Back cycling

Call me Bob said:

Bills? Post?

You mean some people don't pay all their bills online nowadays? How queer....

Hi Bob

Queer eh, Smithers?

In my poor circumstances cashflow is all-important. To give just one example, my local council does
not accept Council Tax payments online or by DDM on any day other than the first of the month. This
is unacceptable to me and most probably to my bank.

Otherwise I'd agree with you.

James

--
Watch the kite, not where you're going!

James Hodson said:

To give just one example, my local council does not accept Council Tax payments online or by DDM on
any day other than the first of the month.

Wasn't there a case recently where some cretinous Josworth took a woman to court for council tax
arrears, when she paid every single month without fail but five days "late" (because that's when her
pay cheque cleared or some such)?

Guy
===
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NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
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Dave' of nowhereland said:

Indeed...and there's the rub (whatever that might mean!!). An unfortunate side effect of the IT age
is that it really does make life easier. As a result, we all have to think of ways to make it
harder again, just to stay in shape !...ain't life great ??

One of my ways of making life harder is to do some things the old-fashioned way, like paying bills.
I now take a cheque book and pay my bills at a bank 4 miles from my office, so that I get 8 miles in
there and back, going past at least 2 other branches of the same bank on the way, one only half a
mile from the office. Other spurious errands like patronising a different supermarket to buy
identical goods at very similar prices soon add up to a decent weekly mileage. For some reason these
invented errands motivate me to get my backside off the office chair and onto the bike saddle, in a
way that just going for a ride doesn't.
--
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moves which make us wonder at the possibility that there may be something to them which we are
missing. - Gamal Abdel Nasser Steph Peters delete invalid from [email hidden]
Tatting, lace & stitching page <sandbenders.demon.co.ukindex.htmOpen ↗

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Wasn't there a case recently where some cretinous Josworth took a woman to court for council tax
arrears, when she paid every single month without fail but five days "late" (because that's when
her pay cheque cleared or some such)?

Even if it didn't happen, it should have.

--
Dave...

In message <[email hidden]>, Simon Mason <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Paying a council tax bill by cheque takes me less than 10 seconds to write it and put it in an
envelope.

Yes, but that isn't the complete task. You have to find the cheque book, find the pen, find the
bill, write the cheque, find an envelope, find the address, write the envelope, put the payment in
the envelope, seal the envelope, find a stamp, put the stamp on the envelope, lose the letter, find
the letter, take it to the postbox, post the letter. Bit more than 10 seconds, don't you think, even
if some of the steps aren't needed?
--
Michael MacClancy

"Call me Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(Simon Mason) said:

Quoted message said:

The last time I posted a letter, must have been a couple of months ago, it took me only a few
yards out of my way. Luckily, I was cycling five miles to work at the time.

You can't have many bills to pay then ;-)

Bills? Post?

You mean some people don't pay all their bills online nowadays? How queer....

The only stuff I deal with on line is mail order gear like wiggle or sainsburystoyou when it
actually saves me time. It's much quicker to order my groceries by ticking 40 odd boxes, than by
traipsing round the shops bumping into hoards of common people ;-)

Paying a council tax bill by cheque takes me less than 10 seconds to write it and put it in an
envelope. It's a bit faster than booting up the pc and doing it on line. Most stuff is direct
debit, but with certain other bills I like to be more flexible.

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Call me Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(Simon Mason) said:

> The last time I posted a letter, must have been a couple of months

ago,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> it took me only a few yards out of my way. Luckily, I was cycling

five

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> miles to work at the time.

You can't have many bills to pay then ;-)

Bills? Post?

You mean some people don't pay all their bills online nowadays? How queer....

The only stuff I deal with on line is mail order gear like wiggle or sainsburystoyou when it
actually saves me time. It's much quicker to order my groceries by ticking 40 odd boxes, than by
traipsing round the shops bumping into hoards of common people ;-)

Paying a council tax bill by cheque takes me less than 10 seconds to

write

Quoted message said:

it and put it in an envelope. It's a bit faster than booting up the pc

and

Quoted message said:

doing it on line. Most stuff is direct debit, but with certain other

bills

Quoted message said:

I like to be more flexible.

--
Simon Mason

There's always the advantage of doing it that way that you always remember where your cheque book
is. It's been so long since I wrote a cheque that I am not certain where mine is...and you can
guarantee that if I leave it until I *really need* it, it won't be where I think it is
?!!??*&%....... <just off to confirm location of cheque book!!

"Michael MacClancy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In message <[email hidden]>, Simon Mason <[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Paying a council tax bill by cheque takes me less than 10 seconds to write it and put it in an
envelope.

Yes, but that isn't the complete task. You have to find the cheque book, find the pen, find the
bill, write the cheque, find an envelope, find the address, write the envelope, put the payment in
the envelope, seal the envelope, find a stamp, put the stamp on the envelope, lose the letter,
find the letter, take it to the postbox, post the letter. Bit more than 10 seconds, don't you
think, even if some of the steps aren't needed?
--
Michael MacClancy

Cheque book , pen, envelopes and stamps are all in the same place, so I
don't have to find them. Envelopes are pre addressed and the bill is in my
hand. After writing, it goes in my bag and I put it in the post box at work.
Although come to think of it, paying on line *at work* in work's time hmm.
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

Michael MacClancy said:

<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Paying a council tax bill by cheque takes me less than 10 seconds to write it and put it in an
envelope.

Yes, but that isn't the complete task. You have to find the cheque book, find the pen, find the
bill, write the cheque, find an envelope, find the address, write the envelope, put the payment in
the envelope, seal the envelope, find a stamp, put the stamp on the envelope, lose the letter, find
the letter, take it to the postbox, post the letter.

If you regularly pay bills by post, as I do, you know where your chequebook, pen, stamps, envelopes,
and unpaid bills are, because you use them regularly.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field!

Simon Mason said:

Cheque book , pen, envelopes and stamps are all in the same place, so I don't have to find them.

Well, stamps are obviously better behaved in your home than they are in mine. I can never find any
stamps when I need 'em, no matter how many I buy or where I put them last time.

Same with socks. Socks and stamps...... bah.

Bob
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"Call me Bob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well, stamps are obviously better behaved in your home than they are in mine. I can never find any
stamps when I need 'em, no matter how many I buy or where I put them last time.

Same with socks. Socks and stamps...... bah.

Are the socks posting themselves off to sunnier climes with the stamps?

clive

you know? said:

Wasn't there a case recently where some cretinous Josworth took a woman to court for council tax
arrears, when she paid every single month without fail but five days "late" (because that's when
her pay cheque cleared or some such)?

Yup. She was an OAP, IIRC. She'd always been a few days' late in paying her council tax. The council
changed its policy, hence the court case.

James

--
Watch the kite, not where you're going!

Michael MacClancy said:

Yes, but that isn't the complete task. You have to find the cheque book, find the pen, find the
bill, write the cheque, find an envelope, find the address, write the envelope, put the payment in
the envelope, seal the envelope, find a stamp, put the stamp on the envelope, lose the letter, find
the letter, take it to the postbox, post the letter. Bit more than 10 seconds, don't you think,
even if some of the steps aren't needed?

It usually takes me less than half an hour. Don cycling clothes, ride to cashpoint, ride to council
offices, pay bill, return. I always pay the bill on the same day I'm paid just to get it over and
done with.

James

--
Watch the kite, not where you're going!

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

There's always the advantage of doing it that way that you always remember where your cheque book
is. It's been so long since I wrote a cheque that I am not certain where mine is...

That's easy. Sue's always got it. :-)

--
Dave...

Dave Kahn said:

That's easy. Sue's always got it. :-)

I knew she had my chequebook but I didn't know my wife had yours too. Does she tell you "I can't be
overdrawn, I've still got some cheques left" too?

Tony

--
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"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>> "TR" == Tony Raven <[email hidden]> writes:

TR Dave Kahn said:

Quoted message said:

That's easy. Sue's always got it. :-)

TR> I knew she had my chequebook but I didn't know my wife had yours too. Does she tell you "I
TR> can't be overdrawn, I've still got some cheques left" too?

Separate bank accounts: the key to a happy marriage :-)

--
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Paul Rudin <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>>> "TR" == Tony Raven <[email hidden]> writes:

TR Dave Kahn said:

Quoted message said:

That's easy. Sue's always got it. :-)

TR> I knew she had my chequebook but I didn't know my wife had yours too. Does she tell you "I
TR> can't be overdrawn, I've still got some cheques left" too?

Separate bank accounts: the key to a happy marriage :-)

We do have separate bank accounts: hers and ours.

--
Dave...