Bloody hell, that is bad.

Maybe you could split out the Red Pepper bits into a Red Pepper topic I love red peppers (bell peppers, capsicums, whatever you want to call them). I also love red chilli peppers

Don't be, one of us being unhappy is enough

I haven't met anyone here who actually likes being in this particular part of the country...Unfortunately no chance of moving elsewhere... I am planning on doing some locum work in the UK. Nothing on my CV for two years=not a good look

That's okay, I'm already bloomin' miserable. I understand about the CV. Got nothing on my CV for 4 years now (apart from voluntary stuff) & can't seem to get on my feet, so I don't blame you heading back to Blighty for some locum stuff.
Sometimes I wish we'd never left but such is life.

Bought a red pepper today, $1.99 at New World, Warkworth. Still silly expensive but at least I can make my fave stir-fry.

Am I allowed to mention goodish news on the 'Rant Thread' ?

I think the general rule is yes, as long as there is a good moan off to go with it.

My local PNS had green peppers 2 for 3 dollars. I thought that was a really good deal. They looked good and fresh too.

*****ing $10 for an RFID chip in a plastic card? It's your card that failed Metro bus . My bank gives me free cards but the publically funded Metro bus company charges me for their equipment failures?

Also you shouldn't need a contract to get a freaking bus card, I think your elevating the importance of your services to society just a bit. Again my bank lets me started me a new account, start a share trading account or change my credit limit on my card without a contract.

A bus company has no business pretending you need a contract to get a card to ride the loser cruiser. If there is going to be *****ing contract lets start with it making you run a clean, efficient service to a schedule.

Aaah yesterday morning, just before we head off to the leisure centre - I notice there's a cat dead on the road

Now i'm not usually one that goes on about animal rights but seeing that cat just laying there really angered me

Papanui vets are just up the road from McDougall Avenue (10 minute walk max) so it would only take 2 minutes of whoever ran the cat over to get there hoping that it just might be able to be saved. Chances are it wouldn't have survived but for goodness sake - give the poor cat a chance in life

The poor cat bled to death

I can't believe someone could be such a heartless barsteward but then again considering we found it on a Sunday morning, the chances are that it happened in the early hours. Certainly no one on the road when the owners came to collect it could help them as to what happened. Sunday morning, driving round - either a taxi or more likely a bar visitor to the area.

Oh and I seriously worry if the owners do find the driver because they looked the sort of people not to be messed with.

Plus I wonder how the driver would feel if it was his/her pet that got run over? I bet he/she would be as angry as the owners were who collected the poor thing

Sorry but things like that really get me angry. Especially as mentioned - the veteniary is not that far (less than a km) and would have allowed the cat to have a chance. That vet I know is on call as they've been to see next door neighbours pet in the early hours of the morning after him and his dog was hit by a drunk driver on their early 6am morning walk

reminds of a bloody OAP with a trilby hat on that run my cat over many years ago in the UK. lovely day, I've just got back from shopping so cat see's me across the road and makes his way over just for this dick head to hit and run over him, didn't even bat an eyelid or seem to be aware or care. I screamed ater him but again not a response. Poor poor Minstrel my beautiful cat gone and in such a horrible way.

to say I am LIVID in an under I'm statement. some macho arsehole just tried to run me off the road into the path of on coming traffic. I'm driving along nicely behind another vehicle in the right hand lane, clearway not operating, when this Ahole tries to pull over into me in my lane, I beep him yet he continues to edge his car further and further into the lane. Then after me droppping back so said macho ahole doens't shove me into on coming traffic I mouth "arsehole" at him for him to then move back into left hand lane take a piece of paper and get a pen and then drive unaided writing down my particulars. I'm not that stupid to be hunting round to get stuff to get his , reg had a qe in it. SO so want him to report this so I can get him done for dangerous driving

Your mistake was giving ground, once you give an inch they know they've got you. I actually really enjoy playing the game now I have a cheap car, cheap insurance and years with a perfect driving record. There are rules though, like if a car is indicating for more than 5 seconds on a simple lane change you have to do the courteous thing and give the driver some room to merge. If there where narrowing signs and the driver kept going to overtake other traffic under no circumstances are you to let that car join your lane, ever.

Another driving game I like is seeing a badly parked car in a supermarket. I like to fold in the mirrors and get perfectly parked in the next space. Extra points if you return to your car and get a shouty angry looking person . The funny thing is since I started doing this so have the rest of my family. I will park a couple of rows further away from the supermarket to annoy another driver, then I'll feel unreasonably smug for hours .

Then there is a tail gating game for experts, it’s kind of a baiting game where you drive at such a steady pace you bait the car behind into a false sense of security. The gentle glow of your tail lights luring them into a trance. They feel safe following you at a distance of just a few feet, then you wait to come upon another slower car and when you reach the safe following distance you rapidly change your speed to match the car ahead. Much panic ensues in the car behind.

As you’d expect I'm bidding to write the next edition of "The Road Code" .

no indication that I could see and he was trying to get out of the left hand lane because of parked car, clearway not operating, but seriously no need to try and drive me into on coming traffic even if courtesy dictates I was meant to give space and didn't.

well macho idiot is playing silly games now. got a letter in the post from Road Watch to say a "member of the public" was so astounded by my driving that they felt compelled to report me and further action may be taken.

Shame this "member of the public" saw it on a Sunday that I can prove that I didn't leave my house and no one else used the car.

Road Watch apologised and said the "member of the public" must of got the Reg wrong.

So does anyone know the rules of the road. ? If someone tries to ram you into on coming traffic and you then give them space some way down the road but gesticulate about their dangerous driving who is in the wrong.?

Oooo...RoadWatch, well that's you told . If you had just played oblivious and had a little fender bender the real police would have come, ticketed him and insurance would have covered it.

Anger, right, wrong, two fingers or head shaking together with powerfull machines that can kill and maim do not go together.

Make allowances for road users who have lesser skills.....

Us motorcyclists have to.......