GRIPES

[red750]

The spaces are larger so they can put the prams between cars without scratching, and room to remove the kids from the baby capsules/seats.

 

 

[spenaroo]

5 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

Is there a third world country that is democratic? I reckon that even if there is one, it would be rendered small numerically by the dictatorships. ( AND there would need to be women's rights and an independent judiciary to be a proper democracy ).

Sierra Leone, Liberia off the top of my head.
not sure if Ghana and Nigeria are 3rd world.
 

Edited January 31 by spenaroo

[spacesailor]

Red

Yes , those spaces were larger to get the ' wheelchair '  off the roof of the car & sit in it , before closing the door .

Now those 'disabled ' spaces are not near the entrance .

The ' mums with prams ' have that privileged spot .

spacesailor

 

[red750]

Spacey, you griped about the mothers and baby parking. Here's a photo of my local Woolies

 

 

At the other entrance are "Direct to Boot" click and collect bays.

 

[spacesailor]

My shopping place has replaced the ' blue wheelchair ' sign , 

With the ' mums with prams ', & the ' disabled spaces ' further  out .

spacesailor

[Marty_d]

School times are not uniform (pardon the pun).

 

My kid's high school rings the bell at 2:40, and the primary school 2:55 (but 2:45 for some buses).

 

So I guess it makes sense to have a time range from say 2:30 to 4:00 to cover all bases plus some after school activities - as long as it's well signposted.

 

Having said that I agree it's a dog act to turn the cameras on before kids actually go back to school.

[old man emu]

Well, the kids are back in school now. I know because I just got the "First Day at the new school" photos.

[nomadpete]

8 minutes ago, old man emu said:

Well, the kids are back in school now. I know because I just got the "First Day at the new school" photos.

I'm always happy to get those pics. Otherwise I'd never know when to slow down at school zones.

[old man emu]

I really only came onto the forums this morning to post a gripe, but you guys distracted me. Now I'll post this before I go out and get stuck into reno work.

 

Early in January I approached the local funeral directors to discuss the erection of a memorial at my wife's (and my) gravesite. On the day I went there the right person wasn't there, so I left my details for follow-up. Two weeks later I had no reply, so I emailed a request for an appointment, noting that any time at the person's convenience was OK. The reply I got from the receptionist was that my email had been placed on the person's desk. I'm still waiting.

 

So I went to another funeral director/monumental mason. I gave the receptionist my details and a fairly succinct list of things I wanted covered in an estimate for the memorial. I'm still waiting.

 

What is it with businesses that when future business walks in the door they step out and don't come back? At this rate my wife and I will spend Eternity in an unmarked hole in the ground. Makes you feel that you are worthless in the eyes of society.

[facthunter]

Maybe used to moving DEAD slow. The number of customers stays the same. . When you are dead your worries will be over. Nev

[onetrack]

You can't get tradies to show up, or even answer their phone, a lot of the time. I spent nearly a month trying to find an auto electrics/electronics expert to diagnose ECU and electrical issues with a non-running Ford Ranger I bought - with no luck - from the ones that did answer their phone. I ended up having to go to a Ford dealership, and I still waited over a week to get it looked at.

 

I would've thought funeral directors and monumental masons would have provided better service. Start by looking up customer reviews for them. The problem we have here on the Left Coast is that virtually all the funeral directors and monumental masons have been taken over by American corporations, and they run on corporate lines, it's big business and obviously supremely profitable. It's getting very hard to find the funeral directors that are still family-run.

 

It appears that some branches of the big funeral directors are good, other branches are just plain incompetent.

 

https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/calvary-funerals

 

https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/simplicity-funerals

 

[facthunter]

It's all an act . Sorrowful faces for hire. At one stage I'd been to so many requiem masses I could just about remember it by heart. . My missus will probably feel she should put something on and I won't be able to dissuade her so nothing changes there..   Nev . 

[onetrack]

I can recall one country funeral director who was part-time funeral director and part-time local builder. He used to the hearse to haul blue metal for concreting, but failed to clean it out properly when the next funeral came around.

The pallbearers dragged the coffin of a young bloke who'd been killed in an accident, out of the hearse and all the remnant blue metal on the floor of the hearse screeched and grated, and put everyones nerves on even more edge, and upset a lot more mourners. Some people just shouldn't be running businesses dealing with the public.

[facthunter]

When people are Dying to use  your services, you are on a good thing.  Nev

[red750]

Funerals are a con, like insurance.

 

I've covered this before, but I'll repeat it in the context of this discussion. When my wife passed away, I barely had 2c to rub together, literally, and a pile of debts. My wife had a very small amount in the bank, with a credit card and personal loan exceeding the balance. What was I to do? It was during the pandemic, so funerals were limited to less than 10 mourners.

 

The morning she passed, we contacted a cremation firm who conducted unattended cremations. They had a vehicle within two hours to remove the body. Irene was cremated at a crematorium in Wangarrata and the ashes returned to us - we chose a rosewood casket, which we have here in the house. The total cost, including casket, was just over $2,000, which was covered by the bereavement allowance paid for pensioners by Centrelink.

 

A memorial service was held at our local church, conducted by a very good friend of ours who was the retired priest from our parish, after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. The ashes casket was at the front of the church in place of a coffin. There were over 40 mourners in attendance, family, friends and her work colleagues. Everyone agreed it was a lovely service. The parish provided the refreshments after the service.

 

When you consider the cost of funeral directors, hearse, mourning coaches, coffins and cemetery plots, they can run into tens of thousands.

[old man emu]

For various reasons my wife's funeral was a simple graveside affair. My daughter took care of the expense as I was in the same situation as Red. I feel obligated to start paying back my daughter as a matter of principle, although she would argue against accepting any money.

 

But at the moment all that marks her resting place is a white wooden cross with her name on it. That's hardly permanent. I was going to make the memorial myself, using Council approved plans as she lies in a lawn cemetery. But you all know how quick I am at making things, so I decided to approach the professionals. If I don't get an answer soon, I will start making it myself. After all, how hard is it to make polished terrazzo? The most expensive thing would be the special polishing stone.

[facthunter]

Get a largish rock from somewhere. Melt down some bronze and cast a plaque or engrave it and set it in the rock with lead dovetailed. at the edges.  Just a suggestion.    Nev

[old man emu]

3 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Just a suggestion.

Thanks, but it is a Council cemetery and there are rules.

[facthunter]

If yours is so much better you could "ugly it up" a bit to stop them being jealous. At Faulkner cemetery some of the Crypts would be worth my house. You can wire cut and polish Basalt. Cast bronze is long lasting.   Nev

[red750]

Cemetaries are not nice places for a number of reasons. Many graves are not visited after the grave has been closed.Many people live a long way from where their relatives are buried, and cannot make the journey. My late wife visited her fathers grave a few times, although we drove past it many times over the years. Her mother was buried in the same grave, but she only visited it once to see the amended brass plaque. She said it was too upsetting. My  parents are buried at Benalla, and I have only been back to Benalla twice in 10 years. 

 

Unless the council cares for the cemetary, they often grow out of control. I have been to funerals at cemetaries which could be grassfire hazards with overgrowth. Huge amounts are spent on memorials for other deceased, with flowers deposited regularly, which dry up quickly. Plastic flowers look a bit tacky.

 

I have said to my kids they can decide whether they treat my ashes they way we have their mother's, or have them scattered. I wouldn't mind if they were scattered near an airport.

[spacesailor]

In England,  if your grave is not maintained. 

The plot can be reused .   ( certain councils)

Usually they get in touch to see if you would like to get it cleaned up .

spacesailor

[Bruce Tuncks]

Spenaroo, I looked up "democracy in Sierra Leone and it is not a nice place...   female mutilation, police bashing the opposition, etc. I guess it is as close as blacks can come to a democratic country?

[pmccarthy]

I visit family graves but not plaques for cremated remains.

[Marty_d]

6 hours ago, facthunter said:

It's all an act . Sorrowful faces for hire. At one stage I'd been to so many requiem masses I could just about remember it by heart. . My missus will probably feel she should put something on and I won't be able to dissuade her so nothing changes there..   Nev . 

I've made my request, they can send me into the incinerator to the strains of "Enter Sandman" by Metallica.  Played LOUD.

[red750]

My wife's casket on top of the TV unit in the loungeroom.