Monday 8 October 2018


Fully brief your partner on a new car’s technology

I changed my car a few months ago. It’s spanking new and as with past updates to my preferred method of transport it left me shaking my head at the technology you now get as standard.
Automatic climate control (on my first car, a Mk 1 Ford Cortina, that meant opening and closing the windows); tyre pressure warning lights (Cortina warning if a tyre was low on pressure was being unable to steer in a straight line) and rear parking sensors (you knew you’d gone too far in the Cortina when you heard the thump of an immovable object).
It was that last technological improvement that almost proved embarrassing last month.
Unfortunate juxtaposition in a newsletter we received.
SWMBO and I were in Devon for a friend’s landmark birthday celebrations. We rented a small cottage for the weekend and the parking space outside was at a jaunty angle against a wall and just Focus-length.
SWMBO, who is a wonderful, careful, considerate and safe driver (she told me) was in the driver’s seat on the day after the party when we returned to said cottage from lunch.
As she drove, carefully, up the slight slope into the space, with yours truly acting as Parking Superintendent, she edged ever closer to the wall.
I ended up having to shout quite loudly as the car almost touched the wall and only a sharp bang on the passenger window brought the car to a halt.
“That was close” I muttered as SWMBO exited the car. “You very nearly hit the wall despite my Olympic-medal winning gesturing.”
“Oh,” my dearest replied, “I thought there were parking sensors on the front.”
And the lesson is – fully brief your partner on a new car’s technology before he/ she drives it for the first time.

Monday 1 October 2018

Is it influence or just pure coincidence?

Well, well, well. My reader might not have answered on a postcard as I requested in my last blog about my banking app but the missive attracted a few comments.
First off the mark was RB of F: “I had the same with Lloyd’s and I couldn’t erase the new smartphone app- arghhhhhhh.”
This was swiftly followed by an email from TP of M: “Totally agree with you!”
And finally TC of E weighed in: “I totally agree – b******s.”
Thank you. For the comments but mainly for bothering to read IDGOM.
While on this subject, I do have a bit of an update.
The game of electronic ping-pong, you may remember, went on for a while until a new message appeared stating that my iPad operating system no longer supported the new app. So, I was expecting the worst.
But I am pleased to tell you that I appear to have some influence after all. The app did stop working on the pre-determined date as stated but then, rather miraculously, it started working again.
Maybe it wasn’t beyond the bank’s tech team’s abilities to ensure loyal customers who do not upgrade phones and tablets every time a new version is released could take advantage of mobile banking by issuing a cut down version of the app. Or maybe just coincidence?