h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi all!

Actually off to bed, but thought I'd drop in on my way through.

[GDZ]

One of my first illustrations was creative ways to quit your job... A956333

[mr]

[fg]

Something like: "I am tendering my resignation, effective as of date", or "I am giving you x weeks (or y days) notice of my intention to leave such-and-such employer", Bagpuss. You don't have to give a reason.

A night of dramas: first off I couldn't find one of the tortoises and it turns out it had made a bid for freedom and my neighbour had found it tanking up the lane. She'd put it back in the pen, but since I'd left it roaming round the garden (supposedly trapped there by a couple of compost bags on the ramp) I hadn't looked in the pen. Obviously.

Then, once I'd found the adventurous little bugger, there was the most terrific bang which turned out to be some TWOCers totalling my car.

*sigh*

Still, an evening spent in the company of two fire crews, a paramedic, and three sets of police including two plain clothes officers and a dog handler can hardly be said to be wasted, now can it? Especially as the Most Senior Police Officer Present trapped the two fire tenders, the ambulance and the other police car in front of him in the lane by locking his keys in his boot.

Ben

Oh, and I won't be buying a Sat Nav, since every spare penny will be spent on a new car now.

Bummer. Since you are not at fault, aren't the other parties totally responsible for reimbursing you for the damage?

And nobody got hurt, I presume?

Stolen vehicle, Witty. (TWOC = Taking With Out Consent). It's a hobby round here for young lads. They looked about 14.

I'm properly insured but it'll be a long old rigmarole to get a sensible amount of money from the insurers and to buy a sensible replacement. I've asked the tortie-moving neighbour if she'd lend me her husband to kick a few tyres. Garages will just see me coming and rub their hands in glee.

Ben

Can you rough up their parents?

And I know what you mean about getting someone with a Y chromosome to kick tires for you. I hate having to depend on someone to fill that purpose, but it really is necessary from time to time. I just got a great tip on a reputable garage and I feel like I won the lottery.

Those parents definitely need to be roughed up! Crazy kids, these days.

*feels painfully old for a few minutes*

Ah well. As far as cars, I got a Chevy Cobalt about two years back and I love it. And I didn't even involve a Y-chromosone bearing person in the purchase process. Bwahahaha!

>> And I didn't even involve a Y-chromosone bearing person in the purchase process.

That's because you left them all in Salt Lake City.

I have an interview on Wednesday at the company I worked for before my current job. I will be taking a pay cut if offered the position but my health benefits will cost me less than half what I am currently paying, they will also be much better.

>>And I know what you mean about getting someone with a Y chromosome to kick tires for you.

That's funny, on my next car purchase I was going to look for someone with two X chromosomes to keep me from spending too much.

Irv, I'll help you if you help me!

Ben, you can sue the living bejesus out of the kid's parents...right?

Mornin All

Day off yesterday which turned out to be very lazy. Drizzly today and showers forecast, it's one of those Summers.

Great to see lots of old friends. Bummer about the car Ben, I thought you'd moved to a rural idyl. If you can afford a SatNav the Which best buy is the Syrius Snooper. I've used mine all over UK and Portugal and not ended up down any dead ends. Highly recommended.

*glares in a Ben-wards direction, hoping to miss her and hit the TWOCers*

Sue them? No point usually...

My old moped was written off by a kid on my street who nickied it in the time it took me to take in and unpack my shopping. He was caught with it by the police, and prosecuted, and fined, and ordered to pay me compensation for the bike (although I got nothing for the excess on the insurance). As he was a kid, he had to pay it off at a rate he could afford, which I think was set at 50p a month but he could skip it if he didn't have it. The courts only send the money when it costs them less to write the cheque than the actual value of the cheque. This was in 1997, I have so far had £5.

I don't know why the parents aren't made responsible for this sort of thing, but they aren't.

Was there drinking/drugs involved as well Ben, or just some bored teenagers who thought nothing better of just taking someone elses car?
A friend here had his car written off by someone who had had too much drink and was taking the back road home. The only reason he stopped after hitting my friend's car was that his van was damaged - he is said to have hit two other cars on the before this. Last I heard he was pleading not guilty to the drink driving offence and to the other two cars being hit and leaving the scene of an accident.
I hope you can get something sorted with your insurers quickly.

[T&?]

There are some ing nut jobs about. A few weeks ago a chappie decided to drive *his* stolen car around our circular avenue at speeds that would have killed the children that usually play on it. He wrote-off two cars that were parked on the road, got out, and (allegedly) said 'Well, that one'll not be driven again'. We have some rather heavy (as in weight and strength) blokes on one corner. They grabbed the buggar and held him down 'til the police came. He wasn't insured (oddly ) so the cars' owners had to go through their own insurance.

I hope you get sorted soon , Ben.