Around twenty years ago, we bought a new flat/apartment in North London. After around 5 years of ownership, we sold it to one of our sons. After a few years, he sold it to another of our sons. Today me and Jan live in it, yes, one of our sons is our landlord. I am semi retired and do a bit of work for one of our sons, as does Jan. Our needs are minimal, a quiet life, good grub, decent wine, our books and music, country walks and fishing. Life could be worse. These days for us, less is far more.
So here’s the rub. The first pull cord light switch in the bathroom lasted 19 years. In the last year it has been replaced twice, it’s on the way out again ! WTF is going on ? Tomorrow I will try and track down a switch made in the US, Germany or the UK, I am sick to the gills of cheap made in China shite. It’s my opinion, China will destroy the world, without a shot being fired, we will sink under the load of Chinese made crap.
There you go, my life is so cushtie, a light switch can piss me off. That's pretty cushtie where I come from.
Feeling no real pain.
Eddie
12 comments:
:-) with me it's plumbing. we can put people on the moon but we can't make toilet innards that work reliably for more than a couple of years???
good luck with finding a non China switch. Not here, in non trade stores. You may find it necessary to go to a trade store, and the price of quality, you will notice.
Fred
I am happy to pay more money for a quality item, it will save me the grief of working with torches/flashlights replacing another junk item.
Eddie
Everything is shit.
It's OK, though. Once the BB's and Gen X are gone, no one will know any different.
It's called " planned obsolescence", I believe. Things are getting crappier so you would have to throw them out and buy new ones. Terrible for our pockets and the landfills, but more power to the corporations, I guess....
I agree that if ones budget allows it, people would save more money in the long run by paying for quality, long-lasting items. People change their laptops and cellphones like underwear. It's flabbergasting ( though I suppose part of it is the technology advancement...)
Yes, we live in a throw away society. I was talking to a lady the other day and she was telling me that she needed a new washing machine (was off to get one). I said what type do you have and how old... oh only a few years old. I told her about a local serviceman who specialises in these machines and she called him that day. $180 later she has a machine that is back to like brand new... she would have spent $800 or more on a new one.
We are simply out of the habit of repairing anything now because a) it's cheaper to buy a new one and b) no one does repairs now and c) you can't repair cheap crap!!
It's ok Eddie. That's where "the straw that broke the camel's back" comes from. You have to deal with idiotic people all the time regarding diabetes, so when your light switch goes, wham, you enter "full rant" state. It happens to all of us.
Thank God the toast wasn't burnt by a toaster from China :)
Guess who's going to be the workers mate later .... once we've bought our new super duper and fail-safe light switch !!
Interesting to read all your comments and thoughts ...thanks
All the best Jan
Jan, I bet you make a great workers mate. Eddie's a lucky man.
We got a MK, made in the UK, light switch which seems good quality ....here's hoping it will last a month or two.
I was a great help holding the torch because of course for safety we had to turn the electric off.
I had to shut my ears at times because the language was quite awful !!!!!
Honestly you can't get decent tradesmen these days.
But hey we've got working light switches again now ...back to peace and serenity.
All the best Jan
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