The New Normal Christmas?

Started the week trying to report a hire-van I spotted last Saturday morning then night, left in a suspicious way in a rural layby. Usual modern communications rhubarb.

1) Try to find how.

2) Lots of "Press x for...".

3) Patiently explain to a copper why one would not expect a broken-down or fuel-less hire van to be left all day, facing up-slope with its front in a heap of tipped stone in a coned-off layby on a steep hill.

4) More phone-queuing, then find the hire company lady powerless because I had not managed to obtain the registration-number!

Wrote and posted the bulk of my cards.

Ordered more cards plus two books, last weekend. One of the books plus a card is intended as a present, so really needed posting this week.

RNLI Shop tells me courier collected the goods on Monday, delivery expected in 2-3 working days, here's a great long code-number, next to the name "Whistl". Fine so far.....

Then... Number opens Yodel's web-site. .Yodel says the number "Cannot be found", gives no contact method. Fired off angry e-post to the RNLI shop, asking it sort the courier out.

Meanwhile.... +ve you-know-what tests in some of my relations, forcing one very uncertain Christmas on a somewhat sprawling family. At same time, three days enforced isolation at home for me: not against The Pestilence but lest the goods arrive.

Have managed to buy substitute cards, will have to find something else as a gift, since I cannot trust Yodel.

Today, a walk with relations in the chilly sunshine and a cream-tea safely on an outdoors table at the cafe. The tables bore alumium NHS track-and-trace labels - no use for we with no suitable 'phone etc. Talk turned to buying Covid test kits from the chemist: impossible without some code-number available only to those with appropriate equipment and software.

Back home, hoped I'd find a 'missed-delivery' note, if not a parcel lying on the doorstep.

No such luck. I have just paused to search again.

Oddly, I can accept possibly a second Christmas Day alone, with more equanimity than an intransigent CNC* system. It will give me time to find Yodel's head-office postal address and write a suitable letter....

Now wondering if I'll see the van, or its ruins, in the same lay-by I will drive past tomorrow morning...

'

*Courier-Not-Capable

In our local chemist, you just walk in and ask for free lateral flow tests - they ask if you want to leave your name, but you don't have to.

You can also get a "collect code" online to give to the chemist, but again, not essential. To quote the NHS website "If you give the pharmacy a 'collect code' when you pick up the tests, it helps the NHS match your details to the tests"

Rob

Covid lateral flow tests are free

Tony

Local libraries are full of them

Crashed vans?

Nigel, sorry to hear about you not getting a 'missed delivery' note. I managed to get two on my phone from "MyHermes" and "Post office" without even ordering anything.

Got a phone call from local health centre at five fifteen yesterday 17th.

"About the blood test,"

Yes, which one ?

" In November "

Yes, which one in November, there was two?

"Ahh, Doctor needs to talk to you about them and will do a telephone appointment"

Yes.

"That will be on 7th JANUARY"

Went online later (after they were shut) to order repeat two monthly prescription and find I'm locked out AGAIN.

Regards Ian.

..maybe your cards are in the back of the van?..

Other aspects of modern Christmas - helped at the primary school Christingle service to work the sound system which is all run off a tablet. I don't envy teachers herding the little dears. That means I must go up to the church in a minute to sweep up the mess they made before the midday carol concert. Then a service and another carols service tomorrow. All trying to keep well away from people. Then I'm clear until the 25th with fingers crossed.

Lateral flow tests can be ordered on the internet from a government web site:

https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

The pack of seven is promptly delivered by the GPO (unlike most of the post, not a criticism). The one I received was different to the ones I got from by local pharmacy. I wonder why pharmacies were drop out of, or left, the system.

JA

Happy Christmas all round ?

Maybe not !

BEWARE

Even as I was posting above the GPO was silently delivering my parcel for real in the time window the text said. Unexpected present from nephew. But the texts I was getting with a link to ryml.me the GPO themselves say is a scam (smishing). So this means the GPO system has been hacked so the scammers can smish people who are expecting a delivery.

Nigel,

I f you can find a communication address for Yodel, I fear you will be wasting your time trying to communicate with them, they only communicate with senders of parcels not recipients, they don’t even have the courtesy to reply, don’t ask how I know. Dave W

Dave W

Possibly because they only have a contract with the sender.

Roy

Not strictly true ..... they just send to everyone even if they are not expecting a Royal Mail Delivery ..... hoping someone will respond. At this time of year people will be getting unexpected parcels.

Yes it is a SCAM ... but GPO system not hacked!