Having lived in very rural areas for 24 years, living in a city is very different. I do miss the open vistas of sky & countryside & the feeling that you are part of the seasons. You can see the weather coming - good or bad.
Yesterday morning I was walking to the swimming pool & as I turned the corner onto the main street in Summertown I was greeted by a lovely sight. One side of the main road is planted with Ginko trees. There must have been a frost on Monday night & they had all simultaneously shed most of their leaves, which were a beautiful golden yellow. So the base of each tree was a pool of bright sunshine. It was a lovely sight, and very unusual. I don't remember seeing it last year. It cheered me up immensely.
All my walking now is on pavements, which I find much less comfortable than country footpaths. It seems harder on the feet & legs. Maybe it's just that there isn't the distraction of a view. There is also the fact that the pavements in Oxford often have a camber to one side so you seem to walk on a sideways slope, which is tiring. They also undulate because the curbs are removed so people can park their cars in their drive. All of this makes walking wearing for me. It must be much worse for people with walkers, pushchairs or those electric vehicles though.
I don't suppose there is an answer, and there are compensations to living in a city.
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Monday, 24 November 2014
Gym - More fun less Torture
Who would have thought it. I actually came close to enjoying my 4th session today. I plugged myself into my MP3 player. Dire Straits definitely helped with the walking & cycling. The Buena Vista Social Club made even the cross trainer seem more achievable.
It is really interesting. When I'm listening to music I'm not slavishly looking at the display figures. I'm definitely not noting every second & wishing it would stop. I adjust the speed & level of what I'm doing according to how my body feels. I did actually go further, faster & at a higher level.
All that after just a week. I'll be bionic by the end of 12 weeks if I keep up my 3 Gym sessions & 4 swims each week. Maybe.
It is really interesting. When I'm listening to music I'm not slavishly looking at the display figures. I'm definitely not noting every second & wishing it would stop. I adjust the speed & level of what I'm doing according to how my body feels. I did actually go further, faster & at a higher level.
All that after just a week. I'll be bionic by the end of 12 weeks if I keep up my 3 Gym sessions & 4 swims each week. Maybe.
Friday, 21 November 2014
Language - Use & Misuse.
My Dad came from Chesterfield in Derbyshire & he loved faggots. I thought he was very queer in his tastes. A completely innocuous sentence - or not?
I passed a group of young men today. I think what I heard was banter, but maybe not. One of them called another "a bloody faggot" or something similar. It made me think about all the words I know for LGBT people - There are a lot more words than I realised - see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_slang_terms It's also surprising how many more terms there are for male homosexuals than lesbian women. I would say that these are, by an large, derogatory & judgemental terms, which show how mindlessly we use language.
When we call people names, for whatever reason, we are using language to hurt, to undermine confidence, to make people more vulnerable & to ridicule them, often in public. It is verbal abuse which can have a devastating effect on the victim. If you are confident you can ride above it or respond. Many of us are not that confident, especially if facing a bully or a gang bent on intimidation.
Verbal abuse is a sign of ignorance & intolerance. Oddly it is also a sign of insecurity & immaturity. Most bullies will back off, fade into the background, if we have the courage to stand up to them. But nowadays there's a real risk of escalating the situation into violence. How are we to know if the bully has a knife or is prepared to inflict bodily harm?
It's a real & ever present problem for some people. The only way of really tackling it is through our young people themselves. It is firstly the responsibility of parents & secondly the education system.
The lessons of tolerance of diversity & difference have to be taught. Young people need good role models in their parents and teachers.
If we allow verbal abuse on our streets unchallenged, we are only a small step away from open physical violence.
I passed a group of young men today. I think what I heard was banter, but maybe not. One of them called another "a bloody faggot" or something similar. It made me think about all the words I know for LGBT people - There are a lot more words than I realised - see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT_slang_terms It's also surprising how many more terms there are for male homosexuals than lesbian women. I would say that these are, by an large, derogatory & judgemental terms, which show how mindlessly we use language.
When we call people names, for whatever reason, we are using language to hurt, to undermine confidence, to make people more vulnerable & to ridicule them, often in public. It is verbal abuse which can have a devastating effect on the victim. If you are confident you can ride above it or respond. Many of us are not that confident, especially if facing a bully or a gang bent on intimidation.
Verbal abuse is a sign of ignorance & intolerance. Oddly it is also a sign of insecurity & immaturity. Most bullies will back off, fade into the background, if we have the courage to stand up to them. But nowadays there's a real risk of escalating the situation into violence. How are we to know if the bully has a knife or is prepared to inflict bodily harm?
It's a real & ever present problem for some people. The only way of really tackling it is through our young people themselves. It is firstly the responsibility of parents & secondly the education system.
The lessons of tolerance of diversity & difference have to be taught. Young people need good role models in their parents and teachers.
If we allow verbal abuse on our streets unchallenged, we are only a small step away from open physical violence.
A Financial Services Web
I now know why I had a poor Experian credit rating. I now know how much I owe Wren, how I am supposed to pay the money & what my Agreement reference Number is to enable me to hopefully be able to get information on the Barclays Partner Finance / Clydesdale Financial Services website. I know this because I sent an email to the B / C website asking for information - Not because Wren had done anything about informing me. Obviously I should have received documentation about all of this a long time ago. Instead I found out that I was technically in debt for a large sum of money when I applied for a credit card. What would have happened if I hadn't done that?
I was still waiting for Wren to respond to my communications & negotiate a compensation sum for the 7+ months of my kitchen installation. How naive. I have now had the documentation in order to sign off on the project from the new Wren manager in Oxford. I should have had it months ago. No surprise there then.
What I didn't know is that I am in debt to Barclays / Clydesdale. This, as I understand it, is because Wren borrow the money from them for their sales & I pay their debt back to B / C. This means that B / C do not have any responsibility for complaints. It also means I have no choice but to pay the total amount even if I dispute it because of my compensation issue with Wren. So I have no leverage. To be fair B / C have now formally notified Wren that there is a complaint. This means Wren have to respond to me within 40 working days. Over 6 months - I wonder if that's enough time! If they don't I can go to the Ombudsman. Great!
I would have thought that a responsible company, who valued their reputation & good customer service, wouldn't dream of waiting that long. I would expect that they would be keen to negotiate & resolve the matter.So far there is a deafening silence from Wren. There are other routes I can take, but I would rather have my life back & get this sorted & finished with.
This financial set up feels dodgy to me. I think there are questions about it on the web, so I'm not alone. It doesn't seem to be in the customers interest at all.
I was still waiting for Wren to respond to my communications & negotiate a compensation sum for the 7+ months of my kitchen installation. How naive. I have now had the documentation in order to sign off on the project from the new Wren manager in Oxford. I should have had it months ago. No surprise there then.
What I didn't know is that I am in debt to Barclays / Clydesdale. This, as I understand it, is because Wren borrow the money from them for their sales & I pay their debt back to B / C. This means that B / C do not have any responsibility for complaints. It also means I have no choice but to pay the total amount even if I dispute it because of my compensation issue with Wren. So I have no leverage. To be fair B / C have now formally notified Wren that there is a complaint. This means Wren have to respond to me within 40 working days. Over 6 months - I wonder if that's enough time! If they don't I can go to the Ombudsman. Great!
I would have thought that a responsible company, who valued their reputation & good customer service, wouldn't dream of waiting that long. I would expect that they would be keen to negotiate & resolve the matter.So far there is a deafening silence from Wren. There are other routes I can take, but I would rather have my life back & get this sorted & finished with.
This financial set up feels dodgy to me. I think there are questions about it on the web, so I'm not alone. It doesn't seem to be in the customers interest at all.
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Gym - Instruments of Torture
I have been referred to my local Leisure Centre Gym. Oxfordshire have a great 12 week programme for people who need to use a gym for medical reasons. This involves 2 assessment sessions & me turning up for 45 minutes 2 -3 times a week. Not just turning up - actually working out for 45 minutes. On machines.
Couldn't imagine anything more boring!
So far I can do the walking machine - much faster than my normal pace in case you, like me, couldn't see the point. (20 mins) I can also do the cycling machine, much to my surprise. The seat position leans backwards & I don't have to bend forward for the handlebars, so don't get backache. So far, so achievable. However the legs is another matter. But I did 15 minutes. The real killer is the cross trainer. In the first instance my arms & legs were all over the place. And I always seemed to be going backwards. However, determination won in the end & it now knows I want to go forwards. But I can only do 5 minutes & then I'm completely jelly like. It's a real instrument of torture for me. Not my thing at all.
And this is all supposed to be doing me good. I will strengthen my muscles & be heaps fitter according to my GP & that will help with the pain. May even lose weight.
It's not that I don't believe him. I'm sure he knows what he's subjecting me to. I'm just struggling with the concept of torture being beneficial. I'll take my MP3 next time & see if music helps.
Couldn't imagine anything more boring!
So far I can do the walking machine - much faster than my normal pace in case you, like me, couldn't see the point. (20 mins) I can also do the cycling machine, much to my surprise. The seat position leans backwards & I don't have to bend forward for the handlebars, so don't get backache. So far, so achievable. However the legs is another matter. But I did 15 minutes. The real killer is the cross trainer. In the first instance my arms & legs were all over the place. And I always seemed to be going backwards. However, determination won in the end & it now knows I want to go forwards. But I can only do 5 minutes & then I'm completely jelly like. It's a real instrument of torture for me. Not my thing at all.
And this is all supposed to be doing me good. I will strengthen my muscles & be heaps fitter according to my GP & that will help with the pain. May even lose weight.
It's not that I don't believe him. I'm sure he knows what he's subjecting me to. I'm just struggling with the concept of torture being beneficial. I'll take my MP3 next time & see if music helps.
Saturday, 15 November 2014
My Wren Living kitchen - a Cautionary Tale.
Wren
Kitchen Timeline
Acc
No – 4448221 Ord Ref – S529613/13 Ord No - 20161487
16.12.
2013
– 1st
design meeting Wren Oxford – (Dan Melville).
28.12.
2013
- 2nd design meeting (D.M)
– Order & deposit.
4.1.
2014
– Fitter (Woody) Preliminary survey.
18.
2. 2014
– Full survey (Woody)
5-6.
3. 2014
– Old kitchen removed by my
fitter. Kitchen empty for new kitchen delivery.
7.3.
2014
– New kitchen delivered & stacked using
most of the whole of the ground floor
–
Barely
enough room for all boxes. Simply impossible to check for damage. No
one
from Wren to supervise.
No worktops.
- Lead Time – 10 weeks! Why?
- Do Wren not have enough capacity to manufacture their product & meet orders in a timely fashion?
- Or enough good fitters to do the work?
- Are their links with other manufacturers not good enough – eg worktops, splashbacks, appliances, sinks & taps, handles?
- Are their project management & oversight procedures lacking?
10.3.
2014
– Supposed to be first day of fitting – cancelled at the last
minute.
10
weeks after signing contract.
11th
– 14th
3. 2014
– Fitting – Woody & Ben – a lot of time lost – absence
from site.
17.3.
2014
– Site visit (Morgan Phillips, showroom manager) - requested by me
because
of
overrun.
(5
- 7 days
for installation quoted)
19.3.
2014
– Woody leaves site, take tools, appliances not fitted. My
electrician had to do
a
lot more work than expected at the last minute.
21.3.
2014
– Conference call, (unexpected) from
Gavin Challinor (area manager, Morgan
Phillips,
&
an unnamed woman).
26.3.
2014
– Site visit (Dave Fyfe, installation manager) – organised as
result of
conference
call.
7.4.
2014
– Measuring for quartz worktops because edging of original “Galaxy
Dove” didn't
go
with
cupboards.
(Very disappointed - £2,250 extra cost).
23.4.
2014
– Fitting of worktops cancelled, not ready.
24.4.
2014
– Quartz fitters arrive. Upstands too high, have to go back.
9.5.
2014
– Upstands fitted after being chased by me..
12.5.
2014
– Woody measures for glass splash backs.
16.5.
2014
– Glass company say they can't match the standard Dulux wall colour
I
chose.
I
sent
a
sample
of paint.
26
5 2014
– 11+
Weeks since fitting due to start. Estimated time for fitting 5-7
Days. Why?
30.5.
2014
– Glass splashbacks delivered. Woody to do final fitting. 5
months since
signing
the contract.
- Does Wren have the structure in place to ensure a seamless process from order to completion?
- How is this process monitored?
- What is the chain of command to ensure that customers are not kept waiting unnecessarily, bearing in mind that the kitchen is the hub of a home & in daily use.
- Does the customer have sufficient information to know what their role is & what is covered by the contract? - In my case not until after there had been problems & delays.
Total
time since order 27 weeks.
30.6.
2014
– Waiting for final sealing of glass splashbacks, replacement of
tap, cover for
a
socket & adjustments to doors not closing properly. 16
weeks
/ 4 mths
since
start of fitting.
4.7.2014
– Site visit by Area Manager Gavin Challinor. Apologised for
everything that has
happened.
Admitted it shouldn't have. Said a new department had been set up
to
negotiate compensation for the many complaints there have been. Mine
is
one
of the worst. Someone will contact me.
8.7.2014
– Woody should have come at 5pm but didn't. ( A lot of the fitting
has taken place
at
really inconvenient times & late into the evening as I had to
slot into the many
other
jobs Woody & Ben were working on. Some Wren some private).
9.7.2014
– Woody came at 5pm & finished the fitting. 17
weeks since start date.
30.7.2014
– E mailed Area Manager G.C, Installation Manager D.F, & M.D
A.S about
payment
& compensation.
28.8.2014
– No response to above email so Emailed final, formal, notification
to G.C, D.F,
&
A.S that I would not continue to chase this. They should contact me
to sort
this
out.
12.11.2014
– Application for M&S credit card refused because of bad
Experian rating due
to
large outstanding unpaid debt! Horrified! Could only be Wren Kitchen.
Contacted
Oxford Wren Living & asked for new store manager Stephen Hinitt.
(Previous
one demoted & left). Discovered I should have had 2 documents to
sign
off on the installation.
12.11.2014
Emailed G.C, D.F, A.S, & S.H about the above problem. Given a new
important
sounding
email address by S.H starting “directorsoffice....”
Forwarded
the most recent string of emails to “directorsoffice...” No
response
so
far. AGAIN!
Is there anybody
there running this company I ask myself?
To
sum up, in my experience:-
- High turnover of personnel so no continuity of project management
- Complete lack of efficient & competent oversight of project. There should be 1 person who liaises & has oversight of each job, communicating with the client at every stage & at regular intervals..
- Appalling lack of communication between Wren & client, & between Wren employees & outside contractors & appliance providers.
- Lack of relevant documentation & information given to client.
- No response to concerns, problems & complaints.
Quotes
from Brochure.
“Cutting
edge design, great quality & exceptional
customer service
should be for everyone, not just the rich and famous” - Armando
Sanchez - MD Wren Living.
“I'm proud to be part of a company that puts the customer first....” - Armando Sanchez
“Turning
your ideas into your dream room should
be lots of fun
& with Wren Living it will be”.
“our
aim is simple..... (to)
give you,
our customer, the
best possible experience.”
I
wonder how Wren Living think my experience measures up to these
stated aims & mission statements?
Update
16.11.14
– Sent 2 signed forms - “Satisfaction Docs” !
17.11.14
– Letters & copies of time line sent to Wren Directors – A
Sanchez & M Pullman.
Formally
informed them we are in dispute. Also mentioned Experian credit
rating.
Gave 7 working days for them to respond & negotiate.
18.
11.14 – Contacted Barclays Clydesdale via their website. The
contract number,
(06799478),
Steve Hinitt gave me for payment of the 1yr interest free credit is
not
the right number so I can't get any information about the contract. I
have
never
been given any documentation at all.
19.11.14
– 1)Ben Phillips contacted me from Barclays re my email. I should
have been
given
documentation about the agreement, (No – 9600360106057496). It went
live
in May & ends on 28th
May 2015. I owe £17,770. £8,885.00 to date &
£1,480.83
every month for a further 6 months. I did not know any of this. He
will
I
paid off the lump sum & set up the St Ord from Santander.
Barclays Acc No -
70185604.
S Code – 20 19 90.
2)
Matthew Davis, C Relations, contacted me re above. 08001522888 ext
22408.
Will raise a formal complaint with Wren.
3)Ludovic
? Contacted me. Wren have to respond to me within 40 working
days.
If the matter isn't settled I can go to the Financial Ombudsman,
T
Standards etc.
Naming and shaming is all very well. Hopefully prospective clients will learn from my experience. I also hope the company puts their management structure right. But it doesn't solve my problem.
Friday, 14 November 2014
New Kitchen - the Final Straw
I applied for a M&S credit card last week. I heard a couple of days ago they were refusing me because of my poor Experian Credit Rating! Shock. Horror. Being a woman of independent means I simply couldn't understand what the problem could be. There have never been any issues before. When I contacted M&S they looked into it & said it's because I have a very big outstanding debt. We finally came to the conclusion it must be something to do with my Wren Living kitchen.
I must digress & remind you, dear reader, that all did not go smoothly with this kitchen installation. (See the "My Wren Kitchen" link). The kitchen was finally finished after 27 weeks 3 days. I was never given a Certificate of Completion or a Quality of Work Survey so I never signed off on it. I also didn't have any paperwork relating to any direct debit arrangements for payment. Furthermore, according to the Area Manager (G.C) who came to discuss the job with me on site, my kitchen was supposed to be being referred to the new department set up to deal with complaints & negotiate a compensation settlement. (I gathered that there were a lot of complaints, but none quite as bad as mine). So as far as I was concerned I didn't know how much I actually owed them.
Having heard nothing I sent an email to the CEO (A.S), the Area Manager (G.C), & the Installation Manager (D.F), on the 30th July. (The Oxford shop manager at the time of my order & installation had been demoted & left so I didn't include him). I reminded them that I was expecting to hear from them. Nothing, zilch, nada, rien, absolute resounding quiet.
So then, on advice, I sent them another email at the end of August pointing out that I had heard nothing & was not prepared to keep chasing them for proper closure of the contract & payment. Since then complete & utter silence.
When I was refused a credit card I rang the Oxford Wren Living store. I discovered that both the Area Manager & the Installation Manager no longer worked for Wren. (I don't know when they left, but they don't seem to have been replaced). What a surprise. If it was me I would have abandoned the sinking ship too.
To add insult to injury it seems possible that I may be being charged interest on the non payment too!
I was told to send details of all this to a special email address, starting with the official sounding "directors office......." Still no response, nothing, zilch, nada, rien, deathly hush. If it weren't so serious it would be laughable. I really am at a loss what to do next. But I am sending this link to the "directors office...." Someone must be alive there.
I must digress & remind you, dear reader, that all did not go smoothly with this kitchen installation. (See the "My Wren Kitchen" link). The kitchen was finally finished after 27 weeks 3 days. I was never given a Certificate of Completion or a Quality of Work Survey so I never signed off on it. I also didn't have any paperwork relating to any direct debit arrangements for payment. Furthermore, according to the Area Manager (G.C) who came to discuss the job with me on site, my kitchen was supposed to be being referred to the new department set up to deal with complaints & negotiate a compensation settlement. (I gathered that there were a lot of complaints, but none quite as bad as mine). So as far as I was concerned I didn't know how much I actually owed them.
Having heard nothing I sent an email to the CEO (A.S), the Area Manager (G.C), & the Installation Manager (D.F), on the 30th July. (The Oxford shop manager at the time of my order & installation had been demoted & left so I didn't include him). I reminded them that I was expecting to hear from them. Nothing, zilch, nada, rien, absolute resounding quiet.
So then, on advice, I sent them another email at the end of August pointing out that I had heard nothing & was not prepared to keep chasing them for proper closure of the contract & payment. Since then complete & utter silence.
When I was refused a credit card I rang the Oxford Wren Living store. I discovered that both the Area Manager & the Installation Manager no longer worked for Wren. (I don't know when they left, but they don't seem to have been replaced). What a surprise. If it was me I would have abandoned the sinking ship too.
To add insult to injury it seems possible that I may be being charged interest on the non payment too!
I was told to send details of all this to a special email address, starting with the official sounding "directors office......." Still no response, nothing, zilch, nada, rien, deathly hush. If it weren't so serious it would be laughable. I really am at a loss what to do next. But I am sending this link to the "directors office...." Someone must be alive there.
Monday, 10 November 2014
A Good Death
I have just heard about Death Cafe's - http://deathcafe.com/ & the Kicking the Bucket Festival - http://www.kickingthebucket.co.uk/index.htm . Brilliant! Bring Death out into the open, into the mainstream, into the light of day. Let's get rid of the taboos & talk about the issues openly. Don't let Death skulk in the shadows of our fears, at the back of our minds where s/he can do immense damage.
At some level we all know we are dying. Some are terrified, some lucky people are accepting, some refuse to contemplate the inevitable at all. In the end we all have to face it. Better to do that before our final breath & have a "Good Death" rather than a painful or frightened ending, with lose ends remaining for our family & friends to try to deal with.
The people who are facing the ending of their lives need to be able to make decisions about what they want. They need to be able to communicate those decisions to the people who will have to carry them out. If we have consciously chosen what we want & don't want some of the fear recedes into the background. If we have discussed the issue & shared our thoughts with those closest to us we have helped them immesurably. They will know our wishes at a time when they are, hopefully, mourning our loss.
Death has no thrall if we have faced it toe to toe. The only thing to be afraid of is how we die. No one wants to be in pain & alone as they drift into the unknown.
At some level we all know we are dying. Some are terrified, some lucky people are accepting, some refuse to contemplate the inevitable at all. In the end we all have to face it. Better to do that before our final breath & have a "Good Death" rather than a painful or frightened ending, with lose ends remaining for our family & friends to try to deal with.
The people who are facing the ending of their lives need to be able to make decisions about what they want. They need to be able to communicate those decisions to the people who will have to carry them out. If we have consciously chosen what we want & don't want some of the fear recedes into the background. If we have discussed the issue & shared our thoughts with those closest to us we have helped them immesurably. They will know our wishes at a time when they are, hopefully, mourning our loss.
Death has no thrall if we have faced it toe to toe. The only thing to be afraid of is how we die. No one wants to be in pain & alone as they drift into the unknown.
"Death is very likely the single best
invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to
make way for the new". Steve Jobbs.
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Old Friends are like old socks.
When you suddenly become widowed or single you don't really know what your place is in the world. Do people like you or did they like your partner & put up with you? Did you only put up with them because they were your partners friends? Gradually over time you learn who your friends are & establish a different dynamic.
I am very lucky to have really good friends. Some are couples & I really like both of them, one or two are singletons like me. Some are friends I've had for more years than I can remember, some are newer friends I have made since I was widowed. They are all very different people, but all are valued & even loved. My life would be poorer without them
The socks analogy comes about because with some really special people the friendship is just so easy & symbiotic. Even after a period of absence the friendship renews immediately. We all benefit from it I hope. It's as comforting & warm as an old pair of bedsocks. We all enjoy each others company & would be "there" for each other should the need arise.
I'm really sad when I think of the huge number of people who are lonely, isolated in their homes, with no one who really cares. I think you have to get into the habit of being outward & forward looking. The trick is to try to leave the past behind & welcome the present & those who inhabit it.
It sounds so easy, but for some it's too big a mountain to climb & they just haven't got the confidence or the energy. Perhaps we all need to help them more. The question is how.
(My apologies to all my friends for comparing them to old socks!)
I am very lucky to have really good friends. Some are couples & I really like both of them, one or two are singletons like me. Some are friends I've had for more years than I can remember, some are newer friends I have made since I was widowed. They are all very different people, but all are valued & even loved. My life would be poorer without them
The socks analogy comes about because with some really special people the friendship is just so easy & symbiotic. Even after a period of absence the friendship renews immediately. We all benefit from it I hope. It's as comforting & warm as an old pair of bedsocks. We all enjoy each others company & would be "there" for each other should the need arise.
I'm really sad when I think of the huge number of people who are lonely, isolated in their homes, with no one who really cares. I think you have to get into the habit of being outward & forward looking. The trick is to try to leave the past behind & welcome the present & those who inhabit it.
It sounds so easy, but for some it's too big a mountain to climb & they just haven't got the confidence or the energy. Perhaps we all need to help them more. The question is how.
(My apologies to all my friends for comparing them to old socks!)
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Losing your grip
I suspect I'm not alone in being frustrated, irritated & thoroughly annoyed when I can't open things. I have a tin of Kiwi shoe polish which is beyond my capabilities. It has also defeated a round sheet rubber opener, a really meaningful metal, gripping opener & a screwdriver. All because the little twist lever doesn't go under the lid & push it open.
I admit that my hands aren't very strong having been injured by several bad falls. However it shouldn't be beyond the wit of wo/man to design a simple opening mechanism. Then there is the opening of jam & Mayo jars for example. Also some film covered plastic containers & tetra packs.
Why don't manufacturers understand that we purchase their goods because we want to use or eat the contents? Why make life so difficult? I don't want to have to attack packaging. Some manufacturers have done something about this - Hooray for them. I want easy access & a life with as little irritation as possible.
Is it so much to ask?
I admit that my hands aren't very strong having been injured by several bad falls. However it shouldn't be beyond the wit of wo/man to design a simple opening mechanism. Then there is the opening of jam & Mayo jars for example. Also some film covered plastic containers & tetra packs.
Why don't manufacturers understand that we purchase their goods because we want to use or eat the contents? Why make life so difficult? I don't want to have to attack packaging. Some manufacturers have done something about this - Hooray for them. I want easy access & a life with as little irritation as possible.
Is it so much to ask?
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Sods Law & Smoke Alarms.
Why do smoke alarms always start beeping in the middle of the night?
Why do they have to have a battery and be connected to the mains?
Why are they a b..... to dismantle & put a new battery in?
So far in 14 months I have had to change the batteries in all 4 smoke alarms on the first & second floors. One I had to get my electrician in to do because it was so high up & difficult to reach, even with a long ladder. What cretin decided that was a good place for an alarm? (There was a reachable & safer alternative). Another he did because I couldn't slide it apart. They all need me to climb a step ladder to get to them. So I totter, literally, and hope I don't fall off over the bannisters.
Last night I woke to the beeping at about 1.30 & tried to ignore it. It isn't possible. So I collected the step ladder & a screwdriver & struggled, on the top floor, to get the cover off. It had obviously been a problem before because the cover was cracked.
So, my question is - can't someone design a smoke alarm that an elderly person who doesn't have the strength of thousands can dismantle quickly and easily? You shouldn't have to pay an electrician to do what should be a simple job. You also shouldn't have to risk life & limb in order to be safe from a fire & go back to sleep.
My guess is that a lot of smoke alarms don't function because elderly & disabled people simply can't maintain them. You can't call an electrician out in the middle of the night.The temptation is to force the cover off & take the battery out & not put it back.
In the light of day the events of the night have faded. I had a mug of tea and went back to sleep having put two alarms in a room so if they beeped I wouldn't hear them. (I wasn't sure which one was beeping). But I know I was unsafe & at risk.
It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to design a safe alternative.
Why do they have to have a battery and be connected to the mains?
Why are they a b..... to dismantle & put a new battery in?
So far in 14 months I have had to change the batteries in all 4 smoke alarms on the first & second floors. One I had to get my electrician in to do because it was so high up & difficult to reach, even with a long ladder. What cretin decided that was a good place for an alarm? (There was a reachable & safer alternative). Another he did because I couldn't slide it apart. They all need me to climb a step ladder to get to them. So I totter, literally, and hope I don't fall off over the bannisters.
Last night I woke to the beeping at about 1.30 & tried to ignore it. It isn't possible. So I collected the step ladder & a screwdriver & struggled, on the top floor, to get the cover off. It had obviously been a problem before because the cover was cracked.
So, my question is - can't someone design a smoke alarm that an elderly person who doesn't have the strength of thousands can dismantle quickly and easily? You shouldn't have to pay an electrician to do what should be a simple job. You also shouldn't have to risk life & limb in order to be safe from a fire & go back to sleep.
My guess is that a lot of smoke alarms don't function because elderly & disabled people simply can't maintain them. You can't call an electrician out in the middle of the night.The temptation is to force the cover off & take the battery out & not put it back.
In the light of day the events of the night have faded. I had a mug of tea and went back to sleep having put two alarms in a room so if they beeped I wouldn't hear them. (I wasn't sure which one was beeping). But I know I was unsafe & at risk.
It shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to design a safe alternative.
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