Halifax is closed, too.

[alta-pete]

Estate agents. Particularly in Switzerland. In the UK they have the reputation for being sharking b*****ds who will do anything to punt a house and close a sale. Over here they appear to do everything they can to avoid actually selling houses. We are looking and have tried viewing several places over the last few months. Most estate agents here will not do anything outside standard office hours(Mon-Fri 9-5). We are trying to get an appointment to view somewhere at the moment, took us 10 days to get a response from the agent who is dealing with it(sorry for the delay, I have been very busy), and she has told us that she will only do viewings between 10am and 4pm during the week. Given anyone who is going to be in a position to buy is probably going to be working then, and given the town I fucking live in is basically a commuter town for Bern, Luzern, Basel and Zürich, she is pretty much making it as difficult as she can for the vast majority of potential buyers to see the place she wants them to buy from her. This has been the case with most places we have wanted to view so far. If I do buy a house here and end up having to sell it, I will probably do the fucking sale myself rather than ask one of these work shy fuckers to pretend they are earning their vast fucking commission.

I’m in a parallel career here and I follow your Swiss MO religiously. Short version is we don’t get paid for viewings and the world is full of nosey c***s who just want a look see.

I could literally spend all week running (driving) from viewing to viewing (and it’s not helped by the fact that I cover the whole of the Central Belt and it could easily be an hours trip each way) and the first thing they’ll say is ‘it seems a bit expensive’, ‘it needs more rooms’, ‘it’s too far from the parking/train station/my mum’ - all stuff that can be done over the phone or email before you start wasting my time.

I’ll vet and double vet anyone who wants a viewing. Come across as credible and I’ll do a viewing, funnily enough, 10-4 mon-fri. Any sensation that you’re a tyre kicker and you’ll have to wait to piggy back on the viewing of the next credible enquiry. If you’re not prepared to inconvenience yourself to view, the general (maybe cynical) rule is you’re not a serious buyer.

The methodology is rarely proved wrong.

As a parallel, try wandering into the local Porsche dealer (who’s products are significantly cheaper by comparison) and asking for a test drive and see how you get on. I’ll wager you’ll get a major grilling about your circumstances and then they’ll make a commitment to check on availability and then (maybe) you’ll get invited back another day.

[Melanius Mullarkey]

A Rangers boy flogging hooses? 

Oooft.

[tamthebam]

On 21/01/2019 at 19:54, Hedgecutter said:

Johnny Cash boasting that he's been everywhere by providing a lengthy list of settlements in the USA (Toronto & Argentina aside). 

similarly I'm sure Jackie Leven doesn't mention Kassel and I've been there. 

[DA Baracus]

Articles and videos that 'breakdown' movie trailers.

Also articles and videos about 'what you might have missed' in a movie trailer.

This massively unnecessary level of analysis seems to be very popular. 

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, Melanius Mullarkey said:

A Rangers boy flogging hooses? 

Oooft.

Only big ones.

[Bairnardo]

Articles and videos that 'breakdown' movie trailers.
Also articles and videos about 'what you might have missed' in a movie trailer.
This massively unnecessary level of analysis seems to be very popular. 

I sometimes use these if watching mindfuck stuff like black mirror. If I am left wonder WTF was that about, il google it to see if I have missed some obvious interpretation of whats going on.

Its also an easy way to relive something you really enjoyed if you dont have the time to rewatch IMFO (In my fucking opinion)

[Unleash The Nade]

TV programmes , ( especially documentaries) that show you “ what’s coming up” at the start of the programme.

These are usually the best bits and totally pre empt what you’re about to watch .

They should all have a “Spoiler Alert “ warning 

[pandarilla]

TV programmes , ( especially documentaries) that show you “ what’s coming up” at the start of the programme.
These are usually the best bits and totally pre empt what you’re about to watch .
They should all have a “Spoiler Alert “ warning 

Every programme does this now.

It's part of the infantalisation of our culture, as they (probably rightly) presume that the viewer these days has a shortened attention span.

[Boghead ranter]

51 minutes ago, Unleash The Nade said:

TV programmes , ( especially documentaries) that show you “ what’s coming up” at the start of the programme.

These are usually the best bits and totally pre empt what you’re about to watch .

They should all have a “Spoiler Alert “ warning 

 

6 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

Every programme does this now.

It's part of the infantalisation of our culture, as they (probably rightly) presume that the viewer these days has a shortened attention span.

Ditto programmes that remind you what you've seen during the 1st half of the programme (even half hour long programmes.

I know it's a rhetorical question, but are there really people out there who can't remember what happened on a TV show 15 minutes ago? 

[Ross.]

11 hours ago, alta-pete said:

I’m in a parallel career here and I follow your Swiss MO religiously. Short version is we don’t get paid for viewings and the world is full of nosey c***s who just want a look see.

I could literally spend all week running (driving) from viewing to viewing (and it’s not helped by the fact that I cover the whole of the Central Belt and it could easily be an hours trip each way) and the first thing they’ll say is ‘it seems a bit expensive’, ‘it needs more rooms’, ‘it’s too far from the parking/train station/my mum’ - all stuff that can be done over the phone or email before you start wasting my time.

I’ll vet and double vet anyone who wants a viewing. Come across as credible and I’ll do a viewing, funnily enough, 10-4 mon-fri. Any sensation that you’re a tyre kicker and you’ll have to wait to piggy back on the viewing of the next credible enquiry. If you’re not prepared to inconvenience yourself to view, the general (maybe cynical) rule is you’re not a serious buyer.

The methodology is rarely proved wrong.

As a parallel, try wandering into the local Porsche dealer (who’s products are significantly cheaper by comparison) and asking for a test drive and see how you get on. I’ll wager you’ll get a major grilling about your circumstances and then they’ll make a commitment to check on availability and then (maybe) you’ll get invited back another day.
 

I appreciate where you are coming from but it's the complete unwillingness to change anything, even in cases where we try to be accommodating. Both of us work an hour(Opposite directions) from the town we stay in and are looking to buy in, which makes standard hours difficult. I have offered to view places early(8am rather than 10am) which would mean me starting work a little late, or 5:30pm, which means leaving work at least an hour early, but the fuckers still refuse to budge. Anything outside of that would mean taking a half day or a day off work, and the holiday time I have available makes that next to impossible.

The irony is we are sitting with a 6 figure deposit and a few of the places we are trying to view have been on the market for months. They are literally doing themselves out of a likely commission simply because they are unwilling to make just a little bit of effort to meet us in the middle.

On  two of the few occasions that we have actually had someone willing to help us out in that respect, we made offers. Unfortunately, some other c**t got in there first in both cases.

ETA: Another thing that is annoying me is the number of adverts that don't say exactly where the house is. We have a relatively small area that we are considering, but what a lot of agents here do is advertise as "In the region" or just give the name of the town. I'm fed up sending emails asking where in the region the fucking thing is, just to end up ruling it out. On the plus side, my knowledge of the local geography is now tremendous.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Ross.