OT Social distancing

[Geoff Parkstone]

Has this now entirely gone by the wayside?

Yesterday I officially hit my 65 retirement age so am in theory now a pensioner. Today I am now officially a "miserable old git"

Don't worry there is a connection.

Its another tale of my small corner shop and the one customer at a time rule. I visited to get bread, milk and a couple of other things, waited outside while another customer was served and picked a couple of things up, put them on counter, and went back to the shelf to collect another item whereupon this obese woman came in to stock up on beer (this was 9am).

She headed to the counter as did I - and said "do you want to got first" to me. I opined that this was why I was in the shop. She claimed "only trying to be polite" to which I offered that if she was being polite she should obey the rules and stay out of the shop while another customer was in it.

She responded by saying "I didnt see you" (a cummingsatbarnardcastle-esque moment) to which I was responded, "well you have now, so why not leave the shop". It was then that she called me a miserable old git and that the rules didnt apply. But she did leave the shop.

so, was I right to ask that she leave the shop? And was the situation inflamed by me saying "I'd sooner be a miserable old git than a fat skanky alky"?

[Ram59]

Sorry, but you're out of order there, GP.

She's allowed to ignore social distancing, as she's a member of 2 oppressed societies, female and obese.

[ramAnag]

Has this now entirely gone by the wayside?

Yesterday I officially hit my 65 retirement age so am in theory now a pensioner. Today I am now officially a "miserable old git"

Don't worry there is a connection.

Its another tale of my small corner shop and the one customer at a time rule. I visited to get bread, milk and a couple of other things, waited outside while another customer was served and picked a couple of things up, put them on counter, and went back to the shelf to collect another item whereupon this obese woman came in to stock up on beer (this was 9am).

She headed to the counter as did I - and said "do you want to got first" to me. I opined that this was why I was in the shop. She claimed "only trying to be polite" to which I offered that if she was being polite she should obey the rules and stay out of the shop while another customer was in it.

She responded by saying "I didnt see you" (a cummingsatbarnardcastle-esque moment) to which I was responded, "well you have now, so why not leave the shop". It was then that she called me a miserable old git and that the rules didnt apply. But she did leave the shop.

so, was I right to ask that she leave the shop? And was the situation inflamed by me saying "I'd sooner be a miserable old git than a fat skanky alky"?

I suspect the story just confirms that you didn’t have to wait until today to be labelled a ‘miserable old git’. Poor woman. Putting stuff on the counter before going back to shop for more...breaks all the rules!

Happy belated birthday anyway. Retirement actually isn’t all you might fear. I still miss about 30% of my old job, but being rid of the other 70% (see I’m not innumerate!) more than makes up for it.

[MadAmster]

Has this now entirely gone by the wayside?

Yesterday I officially hit my 65 retirement age so am in theory now a pensioner. Today I am now officially a "miserable old git"

Don't worry there is a connection.

Its another tale of my small corner shop and the one customer at a time rule. I visited to get bread, milk and a couple of other things, waited outside while another customer was served and picked a couple of things up, put them on counter, and went back to the shelf to collect another item whereupon this obese woman came in to stock up on beer (this was 9am).

She headed to the counter as did I - and said "do you want to got first" to me. I opined that this was why I was in the shop. She claimed "only trying to be polite" to which I offered that if she was being polite she should obey the rules and stay out of the shop while another customer was in it.

She responded by saying "I didnt see you" (a cummingsatbarnardcastle-esque moment) to which I was responded, "well you have now, so why not leave the shop". It was then that she called me a miserable old git and that the rules didnt apply. But she did leave the shop.

so, was I right to ask that she leave the shop? And was the situation inflamed by me saying "I'd sooner be a miserable old git than a fat skanky alky"?

Answers to the 2 questions are... yes and yes,

I was 65 in Feb 2019 and started getting my OAP from June 2019 so you probably have 4, maybe 5, months to wait before you're a "proper pensioner".

I actually retired in 2014. Worked part time in IT recruitment for 2 years. Buy and sell vinyl records. DJ. Keep myself fit reffing and cycling. Do what I want, when I want, basically. Not bored in the slightest. Enjoy whatever it is you decide to do once you get to retirement. You may decide to continue working full time.

I was once a trainee accountant aged 17 to 19. Worked in IT from 19 to 48. Taught English and Computer Science 48 to 60. I also ran my own training company, Business English and Communication, from 48 to 55. Teaching 3 days a week and giving training 2 days a week until 2009 when training budgets were the first cuts made due to the 08 financial crisis. Got the opportunity to teach full time and took it.

On top of that I coached cricket from 1988 to 1995 and football teams and specialised keeper's training from 1996 to 2012.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Actually HM Government are making me work until next June before becoming state pension eligible, but I suspect I might get to join the "twirlies" with a free bus pass now.l

[Trickytreesreds]

Fat lives matter.

MOT

[AdiSalisbury]

So you were born on the same day as Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, invetor of the internet. Miserable old git I suppose is a noteworthy achievement?

[Geoff Parkstone]

I was indeed Adi, he owed all his ideas to our discussions in the maternity ward, but did he give me credit. Did he *******s - miserable old git

[Geoff Parkstone]

Sorry, but you're out of order there, GP.

She's allowed to ignore social distancing, as she's a member of 2 oppressed societies, female and obese.

perhaps kicking her wheelchair tyre as she left was also wrong then as well as ripping up her black lives matter sticker!

[macstheman]

Belated birthday greetings Parky.
I quite enjoy being a miserable old git, I see it as a natural development from young git to middle aged git to old git! Mind you I'm quite experienced at it having retired at 55!! I do bog all now and never get bored! So that makes me an idle miserable old git, bloody marvellous!!
Enjoy.