Fiddlesticks

Any use? https://www.barclays.co.uk/ways-to-bank/post-office-banking/

So a couple of weeks ago we arrive at Little Roodee Car Park, Chester for a mooch around. Park the bike up, and check the website for restrictions. "Oh yes", says the website, "motorcycles can be parked at any of our pay and display car parks without paying if they're outside the marked bays, and not getting in anyone's way". Jolly decent of them, thinks I. Imagine my surprise when, upon returning to the bike there's a ticket wrapped around the brake lever. Must be a misunderstanding. Right? Get home, appeal online. Simples. Appeal gets rejected. "We've considered exercising our discretion and waiving the fine, but have decided to be bast*rds instead..." (Or words to that effect). "The problem is, this is not, technically speaking, a Pay and Display car park. It's a Pay on Foot car park. See. Totally different." They very generously offered to let me pay the reduced amount. If I was quick about it. Ignoring their mafiosa-like overtures, all that could be done now was to wait for the generosity period to end. Then a letter to arrive with the increased amount. Appeal #2 was a bit of a War and Peace affair, which cast no aspersions as to the parentage of the enforcement team, but simply went through, in meticulous detail, the absolute inanity of their previous rejection. It ended with a screengrab of the relevant Traffic Regulation Order, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that bikes can park outside of marked bays at all council car parks. [EDIT: It turns out the .gov website I got this from was out of date.] Today, I received the most mealy-mouthed pathetic, rear-end-covering response: "On this occasion we're going to be nice and cancel the ticket... Don't do it again." Nothing gets me quite as fuming as self-serving petty bureaucracy wrapped up as public service. Screw it. Not good enough. Put a complaint in. They thought it would be an easy £25. It'll cost them at least that by the time we've done.

Tidy job

I might upgrade the Explorer. It'll be 12 years old and pushing 70,000 miles. I like the fact that the insurance is relatively cheap, but big trips are always a bit of a gamble. One time we snapped the shaft (quite spectacularly smashing through the side of the swingarn like Alien breaking out of Ripley's stomach). Another time we ended up without lights, and a third the shock went, making for a rather bouncy ride home. There's no guarantees in life, of course, but a newer bike would stack the odds more in our favour.

Have you tried an older (cheaper) bike third party fire and theft? Or upping the excess to the max on a fully comp policy?

Try messing around in CompareTheMarket - I think you'll find it's an extra 20% or so from memory, but a higher annual mileage will also affect it.

...Value of the bike Number of miles ridden per year Business use How long you've had the bike Pillion coverage Other riders insured on the bike Strangely, not whether you're male or female, since a recent(ish) change in the law.

Sounds like a shortened version of my 6 hour chat trying to convince Virgin Media we were done.

Crazy prices. Not sure what the answer is, maybe a 125 for a year to build up some no claims.

Yes, the funds are earmarked (reserved) but not actually taken. Process is. Card is authorised Funds are earmarked (this is the £99 reserved amount. It stays in your account but can't be spent elsewhere. It may show as a Pending Transaction.) Final total is worked out and debited. Earmark is removed. As pointed out, steps 1 & 2 happen in real time, but the settling up and removal of the earmark is a batch process at the back end so it can take a while, especially over the weekend. Probably better now that it was in the past, but I think it will depend on your bank and the petrol station in question.

There's a song about that....

I don't think it is anymore.

Morning. 2.5 degrees on the way in today.

Hi

Probably a bit underpowered, but they did do an XV535. Also check out the Kawasaki en500

Our first real group ride (we're normally quite antisocial ) with the advanced riding crew. Not quite the outlaw motorcycle gang you might imagine, but by 'eck they're quick. Had Mrs. Fiddlesticks on the back, really had to up my game. Good fun

Hi, good to have you along.

Tupperware box under the seat with tools, puncture kit, fuses, bulbs etc. Pump in the tank bag.

Hi

Hi mate, A nice collection you have going on there.

I changed my mind - I'd like a Rocket 3 GT. This game is hard

Have started seeing notices at petrol stations with "fuel must be paid for", plus small print - I guess similar to private car parks threatening fines if not. The idea being you are assumed to agree to the terms of the contract as soon as you start to fill up.

Password safe is a nice little app. You can copy the database file from the PC too.

Was on a remote Scottish island last week. They decided to switch off the power for an entire day. Cash only, anywhere that was still open. With Ed Miliband's new green energy policy this could definitely be the future...

A goldwing would be nice, but a bit of a one trick pony.