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What really grinds your gears?

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Crash Hamster Aug 2023 1:57pm, 24 Aug 2023 1,006 posts	Quote Pin Crash Hamster Random motorway signs - always with low speed limits - announcing lane closures, queuing traffic or even fog when everything is pretty good. We regularly travel 1 junction up and down the M5; it's a 'smart' motorway. Speed limits are frequently reduced, 'report of obstruction' and 'report of debris' being the most common two reasons. 'Queue after junction' or absolutely no reason whatsoever also deserve honourable mentions. We've absolutely never seen any of these things. They have CCTV and someone must operate the signs, so why don't they check to see if what they're putting up is true before they do so? (Also: signs which say '20 minutes to Jn 7', surely it depends on how fast you're driving? Meaningless.) Makes my urine transition from a liquid to gaseous state.
um Aug 2023 2:06pm, 24 Aug 2023 7,662 posts	Quote Pin um More on ^^ On our recent trip up the M6, somewhere approaching the first Lake District junction, there were 20mph warnings. Then one with text sayimg 'Oncoming Vehicle'. Which did cause people to drop to 40 - 50 mph This continued for some miles, with only occasional speeding police cars for company. And after the first mile, most were back to 70mph ish. Doing 20mph would have been dangerous. We never saw anything and only approaching Teebay services did it show clear. By chance, I saw in the rear view mirror the other side had similar 20mph restrictions. And "queue after J7" or "20 mins to Jn 7" or "A345 closed" - OK for regulars, but I've no idea where these are or if 20 mins is good or bad. Not without looking at my phone. Oh, no don't do that, it's not allowed.
DrPhleecingD Aug 2023 2:09pm, 24 Aug 2023 54,767 posts	Quote Pin DrPhleecingD See also 'XXX road closed after the B90000 junction' type signs. If you're not local you've got no fucking clue!
Nicholls595 Aug 2023 3:16pm, 24 Aug 2023 30,832 posts	Quote Pin Nicholls595 Self checkouts at Morrisons have learned a new trick, "Unexpected item in bagging area". Why is it so unexpected to get a box of garlic dough balls in the bagging area three seconds after a box of garlic dough balls was scanned? I was told to remove the item from the bagging area and then replace it. Three times! Then it set the red light off so a member of staff could reset it. He hadn't gone more than 5 paces before it said it again. Artificial intelligence? I don't think so.
ChrisHB Aug 2023 9:55pm, 24 Aug 2023 22,635 posts	Quote Pin ChrisHB Once we saw some debris on the M1. The next seven miles were at 50mph because of "reported debris".
Crash Hamster Aug 2023 10:21pm, 24 Aug 2023 1,007 posts	Quote Pin Crash Hamster Today's top effort: Lane closed, 40mph limit, because of "stranded vehicle". They turned the signs off and showed a 'derestricted' roundel just as we passed. No sign of a formerly stranded vehicle or breakdown van whatsoever in the 3/4 of a mile we could see down the motorway. I'm sure that these things are put on the signs purely at random as they bear no relation to reality.
LazyDaisy Aug 2023 11:21am, 25 Aug 2023 38,697 posts	Quote Pin LazyDaisy See also 'XXX road closed after the B90000 junction' type signs. If you're not local you've got no fucking clue! That one is particularly annoying. Seen on the M5 a few months back: 'A40 closed after J12' J12 doesn't connect with the A40, and anyway the A40 runs from London to West Wales - any clue as to where the closure might be?
ChrisHB Aug 2023 9:12pm, 25 Aug 2023 22,638 posts	Quote Pin ChrisHB People who write "missing in action" (an honourable state) when they mean "absent without leave" (a shameful state).
Carpathius Aug 2023 4:58am, 27 Aug 2023 22,502 posts	Quote Pin Carpathius The discriminant function on our new cardiac monitoring units being a) unable to distinguish between AF with a LBBB and VT and b) not having any way of telling it that it's OK, it's not VT and emergency-alarming every 30 seconds is unnecessary, irritating, and might cause us to miss an actual emergency, and disturbing all the patients in earshot. (I have been poised by the monitors hitting the silence button regularly. Another gripe with this system - you can't silence individual alarms, it's all or none).
Eynsham Red Aug 2023 10:29am, 28 Aug 2023 9,895 posts	Quote Pin Eynsham Red I had a random caller on the phone this morning. I couldn’t understand a word she said because of her accent and the background noise in the call centre, so I just put the phone down. She then called back demanding to know why I had hung up!