GRIPES

[Jerry_Atrick]

There are stores that seemingly are having coninuous sales across virtually all lines.

 

When I was a kid, my father pointed out to me a menswear store on Elizabeth street in Melbourne that had a closing down sale - for at least 10 years.

[nomadpete]

2 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

 a menswear store on Elizabeth street in Melbourne that had a closing down sale - for at least 10 years.

That's an old trick. Using a simple statement of truth. They close down every night anyway.

And "All Stock Must Go!"

Well they don't really want to keep any of it, do they!

 

For years we had a store with all those signs, in Queen St, Brisbane, too.

[red750]

Dimmeys in Swan St Richmond had a Fire Sale that lasted for years.

[nomadpete]

43 minutes ago, red750 said:

Dimmeys in Swan St Richmond had a Fire Sale that lasted for years.

Did they ever have a fire?

[spacesailor]

KMART 

Backtown had a fire sale .

4 Lt motor oil $1 . Only smoke damaged ,

There was more , but 24 cents a litre  Oil .is cheap- cheap .

spacesailor

[Marty_d]

How does oil get "smoke damaged"?  I'm assuming it was in a container impervious to smoke?

 

There was a carpet warehouse down here in Hobart which had very loud ads for years, with enthusiastic middle-eastern salesmen urging people to get the incredible bargains on these unique, valuable Turkish rugs which were only being sold cheaply as it was a closing down sale.  Similar to stories above, it took them at least a decade to close.

[nomadpete]

11 hours ago, Marty_d said:

How does oil get "smoke damaged"?  I'm assuming it was in a container impervious to smoke?

 

There was a carpet warehouse down here in Hobart which had very loud ads for years, with enthusiastic middle-eastern salesmen urging people to get the incredible bargains on these unique, valuable Turkish rugs which were only being sold cheaply as it was a closing down sale.  Similar to stories above, it took them at least a decade to close.

So.... they did close down. What is your gripe?

Edited January 25 by nomadpete

[facthunter]

The Dogs have eaten my Carpets. Nev

[Marty_d]

Really? they sometimes throw up on ours.

[facthunter]

When I purchased mine I was told they were MAGIC, but I wasn't taken for a ride..  Nev 

[onetrack]

If I had to eat a carpet, I'd probably throw up after a few mouthful, too.

[facthunter]

Moths do it all the time.  Nev

[spacesailor]

Sooty deposits on the containers. 

Simples. 

spacsailor

[facthunter]

At the same time as Backtown became Blacktown?.  Nev

[pmccarthy]

Our community association had a lovely Australia Day ceremony at the Common, under gum trees. We all sang the National Anthem then sat around and chatted over a picnic lunch for two hours. Numbers probably up on previous years. Average age 70+. Not one young person there.

[Bruce Tuncks]

Not so different here PMC. It was my first time going, and I went to support the council etc who put the thing on. ( the correct day too! ) .We finished up in the bowls clubrooms because of the weather forecast. There were plenty of 40 -ish people there.

[old man emu]

My son and his family spent Australia Day at a camping site by a lake. He posted a photo on FB showing their campsite festooned with bunting bearing the flag as well as flags themselves. It's time that we handed over the control of the celebration to the next generation and let them do it their way. At least we can be happy that they are glad to celebrate being Australian when they don't seem to celebrate much else.

[Jerry_Atrick]

On 27/01/2024 at 10:28 PM, old man emu said:

At least we can be happy that they are glad to celebrate being Australian when they don't seem to celebrate much else.

Isn't that sad.. not seeming to have much else to celebrate. Maybe a stint in a "third world" country may change their tune? (not your son, of course, but he next generation in general).

[old man emu]

18 minutes ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Maybe a stint in a "third world" country may change their tune?

I suppose every "World" has its pressing problems that people want to deal with before all others. That's why we can make "First World" problems the butt of jokes, and at the same time express our concern for "Third World" problems.

[Jerry_Atrick]

i am mightily pissed off at the moment. The train station that I part at in London (for free) has changed and made it a parking permit restricted parking area over the weekend; no warning, just some signs that you would miss if you are parking in the dark (which it is until almost 8am this time of year) and in a hurry for the train. Guess what? I got a parking fine.

 

But, I am not angry about that per se. I am angry at the council incompetence at making it a permit area, and at the wider conservative government for pushing councils' budgets to the limit that they have to do this.

 

And, yes, while I have a vested interest, it is, at the end of the day, only a minor inconvenience to me to park somewhere else - i.e. the next station and have to walk a bit further than I do today.

 

So why am I so pissed off. Well, a) the Conservative government's mismanagement has not only exceeded the worst of the Aussie government's mismanagement under SFM, that local councils are going broke left, right, and centre; but even the council's response to try and take more cash is, well useless.

 

Here are the problems with the council's slap of parking restrictions:

• Parking restrictions are normally used in the UK to ensure residents have some opportunity to find a parking spot. Since COVID, I can get to the station as late as 10am and still find parking, with more to spare for other cars. So, the normal justification is not there.
• There is no residential homes in the immediate area. The permit parking is for residents of the suburb, and hardly any of them use it. So, it is not making sure that the local residents have access, but precluding other people from cheaper access to a national asset - the railways,
• I, and at least two others who fell for it, will use the next station. Unlike this one, which is not located in an immediate area where houses are; they other stations all are. Therefore, we will be potentially denying local residents of parking (while we can).
• If the council decides to implement restrictions in those areas, then we will simply drive through London. The streets outside shorter peak hours are much less busy.. so we will add to pollution and not remove it.

There are a few other things to moan about.. but I don't want to get depressed. I will pay the fine, direct the councillors to this post and pray to dog albitey that one day, there are politicians at any level with a vision of the future.

 

[edit]// This country is seriously heading down the gurgler.. penny pinching shopkeeper mentality is setting back in.. "Open All Hours" lloks like an advanced corporate behemoth compared to this place, lately.

Edited January 30 by Jerry_Atrick

[old man emu]

I didn't get caught, but many appear to have been booked for speeding through school zones this week. In NSW the first official school day was Tuesday 30/1/24. However, Tuesday and Wednesday are "pupil-free" days when it is only the teachers who have to be at the schools, obviously for making preparations for the new term. There's not a kid in sight unless it's one or two passing by on the way to some play activity.

 

However, the speed cameras have been turned on, catching people who  don't know that the official school term has started, or who have been driving through the school zone for the past six weeks at the normal speed limit. 

 

I also think that it is ridiculous to have the after-school speed limit last until 4:00 pm. Around most schools, there are no children within the school zones after 3:30 pm. 

[red750]

34 minutes ago, old man emu said:

I also think that it is ridiculous to have the after-school speed limit last until 4:00 pm. Around most schools, there are no children within the school zones after 3:30 pm. 

Late last year I was booked for doing 45 in an 80 zone at 2:40 pm because the school zone operated from 2:30 pm, when the limit dropped to 40. It was on a road I don't normally use and was unaware of the school zone. My watch is one where you have to press the button to activate the display for 20 seconds, and touching an electronic device, including a watch, while driving, is a finable offence. I didn't realise it was after 2:30. Schools don't get out until 3:15. My daughter is a school crossing supervisor, and doesn't leave home till after 3:00.

[Bruce Tuncks]

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 ).

[onetrack]

Re the parking problem - here's an interesting and appropriate parking story from the ABC this morning. Apparently, we all have a "parking spot entitlement" outlook, thus the problems.

Time after time, I just leave an area or event or shop or whatever, when it becomes obvious a parking spot is virtually impossible to find.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-31/what-you-need-to-know-about-parking-apps/103405850

[spacesailor]

I'll also gripe about  parking spots. 

Why should " mothers with prams " take Precedence over " disabled " parking.

They have wheels for the kids . ( prams ).

spacesailor

Edited January 31 by spacesailor
It changed my spelling