I have no tolerance for stupid people.
To fill you in... I work for an electrical sales company... the biggest in Europe for that matter, and we provide the sales of Digital TV boxes. The UK is switching over the Digital TV as a standard and starting from 2007 (and ending in 2012) the old analogue TV will get shut off. Our shops can check availability of the signal of the area by a postcode, and then sell the boxes.

Here is a fairly accurate transcript of the phone conversation. It shows quite nicely how I argue with stupid people...

"Good afternoon, How can I help you?"
"I got the number, IM7..."
"WOAH THERE! What are you talking about?"
"For digital TV, IM7..."
"Slow down! You need a postcode check to see if you can get digital TV. Let me get to a terminal"

(Goes to a terminal in the office)

"Hello again, so what's the postcode?"
"IM7 2EN"
"Right, just so I'm sure, is the first part I - M for mother, or N for November?"
"IM7 2..."
"Hang on... is it M for mother or..."
"LISTEN!!!... IM7..."
"Stop! Please, is it M for MOTHER or N for NOVEMBER???"
"Tsk.... M for mother"
"Right, thank you... Right, it says that it's unlikely you'll get any digital TV in that area."
"BUT I BOUGHT THE BOX FROM YOU!!!"
"Erm... right..."
"And what happens in 2007 when the aeriel is shut off???"
"Er... did you check the postcode before you bought the box?"
"Yes! I used it here in Maidstone and it was fine, but I've given it to my parents in the Isle Of Man for a gift, and it doesn't work!"
"Right... and you didn't check the postcode for their place before you gave it to them?"
"That's right!"
"So... er... that's not our fault then, is it?"
"But what's gonna happen when you shut off the TV in 2007???"
"We're not shutting it off ourselves, we just sell the boxes."
"But you're a TV shop! So you're in charge of it!"
"No, the government is in charge of that, we have nothing to do with it."
"Well you're all the same!"
"No, we're a company that sells electrical products, we have nothing to do with the digital system."
"BUT YOU'RE A TELEVISION SHOP! OF COURSE YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!"
"Stop shouting. I have no idea why you're having a go as us when WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT."
"SO WHAT HAPPENS IN 2007 WITH MY PARENTS TV???"
"Again stop shouting. Now, unless the government pulls their finger out of their backside and sort out the transmitter in their area, they'll have to go to satellite or cable TV."
"BUT I BOUGHT THE BOX FROM YOU!"
"And again, what does that have to do with us and the government shutting of TV?"
"YOU'RE A TELEVISION SHOP..."
"WE SELL CAMCORDERS TOO, DOES THAT MEAN WE CONTROL WHAT'S ON TV TOO??"
"Don't be silly!"
"Well, it's the same argument, isn't it, by your reckoning!"
"Erm..."
"Right madam, a simple yes or no... Do we, the shop and our company, control the country???"
"No."
"So what do we have to do with the government, who controls the transmitters?"
"Erm... nothing?"
"That's right! If you have a problem with the shutoff in 2007, then you take it up with them, not us!"
"Erm... sorry"
"THAT'S WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR! An apology"
"So who do I contact then?"
"Try the local council for that area, and find out what's going on with the transmitter."
"Erm... okay. Thank you. Bye."

(Click)

Cue hysterical laughter.
(Starglider is a rare breed of alien, Wed 10 Sep 2008, 0:05, 2 replies)

At least
She had the good grace to apologise.
(Harleif Skankhammer II was killing time at, Wed 10 Sep 2008, 8:01, closed)

Bloody Hell!
An apology! If only you'd recorded it, then you could tresure it forever.
Useless fact: No cable in IOM, just Sky.
IM7, I think that's Ramsey
( VandenPlas can't think of anything clever - no change there!, Wed 10 Sep 2008, 12:27, closed)