WAMT....what annoyed me today!

Topsy said:
Hmm, school was a long time ago for me Steve and I recall wagging more days than I should to be out in the woods/countryside. (Wagging-taking an unauthorised day off without the knowledge or permission of parents). I was only interested in Maths and Science as I wanted to be an engineer (and was eventually, a gifted one). :giggle:
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Likewise, I spent far too many days of my final year not being where I should (generally at the side of a lake)....
 
This has annoyed me and TBH I just feel... Sick, at the amount of work I now have to redo.

Mrs WW is an immigrant and there's an expensive, time consuming and stressful visa process to go through, We've successfully completed three visas and are now doing the last one which is called Indefinite Leave to Remain. The other visas have been hard copy or a mix of on line and hard copy and this one is completely on line apart from an appointment we have to attend.

Anyway... We got all the way through the process which involved collating lots of documents and digitising them and turning them into PDF's. We were then transferred to their "Partner" service to upload the documents and in the list of requirements it says that all have to be in Greyscale. Well that's just great. Why on earth couldn't this have been stated in the visa application process somewhere? So now I have to go through everything and convert them to greyscale but the only way I can think of converting the documents which I received as PDF's such as bank statements and utility bills and the like is to print the colour ones out and photograph them in B&W.

As above. Why on earth couldn't they have stated this requirement earlier in the process.
 
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woof woof said:
This has annoyed me and TBH I just feel... Sick, at the amount of work I now have to redo.

Mrs WW is an immigrant and there's an expensive, time consuming and stressful visa process to go through, We've successfully completed three visas and are now doing the last one which is called Indefinite Leave to Remain. The other visas have been hard copy or a mix of on line and hard copy and this one is completely on line apart from an appointment we have to attend.

Anyway... We got all the way through the process which involved collating lots of documents and digitising them and turning them into PDF's. We were then transferred to their "Partner" service to upload the documents and in the list of requirements it says that all have to be in Greyscale. Well that's just great. Why on earth couldn't this have been stated in the visa application process somewhere? So now I have to go through everything and convert them to greyscale but the only way I can think of converting the documents which I received as PDF's such as bank statements and utility bills and the like is to print the colour ones out and photograph them in B&W.

As above. Why on earth couldn't they have stated this requirement earlier in the process.
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...and make it easy for those trying to do it the correct and legal way?
 
gman said:
...and make it easy for those trying to do it the correct and legal way?
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Another thing that always annoys me is that there are things that aren't clear or are open to interpretation or are just baffling. It's almost as if it was written by a half educated 10 yo.

Not that I'm great at grammar and spelling but things simply should not be not clear or open to interpretation or baffling.

On a positive note,,, Mrs WW has found an app that will convert pdf's to greyscale. It wont install on my windows pc so I'll email the pdf's to her and she'll convert them and email them back.

And even better news... I've found how to do it on my pc. It'll take hours but I have no choice but to convert the lot.
 
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woof woof said:
Another thing that always annoys me is that there are things that aren't clear or are open to interpretation or are just baffling. It's almost as if it was written by a half educated 10 yo.

Not that I'm great at grammar and spelling but things simply should not be not clear or open to interpretation or baffling.

On a positive note,,, Mrs WW has found an app that will convert pdf's to greyscale. It wont install on my windows pc so I'll email the pdf's to her and she'll convert them and email them back.

And even better news... I've found how to do it on my pc. It'll take hours but I have no choice but to convert the lot.
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Shouldnt need an app
If you open each of the colour pdf files then choose print. Instead of selecting your printer choose Print to pdf. (may be Microsoft print to pdf) and then choose black and white. When you press print you will get a save file dialogue box appear so just save the pdf with the file name and location you want

You can do this with original files like word documents or jpg images instead of converting them to pdf.
 
AgentOrange76 said:
Shouldnt need an app
If you open each of the colour pdf files then choose print. Instead of selecting your printer choose Print to pdf. (may be Microsoft print to pdf) and then choose black and white. When you press print you will get a save file dialogue box appear so just save the pdf with the file name and location you want

You can do this with original files like word documents or jpg images instead of converting them to pdf.
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woof woof said:
And even better news... I've found how to do it on my pc. It'll take hours but I have no choice but to convert the lot.
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This is how I did it but the files couldn't be saved with the same name. I tried multiple files and times and it failed every time so they had to be saved with a new name, the original could then be deleted and the new file then renamed,

Just finished but I'll have to check everything tomorrow.

Another annoyance is that converting the files to mono increased the file size and some then went over the limit and had to be resized.

I can see how some people get this professionally done. We've done all the other visas ourselves but I'm more worried about this one than all of the others put together,
 
Works for me if I save the black and white version into a diferent folder, a new folder in the location that the originals are in would of done the job.
 
AgentOrange76 said:
Works for me if I save the black and white version into a diferent folder, a new folder in the location that the originals are in would of done the job.
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I doesn't work for me if I keep the same name, fails every time with a failure to print message but this is computers and Windows and versions and wot not so really it's a nice surprise when something does work.
 
Drove past Stonehenge yesterday and today. Rubberneckers just have to creep past for a mile or 2 while looking at the stones. Can't they just drive by? Today was dull and the stones barely noticeable in the distance. :rolleyes:
 
ancient_mariner said:
Drove past Stonehenge yesterday and today. Rubberneckers just have to creep past for a mile or 2 while looking at the stones. Can't they just drive by? Today was dull and the stones barely noticeable in the distance. :rolleyes:
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I live 15 minutes from Stonehenge and it's the same all the time, especially at weekends. That's why they want to put the A303 in a tunnel along that stretch.
 
Jelster said:
That's why they want to put the A303 in a tunnel along that stretch.
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Much cheaper to just put a high hedge all along the road past the site. I used to drive that road twice a week and it was a major annoyance.
 
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Jelster said:
I live 15 minutes from Stonehenge and it's the same all the time, especially at weekends. That's why they want to put the A303 in a tunnel along that stretch.
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Or just knock those old stones down and use them as a car park! ;)
 
Yesterday, (insert Beatles' lyric of your choice... :)) I ordered a camera from Amazon and it said the thing would be delivered on Saturday. An e-mail late last night told me it would be arriving tomorrow and that I'd need to be in to accept it and give the driver a one-off pass code. Acting on that, I cancelled tomorrows plans to meet a chap who is taking some of the MiL's stuff since I have no idea what time the parcel's arriving. Just got home to find an e-mail telling me that the thing is arriving this afternoon... Hoping that Paul is still free tomorrow and thanking my lucky stars that we didn't rearrange the meet for this afternoon!!!
 
I must admit I find amazons under promise and over deliver delivery a PITA. When I used to work in an office on a large estate I used to choose the delivery (based on their checkout options) to arrive there during our Monday to Friday hours, only for them to start trying to deliver at weekend’s and then evenings and being surprised it was closed…now I just choose free delivery and dont worry about being home as they will come back later
 
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Most of the time, it doesn't matter - the drivers seem happy to put the parcels in the meter cupboard and post the keys through the letterbox (if the package doesn't fit the box!) or leave it with a neighbour but Saturday's tomorrow's this afternoon's delivery needs the special code!
 
Nod said:
Most of the time, it doesn't matter - the drivers seem happy to put the parcels in the meter cupboard and post the keys through the letterbox (if the package doesn't fit the box!) or leave it with a neighbour but Saturday's tomorrow's this afternoon's delivery needs the special code!
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You can give the code to a neighbour if you know they'll be about :)
 
I'll be in this afternoon.
 
Teabag's in the mug! :P (And yes, I know!!!)
 
Perhaps he meant...
Soap.jpg
 
One of my neighbours has an almost identical car to one of mine and it was stolen the other night, he got it back the next day as it'd been dumped somewhere but all this prompted me to look at steering locks. I'd had a couple years ago and found them to be utterly useless as I could get them off in seconds without the need to use either a key or tools.

After asking on a car forum and reading reviews on line I went for a famous name steering lock which completely covers the steering wheel, priced at £140. It came today and after trying it on the car it's going straight back as it doesn't prevent the car from being steered, not by anyone with even half a brain and any ability to problem solve anyway. Removing it might be difficult but if a thief wants a car with one of these fitted they could certainly drive and steer the car to a location where they can spend time removing the device.

I just can't believe this thing got such good reviews and not just from one site, it gets good reviews all over the net.

Oh well, I'll look for something else.
 
4-5" Cordless angle grinder will deal with most things pretty quickly and being inside the cabin it'll be quiet enough. That aside, how are the actually stealing the car, is it through intercepting the keyless entry?
 
woof woof said:
One of my neighbours has an almost identical car to one of mine and it was stolen the other night, he got it back the next day as it'd been dumped somewhere but all this prompted me to look at steering locks. I'd had a couple years ago and found them to be utterly useless as I could get them off in seconds without the need to use either a key or tools.

After asking on a car forum and reading reviews on line I went for a famous name steering lock which completely covers the steering wheel, priced at £140. It came today and after trying it on the car it's going straight back as it doesn't prevent the car from being steered, not by anyone with even half a brain and any ability to problem solve anyway. Removing it might be difficult but if a thief wants a car with one of these fitted they could certainly drive and steer the car to a location where they can spend time removing the device.

I just can't believe this thing got such good reviews and not just from one site, it gets good reviews all over the net.

Oh well, I'll look for something else.
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Battery disconnect kit if your really worried, PITA on a daily car, but it'll stop someone starting it.
 
gman said:
4-5" Cordless angle grinder will deal with most things pretty quickly and being inside the cabin it'll be quiet enough. That aside, how are the actually stealing the car, is it through intercepting the keyless entry?
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I suppose these things are a visual deterrent to casual thieves and even the more pro thieves might just move on as more time to take the car could be a deterrent unless the car they want is hard to find.

Perhaps I shouldn't say how I steered the car... just in case.

This is what disappointed me so much.

Euro Car Parts | Car Parts Online & In Store - FREE UK Delivery

www.eurocarparts.com www.eurocarparts.com

I just can not understand how this device gets just about universally praised.
 
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Gav-canon said:
Battery disconnect kit if your really worried, PITA on a daily car, but it'll stop someone starting it.
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I don't know what the implications are of that. the cars going in in a couple of weeks so I'll see if I can ask the question when at the garage.
 
woof woof said:
I don't know what the implications are of that. the cars going in in a couple of weeks so I'll see if I can ask the question when at the garage.
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You will need to go under the bonnect to disconnect or reconnect, will work on any non Hybrid/Elec' car

something like this...

www.halfords.com

Richbrook Dis-Carnect Battery Immobiliser | Halfords UK

Shop the latest The Richbrook Dis-Carnect Battery Immobiliser allows your car battery to be quickly disconnected. at Halfords UK
www.halfords.com www.halfords.com
 
I had a neighbour, an engineer by trade, that thought it might be possible to have a spike, come up through the drivers seat,
if the car was started or attempted to be moved by towing.
Unless of course it was disarmed by a pin code 1st.
All well and good of course, unless he forgot to disarm it first

Of course he would need to display one of those "danger of death" signs seen on high voltage cabinets etc.

:D
 
Cobra said:
I had a neighbour, an engineer by trade, that thought it might be possible to have a spike, come up through the drivers seat,
if the car was started or attempted to be moved by towing.
Unless of course it was disarmed by a pin code 1st.
All well and good of course, unless he forgot to disarm it first

Of course he would need to display one of those "danger of death" signs seen on high voltage cabinets etc.

:D
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Rig up the airbag to go off while they are trying to 'hot wire' :LOL:
 
Gav-canon said:
Rig up the airbag to go off while they are trying to 'hot wire' :LOL:
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The spike idea sounds like much more fun :D

He moved away quite awhile ago, so I never knew if he developed the idea or not.
I've not heard of any reports, locally of people being admitted to hospital with a spike up their arse,
so I'm guessing not.
 
Cobra said:
The spike idea sounds like much more fun :D

He moved away quite awhile ago, so I never knew if he developed the idea or not.
I've not heard of any reports, locally of people being admitted to hospital with a spike up their arse,
so I'm guessing not.
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I'm quiet at the minute, I'll see what I can come up with :LOL:
 
Cobra said:
The spike idea sounds like much more fun :D

He moved away quite awhile ago, so I never knew if he developed the idea or not.
I've not heard of any reports, locally of people being admitted to hospital with a spike up their arse,
so I'm guessing not.
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As some may know in my last job one of my things was health and safety and sadly unless the law has changed if someone enters your property and you've booby trapped it or even just left it in an unsafe condition and they injure themselves even if when committing a crime you're on the hook.

I'm getting a bit depressed reading reviews of these things. I might just not bother as they all seem to be "deterrent" value only and next to no real value at all when it comes to stopping or even slowing down someone who really does want to steal your car.

I think I might be better off printing a label and putting it in the windscreen...

"Dear potential car thief. This vehicle is on empty so there's no point stealing it as there's not enough juice in it to get you to the end of the road. Have a nice day."
 
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woof woof said:
or even just left it in an unsafe condition and they injure themselves even if when committing a crime you're on the hook.
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I'm not surprised TBH, protect the criminal.
 
Cobra said:
I'm not surprised TBH, protect the criminal.
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I believe part of the thinking is that emergency personnel may have to enter and they could be injured... so, if a crim injures themselves you're on the hook because it could have been an emergency service worker.

Interestingly it appears to be slightly different for products. Another part of my job was CE approval which of course involves a lot of H&S and you have to design products to be safe and that will include a degree of misuse. For years I included wording to the effect that a degree of misuse has been taken into consideration but not deliberate removal or circumvention of safety features, alteration of function affecting safety or sabotage. So, if someone killed themselves after deliberately getting over or around everything we'd done on their head (detached or not) be it. No one ever questioned that :D
 
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