Preparedness for when

moneyistooshorttomention

jk0 wrote: »

Have you thought of trying Uber MITSTM?

Just went and had a quick google. I've heard about Uber. This is very much an area where the ...errrm...."alternative economy" is alive and well....

...and then came up against a sorta pay on line type thing with a credit card and feeling wary. I only buy things online from just the one source (ie Amazon) - as that way I feel I am in control of what happens.

I do appreciate the thought though:T

I must admit I would feel happier at using a taxi firm that have proven pretty good to me so far when I have needed them to date - and just got stymied at the fact that they clearly haven't the foggiest idea either at how much such a long distance would cost. I'm not (that) bothered per se re cost and generally take the view "It costs what it costs" - but I think there is a real possibility I just don't have that sorta money to pay for 200 miles or so worth on a taxi.

Frugalsod

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I must admit I would feel happier at using a taxi firm that have proven pretty good to me so far when I have needed them to date - and just got stymied at the fact that they clearly haven't the foggiest idea either at how much such a long distance would cost. I'm not (that) bothered per se re cost and generally take the view "It costs what it costs" - but I think there is a real possibility I just don't have that sorta money to pay for 200 miles or so worth on a taxi.

If there was any hint of problems I would probably have booked a car hire for the Christmas period, there would be reasonable long break rates and if you do not need to travel then you have it as a back up. Otherwise go on line and book a train, though the chances are that you will be paying an arm and a leg as it is Christmas.

Just like New Years eve taxis or Uber will be ultra expensive at the last minute.

thriftwizard

Oh dear, MTSTM, hope you can get sorted out swiftly & that it's not too drastic.

Nearly had a meltdown here earlier - I couldn't find the festive jelly mould! Thought for one terrible moment that I'd got carried away with the decluttering & given away one thing the Offspring consider essential to a proper Christmas meal; none of them like Christmas pud, but they all love their Festive Jelly, made in the shape of a tree, partly with cranberry juice. Luckily it fell out of the cupboard onto my head whilst I was frantically trying not to drop my tagine...

moneyistooshorttomention

Basically - it seems to boil down to what the relevant parent has long thought might be It if it comes to it (and I can see why they think that way...).

I'm not a car-driver either.

I've been on the Traveline website now and had a look at trains back to home area. That wasn't good news either. There just isn't anything until the day after Boxing Day (after which point that umpteen hour journey back becomes possible again). There is absolutely nothing tomorrow or the day after at all.:(

So - its still "wait and see" position as to how the relevant parents' health does and absolutely nothing I can do about it in any shape or form anyway until day after Boxing Day. The only blessing is that its the parent I could stay under "same roof" with for a while if it came to it that is the one still there in situ (ie rather than the one I couldn't - because we would both head "up the wall" fast if we tried).

Looks like all I can do right now is maintain a "wait and see" position - as it could go anywhere between drastic or No Big Deal at the moment.

...and I'm still wondering what such a long-distance taxi fare would come to if it came to it....as I really don't give a damn about spending that much money if I have it...but don't have the foggiest just how extortionate the amount would be. Umpteen miles to nearest train station being :eek: - but within the bounds of possibility if I had to...but beyond that...I honestly don't know.

pineapple

thriftwizard wrote: »

Seconding this - pineapple, is there anything we can do to help, like collect & donate old pillowcases for impromptu sandbags, as we did for Somerset a couple of years ago?

Thanks you very much though I think we are past the point of sandbags. The barrier now erected looks to be about 6 foot high. Maybe more. Plus what look like big hay bales covered in plastic plus a trench.We'll see if it does the job as an interim measure.
The Environment Agency has agreed with the Parish Council to pay farmers/contractors for their help as and when. Which means there is immediate local help and they are paid instead of at their own expense.
Plus apparently it has been 30 years since they dredged the river so that's hopefully now in hand.
I don't know if Penrith Center Parcs has been affected. If would be nice if they, along with hotels etc donated some accommodation over the coming months, even just give some families a break. As for the properties affected we need DIY SOS a million times over.

pineapple

MTSM it always seems that crises happen on a weekend or bank holiday.
I would think the cost of a taxi 200 miles would be eye watering. And if over the festive period double eye watering.
Rail fares are also eye watering unless you book well in advance. What about National Express?
I thought frugalsod's car hire suggestion the most practical. Assuming you drive.

Softstuff

MTSTM, sorry to hear your parent isn't doing well. I second the Uber suggestion, not only are they cheap, incredibly reliable and quick to turn up, you get a referral discount on your first journey if you find a referral code which would knock off a substantial amount of the cost. I sent friends of ours home via Uber last night, which was Christmas Eve, it cost a fiver ($10) to get them home and it showed up in 10 mins. Contrast this with taxis, last weekend they waited 2 hours for one and there was a $15 immediate charge on the meter.

Merry Christmas everyone, wishing you all peace and happiness xx

pineapple

jk0 wrote: »

Thanks guys. It's a bit hard to distinguish mouse poo from tea leaves in my bin.

The little bugg*r has been chewing at my new bin bag overnight, but ignored the pre-baited mouse traps. I think I'll try the traditional ones baited as above.

I found they like a bit of cooked meat and fat.
I had an infestation a while back. No signs in the kitchen. The first I knew about it was when one scampered across the lounge in broad daylight. :eek:
The cupboard under the stairs seemed to be the focal point. It was there that I saw the signs. And caught them. Caught them with prebaited traps, with old fashioned snap traps and with humane traps. Around 8 in the course of a fortnight.
Finally no more signs and traps catching nothing. Then I was grovelling around in the cupboard for Christmas decs when I found a matted blob on the stone floor. You could just make out a little foot. It was a dead mouse. Yuk. Hopefully an old dead mouse but I put traps down just in case. The other night I heard a noise downstairs while in bed and lay awake half the night wondering what I had caught.
In the morning I found it. A decoration had fallen off the window :rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

pineapple wrote: »

MTSM it always seems that crises happen on a weekend or bank holiday.
I would think the cost of a taxi 200 miles would be eye watering. And if over the festive period double eye watering.
Rail fares are also eye watering unless you book well in advance. What about National Express?
I thought frugalsod's car hire suggestion the most practical. Assuming you drive.

Nope - I don't drive.

I've just bethought myself to google for long-distance taxi fares and see what came up. The answer to that one came out to around £300 for the cheapest firm that came up (though, admitted, it was a "national" firm and not the one I am thinking of here) and that was for a "normal" day. I would tend to have a personal preference for the local firm I've used - as a couple of their drivers have been pretty helpful to me and the bossman has definitely proven very helpful in some of his comments to me.

Rail fares - as I've found out are actually surprisingly reasonable for a return journey if booked some time in advance. But - I'm mentally bargaining on twice that if having to be bought "on the spot".

I've checked out coaches to/from here before now and this location is so far "out in the wilds" that the nearest coach pick-ups are quite some distance away.

It is possible to be even further "in the back of beyond" than I am - but not by much. I am quite some way into being "way away from anywhere much".

I've got the technical name for what is wrong with parent concerned and been googling. Well - that boiled down to a verdict somewhere between "Yep...it will be sorted by the type of treatment the hospital told me they are doing" on the one hand and a noticeable chance that That's That:( then on the other hand and its very much "in lap of the gods".

Am currently sitting here thinking "That would explain why I've been feeling the way I have the last couple of days (ie I "knew" at some level and I'm not thinking positive about it)" on the one hand (but I could have picked that up so to say from that parent at some level - even though I didn't know) v. there is a chance the hospital treatment will restore status quo on the other hand.

Parent concerned has Pessimist as their middle name - and that may be why I've been feeling the way I have about them for last couple of days and telling myself "not to be so daft", as they have a tendency to "expect the worst" in any circumstances and I am well used to that by now.

Time will tell.

nuatha

MTSTM Your local authority may well have the taxi rates laid out on their website in the form of type of day/time and rate for first mile and subsequent miles. One of the local firms will discount this by 20% as a fixed fare agreed in advance (over the phone when booking). Not that its likely to be the same rate but the applicable rate over this weekend is £1.87 per mile.

I hope such a dash isn't necessary and all resolves well.