The totally off-topic thread

[JohnK]

$30 an hour seems a little low also really.
Most businesses would be charging closer to $50-$60 an hour to cover staff and make a profit. Because let's face it a business has to make profits to keep operating.

The charge doesn't sound too extreme to me

In my opinion the ~$3.00 charge for not filling a hire car is extreme. If you need 40 litres it is a very significant charge and more than likely higher than the cost to hire the car. I filled up in Brisbane the other day at $1.075/ litre. Take off the 4c from Woolworths and another 10c offer and I paid less than $1 so those 40 litres would not have cost very much.

I would also hazard a guess they keep fuel on site to top up vehicles? I'll continue to fill up myself even when it is not convenient to do so.

 

[perthjay85]

In my opinion the ~$3.00 charge for not filling a hire car is extreme. If you have done 40 kilometres it is a very significant charge and more than likely higher than the cost to hire the car. I filled up in Brisbane the other day at $1.075/ litre. Take off the 4c from Woolworths and another 10c offer and I paid less than $1 so those 40 litres would not have cost very much.

I would also hazard a guess they keep fuel on site to top up vehicles? I'll continue to fill up myself even when it is not convenient to do so.

You have to remember that you're not paying just for the fuel. You are paying for the fuel plus the labour plus the storage of fuel on site of they do store it which I doubt.

Think of it this way if someone asked you to deliver fuel, let's say 10 litres that cost you $1.40 from the petrol station. Would you charge that person $14 as the business owner? No you wouldn't.

So $3 is not unreasonable.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm sure bank fees are also rather well described in T&Cs too. And just like car rental agreements, they are rarely read.

It's very tempting to tell someone that if you like to avoid bank fees, just make your payments in full and on time, not hard.

PS. I am not a booster for the banks, but it does befuddle me why bank fees for late penalties got such a hard time.

I wonder if the lackeys at the car hire joints get paid $30/hr. Seems a bit much, which is why they get pushed to wheel out extras like excess reductions and penalties like hairline scratches.

Bank fees are automated... no human intervention. They trigger automatically. And the question was whether the fees represented a penalty or a true cost.

Refilling a a tank is manual, although perhaps there is an argument based on the amount of petrol needed... the more required the less it looks like an actual cost. A fairer way, perhaps, would be market value plus a single $15 or $20 surcharge for the labour and administration. But that would disadvantage those requiring only a few litres.

 

[serfty]

You have to remember that you're not paying just for the fuel. You are paying for the fuel plus the labour plus the storage of fuel on site of they do store it which I doubt.

....

Almost all majors have bulk fuel on site.

 

[RooFlyer]

In my opinion the ~$3.00 charge for not filling a hire car is extreme. <snip> ... I'll continue to fill up myself even when it is not convenient to do so.

You've just identified why the hire car petrol cost is so high. It doesn't reflect their fuel supply cost, or anywhere near it. The high cost is to make really sure customers return the vehicle 'ready to go', so they don't have to tie up employees taking the vehicle to fuelling spot (on site, but not where the customers are), cost of holding fuel etc.

Its a carrot-and-stick approach and it works.

 

[Denali]

Our Port Arthur accommodation came with a key to a rear gate to access before opening, so hubby got in there about 7.30am to take photos before the crowd.

I'm waiting at the gate to buy our tickets.

He was stopped by a employee, explained he's a guest and I'm buying tickets and the guy was happy with that.

 

[Pushka]

You have to remember that you're not paying just for the fuel. You are paying for the fuel plus the labour plus the storage of fuel on site of they do store it which I doubt.

Think of it this way if someone asked you to deliver fuel, let's say 10 litres that cost you $1.40 from the petrol station. Would you charge that person $14 as the business owner? No you wouldn't.

So $3 is not unreasonable.

Plus the time that the car is not available to re-lease while it isn't full.

 

[QF WP]

Finally, I won't have to look at the neighbours by the end of this week. The Great (Retaining) Wall was built in 2 years 7 months and 10 days. The fence will take 3 days

Then a week to catch our breath and onto the renovations inside. Will be great to finally have friends and family around. I can feel an AFF BBQ coming on...maybe even a wine appreciation afternoon with a select few.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Looks like marriage equality is going to stay in the news a bit longer.

I thought this was clever question from ABC. from news.com.au

“Whilst you and your colleagues are bickering in your party room, aren’t you concerned about the message you send to young vulnerable gay and lesbian Australians that they won’t deserve the same treatment as other Australians?”
“Emma, this is an issue in which there is a diversity of sincerely held strong views on both sides of the argument, and that is of course precisely why the government, in the lead up to the last election, made a promise to the Australian people that they would have a say whether the law would be changed for same-sex couples to marry,” he said.
“That is the commitment that we made and that is the commitment that the Liberal party today reaffirmed to make sure that every Australian who is on the electoral role has a say on.”

But she wasn’t finished with him yet.

“Why the sudden obsession with keeping election promises?” Alberici shot back.

“You didn’t keep the promise when it came to health and education. ‘No new taxes’ was what you said before the 2013 election and you introduced the three per cent deficit repair tax. You promised no cuts to the ABC and took $44m from us.

 

[JohnK]

Wind chill pretty bad again this morning. I don't understand how people get about in t-shirts. I can feel the chill with 3 layers of clothing.

 

[QF WP]

They're from Victoria, Tasmania or the ACT JohnK. Cold to me is anything under 15 degrees C.

 

[JohnK]

It's supposed to be 19 degrees C in Milton. :shock: That wind drove right through my body.

 

[love_the_life]

They're from Victoria, Tasmania or the ACT JohnK. Cold to me is anything under 15 degrees C.

In the spirit of accuracy I should point out that most of us from the southern climes don't strut about in t-shirts all winter . The thermals get a good work out, including at times the long johns. Wind chill is the greatest problem.
Lovely dusting of snow on the hills this morning but it's almost gone now.

 

[QF WP]

True love_the_life, I wouldn't want to be strutting around in CBR in a t-shirt for the past month + given the daytime temperatures have rarely gone above 15.

 

[whatmeworry]

Wind chill pretty bad again this morning. I don't understand how people get about in t-shirts. I can feel the chill with 3 layers of clothing.

They're from Victoria, Tasmania or the ACT JohnK. Cold to me is anything under 15 degrees C.

Us freefolk in the south are tougher. Although it amuses me seeing how many guys from East and West Asia persist with wearing thongs around Melbourne. But nothing beats the bogan kids I saw last winter in tee shirts and shorts, running around bare footed at night.

 

[whatmeworry]

Looks like marriage equality is going to stay in the news a bit longer.

I thought this was clever question from ABC. from news.com.au

Current governments latest policy meeting.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called together his party for crisis talks this evening, to consider the different options available for doing sweet f*ck all.
In the end, they opted to do nothing.

Government Calls Emergency Meeting To Resolve Best Way Of Doing Nothing – The Shovel

 

[penegal]

When did "Gay Marriage" rebrand as "Marriage Equality"?

I completely understand why the "for" campaign has done this. "Gay Marriage" is an issue for gay people. "Marriage Equality" is an issues for everyone. However "Marriage Equality" is anything but equitable. [Legal in some jurisdictions] polygamous Muslim marriages are explicitly excluded from all of the proposed redefinition of marriage.

FWIW, I am not a fan such things anyway, so don't go calling me a hater.

... Just a thought from a linguist / anthropologist.

 

[Katie]

Finally, I won't have to look at the neighbours by the end of this week. The Great (Retaining) Wall was built in 2 years 7 months and 10 days. The fence will take 3 days

BRILLIANT news, QF WP!!!

 

[penegal]

Puts on flame suit...

 

[penegal]

Finally, I won't have to look at the neighbours by the end of this week. The Great (Retaining) Wall was built in 2 years 7 months and 10 days. The fence will take 3 days

Then a week to catch our breath and onto the renovations inside. Will be great to finally have friends and family around. I can feel an AFF BBQ coming on...maybe even a wine appreciation afternoon with a select few.

Great news. I have been following with interest.

You must be relieved!