Modern Life Is Rubbish

[Resident]

2 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

Maybe many people do not know this but electricity is not actually that dangerous, you would have to be incredibly unlucky to die from a mains shock, and consequently very few people do. I was a TV engineer for about 15 years and had loads of shocks, 

 I mean, this kinda explains a lot tbh. 

I've been working with electricity for nigh on 20 years and yet to have a single shock. I assume that's because I have some semblence of competency rather than luck.

[Chekhov]

4 minutes ago, Resident said:

 I mean, this kinda explains a lot tbh. 

I've been working with electricity for nigh on 20 years and yet to have a single shock. I assume that's because I have some semblence of competency rather than luck.

If you have been working with electricity for 20 years unless you are incredibly lucky I cannot believe you haven't had a mains shock. Every TV engineer I ever worked with regularly got them. It's more likely you didn't even realise you'd had one....

Edited May 31, 2022 by Chekhov

[trastrick]

Just now, Anna B said:

Impressive and inspirational! (I'd like to say 'well done you!' but don't want to sound patronising..)

 

I see you left school at 14 which (respectfully) puts you in a certain age bracket. Do you think things were less regulated and therefore a bit easier then? (And I'm not saying for one minute that it was easy!)  I do think things have tightened up considerably of late, and people are less able to escape but really, what do I know?

Confidence to plough your own furrow is an amazing quality, and should be encouraged, but it isn't.

What do you think?

 

I do hope you've written a book, or are passing on your knowledge and experience in some way. The next generation. needs role models like you. 

My single Mom said she asked the school, why I failed the Eleven Plus (twice) when I was top of my class and went on to become Head Boy.

 

They said I had enough points to go to grammar school, but she wouldn't be able to afford me the things I needed, and seeing as how she had no financial, support it would be better for all, if I got a trade to help her practically. I don't argue with their reasoning, they meant well.

 

I believe in live and let live Anna.

 

Remember we agreed a long time ago, that satisfaction comes from trying to leave the world a little better than we found it?

 

Problem is, everybody has their own belief in how to do that, so here we are at checkmate! 

 

I was fortunate enough to be able to pass along life advice to a few bright students, and people I met along the way, but to be honest most couldn't be "arseked".

 

I still hear from a few people in my life who did listen. Satisfaction enough.

 

Now I live a life of harmony with my local community, and my only vice is here, on this forum, engaging with fellow Sheffielders who think my experience is all 'boll***" and "tripe".

 

It's a hobby that keeps my creative juices flowing! 

 

Thanks for the kind words.

[melthebell]

13 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

OMG ! ! ! Talking of disproportionate over cautious modern BS..... And this will probably be foisted on all houses sooner or later so read up.

A friend who is a landlord has just informed me of the requirement for an EICR inspection of the electrics in all rental properties every five years.

Seems reasonable ?

Not really.

It's about £150 a go, that's £30 a year, every year. If there are 10 million rental properties in the UK (incl Council etc) that £300 million a year. That's nearly a third of a Billion pounds, every year......

Even more ridiculous it is, apparently, also required on change of tenancy. So, even if the property has been inspected only a few months before, if a new tenant comes in that's another £150 inspection required ! ! ! ! !

My mate got stung for nearly  £1000 of work, despite the electrician admitting the installation was not dangerous it just wasn't "up to the latest regulations", it had normal fuses rather than trip switches but the former are perfectly safe, my house has fuses and I do not stay awake at night worrying about it, fuse boards have been fine for a hundred years or so.

 

Disproportionate big time : More of this "any amount of money (or regulation, or bans) is reasonable to potentially save one life", even if that money would save far more lives being spent in the NHS than wasted in unnecessary electrical inspections.

 

Maybe many people do not know this but electricity is not actually that dangerous, I am talking 240V mains here, not industrial three phase.  You would have to be incredibly unlucky to die from a domestic mains shock, and consequently very few people do. I was a TV engineer for about 15 years and had loads of shocks, and I'm still here....

Self self self again

27 minutes ago, Mr Bloke said:

Oh dear!

 

Whatever it is, it's catching!

Think we caught it off checkov, we didn't have vaccine you see

[Chekhov]

8 minutes ago, melthebell said:

Self self self again

In what way ?

I am arguing that a third a Billion pounds spent on largely unnecessary electrical inspections is a waste of huge amounts of money. 

Further, if they really were bothered about saving as many lives as possible they'd be far better off spending that money (or even just a third of it, a mere £100 million a year) on the NHS.

So, I ask again, how is that selfish ?

[melthebell]

13 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

In what way ?

I am arguing that a third a Billion pounds spent on largely unnecessary electrical inspections is a waste of huge amounts of money. 

Further, if they really were bothered about saving as many lives as possible they'd be far better off spending that money (or even just a third of it, a mere £100 million a year) on the NHS.

So, I ask again, how is that selfish ?

Because it's all I did this, I didn't do that, my mate this, my mate that

[Chekhov]

26 minutes ago, Chekhov said:

In what way ?

I am arguing that a third a Billion pounds spent on largely unnecessary electrical inspections is a waste of huge amounts of money. 

Further, if they really were bothered about saving as many lives as possible they'd be far better off spending that money (or even just a third of it, a mere £100 million a year) on the NHS.

So, I ask again, how is that selfish ?

 

12 minutes ago, melthebell said:

Because it's all I did this, I didn't do that, my mate this, my mate that

How is that answering my question, which I will ask again, how is my post "selfish" ?

 

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1 hour ago, Chekhov said:

But in actual fact there are parallels between what happened with Covid and this. "There is no such thing as disproportionate when it comes to the possibility of saving a life" (however rare that might be in this case), anything, no matter how draconian or unprecedented, is acceptable. And, in fact, anyone arguing against that is "selfish"

Right on cue, Mr Meltman proves my point.

38 minutes ago, melthebell said:

Self self self again

One does wonder whether all these people who apparently think it proportionate to spend £300 million on marginally reducing an already very small risk would feel the same if they were paying it ?

 

Just saying....... 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Chekhov

[Tyke02]

1 hour ago, Chekhov said:

OMG ! ! ! Talking of disproportionate over cautious modern BS..... And this will probably be foisted on all houses sooner or later so read up.

A friend who is a landlord has just informed me of the requirement for an EICR inspection of the electrics in all rental properties every five years.

Seems reasonable ?

Not really.

It's about £150 a go, that's £30 a year, every year. If there are 10 million rental properties in the UK (incl Council etc) that £300 million a year. That's nearly a third of a Billion pounds, every year......

Even more ridiculous it is, apparently, also required on change of tenancy. So, even if the property has been inspected only a few months before, if a new tenant comes in that's another £150 inspection required ! ! ! ! !

If that's the  Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations then they have been in force for a couple of years: https://www.nrla.org.uk/resources/looking-after-your-property/electrical-safety-inspections. As a landlord yourself didn't you already know that?

 

I think you've been misinformed a bit though. Those regs only cover private rentals, so about 4.8 million. I've seen ads around here for people to do the work and issue a certificate for £80, so your mate may have been overcharged. There isn't a requirement to repeat the test on change of tenant as far as I can see, just to give the new tenant a copy of the certificate. 

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Tyke02 said:

If that's the  Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations then they have been in force for a couple of years: https://www.nrla.org.uk/resources/looking-after-your-property/electrical-safety-inspections. As a landlord yourself didn't you already know that?

 

I think you've been misinformed a bit though. Those regs only cover private rentals, so about 4.8 million. I've seen ads around here for people to do the work and issue a certificate for £80, so your mate may have been overcharged. There isn't a requirement to repeat the test on change of tenant as far as I can see, just to give the new tenant a copy of the certificate. 

Why should they only cover private rents ? Are they saying Council and Housing Assoc tenants don't require them because they are somehow immune from electrical shock (even if it is an exaggerated danger anyway) ?  If so it's an even bigger load of cobblers than I thought before.

Still, it increases the amount of work for Sparkies, so at least they'll be happy.

 

>>There isn't a requirement to repeat the test on change of tenant as far as I can see, just to give the new tenant a copy of the certificate.<<

I'm only repeating what his electrician told him. Are you sure ?

Edited May 31, 2022 by Chekhov

[melthebell]

Another one for checkov to get his knickers in a twist over.

Greenking aren't allowed to charge 1952 prices for Pints for the jubilee because of licensing

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/greene-king-giving-away-free-pints-to-mark-platinum-jubilee-after-being-told-it-cannot-charge-6p-each-12624290