Personally, I'm a divide by group size kind of guy. If there's 12 people, just add it all up, add your tip and divide by 12. Everyone pays the same, and the waiter just walks round and everyone taps for the same amount.

I go out all the time with work colleagues in big groups and this is the strategy every time. The idea being, it just averages out over time if one person has more or less. And really, once you work it out the difference is usually +-£5 at most. It's fast and easy.

I have friends who are convinced this is the most complicated way to pay and is hugely unfair. Which I would get if the difference was massive or if we all didn't have well paid jobs. Their preferred way to pay is to have a single person pay the full bill, share bank details in WhatsApp, send receipt in WhatsApp and then everyone has to remember to tally up their bill and transfer the money across. To me that just seems needlessly complicated.

Been working in a pub for a bit and it’s fairly common that people (tends to be older men, dunno if that’s relevant) will pay for 2/3 pints at once and then only get one, come back and get the others later.

I don’t get it. It’s not easier, it actually makes life more difficult explaining to a different member of staff you’ve paid already, checking tills and receipts. It’s not cheaper, these people tend to get the same thing in the same amounts so it’s not like it’s to keep spends down, you’ve still got to wait and explain what you want, the only difference is a 0.7 second time save from not tapping your card again.

I get it when they’re leaving it for someone else, but when it’s a busy evening and you’ll be back in 20 minutes anyway? Why? Is it to feel ‘part of’ something? Is it to flex your status as a regular? Is it a weird attempt
to trick yourself into thinking it’s free? I can’t see the point of it at all and it annoys me that people seem to just like adding faff to everything.

I'll start, I've suffered migraines since I was about 11. Here are my favourites from people who are not doctors or nurses:

- eating apples. Something to do with the crunch of the apple for the jaw

- get all my teeth removed

- put my feet in as hot water as I can stand with mustard in it

And like most people with migraines the most recurring ones are "stop drinking alcohol" and "stop eating chocolate"

Bonus one is when a friend asked if I wanted to go on a bike ride and I said I can't cos I have a migraine, he said "I bet the exercise and fresh air will make you feel better" and I replied "I bet after 10 minutes I will be vomiting" I have that screenshot saved in my phone

Hi, I have a swollen battery. However I am very confused on how to safely dispose of it. I have called my local council, and the fire service general number. Both have recommended to take it to a recycling centre, however I dont have a car, and my recycling centre doesn't accept pedestrians in. So im not able to walk in.

Besides that, I have not been given any other information. I have been told to go to a supermarket, however they will not accept swollen or damaged batteries due to fire risk. There must be some way to dispose of this if you dont have a car. If anyone has any suggestions or information that would be great.

The battery itself is from a portable charger, about a phone sized one. I also dont have many people who would be able to take me, due to timings and limited people i know in the area. Im honestly out of ideas and ideally id like to get rid of this battery as soon as possible

EDIT: I called a local phone repair shop, and they took it! They deal with swollen phone batteries alot!

(41M) am much happier now than I was before I turned 18, and I have no idea why. On paper, school should have been a great time. I had great friends, the work usually wasn't that hard, and even though it seemed boring at the time, most jobs are much duller and less varied.

I just prefer being an adult. I like my job. I've had a few different ones, and although I genuinely disliked some of them, I was still happier than I was at school.

I wonder if it mainly comes down to how puberty affects people. I think it hit me hard and early, and may have sent me into a mild depression. Once I became an adult, that seemed to lift.

What are other people's experiences?

British Sign Language was recognised as a language on its own right in 2003. It was 'legally' recognised in 2022 in England, Wales & Scotland when the BSL Act came into force. Should we be teaching our children to learn and use it?

I feel like I'd go for science. But I'd have to start at Year 7. I passed years ago but wish I'd tried harder at it.

There’s one roundabout near me where getting into the wrong lane (technically the correct one) adds a few minutes minutes at busy times, so I automatically move over ridiculously early.

In recent years I've found that some people don't seem to know how to use slip roads properly in recent years, and lots of motorway queues seem to due people coming onto slip roads incorrectly.

People call the youth lazy but they are trying. Whether it’s online or in person. It’s all the same not enough experience for minimum wage entry level jobs.

I just checked my last bill and found I'm just over £5000 in credit. Looks like I'll be able to turn the heating on for Christmas. Although I'll obviously turn it off on boxing day. I don't want to go into debt.

I drive a Toyota Yaris. A lot of people would class this as a ‘supermini’. However, the two hand car washes in my area always charge mine as a medium sized car.

It’s only a few quid extra so not the end of the world, but it’s just bugging me as surely you can’t get much smaller than a Yaris?

So what’s considered a small car by their standards?

So this has been happening ever since I moved in nearly a year ago, and it only happens in and when I walk into my bedroom, after a couple mins, day and night. It sounds like a tiny silver bell being rung around twice, similar to what you’d hear on a cat’s collar if they shook their head.

It’s very clear sounding and doesn’t sound like it’s coming from behind the walls at all.

It’s only ever coming from the ceiling, and not even from a single place. It’ll happen 2/3 times after I enter my bedroom within anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 mins. Sometimes it’ll happen when I’ve been in my room for a while too.

One of my friends has heard it but they had no idea what it could be either.

It doesn’t sound like pipes or anything like that. It doesn’t ALWAYS happen, but most of the time it does.

Context that may be useful is that I live in a converted 3 story Victorian house, split into flats. I’m on the top floor, where servants quarters used to be. I only mention this because I know they used to use bells through the house. But my bedroom is in the corner of the house, far away from the kitchen or any central point where the bells would have been.

I have been in the loft a bunch of times, nothing out the ordinary there, nobody is living there. And the loft door has a bolt on it.

What the hell is going on

Edit: fire alarm has been recently changed and is part of a fully wired system.

I love Christmas but get the feeling it's gonna be a lonely one this year.

I came out of a relationship this year, my family doesn't really take it seriously as a celebration and my circle has gotten smaller and smaller.

The thing is, I still love Christmas markets, the music, the films, and it's a time of year I associate with connection.

I don't know why, but my desire for a good Christmas is a lot stronger this year.

Any advice for rituals I can do alone, or for how other people get on at this time of year?

Forget the quality of the beer, the food or whether the place looks like it’s been decorated since 1973.

I’m talking about pub names so brilliant, bizarre or utterly ridiculous that you’d make a detour just to have a pint there.

Bonus points if the pub is still open and you can tell us where it is. Extra bonus points if there’s a good story behind the name.

I’m curious how ridiculous a nationwide pub crawl we could put together.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer the hot months over the cold months, but considering the time of year, it being in the low to mid 20s in mid October is really concerning me. Am I overthinking this or is it a clear sign that the planet is really changing?

Edit: I'm just South of London and it has been a lovely 22° here lol

Decided I'm sick of spending my free time dusting/hoovering etc and as such have a hired a cleaner twice monthly for £80 (2 2hr cleans). Does anyone here have a cleaner and have they found it a good way to save time? For reference 27y/o working professional. Thanks 😊

I was going to ask the 3D printer community, but this is not a purely printed project, I assume there will be some other fabrication and assembly, possibly without actual printing at all.

It's something I may try as a retirement project, but if it's already been done, I will have a guide as to what to do or avoid.

Thanks all.

I see these bins everywhere now, I think it has become a legal requirement but I might be wrong. The problem is, no one seems to use them as intended. Yes recycling should be encouraged but I feel like this is just overcomplicating something simple.

Is this environmental progress? or just the appearance of progress?

It's been dubbed the silent killer. Wondering how often, if ever, people check it?

I didn't at all really until my wife had a turn once and that was a factor. I checked mine just out of curiosity and it needed work. It's in decent shape now but still do monthly checks (log in my phone) to keep on top of it.

I know there must be some, but I'm not coming up with any in the UK. I can think of a few in the US (Chicago, Nantucket) but there must be some in the UK too?

It's for a little writing project.

Just one that covers simple steps to take in case of emergencies. Could be a useful guide to have on your bookshelf.

Instead of throwing it away, does anyone have sny ideas in reuse or is it for any use in arts and craft?

okay. i asked my old college tutor because she literally fits the requirements (tutor, over 18, has a passport). but after sending her the link, the Passport office just told me she doesn't fit the requirements. I'm confused but also i know NOBODY else. i dont know anybody. nobody. i live in a tiny village where the only shops are a garage and the local convenience shop. the local town, i know nobody but retail workers. how on EARTH am i supposed to get confirmed?

Ordered some blinds from BlindsDirect. I wanted them to have thermal and blackout lining, but when on the website I noticed a final (to me, "most luxury") lining ("interlined") that I assumed was these and then some more (the most expensive).

However, they've arrived and don't have blackout at all.

I contacted support, who said blackout isn't included in interlined. I'm a bit confused what I've paid extra for, and found the diagrams on their website confusing, as to me it looks like the diagram is saying the blind fabric is the dark grey layer, the "Premium" type layer is the cream layer, the "Thermal and Blackout" type layer is the light grey, and the "Interlined" is both combined:

When reading the description of Interlined (you click to see more), I now realise it doesn't say blackout anywhere, but does reference it increasing thermal performance and uses the word "complete" - so I assumed again it was the option that was both premium and thermal blackout. I suppose this is the contentious bit, but I remember when purchasing thinking "well it shows the thermal blackout light grey layer in the diagram!".

Their support is taking the stance that I've misunderstood and the diagrams are fully clear. In fairness, they've offered me 50% off a reorder, but I just want to sense check if I am being a donkey (very open to this being the answer if I am), or if it actually is a bit misleading and they need to update their graphic/consider a refund. I can't really justify spending 50% again.