Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[arbboy]

Phil Shaw hasnt coached for us in a long time, I think he just never left officially so we havent updated the page.

The entitlement, online trolling and narcissim are a trifecta of modern day behaviours that I am truly fascinated in. Probably the biggest area you can spot all three in all their glory is internet comments.

If you ever get stuck on that desert island, this would be a great one to work through. This guy bookmarks all his favourite stories of those three things:

https://delicious.com/ramitsethi/freeloaders

This is pretty interesting stuff:

http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2010/12/09/how-to-detect-a-toxic-customer/

And to your point, yes I have never understood why people take such offence at things (like rake races) that they were never going to partake in anyway. I chat to Mr Channing about this quite a lot and he has lots to say on the subject (Recent quote: "Do they really run past Selfridges shouting you're too expensive I'm not coming in, that stuff should be free.").

Good article Dave.  I think this is one of the major reasons why the online poker ecology has collasped relatively to 6/8 years ago and i talk as someone who, selfishly, was a high volume rakeback 'tart' and moved around to get the best possible deals back in the day.  Looking back it is quite amazing that the losers on the site got relatively nothing in benefits yet the winners seems to get treated like royalty.  No other successful long term business in the world would operate like the poker world did at the start.  I suppose each network/skin was chasing volume and scared to fall behind the competition so overly pandered to the pros demands.

[doubleup]

So Ralph, just to clarify, you were just set adrift in a strange land with $100 and no supervision?

Exactly so Tom.

Funnily enough when I arrived in Montreal there was a chocolate shop with signs advertising Mother's Day and I immediately bought a box of chocolates and had them shipped back to England with a little card, must have cost at least $15. I have often wondered how guilty she felt when they arrived.

Bloody Hell Ralph. The small details are often the most poignan.

Can we hgave the next instalment on my diary please?

Okay Tom the next instalment will be on your diary, probably tomorrow.

nudge

[DaveShoelace]

Phil Shaw hasnt coached for us in a long time, I think he just never left officially so we havent updated the page.

The entitlement, online trolling and narcissim are a trifecta of modern day behaviours that I am truly fascinated in. Probably the biggest area you can spot all three in all their glory is internet comments.

If you ever get stuck on that desert island, this would be a great one to work through. This guy bookmarks all his favourite stories of those three things:

https://delicious.com/ramitsethi/freeloaders

This is pretty interesting stuff:

http://www.softwarebyrob.com/2010/12/09/how-to-detect-a-toxic-customer/

And to your point, yes I have never understood why people take such offence at things (like rake races) that they were never going to partake in anyway. I chat to Mr Channing about this quite a lot and he has lots to say on the subject (Recent quote: "Do they really run past Selfridges shouting you're too expensive I'm not coming in, that stuff should be free.").

Good article Dave.  I think this is one of the major reasons why the online poker ecology has collasped relatively to 6/8 years ago and i talk as someone who, selfishly, was a high volume rakeback 'tart' and moved around to get the best possible deals back in the day.  Looking back it is quite amazing that the losers on the site got relatively nothing in benefits yet the winners seems to get treated like royalty.  No other successful long term business in the world would operate like the poker world did at the start.  I suppose each network/skin was chasing volume and scared to fall behind the competition so overly pandered to the pros demands.

Agree. In fact we are also to blame heavily for the marketing messages we sent out, ie 'play here and beat the fish', essentially saying 'most of are customers are idiots, but you are alright'

[Tal]

Marketing messages and staking threads, yes.

[BigAdz]

I have a fair few Yorkshire friends and the saying " I say what I like, and I like what I bloody well say" is most apt.

I digress.

A short work affair in Krackow(what a truly beautiful city centre, with a remarkable square in the middle. Loved  it), was only spoiled by Tikays mentor Michael O fecking Leary's mob.

I can only presume Tikay is tongue in cheek in his praise for this horrible man, either that or he has never flown Ryanair?!

I am a Silver BA card holder, and worked hard to get there, so try and stick with BA for all the perks, but the flight to Krackow meant Warsaw then an internal on god knows what, so thought, surely Ryanair had improved since my last debacle on a return flight from Kerry after a Laddies event in Kilarney. Robbed blind for bloody everything, and I vowed never to use them again.

Anyway, the day before, my flying companion noticed in the small print that we HAD to check in online or face a £70 fine. A fine start, as I never bother checking in. Nice try, O'Leary, but we checked in and paid your poxy 4 quid for priority check in.

So, arrive on Monday at crack of sparrows and find we have to check in at desks 81-83. Priority queue as long as normal queue....grrrrr. Get to front of queue. told we are in the wrong queue. I point to board which still says her desk. "Don't know why, but it IS round the other side, you best be quick sir"........you can imagine.....

Get through the massive lines in security, which was like a free for all, and sent to Gate 81. Stand in a queue for 20 mins and then told we are being moved to Gate 40. Mass half mile ruck to get to Gate 40 to stand in another 30 min queue there.

Plane arrives and we get shoved outside to stand IN THE FRIGGING RAIN, while the plane disembarks. What the fuck is that all about, and fifteen mins later, soaked , we are all invited to walk up the steps. What the Feck! Tight bugger wont even pay for air bridges. Everyone soaked and by time we get there, half the plane sneezing. Marv.

Oh, and while we are stood in the queue out in the rain, we have the delights of seeing our luggage being placed daintily into the back of the plane......Are we buggery. Each and every case thrown in as if the luggage boys are in training for Cabber Tossing. What a bunch of tossers they are, knowing full well no one will shout for fear of getting ejected.

Not a single seat empty.

We all know its like a bloody battery chicken coup in there, but with the trolly dollies flying up and down offering snacks every ten mins, you are squeezed in so tight you cant find your bloody wallet, so miss out on all those over expensive rip offs too.

Get to other end, and colleague loses luggage. We even saw it lobbed on the plane so how can it go missing? After remonstrating with the polish luggage guy he suggests we check other carousel. Of course his case is there. Luggage guy shrugs like "well where else did you think it would be?".

It seems our experience was nothing out of the ordinary, based on similar tales from regulars on the route.

I hate to think how many times I swore about what I will do when i next see O'Leary at the races.

What a tosser.

I do hope your love of this man is purely a wind up Mr K, or my love for you will die, just a little....

[arbboy]

I have a fair few Yorkshire friends and the saying " I say what I like, and I like what I bloody well say" is most apt.

I digress.

A short work affair in Krackow(what a truly beautiful city centre, with a remarkable square in the middle. Loved  it), was only spoiled by Tikays mentor Michael O fecking Leary's mob.

I can only presume Tikay is tongue in cheek in his praise for this horrible man, either that or he has never flown Ryanair?!

I am a Silver BA card holder, and worked hard to get there, so try and stick with BA for all the perks, but the flight to Krackow meant Warsaw then an internal on god knows what, so thought, surely Ryanair had improved since my last debacle on a return flight from Kerry after a Laddies event in Kilarney. Robbed blind for bloody everything, and I vowed never to use them again.

Anyway, the day before, my flying companion noticed in the small print that we HAD to check in online or face a £70 fine. A fine start, as I never bother checking in. Nice try, O'Leary, but we checked in and paid your poxy 4 quid for priority check in.

So, arrive on Monday at crack of sparrows and find we have to check in at desks 81-83. Priority queue as long as normal queue....grrrrr. Get to front of queue. told we are in the wrong queue. I point to board which still says her desk. "Don't know why, but it IS round the other side, you best be quick sir"........you can imagine.....

Get through the massive lines in security, which was like a free for all, and sent to Gate 81. Stand in a queue for 20 mins and then told we are being moved to Gate 40. Mass half mile ruck to get to Gate 40 to stand in another 30 min queue there.

Plane arrives and we get shoved outside to stand IN THE FRIGGING RAIN, while the plane disembarks. What the fuck is that all about, and fifteen mins later, soaked , we are all invited to walk up the steps. What the Feck! Tight bugger wont even pay for air bridges. Everyone soaked and by time we get there, half the plane sneezing. Marv.

Oh, and while we are stood in the queue out in the rain, we have the delights of seeing our luggage being placed daintily into the back of the plane......Are we buggery. Each and every case thrown in as if the luggage boys are in training for Cabber Tossing. What a bunch of tossers they are, knowing full well no one will shout for fear of getting ejected.

Not a single seat empty.

We all know its like a bloody battery chicken coup in there, but with the trolly dollies flying up and down offering snacks every ten mins, you are squeezed in so tight you cant find your bloody wallet, so miss out on all those over expensive rip offs too.

Get to other end, and colleague loses luggage. We even saw it lobbed on the plane so how can it go missing? After remonstrating with the polish luggage guy he suggests we check other carousel. Of course his case is there. Luggage guy shrugs like "well where else did you think it would be?".

It seems our experience was nothing out of the ordinary, based on similar tales from regulars on the route.

I hate to think how many times I swore about what I will do when i next see O'Leary at the races.

What a tosser.

I do hope your love of this man is purely a wind up Mr K, or my love for you will die, just a little....

I always find the Ryanair debates interesting but every time i have listened to Tikay's mate O'Leary he always says he doesn't want to fly people with luggage in the hold 'it costs money' etc etc.  I would only ever fly ryanair with hand luggage as you know what you are going to get when you sign up.  If you play by their rules (which they have every right to set when they charge so little) you can have a budget flight which is adequate.  The moaners always seem to be the people who want BA service without the BA price. I know when i check in at Luton i am going to have a long walk to the furthest away gate possible to board but that's why the tickets are so cheap because O'leary doesn't get charged as much by Luton to operate there as the gates which are closer by.  In the same way as when you shop at aldi you don't get bags to put your shopping in but you pay much less for your shopping.

[BigAdz]

I hear what you say Arby, but I was happy to pay BA money. The stood in the rain for 20 mins was the limit though. No need. No need at all.

If I have paid extra for the priv of taking a case(small enuf to go on board, but I moan at others that do and stop me putting my coat above me etc)then I expect it to be treated with care. Without my case that bloke has no job!

I wasn't expecting to get VIP treatment, just treated like a paying customer.

Aldi dont make you shop in the rain and then chuck your purchases into the trolley.

[arbboy]

I hear what you say Arby, but I was happy to pay BA money. The stood in the rain for 20 mins was the limit though. No need. No need at all.

If I have paid extra for the priv of taking a case(small enuf to go on board, but I moan at others that do and stop me putting my coat above me etc)then I expect it to be treated with care. Without my case that bloke has no job!

I wasn't expecting to get VIP treatment, just treated like a paying customer.

Aldi dont make you shop in the rain and then chuck your purchases into the trolley.

Agreed i wasn't having a pop at you or your experience but just in general.  I have flown with them loads of times and never had any problems in the slightest.

[BigAdz]

Understood.

TBH most of the people on their seemed immune to all of the stuff going on.

Think I must be spoilt.

[arbboy]

Understood.

TBH most of the people on their seemed immune to all of the stuff going on.

Think I must be spoilt.

BA Silver card holder.  Diff gravy to the ryan air masses!

[edgascoigne]

George Eliot?

What has she got to do with Bono? Her real name was Mary Ann Evans and she was one of the few successful women of her day to write about things that weren't about swooning ladies in posh houses. After that, I'm struggling...

Get back in yer coal hole!

[Tal]

George Eliot?

What has she got to do with Bono? Her real name was Mary Ann Evans and she was one of the few successful women of her day to write about things that weren't about swooning ladies in posh houses. After that, I'm struggling...

Get back in yer coal hole!

Alright, Silas Gascoigne!

Still no idea why the name George Eliot was under Bono's picture. I'm fairly sure she didn't say anything about being a rock star

[david3103]

Cheap flights you say?

[tikay]

I will rerturn to all outstranding replies (Bobby's "USA Sport", Tighty's Mad Duke, Barry's "trifecta of modern day behaviours"  & the sheer genius of Michael O'Leary, etc), but first, @ 9pm tonight, on BBC Four.  

He has done so much, with so many artistes, definitely worth a look, so tune in, & hold on tight. Poetry? We don't do that shite here.

Click to see full-size image.

[Tal]

Here he is with his mate

Click to see full-size image.