Had an m sport 118d as a temporary company car for a few months last year. Nice car, handled well and a nice place to sit but I wouldn’t spend my own money on one.

It was comically awful in snow. Couldn’t get it up my drive in an inch of snow (and I grew up in NE scotland so I know how to drive in snow).

At least a wtd ad scammer isn’t going to pretend to have my username.

I’ve got an old kona scab with a 26×4 front and a 24×3 rear. Rear fits with a bit of knob trimming. Diameters are pretty close to 29er front and 26er rear. It works OK in a kind of fun/daft/mucking about the woods type way.

If it had been a picture of a dead puppy on the news yesterday, instead of a little brown boy, the outcry would have seen the problem solved already.

I was going to buy a new lens for my camera this week. I really don’t need it so the money I was going to spend went to Save The Children this morning. If it makes even one child’s life a little more bearable it’ll be worth it, but it’s just nowhere near enough.

Those pictures are just about the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen. We caused that and we’re doing nothing about it. I’ve got a family and a comfortable life which I don’t deserve any more than that little boy or his family did. I got lucky and was born here, that’s it.

Politics usually gets me angry, but this just makes me feel hopeless and ashamed.

Thanks for your input everyone, and especially to those who have emailed me. Much appreciated.

I’m curious as to how that makes dissertation material. Once you get beyond the obvious (employer failed interview / better offer received / circumstances changed) you are going to just get weird ones like your example.

What do you envisage the result being? ‘companies should spend money catering to bizarre candidates just in case their apparent odd personal priorities don’t transfer to them being functionally useless in their job role’?

I was expecting this. The short answer is that he obvious reasons are so obvious that here is very little research on them. Recruitment processes are designed and refined by recruiters so I’m also interviewing them to see if their understanding of why people pull out is the same as the candidates who are actually withdrawing. I work in an industry with skills shortages and a lot of money is spent identifying and attracting candidates, and a fair bit on selecting the right ones. It would be good to know if the selection part of the process is working against the attraction part. It’s a bit more complicated but that should give you an idea.

geoffj

I manage a Resourcing team for a large construction company. Until recently that meant I was a recruitment manager, now it’s a mix of strategy, planning, relationship and project management (while another team entirely do that actual bums on seat type stuff).

It’s very challenging, which I enjoy, and I get a lot of freedom to work the way I want. I’d just change my (internal) customers for some more grateful ones!

I recently bought an A5000 and I’m very pleased with it so far. I’m the first to admit my knowledge of photography is very limited, but I’m looking forward to playing about a bit. Bought it over a DSLR as I thought having a CSC in my bag would get more/better photos than a DSLR sat at home cos it’s too big.

I’m a landlord, but only because I couldn’t sell my flat when I needed to move. First lease I put it up for about a fiver more than the mortgage and. I had tenants in within 36 hours. Thought I might have let it go a bit cheap so added £50 when it next came up and this time it went within 24 hours. So I’ve got a little bit of a buffer if/when rates rise, which is good because I know what my tenants earn and I wouldn’t like to charge any more. As long as the mortgage is being paid off, or even close to it, I’m happy.

He was so distraught that he tried to get his HGV licence back after the crash.

Staggering that he’s not facing criminal charges.

Isn’t it only the entry level Golf S that has the torsion beam rear suspension anyway?

All the cars on the company list are diesel and other than fords or vauxhalls (or a Lexus I don’t want) there aren’t any alternatives, so Seat/Skoda aren’t an option but VW/Audi are. Also has to be the exact model on the list. From the sounds of things it’ll come down to a lifestyle choice – Golf GTD for me or Passat/Volvo estate for the family. Mrs U. has already stated her preference for a large Volvo so this is probably all academic anyway.

Good to know, ACC would be pretty nice to have. That and a DAB radio are about all I need, I’m pretty easily pleased.

For 16000 miles a year, without the hassle of depreciation, servicing or insurance, it’s definitely worth it for me. The alternative cash allowance is pretty stingy so won’t go as far as taking the car.

Looks like the Audi is out (is this definitely still STW?). I’ll take a test drive of the other 2. Although there’s still a part of me that wants to take the opportunity to get a big estate just because I can.

Glenshee. If you learn to ski on snow dusted heather and rock in horizontal rain you can ski anywhere.

Athen’s Olympics

Jesus wept.

Are they still making Judge Judy?

Picolax

You’re probably expecting this answer but there’s no way in the world I’d be making a claim in that situation. I initially thought you were talking about a toddler but at 26 I think you have to take a bit of personal responsibility for looking after yourself. If you want the steps fixed (they look fine to me) then complain and escalate by all means but a personal injury claim is way OTT in my opinion.

Very similar experience of McEwan Fraser except we ended up paying them even though they didn’t get anywhere near selling our flat. Liars and thieves IMO.

Jekyll I don’t think these people were up early enough to see the potential classic thread that was so cruelly ripped from our grasp.

Had mine done about 12-13 years ago and it was very very sore indeed. Certainly the most painful thing I’ve ever done on purpose, and a lot more painful than my other piercings.

How does Mike feel about you telling the internet he drives like a ****? After almost 19 years with the business he might expect a little more respect…

Hurtmore, do you realise that by constantly referencing Sturgeon’s dress sense or appearance you just come over as a sexist ass? It’s 2015 for heavens sake, no need to judge a female politician on asthetics. You’ve made it abundantly clear you don’t like her politics, the sexist overtones are just unecessary, even by your standards.

Excellent. I look forward to the pooling and sharing of these resource amongst our family of nations in this most united of kingdoms.

Labour since 1983, currently a nasty piece of work who likes exchanging funny handshakes with the local flute band. Safe? Not this time around it’s not.

You could always try er… Aviemore Youth Hostel.

I know I’ve said this before but by christ there’s a few straight up lunatics on here. I’m imagining lives consumed by this hatred, sat alone frothing at the mouth in a darkened room.

Please, please don’t stop posting anti-SNP drivel on here, it really brightens up my day. Much like the labour and tory stalls today adorned with copies of the daily mail. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

There’s an Ivory Towers on our street (of terraced cottages), which has always amused me. Everyone else just has a number.

That’s beyond words. I’m just very very sorry for you.

Old Aberdeen. Means home sweet home to me.

You think the BBC are biased about crufts, try how they report on a referendum.

What a weird thread. I keep checking back to see if someone’s explained the joke yet.

Star Wars Attack of the clones.

/end thread

What’s it like just now scotroutes? This time next week I’ll be on a winter skills course at Glenmore Lodge.

Sorry hels, that sort of speed is fairly unusual in my experience as well, and I’ve interviewed and hired hundreds of people. There’s little to be gained from contacting them, but little to lose either, so I’d give them a call now if you really want to.

I’ve had it for a few years too. You can claim for up to 2 lost mobiles a year at £100 a time, which would put you in profit. Of course, you’d need to ‘lose’ two mobiles a year first…
Worth it for us anyway for the travel and breakdown insurance and in all honesty my MRA does lose or break at least one phone a year.

I grew up in a village 22 miles from Aberdeen and from my teens on I hated it. All my friends lived in town and there was no public transport to speak of so until you can drive it’s a prison. I rode my bike all the time but if I hadn’t I’d have joined in with the other kids’ main/only activity which was sitting outside the spar. And when they get old enough, sitting in their Novas in the car park opposite the spar. Personally I wouldn’t even consider it , especially if the kids aren’t keen, but only you know your family.