Sorry rant alert…….AIBU? Please join in.

The constant pressure to "download the app". How is there room for all these apps on people's devices? And what is wrong with a good old-fashioned website?

I am about to start letting our cottage as a holiday let and have bought some nice coat hangers, I might keep them for ourselves now, its not on to nick things.
I'm with you about food in piles too, I just want to see what I'm getting but usually these are more to do with graphic design than nourishing, healing food, which is what I want.
I'm so with you about reviews too, they are useful but the demands are never ending!

Agree with the rant about being asked to review everything, it drives me crazy. Even our surgert, every time my DH has one of his monthly blood tests we get a text asking him to review his experience. No prizes for guessing whether anyone takes any notice of these reviews.

Labradora

I'm right with you on the freakin reviews, it drives me crazy so now I don't review anything except Airbnb for the obvious reasons.
The other stuff I agree annoying if it happens.
They are treating your holiday let like a hotel where its almost socially acceptable to nick stuff.
I don't know how you'd discourage this as I can't think of a notice tactful enough not to annoy your honest clients

Since when has it been "almost socially acceptable" to nick things from a hotel? If you use the toiletries in small bottles they will not be kept for the next person, so they are in fact yours, but anyone who thinks it's ok to steal towels or even toilet rolls should think again!

wendyann23 my son asks for his coffee to be served in a takeaway cup for this reason, and I do too since he told me.

In a lot of places you can also take your own insulated cup and ask for your coffee to be served in that.
I haven't done that yet.

Luke warm coffee in cafes. They charge enough for a cup of coffee, they could at least make sure it is hot.

I'm right with you on the freakin reviews, it drives me crazy so now I don't review anything except Airbnb for the obvious reasons.
The other stuff I agree annoying if it happens.
They are treating your holiday let like a hotel where its almost socially acceptable to nick stuff.
I don't know how you'd discourage this as I can't think of a notice tactful enough not to annoy your honest clients

As well as cars parked on pavements, overhanging and overgrown bushes and trees that desperately need cutting back - it must be hell for blind people!!
I definitely agree with the way companies ask for reviews. I ordered new phone chargers just last night, and within a few minutes I had messages asking me to be sure to leave feedback and to please go and see what else they had to sell!
I didn't need anything else, so I haven't bothered. But they couldn't have had time to package up the order let alone send it before asking for a review!! It has gotten way past ridiculous now.

MayBee70

I once read that there is a huge fine in Italy if you throw something out of a car window. Not sure if it’s true.

But surely everybody knows (any fule kno) that matter spontaneously dematerialises and disappears when you throw it out of a car (used to be a train) window. 😉

Mel1967

Cars that don’t indicate at roundabouts or just don’t indicate full stop 😠

This reminded me of an incident that happened many years ago. I was walking my children home from school with their dad. We were coming to a road we had to cross which was part of a cross-road. A car indicated to go right, which would take them up the road to our left, so we were crossing the road ahead, children a couple of feet in front and no more, thankfully, when the driver ignored his own indicator and decided to go straight on, narrowly missing my children.
He stopped, just in time, and looked had the audacity to give us a really hacky look...my partner held me back, knowing full well I'd have wiped that look right off his face!
Mind you, I gave him a bloody good mouthful and told him to go back to driving school to learn what an indicator is actually for!!
Luckily, the children were fine, as being so close in front of us we had managed to grab them back out of the way!

Mel1967 As a pedestrian this is especially true. Drivers seem to think they dont need to tell me if they are turning in my direction or not

As a pedestrian this is especially true. Drivers seem to think they dont need to tell me if they are turning in my direction or not

@Sago I'm wondering would you recommend owning a holiday let despite these problems? We have been considering investing our savings into buying a small property to let but not sure just how much trouble it would be

MayBee70

I once read that there is a huge fine in Italy if you throw something out of a car window. Not sure if it’s true.

In the UK councils can fine motorists £150 if they're seen throwing litter from a vehicle. The problem is proving it.

Just been for a walk. Those people who have their dog on a great long extended lead that you can't see . They have little or no control over the dog and when it runs up to you and nearly trips you up they blame the dog!

MayBee70 if it's not true, it ought to be! It should be introduced here too. But how would those people ever be caught? Dashcam footage maybe....

I once read that there is a huge fine in Italy if you throw something out of a car window. Not sure if it’s true.

Litter on road sides and in lay-bys. Does anyone here admit to throwing stuff from car windows? No. Suggest it to someone who drives for a living and they answer that they never do it. Ever. No one does it. So where does it come from?

The same with those random bits of loo roll on public toilet floors. Are there women whose home toilets are strewn with loo roll?

It's a mystery.

Just thought of another one! I hate the way some firms (yes, J Parker's, I'm looking at you) say "Shop" whatever it is, as in "Shop summer bulbs". I know what they mean, but couldn't they say "Buy", or if that's too aggressive, maybe "Browse"?

Thank you for reading. I feel better now.

Lyndylou you could ask them (or the council if you feel uncomfortable) to cut the hedge back. There is a duty to not obstruct the pavement which goes for the hedge as well as the cars.

When a hedge grows over the pavement so it is a nuisance if you do speak to the council’s Highway Inspection Team they can tell the landowner to trim it the within a (specified) time. If they don't do so then the council do it and charge them.

Knitandnatter

Sago, as this thread is already 6 pages long it may have already been suggested but here goes:
Could you start charging a deposit for your holiday let and state that it refundable following inspection after the customers have left?
I accept that cups, glasses etc can get broken but blatant theft items you describe is despicable.

Unfortunately it’s impossible to prove, people just deny it!
Just got back from a stay there and realised a room spray has been taken too.
The things that I thought would go haven’t such as the hairdryer’s, umbrellas and shopping bags.

The 2 worst offenders for parking on the pavement on my dog walking route also have very overgrown hedges/shrubs. The dog could get through but I can't! Don't these people register that they are blocking people's path.

The left hand turn at the end of my road goes straight to a dual carriage way to the motorway, so I mainly need to turn right to the village. So I stop at the end of road, indicating right and placed properly so cars can turn into my road if they need to. And every bl**dy time some one will slow down and flash at me to come out. They are not doing me a "favour" to let me out, they want me gone so they can to cut the corner into my road instead of doing a proper right hand turn.

Twenee Twenee four (2024) BBC announcers can be the worst!

SueEH -
I was taught to ride a horse by a man who had been a Polish cavalry officer. He was exceptionally strict.
If it was a group lesson he would insist we all moved as one when given the signal to move - likewise to move into/out of a trot or a canter.

SO much time was spent disciplining us in making us line up perfectly, keep exactly the proscribed distance from each other and this "all move in unison" thing that whenever I'm stuck in that sort of queue (that is really irritating) I think of him and want to get my long whip out...
I've often wondered if he was as intolerant in the car as he was on horseback.

Sago
I do agree with all your rants! Lighthearted or not.
Standards have gone right down the drain!

Witzend, I too don’t always want to give my phone number out when ordering online. I read somewhere that if you put 01234567890, the computer is satisfied, so I tried it and it works!