Never assume as it makes an an ass out of u and me.

Heathrow bringing in £5 drop off price next month..

Elf and safety mate, I know it sounds finicky but it covers our backs.
I've had to turn away some decent stuff for that reason, but it could be just that one you say "oh **** it" that burns someone's residence down. (Not that the label would still be visible after)

Household appliances owning people triggered by snowflakes?

Does that mean household appliances get triggered by snowflakes? Its getting all far too confusing. (Damn WCB and his fast fingers.)

Is the answer still PeterH?

Does the H stand for Household Appliance then? :confused:

Must do. Just praying it's not a dishwasher.

Obviously

Never had to rinse anything that goes in the dishwasher and it all comes out clean. Have to admit that its use is one of my treats in not having to wash everything each day.

Should be two H s. PeterHH

Stands for Heavy Handed (or His Highness).

HTH

That's ecologically friendly. Just bin it and buy a new one.

Are we getting ecological advice from someone that sells VIP cruise ship 'experiences'?

I think you may be confusing yourself on what 'snowflake' actually means.

I suspect I might be the one pushing the buttons on the remote controlm or casting out the trawling net.

Yes, but No, but...

The World would have Moved On...

There will be self cleaning plates controlled by your Amazon device.

At the risk of......

It's 'rip off' Britain, isn't it..

Sorry, I had a couple of early classes.

I can't be posting on student's time.

We should have a room 101 thread.

Dishwashers
Packed Lunches
Non scratch proof Countertops
PeterHH.....

Should this be in the "List of List" thread?

List of things PeterH has got into a virtual "discussion" about?

Or even List of people PeterH have got into a debate with, i.e. Maz, Joe85, Timbo... thinking about it, that maybe a pretty long list!

Looking on the NHS site for a walk-in vaccine centre. Take my daughter to the Harlequins rugby ground in Twickenham. Prominent road signs stating Vaccine centre, AA signs to the correct car park, temporary signs on the path pointing the way to the centre in the Chris Robshaw lounge East stand. Get there – it closed in July.

After 20 odd years, it's more or less the whole BBS. But it wouldn't just be me...

TBF. Most of you are based in Blighty, and you have your evident fristrations like the NHS walk in vaccine centre and the drop off charge.

I wouldn't consider coming to live in Chile, even for a while. (I am here for starters).
I reckon it took me at least 10 years to work my frustrations through my system, and then find some inner peace in which I was able to accept that things, processes, and people here will NEVER change. For one thing, it doesn't suit those with vested interests for there to be change, and the population (the vast silent majority) are either too complaint, too fearful, too brainwashed or too miseducated to enact change.

When a Member of our company's leadership team states, during a global Town Hall about imminent redundancies, that the future 'is going to be fun'

:eek: Very David Brent

Company Town Halls

I remember an announcement I once heard which went “this is not downsizing, it is rightsizing“. That made everyone feel better.

Yeah, she got properly (& correctly) called out for it. Forced to apologise.

Isn't a Town Hall a municipal building in towns and cities where the local authority may be based. I think you meant to type meeting or at a push conference :)

It's a bit of an Americanism, that we'd normally mock our posters from across the pond for, but we also have them at work so I'm saying nothing.

Great.

Kind of thing usually leads to promotion.

Why isn't she on the top of the redundancy list, that will properly learn her for the future?

My (new-ish) boss asked me today when I last had a 1-2-1 with a previous boss, I had to think for a while but I think that it was probably 2002 or 2003.

Bosses love one to ones. It fills their diaries, giving the impression they are actually doing something. See also 'strategy' meetings.

On the other hand, when bosses don't bother with one to ones their staff will often complain that the boss is a lazy bastard who is denying them an opportunity to discuss performance issues, support needs, what's happening in the wider business etc.

I would think that regular semi-structured conversations between manager and staff member might generally be a good thing, if conducted in the right spirit?

No doubt, but I've not seen much of that. Endless meetings fill the hours of many, interrupting more productive activities.

Our University loves a "Town Hall Meeting" nowadays. Management seem to think that it provides a more democratised pathway to decision making. Everyone else thinks its a shit name for a meeting with questions, after which management do what they were always going to do.

Consultation box ticking.

People (divorcees) who get their news from YouTube.

:D

Think you can drop off in the LTCP and passenger then gets free bus to terminal.

Or use public transport to get to LHR.

Sam Matterface and his scripted comments

Watching the England Romania game now and the commentator just said something about x amount of sleeps not being enough for England. I don’t mind that terminology being used for tiny kiddies in the final lead up to Christmas but really? What’s wrong with xx days?

That's impressive. England are playing 2 teams at once? :)

Yeah sorry about that. Obviously more furious than I thought

Someone needs more sleeps

That’ll be me. Not slept through the night for almost a year now

Naughty.

If you could change only one thing about Chile, what would it be?

Interested in your answer too, CT.

I know you weren’t asking me that question, but I’d say the spelling personally.

It’s like a bastard mash up between hot and cold, created by some creative in marketing.

Probably been done before...
Grand Designs. I very rarely stomach more than the titles... got 5 minutes in last night - first episode of new series. It's tired, tedious and in these times of increasing inequality just pretty disgusting. Ginormous house in rural area for tiny family? 800k budget - well, let's call it 2.5m... do me a favour.

LOLOLOLOL at me. I thought it was an actual town hall meeting. I thought the redundancies were going to be at a council.

That will take a lot of thinking on my part.

Or maybe not.

Just like the juntas of the 70s and 80s in the Southern Cone, I would put nearly all the politicians, at nearly all levels, onto a big place, fly it over the Pacific and tip them out alive.

I suspect there are all kinds of ironies in that.

Generally, because they are obscenely paid - including the socialists and communists, corrupt, take years adding or modifying laws, are so full of self-importance (i.e. they debate for two weeks whether Chileans can have an extra day off), control the media so the news is polluted talking about them (7% electoral turn out last mini-election), and in the 20 years I have been here they haven't come up with a single idea between them that makes a positive difference to society. They are always reactive to extremes rather than proactive on their own account.


Yet, they are the best in the region. Feck me - what must the banana republics be like.


If you want to add in a second - it would be some form of independant or transparant media where reporters are free to analyse, criticise etc. without fear that their career will be finished if they go to far - that applies to the judiciary here as well. But that all links to the politicians and the powerful families that they represent.

The spelling or something very close existed before colonial times. The conquistidors in Peru were told by the lying incas that the country of 'Chile' was full of gold...just as long as you decide to make the long exhibition through the Altiplano and Atacama Desert.

I suppose copper and lithium are gold.

Very fair. I guess you can add fantasy tree houses and swimming pools to that as well.

I saw a couple of episodes of people wanting to live in a Tiny home. Love those..

Well you’ve had a pretty good answer from Peter and I have to agree on the whole with his thoughts, although I would add that I first lived in Chile in 1992 and the difference from then to now is huge, so whilst there is a big frustration with the political elite here, they have got some things right (thanks to the copper boom beginning 20 years ago). Santiago is a dramatically different city for the better to the one I first experienced.
But the one thing I would change is the education system, which is woeful, and is at the root of many of the day to day issues and frustrations that exist here. You have a general populous that is very under-educated. It leads to many failings from the relatively inconsequential (mismanagement of basic services that you and I take for granted... an example might be supermarkets.. where clearly the management simply don’t know how to operate such a business properly), to the much more significant, mass ignorance of the voting population that led to the huge demonstrations we experienced a couple of years ago with calls for many changes (pensions, health service, transportation etc. the list was pretty extensive) without any true understanding of how such changes would be implemented. An example might be taxation - discussing the tax implications of some of the changes being called for with the Chileans I know was eye opening to say the least and showed a deep ignorance of public finances. This leads to the elites of Chile being able to consistently maintain/improve their power over Chilean society by manipulating the ignorance.

Not sure if that’s the type of answer you were expecting, but Peter’s answer got me thinking in a certain direction.

Education. I heard a story from a political science student at Universidad de Chile. The lecturer was going through some material and some students disagreed with what he was saying. The lecturer told them to shut up as he was teaching the material and his interpretation was the only correct one.

People don't question processes here, they just accept them (the silent majority - like the tutting British). Hence, people standing in a non-moving queue for 1 hr without questioning that perhaps the circumstances that cause this are wrong.

It is like our group classes. Try and provoke a debate on any contentious subject and they don't have a public opinion. At least one that might get whispered about within their office and mark them out to be maverick. In my last year at university . the bitchwitch boss took a few teachers aside and told them to cut out the negative gossip as it wasn't acceptable.

This all comes from a couple of generations silenced by Pinochet and his cronies.

But I like your uneducated ignorance and lack of understanding from the general populace. The big demand was for a new constitution - seemingly without any idea of what would go in it. The vote also had the option of the politiccl parties not being involved - that option got something like 80% of the votes - next day the political parties sponsored their own 'independant' candidates for it. What they have created is 155 (I think) candidates to represent Chile in drafting a new constitution. Half of them seem to be drawn up across bickering party politicl lines Pinochet vs Communist. Another dozen are only interested in discussing things related to the original peoples.

Even more plebs are outside protesting about political prisoners and police fit ups. Bleading heart mothers denying that their prick of a son thought it was damn good fun to throw molotov cocktails about - if you can't do the time.....

From 155, there seems to be about 50 of them that understand what their role is. What they have done is created a another group of people playing politics, and not an insignificant number that arre hoping to use this as a springboard to the lucrative career of being in congress and then the senate.

I hate the self-servong new stations that spend 15/20 minutes on politics and politicl infighting. It gives such an incorrect image of what Chileans think. I read a lonely planet or some such piece sying that Chileans are rabid about politics. Absolute bollox - the silent 80% hate it, are utterly bored by it and switch channels when it comes up.

I said that 7% voted for last joke round of pre-presidentials. The TV news went to a few voting booths seemingly showing hundreds queueing to vote, smiling, and happy as Larry giving up their Sundays to this farce.

Thanks very much, Peter and CT. I have friends in Santiago who would echo the point about politicians, but I wasn't aware how woeful the education system is. Obviously the link between the two has serious implications for the development of the country.

I've always been interested in Chile, as I think Peter knows from years back, so hope I make it over one day!

Indeed. You can come and stay a few days at mine at the coast, save yourself some pennies. Well, save some pennies for the wine, beer and barbecues that we will be having.

As CT will testify the education system is poor basically because they are not giving students the tools to think for themselves. That is not the style of teaching. It is just like spoon feeding babies and preparing for university entrance exams, and most get nowhere near the scores to achieve a 'beca' that finances university. Even those that get there, get lectured rather than become involved in debates.

I taught at the Catholic University polytechnic for 15 years, and it is a painful task opening up the floor for the students ideas and opinions - even asking them in Spanish to try and get them over their fear of ridicule for poor English. Then if you try and lead them into debate, you can be accused of indoctrinisation. Some students even say they don't want that style of class and just want to be taught the material that gets them through the next test.

Of course, the school system and university system make a big song and dance of globally innovative ideas and teaching methods. I have participated in a dozen courses on how do bring this into the classroom etc.. I think it is just throwing money and paying lip service to a system that is perfectly happy to produce an undereducated workforce. I worked for DUOC UC - The University Department for Urban and Rural Workers.

That ties into to previous debates of administrators taking a busman's holiday to Finland.

The same happens in the elite schools here, richer families just send their kids to these schools for an extended babystting service. The kids are rude to the teachers, and th teachers are not expected to kick up a fuss. I have had adult students who went to these schools where various subjects are taught in English, and their English is poor.

The 'better' public schools operate a 'rifa' - raffle, to determine which kids are 'lucky' enough to get in. That applies a bit to the private schools as well - I have been bored to death a few times listening to some Ex Pat wailing about how they are having to fight tooth and nail to get little George into this nursery or that primary school - first world problems. Great to see defunct, non-believing protestants desperate to get their noppers into some elite catholic school.

Following the effects of the pandemic - there have even been raffles to select or remove children that have already studied some terms at said schools. As schools have made teachers redundant and cut down on other resources to protect the profit margin - and in public schools (run privately for profit) - even the loud-mouthed campaigning for social justice head of the teacher's union owns a couple of schools for personal profit.

Thus, all things are linked. The owners of the schools and universities, the appointment of rectors and head teachers - everything comes back to the select group of people that own the country. And someimes they let a few socialists and communists in to come and feast at the trough. I mentioned the head of the teacher's union. The head of CUT, the collective organisation of workers trade unions is married to a high up socialist politician. She got the job with no experience, and draws down a 8 grand a month salary with add ons to stand on a platform preaching about the ills of the low mininum wage. The four or fibve communist leaders of the student's revolution now draw down 8 grand salaries - they proposed a cut of that 'diet', but nothing came of that - I doubt they are giving half of their salaries away to good causes.

At the start of Bachelet's second term. Her son and daughter in law where personally taken out to lunch by the owner of Banco de Chile. They were given a loan of 10s of millions of dollars to cheat someone out of some property, which they then sold at double or triple of the price. The combined assets of the two were a Harley Davison motorcycle. I took this up with my bank manager, and I was told that her boss were very offended by my comments......

because this leads to my other, and perhaps biggest frustration. Because of the poor education system through all classes, Chileans have very low emotional intelligence. They take criticism, even positive criticism badly. Customer service, should it exist, are full of smiling people saying YES. But the process means they actually can't make a decision, and it has to go to a board meeting. When the answer is invariably NO - think 'computer says NO - they don't bother to tell the client, so the client spends a couple of weeks being patient for bad news.

Any perceived slight from gringos, or the international press is met with barely contained fury. Pinera's senior minister and recent presidential candidate Briones played a few games of squash with a good mate of mine. When he lost a point, he ranted and raged and threw his racket about.

In fairness Peter, I think the powers have a valid point, especially when most of the class leave the lesson singing "who's up Peter Ward," in pigeony English. Also, after being forced to watch videos of dear old Mr Hodgeson the little anglo -wannabees get in the habit of swapping their R's for a W. No wonder they're confused.

Aaaah. See this leads on to exactly the kind of irrational annoyance that this thread was designed for.

And CT will testify to this, as will our brothers living in other wonderful corners of the world.

And I know it makes me come across as unfriendly.

The world over what do you generally want to do when you get in a taxi (uber) etc.. especially if you are tired or have had frantic day. In that scenario what is almost the last thing you want (outside of an accident or getting mugged/ripped off)? A chirpy driver.

What you want is to be left alone with your thoughts and gaze out of the window. Am I right?

And now we come to the list...

Mr Chirpy notes that you are a gringo and wants to talk about gringolandia.

Mr Chirpy immediately assumes that you are from The USA.

Mr Chirpy has a cousin three times removed who lives in London.

Mr Chirpy uses the opportunity to practice his ten words of English with you, and then congratultes himself on how billingual he is.

Following your correction that you are not from The US, but from London. Mr Chirpy then asks which football team you support - is it Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd - proud in his knowledge of the English game. When you point out that you support Crystal Palace, their eyes go blank and they ask if they are a team in the second division - regardless of the number of seasons we have been in the top flight.

Patience is a virtue, but multiply that same conversation (more or less) 200 times. Apparantly my sainthood papers are in the post.

^

Along those lines, back on one of my first trips back to England in the early 80's I got a black cab (are they real black cabs if they do their trade in Bromley? I digress) from Bromley South to my parents house up Bromley Common, which is a 15 to 20 minute ride tops.

In that time we had established where I was coming in from, that Maggie Thatcher had ruined the country, and the weather in England sucked...

All a bit out of casting central really!

:( I'm Officially old...Brought a new pressure washer for home as the one I use for work is a bit too powerful... Having some work done in the backyard, and as I was setting up this electric power washer, the young guy said, Yeah, my granddad has one of those also.

Oh in his little French accent he asked me what is this "Tosser" you call me....:D

When I was about to get cataract surgery the surgeon says to me, "If you were my Dad I would recommend...."

Didn't sink in at first, but then I put 2 and 2 together and realized I was probably older than his Dad!

Some years back me and my ex went into an Apple store. Approached straight away by the spotty, nerdy type who's been using these gadgets since his parents bought him some for his 1st birthday. We explained that we were pretty illiterate when it comes to technology. He gave us a little patronizing smile and said, 'don't worry I've grandparents just like you." Grandparents ! I was about 40 at the time. He had such a nice way of telling us we were a pair of stupid old bastards.

It's the bloke that sells the best fruit and veg at our local market that gets me every time. He recognizes me by now and we go through the weekly exercise of his extensive (in his mind) knowledge of the English for the fruit and veg he sells. Orange, apple, tomato, potato... but he still cannot remember cabbage, avocado, leek, carrot no matter how many times I tell him. I just want to buy his luscious oranges and get along to the fishmonger... but no... we have to go through the same palaver every week.

:eek: I was a grandfather at 38 :veryangry

When my grandson was born, the nurse gave me a disgusted look and said, congratulations, you are a father. She was very embarrassed when I told her that it was my very young daughter who had the baby.

Glad you're annoyed. That's what this thread is all about.

You could have asked him to come round to your house and put some shelves up, fix a malfunctioning toilet, or any number of practical jobs. and see what his reaction was.

I know who I would bet on surviving longer in a zombie apocalypse. You know, when there is no more signal or charge on the apple device, and no google or youtube to help out.

Anyhoo . I have the makings of a genuine annoyance shaping up nicely.

As you are all too painfully aware, my wife has been in Santiago this week. The task to arrange the move of the rest of our belongings - big furniture and my stupidly large DVD collection.

After a few no gos on removal firms my missus managed to book one and agree everything. Related to 'customer service' in Chile, they couldn't get an early start so booked for a 2.30pm collection. The drive here is 2.5 hours.

My wife has been standing outside the house with all the belongings for 3 hours. With them saying for the last 2.5 hours they are on the way. It is looking like the stuff will all have to be moved back in - with the move, perhaps, taking place tomorrow.

The betting man in me reckons they will come up with some excuse not to do the run tomorrow...

I am frustrated, but it's beyond comparison to what my wife must be feeling right now.

Should they arrive, and do the job, it will be night time when they arrive.

Add in, I have a weekend of furniture moving to look forward to. And the ire and frustration of tired, stressed out wife to deal with.

Check this page for updates....

Update. They arrived at 6pm.

That means it will be around 9pm when they are unloading here. It is dark at 7pm.

Friday afternoon? Who thought that was a good idea?

Never
Drive
Anywhere
In
Santiago
On
Friday
Afternoon.

N D A I S O F A I don't get it. Is it an anagram? Give me an E or G as a final letter and we can do a Countdown Conundrum.

It is the lying nature of many a Chilean. Add in that Chileans never arrive on time for anything.

All the time they were telling my missus they were on their way, they obviously weren't. That is the same as you waiting for me in the pub, and I text that I am two metro stops away, having just left my house.

I reckon they were late finishing another job.

I was an uncle at birth and a great uncle when I was 17 IIRC.

A young lady asked my dad if he wanted her seat on the tube, the other day. :D

That bloke who keeps running on the pitch in the Test Matches. He’s been arrested presumably for being a publicity seeking, tedious twat.

Unlike all.cricket fans who are just tedious twats.

Oi, watch it :)

I resemble that remark:hi:

She was only half-right? :eek:

Yes, you do. :angel:

I was trying to work out in the same manner and thought it was something in Spanish.

A couple of years ago on holiday I was called 'old man' by some footy fans and just a few months back a 20 something man offered me his seat on the tube! At 55 I suddenly have a craving for Werther's originals and a tartan shopping basket with wheels.

Useful skills in an apocalypse.

Indeed. Not many private jets or polo games either. The humans and zombies will have eaten all the horses.


Anyhoo.

Wife and furniture arrived at 9pm last night.

Be a busy couple of days for me, so for your collective relief I am going off grid.

If it was an anagram I would have written it is an anagram.
I was just trying to make it as simple as possible for someone who doesn’t drive and therefore has no idea what a basket case Santiago, Ruta 68 and Ruta 5 (whichever way the truck went) are on a Friday afternoon.

HTH (that’s an anagram)

It's an anagram of HTH. HTH.

I thought Peter merited an easy one.

Being at a children's football tournament yesterday, and watching parents of the other teams just walk off and leave all their rubbish where they were sitting/standing.
Not that I didn't expect it as it happens every year. [emoji2959]

It’s amazing. I loved it when my lad did tournaments but the crap left behind even when there are black sack on ever pitch used to piss me off as well. Oh and parents that think it’s the World Cup and they have every right to shout and scream at the 16 year old refs.

Thankfully there was no abuse of the referees yesterday. But a little bit of my love of football died when I saw a 9 year old child take off his shirt and knee slide after scoring a tap in. Another deliberately stamped on an opponents chest (I was right next to the incident and it was deliberate). There was also a boy with a Jack Grealish haircut with headband!
Some parents indulge their children too much and set them up for a fall IMVHO.

They will soon regret the knee slide when they meet one of the bottle tops left behind from the previous tournament with their knee.

People who say ‘deteriate’ rather than ‘deteriorate’…

That must bug you many, many times a day, such everyday vocabulary.

Or the big poop that Shep deposited during the half time interval.

Top tip for all these BBSers when they move to Chile.

You could send it to Lonely Planet.
:p

Easier than that garbled Friday nonsence you put up for sure.

I reffed a boys u10s tournament once. It was horrible. The abuse from.both mums and dads when I gave a penatly. The poor kid missed it and they celebrated like mad. Never did it again.

Who'd have thought it would be watching children's sport that you'd see the very worst of human nature!!

So true. My son played in a kids league in Morden. Abuse from parents was disgraceful.

One team they played had an awful lot of big kids in it. Turned out most of ghost kids should have been playing in a age group two years above. Cheating little shots.

When my son was 8 he was playing in a tournament, went for a 50/50 ball with the opposition goalkeeper, keeper went down injured and his mother came on the pitch swearing at my son and the ref. the keeper wasn't wearing shinpads which is why he got injured and this team was never invited to this tournament again.

Yes, I had a horrible experience in my first game. Got lumbered reffing 2 other teams in the cup. One team had vile parents and the players weren't much better. One U8 tried to strangle another. Then the scumbag mother marched across the pitch screaming abuse because we were telling her son to behave. Thankfully they lost 1-4. They had obviously been schooled to cheat and their coach was an idiot.
Unfortunately this is pretty much par for the course with teams pushing to get into the highest league, it's awful.

Parents posting 'obligatory' back to school photos on social media. It really isn't obligatory.

(But I agree that the behaviour of some football parents is much more annoying. As you were....)