28.10.20 Delivery drivers, eh? Who needs them?

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Wednesday 28th 48-52F, breezy with almost clear skies. I am short of breath again. Almost like asthma from inhaling toxic substances. Heating antique, brass, clock dials used to cause it when I was still doing that sort of thing. It was the only way to melt the black wax into the dial engravings during restoration. 

Strict, restoration rules demand that dials not be cleaned on the back. Just in case over-cleaning is used to hide the "marriage" a movement with a different dial. The horrors to which these dials have been subjected for over 300 years is a bit of a worry.

BTW: I'm not panting with exercise. It just feels as if I can't inhale normally for a while. My usual, wet throat, clearance cough remains intermittent. It is hardly surprising when I worked in engineering for years. When I blew my nose my handkerchief was often black with carbon dust. Or dark brown from machining rusty items.

Only a short walk today because we are expecting a delivery. I wanted to be here, to supervise, but have no idea of delivery times despite modern technology providing instant messaging. Better safe than sorry.  

More peace and quiet of the countryside today. A huge tractor is ploughing the nearby fields. With sets of blades, the size of bicycles, flipping over at the start of each new row. They are turning a crop into a green compost. 

Meanwhile, a scrap collection lorry is removing the assorted contents from a local barn. The driver is dropping the large and heavy items into depths of the vast, metal container using an onboard crane. Not the most peaceful of pastimes but I'm not complaining. Just mentioning the daily round.

The delivery, on a large, wooden pallet was dumped, on the shared section of the drive, over 100 meters from our gate. NO SMS, was received. As was clearly stated on the delivery notification. It could have been there for hours!

We kept looking out for a van, or a lorry, but saw and heard nothing. It was supposed to be delivered to the door! Did the driver know, or even care, that they were delivering to octogenarians? Did they know. or even care, if we owned a sack truck? Or some other means of lifting and moving such a large and heavy object along a gravel drive? An enamel bath is no lightweight! Could the recipients cope with this burdensome task? Better ask TrustPilot when the inevitable auto-request for a ***** score arrives in the inbox.

They must breed a special kind of ignorant into these local delivery drivers. We once had a 'fridge simply dumped onto the snow. That was on the kerb of a main road at the far end of the 200+ meters, shared drive. Only reading the small print in the "deliveries" section of the vendor's sales website showed that delivery to the door was more costly. Do you think they dump large and costly OLED TVs on the kerb?

Normal parcel, delivery drivers are often overtly impolite or completely lacking in manners. I have given them absolutely no reason to be that way. Other than the fact that I pay their wages by ordering items online for home delivery. Usually paying extra for this service. Dealing with the public is potentially, extremely rewarding. Though it depends entirely on the character of those providing the service. Or complete lack thereof!

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