More stupidity in Norway – Avis Car Rental
Thought for the day “If you count all your assets you always show a profit.” Wilson Mizner
“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”
There are more stupid people in Norway than I imagined. I hate stupidity, and I hate people who will not move with the times. Latest example of stupidity comes from Avis Car Rental in Norway, part of the same Avis/Budget Rental group. The Norwegian government issues digital driving licences which work through an app on your telephone. These are accepted by police and also border officials and can also function as an identity card (as they have the holder’s photo on them as well).
So imagine the stupidity of Avis Car Rental in Norway who refuse to accept digital driving licences. It seems like this company wants to live in the past, although presumably their cars run on petrol and not steam, so they can move with the times when it suits them. Numerous emails to their head office but still a refusal by Avis Car Rental to use this ‘new’ technology. They claim that it is due to ‘security reasons’ but refuse to say what these ‘security reasons’ are. So whilst the police and other government officials ARE happy to accept digital driving licences, Avis prefers to live in the past and refuse them. Pure stupidity. Avis is very happy to use the internet and modern technology to debit my credit card instantly, but when it comes to accepting digital driving licences, it is a different story.
I hope that Avis Car Rental company gets the success that it deserves with such a backward attitude like that. Some of us are happy to live in the 21st century (or more, depending on which calendar that you use). Avis prefers to live in the past. So whilst their prices are 21st century, their behaviour is certainly not. Guess who will NOT be renting from Avis/Budget in future ?
Waiting for the train in Sri Lanka for the photo today –
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Lufthansa German Airlines group and Economy class travel
Thought for the day…”Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”
Too many companies are using coronavirus as an excuse now. Often it is being used to cover up their own failures but the excuse of coronavirus is being overused. Joining the bandwagon of companies blaming (conveniently) coronavirus is the Lufthans group (LH) airlines. Now this is why I am getting angry…..according to Lufthansa, they are no longer giving ECONOMY class passengers tea, coffee or food on flights of less than 150 minutes. This is to protect “your health and the health of our employees”
https://www.lufthansa.com/ch/en/current-onboard-services#short-haul
BUT if you are travelling Business class then you will still get food and drink. Now would the managers at Lufthansa like to tell me why Business class passengers are not seen as any risk whereas Economy class passengers are seen as a risk? Or is the real reason that Lufthansa just wants to save money and is conveniently using coronavirus as an excuse to make further cuts to Economy class services? I know which answer my money is on. And also why do Lufthansa no longer service food when other airlines ARE still serving food to economy class passengers?
Companies should stop trying to blame coronavirus for everything. Be honest with customers, and if you are going to cut out meals and drinks for Economy class passenger then BE HONEST and tell us the real reason….to save money. Do not try and blame it on coronavirus. We are not stupid.
And another photo from the archives, Ometepe in Nicaragua at sunset….
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Norwegian coast at sunset by drone
Thought for the day…”Coffee is a hug in a mug”
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
As always, it is a few bad people who spoil things for the rest of us. Just been out with the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone but nowadays the word drone makes people think of spying and that they are ‘bad’. Increasing restrictions on drone use are appearing all over the place, yet the responsible people who fly drones safely are being penalized for the actions of a few stupid idiots. Very sad that every week further restrictions are being placed on responsible drone users. The results from drones are amazing, and there is no need for more regulations. Go after the idiots who fly near airports, but let normal, sensible people fly drones and take beautiful photos.
Beautiful evening sunlight over the coast of southern Norway, taken a couple of days ago with the Mavic 2 Pro drone. Amazing calm conditions and great light for photos…..
and another photo from the archives…. carnival time and a happy woman……
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The Worm Has Turned.
Thought for the day…”If moderation is a fault, then indifference is a crime.”
“Power is like being a lady… if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” (Margaret Thatcher).
When I was 16 years old, I would always shop around for the cheapest (as students do), with little thought for quality or service. But now it is the opposite. I cannot understand why Ryanair (which is so often on the internet or newspapers for cancelling flights or upsetting passengers) is still in business. There are so many people who will automatically go for the cheapest airline ticket, with no thought about quality or service. Ryanair can upset thousands of passengers, yet still makes large profits. When an airline upsets me (and many have) then they lose my business for good. I vote with my feet. Plenty of airlines out there, and those that mistreat passengers do not deserve business. But why do people keep flying with Ryanair? Cheap is not always good. Service costs money to provide, but by paying more, you can often avoid problems. Airlines such as Singapore Airlines are not the cheapest, but the service levels and reliability (and inflight experience) are FAR better. If more people voted with their feet then average service levels would go up, as airlines such as Ryanair and Air Asia would be out of business. Same thing with the airlines who are now putting 10 across seats into their Boeing 777 aircraft. If more people refused to fly on these cramped aircraft then the airlines would be forced to go back to 9 across. But too many people want the CHEAPEST. But some of us are saying no, and are voting with our feet/money.
A photo from Aruba, in the Southern Caribbean for the photo today..
and another photo from the archives…beautiful coastline around Antigua, Caribbean……
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Warning about Kickstarter
Thought for the day…”Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
“A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body – the wishbone.”
Just a warning about the online crowd-funding scheme, Kickstarter. There are some very interesting new projects advertised there, all seeking backing from people in order to enter production. Lots of interesting categories, and some clever ideas there. But here is a warning, because when things go wrong, then the Kickstarter staff are going to be no help at all.
I backed an online project for a solar recharger that I thought would be ideal for travelling. Ordered the charger and my pledge was accepted, and my debit card was debited. That was last year. Fast forward to June 2017 and I have still not received the solar charger. Messages to the company that is supposed to be producing the item were ignored, as was a message sent via Twitter, but the worst part is that KICKSTARTER would not refund my money, nor would they take any action against the company who is producing the solar charger. It seems totally wrong to me that Kickstarter can advertise products and then forward your debit card details without taking responsibility when things go wrong. Messages to Kickstarter’s so called customer ‘service’ have been a waste of time, as Kickstarter still refuse to take action in the matter. They are refusing to accept any responsibility, despite advertising the product and also arranging payment for the product.
So I am now minus 84 euros, have spent a considerable amount of time chasing up the matter, and have still not received the solar charger. And yet Kickstarter still refuse to take action. The words ‘flogging a dead horse’ come to mind, as Kickstarter customer service has been a total waste of time and emails. Once again, it seems that a company has your money then that is it. So I am 84 euros poorer and without a solar charger. Thanks to Kickstarter !!
My advice….avoid using the Kickstarter website.
Nice sunshine for the photo today, which comes from 71 degrees north, and shows the Finnmark coastline near Honningsvag. Not far from here lies North Cape. The midnight sun is visible here from May until September.
and another photo…again from the same part of the Finnmark coast near Honningsvag….
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New Zealand Oystercatcher bird – the Fuji XF 100-400mm lens
Thought for the day…” Turn your face to the sun and the shadow falls behind you”
“You cannot live a positive life with a negative mind”
When was the last time that you printed a photo??? Nowadays it seems to be the trend to take a photo with a mobile phone, then only share it via Facebook or Instagram. The photo is only a temporary thing, shared then forgotten. Previously photos were printed out, then passed around at meetings of friends. Far easier to look at a printed photo instead of an image on a mobile phone or tablet. Photos printed out mean more. Much nice to look at a printed photo then a mobile phone screen. And photos will be treasured more than an image on a mobile phone screen for only a few seconds. Many of those images on a mobile phone will only last as long as the phone lasts, whereas photos that are printed out will last a long longer. And printing photos is fun too !!
Today’s photo was taken with the Fuji X-T20 camera and the Fuji XF 100-400mm lens. The quality of the lens is amazing, and with 5 stops of stabilisation, photos like this can be taken hand held. The lens is big and heavy (almost 1.4kg) but the quality of the photos speaks for itself.
and another photo….Lake Hawea on the South Island of New Zealand. An early morning photo….
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Autumn in Norway – fantastic autumn colours
Thought for the day…” A smile is a curve that sets everything straight”.
“Silence is not always golden”.
Norway has been experiencing some fantastic autumn weather recently, with days of clear blue skies and very clear air. With conditions like these then the camera has been very busy….lots of photos and lots of videos. So expect to see more photos of the autumn colours over the next few days. The first 2 photos today were both taken today (7th October) near the village of Ornes in Norway. Yet another day of perfect clear autumn air. An absolute joy to be out with the camera…….
and another photo from the archives….Haglebu, also in Norway.
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Cape Verde Islands – Not the Quality Spa Resort Hotel, Norefjell.
Thought for the day…” They talk about the speed of light, but what is the speed of darkness?
“The cure for love at first sight is often to take a sober look”.
I sometimes wonder if airlines are playing games. I have been looking for air tickets, and also looking for the cheap offers. Saw some good prices, but of course, when you try to book they are not available. Then I tried one of the online websites that collects and compares airfares, found some prices that were ok, but between looking and going to the next stage, the prices had gone up by about 60 euros. Not only that, but there were huge differences in the prices depending on what day of the week that you flew. I cannot see the logic when the airlines are using the same aircraft on the same route why the prices should be SO different. And I cannot understand why the price of the ticket depends on what time I look at the website and also which browser I am using. I am tired of these games. Clear, simple pricing would be much better. And those airlines that are now charging for CARRY-ON baggage (as well as all the other extra charges) will not see me onboard either.
Off to the Cape Verde islands for the photo today…a group of 10 main islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 575 km of the coast of Africa. They were originally a Portuguese colony, and were an important stopover on the slave trade routes. Around 500 000 people live in Cape Verde, with about a quarter of them living in the capital, Praia. About a half million tourists visit every year outnumbering the number of locals. The photo is of the harbour in Mindelo, on the island of Sao Vincente.
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Summer in Croatia – Not the Quality Spa Resort, Norefjell.
Thought for the day….” Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies”.
” If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them”.
There is a strange story in the news at the moment about Brent Council in London, England. They have installed a hologram ‘receptionist’, a moving human image who ‘answers’ questions from visitors. Brent Council says that the hologram will save GBP 17000 a year. This is after they spent GBP 90 million on a new civic centre, which opened this year. And perhaps they forget, that one less (real) person will now not have a job, and will presumably have to be supported by the government there. False economy?? And in these hard economic times, should any local government be spending GBP 90 million on a new civic centre?? Surely hospitals and schools come first, well before any civic centres. Perhaps we should ask the hologram receptionist for the answers? Stop the world, I want to get off……………………………………
Off to Split, Croatia for the photo today, and the harbourside in the city centre. Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Croatia was the home of the famous traveller Marco Polo.. It was formed in 1991 when it became independent from the former Yugoslavia, and it has recently become a member of the European Union. It has more than 1000 islands along its coast. An interesting fact is that the White House (Washington, USA) is built of Croatian stone, as is the Austrian Pariliament building in Wien, Austria. Croatia was also the site of the world’s first hydro electric power station in 1895 (Sibenik). The town of Hum in Istria is said to be the world’s smallest town, with just 23 citizens.
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Photo of the Day Monday 20th August 2012 – Not the Quality Spa Resort Hotel in Norefjell.
Thought for the day….” Blessed are the young, for they will inherit the national debt.”
Again another photo that proves that you do not need an expensive camera to get good photos, nor a tonne of equipment. Taken yesterday whilst out cycling, it is one of those quick snapshots that works so well. It was taken in Skane, the province in the far south of Sweden. This area once belonged to Denmark, and although it is now Swedish, it is linked to Denmark (which is not far away) since the year 2000 by the Oresund bridge. Sweden has a population of about 9.2 million people, of which about 85% live in cities. Sadly, the weather is not always as shown in today’s photo !!
Happy not to be working at the Quality Spa Resort Hotel, Norefjell.
http://www.qualitysparesort.com
Photo of the Day Tuesday 14th August 2012 – Not the Quality Spa Resort Hotel, Norefjell
Thought for the day…” Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ‘
Did you see on the news that Poland is holding the European Dog Frisbee Championships in the city of Poznan? Thrilling stuff, especially coming right after the Olympics !!
South Africa for the photo today and the Transvaal Coast. Previously this was the area in which the Boers settled, to get away from the British further south. The area boomed after 1885 when gold was found here until the Second Boer War which saw the Boers against the British. The war was eventually ended after a blockade, after which the area became part of the British Empire. Although Pretoria is considered to be the capital of South Africa, the country actually has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial). It also has 11 official languages, and is the world’s third largest exporter of fruit.
Happy not to be working at the Quality Spa Resort Hotel in Norefjell.
http://www.qualitysparesort.com
jeritilley 