WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Stanley]

She's a smart kid Cathy and looking after the right things. She's looking at building a house in Perth as well.....

[Bodger]

From Face Book Outside Bristol Zoo there is a carpark for 150 cars and 8 buses. For 25 years, it’s parking fees were managed by a very pleasant attendant. The fees were £1.40 for cars and £7 for buses.
Then, one day, after 25 solid years of never missing a day of work, he just didn’t show up; so the Zoo Management called the City Council and asked it to send them another parking agent.
The Council did some research and replied that the carpark was the Zoo’s own responsibility.
The Zoo advised the Council that the attendant was a City employee.
The City Council responded that the lot attendant had never been on the City payroll.
Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain or France or Italy … is a man who’d apparently had a ticket machine installed completely on his own and then had simply begun to show up every day, commencing to collect and keep the parking fees, estimated at about £560 per day — for 25 years.
Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over 5 million pounds … and no one even knows his name.

Anybody know if it is true ?

[Wendyf]

Urban myth Bodge! Reports of the same tale go back to 2009 at least,

[Marilyn]

We have a “pay to park here” car park on our seafront. Locals never park there. Go 50 metres up the road and park for free with no time limit. We find it quite amusing...( are people really that thick?)

[Tizer]

This has just been reported on the BBC News web site and it will no doubt excite some of those who want us to believe in visits by aliens. We need a few scientists to probe it. X-ray fluorescence of the object to determine its chemical composition and optically stimulated luminescence on the earth in which it's embedded to tell us when it was last disturbed. If it's been sheltered by the rocks you might even get fingerprints and DNA as long as those responsible for placing it didn't wear gloves and it hasn't been polished since!

`Metal monolith found by helicopter crew in Utah desert' Metal monolith

[PanBiker]

On my new boots which I ordered from Go Outdoors, (who I have an account and discount card with). I have found them cheaper from another supplier. Under such circumstance my supplier guarantees to undercut any competitors price by 10%. I have told them that I could have bought them from Millets about £10 cheaper so I could end up getting nearly a further £20.00 off, sometimes you win an odd one. :smile

I received an email from Go Outdoors this morning about my price match claim on the boots. Apparently my claim doesn't qualify as Go Outdoors and Millets are part of the same group! I have told them that that should not be any detriment to my claim. If they can sell them cheaper through one outlet in the group they should be able to sell them to me at the same price. I also added that I was disappointed as an existing customer and discount card holder with Go Outdoors that they should make this distinction. I have bought quite a few items from them over the last couple of years and I have told them it will make me think about who I order from in the future.

The price match claim is worded thus:

"As a Discount Card holder, if you find a product cheaper online or in another store within 7 days of your purchase, we will beat the price by 10%*

[Tizer]

I'd say you've got a good case there Panbiker, it says `in another store', not `in the store of a different company'. Relate the story on their Facebook or Twitter page, or put it in a forum on the Money Saving Expert forum!

[PanBiker]

Since I posted I have read the T&C "small print" attached to the price match pledge at the bottom of the application page.

"Price Match Plus is only applicable against VAT registered business in the UK, including any UK websites but excluding auction sites, market stalls, private sales, liquidation sales, our own stores and websites or any typographical errors. We will not Price Match against any company within the JD Sports Fashion PLC Group, a list of which can be viewed here".

JD Sports group includes:

Go Outdoors
Blacks
Tiso
Ultimate Outdoors
Millets

It still begs the question of why the price is different through the individual outlets of the same company.

My boots have been dispatched so I can't cancel the order. I could send them back once received but that would negate any lower price if I bought them from Millets. So, not a leg to stand on really just a bit of clever marketing that I have fallen for.

I am a simple bloke and expect that as an existing and regular customer with a firm that I would be treated fairly but of course that is a part of cloud cuckoo land it would seem.

[chinatyke]

Urban myth Bodge! Reports of the same tale go back to 2009 at least,

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fake- ... attendant/

What is good is that it claims he worked for 25 years without a day off, it was only 7 years when I first heard this story!

[Stanley]

"I am a simple bloke and expect that as an existing and regular customer with a firm that I would be treated fairly but of course that is a part of cloud cuckoo land it would seem."
That was what I thought Ian but Amazon tried to get me to spend 50% more on the gloves I was after when they were selling them on a different part of their own site for the cheaper price. I have no doubt if I complained I would find they had some small print embedded in the site rules somewhere.
Never mind Bodge, it is still a good story!

[Bodger]

An interesting ling to the oldest ? steam engine https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/a ... ne-384632/

[Stanley]

Bodge, when you get into 'the first' in anything you get into deep water. This is a good example. It looks to me as though they are holding the Smethwick Engine as the first to be worked expansively. There is room for a lot of dispute and doubt round that one! I'm not going to join in and I advise you to take it all with a pinch of salt. It doesn't matter anyway which was 'first'.

[Wendyf]

We were watching Fred Dibnah last night on BBC 4 exploring the world of early steam engines.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0078kym

[Gloria]

We’ve been watching those Wendy, a very easy half hours viewing, and he explains things very well.

[Stanley]

What has just attracted my attention is the fact that the lighting contractors are at work in the Pioneer Car Park. They have got the first two lights down and have marked the space for them to get to the next two.

[Tizer]

"I am a simple bloke and expect that as an existing and regular customer with a firm that I would be treated fairly but of course that is a part of cloud cuckoo land it would seem."
That was what I thought Ian but Amazon tried to get me to spend 50% more on the gloves I was after when they were selling them on a different part of their own site for the cheaper price. I have no doubt if I complained I would find they had some small print embedded in the site rules somewhere.
Never mind Bodge, it is still a good story!

Were they all literally `sold by Amazon' or was one type sold by Amazon Associates? The Associates can under cut or over charge relative to Amazon itself.

[Big Kev]

"I am a simple bloke and expect that as an existing and regular customer with a firm that I would be treated fairly but of course that is a part of cloud cuckoo land it would seem."
That was what I thought Ian but Amazon tried to get me to spend 50% more on the gloves I was after when they were selling them on a different part of their own site for the cheaper price. I have no doubt if I complained I would find they had some small print embedded in the site rules somewhere.
Never mind Bodge, it is still a good story!

Were they all literally `sold by Amazon' or was one type sold by Amazon Associates? The Associates can under cut or over charge relative to Amazon itself.

That's a very good point. Also depends on which 'associate' pays the premium to have their product at the top of the search lists.

[Tizer]

Yes, Amazon is a minefield these days - buyer beware! It's surprising when you look elsewhere on the web you can often find as good a price from a much smaller company with direct communication, email and phone contacts etc.

You'll remember my CH programmer problem. We switched to a Honeywell which has 2 years guarantee, not long but twice what Drayton give you. It works fine but I was puzzled because I looked in advance at the manual on the web and it showed 6 time period settings - the same model when we got it only offered 4 periods. Also the web manual showed holiday settings and that was absent from ours. It doesn't matter because we're OK with 4 setting and don't need the holiday ones. But I was curious why the web manual and the gadget didn't match. I sent an email to Honeywell and they promised a response in 2 working days. That was a week ago. I've had an auto acknowledgement and an email from the company that provides their web manuals online. It doesn't explain and simply gives a link to the web manual showing 6 periods! In an idle moment I replied repeating the original question and I'm waiting to see what comes back. So far the email seems to have bounced, although it's their customer service address. All just another example of the parlous state of our businesses in the 21st Century.

[Big Kev]

What has just attracted my attention is the fact that the lighting contractors are at work in the Pioneer Car Park. They have got the first two lights down and have marked the space for them to get to the next two.

'tis done

Screenshot_20201126-180018_Metal Pro.jpg

Photo credit David Whipp

[Stanley]

Yes, I looked yesterday afternoon and it looks as though they have replaced all six units, I might be wrong but they look more rounded than the old ones. There is a big rusty stain mark at the bottom of the pole nearest the steps, it looks as though at least one unit was full of water. Those were the two that failed first and have been AWOL for about two years. I shall be able to see the top of the steps at the end of Co-operative Street this morning!

[Tizer]

It's not as old or as extra-terrestrial as some would like!...
`Utah monolith: Internet sleuths got there, but its origins are still a mystery' LINK

[Big Kev]

'Er indoors retired today. She'll have to learn to cook again now

[Wendyf]

Congratulations to Paulette!

[Big Kev]

She said thank you Wendy.

[PanBiker]

Ooh a life of leisure and a bit of cooking, well earned no doubt. Congratulations Paulette.

Welcome to the club.