good on you Nirvana, and good luck to you.

Plumbing 101. I was a welder and pipefitter most of my life. An old man once told me. "To be a plumber all ya have to do is remember shit runs down hill 1/8" drop per foot of line."

me. I'm pissing me off this time. Sat here crying and feeling sorry for myself because there's so much shit to do and only me to do it isn't making it any better. No-one else gives a shit so it has to be me who makes me better but I'm just running out of will. I keep trying to write this, I guess as much for therapy as anything, but it times me out. I give up.

Sorry, anon. I hope you feel better.

You got something out, at least. One tiny success at a time, that's how we all drag ourselves kicking and screaming through life. It's okay to cry.

anon- pm me if I can help. so many have helped me and I believe in passing it forward

Obviously I don't what's going on, but I would suggest you check to make sure all of your efforts are directed at making you better. All to common for someone to be directing too large a share of their efforts cleaning up other peoples shit, and neglecting themselves.

If its christmas preparations that are causing the trouble, then maybe just stop. If they dont care, then just dont do it.

What is pissing you off this time?
 

Well, since you ask...

Back in 2012 some dozy lad reversed his car into mine. Net result severe crease in offside back door and just under £1,000 worth of damage. (About $1,600). I was stationary and just about to move off when the prang occurred. Despite my insurer's herculean efforts to the contrary, it was reasonably easy to sort out, but then the fun started.
I have been driven to distraction by phone calls from so called 'Claims Management' companies. A less forgiving individual than me would describe them as leeches, vultures, hyaenas and all round pains in the fundament. They have tried to get me to claim for 'discomfort' and 'invisible bruising'. I am having some difficulty with the concept of 'invisible bruising' but I'm not a medical man so we'll just let that pass.

I am tired beyond all imagining of telling them that I have no grounds on which to make a claim. I have tried being well mannered, being thoroughly bloody rude and everything in between but still the calls come. I don't have much cause to use my mobile phone and when I am at home it is switched off. When it is switched on generally, if the display shows no number, or an unrecognised number, I don't answer. Interestingly, somehow they spoof the caller's number and the phone will show a call as being from any one of multiple locations within the UK. The giveaway is that the last three digits are always the same. Anyone know how this is done?

Anyway, one poor soul has had a victory over the forces of darkness and wasted their time.



The scammers are mostly based in the Liverpool area and, with the best will in the world, the local accent can present difficulties for the uninitiated. Subtitles are thoughtfully provided. I realise that these pranks are not to everyone's taste, but I think that the first of the two calls is worth listening to. It was an inspired move to bring his dog into the story at about the three minute mark.

Anyway, if you have been, thanks for reading.

Carruthers, first let me say, I'm glad you weren't injured in the accident and I'm glad you did get it sorted with the insurance company. Also, (perversely) I'm glad you posted this story and the video. I found it enormously entertaining, thank you.

I am sorry your scent has been picked up by these carrion-feeders (not that you're carrion, that didn't come out like I'd hoped, please forgive me). I've had similar experiences with scammers/relentless salespeople who won't take fuck-off/go to hell/die in a fire for an answer. It seems they are energized by such resistance. I like how the Major scored a victory over them by stealing from them a chunk of their time for no reward to them. Yay for the good guys. I liked listening to the strategies the scammer tried to employ, mostly based on his faith in the Major's greed, the chance to get something for nothing. Reassuringly, this didn't work (several times). He then makes appeal to the Major's (absent) sense of desire to conform (Mrs B has claimed, why not you), to the Major's sense of helpfulness (I just want to close this file, won't you help by xyz), to the Major's sense of self preservation (doncha want the calls to stop?, then just agree to xyz). Cheers to the Major.

I realize stopping these kinds of calls is impossible. Stopping ONE outfit, that's possible, though maybe difficult. I do wish them their just desserts though, fuckers.

You're welcome, and thanks for posting!

Thanks for your thanks, BigV!

I'm not confrontational by nature and find it difficult to give them words of 'discouragement'. However, they did catch me off guard one day and I eventually told them, in somewhat forceful terms, that what they were proposing was fraud and I wasn't going to be party to a criminal conspiracy. It made me feel a little better, but not for long.

I have yet to 'go nuclear' but I'm conscious of the fact that it would probably have a negative effect on my sense of well being if I told them that they might like to indulge their interest in sex and travel, so to speak. :mad:

All the best,

Carruthers

One of my former police officers and another officer were engaged in an armed conflict with robbers this afternoon. One of the officers just died and I don't know which one yet.

I guess it won't matter to most of you since all local cops are inept or they were cave men and should have sat down and discussed feelings with the poor disadvantaged robbers

What they needed to do was shoot them in the head before the bad guys could shoot back. Thief's are not tolerated. I hope the surviving Officer is OK.

I'm sorry, Sarge.