WAMT....what annoyed me today!

A small accident with robocopy wiped out a large part of the backup I have at work.

Busy stress-testing the just-relocated-today firewall now repairing that. That's my excuse & I'm sticking to it... 64000 items / 0.98TB remaining...
 
Trying to book seats on GWR Paddington to Penzance (Apparently you have to book seats for this journey). There are two of us, my wife and I. However when I try to reseve a seat, it doesn't let me have an aisle and window seat. so we won't be sitting next to each other. Example, when I select window it says Coach J, seats 41 and 44. So, the system is fully aware that I want two seats, but it won't let me choose a window and aisle seat. Absolute madness.

That is because you have told the system that you want 2 WINDOW seats. When I tried it gave me a window seat and an aisle seat next to each other.
 
That is because you have told the system that you want 2 WINDOW seats. When I tried it gave me a window seat and an aisle seat next to each other.

I haven't told the sytem I want 2 window seats. I have tried it again and it is coming up with two window seats three rows apart.
 
I haven't told the sytem I want 2 window seats. I have tried it again and it is coming up with two window seats three rows apart.
That makes sense, if it is using the algorithm I suggested above.
 
Actually it started to annoy (more so) a short while back!

Shrinkflation :headbang:

I am noticing that even some products already shrunk in quantity for the same price have gone even lower. One particular item is now 25% less than it was IIRC around 2 years ago.
 
Actually it started to annoy (more so) a short while back!

Shrinkflation :headbang:

I am noticing that even some products already shrunk in quantity for the same price have gone even lower. One particular item is now 25% less than it was IIRC around 2 years ago.

Tell me about it. Nestle in particular have shrunk themselves right out of our shopping baskets.
 
Actually it started to annoy (more so) a short while back!

Shrinkflation :headbang:

I am noticing that even some products already shrunk in quantity for the same price have gone even lower. One particular item is now 25% less than it was IIRC around 2 years ago.
I watched a TV documentary a few nights ago about all this but it wasn't just shrinkflation but the downgrading of quality by using cheaper ingredients. The public would be hard put to to notice any difference. Having said that, last year, my wife wrote to the Herte who make German sausage.We bought Jumbo Framkfurters which ywere the same as the Rindswurst that I eat too many of in Germany .Lol. I had therm for breakfast with Tomy's mustard (Swiss..now owned by Nestlé) You just simmer them in hot..near boiling water, for a few minutes. A favourite of mine. One day they just looked pale in colour and not as punchy. They said they hadn't changed the recipe and sent a couple of vouchers. Who knows ?
 
This morning,to give my wife a break,I went to the supermarket.Just half a dozen items,so not a big shop. There were plenty of empty parking spaces and I parked with a space either side of me. I parked within the white lines. When I returned a car was parked right next to mine. I don't have a problem with people parking next to my car when there are plenty of empty spaces,it's been discussed on here before, but when I say that the car was parked "right next to ' mine I mean 'right next to."

It was a small red car.The kind some elderly (80's) person would drive. What the driver did was to pull into the space from behind my car. It was driven forwards until the nearside door mirror came up against my driver side door mirror at which point it couldn't go any more forward with striking my mirror, so the ends overlapped by about an inch. I stood looking at it for a moment with other shoppers making comments such as... "whoever parked like that shouldn't be driving". A lady said she could hadly believe what she was looking at. The distance between the cars was about 3 inches. The driver's side of that car had about a couple of feet from the offside to the white line marking of the bay so it was totally unnecessary .Needless to say,after I put the shopping onto the rear nearside seat, I had to get into the passenger side and 'bundle' myself over the transmission and into the driver seat. I drove forwards very slowly until I had cleared that car. A short while after getting home I felt the muscles strain in my back . What if I had been a large person..I'm medium. What if I had back or leg problems..all sorts of "what ifs' .The annoyed side of me wanted to wait for that driver, the sensible side told me to just go home and keep the blood pressure down.
 
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This morning,to give my wife a break,I went to the supermarket.Just half a dozen items,so not a big shop. There were plenty of empty parking spaces and I parked with a space either side of me. I parked within the white lines. When I returned a car was parked right next to mine. I don't have a problem with people parking next to my car when there are plenty of empty spaces,it's been discussed on here before, but when I say that the car was parked "right next to ' mine I mean 'right next to."

It was a small red car.The kind some elderly (80's) person would drive. What the driver did was to pull into the space from behind my car. It was driven forwards until the nearside door mirror came up against my driver side door mirror at which point it couldn't go any more forward with striking my mirror, so the ends overlapped by about an inch. I stood looking at it for a moment with other shoppers making comments such as... "whoever parked like that shouldn't be driving". A lady said she could hadly believe what she was looking at. The distance between the cars was about 3 inches. The driver's side of that car had about a couple of feet from the offside to the white line marking of the bay so it was totally necessary .Needless to say,after I put the shopping onto the rear nearside seat, I had to get into the passenger side and 'bundle' myself over the transmission and into the driver seat. I drove forwards very slowly until I had cleared that car. A short while after getting home I felt the muscles strain in my back . What if I had been a large person..I'm medium. What if I had back or leg problems..all sorts of "what ifs' .The annoyed side of me wanted to wait for that driver, the sensible side told me to just go home and keep the blood pressure down.
Another way is to go to the desk and tell them the number & can they ask that they announce the driver has obstructed another car :headbang: :police:
 
WAMT ? Tissues............... that break up whilst you are using them. Built in obsolescence becomes built in auto bio degredation at the point of use. A sneeze becomes a confetti shower! Don't even get me started on toilet tissues................. Yuk!
 
This morning,to give my wife a break,I went to the supermarket.Just half a dozen items,so not a big shop. There were plenty of empty parking spaces and I parked with a space either side of me. I parked within the white lines. When I returned a car was parked right next to mine. I don't have a problem with people parking next to my car when there are plenty of empty spaces,it's been discussed on here before, but when I say that the car was parked "right next to ' mine I mean 'right next to."

It was a small red car.The kind some elderly (80's) person would drive. What the driver did was to pull into the space from behind my car. It was driven forwards until the nearside door mirror came up against my driver side door mirror at which point it couldn't go any more forward with striking my mirror, so the ends overlapped by about an inch. I stood looking at it for a moment with other shoppers making comments such as... "whoever parked like that shouldn't be driving". A lady said she could hadly believe what she was looking at. The distance between the cars was about 3 inches. The driver's side of that car had about a couple of feet from the offside to the white line marking of the bay so it was totally necessary .Needless to say,after I put the shopping onto the rear nearside seat, I had to get into the passenger side and 'bundle' myself over the transmission and into the driver seat. I drove forwards very slowly until I had cleared that car. A short while after getting home I felt the muscles strain in my back . What if I had been a large person..I'm medium. What if I had back or leg problems..all sorts of "what ifs' .The annoyed side of me wanted to wait for that driver, the sensible side told me to just go home and keep the blood pressure down.

That is frustrating beyond belief, because you know that the other driver is well aware of what they have done.
 
That is frustrating beyond belief, because you know that the other driver is well aware of what they have done.
IMO not necessarily! Why, IMO most such is simply self absorbed in considerate action......not in and of itself deliberate. Many yonks ago it was more common to see signs "Please Park Pretty".

Poor & inconsiderate parking really 'grinds my gears'.......top of the list are the ones that do deliberately and knowingly park across two spaces. I once asked (to my OH's horror!) a lady driver with her BMW, please can I ask why have you parked across 2 spaces......a tad taken aback IIRC she said 'I don't want other cars too close, and there is plenty of spaces'......walking off!

I see the same car occasionally at the same supermarket and it seems others might also have said something because it is now, when I see it, in one space.

The next on that list are those that park at angle with the steering turned..,......they appear not to know what their steering wheel for!!!

Personally I make the effort to park 'dead centre' in a space...... possibly part of pride in continuing to be as good a driver as I can be even after 53 years.

Oh, in my experience, where I get to see the age of the inconsiderate drivers, they are across all ages.
 
IMO not necessarily! Why, IMO most such is simply self absorbed in considerate action......not in and of itself deliberate. Many yonks ago it was more common to see signs "Please Park Pretty".

Poor & inconsiderate parking really 'grinds my gears'.......top of the list are the ones that do deliberately and knowingly park across two spaces. I once asked (to my OH's horror!) a lady driver with her BMW, please can I ask why have you parked across 2 spaces......a tad taken aback IIRC she said 'I don't want other cars too close, and there is plenty of spaces'......walking off!

I see the same car occasionally at the same supermarket and it seems others might also have said something because it is now, when I see it, in one space.

The next on that list are those that park at angle with the steering turned..,......they appear not to know what their steering wheel for!!!

Personally I make the effort to park 'dead centre' in a space...... possibly part of pride in continuing to be as good a driver as I can be even after 53 years.

Oh, in my experience, where I get to see the age of the inconsiderate drivers, they are across all ages.
And don't forget those who cannot reverse into a parking space, or parallel park...... And parking spaces have seemed to get smaller over the years, but there is one car park near me that actually has larger spaces, but then we are in the countryside, and 4x4's are very regular around here.
 
And don't forget those who cannot reverse into a parking space, or parallel park...... And parking spaces have seemed to get smaller over the years, but there is one car park near me that actually has larger spaces, but then we are in the countryside, and 4x4's are very regular around here.
For sure! As for parking space sizes, there are way too many car parks where the space widths are barely wide enough :headbang:

The best for planning & execution of space design I have come across is at Brookwood Sainsbury's/ Homebase. The spaces have double white lines between them with a U at the end 'closing' them in so to speak. Making the spacing lines I think are approx 9inches wide and the spaces themselves are a decent width. Oh, if only all such car parks were so forward thinking.
 
The spaces have double white lines between them with a U at the end 'closing' them in so to speak. Making the spacing lines I think are approx 9inches wide and the spaces themselves are a decent width.
That's a feature of quite a few Sainsbury's car parks I've used. It would be a good idea if that were adopted as a planning rule.

(y)
 
That's a feature of quite a few Sainsbury's car parks I've used. It would be a good idea if that were adopted as a planning rule.

(y)
Maybe the newer ones, I can but hope that should they refurb the CP at the Burpham site that they will use that layout ?

And yes, all public accessible car parks including multi-story ones should be following that example.
 
That's a feature of quite a few Sainsbury's car parks I've used. It would be a good idea if that were adopted as a planning rule.

(y)


I have used Sainsburys quite a lot over the past couple of years, for that very reason. I still park in spaces furthest away from the shop and try to get an end space if possible, because being a coupe, the Alfa has longer doors than most cars. I have also found the quality of food there is generally better and the use by dates are longer, plus I generally save around £8 on a £60 shop using the Nectar card.
 
LI have used Sainsburys quite a lot over the past couple of years, for that very reason. I still park in spaces furthest away from the shop and try to get an end space if possible, because being a coupe, the Alfa has longer doors than most cars. I have also found the quality of food there is generally better and the use by dates are longer, plus I generally save around £8 on a £60 shop using the Nectar card.
Yes, we mostly use them and will always park with a walk ;)

We regularly get Nectar points vouchers and occasionally money off vouchers but they tend to arrive overlapping with Tesco money off vouchers :headbang:

But whatever we do, we try to buy wisely (y)

But we digress:). The other shoppers parking habits....and sadly their habits in the shop are awful.
One example was, I stopped at the freezer cabinet for ice cream and a staff member was topping up. She was removing a 3 pack net of garlic bulbs from the freezer.....I said to her how ridiculous that someone would leave it there. She commented it was not the worst she had to deal with! NB I often see wrongly located items. If we end up by selecting an item we want remove we always take it back where it came from.....it just makes sense and is the responsible and adult thing to do!
 
We just need to train people to all park on the left line of a space!

If everyone did that then all doors could be opened on all cars* to a sensible width without bashing into the one beside it.

* not Deloreans obvs.
 
That is frustrating beyond belief, because you know that the other driver is well aware of what they have done.
Tbh,Andy..I'm not sure the driver was aware. Surely,no-one would do that deliberately ? I didn't take note of the make of car but it was, typically, one that an elderly lady would drive like a Fiat Punta or Fiat 500 Hatchback. It was red and looked new. They wouldn't risk a new car like that. It was a reason I didn't wait for the driver...ie..probably elderly.
 
Yes, we mostly use them and will always park with a walk ;)

We regularly get Nectar points vouchers and occasionally money off vouchers but they tend to arrive overlapping with Tesco money off vouchers :headbang:

But whatever we do, we try to buy wisely (y)

But we digress:). The other shoppers parking habits....and sadly their habits in the shop are awful.
One example was, I stopped at the freezer cabinet for ice cream and a staff member was topping up. She was removing a 3 pack net of garlic bulbs from the freezer.....I said to her how ridiculous that someone would leave it there. She commented it was not the worst she had to deal with! NB I often see wrongly located items. If we end up by selecting an item we want remove we always take it back where it came from.....it just makes sense and is the responsible and adult thing to do!


When I was in the store I told one of the shelf-stacking staff that on the floor, by the tea/coffee shelves, were three red onions in a net. ..just like the one re the garlic pack you mentioned. Those onions can go back on the shelf but what is really unthinking is leaving items from a chiller out on a shelf. Items like that have to be thrown away.

As an aside. Here's one reason why I always wash fruit .One day, I had to wait by the fruit shelves whilst an elderly chap choose the peaches he wanted by 'feeling them'. He stopped for a moment and had a good pick inside his nose and then carried on.. :eek:
 
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If I change my mind on a product, I put it back where I got it, with one exception.
If I pick up a product (eg box of Budwieser) and further on find the same product on a better offer, I pick up the better offer, the original one gets dumped anywhere. That's down to them 'hiding' offers, so I don't feel guilty.
 
When I was in the store I told one of the shelf-stacking staff that on the floor, by the tea/coffee shelves, were three red onions in a net. ..just like the one re the garlic pack you mentioned. Those onions can go back on the shelf but what is really unthinking is leaving items from a chiller out on a shelf. Items like that have to be thrown away.

As an aside. Here's one reason why I always wash fruit .One day, I had to wait by the fruit shelves whilst an elderly chap choose the peaches he wanted by 'feeling them'. He stopped for a moment and had a good pick inside his nose and then carried on.. :eek:
Yep, they say to wash all fruit (and veg!) even if it is one you will peel or actually needs peeling!
 
I once saw a child standing by a display of 'pick your own' sweets in open topped jars; he carefully selected one sweet, popped it in his mouth, tasted it and decided he didn't like it so he spat it out and put it back where he got it from..... I walked away as I couldn't bear to watch as he moved onto the next jar
 
I once saw a child standing by a display of 'pick your own' sweets in open topped jars; he carefully selected one sweet, popped it in his mouth, tasted it and decided he didn't like it so he spat it out and put it back where he got it from..... I walked away as I couldn't bear to watch as he moved onto the next jar
I surmise the parent(s) was nowhere to be seen or or otherwise engrossed.
 
I surmise the parent(s) was nowhere to be seen or or otherwise engrossed.
If it's like my local supermarket, it's a playground/creche. They let the kids run around and do what they like. Pick them up on the way out. If they've also managed to eat their 'dinner', then all the better.
 
I surmise the parent(s) was nowhere to be seen or or otherwise engrossed.
Not that I could see, I was almost tempted to suggest he stopped his tasting session but decided against it.

I looked around for a staff member but there were none to be found.
 
Not that I could see, I was almost tempted to suggest he stopped his tasting session but decided against it.

I looked around for a staff member but there were none to be found.
One might almost say the shop display design & placement were oh! so wrong :(

As for parental involvement or not.......a supermarket is a good people watching opportunity to see extremes of very good to bl**dy awful:(
 
If I change my mind on a product, I put it back where I got it, with one exception.
If I pick up a product (eg box of Budwieser) and further on find the same product on a better offer, I pick up the better offer, the original one gets dumped anywhere. That's down to them 'hiding' offers, so I don't feel guilty.

We used to eat mixed nuts until we realised how high in calories they are and I found that the walnuts at the front of the store, along with other nuts in one display, cost quite a bit more than the same pack in the "home cooking" aisle. When I see a large pack of something I usually buy with "Great offer" "Special Offer" on the shelf label I check to see if two small size packs at the regular price are cheaper and they often are. It's not unknown for customers to see me on my knees reading the very small print on the shelf label just above the floor ..per kg...per 100mls...That's how to make sure they aren't screwing us. Of course, they try to defeat people like me by using grams in a small pack and litres in a large one of the same product and both are solids. I think the litres is about 'flow'...pouring. It's a war... between them and the customers. :D.
 
We used to eat mixed nuts until we realised how high in calories they are and I found that the walnuts at the front of the store, along with other nuts in one display, cost quite a bit more than the same pack in the "home cooking" aisle. When I see a large pack of something I usually buy with "Great offer" "Special Offer" on the shelf label I check to see if two small size packs at the regular price are cheaper and they often are. It's not unknown for customers to see me on my knees reading the very small print on the shelf label just above the floor ..per kg...per 100mls...That's how to make sure they aren't screwing us. Of course, they try to defeat people like me by using grams in a small pack and litres in a large one of the same product and both are solids. I think the litres is about 'flow'...pouring. It's a war... between them and the customers. :D.
We had a situation where, when not on offer, nescafe was £7.20 for a large jar

I noticed that a small jar (50% capacity of a large jar)
was only £3. Got away with it for weeks. Then I pointed it out to somebody else who was perusing the coffee shelf.
Since then they've been sold out of small jars. Goodness know how many people she told. :D
 
I took my Contax RTS outfit & tripod with me to work today. In the morning I stopped off at a dolmen to take advantage of the low light. Nobody about. Just got one leg of the tripod extended when I heard car doors slamming. Yep. Tourists! The region is still swarming with them. So, it was two quick shots before they got in the way then a long wait before they cleared off so I could get an environmental shot to include the nearby menhir.

On my way home I decided to call at a military cemetery as previous visits had failed due to one thing or another. I pulled up in shade to get the approach shot that features an impressive monument with a couple of hundred steps leading up the hill side to it. Mounted a short zoom, added a polariser and after waiting several minutes for the road to be clear of traffic stepped out to take the shot. Then I noticed the orange jackets of the workmen cutting the grass. There were four of them, two with strimmers, one with a push mower and one on a huge ride-on mower. So, not only had I to wait for traffic to clear I also had to factor in the synchronised disappearance of the groundsmen. And, chalk off the planned shots of the rows of white crosses inside the cemetery that I had planned to take.

And people think that photography is a relaxing hobby.
 
I took my Contax RTS outfit & tripod with me to work today. In the morning I stopped off at a dolmen to take advantage of the low light. Nobody about. Just got one leg of the tripod extended when I heard car doors slamming. Yep. Tourists! The region is still swarming with them. So, it was two quick shots before they got in the way then a long wait before they cleared off so I could get an environmental shot to include the nearby menhir.

On my way home I decided to call at a military cemetery as previous visits had failed due to one thing or another. I pulled up in shade to get the approach shot that features an impressive monument with a couple of hundred steps leading up the hill side to it. Mounted a short zoom, added a polariser and after waiting several minutes for the road to be clear of traffic stepped out to take the shot. Then I noticed the orange jackets of the workmen cutting the grass. There were four of them, two with strimmers, one with a push mower and one on a huge ride-on mower. So, not only had I to wait for traffic to clear I also had to factor in the synchronised disappearance of the groundsmen. And, chalk off the planned shots of the rows of white crosses inside the cemetery that I had planned to take.

And people think that photography is a relaxing hobby.
I share your pain. I can wait for ever for somebody to walk in and complete my composition. Nothing doing.
Get back in the car and they're queuing up to walk there.
 
I took my Contax RTS outfit & tripod with me to work today. In the morning I stopped off at a dolmen to take advantage of the low light. Nobody about. Just got one leg of the tripod extended when I heard car doors slamming. Yep. Tourists! The region is still swarming with them. So, it was two quick shots before they got in the way then a long wait before they cleared off so I could get an environmental shot to include the nearby menhir.

On my way home I decided to call at a military cemetery as previous visits had failed due to one thing or another. I pulled up in shade to get the approach shot that features an impressive monument with a couple of hundred steps leading up the hill side to it. Mounted a short zoom, added a polariser and after waiting several minutes for the road to be clear of traffic stepped out to take the shot. Then I noticed the orange jackets of the workmen cutting the grass. There were four of them, two with strimmers, one with a push mower and one on a huge ride-on mower. So, not only had I to wait for traffic to clear I also had to factor in the synchronised disappearance of the groundsmen. And, chalk off the planned shots of the rows of white crosses inside the cemetery that I had planned to take.

And people think that photography is a relaxing hobby.

A friend in the US went to a canyon to photograph it and he got himself set up with his tripod and filters and was about to take photos when a group of Japanese tourists appeared down in the canyon on a guided tour and all wearing high-viz jackets.They came out of the canyon,eventually, only to stand around him asking questions..lol.
 
Now had to take Zapain as a result of getting from the passenger seat of my car into the driver seat. Must have tweaked a few back muscles. Maybe next time, if there is one, I'll wait for the offending driver to move their car so I can get in via the driver door.
 
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A friend in the US went to a canyon to photograph it and he got himself set up with his tripod and filters and was about to take photos when a group of Japanese tourists appeared down in the canyon on a guided tour and all wearing high-viz jackets.They came out of the canyon,eventually, only to stand around him asking questions..lol.

Japanese tourists are something else. We were at a chateau in the Loire region of France when a bus load turned up. They swarmed around the grounds and every single one of them took this shot from right next to me.

Chateau de Villandry.jpg

When they had gone I laid down on the ground and took this one from the same place

Chateau de Villandry.jpg
 
Japanese tourists are something else. We were at a chateau in the Loire region of France when a bus load turned up. They swarmed around the grounds and every single one of them took this shot from right next to me.

View attachment 432309

When they had gone I laid down on the ground and took this one from the same place

View attachment 432310
The extra thinking time got you a good picture.
 
The extra thinking time got you a good picture.

Not really. They just delayed me. I have a habit of laying on the ground....

Fly Agaric at Derwent Valley.jpg

Or loitering at ground level on bridges...

Cobles on Roxby Beck colour.jpg
 
Last Saturday I posted about how I was unable to get into the driver side of my car because someone had parked their car so close. I ended up getting into the driver seat via the passenger seat.

Today, my wife went to the supermarket, parked and went inside. As she was returning to the car, what she described as a huge SUV pulled alongside and stopped. The male driver got out and so did, who I assume was, his wife. The vehicle was so close to our's that the lady struggled to get out . So.. my wife realised she'd have a struggle getting into our car and asked the chap if he could pull back a bit for a minute so she could get in and drive off..then he could pull back in..hopefully leaving a decent amount of room for the next car this time. He said "No",adding "and if you damage my vehicle I'll sue you ". My wife managed to get into the driver seat and drive home. She's a gentle,empathetic soul and it shook her up. When she got home she also suffered a spasm in the calf of her right leg..no doubt caused by twisting herself getting into the driver seat.

Are people so stressed these days that's how they react situations like this ? Would anyone have had something to say to that chap or just let it go ?
 
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