What pisses you off? Part II: Electric Boogaloo

[stui magpie]

The northern end of the north east link in Watsonia. That would make some sense but I get the same symptoms up in regional NSW.

Still could be. Some of the grasses are pretty common, so wherever hay is being cut and earth turned over.

I think can remember the Metropolitan Ring Road (??) being built out that way. Was that maybe in the late 90s?

I used to love it out that way, especially for bird and wildlife spotting. Is the area around the Plenty River still nice? I used to go for drives out there and on to Kinglake and sometimes Murrindindi Falls.

Has it recovered from the last round of fires? (The fires all blend together in my head, so I can't remember when they last went through Kinglake).

I went through Kinglake last year, no sign of the fires. The land recovers quickly, it''s a beautiful part of the world.

All the construction work for the north east link is quite beggaring in it's scale. Parks have been destroyed, the local footy oval is now a carpark and portables for all the workers to use when they aren't standing around watching a rare person actually working. It's clearly going to go way over budget, I hope they have enough to do all the promised green finishing touches and restore the footy ovals and parks.

[stui magpie]

Nah, logic tells me if iget the saving my GF does, I’ll save 2,400 a year, so 2 years! Besides, it’s good for the environment!

I'm talking about the decision to pay more for a hybrid over the same car with a petrol engine.

She's talking about her saving on her existing car. In which case, the maths is different. It takes way longer to break even if you bought a new car over an existing car - if ever.

If you spend $50,000 on a new car that saves you 2,500 a year, that's 20 years until you break even.

No one ever makes a rational logical decision when buying a car, despite how much they try to rationalise it afterwards.

[What'sinaname]

^ that's true. A car isn't an investment despite financial companies trying to convince people otherwise.

[Presti35]

Centerlink.

Have you tried calling them lately? Not taking calls after 9am. And when we actually did get through, they hung up on me... TWICE.

Have you gone in to talk to someone lately? Lined up out the door and halfway down the street.

Now, you might be reading this thinking I'm being difficult or raising my voice, ow something like that. But that's not the case. They simply cannot answer your questions and dont want to help.

Basically they've stuffed up my parental leave and are making it very difficult to sort out.

[Magpietothemax]

Centerlink.

Have you tried calling them lately? Not taking calls after 9am. And when we actually did get through, they hung up on me... TWICE.

Have you gone in to talk to someone lately? Lined up out the door and halfway down the street.

Now, you might be reading this thinking I'm being difficult or raising my voice, ow something like that. But that's not the case. They simply cannot answer your questions and dont want to help.

Basically they've stuffed up my parental leave and are making it very difficult to sort out.

Yep...millions like you are experiencing the same.
They don't want to help because it is government policy.
The more that the government can prevent people from claiming what is rightfully theirs, the more they can cut from the social expenditure budget and transfer to a) corporate tax concessions, b) military spending.
That is why there is no use complaining, but instead searching for a way to change society.

[think positive]

Nah, logic tells me if iget the saving my GF does, I’ll save 2,400 a year, so 2 years! Besides, it’s good for the environment!

I'm talking about the decision to pay more for a hybrid over the same car with a petrol engine.

She's talking about her saving on her existing car. In which case, the maths is different. It takes way longer to break even if you bought a new car over an existing car - if ever.

If you spend $50,000 on a new car that saves you 2,500 a year, that's 20 years until you break even.

No one ever makes a rational logical decision when buying a car, despite how much they try to rationalise it afterwards.

truth! especially when its the first time you have ever actually picked the thing! My first car was a 9 month old Gemini because I worked at Holden! Ive never had a car for this long, usually hubby comes home with something every few years! And well, no more Holdens!!

You also have to look at the fact my car is getting long in the tooth, in the 12 years I have had it its only had 2 sets of tyres, 1 set of brake pads, 1 battery and oil etc, and since it was the bargain of a lifetime at the auctions, it owes me nothing, and its still worth about 50% of what we paid for it, cos we got it so cheap and ive looked after it but it wont run forever! I'm buying a car because its time to get a more user friendly vehicle, mine is a shoebox!! and also, while we still have a business!! Im not buying a car to get a hybrid, im buying a car for comfort, vision, size, and reliability, hence the Toyota!It has taken me 34 years to forgive the way I was treated when I worked at Toyota head office! sexist bastards!

[think positive]

^ that's true. A car isn't an investment despite financial companies trying to convince people otherwise.

depends what year it is!! for instance, our 67 mustang has doubled in value!

[stui magpie]

I'm talking about the decision to pay more for a hybrid over the same car with a petrol engine.

She's talking about her saving on her existing car. In which case, the maths is different. It takes way longer to break even if you bought a new car over an existing car - if ever.

If you spend $50,000 on a new car that saves you 2,500 a year, that's 20 years until you break even.

No one ever makes a rational logical decision when buying a car, despite how much they try to rationalise it afterwards.

truth! especially when its the first time you have ever actually picked the thing! My first car was a 9 month old Gemini because I worked at Holden! Ive never had a car for this long, usually hubby comes home with something every few years! And well, no more Holdens!!

You also have to look at the fact my car is getting long in the tooth, in the 12 years I have had it its only had 2 sets of tyres, 1 set of brake pads, 1 battery and oil etc, and since it was the bargain of a lifetime at the auctions, it owes me nothing, and its still worth about 50% of what we paid for it, cos we got it so cheap and ive looked after it but it wont run forever! I'm buying a car because its time to get a more user friendly vehicle, mine is a shoebox!! and also, while we still have a business!! Im not buying a car to get a hybrid, im buying a car for comfort, vision, size, and reliability, hence the Toyota!It has taken me 34 years to forgive the way I was treated when I worked at Toyota head office! sexist bastards!

I hear you. When I bought the Cannon I had my heart set on the Ford Ranger, but once I did the comparison, the fully loaded Cannon was half the price. If I win tatts I'll sell it and buy a RAM in a heartbeat.

I wanted a ute, the old Crewman was buggered, I wanted something big I could stick mums mobility scooter in and also (the pipe dream) use to drive up the east coast and camp on the way.

I didn't need it, I wanted it. Emotion ruled logic, although logic had a place in the price.

[stui magpie]

Centerlink.

Have you tried calling them lately? Not taking calls after 9am. And when we actually did get through, they hung up on me... TWICE.

Have you gone in to talk to someone lately? Lined up out the door and halfway down the street.

Now, you might be reading this thinking I'm being difficult or raising my voice, ow something like that. But that's not the case. They simply cannot answer your questions and dont want to help.

Basically they've stuffed up my parental leave and are making it very difficult to sort out.

If you can get past the IVR the staff are actually quite good.

I get a carers payment and a super pension which means I need to regularly update my assets. I did it online, months later it was still hanging, waiting to be processed and since I needed to update again I tried to call.

First call, go through all the bullshit to have the IVR tell me to do it online and hang up. Tried 3 more times, got cut off at the pass, it recognised my CRN number and told me to F Off.

So I had to go a side route. Did some digging on the website, found a number for tech support if you're having troubles with the website. Put the phone on charge and settled back with a beer for at least an hour listening to hold music interspersed with messages reminding me not to crack the shits with the staff if I get through which was ironic as the whole experience is purpose designed to make you lose your shit well before you ever get to speak to a person.

I hung in there, after 45 minutes I got through to a tech support person and explained the problem, they said they'd need to transfer me to a customer support person in the right area. IVR avoided. Another 40 minutes on hold, I got through to a young woman who was extremely helpful, 20 minute call she fixed everything.

The staff are great IF you can actually get to speak to them.

[David]

Agreed with the above.

Centerlink.

Have you tried calling them lately? Not taking calls after 9am. And when we actually did get through, they hung up on me... TWICE.

Have you gone in to talk to someone lately? Lined up out the door and halfway down the street.

Now, you might be reading this thinking I'm being difficult or raising my voice, ow something like that. But that's not the case. They simply cannot answer your questions and dont want to help.

Basically they've stuffed up my parental leave and are making it very difficult to sort out.

I’ve thought for a long time that this is deliberate government policy and that it comes from a desire to make life as difficult as possible for the unemployed and everyone else who’s entitled to benefits. It shouldn’t be this hard to access, and it’s intolerable for it to be so.

[What'sinaname]

I think it has to be designed to be hard to prevent rampant fraud from first and third party fraudsters. If it's too easy, people will take advantage of the vulnerable - the people who are actually entitled - to benefit themselves.

[stui magpie]

^

Nah, the system is designed to have the minimum number of people on the phones that they can have and push everyone online to a seriously clunky app and website.

I recently checked my mums bank account and realised she's being underpaid her age pension. Didn't bother trying to call or take her in. Took me a bit but I set up a MyGov account in her name and then managed to link it to her centrelink account, then went in and reviewed her assets and updated them.

I'm OK cos I can work tech, most people my age can't let alone many younger who are used to just using an app that works without having the skills to troubleshoot and problem solve when it doesn't.

[eddiesmith]

Centerlink.

Have you tried calling them lately? Not taking calls after 9am. And when we actually did get through, they hung up on me... TWICE.

Have you gone in to talk to someone lately? Lined up out the door and halfway down the street.

Now, you might be reading this thinking I'm being difficult or raising my voice, ow something like that. But that's not the case. They simply cannot answer your questions and dont want to help.

Basically they've stuffed up my parental leave and are making it very difficult to sort out.

Same old shit and this government spent 9 years talking up how bad it was under the previous government and now they’ve got in power, done absolutely nothing to fix it…

But when I was last on it, went in lined up for hours, then they said oh you should do that online…I was like I’m damn here because it wouldn’t let me do it online!!!

As I’ve given up full time work I’m trying to get a part pension again. I’ll be eligible for the old age pension before they bloody process it, 3 months and still waiting…

[What'sinaname]

Send these immigration detainees back to whatever shit hole they emerged from. They are here unlawfully and have committed a crime.

How hard is it to send them back? We are happy to send people back for working without a visa, but won't send these arseholes back.

[think positive]

send them back, revoke their visas, **** em off!

as for centre link, hubbies sister and 1 brother in law tell such horror stories from behind that desk! setting the curtains on fire, bins on fire, smashing furniture and windows. no damn way id work there!

they need to improve the online system for everyones safety and sanity.