Rant of the Day v2.

[ian16th]

I'm just about old enough to remember the Station Pig Farm.

"Station Farm, Duty Pig!" was the standard 'apology' for a healthy loud belch.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Cellophane tends to sound "crinkly" ?

[John Hill]

Cellophane is made from cellulose which is the principal structural substance in almost all plants. Cellulose can not be digested by humans but ruminant animals such as cows can. I have heard it said that sheep would be perfectly happy on a diet rich in fag packet wrappers.

[Pontius Navigator]

Cellophane tends to sound "crinkly" ?

If you have 20:20 hearing

[ExSp33db1rd]

Travelling from New Zealand to the USA we need a visa waiver authorisation called an ESTA, Electronic System Travel Authority. This is not stamped into the passport, but an e-mail cert. is provided to print, and details are logged against the passport number so that the jobsworth at LAX knows about when one arrives.

These last for 2 years and have to be renewed even tho' ones' passport is valid for 10 years, i.e. 5 times during the life of the passport, at a cost - after all, funds will need to be provided to give Trump a lifetime Presidential pension.

The whole thing is a PITA, I have been doing this now ever since the system was implemented, and even tho' my name, birthday, Father's name, Mother's maiden name. town of birth, country of birth, name of Great Grandmothers' first dog etc. etc. haven't changed in the last 84 years, and at the last renewal the US Consulate wrote to say that they needed the names of Father and Mother, as above, and I had to respond by directing them to the page of the form that I had already completed, with the information. Not even a sorry to bother you acknowledgement

Unfortunately I seem to have misplaced my last renewal and couldn't remember the date, and as travel is imminent I attempted to ascertain the expiry date from a website entitled www.ustraveldocs.com. which sounded absolutely what I needed ?

Not so, a reply said nothing to do with us, try some other website for FAQ's about ESTA, or make an expensive International telephone call to the USA, an area 202 code.

So just what is the function of US Travel Docs, if they can't answer a question about an ESTA that they have created with a 16 digit reference number tied to my passport, details of which I was able to provide.

Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice.

A pox on them, says I.

Easier to fly to Tijuana and just walk across the border to San Diego, or scale the fence, then also get Federal benefits - or would it be only California State benefits ?

Then .... I found my last Cert. which is valid until May next year, so I was able abandon the whole thing.

No dount this is to protect the USA from all sorts of felons and bad guys, but in fact it only annoys the law abiding, as the felons and bad guys hoist two fingers at the system and get by anyway, despite Trump. Not sayin' that's right, but is still a fact.

[llondel]

It's effectively a visa by the back door. Once upon a time the visa waiver was free.

[OFSO]

Took purchases to the cash register in German shopTedi this morning, two girls on counter, one 'local' one 'headscarf' looking as if combined ages might be twelve, discussing some point of entry of items, ignored me for at least ten minutes, when finally condescended to check my items one was wrongly labelled, cost twice what it should have, I left it there and departed. And will not return.

[Tall Bird]

I shouldn't have got up this morning! Out early doors to parents' place to meet construction co project manager to discuss subsidence internal repairs. Just before he arrived, I used the loo and returned downstairs. Heard the sound of rushing water and saw the tank overflow outside in Niagara mode. Hobbled back upstairs and opened airing cupboard. Contents soaked and lower tank leaking. Couldn't reach tap to turn water off. No access to ladders so improvised with stepstool, chair and finally old washstand. Turned the tap but nowt happened. Noted ceiling is now dripping. Back downstairs and turned off the other two taps I knew about. (It's an old but small semi). Rang plumber - he can be there within the hour. Project manager arrives. Nice bloke who rolled up sleeves and found another tap by front door. Bingo. Water now dribbling.

Subsidence repairs far bigger than he'd been led to believe from report sent to him by insurance claims firm. Lots of photos and measurements taken. Bloke departs. An hour later plumber arrives and assesses a ballcock problem and damage to tank in loft. However, didn't go up to check as he was in the middle of another job. Drained rest of system and will return Saturday morning to complete repairs. I gathered up the soaking towels and sheets to take home and launder. Quick visit to elderly cousin to let him know what's happened. At 96, he still potters round the village and checks on the house.

By now I've missed a lunch date but might make it for the film. Er no, I'm stuck in a traffic jam following an accident on the A50 for nearly an hour. Tomorrow is another day!

[Alisoncc]

Lots of sympathy TB.

Down here we had a Prime Minister forty years back who made an official statement "Life wasn't meant to be easy". Subsequently it hasn't been. So we blame him.

Alison

[ExSp33db1rd]

........ cash register in German shopTedi this morning,

Standard procedure in Supermarkets worldwide, or at least the NZ, UK and USA ones in my experience, and try giving them a bit of loose change to ensure a whole number paper banknote can be given instead of a pocketful of shrapnel - that really fools them. Such Fun !

[G-CPTN]

I have found that the self-service tills in our local Coop can compute the correct change if you feed it with the 'odd' coins as ExSp33db1rd suggests - returning 'whole' coins such as 10p, 20p or 50p instead of a menagerie of coins.

If only the damn voice would pause and think instead of demanding 'more coins' when you have already given the correct amount (or over).

[ExSp33db1rd]

Yes, the "Please pick up your items" when I'm already bloody well doing, it, you stupid bitch !

[Pontius Navigator]

"Please place the item in the bagging area"

Bagging area full, it falls off.

"PLACE THE ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA"

"Scan item in bagging area"

Then the red light. The one assistant has a queue at the till and has to walk all round to reach self serve.

[Hydromet]

Long queue at the single check out that's open in the hardware store. Girl on checkout takes phone call, so queue not moving. Three people assisting people at self-check out.
Pissed off Hydro rings store, explains situation and suggests they open another check-out. Man arrives to open new check-out and calls over people from the end of the line, not those of us who were waiting.
Unfortunately, I had to go through the checkout as I wanted to buy some large bags of garden fertiliser, which is stored elsewhere. It's easier to pay then collect it than collect it, come back into the store, go through the checkout and then go back out to load it into the car. If I'd had a trolley load of small stuff I'd have had great pleasure in abandoning it for them to put back on the shelves. As it was, I walked out and haven't been back in since. Fortunately, I have an alternative.

[Ex-Ascot]

We have had situations here with tourists messing about in the market super (small shop). Wave purchases at owner and say pay tomorrow.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Girl on checkout takes phone call, so queue not moving.

Yes, that really pisses me off. When in reach, I've been known to reach over and push the telephone rest down, thereby cutting off the call ( can't do that with a mobile of course ) and in answer to the angry " 'wot the 'ell do you think you're doin' "response, I've explained that the lady on front of me is next and then me, not the person on the telephone. Equally, when one cashier picked up the phone and I was poised to jump into action, she said " I'm sorry, I have a long queue to attend to, please give me your number and we will call you back" I gave her a very heartfelt note of appreciation and congratulations. Doesn't happen often tho'.

[Woody]

Reverse often happens, customer busy on phone whilst trying to pay for shopping, checkin etc, pisses off the rest of the queue.

[Pontius Navigator]

Or customer at counter reasonably discussing prospective purchase. Self patiently waiting, person pushes in to ask "have you this in size 22, red, yellow or whatever"

[OFSO]

Suddenly tourists are here. At the supermarket, Germans, Dutch, French, Belgians etc are totally bemused by prices in Euros. Seems the Spanish euro is completely different from what they have at home. And their credit cards don't work. Or crossing the border scrambles the PINs in their brains. Wasted ten minutes this morning at Lidl behind French or Belgians who managed to f*ck the cash register up so badly we had to reload our trolley off the conveyor belt and go to another checkout. And guess who we were behind, and what happened ? Also (yes there's more) French cars arriving in Spain appear to have been fitted with a limiter governing their speed to 30 kph. Can't wait to get back to the city John Cleese hates.

[OFSO]

My morning coffee. I see myself standing on a mountain top with a cloud to my left discharging a lightning bolt to the sea....any other suggestions ?