Hubcaps – Again
Posted: Mon 1 March, 2010 Filed under: Domestic, Driving, Travel 6 Comments »It seems to be becoming a bit of an annual event – the same thing happened this time last year – but once again I’ve lost a sodding hubcap from the car.
I don’t know how, I don’t know when. I assume it’s been to do with potholes, big puddles in the road and all that. But I don’t know for sure.
What I do know is that for whatever reason I seem to be really good at losing the sodding things. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a spare in the garage at the moment, but once that one’s used, it’ll be time to buy some more.
Fucking things.
Photo Project : Phase One
Posted: Sun 21 February, 2010 Filed under: Driving, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Norfolk, Photography, Travel Leave a comment »Part of my 2010 project is about getting back out with my camera – or at least trying to. And as part of that, I’m going to work on Amateur Photographer magazine’s “Amateur Photographer of the Year” competition.
The first round of it is due to be in next Friday, so I’m planning to take some time today to go out and see what I can do.
It’ll mean taking Hound out too, as I’m off to the coast – the project is about the interaction of water and land, and there are some fantastic environments for that kind of theme around here.
We’ll just have to see what comes out of the day. I hope it’s worth the time.
Actually, I’m sure it will be – even if it doesn’t come up with the results I want, there’ll be something from it.
[Update : Well, I was going to go, but then it’s chucked it down with snow. So currently re-debating the plan]
Going to a gig
Posted: Sun 21 February, 2010 Filed under: Driving, Music, Travel Leave a comment »Yesterday we went off down to London to see Depeche Mode at the O2.
It was a gig that’d been postponed from 30th May last year, due to the lead singer developing gastroenteritis, if memory serves.
I’ll write more about it when I get time, wake up, or generally get round to it.
Stinky
Posted: Fri 19 February, 2010 Filed under: News, People, Travel Leave a comment »How smelly do you reckon someone needs to be in order to get thrown off a flight?
“People were just mumbling and staring at him,” said a woman who sat near the man, according to The Guardian, a newspaper in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where the flight originated on February 6. It was a very uncomfortable situation, she added.
Another passenger described the smell as “brutal.”
Pretty damn smelly, I’d suggest…
Living with Terrorism
Posted: Sun 3 January, 2010 Filed under: Cynicism, Politics, Security, Thoughts, Travel 4 Comments »Over Christmas there was yet another terrorist “attack” in a plane over the US. And as a result, Fuhrer Brown has said that full-body scanners will be brought in to all the main UK airports because ‘they’re crucial in the fight against terrorism”. Which, frankly, is bollocks – the experts don’t even agree that the explosives used by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Christmas Day would be found by a full-body scanner.
I’ve written before about Security Theatre, and really this is all more of the same.
What makes me really laugh though is all the shite that politicians spout about doing this “because we won’t give in to terrorism”.
- Every single time you take a flight and have to take your shoes off for a search, terrorism caused it.
- Every time you go through a full-body search from now on, that’s been caused by terrorism.
- Any time you can’t take a drink or shampoo abroad, that’s been caused by terrorism.
- Any time you read about ID cards or airport security, that’s been caused by terrorism.
And actually, for pretty much all the above items, you could replace “caused by terrorism” with “caused by the threat of terrorism”. Because most of it isn’t actually related to terrorist acts – it’s related to “plots”, rather than the real thing.
Basically, if you’re travelling by plane, you’re affected by terrorism or the threat of it. Every time you’re affected, you think about why you’re being affected. And bang, terrorism wins yet again.
In fact, the only recent occasion where terrorism really hasn’t affected things (yet, anyway) was the bombings in London on the 7th July. Certainly that event has made people more aware of the risk of terrorism and suicide bombers – but it hasn’t involved extra security checks, or changes to the way we live.
So wittering on about not letting terrorists win, while adding in new pointless security measures “to prevent terrorism”, that’s terrorism winning its case.
Crunch – Enterprise Car Hire
Posted: Sun 20 December, 2009 Filed under: Customer Services, Domestic, Driving, Travel 1 Comment »Because of the damage to my car (and that damn fence) I’ve had to make a claim on the car insurance for the first time. Of course, it’s going to cost me the no-claims bonus and so on – and result in having to note it if I change insurer for the next few years – as well as the excess, but it’s going to be better to pay out £300 than the fuck-only-knows-how-much for both car repairs and fence reconstruction.
So far though – and as with previous things where I’ve used their recovery services – I’ve been really impressed with Tesco Insurance. Having had the accident, the recovery vehicle was with me within an hour as promised.
On Friday, having called them at 9am to register the claim itself, I was told that the car would be taken to their recommended bodyshop – I did have the choice of using my preferred one, but then it’s fucking about with estimates etc. – within four hours, and that the courtesy car people (Enterprise car hire) would be in touch also within four hours.
By 10am, the garage had called me, explained they’d need to get a different company to lug the car, and the different company had also called me to arrange collecting the car. By 12 the car was on the way to the garage on the back of a flatbed. Efficiency personified.
The only cloud so far has been Enterprise bloody car hire. The promised callback didn’t happen by 1pm. Fair enough, it was a shitty and busy day, but they’re a big company, you’d think someone would’ve been able to call, if only to say “We’re really busy, but will get back to you”. I called Tesco insurance back, and they got hold of Enterpriuse, and promised a call back again within two hours.
And still nothing. I ended up calling them at 4pm, and still not speaking to the right place “because they were too busy”. They finally called back at 4.30 to say “We’re not going to get to you today”. And that was it, so far as the Diss office was concerned. They weren’t open on Saturday, so *shrug*. We might be able to get out to you on Monday. Maybe.
I did sort out going to the Norwich office to collect one on Saturday, but that fell through for other reasons. So now I’ll be getting picked up to get to the Norwich office, rather than Diss. Frankly, I’ve no confidence in the Diss office at all, and have explained that to both Tesco Insurance, and the Norwich office.
We’ll see what happens on Monday, and whether Enterprise manage to sort themselves out for this one.