I received a call from SANRAL about a 18months ago wanting to guage my opinions on the new tolling system they would implement as a part of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project (GFIP). When I asked what the fee they were considering was, they told me 50c per kilometre. It sounded steep at the time. Now, they have announced a 66c/km fee that will be implemented in June 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

I was happily editing a mates research dissertation tonight when I noticed a tweet claiming that Hayibo.com is closing down. I sincerely hope it is not true, but this newsletter says it is so. Hayibo has been my favourite source of satirical news reporting for the last few years. In fact, they’ve been the only source of satirical news reporting in South Africa (to speak of at least). Their online shop will be open for another week so be sure to visit their and get arguably the best t-shirts around. Here’s a snippet from the announcement:

We would have loved to rule the internet until Jesus returned, perhaps to witness the power-sharing deal the ANC will desperately try to broker, but alas the lifeblood of all websites, advertising, has never materialised. If we had a buck for everyone in Corporate South Africa who said, “I adore the site, I just don’t want to associate my brand with it,” we could have retired. But we kind of understand: the people who are trying to convince us that you need to buy their soap to wash your dirty soap are clearly in the satire business too, so perhaps they see us as competition.

I found out today that with the newly revised wage offer by government it will take the public servants on strike four years to recover the money they’ve lost through the no-work-no-pay policy, adjusted for the new negotiated increase.

Four years!? What the …. ? The 14 days of industrial action equates to a four year debt.

I’m not sure it has occurred to our average public servant, be it an administrator, teacher or hospital nurse, that while they have either been sitting at home, or out on the streets intimidating volunteers working in their place, that it will take them so long to recover the money they’ve lost?

Now, lest I be misunderstood, I am all for the right to strike. Especially in this current situation. The pay scheme’s for teachers, nurses and the like are woeful. I can attest to this myself having been a teacher. But there comes a point when a protracted strike has no logical reason for it’s continuation. There is no econmic justification, just a principle-based pissing competition. Here’s what I mean … Read the rest of this entry »

I succumbed.

Today I received yet another piece of shoddy service from a small business. It broke the last straw of a long line of terrible service. So I tweeted a criticism of them and named the company – Night Owl Creations, the guys who did my SA Flag car wrap.I generally prefer not to berate small businesses for their short-comings. I’m a small business owner and know that we need every opportunity we can get to succeed. But man alive! It has been non-stop drama from these palookas since the time I needed to book my car in to get the vinyl applied. Now that it is time to remove it (which is part of the package with them), they have not been able to come right. Excuses, excuses. So, I have named and shamed. I feel better. But I am still inconvenienced by their service ineptitude.

Edit: after some digging around, I see that Night Owl is using my car as part of their portfolio. Tsk. Tsk.
Post-edit 11/08/2010: Night Owl were meant to come and remove my vinyl wrap today. They failed to arrive. I lost my temper. They told me to shove the work up my arse, literally. I refuse to now let them touch my car. Abusive people they are. Understand basic service and reliability, they don’t. Miffed, I am.