Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

ukmaggie45

silvercar wrote: »

I'm actually struggling to find a replacement for my juke. I want a high driving position, automatic gearbox and rear view camera. Nothing too powerful. New or nearly new, max price of around 15k. Any ideas?

We've been having a LOT of problems with the Renault Grand Scenic over the last couple of months or so... So in hopes that I will get through PIP (though prob unlikely) I've been trying to begin researching cars ready for this time next year when the additional 2 years on the Renault lease from Motability finishes. Latest FU was they neglected to replace the bar you use to move driver's seat back and forward after service and repairs. Fortunately it's in a position that is driveable for OH, though not as comfortable as it was before.

We've had a Peugeot and a Zafira so far as hire cars. The Peugeot was OK, would be liveable (but I didn't like it that much), but I found the Zafira 7 seater had the most uncomfortable passenger seat I've ever sat in. Also passenger seat didn't raise up at all, only the driver's one, so as a short person couldn't see out much through front window.

When we go home I'm thinking of trying to get a test drive on a Ford Grand C-Max. But it all depends on the passenger seat for me! Often they are not as high spec as the driver's seat. eg in my Renault driver gets lumbar support but not the passenger.

We might be able to manage with a 5 seat car, but given how much we've used the full capacity of my Motability cars over the last 10 years I'd prefer to get at least one more 7 seater before thinking of downsizing.

So I'd be glad of advice on comfy cars too!

GDB2222

It must be extremely hard work to dig a grave five or six feet deep in heavy soil. I'm sure that, where possible, anybody sensible would use a mini JCB.

The difficulty comes where the surviving partner reserves a space beside the departed, as that will later most probably have to be dug by hand. It's a particular problem with Muslim and Jewish funerals, where the cemetery may only have a few hours notice as the funeral is often the same day as the death.

Oh, and apart from the work involved, I agree that it's nothing special. Just a hole.

kabayiri

I found the whole process frustrating PN.

I should have felt like a valued customer, the amount of money we were spending.

Instead, it felt like the FD was doing us a favour!

I wanted to source our own coffin for my parent because they didn't offer the style we wanted.

I was told this was a No No as apparently the bottom could have collapsed from the base of the coffin as it made the short few yard journey from the hearse to the grave. As if....!

I reckon it's one of the few remaining closed shops out there.

(You can tell I'm not bitter about it all ... )

kabayiri

GDB2222 wrote: »

...
Oh, and apart from the work involved, I agree that it's nothing special. Just a hole.

They won't work through the lunch period either, the grave diggers.

It effectively chops the day in two, and limits the funeral slots available.

GDB2222

kabayiri wrote: »

They won't work through the lunch period either, the grave diggers.

It effectively chops the day in two, and limits the funeral slots available.

If they are digging by hand, they need their lunch!

Doozergirl

kabayiri wrote: »

I found the whole process frustrating PN.

I should have felt like a valued customer, the amount of money we were spending.

Instead, it felt like the FD was doing us a favour!

I wanted to source our own coffin for my parent because they didn't offer the style we wanted.

I was told this was a No No as apparently the bottom could have collapsed from the base of the coffin as it made the short few yard journey from the hearse to the grave. As if....!

I reckon it's one of the few remaining closed shops out there.

(You can tell I'm not bitter about it all ... )

I may have mentioned this before in the context of funerals not generally being something people would feel comfortable being MSE about.

I had the same issue as you with a coffin and felt backed into a corner. The place hadn't been decorated since my grandad died in '87 (why I was in there) and was run by a bloke that looked like and had the charisma of Herman Munster.

They were confused with the fact that there was a certain type of organ donation (brain and spinal cord for research) and I took that as my cue to say that I would research and get back to them.

Went to a different FD who had simpler coffins, knew that the donation wasn't any kind of issue, dealt sensitively with my upcoming birthday and some particular worries I had other than not wanting to bury my mum on my 25th birthday. And didn't thrust their outdated flowers on me.

And they turned out considerably cheaper. About 30% if I recall but the difference wasn't cost - I would have paid and had a gaudy coffin, despite being creeped out by the first company if I hadn't found an 'out'.

silvercar

GDB2222 wrote: »

It must be extremely hard work to dig a grave five or six feet deep in heavy soil. I'm sure that, where possible, anybody sensible would use a mini JCB.

The difficulty comes where the surviving partner reserves a space beside the departed, as that will later most probably have to be dug by hand. It's a particular problem with Muslim and Jewish funerals, where the cemetery may only have a few hours notice as the funeral is often the same day as the death.

Oh, and apart from the work involved, I agree that it's nothing special. Just a hole.

The real problem arises when the space left for the surviving spouse is not wide enough to take the coffin.:eek:

It may "just be a hole" but it needs to be level.

kabayiri

Doozergirl wrote: »

...
Went to a different FD who had simpler coffins, knew that the donation wasn't any kind of issue, dealt sensitively with my upcoming birthday and some particular worries I had other than not wanting to bury my mum on my 25th birthday. And didn't thrust their outdated flowers on me.
...

It's heartening to hear a success story

We had to make a choice on which FD at 4am in the morning. It's hard to become a MSE consumer when faced with the time pressures we had.

The irony is....under pressure...the FD managed to find the wicker style coffin my siblings wanted. Oh, at twice the price of their dearest coffin I might add.

They must be using some special kind of wicker weave which stops the deceased falling out as you carry the coffin!

The recently bereaved are easy prey.

Spirit_2

We interred my mum's ashes in the plot where my dad is buried. Neede a professional to do it as headstone neededto be lifted re engraved etc. Not sure DI Y would have been permitted.

To be honest I would have preferred we scatter her ashes, but my sister made arrangemnts and I went along with it to keep the peace.

tom9980

PasturesNew wrote: »

My boot is a bit of a pain in the butt.

To open it you have to make sure there's good clearance behind - it's a 5' long canopy once opened. Once opened, to close it you have to reach up for a strap, that, for me, is at the furthest reach of my fingers. Additionally, the strap's only on one side. The boot's quite heavy, so I have to stand to one side, pull on the strap until the boot lip's at about hip height, then reach over with my hands to close the boot - having to use both hands if done from the side.

When parked at home I'm in a corner spot, which means restricted access to that strap - that's on the far side of the car from where I can stand. This means that, when parked at home, the only way to close the boot is by some gymnastic-quality manoeuvres, that risk me coming an embarrassing cropper.

Also, if you let go at the wrong time and are standing in the wrong spot, there's the chance it could take your chin off as it rises again

As a rule I try to avoid parking and using the boot - if I have to load anything I do it from the side doors, or remove the car from the parking space completely.

Tie string to strap, don't be trying gymnastics at your age my dear.