LATEST MOAN FROM YOU AND ME 2020

I've got an idea @Upsydaisy - bear with me.....

 

@Upsydaisy - I have tweeted them about this, asking how to de-register and highlighted the distress caused.... and they have responded asking me to send them a private message with details of the account so they can de-register it.

I can either point them in your direction if you are on Twitter, or if you want you can PM me the account details and I will pass them on in a private message on your behalf.

 

Since February we have had one half day of steady drizzle, two separate periods of 10-15 minutes heavy rain and one night of gentle drizzle. Shineyland is a dry country.

 

Not sure if mine is a moan or a success story.

Over two years ago, I went over a manhole at a local very busy junction, and noticed that it was badly sunken to the point that (in my opinion) if a motorcyclist hit it at or around the speed limit for the road (50mph) it would quite likely throw them off. I reported it to the council immediately.
I then fell ill and did not drive for quite some time (the best part of a year), so when I returned to the roads in different car, I had forgotten all about this manhole, and hit the thing at upwards of 40mph one evening on the way home. The impact did some considerable damage to the front of the car, knocking the steering out of alignment and also knocking the self-levelling sensors for the suspension out of kilter. Cost me quite a few hundred quid to have it fixed, and to be honest at the time I should have claimed, but I thought i would do the decent thing and just get the manhole fixed. I reported it to the council again.

The council chap seemed to agree that it was a hazard and responded that he had reported it to Thames Water with photographic evidence, as it was their responsibility to repair. This was late 2018.

Summer last year, I reported it again as it was still not fixed. I also reported another one further along the same bit of road as it too was collapsing and now bits of tarmac were being thrown out from around it. This latter one had a bucket of tar chucked (literally) at it quite quickly, but at least there was no longer a hole around its surround.

In the latter part of the year, I passed the original manhole again, this time at a crawl as the lights were changing and noted that it was still sunken, so having had enough I emailed my local councillors. I got a rapid response, an apology (which was very nice of them) and an assurance that someone would investigate. A couple of weeks later I passed it again and noticed that someone had put a large bucket of tar in on top of the lid to fill the dip, and presumed this must be temporary until it was done right.

Just prior to lockdown, I went up the same strip of road and both manholes were in a state again, with the tar having broken off the top of the lid and disappeared. I reported both to the council, again.....

Last weekend, I had to drive Mrs C to get pet supplies, and drove over them again - first one remained as bad, the second getting even worse. Then on Monday evening, an email from the council saying they had reported it to Thames Water with photographs but it fell under some act or other and they couldn't force a repair and blah-de-blah blah blah.

So, I saw red - - I contacted Thames Water directly online and asked them for their claims procedure and contact details as I wanted to have them on hand in the event that I incurred further damage or saw someone else who had. Immediate response.

Thames Water staff and I conversed throughout yesterday morning, one of whom was an engineer who called me as he was on the road itself looking for the problems, which I guided him toward. He has booked jobs to have them both fixed properly and hopes they will be done in a matter of days.

Now, how in the name of the wee man was I able to achieve the repair being arranged within one morning, and yet four local councillors and goodness knows how many council staff have not been able to do so for two years!

I reckon the wages of the folks I have been in contact with at the council must amount to nearly quarter of a million quid a year, all of whom were passing the buck to save spending less than five grand on the two repairs. Utter madness.

 

Definitely a successful moan.