Thursday, January 30, 2003

A series of small, frustrating events of the day:

  • BT are meant to be delivering my Broadband modem and activating my service tomorrow. I thought I'd just give them a quick call, to make sure it's still on track. "Yes sir, tomorrow. Oh, hang on... what's this? Can I put you on hold?" After five minutes of light classical, she came back, "Sorry, I am still trying to sort this out. One moment please." Five more Mozartian minutes follow, before: "Ah, your line is showing as amber, which means there's a delay. We're not still sure if you can get Broadband in your area. If you can, it will go live on the 4th of February. But you will get the modem tomorrow." Isn't that useful?

  • I've been trying to download a 5Mb photo from my web email, but my computer keeps dropping its internet connection. Why oh why does IE5.1 not have a 'resume download' option? Or maybe it does, but I can't find it. Maybe I'll try Netscape. Can anyone recommend a good, free download manager for the Mac? Frustratingly, the last time it dropped its connection, it had downloaded 4.9Mb of 5Mb. But - fortunately - that's almost the whole pic, and it's not corrupted or anything, so that's OK then.

  • I received a letter from mobile providers O2: "We are concerned about the outstanding balance on your account." Er, what account? My mobile isn't on O2. Oh, hang on - about five years ago I had a BT Cellnet mobile, but it was nicked in The Joiners' Arms one night. I cancelled the phone immediately. Or did I? It seems that although I asked for the phone to be barred, I didn't cancel my contract. So they've been charging me 99p per month for itemised billing (meticulous itemisation of exactly zero calls). Actually, after I debated various points of logic with Adrian in customer services, O2 have decided not to charge me, so that's OK, too.

  • The scanner I want to buy isn't in stock in any of the stores I went in to.

  • Marcus had got us invitations to the opening of a new restaurant near Tower Bridge tonight. Free food and drink. But as I got to my local tube station, they shut it. All Jubilee Line services suspended in both directions due to poor weather conditions. I considered various complex alternative routes, but then gave up and bought a disgusting microwave TV dinner.
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