Vent: Rag and Bone Men.

Tropez

I can appreciate in this difficult economic climate that seeing an opportunity and taking it is something to be proud of and impressed with. I just wish they wouldn't take that opportunity quite so early on a Sunday morning, every Sunday nor quite so... loudly.

It's a relatively new thing in these parts (although based on some Google searches not in the overall area) but the sound of some incoherent announcement made over what I presume is a megaphone, often accompanied by the sound of the music from Steptoe and Son is now par for the course around here and while I'll acknowledge that there probably are quite a few people not still happily snoozing away at 9am, I am and being awoken by this sound is literally headache inducing; not merely from the sudden awakening but from the several hours of complaining from my wife as well.

It's not even a single announcement. They must be announcing their presence in every street they visit. It is akin to trying to predict how far away lightning is striking based on the distance between the flash and the thunder. You are awoken firstly by the nonsensical verbal announcement but you know they're not quite here yet until you can hear the Steptoe and Son theme as well, at which point I think if you're outside you've probably suffered irreversible damage to your hearing.

I've seen Iron Maiden at Twickenham and I swear it wasn't as loud as when these people finally rock up in your street.

And while I will applaud their attempt at finding a viable source of income, I question this business practice? Annoying me in such a manner makes me much less inclined to provide them with unwanted goods for them to sell on. There should be a much better way to alert people that you will be in the area than repeatedly barking what amounts to incoherent gibberish through a megaphone accompanied by what I would assume is the copyrighted music from a BBC sitcom?

I think that being a bunch of decibell*nds will work against them in the long run. Some sort of positive PR campaign is required, perhaps a leaflet campaign and a written apology? That and a ban on the ownership of megaphones to anyone who calls their kid 'Aaaaarold.

hollydays

I think it's illegal to use loud hailers for plying for business. Contact your environmental health dept

Tropez

hollydays wrote: »

I think it's illegal to use loud hailers for plying for business. Contact your environmental health dept

I shall, although our council is pretty useless at doing anything about anything in my experience, but yeah, worth a shot.

missprice

Tropez wrote: »

I can appreciate in this difficult economic climate that seeing an opportunity and taking it is something to be proud of and impressed with. I just wish they wouldn't take that opportunity quite so early on a Sunday morning, every Sunday nor quite so... loudly.

It's a relatively new thing in these parts (although based on some Google searches not in the overall area) but the sound of some incoherent announcement made over what I presume is a megaphone, often accompanied by the sound of the music from Steptoe and Son is now par for the course around here and while I'll acknowledge that there probably are quite a few people not still happily snoozing away at 9am, I am and being awoken by this sound is literally headache inducing; not merely from the sudden awakening but from the several hours of complaining from my wife as well.

It's not even a single announcement. They must be announcing their presence in every street they visit. It is akin to trying to predict how far away lightning is striking based on the distance between the flash and the thunder. You are awoken firstly by the nonsensical verbal announcement but you know they're not quite here yet until you can hear the Steptoe and Son theme as well, at which point I think if you're outside you've probably suffered irreversible damage to your hearing.

I've seen Iron Maiden at Twickenham and I swear it wasn't as loud as when these people finally rock up in your street.

Hey I was there too, with my son. Fab gig that was.

And while I will applaud their attempt at finding a viable source of income, I question this business practice? Annoying me in such a manner makes me much less inclined to provide them with unwanted goods for them to sell on. There should be a much better way to alert people that you will be in the area than repeatedly barking what amounts to incoherent gibberish through a megaphone accompanied by what I would assume is the copyrighted music from a BBC sitcom?

I think that being a bunch of decibell*nds will work against them in the long run. Some sort of positive PR campaign is required, perhaps a leaflet campaign and a written apology? That and a ban on the ownership of megaphones to anyone who calls their kid 'Aaaaarold.

Was at the new house last weekend and for the first time in years, I saw the rag and bone wagon. Also with loud hailer and utter gibberish being yelled out. It took 3 drive bys before I figured out what was being said. The new house is maybe half a mile from old house, yet never seen rag and bone before. Oh new house in much posher area.

duchy

Not seen a rag and bone man in years ....... Last one I saw had a horse and cart .

notanewuser

Rifling through skips and stealing anything that isn't nailed down isn't "entrepreneurial".............

Tropez

missprice wrote: »

Was at the new house last weekend and for the first time in years, I saw the rag and bone wagon. Also with loud hailer and utter gibberish being yelled out. It took 3 drive bys before I figured out what was being said. The new house is maybe half a mile from old house, yet never seen rag and bone before. Oh new house in much posher area.

Yes, Maiden at Twickenham was great! National Express were pretty rubbish but that's another matter...

It's a fairly well-off area where I am (in comparison to the rest of the nearby city) so I wouldn't mind betting that they're bothering us because they hope we have nicer things we're throwing out (ha! if only...). They've only been coming round here for a couple of months, I do hope they toddle off soon.

I really cannot work out what this guy is saying.

Tropez

notanewuser wrote: »

Rifling through skips and stealing anything that isn't nailed down isn't "entrepreneurial".............

Now, to be fair, I've seen no evidence that this guy (or guys, I don't know how many there are) is stealing anything.

hollydays

I saw a quote online from someone who complained that the cooker they had left outside their house- that they were going to get weighed in themselves - was taken by these guys .Good! Don't you hate people who dump crap in their gardens.
However I might want to kill someone who disturbed my peaceful Sunday morning . I don't even ring anyone before 11 at weekends.

hollydays

Anyone who's knocking door to door without a hawkers licence or cruising looking for scrap is always worth a call to 101. Be wary of opportunists.

peachyprice

Oooh, these tales make out rag & bone man seem positively civilised. He just drives around ringing his bell, doesn't even shout out 'Aaany rag an bonnne' like they used to.