The advice thread for random problems #3

[LaBlonde]

Absolutely no excuse for this, I should’ve paid attention to what I was doing.
I’ve been caught speeding, 52mph in a 30 zone! They are taking me too court. What can I expect?
I have a clean licence, will I lose it?

it will be six points - nine at the absolute maximum.

you only lose your licence, or have the possibility of losing it, if you hit 12 points or more. and straight up bans for speeding are rare, and only in very extreme cases. don’t stress!

 

[stargirl23]

Never had a bath in my old house and I realised how little I actually use a bath. Just don’t have the time usually a quick shower on an evening. Personally didn’t miss the bath and since moving to here with a bath I can count on one hand the amount we’ve used it. Even my son prefers showers now

 

[Carapop]

Really boring one - does anyone have any tricks or old wives tales that work for stopping bananas from going ripe so quickly in the heat? I have a banana stand, I don't know if that makes things better or worse?
I bought some on Sunday that were still 100% green, thinking I'd have a few days until they were ripe - they are still green, but also spotty and close to being too ripe.

Amazingly I was Googling this last night! Some good tips here. Banana stands are a good shout apparently! Also storing in fridge and keeping them away from another fruit and veg.
So ideally, putting them on a rack, in an empty fridge. Sorted.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-keep-bananas-from-turning-brown

 

[Stressed]

Oh Lord this might be me too I don’t get out much and I’m autistic
Just explain nicely you want to focus on the game and you’d like to chat but you keep getting distracted.

Just to put your mind at rest I doubt it is you as this person goes out a lot - I hear all about it!

Thanks for your suggestions everyone

 

[Carapop]

When I had issues with my previous neighbour I contacted the council but they were pretty useless. They advised they would send a warning letter first but when I called back for an update a few weeks later (and to report no change) they told me no letter had been sent and there was no record of my complaint. They said they would send out another letter but I don’t believe it happened. They also refused to send someone out from the noise team (blamed covid restrictions even though there were none at this point) and told me to call the police if it keeps happening. I don’t think they wanted to deal with it because it’s private rent.

I did have to call the police a few times for noise and domestic violence concerns but again, they were also pretty useless and failed to show more than once.

I haven’t been able to find details of the landlord or letting agency. When I knew the previous neighbour had moved out I checked out all websites I could think of to see if it was advertised for rent again but nothing ever came up. I think it’s being rented out to people they know, hence similar circumstances, rather than being advertised professionally.

I guess I should take comfort in the fact that I know the end is in sight. This isn’t a forever situation and I will be out of it soon enough, although I do worry about who my neighbours will be wherever I move to next. It’s sad that my experience of buying my first property has been tainted by this but hey, we live and learn.

Thank you for the advice

I’m not sure what there even is to learn from this as it’s all so outside your control! And you can research neighbours in a new place before buying again but they can change overnight. You’re really at the mercy of luck unless you live somewhere very remote and I can say (as someone who has lived both city and rural) that’s not without its challenges either!

I wouldn’t let past experiences deter you from contacting local authority again. Sometimes it can all depend on who’s working that day. And I imagine there were a LOT of noise complaints during covid so their resources won’t be as stretched now. Worth a try anyway

 

[AllTheBest2022]

Can anyone who has a cat give me a rough idea of what they cost a month? My friend seems to think she can “upgrade” from a hamster at no extra cost

To be fair we used to spend a small fortune on our hamster each month, despite their size they definitely aren't a cheap pet

 

[stardust1]

Here’s one for you guys
Is there such thing as toe nail extensions? I promise I’m not nuts, I am a CHRONIC nail picker and when I was about 12 I had ingrown toenails due to this. When I was 18, it started happening again so I got pedicures for a while and they used to put false nails on so I couldn’t pick them. Fast forward and it’s happening again but I am way too scared to walk into a salon and ask in case it’s not normal

you can get acrylic put on them to strengthen and lengthen them x

 

[Beechbum]

The designer should have been au fait with the regs, I’d be having a word. I’d also just speak to your insurers, different companies have different rules, it’s too important to take other peoples experiences as a gurantee.

Judging by how the project has gone, the error was ours in assuming she knew what she was doing. I'm going to call the insurance company tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[clueless]

Fantastic film if you can sit through 3 hours. Needed the toilet twice!
There were two sex scenes and I don’t even feel like they were two minutes long. Florence did show her breasts several times and I feel like it weren’t needed. She most probably wanted them on screen as I noticed she is a bit attention seeking

Thank you! Ugh I thought as much. I read that the Irish Times said "Jean Tatlock is distilled from a real-world intellectual and political influence to a glistening pair of breasts" - lovely! Florence probably insisted on it, she definitely seems attention seeking - one of those ones who would say it's about art and empowerment, but really she just wants the attention and everyone to see her mammaries

 

[Good Egg]

Is it OK to check someone out on socials when you meet them for the first time lol
In the grand scheme it sounds ridiculous but curiosity and all that...
Have you ever checked someone out on social media after meeting them?

 

[square_spoon]

I will ring my landlord tomorrow, but I’m wondering if anyone knows if this is a big issue:

My apartment isn’t equipped with a combi-boiler but with one of those old systems where you to have to manually program or turn the hot water on through the control unit.

When I came home from work on Friday, the hot water had been turned on for an hour at that point through automatic programming, but there the water coming through the shower & taps was cold. I thought it was a temporary glitch but I’ve been testing the hot water since then and nothing. I haven’t had any hot water since (48h).

Th boiler is generally noisy when heating the water up but it’s been super quiet since Friday.

The heating seems to be fine however.

Would anyone know if it’s a huge boiler issue or maybe just the valve or something?

Likely something small I would think - the system is heating the radiators meaning the boiler is firing fine. Get onto your landlord and they should send a plumber out.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Second hand, returns I guess, but a big saving.
View attachment 2450712

That is an insanely good price
---

I think it really depends on the kind of coffees you drink and how much you like to 'customise' your drink. I can't stand any kind of pod machines (Nespresso, Tassimo etc) - I just find you don't have much control over them and they never taste like a barista coffee for me.

Delonghi are a fantastic brand as they offer a fantastic warranty and repair service where they pick up your machine. They're also very reliable.

If you are an espresso or black coffee drinker, you cannot go wrong with the Delonghi Magnifica S. You pour the beans in the back and there's little maintenance aside from filling up water/emptying grounds. You can customise your strength, size, etc, and it tastes fantastic. It has a milk frother and even a little one-cup decaf bit, for if you have an occasional decaf coffee.

If you like lattes and other milky coffees, get a bean-to-cup machine with an automatic milk tank. I would recommend the Magnifica Evo or the Eletta Explore.

It's an investment, but I've had three cups a day from my £400 Delonghi machine for seven years without issues. Presuming I paid £4 a cup for that coffee otherwise, I'd have spent £10,220 over the same period on takeaway coffees.

Thank you. I definitely don’t want a pod machine. I really just like black coffee/espresso or a cuppacino.
I never realised how many different machines and styles there were

Btw does your machine make a really hot coffee?

 

[JoeBloggs]

We’ve just had a new extension built and remodelled our kitchen etc to be open plan. The designer decided that removing the door between the living room and the hallway would be good, as the door wouldn’t protrude into the living room. Unfortunately, the building regs inspector has insisted that a fire door is needed and thus the door has to be reinstated. The builders are suggesting that a door is put in place to get the work signed off, but then removed and the walls made good. Leaving aside the safety aspect, I’m concerned that removing the door would invalidate our insurance if we were unlucky enough to have a fire, given that we know it’s a building regs requirement, even if the fire didn’t get anywhere near the door. Has anyone doing a refurb had a similar experience and if so, what did you decide?

Technically there is nothing stopping you, you could buy the house and remove it unknowingly.

Fire doors are there to allow a safe exit rather than stopping the spread of a fire in regards to insurance, plus they only work if shut. We have one on our hall and we never shut it so it’s useless in reality.

 

[CoffeeMamma]

I really appreciate your responses! My friend has a habit of being impulsive and absolutely not thinking things through. When it’s just her in the middle I can let her get on with it but I’m really worried that a helpless kitten will get stuck in the middle possibly without food around payday. Plus myself and her whole family is allergic so she would need to pay for pet sitters when she goes on holiday (2/3 times a year)

 

[tomato_paste]

Friend is going to try and “pull it out” with a bit of hot water later but I reckon where it’s been hit he won’t be able to get to the other side to push it back out if that makes sense?

Use a plunger to pull?

 

[shadowcat5]

£7 a week what on earth

my dad was ordered to pay £11.65 a week (this was in 2008). You’d be surprised

 

[Rxt156]

I’m trying to decide whether to complain about my neighbours.

We share a driveway, 50/50 side by side. I have asked repeatedly for their children to keep off my side as they like to kick a football as hard as they can against my wall, bearing in mind my car is parked . They also have absolutely no care for safety on bikes and I have pulled on to find children on my driveway on bikes, pulling out in front etc.

They aren’t toddlers they are 10-12 years old. They take no notice regularly laugh and smirk when I ask them to move. I’m not sure if I now find their general behaviour and attitude is clouding my feelings and making me more and more irritated by them.

they are HA tenants and I am a homeowner. I’m minded to complain and ask the HA to put a physical divide in to deter them but they will probably do nothing I imagine (or warn them which they will ignore) and sour our relationship further. But if I keep speaking to them or ignore it it will continue all summer. I just want to relax In my home and garden

I’d put up a divide. Kids won’t give a damn unfortunately.

 

[Beechbum]

I find this very strange. I know of several people who have all open plan downstairs and they had zero issues with needing a fire door.

The main concern seems to be because the house is three stories. The inspector said it would have been OK otherwise.

 

[WeHadFunRight]

Not really a problem but after some advice if anybody is a coffee aficionado. Btw don't judge! I've realised I spend around £700 a year!! on takeaway coffee. So am looking to buy barista style coffee machine.
Does anybody know of a shop that sells and demonstrates these machines? I'm willing to travel as I realise in the end I'll be quids in
Also is there a coffee specialist, again actual shop, where they can help you find the coffee you like.

We have the Breville Barista which is very similar to the Sage machines but the reason I chose breville over sage was that I read a lot of reviews saying the Sage was fiddly at times or difficult to clean; my boss has a sage and sad ts very fiddly.

the DeLonghi looks great and also has great reviews too but this is assuming you want a bean to cup coffee machine rather than a pod machine. In terms of shops or coffee specialists I don’t know but I can tell you it is a lot of fun trying lots of different beans! You can buy subscriptions which is great and I bought my friend one a little while back which she loved.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

Not a problem but has anyone here seen the Oppenheimer film and if so can you please confirm if there's a 15-minute sex scene or not? I can't find a straight answer among all the noise online about it, it seems unbelievable though. I'm not a prude but hate the thought of sitting in a cinema full of people watching a graphic boinkfest for 15 minutes

Fantastic film if you can sit through 3 hours. Needed the toilet twice!
There were two sex scenes and I don’t even feel like they were two minutes long. Florence did show her breasts several times and I feel like it weren’t needed. She most probably wanted them on screen as I noticed she is a bit attention seeking