An 'I don't believe it' moment....

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,318
1,989
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Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
Am I missing something? A thread moaning about IT and using IT to do so!

However, I'm on the same wavelength and share the love/hate feelings. I sometimes wonder how I managed for the first 55years of my life. I'm so glad emails weren't around when I was stopping working. I still relish sitting up on Newmarket Heath between two difficult meetings in the knowledge that no-one knew where I was, couldn't contact me and I could have an hour of peace and solitude. I view elder son's constant worldwide work
mobile contact with horror.

As to the OP's point, I recall being telephoned by a colleague with a PhD wanting to take over my work related flat when my contract expired to enquire if it had a telephone installed.
 
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GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
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A friend has paid a monthly bill by phone for the last 20 years. Recently he was told he would have to pay online. After explaining he couldn't do that, he now pays by putting a cheque in the post. How retro is that ?
 
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saxonaxe

Settler
Sep 29, 2018
512
1,214
80
SW Wales
The secret is, I always try to view some of the irritations of the modern technological world with amusement. Not gentlemanly behaviour on my part I agree, but to see a young woman holding a huge mobile 'phone, texting furiously with one thumb while she tried to drag a two wheeled shopping trolley through the automatic doors behind her ( which had closed on the trolley ) I found really funny.
On reflection the message was probably one of the life and death Face Book replies, "Yes, we're having beans on toast for tea".....:D

Twelve years ago thanks to the distant presence of a Tropical Revolving storm, in mountainous seas and after 30 hours without sleep I managed to stuff my yacht onto a reef in the Bahamas. Triggering an Epirb (Emergency position indicating Radio Beacon) brought the US Coast Guard Helicopter to pluck me off the pimple of sand/Coral that I managed to hang onto for 40 minutes.

Technology.......Epirb signal to Satellite, Satellite signal to Falmouth Coast Guard control Centre, They telephone US Coast Guard in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and with a bit of magnificent flying, well Hovering, in Hurricane force winds Sax gets a lift in a steel rescue stretcher.

Technology? Believe me I'm all in favour....I love it.......:laugh: :laugh:
 

GuestD

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 10, 2019
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Did you know that coach drivers were equipped with extra long whips so as they could give men on modern penny farthings a good thrashing on the way past because they frightened the horses ?
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I think they introduced speed restrictions for motorcars so it did not scare the horses?
We still have speed restrictions for motor cars. Very few horses though. Shows how slow the States are in adopting to new realities.....
 

Robbi

Banned
Mar 1, 2009
10,253
1,046
northern ireland
It is true. Rare Earth metals mined in a destructive way, using ultra cheap labour in the Far East, built in the same place with similar labour. Lasts only a couple of years, then ends up somewhere where the environment is their least concern...

But then I also feel (a little bit) bad about driving vehicles with engines with many equine units, guzzling liquid hydrocarbons. Not much bad feel though, not much.
At least the vehicles were built by a wellpaid, proud workforce.

You misunderstand Janne, the. Ouch was me biting my tongue !
 
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demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
785
-------------
I'm happy enough with technology that helps me but pretty stubborn about people harvesting my details just so they can spam me with marketing junk.

Like buying something from Halfords, Machine Mart, and Screwfix. I get the "Whats your email address?" question, to which my answer is either "You don't need it" or just plain "No".

Screwfix staff really struggle with it and I don't mind waiting while they work their system out, they say " You'll need to keep your reciept to return a defective item".

Oh really, like the reciept I need to keep to show my accountant anyway?
 
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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Almost every place we visit ( shopping) in the US ask that at the till.
We just say ‘we are visiting tourists’.

Some companies must have a deal with Yahoo. It does not matter how many times I put those emails in the Spam, it does not stop them.
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
479
derbyshire
I'm happy enough with technology that helps me but pretty stubborn about people harvesting my details just so they can spam me with marketing junk.

Like buying something from Halfords, Machine Mart, and Screwfix. I get the "Whats your email address?" question, to which my answer is either "You don't need it" or just plain "No".

Screwfix staff really struggle with it and I don't mind waiting while they work their system out, they say " You'll need to keep your reciept to return a defective item".

Oh really, like the reciept I need to keep to show my accountant anyway?

Oooh that one does annoy me I must admit.
Not so much that they ask it's irritating but easy to simply say no.
It's the fact they sometimes almost argue with me or can't fathom how to complete the transaction after my polite refusal.
I've come to a shop in person and paying cash. You really don't need my personal information at this point
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
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Exmoor
Went on a local ghost walk tonight for a bit of fun. Three people were walking about with their phones in their hands staring into them as we walked about. The crazy thing was.... they were not teenagers! They must have been in their 30s or early 40s. Aaargh! Why????
 

Keith_Beef

Native
Sep 9, 2003
1,399
284
55
Yvelines, north-west of Paris, France.
Went on a local ghost walk tonight for a bit of fun. Three people were walking about with their phones in their hands staring into them as we walked about. The crazy thing was.... they were not teenagers! They must have been in their 30s or early 40s. Aaargh! Why????

I see a lot of people like this on my way to and from work. The women for the most part looking at instagram or pinterest collections of clothing, make-up or shoes or are on shopping apps; a few are playing candy crush or bejewelled or are watching a film. The blokes are all watching films or playing games.
 

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