Room 101

[woodbar]

Oh, and I forgot, the worst culprit is LG - the last update for my TV OS is an absolutely shocking mis-mash and looks terrible - I honestly thought it was corrupted the first couple of times I pressed the "Home" button!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Not the end of the world, but I found myself irritated by a Range Rover driver today. I was on the sliproad to a dual carriageway, and the RR was the only vehicle on it. I understand I have no right of way but if the roles had been reversed, I'd have pulled into the overtaking lane to let her join unimpeded. Courtesy was not reciprocated.

 

[woodbar]

Not the end of the world, but I found myself irritated by a Range Rover driver today. I was on the sliproad to a dual carriageway, and the RR was the only vehicle on it. I understand I have no right of way but if the roles had been reversed, I'd have pulled into the overtaking lane to let her join unimpeded. Courtesy was not reciprocated.

Ah, I understand when you quoted "her".

She probably did not even notice you or had the foresight that you could have joined the main carriageway anyway?

Courtesy is getting rare these days - I was out with an old friend of mine the other day and I realised that he did not acknowledge any other driver who gave way to him, around parked cars etc., in any way at all? I was quite shocked really.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Not the end of the world, but I found myself irritated by a Range Rover driver today. I was on the sliproad to a dual carriageway, and the RR was the only vehicle on it. I understand I have no right of way but if the roles had been reversed, I'd have pulled into the overtaking lane to let her join unimpeded. Courtesy was not reciprocated.

I'm the same as you, although we are not supposed to if there is nothing at the side of me and someone is joining i will move over. Someone the other day took it to extremes, I was joining a motorway and the inside lane was quite busy so I slowed down to get in behind the car that was parallel to me, they couldn't move over, so they slowed down, I slowed a bit more so they did, reducing the gap to the car behind them. Im sat there thinking "you are not supposed to do that, it's up to me".
Fortunately with slowing down the gap in front of them increased so I had to just floor it and join right at the very end of the slip road.

 

[woodbar]

I'm the same as you, although we are not supposed to if there is nothing at the side of me and someone is joining i will move over. Someone the other day took it to extremes, I was joining a motorway and the inside lane was quite busy so I slowed down to get in behind the car that was parallel to me, they couldn't move over, so they slowed down, I slowed a bit more so they did, reducing the gap to the car behind them. Im sat there thinking "you are not supposed to do that, it's up to me".
Fortunately with slowing down the gap in front of them increased so I had to just floor it and join right at the very end of the slip road.

That's the same sort of driver that when you go to overtake them, on a perfectly clear straight road, they suddenly brake just as you are starting the manoeuvre - why? Obviously they have seen you in their mirror so they are not totally numb to the surroundings?

Why I now leave an extra amount of gap to actually accelerate and steer before an overtake - in case it one of those types in front!

 

[Cricketbat70]

I would like to nominate my local council - Pendle - for room 101, although by all accounts its not just my council that need to be in room 101 for this particular reason. So food waste collection was supposed to start 1st of April. On our street we still havent got our food waste bins although the street that runs across the top of our street got theirs at the beginning of March. I came home from work and saw them all by the front doors, looked down our street not a single bin. I asked Rach if she'd put the bin in the garage and she said no we havent got ours. So I waited thinking we will get ours nearer the time. I've had to go on the councils website and order the bins and surprise surprise "we are an idiot council and didnt deliver your bin" is not an option on the list of reasons you want to order a bin the options are "lost/stolen or damaged"
How long have councils had to get ready for this!!!!!!

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

The house selling process. Regulars might recall my dad died in March of last year. Took us months to get the place into shape to sell, and first buyer pulled out abruptly after four months in the legal system. Second buyer's offer accepted a month ago, since which precisely nothing has happened as she hasn't paid her legal fees. Feeling deeply dispirited about the whole thing - time for an ultimatum, I think.

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

I would like to nominate my local council - Pendle - for room 101, although by all accounts its not just my council that need to be in room 101 for this particular reason. So food waste collection was supposed to start 1st of April. On our street we still havent got our food waste bins although the street that runs across the top of our street got theirs at the beginning of March. I came home from work and saw them all by the front doors, looked down our street not a single bin. I asked Rach if she'd put the bin in the garage and she said no we havent got ours. So I waited thinking we will get ours nearer the time. I've had to go on the councils website and order the bins and surprise surprise "we are an idiot council and didnt deliver your bin" is not an option on the list of reasons you want to order a bin the options are "lost/stolen or damaged"
How long have councils had to get ready for this!!!!!!

The council have been collecting food waste, here in Somerset, for years. Almost all our food waste is vegetable trimmings and peelings together with tea leaves and, that all goes in the compost bin.

 

[Cricketbat70]

These annoying lugs that seem to be attached to the top of the lenses of my new glasses. Constantly in my vision. I walked out of the opticians on Saturday thinking I had a bit of cotton or a bug caught in the top of my glasses. These lugs weren't on the plain lenses when I picked these frames.

 

[DougK1]

These annoying lugs that seem to be attached to the top of the lenses of my new glasses. Constantly in my vision. I walked out of the opticians on Saturday thinking I had a bit of cotton or a bug caught in the top of my glasses. These lugs weren't on the plain lenses when I picked these frames.

Never seen anything like that before, very annoying as they're in the field of view. I'd take them back to the opticians.

 

[woodbar]

These annoying lugs that seem to be attached to the top of the lenses of my new glasses. Constantly in my vision. I walked out of the opticians on Saturday thinking I had a bit of cotton or a bug caught in the top of my glasses. These lugs weren't on the plain lenses when I picked these frames.

Should have gone to............ 👓💷 😀

It is very annoying though - I tried a pair of frameless last time which seemed a good idea but I could always see the actual joint to the lens and was unable to ignore it - seemed far worse than having a frame which you seem more able to not notice? Luckily they changed them over for me to a pair of half-frames which are OK.

Took me 10 visits to eventually get a new pair of varifocals that were acceptable! This involved 3 eye tests, 2 different makes of lenses, multiple remakes to set the lens height in the frame and overall 2.5 months! That is an all time record, usually accomplished in 2 - 4 visits but I refuse to accept them if they are not exactly right as they cost enough!

 

[Cricketbat70]

Should have gone to............ 👓💷 😀

It is very annoying though - I tried a pair of frameless last time which seemed a good idea but I could always see the actual joint to the lens and was unable to ignore it - seemed far worse than having a frame which you seem more able to not notice? Luckily they changed them over for me to a pair of half-frames which are OK.

Took me 10 visits to eventually get a new pair of varifocals that were acceptable! This involved 3 eye tests, 2 different makes of lenses, multiple remakes to set the lens height in the frame and overall 2.5 months! That is an all time record, usually accomplished in 2 - 4 visits but I refuse to accept them if they are not exactly right as they cost enough!

I have been going to spec savers for over 20 years but the last few times I've been I've not been happy. The staff had changed all the old staff had gone and the eye test I had my last visit I just didnt think was thorough enough. It just felt like they wanted to get as many through possible in the shortest time. I've never felt that the lenses I got as a result of that last eye test were right, always getting eyestrain. So I booked an early examination at a branch of vision express that is actually in my town not the 10 miles I've been travelling to specsavers. As soon as I put these new glasses on they felt so much better, just these annoying lugs at the top of my lenses. I'll get used to it.

 

[woodbar]

I have been going to spec savers for over 20 years but the last few times I've been I've not been happy. The staff had changed all the old staff had gone and the eye test I had my last visit I just didnt think was thorough enough. It just felt like they wanted to get as many through possible in the shortest time. I've never felt that the lenses I got as a result of that last eye test were right, always getting eyestrain. So I booked an early examination at a branch of vision express that is actually in my town not the 10 miles I've been travelling to specsavers. As soon as I put these new glasses on they felt so much better, just these annoying lugs at the top of my lenses. I'll get used to it.

Well, call me a grumpy old sod, but it seems standards and training in many areas have gone down in the last few years and I agree that includes Specsavers. Luckily, at the branch (franchise) I use there are still two of the original staff there that try and give a good service but they are hindered by company policy shortcuts!

For example I asked if, as I had chosen a fairly tall frame, the varifocal array would also be made taller which would inherently increase the versatility of finding the focus point when in use. The answer, they can be made to a range of sizes BUT we only use one size as standard! Cheaper price from the lens manufacturers I expect?

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

Well, call me a grumpy old sod, but it seems standards and training in many areas have gone down in the last few years and I agree that includes Specsavers. Luckily, at the branch (franchise) I use there are still two of the original staff there that try and give a good service but they are hindered by company policy shortcuts!

For example I asked if, as I had chosen a fairly tall frame, the varifocal array would also be made taller which would inherently increase the versatility of finding the focus point when in use. The answer, they can be made to a range of sizes BUT we only use one size as standard! Cheaper price from the lens manufacturers I expect?

My last visit to Specsavers was two years ago, Taunton branch. I asked for the distance/top part of the lens to be a little deeper than in the outgoing pair and, it was not a problem. Will see if standards are maintained next time, next year.

 

[Dave_]

My last visit to Specsavers was two years ago, Taunton branch. I asked for the distance/top part of the lens to be a little deeper than in the outgoing pair and, it was not a problem. Will see if standards are maintained next time, next year.

I prefer Vision Express, an altogether better class of service.

But appointments are/have been hard to come by since lockdown, so settle for the cattle market that is Specsavers these days

 

[woodbar]

My last visit to Specsavers was two years ago, Taunton branch. I asked for the distance/top part of the lens to be a little deeper than in the outgoing pair and, it was not a problem. Will see if standards are maintained next time, next year.

That's interesting. Maybe some of the policies are dictated by the franchisee and not totally by Specsavers then. My last visit and the question I asked was in Dec 2025 so reasonably recently.

 

[woodbar]

I prefer Vision Express, an altogether better class of service.

But appointments are/have been hard to come by since lockdown, so settle for the cattle market that is Specsavers these days

I have not tried Vision Express but I have on a couple of occasions tried to break out of the Specsavers loop without much success.

I tried an apparently reputable "high class" opticians in a town near me a few years back. The prices were also "high class" as well! I had already been using varifocals for quite a while by then so I knew what I was looking for. First eye test and glasses - could not focus on distant objects. Second eye test and glasses - now the distance was in focus but nearfield objects with vertical sides, like a PC monitor or kitchen cupboard, had severe slope on any verticals! All monies refunded - went back to.......

A couple of years later I discovered some "all singing all dancing" special varifocal lenses were available (can't remember the brand now - but not available from SS so I tried Boots (Franchise again) and to be fair they made me some glasses which purported to have these wonderful lenses fitted and they almost worked OK. However, when I queried the actual lenses it turned out they were not the ones I thought I was getting, same manufacturer, but a lower quality and price - still £600 though and they did not have the test equipment for the ones I asked for! So aborted that try.

Then I went to a totally independent optician in another town, not too far away and received exemplary service, who checked and double checked the eye test and discussed all possible variables and options at length. Part of the test, for these particular lenses, involved standing in front of tall console with cameras in it and using an iPad with various routines running on the screen whilst the cameras basically recorded your head and eye movements, the results of which would be used to format the design for the lens structure. All clever stuff.

The glasses eventually arrived and were wonderful except I could not focus on distant objects, again! This was discussed at length and another eye test, which gave the same result as before. He suggested he could order the absolute bee knees set of lenses from Japan which would definitely cure the problem. Waited for those to arrive and tried those - still no distance focus!!! We agreed that maybe the way this new system interpreted the results for my eyes was possibly flawed so we decided to call it a day and maybe look again when my next eye test became due.

So, went back to...... you know where because I was in need of some new varifocals by then! At least they are not too expensive and eventually get things nearly right!

Sorry, long post, please ignore if you can't be bothered to read it!