General Chit Chat

[Lost Leopard Spot]

What is a PAT test LLS.

It's where they come round to see if you can do this, Dan.

If only. If it was that they wouldn't be misaligning my magnetic lines the feckers.

[TANGODANCER]

What is a PAT test LLS.

Elf'n'Safety gawn mad. Portable Appliance Testing - making sure all my electrical gubbins are working correctly and are earthed to the floor and not through me sort of thing.

That used to be my responsibility as site-services manager ( to get a contracter in to do it). Took an absolute age as they wanted to test every item in the offices, stores, kitchen etc. Every plug and lead No way around it if we wanted to keep our Lloyds registerd certs. Any items awaiting repair had to be isolated, listed and tagged up. I suppose everybody has to do it now? I had a similar situation with fire and smoke alarms and portable extinguishers. All had to be tested annually. Way of the world I suppose.

[Montreal Wanderer]

What is a PAT test LLS.

Elf'n'Safety gawn mad. Portable Appliance Testing - making sure all my electrical gubbins are working correctly and are earthed to the floor and not through me sort of thing.

I had no idea either, Dan, so thanks for asking. I don't think I've ever had one of those though I've had a PC at work since 1988 (not the same one).

[Lost Leopard Spot]

What is a PAT test LLS.

Elf'n'Safety gawn mad. Portable Appliance Testing - making sure all my electrical gubbins are working correctly and are earthed to the floor and not through me sort of thing.

That used to be my responsibility as site-services manager ( to get a contracter in to do it). Took an absolute age as they wanted to test every item in the offices, stores, kitchen etc. Every plug and lead No way around it if we wanted to keep our Lloyds registerd certs. Any items awaiting repair had to be isolated, listed and tagged up. I suppose everybody has to do it now? I had a similar situation with fire and smoke alarms and portable extinguishers. All had to be tested annually. Way of the world I suppose.

They used to do it (here) at night when the offices were quiet. First thing I'd know was I'd come into work in the morning and my desk would be a bit of a mess with equipment unplugged and not in the right place. Not anymore. Three days they've been on site now, so I know they'll be around to me sometime soon. Not only will I get an untidy desk, but all the anxiety associated with waiting for it to happen, and the pain-in-the-arseness of having to twiddle thumbs while the PAT tester is creating the goddamn mess too.
First World problems eh? I think I'd be better off as a third worlder - I reckon I'd cope with the strain of starving to death or having my shack obliterated by a tornado far better.

[Gary the Enfield]

PAT testers rolled through my office two weeks ago.

Every lead and appliance now has a lovely fresh sticker on it, including the power cable which has been sat on my windowsill for the last 12 months, because it's broken.

[bobo the clown]

I understand this guy passed the PAT test last year

[Little Green Man]

Our PAT testers must be due in a couple of weeks time. Only the three-pin plugs that are already out on display though, so not the one I like to hide in my bag for kicks.

[mrkint]

Incredible

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013 ... CMP=twt_gu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

Some of these made me chuckle. I absolutely fecking detest Ryanair and our Travel Agent is under the strictest of instructions not to book any of us on with them ever!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 95204.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[jimbo]

I love Ryanair. They are what they are, but I wouldn't have been to half the places in Europe I've been to if they weren't around. I personally don't give a shit about flying. It's a means to get to the place you want to be.

[boltonboris]

Incredible

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013 ... CMP=twt_gu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A year in jail?! People don't get that for stabbing people!

[bobo the clown]

Incredible

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013 ... CMP=twt_gu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A year in jail?! People don't get that for stabbing people!

Yeah, but he's Scouse as well ... & you know how they like "justice".

[Dujon]

I'm with you, jimbo. We've got two or three 'basic' airlines here and people whine about the service. To travel from, say, Sydney to Melbourne or Sydney to Brisbane involves a bit less than ninety minutes of air time. It takes about the same time for commuters in my neck of the woods to get to work in Sydney (station to station). Do the railway passengers weep and wail because there is no steward to serve them beef tea or a G&T? They'd be shocked into perpetual silence if a bloke waltzed down the aisle balancing a tray full of drinks whilst avoiding sundry bags and briefcases that generally clutter up the place. Surely if you fly via a budget airline and are likely to become hungry or thirsty then pack a sandwich and your chosen tipple in your cabin luggage. Idiots.

[jimbo]

Off to girona in a couple of weeks. Flights £30 return from Manchester. For that price they could put me in the hold for all I care. Beautiful place and lucky to be able to get there for the price of half a tank of fuel in my car

[malcd1]

I'm with you, jimbo. We've got two or three 'basic' airlines here and people whine about the service. To travel from, say, Sydney to Melbourne or Sydney to Brisbane involves a bit less than ninety minutes of air time. It takes about the same time for commuters in my neck of the woods to get to work in Sydney (station to station). Do the railway passengers weep and wail because there is no steward to serve them beef tea or a G&T? They'd be shocked into perpetual silence if a bloke waltzed down the aisle balancing a tray full of drinks whilst avoiding sundry bags and briefcases that generally clutter up the place. Surely if you fly via a budget airline and are likely to become hungry or thirsty then pack a sandwich and your chosen tipple in your cabin luggage. Idiots.

It is not the fact that Ryanair are a low cost airline which pisses people off, it is that they are unscrupulous bastards. Yes the flights can be cheap but they have a reputation of cancelling flights on a whim if it is not fully booked. If you have a wedding or stag do or even a business meeting, it can irk a little.

Also, if you don't check-in on-line and print your boarding pass off before setting off to the airport. That is £70 for the privilege of Ryanair printing it off for you.

They are also very strict with your hand luggage and with charge £60 +VAT if your bag is oversized. I'm not too bothered about this personally but if you change your mind and want to take a suitcase after you have booked on-line, then that will cost you £105 if it is over 15kg. Even if you book it through the call centre beforehand.

They are total bastards but at least they don't hide it.

[Athers]

I actually have a grudging admiration for the guy who thinks all the amazing ways to charge you for things which used to be included in the price of the ticket.

Print pass off first, have a bag the right size and weight, arrive in plenty time, check where your destination airports actually are.... There are few worries from there.

Although easyJet are better.

[Bruce Rioja]

I love Ryanair. They are what they are, but I wouldn't have been to half the places in Europe I've been to if they weren't around. I personally don't give a shit about flying. It's a means to get to the place you want to be.

Yes, all well and good when you're fannying about the place, I'm sure.

[mrkint]

big fan of the airports they go to as well. Stockholm Skavsta airport it says. It's over 100km away from Stockholm!

As jimbo says though, can't complain too much when i gets it that cheap.

[Bruce Rioja]

big fan of the airports they go to as well. Stockholm Skavsta airport it says. It's over 100km away from Stockholm!

As jimbo says though, can't complain too much when i gets it that cheap.

Oh, and let's not forget Frankfurt Hahn. Hahn's nearer to fecking Luxembourg than it is to Frankfurt.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I actually have a grudging admiration for the guy who thinks all the amazing ways to charge you for things which used to be included in the price of the ticket.

Print pass off first, have a bag the right size and weight, arrive in plenty time, check where your destination airports actually are.... There are few worries from there.

Although easyJet are better.

There are even bigger wheezes than those mentioned. I was once booked on a flight from Toronto to Heathrow on some budget airline called Z or something. They subcontracted the flight out to Ryanair who (because they didn't have any aircraft capable of flying Toronto-Heathrow) sub-sub-contracted it out to Thomas Cook. So not only did we get charged for all the usual including not printing tickets for the correct airline because we had no idea until we turned up at the airport that we weren't actually flying Z but were flying Thomas Cook, we also had to arrange our bags to be shipped airmail back to blighty because they (Thomas Cook, not Z) had a hand luggage only policy in place at the time. And all because my missus was 'saving us money'. The luxurious flight out from Britain on British Airways (which I'd arranged) with meals and bags and no need to have to print any tickets and no extras for credit card transactions etc etc etc ended up costing us £75 cheaper than all the shenanigans with the budget airline with an upfront before the rip-offs costed saving of £350. Yes, in total they managed to scam us for £425. Never again.