Topic: The small things in life that really hannoy

[rob1966]

Fuck knows how he has done it, as he should not have permissions but one of the lads who works on our support team has somehow got into the source code of a procedure in our TEST environment and put a load of debug messages in. We've got a software release tonight and there would have been murder. Luckily another developer hit these messages.

Two of us had code changes in and we were getting the blame at first, but neither one of us has edited that code since 2021

[PaulF]

Fuck knows how he has done it, as he should not have permissions but one of the lads who works on our support team has somehow got into the source code of a procedure in our TEST environment and put a load of debug messages in. We've got a software release tonight and there would have been murder. Luckily another developer hit these messages.

Two of us had code changes in and we were getting the blame at first, but neither one of us has edited that code since 2021

This is why you deploy from source control. Which has nicely audited commits. So you know exactly who to blame. I am sure there are other uses for source control, but that's what I see its use as

[reddebs]

It's something I worry about too.  What if all your passwords are encrypted in your phone too.

(Also SMS isn't considered very secure for sending pass codes.  Admittedly it's still quite an effort to crack, but you'd think banks would be using the more secure authentication apps.  I guess they aren't as straightforward and only work on smart phones)

My mobile banking app is different in that when I make an online payment I have to login to my account and authorise it there.  It's an absolute pain in the arse but at least it's secure.

I've no idea what encryption is, what it does, if I've got it or why I'd need it 😂

[24/7]

See, this is where digital identification schemes come into their own. 4-digit PINs attached to identity, not necessarily to specific devices, easily fixable if devices are lost, central registry with encrypted algorithms guaranteeing protection. No more stupid password settings, or OTP recoveries......

All that's needed for initial registration is a photo ID with a unique signifier - a passport would do it, as would a driving licence, or a national ID card.

As long as it's set up properly at the start, by the state, it's far, far, far more trustworthy and effective a method of verification online and makes logging into systems and even validating transactions and digital signatures a lot simpler.

[Elmo!]

Aberdeen Airport introducing a security system, more secure than the airport security itself, to make sure you can't cheat the system to get into the smoking area in departures without paying a quid. They've had the charge for years but you could easily avoid it by knocking on the door and inevitably someone already out there will open the door for you so you don't have to put a pound coin in the machine to open the door.

Now they have a double door system where you have to swipe your contactless card to pay £1, then you go through the first door which closes behind you and then it opens the second door to make sure you can't cheat it.

[PaulF]

Aberdeen Airport introducing a security system, more secure than the airport security itself, to make sure you can't cheat the system to get into the smoking area in departures without paying a quid. They've had the charge for years but you could easily avoid it by knocking on the door and inevitably someone already out there will open the door for you so you don't have to put a pound coin in the machine to open the door.

Now they have a double door system where you have to swipe your contactless card to pay £1, then you go through the first door which closes behind you and then it opens the second door to make sure you can't cheat it.

Wow. And there was me trying to blag it into the BA lounge!

[Nobby Reserve]

Need to return something I bought.

Register the return and get told to take it to a McColls, who will print the return label and it'll be collected from there.

Go to the shop and they act dumb. When I get my email up with the instructions, they say "Oh, the printer stopped working a while ago, sorry we can't take it"

I suspect they're just being lazy c*nts and couldn't be arsed. Means I have to now re-register the return to choose another collection shop, then go out of my way to drop it off.

Tried to notify Evri (yeah, I know) that one of there collection shops has a printer they claim isn't working. Nowhere on the site to contact them - not even a link to send a message.


Customer service in this country picked up for a few years, but is back down the toilet now.

[rob1966]

Need to return something I bought.

Register the return and get told to take it to a McColls, who will print the return label and it'll be collected from there.

Go to the shop and they act dumb. When I get my email up with the instructions, they say "Oh, the printer stopped working a while ago, sorry we can't take it"

I suspect they're just being lazy c*nts and couldn't be arsed. Means I have to now re-register the return to choose another collection shop, then go out of my way to drop it off.

Tried to notify Evri (yeah, I know) that one of there collection shops has a printer they claim isn't working. Nowhere on the site to contact them - not even a link to send a message.


Customer service in this country picked up for a few years, but is back down the toilet now.

Had to take a large parcel to the Post Office the other day, bought from Amazon. Got the QR code from my return, but its the wrong parcel size, its only for small parcels that go in the post, this needed to go via Parcel Force. Amazon should only allow you to select valid options for the return, its not that hard to do

Re-did the return and got the correct QR code. Woman in the Post Office told me that during the trial period of returning via the ost Office, Amazon said it would only be for small parcels. As soon as the deal was signed off, the suddenly started offering returns on large parcels too - causes no end of problems as people, like me, end up with the wromg QR code.

[PaulF]

Customer service in this country picked up for a few years, but is back down the toilet now.

So I've just been on a call for half an hour to a manager at Curry's 'Customer service'.
We ordered about two grand of appliances from them for our kitchen. Sat in the hallway for five days being fitted one at a time. The last one to be opened was the fridge, with a dent.  Wife gets straight on the blower and is advised we'll get a call in the next 24 hours to arrange collection and replacement delivery. 24hrs passes, no call.  Wife calls them. Oh, sorry you need to contact the manufacturer for an 'uplift' code for the damaged one. Now past 5pm on a friday. First thing today, wife spends ages getting through to manufacturer. Oh , sorry, can't issue code, more than 7 days, which it wasn't when we first called.  Back to currys. On the phone for about half an hour with a manager , who can't do anything as we didn't check the item within 48hrs.  They won't even send an email saying they won't help.  Absolutely no service whatsoever.
Have subsequently discovered they seem to have an extended Christmas 'change your mind' policy so it's going back under that.

Oh, and they wouldn't even price match their own black friday price drop while we waiting for delivery.  A second call to them them though and they did do a price match. If this is service.....

[UntouchableLuis]

Amazon attempting delivery but failing somehow yet my post box is empty (parcel could easily fit through it) and I have a leave with neighbour box ticker for delivery. I live in a flat and put 'leave with any neighbour' there's 5 others in my block so can't imagine everyone was out today at the same time.

[rob1966]

Amazon attempting delivery but failing somehow yet my post box is empty (parcel could easily fit through it) and I have a leave with neighbour box ticker for delivery. I live in a flat and put 'leave with any neighbour' there's 5 others in my block so can't imagine everyone was out today at the same time.

Mates of ours had a failed Amazon Delivery two days on the run - first day they were out, second day they were sat in the living room and saw him pull up then drive away again.

[Chakan]

Mates of ours had a failed Amazon Delivery two days on the run - first day they were out, second day they were sat in the living room and saw him pull up then drive away again.

Had this same experience not a week ago, 3 days in a row they ignored my house, until the 4th day I went out to the van and asked them to give me my delivery.

[Kalito]

Had this same experience not a week ago, 3 days in a row they ignored my house, until the 4th day I went out to the van and asked them to give me my delivery.

I chased a DPD driver one time in my beamer.

Doing 60-70mph on a 40 dual carriageway. Caught up to him, pointed to the driver to pull over on the side of the road.

The lad was a right big bastard. A meathead. He thought I was going to rob the van. He was ready to hand over the keys. 

Told him I needed my fucking parcel and that he'd driven past the law firm where I worked and didn't bother to attempt to deliver. He promptly opened the van up and gave me my parcel.

[PaulF]

You'd think with the massive AI Amazon have, they'd know when their drivers are avoiding delivering.

Ps what makes them decide to skip shine addresses? Cheeky they can't skip them all.

[Son of Spion]

The state the NHS has been allowed to decline into.

An elderly friend of my Mum had the doctor out recently and he said if she didn't go into hospital she'd die. She really didn't want to go in, but relented. She then spent 15 hours on a trolley in a corridor before being seen.

Today I was in town and came across a concerned group of people surrounding an elderly man who had tripped on a protruding metal pipe on the pavement of Williamson Square and cracked his head on the floor. He was bleeding from his head injury, in shock and flat out on the freezing ground. I took my fleece off and put it over him to keep him warm whilst a fella phoned for an ambulance.

Now I know the ambulance service is under pressure. A relation of ours is a paramedic so we know the score. But we had this poor 75 year-old man injured on the floor whilst they ummed and ahhed about whether or not they should allocate an ambulance to him. Asking absolutely ridiculous questions such as about the post code of where he lived. The poor fella is dazed and confused and they want to know everything apart from his shoe size from passing strangers.

They were told he was elderly, he was dazed and confused. He was bleeding from a head injury and in danger of hypothermia, but all they were interested in was the caller answering questions he couldn't answer, whilst still refusing to confirm if an ambulance would be sent or not. The fella who called 999 was absolutely furious and is putting a complaint in.

We were there trying to keep the poor fella warm and reassured for two hours before my partner phoned again for an update on the ambulance. Again, they went through the same infuriating questions before saying an ambulance would be at least another hour and a half. The elderly guy was crying his eyes out.

I used to work caring for the elderly so really didn't think it wise to move him before he'd been properly assessed but apart from the public, no fucker would help. One amazing young girl was there supporting him straight after she saw him fall. She was fantastic. Even running to the big stores and the precinct to see if she could source a wheelchair to move him to a taxi to get him to hospital. Precinct staff said as it wasn't inside the precinct itself, no can do.

One woman bagged a taxi from the rank and we all managed to get the old guy into it and the shoppers who saw him fall originally took him to the Royal.

Sorry for the rant, I just need it off my chest. It all felt so horribly hopeless when you simply cannot get help in a city centre when a pensioner falls and is laying flat out on the freezing, wet ground for hours on end and only passing shoppers will help.

Those who did help were a credit to this city, especially that fantastic young girl.

How on earth have we come to this? 🫤

[SamLad]

jesus that is a sad story. wtf is wrong with those people?

[Son of Spion]

jesus that is a sad story. wtf is wrong with those people?

It was so incredibly frustrating. The passing public were amazing. Anyone official in the vacinity and on the phones offered absolutely nothing. There's so many amazing people in this city/country, but the system is fucked. We all felt so helpless.

[SamLad]

any idea what happened to the old guy?

[Son of Spion]

any idea what happened to the old guy?

No. Hopefully he'll be ok. I hate seeing anyone in distress like that. We were just glad we managed to get him to a taxi and to the warmth of the hospital.

[SamLad]

my wife's brother died last week, in Walton.  had a heart attack in the shared bathroom in the place he lived.  took the ambulance 45 minutes apparently, and the family was told it wouldn't have made any difference if they arrived sooner, which is quite likely I think, his health had been very bad for years.

so he died alone, no family around.  I hope the old man you helped has family to look after him.  knowing someone who ends up dying alone is so sad.

[Son of Spion]

my wife's brother died last week, in Walton.  had a heart attack in the shared bathroom in the place he lived.  took the ambulance 45 minutes apparently, and the family was told it wouldn't have made any difference if they arrived sooner, which is quite likely I think, his health had been very bad for years.

so he died alone, no family around.  I hope the old man you helped has family to look after him.  knowing someone who ends up dying alone is so sad.

I'm sorry to hear that.

My brother used to be a taxi driver and a fella had a heart attack and died in his cab, despite his best efforts to revive him. The fact the guy had no family to comfort him as he died still haunts my brother to this day.

So yes, even very quick intervention is not enough sometimes, unfortunately.

Fingers crossed for our man today. The NHS are brilliant. It's how it's run that's messed up. Hopefully he'll be ok.

[Ghost Town]

The state the NHS has been allowed to decline into.

An elderly friend of my Mum had the doctor out recently and he said if she didn't go into hospital she'd die. She really didn't want to go in, but relented. She then spent 15 hours on a trolley in a corridor before being seen.

Today I was in town and came across a concerned group of people surrounding an elderly man who had tripped on a protruding metal pipe on the pavement of Williamson Square and cracked his head on the floor. He was bleeding from his head injury, in shock and flat out on the freezing ground. I took my fleece off and put it over him to keep him warm whilst a fella phoned for an ambulance.

Now I know the ambulance service is under pressure. A relation of ours is a paramedic so we know the score. But we had this poor 75 year-old man injured on the floor whilst they ummed and ahhed about whether or not they should allocate an ambulance to him. Asking absolutely ridiculous questions such as about the post code of where he lived. The poor fella is dazed and confused and they want to know everything apart from his shoe size from passing strangers.

They were told he was elderly, he was dazed and confused. He was bleeding from a head injury and in danger of hypothermia, but all they were interested in was the caller answering questions he couldn't answer, whilst still refusing to confirm if an ambulance would be sent or not. The fella who called 999 was absolutely furious and is putting a complaint in.

We were there trying to keep the poor fella warm and reassured for two hours before my partner phoned again for an update on the ambulance. Again, they went through the same infuriating questions before saying an ambulance would be at least another hour and a half. The elderly guy was crying his eyes out.

I used to work caring for the elderly so really didn't think it wise to move him before he'd been properly assessed but apart from the public, no fucker would help. One amazing young girl was there supporting him straight after she saw him fall. She was fantastic. Even running to the big stores and the precinct to see if she could source a wheelchair to move him to a taxi to get him to hospital. Precinct staff said as it wasn't inside the precinct itself, no can do.

One woman bagged a taxi from the rank and we all managed to get the old guy into it and the shoppers who saw him fall originally took him to the Royal.

Sorry for the rant, I just need it off my chest. It all felt so horribly hopeless when you simply cannot get help in a city centre when a pensioner falls and is laying flat out on the freezing, wet ground for hours on end and only passing shoppers will help.

Those who did help were a credit to this city, especially that fantastic young girl.

How on earth have we come to this? 🫤

<-------- People keep ignoring what it says in my avatar

Terrible story; same situation happened to me and a bunch of people after an older lady tripped and fell in town a few years ago. Everyone tried everything but nobody came out to help her. Eventually we tracked down her son by phone who came along and took responsibility for moving her, taking her away himself, as the rest of us didn't know whether to move her or not. It's quite a quandry to be in.

[Elmo!]

Heathrow managing to not get my bag onto my flight despite having 5hours to do it.

[Son of Spion]

<-------- People keep ignoring what it says in my avatar

Terrible story; same situation happened to me and a bunch of people after an older lady tripped and fell in town a few years ago. Everyone tried everything but nobody came out to help her. Eventually we tracked down her son by phone who came along and took responsibility for moving her, taking her away himself, as the rest of us didn't know whether to move her or not. It's quite a quandry to be in.

To be honest, I already knew the answer to my question. 🫤

I'm sorry to hear you came across a very similar incident too. I used to do outreach care for elderly and disabled people so I knew it wasn't a good idea to move him before he'd been checked out properly. You just don't know if there are any broken bones or dislocations etc.

In the end there was no choice really because it was clear no help was coming anytime soon, and a fella of his age lying on a wet, freezing floor for hours could have been lethal in itself. I was so annoyed. Seeing the poor guy helpless and crying his eyes out was horrible.

[AndyInVA]

It's something I worry about too.  What if all your passwords are encrypted in your phone too.

(Also SMS isn't considered very secure for sending pass codes.  Admittedly it's still quite an effort to crack, but you'd think banks would be using the more secure authentication apps.  I guess they aren't as straightforward and only work on smart phones)

I write all my passwords into my Notes page of the phone

They are all written down though in a kind of personal code as reminders as to what the pass word actually is so that only I know it (like dogs first name with capital first letter and first street number etc.)

I print off the page from my phone every now and then and keep in a drawer just for that very eventuality that the phone gets lost

[PaulF]

Good man. Just need your sheet and Facebook account and good to go.
That said I'm a fan of paper and passwords as the number of people that can get at that paper is very small compared to anything held electronically.

[paulrazor]

I was playing football one saturday morning with a good friend of mine, he got a call near the end of the game (about 1130am) to say his dad wasnt well and they had phoned an ambulance for him.

Cant remember the exact time i text him later, At least 4 maybe 6pm

"how is your dad"

The ambulance still hadnt even turned up. (Northern Ireland)


Bad Health service in Republic too, New Years Day my asthmatic 85 year old Dad had breathing trouble, Mam phoned out of hours doc who recommended an ambulance, when that showed up they were unbelievably rude, obviously pissed off they had to work New years day. Had the nerve to say we shouldnt have phoned as it wasnt an emergency (man cant breath isnt one obviously)

My Dad was diagnosed with dementia a few months later but the signs were there already, he asked the staff (whom I might add didnt bother even helping him to the ambulance) "who is going to drop me home?", response was "sort it out yourself, we are not a courier service"

Stupid question yes but no need to be so rude to an elderly man, Was transferred to Navan hospital who did fuck all and sent him home. Within 24 hours he was ringing for another ambulance, to be fair they were 1000000000000 times nicer. Even said we should put in a complaint which we would only we know fuck all would get done

[Millie]

Got to say my Mum, when she had a catastrophic stroke 4 months ago received pretty decent service (Wirral).  Ambulance came within minutes, and when we arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital she was taken straight in.  We did have to wait a while for a place on the Stroke Ward but she wasn't on a trolley in A & E, she had a proper bed in a cubicle.  The Stroke Co-ordination Team were with her the whole time.

She did, unfortunately die 2 weeks later, but I can never thank the staff on the Stroke Ward enough for their care and dedication.  The nurses, and all the other staff deserve to be rewarded for what they do.  Not holding my breath with this Government though.

[paulrazor]

Very sorry to read that mate

[Slippers]

To be honest, I already knew the answer to my question. 🫤

I'm sorry to hear you came across a very similar incident too. I used to do outreach care for elderly and disabled people so I knew it wasn't a good idea to move him before he'd been checked out properly. You just don't know if there are any broken bones or dislocations etc.

In the end there was no choice really because it was clear no help was coming anytime soon, and a fella of his age lying on a wet, freezing floor for hours could have been lethal in itself. I was so annoyed. Seeing the poor guy helpless and crying his eyes out was horrible.

Saturday before last our next door neighbour's brother found a woman who'd fallen over on the pavement opposite his house;it was half ten at night,she was wearing black and had landed with her legs sticking out onto the road.

He told us it was a good thing he was crawling along looking for somewhere to park or he'd have driven over her.Her ex partner was done for domestic violence recently so he knew she was suffering from several injuries before she fell,she'd also banged her head on the pavement.

His wife covered her with a sleeping bag while he phoned for an ambulance and he was told there was a five hour wait.He ended up calling the police who turned up ten minutes later and took her to hospital.

[Crosby Nick]

Have been asked to record a video for our team at work talking about proudest achievements of the year (cringe)…and if possible wearing a Christmas jumper (absolutely not). Bah fucking humbug.

Might mention bringing up my 100,000th post on here.

[reddebs]

Fucking Bulb again!

[Barneylfc∗]

Have been asked to record a video for our team at work talking about proudest achievements of the year (cringe)…and if possible wearing a Christmas jumper (absolutely not). Bah fucking humbug.

Might mention bringing up my 100,000th post on here.

There's been a few of those requests in our work over the years to record video statements about what life is like working here. I always ask if they want a truthful statement. They don't.

[Crosby Nick]

There's been a few of those requests in our work over the years to record video statements about what life is like working here. I always ask if they want a truthful statement. They don't.

Do it from one of your pub lunches Barney!

[Barneylfc∗]

Do it from one of your pub lunches Barney!

I was in the office on Friday and went over to the pub at lunch and had 4 pints. I wasn't drunk, but I shouldn't have been back in work 
I must get more training in to get back in shape.

[paulrazor]

Do it while sitting on the bog squeezing out a massive turd then show them it

"here is a big achievement"

[sheepfest]

Talk talk. Only been waiting since September for fibre to be installed and now have about 5 different appointments with no new equipment. Yes I'll take all the time you need off work to be in for your lucky dip anyday visit.

[Statto Red]

Talk talk. Only been waiting since September for fibre to be installed and now have about 5 different appointments with no new equipment. Yes I'll take all the time you need off work to be in for your lucky dip anyday visit.

Talk Talk long regarded as one of the worst companies to deal with, their appalling reaction to the data breach scandal a few years back put me off them permanently, Talk Talk are cheap for a reason.

[sheepfest]

Talk Talk long regarded as one of the worst companies to deal with, their appalling reaction to the data breach scandal a few years back put me off them permanently, Talk Talk are cheap for a reason.

Have been with them a while and must have got lucky as never had any problems before but can see why they are at the bottom after the last couple of days speaking to them. Hoping I can go soon go back to silence is golden time.

[24/7]

Shit IT providers but excellent 80s band.