General Chit Chat

[Montreal Wanderer]

I'm finding it hard to believe a supposedly sensible senior British politician said this:

"To attack worshippers at a synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day, and during Shabbat, is horrific. We stand with our Israeli friends," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote on Twitter.

Is it okay to attack them any other time?

Not okay, but not horrific. Merely deeply disturbing.

[Hoboh]

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us.

[Harry Genshaw]

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us.

What's prompted Richard Burton then?!

The US shooting down weather balloons?!

[Hoboh]

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us.

What's prompted Richard Burton then?!

The US shooting down weather balloons?!

I actually loved Jeff Wayne's war of the worlds, used to sit with a beer in a quiet dimly lit room and listen at volume. Burton was magnificent.

Anyways I hope they were weather balloons otherwise ET's dad is going to get mad at the US blasting his taxis out of the air.

[Worthy4England]

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us.

What's prompted Richard Burton then?!

The US shooting down weather balloons?!

I actually loved Jeff Wayne's war of the worlds, used to sit with a beer in a quiet dimly lit room and listen at volume. Burton was magnificent.

Anyways I hope they were weather balloons otherwise ET's dad is going to get mad at the US blasting his taxis out of the air.

Oh - you think they might be extra-terrestrial?

[TANGODANCER]

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us.

What's prompted Richard Burton then?!

Wondered that myself. I have a long playing 33 rpm vynil version of War of the Worlds , ( played once and tapedplayed to death after) still as new with the booklet.

[TANGODANCER]

Don't think thebish has rejoined the site, G.G. will know?

[Prufrock]

No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us.

What's prompted Richard Burton then?!

The US shooting down weather balloons?!

I actually loved Jeff Wayne's war of the worlds, used to sit with a beer in a quiet dimly lit room and listen at volume. Burton was magnificent.

Anyways I hope they were weather balloons otherwise ET's dad is going to get mad at the US blasting his taxis out of the air.

Oh - you think they might be extra-terrestrial?

I've been laughing so very much that the US used a half-a-million-dollar-missile to shoot down some kids' weather balloon. Sorry, nerds.

[jimbo]

Curious to hear people’s opinions on the following.

Yesterday I received a letter from a debt collection company wanting price of fuel plus a hefty admin fee for driving off without paying for fuel from my local garage. Needless to say, I hadn’t knowingly stolen fuel.

I nipped in this morning to find out more. They were really helpful and told me I’d filled up, gone in the shop and used contactless. The machine did its thing where it wanted me to put the pin in, neither me nor cashier realised and I went on my way. They were happy for me to pay this morning without the extra debt recovery fee, and even gave me the loyalty points .

It’s left me wondering who’s responsibility it is to make sure payment has gone through? To me it feels a bit like if a cashier gives you the wrong change? Obviously in a normal shop there isn’t much they can do other than write it off. Here though they have automatic recognition of my number plate and then can use that to pull my personal details, pass to a debt collection agency and write to me demanding payment. That feels a bit wrong and heavy handed?

It’s also a garage / shop I’ve used about twice a week for 5 years!

[Worthy4England]

I reckon it's clearly up to the cashier to make sure the payment has gone through. As for the recovery action, I would be using a different garage now. I'd also want to check that the debt collection agency action wasn't recorded on my credit profile...

If you were really bored, you could raise a case with the Financial Ombudsman...

[jimbo]

I reckon it's clearly up to the cashier to make sure the payment has gone through. As for the recovery action, I would be using a different garage now. I'd also want to check that the debt collection agency action wasn't recorded on my credit profile...

If you were really bored, you could raise a case with the Financial Ombudsman...

Hadn’t thought about the credit profile, which is relevant as we’re due to remortgage next month. Thanks!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Aye, it is the shops/cashier responsibility. It does bug me though when folk tap their card/phone/watch and are out the door about 0.000036 seconds later. Given the rules around strong authentication these days, there is a reasonably decent chance you'll need to stick your pin in and I'm too old/unfit to be chasing after folk these days

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Oh, and don't be that Tw@t that buys summat for 20p with a card

[Montreal Wanderer]

Oh, and don't be that Tw@t that buys summat for 20p with a card

Since the pandemic there are places here that will not take cash. You must use a credit/debit card even for $0.50. For example a Metro ticket (i.e. bus fare).

[BWFC_Insane]

I see people say this a lot and I’m a little concerned that in the years and years I’ve been using contactless payment (daily now) across two or three different providers (so not one bank) I HAVE NEVER been asked for my pin. I always wait to check the transaction has gone through.

[Worthy4England]

I see people say this a lot and I’m a little concerned that in the years and years I’ve been using contactless payment (daily now) across two or three different providers (so not one bank) I HAVE NEVER been asked for my pin. I always wait to check the transaction has gone through.

I find that stunning. The contactless payment limit was £45 in 2021 and just £30 in 2020 - do you ever get a round in? Seriously though, you couldn't get half a tank of petrol in 2021 under the contactless limit...

[BWFC_Insane]

I see people say this a lot and I’m a little concerned that in the years and years I’ve been using contactless payment (daily now) across two or three different providers (so not one bank) I HAVE NEVER been asked for my pin. I always wait to check the transaction has gone through.

I find that stunning. The contactless payment limit was £45 in 2021 and just £30 in 2020 - do you ever get a round in? Seriously though, you couldn't get half a tank of petrol in 2021 under the contactless limit...

I mean obviously when not using contactless payments I was asked for my pin.

But I mean on making a contactless payment I have never once been asked to put my card in or add a pin number.

I'm distinguishing between contactless payments and the 'insert your card' payments. For the former never once have I been asked to enter a PIN. And I raise it only because people seem to be routinely asked for it every so often as a security measure...I've never once had to.

[Harry Genshaw]

I find that ^ really surprising Insane. I must get asked about once a week, at least, to put my card in the machine and enter my PIN because it's refused contactless.

I'm not dodgy. Honest

[TANGODANCER]

The gardner, window cleaner, taxi-drivers and even the guy who collects my Goldline Wanderers donations, tend not to deal in contactless amounts preferring cash. At our ages and not getting out a lot, things need to be simpler, not more complicated. What next, issue the homeless with personal cash machines?

[BWFC_Insane]

I find that ^ really surprising Insane. I must get asked about once a week, at least, to put my card in the machine and enter my PIN because it's refused contactless.

I'm not dodgy. Honest

It surprises me that I'm not asked and I wonder what gremlins are in the system to mean I'm not....