Thursday 30 January 2014

New Boy Toy and a Rant

 
 
Lovely Hubby's new 'boy toy' arrived yesterday.  It was not light ... so why they would send it on a large van with a very small man who could no more pick it up than I could I have no idea.
 
What is wrong with the world when van drivers are expected to deliver packages that weigh more than they do.  There are so many unemployed youngsters at the moment why not have 'drivers mates' again.  For the minimum wage I'm sure lots of delivery companies would get their deliveries done twice as fast and therefore be able to deliver twice as many packages and make twice as much money AND someone would be off the unemployment register!!
 
Rant over!!
 
 
After he had left it on the drive, there was NO WAY of taking it anywhere else, I managed to inch by inch get it to a place where I could hide it from the road by the wheelie bin.  So fingers crossed Lovely Hubby's new boy toy is still there when he gets home!!
 
Sue xx


33 comments:

  1. ... and the Government expect that people will still be able to do physical jobs when they are 67- my hubby is one of them. Whilst he is an incredibly fit almost 52 year old, running 10k several times a week, and still playing 5 a side football, I'm certain that his ability to haul heavy things at work will wane.
    Most delivery drivers are poorly paid too - hubby deals with them a lot at work, and their terms and conditions of work are often appalling.

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  2. Agree totally, there must be many thousands of bored young people on the benefits who would love to do this job for minimum wage, it's got to be better than the weekly giro.

    It's not that many years ago that every driver had a mate, every tradesman as well.

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  3. Don't get me started on this one!!!!! I was asked by a neighbour to open up their house when their new electric fire was delivered. So I went along and the van pulled up, and out jumped an older man who was around 5 foot 3 and 8 stone on a good day. He lowered the enormous, heavy electric fire down on to the handcart and I casually asked him if he was on his own as there were 4 steep steps to get up into the house. Yep, he answers and carts the fire round to the back door, looks at the steps and I ask, "so how do you get it up the steps?". "I'll have to call the company to send another man". The company was based over an hour away which would have meant me hanging around most of the afternoon while they tried to organise another driver to come and help. I'm not very big myself but I said to the man, "To hang with that, you grab one end and I'll take the other". Blooming heck that fire weighed a ton but we got it into the house! Stupid to expect him to have managed it on his own. Can't the companies use their eyes and think that if it can't be loaded on the van by the driver on his own, then how on earth is he going to manage to deliver it on his own!

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  4. There is a complete lack of common sense now & too much cost cutting going on. That aside, I hope your husband enjoys his new man toy.

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  5. I've had a couple of big deliveries in the past day or two and they only sent one chap. Really unfair.

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  6. Just crazy stuff I agree and usually there may only be a woman home so still does not solve the problem of heavy weighted items. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

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  7. This is why unions are important - delivery drivers should be protected and not be pressured into having to lift heavy objects...in the race to the bottom people are being taken advantage of....my husband is a Postman and has been for the last 40 years...they have guidelines on maximum weights etc...I suspect their competitors aren't so worried about the welfare of their workforce.
    Not that you can purchase log splitters from John Lewis (;-) ) but we now buy all our big appliances from them as they always have 2 delivery drivers and have good working conditions.
    I would just like to say I am not a militant lefty, far from it but workers shouldn't just be grateful to have a job they also need to be treated fairly.
    I hope your hubby is pleased with the log splitter....I know I would be!

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  8. I have a neighbour who's away for a few months. She'd asked if I'd let delivery people into her house because she'd ordered a new chair. The company was a small local one and they were magnificent - asked me about convenient time for delivery, changed their schedule to accommodate me and arrived easily able to manoeuvre the tricky shape around to her door. It was so professional and friendly I was amazed. Maybe that's the answer - people who take the time to understand what's needed and act accordingly.

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    Replies
    1. There's a lot to be said for small local companies. Often their success relies on local reputation. Now we live in a village, I find the tradesmen wonderful and they often say that they can't afford to give poor service or their company won't survive because they rely on word of mouth.

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  9. It looks like the log splitter has wheels on it. If you take off the packaging you could wheel it into shelter and out of sight?

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    1. The only shelter we have outdoors is the shed, and it's up one hell of a slope of slippy muddy grass, absolutely impossible for me to get anything up there let alone this sort of weight ... even if it has got wheels on!!

      The box is now hidden from sight and the elements by black plastic bags sellotaped on, it's the best I can do until my Wonder Woman cape arrives :-)

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  10. When our Rayburn stove (2nd hand) came from England, the guy and my 80 year old Mum got it out of his van, up 2 steps and onto the plinth in the kitchen...amazing what you can do with two planks and lots of tea!

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  11. I just realised yesterday that your blog has disappeared from my blog roll. Now that's a very wierd thing and I think it happened on the same day a blog that I had posted vanished. Something weird going on! Anyway I have you back now and have caught up.
    We always borrow a log splitter that goes on a tractor when we need one. Very Handy.

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    Replies
    1. ... and I thought you had just stopped loving me ... Lol.

      My 'boy' won't share toys he likes his own ... it costs us a fortune!!

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  12. The weight that I was moving at work was the main reason that I retired. There were company rules that said anything over 15Kg was a 2 person lift but I was working alone and was expected to lift up to 30 x 25Kg bags every shift. I argued the toss with the powers that be and was told to ask for help. Then was told to justify time loss while I waited for said help to arrive.

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  13. So, if the guy had hurt his back and not been able to move.....
    Jane x

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    1. I would have made him a cup of tea and phoned for an ambulance, and told him to sue the pants off his employers, and I don't agree with all this filing for compensation usually, but he would have had a bloody good case!!

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  14. IMPORTANT

    Please be aware all readers of my Blog and writers of Blogs that I follow that my comments and replies always come with a picture of ME (and my pet cabbage), a picture of my Archie our sadly now deceased black and white cat or a little purple picture box of lavender sprigs. I am NOT the Sue with just the Blogger symbol.

    There has been some confusion in Blogworld and I have had a number of emails about this.

    Maybe the other 'Sue' could find herself a little picture for her comments and replies, so the difference is more noticeable :-)

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad I didn't confuse things even more and use my proper name for my blog . Why OH Why did my mum name me Sue - well Susan really, there are just so many around. I want to be unique!

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    2. Sorry Sue, I am one of the other Sue's out here and hadn't realised it would cause so much confusion - there seem to be a lot of Sues, Suzes and Susans posting comments. Great name though!! I will see what I can do to change my identity. After all, you were here first xx

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    3. I'm another Sue - my mother wanted to name me Wendy but after a prolonged stay in the maternity ward (Bangor) decided that was too popular and named me Susan! At university of the 8 British girls on our course, 4 were called Sue and when I worked in Paris for a year in 1978 I knew 24 other Sue's about my age!

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    4. Sue ... (Blogger Image Sue that is ...) I hope you didn't think I was being funny. It was genuinely causing confusion, I have numerous emails asking which comments were mine, was I commenting twice etc etc Your 'Reply' to someone on this list of comments simply reminded me to say something to readers of my Blog.

      It's nice that we are all identifiable as different people, even if our Mum's all seemed to want a baby called Sue. There are LOADS of Sue's in Blogland, obviously we are a great and loveable band of folk that like to share our love with the world.

      From one Sue to another xx

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    5. We always seem to comment after each other which is confusing. I've been meaning to change from Sue for a while so thanks for the reminder x

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  15. It never fails to surprise me with the lack of common sense so evident in our 'educated' country, your idea of a drivers mate is a damn fine one Sue.

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  16. Common sense died along with self-respect and personal responsibility. Good customer service and consideration for employees are quickly disappearing, also. I am already relating stories with these values to my grandchildren. I feel exactly what you are saying. Hope LH enjoys his very practical toy.

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  17. I hope to see pictures of said Lovely Hubby and his boys toy! It would be rude not to with all the trouble the man who delivered it had delivering it!!

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    1. Oh there will be pictures ..... :-)

      Before he can play with this particular toy though he is busy erecting my 'Chicken Shed' ... much more important :-)

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  18. I've changed my name so hope this avoids confusion. Will try to add a photo later x

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  19. I want to see the log splitter in action when you get it going - it is something we are going to need in the future...so please take a picture of it unwrapped and working!

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    1. Oh I will, I'm a Blogger, my camera is usually within reach :-)

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  20. Someone I know bought an expensive bike which was delivered by a large van with a high tailgate. The driver just dropped the box off. I think my friend made them take it back, as it was very fragile.

    I think my cousin who lives on Anglesey has a log splitter but have a feeling that he and an uncle made it up out of various things, as the uncle has an engineering works (not on Anglesey). Good luck and lots of lovely heat this winter and beyond. I wish we could have a wood burner.

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  21. I really feel for delivery drivers at the moment. Poorly paid for the hours they have to do and some uncaring companies that they have to work for.

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