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Working_on_Writing

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  • There are at least 3 wastewater treatment plants emptying into it. The Dalmarnock one is even upstream of the city centre. Pretty sure that a lot of the drainage just goes straight into the various tributaries as well, there are loads of outflows into the Kelvin which you can see if you walk the paths from the Riverside museum up towards the Botanics and the Maryhill lochs. I don't really know anything about water treatment, but it certainly looks like all the crap (literal and metaphorical) from the city gets washed into the Clyde. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 11th Sep 2020 9:16am)
  • Almost all of them are totally shite from my experience. CATCH West End on Gibson street is the only decent one I've found. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 18th Nov 2020 9:51pm)
  • Chinese: Tofu Asian Fusion in Partick has straight up the best satay sauce I've had, most of the menu is really good in fact. Little Canteen is also pretty good. I used to order from The Best Curry from time to time and they have been decent as well. Sushi: Cailin's Sushi in Finnieston is wonderful, but they haven't been on Just Eat for a while, not sure if they're still open. Indian: Ashoka Finnieston is usually my go-to for Curry. The Shish Mahal is alright as well. Fish & Chips: CATCH Fish & Chips by Working_on_Writing (Wed 18th Nov 2020 10:04pm)
  • Oh wow I'm a huge fan of his work, I saw a retrospective of his controversial series "Shite I Saw In the Kelvin" at the British Museum! by Working_on_Writing (Sun 3rd Jan 2021 1:14pm)
  • > The estate agent had no answer when I asked how much of that was a factoring issue, and how to contact the factor about it. Just so you're aware, the factor has no power to force people to pay for work even in communal areas unless there is a majority agreement to get the work done. Therefore, I'd be pretty weary about this, you could find that the majority of the flats are HMO slumlord owned, and they will just block any kind of maintenance/improvement. Source: got structural issues with our tenement at the moment and a majority of the owners just don't want to know, so the factor can't really do anything but forward my increasingly strongly worded emails. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 5th Mar 2021 10:18am)
  • I'm not sure what a "category 3 issue" is, but if it becomes a safety issue the Council can get involved. That's the nuclear option though as the Council can turf everyone out to do the repairs. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 5th Mar 2021 2:20pm)
  • You're almost certainly correct. The journalist will have asked that question specifically to get a big number to chuck about, when probably they are being hired on a weekly or monthly basis for a fraction of that. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 12th May 2021 6:51pm)
  • And then it will be reposted by Unilad. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 6th Aug 2021 7:23pm)
  • Can I do that too? I want to know what you are charting and how you use that info. by Working_on_Writing (Tue 24th Aug 2021 6:34pm)
  • I've had more problems with entitled middle-aged neighbours than with students. If I had to knock on the door of a loud party, I'd take students 10/10 times over the yoga pants and leased Range Rover brigade. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 27th Aug 2021 11:52pm)
  • Exactly. Almost always if you let a student know they're being annoying, they apologise and stop it because, as you say, they don't want to hurt anyone, they just want to have a good time. If Hamish and Karen are being annoying, and you let them know they're being annoying, Hamish will (far too frequently) get up in your face because he's looking for an excuse to kick off. And Hamish's hobbies are bragging about the bright orange 4x4 he can barely afford, a spot of recreational cocaine, and working out a fuckload. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 28th Aug 2021 11:10am)
  • Dunno how a barbershop quartet will help with this? /s by Working_on_Writing (Wed 8th Sep 2021 11:13am)
  • Thanks, I'll try to get in touch with them. They didn't pick up when I called though. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 8th Sep 2021 11:21am)
  • Thanks, I'll try to get in touch with him! by Working_on_Writing (Wed 8th Sep 2021 11:21am)
  • Thanks, called them a couple of times but went through to voicemail. It's really frustrating. They all provide email addresses but never reply, and have voicemails but never call you back. I feel like tailing the next joiner's van I see and just tackling them the second they step out. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 8th Sep 2021 11:20am)
  • Don't bother with rightmove. There's a delay in properties getting put up on rightmove from the agents' website (not sure why but there is), and usually in that delay the flat has gone. You need to check the agents websites directly. I discovered this last time I was looking. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 9th Sep 2021 11:42am)
  • Yes, Rouken Glen is down Giffnock way so unless they're playing loud enough to level large parts of Glasgow I doubt you're hearing it in G11. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 26th Sep 2021 11:09pm)
  • Much as I hate factors, it's not usually their fault. The problem is that even if you have a majority of owners who want to keep a building in good condition, there's no legal recourse (AFAIK) to force slumlords/absentee landlords to contribute. I'm experiencing it in slow motion in my current tenement. The building is in pretty poor repair and needs some preventative TLC, e.g. gutters replaced. About 6/8 of the owners are behind any and all work to improve the state of the building because it's shoddy and we all know it. However, we've got I think 2 slumlords in the building, and anything over about £100 they don't want to pay. The building could literally be about to collapse and if they had to pay £500 towards preventing it, they wouldn't. This is exacerbated by the factors being fucking worthless most of the time, so I have to hunt round to get competing quotes for work until I can find the cheapest possible solution which the slumlords will hopefully agree to. If they say no, the only option is to basically carry the parasites and ask everyone else to contribute more than their fair share, which really fucking sucks because it just justifies the shit behaviour by the slumlords. Why put your hand in your pocket when you can get a free ride from the other owners? There really needs to be some sort of legal backing to majority decisions when it comes to shared-ownership buildings. E.g. if most of the owners agree we need new gutters, we should be able to take the minority to court to force them to pay up. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 29th Sep 2021 11:47am)
  • Oh shit this is good info thank you! by Working_on_Writing (Wed 29th Sep 2021 3:45pm)
  • My understanding is that they get loaded onto a container ship and end up overseas very quickly. Top Gear did a bit on how frequently they end up in Albania IIRC. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 2nd Oct 2021 11:48am)
  • **Short Car Buying Guide:** **Used Car Dealers** I've never had a good experience with a used car dealership. They seem to be, to a man, utter shits. I have used car dealers in my family, and I wouldn't lend them a fiver if I needed it back. Mostly they get their stock in from car wholesalers, and just roll it off the transporter and onto their forecourt. Don't believe the "it's been through our workshop!" shit, they've at best checked it's got 4 wheels, an MOT, and isn't stolen. If the car doesn't sell in say 6 months, they roll it back on a transporter and get another one out. The last time I nearly bought from a used car dealer, I went through the car history with a fine-toothed comb and realised it had had half the brakes replaced due to rust just before it was traded in. HALF. So it needed the other half done before next MOT, and the cost was right there in the receipts - £1800. Walked away then and there. If you really want a car from a used car dealership, insist it gets looked over by a garage of your choosing before you buy it. **Main Dealers** Main dealers are very hit-and-miss. I've had a decent experience with Phoenix Honda, or did when they were out near the Clyde Tunnel, not sure about their Linwood branch. Honda might be a good shout though, they are very reliable cars, cheap to run and insure. I had a Civic for 4 years, and it never needed anything more than tires, brakes and a yearly service. I've also had a good experience with Lexus Glasgow, but that's a different end of the market. Relatedly, if you're ever buying expensive cars, avoid Stratstone like the damn plague. **Buying Direct from a person** This is also hit-and-miss but actually easier than a dealership because there's a very simple litmus test - does the person give you a bad feeling? Trust your gut. If they seem upfront and honest, likely the car is good. If they make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, they aren't telling you something. I've previously used Autotrader, but that seems to be largely used by main dealers now. You could try Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace, also Ebay does a lot of cars. **General Advice** * MOTs are a fairly low bar to jump over, and frankly lots of garages are dodgy as shit, so it's having an MOT is really not a guarantee of anything. * If you're looking at a particular car model, look up what the common faults are and how to tell those faults are present. Also look at the cost of repairing those faults. * If you're going to go to a dealership, look at their website first and check their stock before you go, so you don't turn up and find they have nothing suitable. Also, their site can be out of date, so if they only have 1 or 2 cars you're interested in, call them up and ask if they are still available, and you can test drive. * Use an insurance comparison site. Compare The Market lets you run insurance checks all day against cars you haven't bought if you know the registration. Insurance costs can be kind of surprising. You may find it would cost less to insure yourself on a 2002 Jaguar XJ with a 4.0 V8 than it does to insure a 2015 Honda Civic with a 1.4 I4. I used to rock about in old Jags in my early 20s, and it really was surprisingly cheap. * Relatedly, Direct Line allow (or at least used to) Named Drivers to rack up no-claims discounts, so it can be cheaper for your mum or dad to insure the car via Direct Line and put you as a named driver. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 3rd Oct 2021 10:56am)
  • When I first moved to Glasgow I twisted my ankle about once a week until I got the message that the pavements here are trying to kill you, and you need to watch every step. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 9th Oct 2021 12:38pm)
  • I just started doing an occassional Glasgow -> Edinburgh commute and somebody else in the office also does it. My colleague said that it eased off a lot the last year or so, but it's nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. My very limited experience so far has been outside of rush hour, it was about 1h:10m, rush hour - 1h:45. That's to and from central locations. I'm glad I don't have to do it every day. :| by Working_on_Writing (Sat 9th Oct 2021 12:46pm)
  • Alternative to white noise tracks: [A Soft Murmur](https://asoftmurmur.com/) I use it on my phone when travelling (I have a white noise machine at home) by Working_on_Writing (Tue 19th Oct 2021 7:01pm)
  • Huh! I actually passed a guy in Kelvingrove park this afternoon and thought "That guy looks a lot like John Kerry" but I thought - can't be, he's just going for a walk in the park by himself. by Working_on_Writing (Mon 1st Nov 2021 9:01pm)
  • > Kabuki I think OP meant "Kabuki Dance": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki_dance TL;DR: stylised political posturing. by Working_on_Writing (Mon 1st Nov 2021 10:42pm)
  • I used to live in Partick and saw a property for sale on my street advertised as being in Hyndland. Slap the right name on a place and the value goes up. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 13th Nov 2021 11:10pm)
  • To be fair there is Partickhill Place, Partickhill Ave, etc, and they are on the hill which Gardener street runs up. I can kind of see where they are coming from calling it Partickhill because there are some really nice houses and flats up there. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 14th Nov 2021 11:44am)
  • Now playing *"When will the council pick up my fucking bins?"* by Everyone. Next up: *"When will the council fill the fucking potholes?*" by Everyone. by Working_on_Writing (Mon 3rd Jan 2022 12:56pm)
  • Yeah, Macfie are useless. You basically have to do their job for them - get your own quotes, send the quotes to them, and then constantly chase them to get stuff done. I think our property manager is sick of hearing from me, and I don't blame them, I'm sick of calling and project managing them but if I want pretty much anything done that's what I have to do. by Working_on_Writing (Mon 17th Jan 2022 9:45pm)
  • Oh I had a suspicion it was because the menu is similar! That's good to know as I used to always order from Cailins by Working_on_Writing (Wed 2nd Feb 2022 3:58pm)
  • I breifly engaged Miller Samuel Hill Brown Solicitors, I found them really friendly, fast and professional. They explained everything clearly, listened to my concerns and just were generally great to deal with. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 30th Mar 2022 6:29pm)
  • "Are you a man who can only orgasm while listening to sad songs? Please fill out my questionnaire for my master's thesis!" by Working_on_Writing (Wed 30th Mar 2022 9:03pm)
  • Don't get me bloody started. Me and my partner are trying to buy at the moment and it seems like it's "offers over" HR minus 5-10%, then it will actually sell for HR plus 20%. So it'll be offers over, say 180k, but HR is 200 then it'll sell at circa 240. Totally nuts. This seems to hold across the city. We've been looking recently out Cambuslang and Mt Vernon sort of way and it's just as bad. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 13th Apr 2022 10:44pm)
  • FURY as local journalists accused of emotional manipulation. "Sturgeon must resign" says Tory Leader. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 7th Jul 2022 4:24pm)
  • It depends on room size, I.e. how big a surface area to paint. Expect a couple of grand though. Good luck. I've been trying to get various workmen including decorators and they barely ever show up to quote, and when they do its 50/50 if they'll even send a damn quote. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 28th Jul 2022 12:41pm)
  • You might want to follow the advice of the lost property page on Police Scotland: https://www.scotland.police.uk/contact-us/report-lost-property According to that page, for keys, you'll have to talk to the nearest police station to the route. From experience, the nearest police station to Kelvingrove Park that's open on a Saturday will be the one in Partick. You may have to contact the 24hr one on Paisley Road West. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 13th Aug 2022 2:56pm)
  • I think it's due to fewer police about. I barely ever see a police car that isn't already racing off somewhere. They are rarely just patrolling now compared with even 5 years ago. I reckon cuts have forced the police into a reactive rather than proactive footing. The result is people driving like arseholes because they can get away with it; when there's essentially 0 chance of being caught or facing repercussions, the arseholes are gonna arsehole. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 31st Aug 2022 2:02pm)
  • It's a bank holiday isn't it? So you should be paid for it depending on your contract. We are shut next Monday as well but everyone gets paid with the option to work it and take the holiday another day. by Working_on_Writing (Mon 12th Sep 2022 6:12pm)
  • Having a look at [the law](https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights) it looks like you're right and they don't have to. That's a bugger and it just comes across as penny pinching so I don't blame you having a sour taste in your mouth. Reminds me of a classic article: https://steveblank.com/2009/12/21/the-elves-leave-middle-earth-%e2%80%93-soda%e2%80%99s-are-no-longer-free/ And my employers are pretty good. Can't fault them for benefits in fact! by Working_on_Writing (Mon 12th Sep 2022 6:57pm)
  • Having recently bought a house outside of Glasgow, I have some notes on commutable places. I mostly looked north and east due to the express line to Edinburgh, which I wanted to stay close to for access to work. Also, you're likely not going to find a tiny town with good transport links, so my suggestions are all town sized or slightly bigger. **North and East:** **Stirling:** Commutable, smaller than you think, depressing as fuck. Bit of a shame really, Stirling feels like it should be a really nice place and is commutable for Glasgow + Edinburgh, but it's just a bit crap. Bridge of Allen nearby is nice, but I assume expensive. **Bishopbriggs and Lenzie:** Both have a train station with regular trains to both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Lenzie is supposed to be quite nice, and I have some friends who almost moved to Bishopbriggs. They are probably more suburban than you want though. **Croy & Kilsyth:** Croy is on the mainline, but it feels very much souless suburbia. Kilsyth is nearby, small and quite nice, but it'll be a bus or bike to Croy to get the train to get further afield. **Uddingston and Bothwell:** Nice, but very expensive. Decent links to Glasgow. Very much suburban rather than town and country feel though. **West:** Honestly, I'd move out West if I didn't need easy access to Edinburgh for work. **Helensburgh:** Seems really nice. A little far out maybe, but there's a cross-country train which goes all the way to Edinburgh (and takes like 3 hours). **Bowling and Old Kilpatrick:** On the Helensburgh line, they look really nice from a distance, but I haven't been. Again, if I could move West I would have probably looked here. **Dumbarton:** Despite hearing some disparaging things about Dumbarton, it seems like quite a nice place. **South:** **Paisley:** Another butt-of-jokes place. Very good transport links, though. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 11:41am)
  • I'm moving out near but not in Cumbernauld. Easy drive to Croy then on the train. West has much nicer scenery IMHO and nice little places on the train line. But yeah for me there are so many good jobs in Edinburgh I just need to be able to get across there a couple of times a week for work. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 12:26pm)
  • I think from Kilsyth (or rather Croy) it's about 15 mins to Glasgow and 40 mins to Edinburgh. But yeah all 3 are accessible from there which is why I'm moving up that way! Also it's much more affordable than Glasgow. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 12:42pm)
  • Yep, I'm a engineering manager/ software developer so that's exactly it. Glasgow does have good jobs but Edinburgh is just too good to ignore. I presently do Subway to Queen St then the express. At least most places are Hybrid or Remote First now which makes it easier! by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 12:40pm)
  • I think Kilsyth is a mixed bag. It's got some very nice bits and some not so nice council estates. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 5:41pm)
  • I think Kilsyth is a mixed bag. It's got some very nice bits and some not so nice council estates. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 5:41pm)
  • Glasgow has a lot of corporate jobs, largely in banking. There's a small start up scene, but it's smaller than it ought to be for a city of its size. There are good tech jobs here don't get me wrong. Edinburgh has corporate jobs, several tech unicorns (e.g. FanDuel and Skyscanner), games (Rockstar) and a huge startup scene including a successful tech incubator. In terms of raw jobs I could believe that they are roughly equal due to JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Barclays having huge footprints in Glasgow, but Edinburgh is definitely.more diversified. Let's put it this way, whe recruiters comtact me I feel like 75% of the time their first question is "would you consider a role in Edinburgh? " That's my perception anyway. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 5:57pm)
  • Fanduel do have some offices in Glasgow, but I think most/all their development staff are based on Freer Gait down near Haymarket. Similarly Skyscanner have some offices in Glasgow but I think most/all their dev staff are in Quartermile in Edinburgh. Fintech-wise there are some lesser known banks in Edinburgh, like the Bank of Montreal (IIRC) or similar. I think Visa or Mastercard have an office too. Then there's the likes of Scottish Widows etc. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 9th Oct 2022 6:22pm)
  • This really scares me because I have a small dog. If one of these buggers treating the path like time trials for the Tour de France get clotheslined on the lead, I think its my dog that will go flying while they zoom off. :( by Working_on_Writing (Thu 13th Oct 2022 12:15pm)
  • > Tchai Ovna I once spent about 3 hours in there waiting for lunch to arrive. When it finally did it was... *ok*. Lesson learned: don't order anything but tea. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 3rd Nov 2022 10:18pm)
  • We smelt it too, a kind of yeasty and acidic smell - we thought the dog had a UTI and had pished on the floor last night. Washed the floor this AM and everything, then we went outside and it smelled the same... by Working_on_Writing (Tue 8th Nov 2022 10:12pm)
  • If local subs moaning achieved anything our roads would be flawless, there would be no rubbish anywhere in the city and the bins would be collected every day by invisible teleporting bin men. Oh and First Bus would operate an efficient service. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 9th Dec 2022 3:52pm)
  • I hire software developers. One of my questions in interviews involves a deck of cards. I've recently had to start the question by *explaining what a standard deck of cards contains* as it seems a significant minority of young folk have never played a card game. They've *heard* of card games, especially Poker, but never actually played one. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 18th Dec 2022 10:57pm)
  • That's why I explain it now. Everyone knows conceptually what a deck of cards is, but having not played with one they don't necessarily know that there are 52 cards, 4 suits, number and face cards. Usually, they then can go on and answer the question once they know what's in a deck If they really didn't get it... well... I do have some other questions in the same section, but honestly it's not *that* hard a concept to grasp... by Working_on_Writing (Sun 18th Dec 2022 11:11pm)
  • 2/3rds of the few times I've called NHS24 they have incorrectly sent me to A&E. I then got to A&E who were pissy with me for being there instead of somewhere else, e.g. Minor Injuries. One time, the receptionist at A&E went off on a full on rant about how NHS24 were pointless and just sent everyone to her. I think NHS24 has the potential to be a fantastic service, but they don't seem to have a good grasp on how the hospitals operate, and this seems to put additional pressure on A&E. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 31st Dec 2022 12:09pm)
  • Maybe the local health board were the issue. I don't know the inner workings, just what happened from my perspective. This wasn't a one off either: the previous time I called them it was a similar story. Both times the staff at A&E told me this happened all the time so I doubt I was just unlucky. Some better coordination is clearly needed. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 31st Dec 2022 5:58pm)
  • If it makes you feel better in the last year I've driven round the central belt, out west, up north, down to London and the roads are shite everywhere. The infrastructure everywhere is just falling to bits. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 7th Jan 2023 10:56am)
  • This dates me terribly but I always think of the infrastructure advisor in Sim City 2000. If you underfund his department he just says "YOU CANT CUT BACK ON FUNDING! YOU WILL REGRET THIS!" And sure enough if you underfund him the roads go to shit very quickly. Even teenage me understood that. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 7th Jan 2023 2:43pm)
  • I've not been called but a disproportionate number of people I know have been. I've known more people get called in the last 12 months than in the last 15 years. I don't know if it's the courts trying to hammer through the backlog from Covid or just weird coincidence or what. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 26th Jan 2023 7:46pm)
  • You forgot pinning up a laminated A4 sheet starting with "POLITE NOTICE" including the quotation marks. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 9th Mar 2023 5:45pm)
  • I thought it was underwhelming. Some of the meats were really good, most were fine. The salad bar food had been left out too long and I distinctly remember the polenta was dry and hard as a rock. Price wise I think it's a piss take at £35 a head. I'd say there are many better options in the same part of town at or below that price point. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 24th Mar 2023 10:51am)
  • U ok hun hows the herpes? xx by Working_on_Writing (Sun 11th Jun 2023 12:43pm)
  • > You mean the shit area is now nice? And that's bad somehow? I suspect most gentrification isn't caused by the people in the shit area becoming better off, but rather by those people in poverty being displaced by richer incomers. The poverty isn't solved, but rather displaced, and that means people losing their homes, their communities and being forced to move somewhere else even if they've lived in an area their whole lives. From that perspective, gentrification isn't a good thing, it's a form of economic displacement. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 20th Sep 2023 2:21pm)
  • That's a good point. Certainly, when I was living in the West End we had HA neighbours who were benefiting from the area going more up-market in some ways, but losing out still in others. The local cafes and pubs were going upmarket too, and upmarket means higher prices, which they couldn't necessarily afford. Funnily enough, we ended up displaced out to the country because we couldn't afford to buy the kind of place we wanted in the kind of areas we wanted to live in. And we aren't exactly on the dole. I think overall gentrification is a mixed bag. I think it's good that frankly shit areas become nicer, but I think there are social costs to it as well. by Working_on_Writing (Wed 20th Sep 2023 9:03pm)
  • There's good rail links in Glasgow, and Glasgow Central services the Southern lines, so look at places south of the river. You can also get to that area from the Subway but it servicss a very limited area to the west and southwest of the city centre. Southside is a very popular area and should be very commutable to Glasgow Central by train. 20 minutes might be pushing it, but certainly within 30 minutes. I wouldn't advise driving in Glasgow if you're not a confident driver. The other drivers are generally understanding, but the roads are bloody complicated. by Working_on_Writing (Sat 23rd Sep 2023 10:48am)
  • Shared Mos Eisley x by Working_on_Writing (Wed 4th Oct 2023 10:17pm)
  • I used to have similar feelings of anxiety in public spaces. I found it really helped to analyse my own behaviour. How often do I look at other people? What am I thinking when I look at them? Do I remember even a minute later? I realised: 1. We all look at other people all the time. 2. Mostly, I'm not thinking very much when I look at somebody else. It's just a mindless glance to see if I know them! If a thought goes through my head it might be "they are kinda ugly" or it might be "they look like a nice person", "I love their jacket", or "they have interesting hair" or even "wow they're hot!" 3. The thought is gone an instant later. A couple of minutes later, I can't remember them or what I thought about them at all (unless it was something really outrageous!). Turning that round, that's probably what other people are doing to you. They give you a quick glance, just a "Do I know them?" check, then maybe a thought goes through their head, and is gone. Another little trick: if you have that thought of "they look at me like they think I'm going to steal their purse", remind yourself that you can't read their mind, you don't know what they're thinking, this is a story you're telling yourself, and you can replace that negative story with a positive one. Throw out the purse-snatcher story, replace it with a nice one like "They're checking me out. I must be looking good today!" If that's a bridge too far, even just "They think I look anxious, maybe they are wondering if I'm OK" is a kinder story to tell yourself. by Working_on_Writing (Fri 13th Oct 2023 4:50pm)
  • I had similarly poor experience with them. Our dog has a long-running minor health issue, which requires the same remedy at intermittent intervals. First, they totally failed to diagnose it. But then every time it flared up, they *insisted* I take the dog in for a check up, costing like £85, to be told that yes, it's the same thing as last time and they'll now prescribe the same medicine (another £20~). I was basically locked into paying them £100+ every 4-8 weeks. I now go to Vets4Pets, and they finally actually worked out the dog had an infection, which was exacerbating the minor health issue. They gave her antibiotics, and since then, she has been much happier and healthier. Also, I'm not sure how much to blame them, but when they spayed the dog, she came back *utterly traumatised*. She used to like the vets and now *hates* them. I have to literally carry her into the consulting room and hold her. That could just be fear of being left there since she has separation anxiety, and surgery is traumatic, so again, not sure how much to blame the vets for that. To be clear, the vets themselves at QCVC *seemed* to be alright, and the reception staff lovely, but it did seem like their practice policies were geared towards making me spend over the odds with them. by Working_on_Writing (Thu 19th Oct 2023 11:43pm)
  • Are you familiar with dog body language? Barking doesn't necessarily mean aggression. It can mean excitement or playfulness, so the owner wasn't necessarily wrong. Labradors are not known to be particularly aggressive dogs by nature. I appreciate youre scared of dogs. You can call 101, but "Dog barking at me" is going to be far down the list of priorities for the police. You'd be better off learning a bit about dog behaviour and how to approach them so that if you see the dog again, you can tell if it is being aggressive and can de-escalate the situation. It may help your fear of them to learn about them. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 26th Nov 2023 5:12pm)
  • Well if its too much for you to learn a bit about something common that you'll encounter everywhere, you can always call your mum and have her come and hold your hand when you need to leave the house. by Working_on_Writing (Sun 26th Nov 2023 5:43pm)