Comments (0)

By Gareth, May 25, 2009 20:00

Last night I was not happy.

We had been away all weekend to visit some friends, and were travelling back Sunday afternoon. Knowing that this would be the case I had the Monaco F1 Grand Prix set up to record so that I could watch it when I got home.

All of yesterday whilst travelling, I had managed to avoid hearing the result from the race. Purposely we didn’t have the radio on in the car, and when we got home I managed to avoid all of the news and sports reports. So, you would think that I’d be safe watching “Britain’s Got Talent”. There’s no sports report or news updates during that show.

Not on this occasion!

After the first act had performed, one of the judges, Piers Morgan, compared the act to the winner of the Monaco GP.

You remind me of Jenson Button, who won the Grand Prix today……………………

It took me a moment to realise what he was saying but then it was too late to do anything about it. So annoyed!

Of all the programs to reveal to me the winner of the Grand Prix!

Comments (4)

By Gareth, November 13, 2008 23:01

I’ll say it again!

“PUT YOUR DAMN* LIGHTS ON”

*Language toned down for public consumption

This time of year really shows how many idiots there are on the roads. I don’t know about you but it has been driving me mad lately as the days are getting shorter, that some drivers are being so dense that they don’t turn their headlights on.

It really annoys me! (Could you tell?)

This is really stupid and just plain dangerous. Especially with the speeds on the motorways. It is hard enough to see cars approaching behind you in the dark, without these idiots driving without their headlights on.

Just because they can see everyone else with their lights on, it doesn’t mean that we can see them. I don’t understand why seeing other cars with lights on doesn’t serve as a reminder for them to do the same.

You can imagine the thought processes going through these drivers minds:

Oh, look at all those drivers with their lights on.

That’s really good of them. It helps me to see them.

And, because they’ve got their lights on that must mean that they can see me!

No, it doesn’t quite work like that.

In fact, its not just driving at night that drivers “forget” to put their lights on. Even when its raining they should be putting their lights on so that other road users can see them through all the spray.

Another point, sidelights do not qualify as having your lights on when visibility is at a premium. You might as well not have any on, for all the good they do! It is very hard to see the dim glow of sidelights in amongst bright headlights, or mountains of spray being thrown up from the road surface.

I think that it should be made compulsory for all cars to have their lights on at all times. It won’t cost you anything and it will save these brain dead idiots from having to bother to turn their lights on.

Comments (0)

By Gareth, January 22, 2008 20:19

After reading my friend Sam’s latest post about Tiscali and the bad customer service that he received from them, I thought I’d write a little about my experience with them.

In May last year, after being with Tiscali Broadband for a few years, I switched to TalkTalk for their broadband and calls package, as it would be saving us some money each month.

Before I switched provider, I had been impressed with Tiscali. Whenever we had moved house they had re-routed our connection on time.

So, thinking that everything was hunky-dory in the world, I was surprised to receive a phone call from a debt collection agency. They informed me that Tiscali had passed on a debt for unpaid broadband fees from May to July, which was impossible as I had changed provider in May. This was the first that I had heard of it, and so I rang Tiscali Customer Service, and after spending some time on hold I finally spoke to someone regarding this.

Speaking to them I told them that I had never received any letters or correspondence regarding the owing of monies,and that I had changed provider in May. After some discussion they said that they would send out invoices etc relating to the debt so I could take a look at them.

I left it there to wait for the invoices to arrive. After a couple of days I rang them again to say that I’d not received anything from themselves. They assured me that they had sent them out. So, I gave them another couple of days to see if it was just a delay in the post.

After another couple of days I phoned them again. They have been sent, was the answer. I was not impressed, and after a few words it turned out that they had sent everything to an old address. This wasn’t just the previous address that they had on record, oh no, this was the address before that. It was no wonder that I hadn’t got any letters!

In the meantime I received another letter from the debt agency saying that if the account was not settled within 7 days then they would be taking me to court.

So I phoned Tiscali again, and eventually, after numerous phone calls, I got them to write off the debt, £29.98 in fact, as they realised that they shouldn’t have been trying to take the money.

That was so nice of them!

My experience with Tiscali is not one that I would like to go through again. They never do anything that they say they are going to do. I’m still waiting for the invoices even now, and a letter to say that everything is sorted out. Knowing them, it has gone to my old address.

My advice, avoid Tiscali at all costs!!!

Comments (5)

By Gareth, January 16, 2008 20:35

You don’t see it very often but when you do, its something that makes my blood boil!

What I saw today is still making me angry, even now, a few hours later as I am writing this.

As I came out of work this afternoon, and was waiting to cross the road to get into my car, my attention was caught by a car waiting at the junction. The first thing that caught my eye was the colour. It was a bright orange Ford Fiesta ST, not a subtle colour by any means.

The next thing I saw has made me angry. Sitting in the front passenger seat was a small boy, who I would guess was probably about 5 years old. Nothing too bad in that you might think. But if I tell you that the boy was perched on the edge of the seat, and not even wearing any sort of seatbelt or in a car seat, you can understand my anger.

What the hell was his mother thinking? Why would someone be so stupid, and reckless? Doesn’t this woman care about her son?

So many questions for her to answer. It’s times like that, that you wish that a police car was passing at the time.

Why would a parent let their child sit in the front seat, without restraints? I just don’t understand.

I really hope that she never does that again. Next time could be bad!

Comments (0)

By Gareth, December 20, 2007 09:36

Its that time of year when we are all looking to have the little break from work for Christmas.

Just before Christmas in work we are usually given some shopping vouchers as a little thank you for all the work that we do during the year. Its not a lot, but it just makes you feel wanted, and that your work is valued.

Well, not this year. Instead of £20 in vouchers, we are going to be given an extra £15 in our pay. We’ll be getting in our January pay because they forgot to include it in December’s, and of course we’ll be taxed on this. So, instead of the personal touch of £20 in vouchers and a thank you, it is a bit of a let down with us getting a greatly reduced amount. After tax it works out at about £11, equivalent to 23p per week. It sucks really.

The biggest complaint that we have is that no-one in senior management has told us that we won’t be getting the vouchers. Just a simple explanation would suffice. That is all we ask, a little bit of honesty.

If you look after your employees, then they will look after the interests of the company. It’s not a hard concept to follow.

Merry Christmas

Comments (0)

By Gareth, November 25, 2007 10:44

…and it’s still not December.

Last week, I told you that I’d seen the first Christmas decorations of the year. Now I’ve seen the second set. Our other next door neighbours have now put up their decorations. Our house is now the meat in a Christmas decoration sandwich.

I don’t understand why people put their decorations up so early. Christmas is now only a month away, but I feel that this is too early. It is still November.

Ever since I was a kid, it was customary to put the Christmas decorations up around the middle of December. Usually around the time that we would finish at school. Until the decorations go up though, I cannot get into the whole spirit of Christmas. But, if they went up any earlier, then by Christmas Day I would be bored of the whole thing.

I am sure that my whole attitude will change as Ellie grows up. She is still a little young to fully understand what is going on at the moment. Next year she will have a greater awareness of everything. No doubt Gemma and I will be told what she wants Santa to bring her. But until then she will be all innocent, and not too corrupted by the adverts.

But until then I think I’m just going to be a grump!

(Note: I’ve re-written this post, as I thought that the way I had written it was below par)