Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

General chat topics, anything and everything you want or need to discuss
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gremlin
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by gremlin »

Bumped into two of our friends at the polling station yesterday evening. He's a black cabbie.
TFL, in their wisdom, made the cabbies give up diesel for the new LEVC electric cabs a few years back, and my mate has had one on PCP for the last three years. He's been mulling over for the last few months whether to pay off the bubble payment on the cab and carry on, but then the 3 year warranty (which is a 'must have', apparently) was a whopping £5.5k. In addition, his insurance went up from £1k a year, to £3k a year recently. When he took the cab in for its ticket, they told him it needed a few bits done that weren't covered. He said he's sat down and worked out that he'd need to be taking £100 a day before he saw any profit.

Anyhow, when I saw him yesterday he told me, with a smile on his face, that he'd just agreed to hand the cab back and retire. Well he is 67, so I suppose I can let him have that. They're round ours on Saturday, so it's turned into a bit of a retirement do. :thumbup:
All aboard the Peckham Pigeon! All aboard!
cheb
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by cheb »

You've got have sympathy for all those cab drivers barely earning the minimum wage, and they got hit by the banks wanting to charge commission on card payments too.

They can't even give foreigners the magical mystery tour since google maps was launched.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by gremlin »

cheb wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2024 12:13 pm You've got have sympathy for all those cab drivers barely earning the minimum wage, and they got hit by the banks wanting to charge commission on card payments too.

They can't even give foreigners the magical mystery tour since google maps was launched.
Granted, you do get one or two (I got in a black cab some months ago and he took me on the magical mystery tour to London Bridge station. When we go there I asked him why he didn't take the most direct route, to which he tried to bullshit me, so I told him I'd pay him what I thought the fare should be), but on the whole, they're not the shysters they're made out to be. Being from south London, I know loads.

It used to be a good gig. Get your badge, buy an old shitter and way you go for the next 40 years of your life. Piles are a given, as is a bad back but you can use the green huts. Most older cabbies simply did fewer days/hours and ran the cab into the ground. Not an option now as the cabs cost c. £80k new, or around a grand a month to lease. The warranties are iffy: if you let it lapse, that's it. They won't give you another one, so you have no real choice.

My mate was an early adopter of the card machine, much to the mirth of his companions who used to declare feck all to the tax man, but he figured that cash was on the way out, especially for the American business traveller who wants to go to Heathrow and tips well, and better to have something, minus the tax, than 100% of feck all.

On the plus side, all these cabbies giving up the game means there's a larger pool of available talent to take over from Southgate when he goes. :thumbup:
All aboard the Peckham Pigeon! All aboard!
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Taipan »

cheb wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2024 12:13 pm You've got have sympathy for all those cab drivers barely earning the minimum wage, and they got hit by the banks wanting to charge commission on card payments too.

They can't even give foreigners the magical mystery tour since UBER launched.
FTFY! :D
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by v8-powered »

The little C3 I picked up for one of the kids passed it's MOT with no advisories! Happy considering last years advisory list was as long as my arm......
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Mr. Dazzle »

Went for a guitar lesson today.

I'd been given the homework of practicing various scales in various places on the neck with a view to doing off the cuff soloing over a given chord progression.

Turned up today, he strummed out the chords and away I went noodling around up and down the neck...

"Oh....that's really good, you sound like you can really play the guitar. I was gonna teach you more of this bit but I don't need to" :lol:

So we learned something else :thumbup:
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Felix »

Walking to Tesco and from behind the Rumble of a Ducati. Not any old Ducati but the only one i liked the look of, an SD900 Darmah and in the best Black and Gold colours. Never seen one in the metal for a good 30 years.

Its the simple things in life.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Docca »

I set up my own LtD company.

This is small beans for some of you, but for someone that’s been institutionalised in the public sector for decades…it’s a bold step 😀

I’ve been offered a retainer for a few grand a month for some advisory work. Minimal lifting- can do in spare time.

So I’ve also registered with a great accountancy that will keep me honest.

It’s a totally new area for me. I’ll still have my regular job ( although can reduce hours I guess).
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Rockburner »

Docca wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2024 1:49 pm I set up my own LtD company.

This is small beans for some of you, but for someone that’s been institutionalised in the public sector for decades…it’s a bold step 😀

I’ve been offered a retainer for a few grand a month for some advisory work. Minimal lifting- can do in spare time.

So I’ve also registered with a great accountancy that will keep me honest.

It’s a totally new area for me. I’ll still have my regular job ( although can reduce hours I guess).
Get in touch with Mad Liz for tax stuff.
non quod, sed quomodo
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Mussels »

Docca wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2024 1:49 pm I set up my own LtD company.

This is small beans for some of you, but for someone that’s been institutionalised in the public sector for decades…it’s a bold step 😀

I’ve been offered a retainer for a few grand a month for some advisory work. Minimal lifting- can do in spare time.

So I’ve also registered with a great accountancy that will keep me honest.

It’s a totally new area for me. I’ll still have my regular job ( although can reduce hours I guess).
One of those things to tick off. Keep an eye on the acoountant, some if them rely on apathy to take the piss. Mine started out OK but after a takeover they saw me as a cash cow.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Jody »

I took my KTM to get it's first CT (French MOT) this afternoon.

No brake tester, but an emissions tester;. which was surprising. His front paddock stand couldn't cope with the KTM so I lent the bike over its side stand to get the front wheel up for him. Then this happened .....

CT Guy (in French): Does the ABS warning light go out when you start rolling

Me: Oui oui, apres 5kmh

Thankfully he believed me and now my KTM is fully legal in France !
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by DefTrap »

Jody wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2024 4:02 pm I took my KTM to get it's first CT (French MOT) this afternoon.
I need to get mine organised.
My CT tester is pretty laid back but I dunno how he'll react to my mid 90s bitsa.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Taipan »

Sausage, mash, onions and gravy! :thumbup:
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Jody »

DefTrap wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2024 4:25 pm
Jody wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2024 4:02 pm I took my KTM to get it's first CT (French MOT) this afternoon.
I need to get mine organised.
My CT tester is pretty laid back but I dunno how he'll react to my mid 90s bitsa.
It wasn't much of a test.
Wheel bearings, do the brakes have enough power to stop the wheel when spun by hand, do all the lights work, do you have 2 mirrors, is anything loose and then an emissions check.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by DefTrap »

Jody wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2024 12:29 pm It wasn't much of a test.
Wheel bearings, do the brakes have enough power to stop the wheel when spun by hand, do all the lights work, do you have 2 mirrors, is anything loose and then an emissions check.
Sort of what I suspected (the car CT test is rather less rigorous than the UK version after all) and after all this is this is the first time these CT testers have even tested bikes.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Noggin »

Just annoying that it's 75€ for a basic scan of a bike that probably doesn't even check it's actual road worthiness!

I'm totally happy to take my mates bike for one, but if it's as basic as I suspect (and you've said) then that's a lot of money for very little!! :lol: :lol:
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by cheb »

Rip off France LOLZ.

Have you considered emigrating?
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by Noggin »

cheb wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2024 5:11 pm Rip off France LOLZ.

Have you considered emigrating?
:lol: :lol: :lol:

TBF, the quality of life (and medical care/rehab) more than makes up for an expensive CT :D :D Also, I've remembered it's every two years, so actually it's comparable! Just seems like a lot the first time! LOL (Cars are every two years too :D )
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by KungFooBob »

Letter from the tax man.

I think it's the first one I've ever had that says I've over paid rather than under paid!

£183.20 on it's way back to me.
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Re: Insignificant Things That Make You Happy.

Post by DefTrap »

Noggin wrote: Wed Jul 10, 2024 5:04 pm Just annoying that it's 75€ for a basic scan of a bike that probably doesn't even check it's actual road worthiness!

I'm totally happy to take my mates bike for one, but if it's as basic as I suspect (and you've said) then that's a lot of money for very little!! :lol: :lol:
Tbf though doesn't the initial CT for bikes last 3 years?