Rant 19 - 19/1/12 Subject: Privatisation.

Rant number 19


Britain used to have brilliant public services.

Note the past tense!


Because, over the last couple of decades - they have sold off our trains, our gas, our water and anything else they can get away with.

In theory, there are advantages to this. Money is made first of all by the sale, (which is a goody isn't it) and also the money is saved by not having to run it any more (double goody.) Also, by killing the monopoly privatisation gives the opportunity for competition - which surely should mean the end user, visa vi us can get better prices.

The problem is that, these advantages tend to be rather short term i.e

• The money gained is soon spent - generally on expenses for the government like second houses and gold plated duck houses...
• These companies will generally make a mess of things and require government money to keep them propped up
• The companies do not contrive to compete - instead filling the pockets of their shareholders at all turns because - lets face it - you can't get it from anyone else!

I understand that some services may well have been just as bad in government hands. Hell - there is even a small (very small) chance that they could have made things worse. I feel however that, the profits these companies need to make - are what will always hurt us.

The trains for instance are a bloody awful mess, and in my humble opinion:

British rail is an ineptly run money pit.

Trains are rarely on time and usually far too small for the routes they are covering. That a seat is now not to be an expectation is ridiculous. The last trains designed in our area almost halved the amount of seats for god sake. Except for First class of course. Money always means luxury is to be expected (in this case, not having to stand up for a 4 hour journey.)

If this had been done to save money to keep rail fares affordable, I wouldn't mind. But its not like that at all. Since I moved to this area, most fees have gone up by almost four times. 

That a journey for only two people is cheaper in a car than on a train says it all. 'Public transport' is too much of a money making scheme and not about being a viable alternative.

The setting off point for this rant I should add was the radio news this evening. In a dual bill, the government want to offer more powers to GP's to distribute tax players monies & to privatise parts of the NHS in order to improve services. 

Apparently this is not being done to save money of course. No, it is merely to improve services.

Did they think I came down in the last shower!?

If there is any votes on this (and lets face it, they probably won't ask any of us - its not like any of us our intelligent enough to make decisions) I strongly suggest you vote against any privatisation of our NHS. 

It is one of the last Bastions of our once much prouder nation and is the envy of many a nation.

Rant over.

Rant 14 - 14/1/12 Subject: The ongoing saga of T-mobile & the artificially positive countenance

Rant number 14

The day after my phone broke, I phoned up T-mobiles customer service. I went through the rigmarole of the overzealous, over-specific and - quintessentially pointless auto-attendant (press #1 if you are loosing your will to live, press #2 if you would like us to courier you a cyanide pill to end it all etc etc.)

Finally, after going through no less than 57 options - it was (surprise surprise) ascertained that my problem was not to be solved by an chirpy digital woman. As such - I was finally put through to a human.....

In India

That she was not able to repair my phone was, not of a great surprise either, however - she was at least friendly. 

She was reluctant she said, to organise for my phone to be collected - as it could be the fault was of my doing (for like - actually using the phone you know.) She instead suggested that I take it to my local T-mobile shop.

Which I did today

Which is wear the 'smiler' came in.

I don't mind people in shops trying to be friendly. I've worked in shops - and getting on with people is often the best way to deal with them!

What I really - really - really - really - really - don't like, is people who's smiles are so forced and artificial - that they had just as well write 'fuck you' in tippex across their forehead.

So - I showed her my phone, showed her its problem and explained that the nice lady on the phone had said that they would be able to tell me if the issue was likely covered etc.

The answer to this from smiley tippex face?

'Sorry, we're not technicians. I wouldn't really know'

So why did the dosey bitch on the phone tell me you fucking would!?????

I kept my calm and counted to ten none the less. Which is when smiley dropped another bomb.

'Have you backed up your phone? They will wipe it when they repair?'

The answer of course is no. My phone will not charge- thus ipso facto, I have not been able to back it up. I think to be honest, that its a rather stupid thing to ask. 

May I point out also - that the fault with the phone - is mechanical.

It won't charge - so just needs a new charging port. So why do they need to wipe the software? Its ridiculous. 

I pointed this out to smiley tippex face fuck you lady very politely. And what did she say?

'They do it automatically. Its data protection?'

I'm not asking them to delve into the phone - nor even turn it on, beyond a simple test. I don't even want them to unlock the bloody thing. How does that violate anyones human rights....

Regardless- 'the thing is broken' I think. They'll just have to do it. 

And thats when smiley tippex face fuck you lady drops yet another little bomb - 'It will generally take between 2-3 weeks to repair this kind of phone. If they need parts however nearer to 5-6 or, if it has to go back to htc - maybe 8-9. '

And all through this, she's smiling her cheerful fucking grin and no doubt wishing I would fuck off.

At least 3 weeks for a simple repair and a known fault on this bloody handset. I mean - I could probably do this job my bloody self - but felt it was better to not void the phones warranty. 

My frustration really is that it is not a complex job. In a repair centre, they will not bother to even re-solder the affected component. Just replace the board.

This - for a professional cannot take more than - lets call it an hour, including testing and wiping my fucking data - even though it's not needed.

If you then take into account a day each way for transport - I still make that 456 hours - in which my phone will be sitting as an expensive paperweight. And that's apparently the minimum!

What a bloody saga!

Rant over.

Rant 10 - 10/1/12 Subject: Planned Obsolescence

Well - if nothing else I've made it to double figures!

Rant number 10

As discussed earlier in the week my phone is broken - which has really pissed me off.

It's also got me thinking about the deliberate & planned obsolescence which is present in so many of the products we buy today.

Now - to clarify for anyone who is not familiar with the term; planned obsolescence in a product is the practice of manufacturing something with a specific useful life cycle in mind. Once this is exceeded - the product will break, one way or another - forcing you to buy another.

Ipso facto: you are not buying a product - you are renting it - until it becomes as useful as a house brick.

Mobile phones (as with my bloody phone,) are a prime example of this. 

My last phone for instance - came up to its 2 year contracts completion and, because I was about to be made redundant - I decided to not upgrade. I went instead for a cheap residual contract of minutes and texts only.

If I remember rightly - the phone made it a further 3 weeks before it practically disintegrated.

Now as luck may have it, I did have a new job by this point and was able to get a shiny upgrade to my current (crappy) phone. 

Not quite 2 years later - here we are again.

Maybe its just that I don't look after them with the appropriate kid gloves that they deserve? 

I presume that the correct way to use your phone is to wrap it in cotton wool, bubble wrap, packing peanuts and bury it in an ebony box (under a full moon of course.)

Other examples are items which use rechargeable batteries. I have literally lost track of the amount of cordless phones that won't charge any more for instance.

I genuinely do not mind true obsolescence through innovation. That is how we as humans move forward. 

My first mobile phone (a Nokia 3310 - purchased for me for Christmas when I was around 13!) for instance had a LED screen in fetching green & black, buttons and - on top of the standard ability to deal with calls and - mightiest of all, snake 2 (on which I spent many an hour.)

This product would now be - quite fairly obsolete. In the modern world it would be outclassed and out-gunned by even the cheapest of modern phones.

This is an acceptable part of technological evolution.

What annoys me is being cheated! All manufacturers do it I'm sure- but phone companies seem to make it the most obvious.

Bastards

Rant over.