Grumpy old buggers thread

[DiscoMick]

I saw a poster the other day:

"Unattended children will be given caffeine and a free kitten."

[101RRS]

We always take our kids shopping.
Why should we be the only ones to enjoy their behaviour?

Jonesfam

Yes but what do you do when I bang my trolley into one of them to give them a real reason for screaming their heads off - particularly when I look at mummy or daddy and with a meek look - say 'sorry' -

[Saulman1010]

I keep my mouth shut with screaming kids and equally feral parents in supermarkets these days....
I once thought I would intervene some time ago with one such brat, "ohh dont to that Tarquin" she says "don't touch that, don't, don't, no thats naughty" etc etc, and on and on with totally ineffective parenting. I said "Your Mother said NO young man" in my best grown up voice expecting a smile of gratitude from her, but no.... The monther went ballistic. Calling me every name under the sun at full volume and arms waving crazily - I copped abuse regarding everything including my parentage, IQ and even sexual orentation.
I was so taken back I was speechless (the only time in MY life I can assure you).
I didn't shop there for weeks afterwards, lest she ring the plods!

[BradC]

I keep my mouth shut with screaming kids and equally feral parents in supermarkets these days....

Parenting is one of those touchy subjects. My theory is "it takes a village" and gratefully accept all the extra assistance/discipline people can dish out. My brother is convinced he and his wife should be the only people to "discipline" their children, except they don't.

Right now I have a particularly challenging 3 (going on 4) year old who has been given quite a bit of extra rope due to his circumstances over the last year and is now in need of some "behavioral realignment". We pick and choose where and when we take him out because we know he's a menace to people trying to enjoy peace and good order. There appear to be a lot of parents who aren't quite as aware of the behavior of their little cherubs.

[NavyDiver]

I like helping with a evil option at suitable times. With little kids chucking a wobbly and refusing to follow mum or dad. I offer to take the little cherub to the police station for help after a wink to mum or dad if they prefer to not go with mum and dad

Amazing how quickly they catch up with mum or dad

[DiscoMick]

Here's something making me grumpy.
The gear knob on the Defender has started to fall apart. I want to replace it. Should be easy - right? But no.
I don't want to spend $888 on a set of super polished brushed aluminium gear knobs with wooden or even stainless steel shafts, accompanied by an autographed picture of Madonna dressed as Cleopatra (okay, I admit I made up the Madonna bit, but you get the idea) from Ebay, I just want another ordinary plastic gear knob. How hard can it be?
Frigging hard apparently. Plenty of five speeds, but no reasonably priced six-speed. Where are the cheap TDCi gear knobs? Have they all been exported to the South Pole? Does Gerry McGovern have the entire world supply in a box under his bed? Seriously?
Anyone have a clue to turn Grumpy into Happy?

[ChookD2]

Anyone have a clue to turn Grumpy into Happy?

Just stay grumpy I find it is easier and once people get to know they just leave you alone.

[Saitch]

Mike, you could try one of these.

pool-ball-923831_960_720.png

[p38arover]

Regrettably, no. I believe gear knobs now have to have the gear change pattern shown otherwise it's a defect notice.

Mick, if it's just the thread falling apart, do what I did years ago. I cleaned out the broken thread in the knob, Vaselined the thread on the gearstick, filled the hole with fibreglass-filled 2 part filler and fitted it over the gearstick. Once it cured I unscrewed the knob. It had a perfect thread inside it. To get the knob oriented correctly, I then screwed on a locknut, then the knob. I set the knob where I wanted it and tightened the locknut back up under the knob. Fixed.

[JDNSW]

Or what I did - turn out the hole and turn a brass bush to fit neatly, threaded inside. Araldite the bush in the hole, otherwise same as Ron.