Rant of the Day v2.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The USA has a very clear picture of everything outside the USA...it's called Cabo San Lucas

They speak a funny language but most of the wait staff understand a little English....no, wait, that's LA. Anyway, you know what I mean.

Of course it has a Dairy Queen and a Sunglass Hut and a Harley dealership, but everywhere in world has those, even the Dalai Lama's place, Timbukthree or whatever, has a Harley dealership, apparently. So Carly said.

My grandpa fought in the War. He went off to Fort Riley, Kansas, and came back from there 3 years later, so Germany must be in Kansas.

[CremeEgg]

Nice to see more UK Foreign aid going to the moon via India. Beeb news saying they expect to get there by early September. What are they using a ricksaw? seem to recall Neil and the boys were a bit quicker than that 50 years ago.

[ExSp33db1rd]

.....no, wait, that's LA.

Currently in L.A., Where, when one uses the telephone to call a local org., one hears .... "press 1 for Spanish, 2 for English "

I kid you not.

Sorry to repeat, but maybe relevant ? .......

Mrs. ExS held shares in Bell Telephone many years ago, and they split into 5 subsidiary companies called Baby Bells, so she then got 5 accounts all posted by different people, but from the same office in Jacksonville Fl. We were then living in Singapore, in an apartment complex called Hawaii Towers. We got envelopes "returned to sender", then corrected, which is how we knew, but originally sent to Hawaii Towers. a) Singapore, Hawaii. b) Singapore, China. c) Singapore, Malaysia. (almost correct ) d) Singapore, Hong Kong, and ... wait for it ... e) Singapore SPAIN !

Do Americans know that life exists beyond the shores of L.A. and New York ?

[Slasher]

As I mentioned earlier elsewhere ExSp33d I always wrote the last line of my then address as REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE (in capitals). Nothing got missed fortunately.

PS: you should've moved to Aquamarine Tower. I don't think there are any towns in Hawaii or China or Malaysia or even Spain with that name!

[Capetonian]

I expect better from the Telegraph :

Insider's view What the new PM can expect in their first 48 hours

No, it's HIS first 24 hours. I hate this gender neutral PC ***** in the media.

[CremeEgg]

Cape - be grateful - I'm surprised they didn't put - there first 24 hours.

[Slasher]

I hate this gender neutral PC *sh*t* in the media.

Me too. I ignore and refuse outright to follow any of this "gender neutral" crap dictated to me by a tiny bunch of ratbag loony leftists with power. Stuff 'em. Couldn't give a sh!t neither of it's law or not because the majority of the Unwashed ignore it too.

[ExSp33db1rd]

There are no "wimmin" in New Zealand, all Press agencies, visual, print or vocal, only ever mention "woman", for any singular or plural references.
Drives me mad, but apparently it is the New Age.

[Ex-Ascot]

Sent my watch to CPT for servicing. Can't get it done here. The watchmaker told customs that it was ten years old and just being sent for servicing. The bastards have charged me tax because the courier put an estimated value on it. Fortunately they were way out but still R 642.60 tax. I suppose that is S.A. for you. Next let us see if they try to charge me tax back into here. I will be dealing with Gaborone but I will speak to them in the tax office in Maun. They were jolly helpful when we shipped everything to here from the UK.

[ian16th]

Drosty Hof Claret Select is now R51.50 a bottle

[Woody]

Drosty Hof Claret Select is now R51.50 a bottle

That’s still less than 3 quid a bottle

[Capetonian]

But it's dreadful!

[ian16th]

But it's dreadful!

A dreadful price!

[llondel]

Sent my watch to CPT for servicing. Can't get it done here. The watchmaker told customs that it was ten years old and just being sent for servicing. The bastards have charged me tax because the courier put an estimated value on it. Fortunately they were way out but still R 642.60 tax. I suppose that is S.A. for you. Next let us see if they try to charge me tax back into here. I will be dealing with Gaborone but I will speak to them in the tax office in Maun. They were jolly helpful when we shipped everything to here from the UK.

I once had to send something from the UK to the US for repair for my then employer. We didn't have to pay duty but there was an awful lot of paperwork to complete to track it into the US and back out again.

The UK is fairly lenient about personal stuff being brought in when you move to the UK - if it's over a year old then it's duty-free. Anything newer than that is considered an import and attracts duty at whatever the appropriate rate is for the item.

[Pontius Navigator]

I was once the witness for customs clearance of unaccompanied personal effects sent to UK. It was a big crate, we unscrewed the top and I stood back while the customs officer opened the crate and began.

In top was the latest edition of Playboy. As things progressed it was apparent that the box had been got at by his American friends. There was a knitted Willy warmer in stars and stripes. The customs officer looked at me as if I was complicit in this clear attempt as smuggling pornographic. I shrugged. I think the rest was OK.

There had been an issue at Kinloss when a large bottle of spirits was found in an engineering pack. No one owned up. The bottle was searched for finger prints and the entire sqn was checked. The only conclusion was the Americans had packed it as a surprise present.

[Ex-Ascot]

Sent my watch to CPT for servicing. Can't get it done here. The watchmaker told customs that it was ten years old and just being sent for servicing. The bastards have charged me tax because the courier put an estimated value on it. Fortunately they were way out but still R 642.60 tax. I suppose that is S.A. for you. Next let us see if they try to charge me tax back into here. I will be dealing with Gaborone but I will speak to them in the tax office in Maun. They were jolly helpful when we shipped everything to here from the UK.

I once had to send something from the UK to the US for repair for my then employer. We didn't have to pay duty but there was an awful lot of paperwork to complete to track it into the US and back out again.

The UK is fairly lenient about personal stuff being brought in when you move to the UK - if it's over a year old then it's duty-free. Anything newer than that is considered an import and attracts duty at whatever the appropriate rate is for the item.

Here you can have one mass importation tax free. If you want to bring in anything after that it is taxed. They made it very clear to us. Asked if we had anything left in the UK. I said a car. They said bring it here now or pay tax on it. They wanted us to go to Gabs to sign everything off which is at least a two day trip. Customs here in Maun sorted them out for us.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

When I entered Canada 9 years ago, I had quite a list of stuff as unaccompanied baggage. Some was in storage in the States and I fetched it 11 months later. The rest was in my mum's attic in the UK, and I had it shipped over last month. The lady in Customs was not pleased. I explained the reasons for the delay, but she said "You're supposed to bring it in within a year". I pointed out it did not state that anywhere on the form, or on the Customs website. After being (reasonably) asked to wait a couple of hours whilst they sorted some inbound aircraft and inspected my stuff, and doubtless checked their own rules, I was allowed to take it charge-free. Fortunately I had correctly guessed the number of boxes on the original form, which I think helped. It's interesting how routines build up in big organisations, but actually have no basis in fact or law.
Customs has customs

[Tall Bird]

I've finally calmed down after receiving a 'change to your itinerary' email from Scare Canada (aka Mapleflot) early this morning. It's actually a change to a change. The new schedule has taken out the direct daily flight I was on to YOW and put me on a much later flight via Trawna. I also lost my aisle legroom seat upfront for a middle one down the back. Looking at the new schedule I see my original direct flight (a fairly full one) was cut the day before I was due to fly. AC is now also advertising direct flights to YHZ on the Max 8 wef 2 October. Why bother when there will be a mad scramble to rebook all the people who've chosen these flights? Bottom line: a very nice lass has rebooked me on an earlier flight with a good seat. Downside: it's via Montreal.

As an aside when I typed boo8ng instead of booking on my tablet, it offered Boeing as an alternative.

[Pontius Navigator]

Mrs PN bought a pair of scissors yesterday in a 'Use Scissors to Open' package.

The blister pack was sealed in to a cardboard display card and a security tag through the handle. The assistant had to use wire cutters to cut the security wire. Back home I had to rip the cardboard apart (like a telephone book) to reveal the sealed blister pack. Not one with edges but heat sealed and impervious to attack and apart from the scissors within. Resorted to a large carving knife. Once I staunched the blood I got the scissors out of the pack. The rest was easy, use the scissors to cut more of the pack to get out the blade sheath before I sustained further injury.

[Pontius Navigator]

Another rant: Just had to register a product including the serial number. Had to unplug the device to read the serial. There were 3 lines of alphanumerics. Managed to see the middle row was 'ser' then wrote down the serial: 4D6ABB7Ha6OED - WRONG. Got a magnifying glass: 4D5A8B7HA50ED. I wear glasses, without a high powered magnifying glass - no chance. GRRRR