Consumer surveys

Today I left work at 2pm and popped into the Co-op to get something for lunch.  Ideally, I wanted a sausage roll or a pastie or something else from their hot counter.  The hot counter was empty.  So I bought a packet of ham, some pate and a baguette.  Oh, and some cheese because I wanted to make some cheese sauce tonight and I didn't think I had enough.


On leaving the Co-op I was accosted by a consumer interviewer who incidentally didn't even ask me if I'd mind asking some questions proceeded to fire questions at me about the Co-op:


These questionnaires are totally ridiculous.


The Co-op that I went to today is OK.  That's all - it's OK.


I wouldn't go there for my weekly shop.  I popped in because it was the only shop on my way home.


I don't particularly like the Co-op.  The main reason I don't like the Co-op is because it's 'sell by' dates are non existent.  Every time I attempt to buy meat or any other fresh food, etc from the Co-op they only have a one or two day shelf life.


I didn't get asked that question in the numerous ridiculous questions that I did get asked.


The other reason I don't shop in the particular Co-op that I went into today is because it's car park is an absolute nightmare.  There's probably about 8 parking spaces but getting in & out of them if the car park is full is pretty much impossible so if I'm heading there and I see that the car park has more than a couple of cars in there I just don't bother going.


Did 'consumer questionnaire person' ask me about the car park??  Of course she didn't!!!


I was asked really stupid questions like:


On a scale of 1-10:


Are the shelves well stocked.
Are you buying stuff for your dinner tonight.
Have you bought fruit & veg today.
Are our staff friendly.
Are the aisles wide enough.


Actually the above statements are a lot more informative than what I was actually asked???  And my answers to all of the above statement would have been 'NO'.


I said to 'consumer questionnaire person' that I's just popped in to get something for lunch.  I couldn't answer any of her questions.  She didn't care.  She just wanted to tick a few boxes on her clipboard.


Actually this whole thing has made me so mad, well I am a ranting middle aged spinster, I might contact the Co-op and tell them their questionnaire isn't really giving them a realistic view of their shop.


I got the impression that 'consumer questionnaire person' was just stood there filling in her forms so that she could get paid.


I told her that I thought all the questions were really ambiguous.  She agreed but she still kept asking me questions.  And then, after more than 5 mins she handed me a form which apparently told me that they weren't going to use any of my contact details.


I said, 'But I haven't given you any contact details'.  At which point she asked for my name, address & phone number???!!!   GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Bank Holiday Weekends

Today's rant is going to be about Bank Holiday Weekends.


This afternoon I had the radio on and all the DJ kept saying was, 'It's the start of a 3-day weekend.'  If he said it once he said it a million OK slight exaggeration times.


I was listening to a local radio station.  I live in the Southwest.  Most people in the Southwest are employed in the tourism industry.  People who work in the tourism industry work seven days a week, 365 days a year. 


Bank Holiday Weekends are the tourism trades busiest times. 


Local radio stations should know that and stop winding us all up.  To be fair a lot of people had contacted the radio station to say that they were working and the DJ did then mention them - but he still kept saying it was a 3 day weekend.


I haven't had two days off in a row since February and it's doing my head in hearing all this rubbish on the radio.


This Bank Holiday Weekend, I'm working all day tomorrow and will also be working most of Monday.  Personally, I think I should be getting paid double for working on a Bank Holiday - but I'm not.  It's just accepted that a Bank Holiday is just like any other day.  I normally work on a Monday so work on a Monday I have to do??? 


Guess I'd better do a bit of googling to find out exactly what my 'rights' are???


And here endth this RANT!!!

Car Parking - take 2

Normally I'm quite a placid sort of person.  I don't do confrontation.  I HATE CONFRONTATION.








..............And I wasn't going to RANT about this..........................  BUT...........................








...............A few weeks later and I'm still really angry.   Grrrrrr!!!!!










I live in a small seaside town in the South West where parking is extremely difficult.  I'm very, very, lucky to have an allocated parking space in a resident car park in front of my home.








I've lived here for 12 years.








There are 12 properties where I live.  6 properties which occupy the ground floor, overlooking the car park.  And  6 properties on an upper level that have sea views & balconies  We all have an allocated parking space.  Very lucky people.












However a problem has arisen whereby one of the downstairs owners is getting a bit stressed out because her only view is of a car park and lots of cars.  I have to ask the question - if you don't want to see cars, why on earth would you purchase a property that has it's main window overlooking a car park????




Anyway, after me living here for 12 years (I think she's been here for about 17), she's suddenly decided to go into rant mode and I thought I was the only ranting person on blog and have a go at all my friends who have dared to park in front of her window.






The problem is....................  Another resident has had an extra car parked in our car park for about 6 months.




It's not blocking anyone else in.  It's not making it difficult for anyone else to get in or out. 


But........... it's not in an allocated space.  Each property ONLY has ONE car parking space.




However, myself and 'Extra car person'  do have 'space' whereby our visitors can park behind our cars thus blocking us in but not impending on any of the other 10 parking spaces in the car park.


For 12 years, visitors to my house have just pulled up behind my car knowing that they're not blocking anyone else in apart from me.




Now................... all of a sudden my downstairs neighbour is spending her whole life just looking out of her window which overlooks a car park and is having a real go at my friends for parking where they've always parked.




This is seriously doing my head in!!!!




To explain.........................................




In the car park there is space for a car to park behind me and block me in.  Even though I've had a lot of friends/family to stay over the last 12 years I have never, ever, allowed them to do this until last year.  I've known that 'downstairs neighbour' doesn't like it so I've not done it???




However, last year my sister came for 3 days.  She arrived on a Sunday afternoon, parked behind my car, (thus spoiling downstairs neighbours view - she hasn't got a view, her house looks over a car park) I went to work at 8.30am on Mon, Tues, Wed. (So only one car was in my space).  Came home just after 2pm each day and by 2.30pm was out again.  Came back about 5pm-ish - so actually there was only two cars there overnight for 3 days.  Sister left on the Wednesday.




What makes me really mad is......................................




Friends that come to visit me actually think they're being considerate by parking their car right behind mine.  They drive into my car park and park their cars behind mine because they're not actually blocking anyone else in.  If I was a visitor visiting me I would do the same.  In fact, one of the staff of the managing agent of our building, actually came and knocked on my door last summer and asked if she could park behind my car because she was visiting other properties in the area and couldn't find anywhere else to park??  I wasn't going anywhere.  So obviously I said it was OK.


And then on 'Good Friday' this year another neighbour came and asked me if I was going out and did I mind if their friends blocked me in.  I wasn't going out so said I didn't have a problem with it but that downstairs neighbour did.  A couple of hours later I looked out the window and saw that there was a car parked across mine and my next door neighbours car, thus blocking both of us in.  I wrongly assumed that downstairs neighbour had told them to park like that (because her daughter parked like that a couple of years ago - though as it was at the other side of the car park it obviously didn't impact on her 'view').  She hadn't and when I went out to put stuff in my car she immediately appeared???


And what makes me even madder.............. is downstairs neighbour sits by her window all day long and then as soon as she sees someone parking where she doesn't think they should be (ie in front of her window) ............... she pops out and has a go at them.  One of my friends has actually been parking behind my car for the last 12 years??? (Though I only found that out recently).  He's never here for longer than half an hour but now 'downstairs neighbour' has told him that he has to park in the 'middle' which is right in front of someone else's window?????


It just seems like - there's six houses overlooking the car park but as long as she doesn't have a car right in front of her window then it doesn't matter if other people do??  How selfish???


As far as I'm concerned........................  If you don't want to see cars........................  Don't buy a house that overlooks a car park.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........................