Sporky McGuffin

I'd not thought of it like that. I'm sure there's only a tiny minority who nick post, but the Registered stuff must stick out to someone of that mindset.

Aye - I used to use Recorded but too many parcels were lost or stolen and I got sick of the quibbling over the compensation.

If they actually delivered it on time every time then I'd not begrudge twice that. The only Royal Mail service with decent reliability is Special Delivery.

I don't think anyone wants posties to be out of work or their families to starve. I'm reasonably sure that what everyone actually wants is a postal service that's reliable and prompt. The issue is that the strikes result in an even worse sevice than normal and a shift away from RM. They also further alienate the public.

Let's be honest. The posties and the unions are showing that they have nothing but selfish contempt for their customers. They have no concern for the potential failures of small businesses whose cashflow they will have disrupted. And yet they expect support from the people they are trying to ruin. :thumbdwn:

Lordy. So a car that's essentially a Golf GTI for £3000 less is "overpriced"? And why the obsession with DSG? Can't work a clutch pedal? If you're going to be a one-track record, at least be a good one!

Ah.

Surely you'd have to pile on the options to get a VRS to twenty grand?

They should just cut his feet off.

"Near Audi prices"? What nonsense. List price for an equivalent A3 or A4 is 6 grand more.

My mum's Focus blew windscreen wiper fuses at a frightening rate. The Ford dealer's response was "just carry a box of spare fuses". I'd never buy a Ford.

Actually, styling-wise, I think that looks pretty good. Breaks up the slabby sides of the new Fabia quite nicely.

Because people buy them.

Yeah, and there are plenty of reasons why they're cheap.

They're certainly a dying tradition. I strongly suspect that my bunch will keep theirs going, and keep it open to new staff, but we're rather different from most of the private sector.

Not quite every one.

I gather a significant number feel that this strike isn't the strike they voted for.

As I understand it the unions want a pay rise for their members that is at least equal to inflation. I believe that this is not on offer from the Royal Mail. After a long period of negotiations and work-to-rule the unions have called a strike (this was voted for some time ago by the members). I think that's about right, though the details are open to some debate.

Ace.

I'm not sure they're that good. I could take a packet of hobnobs with me though as a sweetener...

Isn't traffic density lower in their areas of safest drivers? My guess is that it's just easier not to hit another car when there are fewer other cars to hit...

That's just not on. I am mightily irked by the strike but attacking the sorting office staff is despicable.

If that was what a strike was I'd have no complaints. The truth is that when postal workers strike they are knowingly and deliberately sabotaging small businesses across the country. Many will have very serious cashflow problems from even a 2-day strike. The posties simply do not care about these businesses or the welfare of the people involved in them, and as such should not expect even the slightest sympathy from the people they are ruining.

I have a pretty good job and don't tolerate whiners.

To be honest I want to like the Royal Mail but they've let me down too many times. I make guitar pedals. They're almost entirely hand-made (CNC router for the PCBs, odd power tools here and there) and I put a goodly amount of time, effort and (nancy moment) love into every one. The number that RM lose, destroy or defile is disgusting. They then quibble over the compensation (apparently proving what the customer paid for them isn't enough). It's a crap service, and that's the central problem. I would not begrudge paying more for a service that was worth using, but as it is if I don't use Special Delivery I reckon about a quarter of what I send doesn't arrive in the condition I sent it.