Jump to content

GRIPES


Phil Perry

Recommended Posts

The virus lockdown got me into internet banking. Only new to it but love it. I wouldn't go back to not having it. A few clicks and I can check account balances, transfer between debit and credit accounts etc..

Back in 2003, I was working on the internet banking team for a Tier 2 regional bank in Aus. I had just come back from the UK and that bank's internet banking was miles ahead of what they had in the UK. It still is.. We put in the ability to to real time iinternational payments (gross settlements as they call it). I think the fee was $8 while the UK banks still require you to walk into a branch! But they are closing their branches...

 

For mamy people, there will come a time in their lives where, regardless of the reachable accessibility technology, they will not be able to use computers of IoT devices.. but by then, they will probably need help with more every day things anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in 2003, I was working on the internet banking team for a Tier 2 regional bank in Aus. I had just come back from the UK and that bank's internet banking was miles ahead of what they had in the UK. It still is.. We put in the ability to to real time iinternational payments (gross settlements as they call it). I think the fee was $8 while the UK banks still require you to walk into a branch! But they are closing their branches...

 

For many people, there will come a time in their lives where, regardless of the reachable accessibility technology, they will not be able to use computers of IoT devices.. but by then, they will probably need help with more every day things anyway.

I got a shock back in the 80's at how backward the Greek banking system was. I was in Asia for quite a time where places like Singapore and Thailand had modern systems of wiring money from my bank in Australia. After knowing a few Australian Greeks, I thought Greece would be relatively advanced and wasn't prepared for a third world banking system. I went into the main bank in Athens and had to stand in a long line. The first teller pointed me to the next teller etc. until I was finally redirected back in a circle to where I started. After about an hour, I was finally told that they didn't do transfer requests to foreign banks, that I had to contact my bank and get them to send it to the Greek bank.

 

This was pre internet and mobile phone days so the only option was to ring my bank in Australia. Only problem was that Greece didn't have any ISD public phone capability. The only option was to go to the central international phone office, pay your money, take a ticket and wait your turn until a booth was available and the operator would put you through. The only hitch was that the phone office closed before Australian banks opened, and the Australian banks closed before the Greek phone office opened. Eventually, I had to ring a relative in Australia and get them to drive into town to my bank and ask them to send the money. The good old days.

  • Sad 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

How do you get rid of gremlins in your workshop? I'm sure a couple hitched a ride in my tool box at the airport and alighted from it when I got home. How else can I explain the facts that if I put down a tool, screw, nut, bolt, lamp or whatever, it's gone when I go back to it? And it stays gone through all the most diligent searches and interrogations, only to reappear as soon as I give up the hunt.

 

52074017. sx318 sy475

Link to comment
Share on other sites

lol... Reminds me when I put cables in a bag - neatly sorted.. the bag doesn't move but when I go to retrieve them, they are a tangled mess of spaghetti! WTF.. The laws of physics are still rudimentary - even quantum mechanics can't explain that...

Edited by Jerry_Atrick
  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was referring to a time when maps of "Australia" often failed to show insignificant islands such as Tasmania, but did show the important ones such as Fraser, Morton Is and Straddie.

 

Maybe you didn't see these maps down there ?

 

We mainlanders did, but few people noticed the 'error'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weather?

Surely you aren't trying to brag about the weather in Tasmania????

 

The only reason Tasmania has clean air is because it gets washed every day!

 

I know there is a lot of weather south of the 40th parallel, but "lovely" is an adjective seldom used to describe it.

 

I'd prefer that Tasmania secede from the Commonwealth, and then Australia can happily delete it from their maps and we can set about stopping the boat people. Especially the Victorian ones.

Edited by nomadpete
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Taswegia nearly came to a bad end sometime ago, when a friend of mine working for the opposition Airline (starts with "A", )  dropped the seven two in a bit hard  at Hobart, an exiting passenger opened the cockpit door and informed him "Another Landing Like THAT, Captain and you'll SINK this Island" . Must have been a close thing.. Nev

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, nomadpete said:

Weather?

Surely you aren't trying to brag about the weather in Tasmania????

 

The only reason Tasmania has clean air is because it gets washed every day!

 

I know there is a lot of weather south of the 40th parallel, but "lovely" is an adjective seldom used to describe it.

 

I'd prefer that Tasmania secede from the Commonwealth, and then Australia can happily delete it from their maps and we can set about stopping the boat people. Especially the Victorian ones.

Must be because I was born & bred here.  My parents moved us to QLD when I was 11, and I remember sweating copiously on a daily basis from then to age 15.  Thankfully they came to their senses and moved back.  

Ah, the relief of crisp cool air after that muggy heat.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I won't hold that against you Marty.

I guess you had to experience Queensland in order to really appreciate Tassie.

Now you understand why we live here. I was a slower learner than you. It took me 30 years to come to the same conclusion as you. But I still tell all my mainland mates that it's always raining and cold. It's already too crowded.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is what you get used to. I am cold here in Qld today. The temp hasn't got above 21 degrees and I am just frozen.

All winter we have had forecasts higher than achieved temperatures and actual weather more like Victorias. I just want that clear blue winter sky all day.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...