Things that annoy you beyond reason...(Vol 5)
Discussion
yellowjack said:
captain_cynic said:
nicanary said:
Bank of England notes say they promise to pay the bearer the sum printed on the note. Those in NI say "Ulster Bank promises to pay the bearer" (or whichever NI bank is involved). I know which bank I would prefer to rely on in the event of a massive world recession.
In a massive world recession, the only currency you can count on are prescription painkillers, precious metals and 5.56 mm. I think its a massive act of jingoistic w
kery, and I'm not singling out any particular country, they're all as bad as each other as far as I'm concerned, that some merchants refuse to accept notes of another county in the UK.Maybe they should also print "this is backed up by <insert the other 2 central banks> so anyone refusing to accept it in the UK can f
k right off" on the notes, just to drive the point home that it's still legal tender."Forming a contract" and "settling a debt" are two completely different things.
'Legal Tender' is only of any relevance when settling a debt.
Say I owed you £1000. And say you came to me and called in that debt. And say I offered to pay you in 1p coins, or Scottish/Irish banknotes. You can decide to accept that payment from me if you want to. But you can also refuse to accept it, and insist I pay in some other way. And a court would back you up on that, and tell me to pay the debt.
Imagine though, that I offered to pay in Bank Of England notes? You can refuse to accept the payment if you like, but then the debt would no longer be pursuable through the courts because I've offered to settle the debt using "Legal Tender". You could equally accept a car, a watch, gold bullion or a lorry-load of turnips. If you wanted to. But neither I, nor a court could force you to accept those alternative methods to settle the debt.
Spending money in shops is completely different. All a bank note is is a 'promissory note'. It's a convenient method for carrying around it's equivalent in gold bullion, or sterling silver. Money was originally issued in coin form, and was actually made from precious metals. But dodgy geezers would trim off parts of those coins, devaluing them and making it difficult to accept them at "face value". So base metals became used as coins, and later banknotes joined them. Because the coins/notes themselves are intrinsically worthless, people don't tend to snip bits off to melt down for other purposes. They represent gold or silver bullion reserves held in a central bank.
So now imagine you walk into Tesco, and offer to pay for a £25 joint of beef with £25-worth of turnips. Tesco wouldn't accept that because the turnips are of no use to a large corporate entity. Yet a beef farmer in need of turnips might well take £20-worth of turnips in exchange for a £30 joint of beef. It's his choice, at the point the contract offer is made, and the exchange rate of turnips to lbs of beef can be established at the contract offer point too. Which is why, in Tesco, the shelf-edge labels are in £s and pence, not turnips. Because their contract offer for the provision of those goods is acceptable forms of minted coins and banknotes. It's why they CAN legally refuse to accept anything but Bank Of England notes too. And it's also why Scottish/Irish bank notes are about as much use as turnips in many shops in England and Wales...
zedx19 said:
People who know nothing about cars, discussing cars, it's the most painful thing to hear if you're into cars. Somehow I got dragged into this conversation between the receptionist and a male colleague. She said, "I want to change cars as I've only got a 1 litre and it really struggles on hills"
Colleague, "What you thinking of getting?"
"A Juke as it's a 1.6 so should be much faster on the hills"
I did think about pointing out the Fiesta is an Ecoboost with more power than the Juke and probably lighter but I know I'd have been met with vacant stares.
"What engine has your car got?" She asks me.
"2.5, 5 cylinder turbo"
"Oh I bet that's good on the hills, it's old too so must only cost a couple of grand"
"Errrm, they sell for 8-9 grand"
"WHAT!?! You've been robbed. My mate just bought a Ford Focus, only cost him 2 grand."
"Ok"
And that was that, I walked off. People seem to think a car's age indicates a car's value, so anything approaching a decade old must be worth a few quid. People still seem to relate engine capacity to performance as well. For most people this would not annoy them beyond reason, but for those with an interest in cars, highly annoying!
This!Colleague, "What you thinking of getting?"
"A Juke as it's a 1.6 so should be much faster on the hills"
I did think about pointing out the Fiesta is an Ecoboost with more power than the Juke and probably lighter but I know I'd have been met with vacant stares.
"What engine has your car got?" She asks me.
"2.5, 5 cylinder turbo"
"Oh I bet that's good on the hills, it's old too so must only cost a couple of grand"
"Errrm, they sell for 8-9 grand"
"WHAT!?! You've been robbed. My mate just bought a Ford Focus, only cost him 2 grand."
"Ok"
And that was that, I walked off. People seem to think a car's age indicates a car's value, so anything approaching a decade old must be worth a few quid. People still seem to relate engine capacity to performance as well. For most people this would not annoy them beyond reason, but for those with an interest in cars, highly annoying!
You just cant explain things to these people- it just goes in one ear and out the other!!
oceanview said:
This!
You just cant explain things to these people- it just goes in one ear and out the other!!
Ask them if a brand new 5p carrier bag is worth more than a second hand Louis Vuitton handbag and watch their heads explode. You just cant explain things to these people- it just goes in one ear and out the other!!
(I was going to say a new Poundland watch vs a 20 year-old Rolex, but I don't think youngsters wear watches these days)
gothatway said:
I'm glad you did, but I can't stop now as I've got to get out and plant some turnips.
Blackadder: Baldrick, I've always been meaning to ask: Do you have any ambitions in life apart from the acquisition of turnips?
Baldrick: Er, no.
Blackadder: So what would you do if I gave you a thousand pounds?
Baldrick: I'd get a little turnip of my own.
Blackadder: So what would you do if I gave you a million pounds?
Baldrick: Oh, that's different. I'd get a great big turnip in the country.
yellowjack said:
Gah!!!!!
Long winded and pointless post that has nothing to do with the subject at hand. At least you're consistent.
Sigh,Long winded and pointless post that has nothing to do with the subject at hand. At least you're consistent.
What we are talking about is a store that accepts cash for a purchase... not settling a debt... And a store refusing to accept a Scottish/English/NI note and insisting you pay in the note of their choosing. That is the f
king problem. If a store does not wish to accept cash, then they have to reject all cash, not just the notes they don't like.
Kindly get with the program.
zedx19 said:
People who know nothing about cars, discussing cars, it's the most painful thing to hear if you're into cars. Somehow I got dragged into this conversation between the receptionist and a male colleague. She said, "I want to change cars as I've only got a 1 litre and it really struggles on hills"
Colleague, "What you thinking of getting?"
"A Juke as it's a 1.6 so should be much faster on the hills"
I did think about pointing out the Fiesta is an Ecoboost with more power than the Juke and probably lighter but I know I'd have been met with vacant stares.
"What engine has your car got?" She asks me.
"2.5, 5 cylinder turbo"
"Oh I bet that's good on the hills, it's old too so must only cost a couple of grand"
"Errrm, they sell for 8-9 grand"
"WHAT!?! You've been robbed. My mate just bought a Ford Focus, only cost him 2 grand."
"Ok"
And that was that, I walked off. People seem to think a car's age indicates a car's value, so anything approaching a decade old must be worth a few quid. People still seem to relate engine capacity to performance as well. For most people this would not annoy them beyond reason, but for those with an interest in cars, highly annoying!
This thread is not good for my blood pressure.Colleague, "What you thinking of getting?"
"A Juke as it's a 1.6 so should be much faster on the hills"
I did think about pointing out the Fiesta is an Ecoboost with more power than the Juke and probably lighter but I know I'd have been met with vacant stares.
"What engine has your car got?" She asks me.
"2.5, 5 cylinder turbo"
"Oh I bet that's good on the hills, it's old too so must only cost a couple of grand"
"Errrm, they sell for 8-9 grand"
"WHAT!?! You've been robbed. My mate just bought a Ford Focus, only cost him 2 grand."
"Ok"
And that was that, I walked off. People seem to think a car's age indicates a car's value, so anything approaching a decade old must be worth a few quid. People still seem to relate engine capacity to performance as well. For most people this would not annoy them beyond reason, but for those with an interest in cars, highly annoying!
I'm sure all us PH'ers have been in this situation at one point or another. I actively avoid conversations about cars with 'normal' people now, or any other subject that I happen to know a bit about for that matter.
captain_cynic said:
Sigh,
What we are talking about is a store that accepts cash for a purchase... not settling a debt... And a store refusing to accept a Scottish/English/NI note and insisting you pay in the note of their choosing. That is the fking problem.
If a store does not wish to accept cash, then they have to reject all cash, not just the notes they don't like.
Kindly get with the program.
Well they don't "have" to, of course. You want them to be consistent, but there is no law that makes them be consistentWhat we are talking about is a store that accepts cash for a purchase... not settling a debt... And a store refusing to accept a Scottish/English/NI note and insisting you pay in the note of their choosing. That is the f
king problem. If a store does not wish to accept cash, then they have to reject all cash, not just the notes they don't like.
Kindly get with the program.
zedx19 said:
People who know nothing about cars, discussing cars, it's the most painful thing to hear if you're into cars. Somehow I got dragged into this conversation between the receptionist and a male colleague. She said, "I want to change cars as I've only got a 1 litre and it really struggles on hills"
Colleague, "What you thinking of getting?"
"A Juke as it's a 1.6 so should be much faster on the hills"
I did think about pointing out the Fiesta is an Ecoboost with more power than the Juke and probably lighter but I know I'd have been met with vacant stares.
"What engine has your car got?" She asks me.
"2.5, 5 cylinder turbo"
"Oh I bet that's good on the hills, it's old too so must only cost a couple of grand"
"Errrm, they sell for 8-9 grand"
"WHAT!?! You've been robbed. My mate just bought a Ford Focus, only cost him 2 grand."
"Ok"
And that was that, I walked off. People seem to think a car's age indicates a car's value, so anything approaching a decade old must be worth a few quid. People still seem to relate engine capacity to performance as well. For most people this would not annoy them beyond reason, but for those with an interest in cars, highly annoying!
Not everybody is 'into' cars and motoring. You don't even have to like them, apart from as a means of transport, to be on PH. It is a little patronising for those with knowledge on a subject to critisise those who don't.Colleague, "What you thinking of getting?"
"A Juke as it's a 1.6 so should be much faster on the hills"
I did think about pointing out the Fiesta is an Ecoboost with more power than the Juke and probably lighter but I know I'd have been met with vacant stares.
"What engine has your car got?" She asks me.
"2.5, 5 cylinder turbo"
"Oh I bet that's good on the hills, it's old too so must only cost a couple of grand"
"Errrm, they sell for 8-9 grand"
"WHAT!?! You've been robbed. My mate just bought a Ford Focus, only cost him 2 grand."
"Ok"
And that was that, I walked off. People seem to think a car's age indicates a car's value, so anything approaching a decade old must be worth a few quid. People still seem to relate engine capacity to performance as well. For most people this would not annoy them beyond reason, but for those with an interest in cars, highly annoying!
Shakermaker said:
Well they don't "have" to, of course. You want them to be consistent, but there is no law that makes them be consistent
That was kind of my point There should be a law, If I were to go on holiday to Thailand, they're not going to scrutinise my notes to see if they're Scottish, English or Irish, they'll swap them all the same for Thai Baht as the GBP is a unified currency. Its all worth the same amount no matter who issued it.
Sure business have the right to request payment in specific forms (I.E. cash, card, bank transfer) but if they do accept it, they should have to accept it from any source. if they request a bank transfer, it is unreasonable to say "no, we don't accept transfers from RBS, you'll have to get an account with Natwest".
Do they scrutinise my card to make sure English bits are being transferred? Just seems daft to me. I'm screwed if they check my ancestry... they were Scots.
nonsequitur said:
Not everybody is 'into' cars and motoring. You don't even have to like them, apart from as a means of transport, to be on PH. It is a little patronising for those with knowledge on a subject to critisise those who don't.
Perhaps. But I think it's quite allowable to be annoyed by someone dispensing advice / making a judgment, when it is from a position of ignorance rather than knowledge. captain_cynic said:
That was kind of my point
There should be a law, If I were to go on holiday to Thailand, they're not going to scrutinise my notes to see if they're Scottish, English or Irish, they'll swap them all the same for Thai Baht as the GBP is a unified currency. Its all worth the same amount no matter who issued it.
Sure business have the right to request payment in specific forms (I.E. cash, card, bank transfer) but if they do accept it, they should have to accept it from any source I.E. if they request a bank transfer, it is unreasonable to say "no, we don't accept transfers from RBS, you'll have to get an account with Natwest".
Do they scrutinise my card to make sure English bits are being transferred? Just seems daft to me. I'm screwed if they check my Ancestry... they were Scots.
I worry that you've given this a bit too much thought. Then I remember we are all here on the internet with clearly nothing better to do There should be a law, If I were to go on holiday to Thailand, they're not going to scrutinise my notes to see if they're Scottish, English or Irish, they'll swap them all the same for Thai Baht as the GBP is a unified currency. Its all worth the same amount no matter who issued it.
Sure business have the right to request payment in specific forms (I.E. cash, card, bank transfer) but if they do accept it, they should have to accept it from any source I.E. if they request a bank transfer, it is unreasonable to say "no, we don't accept transfers from RBS, you'll have to get an account with Natwest".
Do they scrutinise my card to make sure English bits are being transferred? Just seems daft to me. I'm screwed if they check my Ancestry... they were Scots.
nonsequitur said:
Not everybody is 'into' cars and motoring. You don't even have to like them, apart from as a means of transport, to be on PH. It is a little patronising for those with knowledge on a subject to critisise those who don't.
Perhaps not criticise but it is perfectly acceptable to educate and/or correct someone who clearly has no idea. People who drive lost. For example the parked car that I was about to overtake last night that then pulled out in front of me without indicating, then drove increasingly slower as we approached a set of green traffic lights. They then sat in the middle of the two lanes until the lights turned green, then they sat there a bit longer. I beeped, so they slowly pulled off before deciding to brake heavily. They then drove along at 15-20mph before braking heavily again and turning right, without indicating. If you don't know where you are going, pull over and have a look at Google maps, don't drive aimlessly along getting in everyones way !
OddCat said:
Have we had 'getting stuck behind people on escalators who are standing still rather than walking up / down them like ordinary stairs' ?
I'm ok with people who do that on escalators, its the ones that do it on horizontal travellators that annoy the crap out of me, in terms of journey time it makes no difference if you stand still on the travellator or at some other completely random location on your journey, SO DOINT DO IT IN THE NARROWEST fkING PLACE IN THE AIRPORT!OddCat said:
Have we had 'getting stuck behind people on escalators who are standing still rather than walking up / down them like ordinary stairs' ?
You mean people who are using escalators how they were intended to be used? Personally, I like the London system of "stand to the right" if you want to stand, and people who want to walk to increase their speed can do so up the left.
A special place in hell is reserved for people who, at the top (or bottom) of an escalator, stop in order to get their bearings though, causing people behind to pile into them.
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