Everyday Adventures

[KRonn]

[Barrister]

Woke up this morning to cold air coming out of the air vents.

Go down to restart the pilot light - it goes out every couple of months or so.  But I relight it (it is out), but still no heat.  The furnace won't kick in.  Uh oh.  But I have to get going to work.

So during my 10 minute bus ride I find a number for a furnace repair outfit and text them.  They reply back quickly, and have someone sent over this morning.

Now the question is how much will this cost.  Our furnace is original to the house: 22 years old.  That's about the end of the expected lifetime of a forced-air natural gas furnace.  WIll we be forced to buy a new furnace?

And the answer is: NO!  A brand new thermocouple and we're good to go!   Only a $300 repair bill, which not great is still less than I was expecting.

[Tamas]

Fun weekend.

We went on Saturday to catch the Assyrian exhibition in the British Museum before it closed, then move on to V&A for the Dior exhibition (my wife is a member). Next time I guess I'll check beforehand because the Assyrian thing was sold out. And I refused to listen to the weather forecast and dressed for cold so had to carry around my useless clothing the whole time.

But, coming out of the back exit of the BM, saw my first mugging (ever, but also first for London). Middle-aged guy of Indian/Pakistani origin was with his little son and some white guy on a bicycle went past and swooped something from his hand, I assume his mobile. Poor guy.

Then this morning I discovered I had a flat tyre. No worries, wasn't going to be the first tyre change I did, not even on this car. But I also had to discover that something was definitely not right with the bolt lock I have on. It just wouldn't budge. I ended up cracking the key thingie (twice) but it just wouldn't budge. So I'll have to half a day off to have some people over on Tuesday with a new tyre and to unhinge it somehow, and I'll have to take the train tomorrow as we'll have an important meeting at the office.  At least I did discover that it was flat due to a puncture by a big screw.

[Eddie Teach]

That's not a mugging.

[Tamas]

True.

What's the word then? Stealing?

[Eddie Teach]

Well, it is stealing, but a more specific term would be snatch and grab.

[Admiral Yi]

Yeah mugging has to involve the threat of violence.  Purse snatching is a thing so I guess phone snatching should be too.

[Barrister]

Yup - the legal charge would be "theft", but 'snatch and grab' would be an accurate summary of the modus operandi.

[Admiral Yi]

I've always disliked the term snatch and grab because of it's pure redundancy.  It's like saying let's go eat and chow.

[mongers]

Yup - the legal charge would be "theft", but 'snatch and grab' would be an accurate summary of the modus operandi.

Don't know the situation in the UK, but sometimes the 'attacks' can be quite threatening if not violent:

Gang on mopeds pictured riding through central London grabbing people's mobile phones

Harley TamplinFriday
5 May 2017 1:51 pm

This is the moment a motorbike gang brandishing hammers and metal bars terrorised people in central London.

Shocking photos show the gang, with two people sitting on each bike, riding through the capital's Soho area in broad daylight.
Thieves manage to steal £150,000 of diamond rings from wedding show»

The scary incident happened at about 2pm on Thursday.

An eyewitness said the men were riding around in a 'threatening manner' and trying to steal people's mobile phones.

Intimidating scenes included one of the bikes mounting a pavement in a bid to snatch a phone out of the hands of a passer by.
.....

Full item here:
https://metro.co.uk/2017/05/05/gang-on-mopeds-pictured-riding-through-central-london-grabbing-peoples-mobile-phones-6618015/


I'd guess if they were successful, but then caught it would be robbery.

[The Brain]

Today I picked up a package from Amazon. Flat, heavily damaged box wrapped in plastic from Swedish mail, with a letter from them that disarmingly stated that the package regretfully had been damaged. The books were long gone. Good thing they weren't super important, but I don't see how this stuff happens. Are there even book thieves? And if not, why rip a box to shreds?

[Caliga]

You bought a physical book?  Ok old man.

[The Brain]

You bought a physical book?  Ok old man.

Thank you for your input, Kentucky.

[garbon]

You bought a physical book?  Ok old man.

Why would a person not?

[Caliga]

Do you also ride a horse to work?