« NotCon NotPad | Main | Why Records Sound The Way They Do »
April 22, 2004
Stubborn
I have spent most of this evening analysing my own server logs.
Yeah, yeah, navel-gazing blogger, you all think.
Nope.
I'm analysing my own server logs to try and find out what my IP address was on the 24th March.
Because that was the day I paid my congestion charge. Or rather used TfL's website to pay the congestion charge. Only the bloody thing failed. And didn't fail in a nice user-focused way. For some reason it didn't do the transaction, didn't take the money, didn't issue a receipt number - nothing. [Not that I'd have known that, after all, it was my first time at the site, and it didn't come up with a message saying Error108301598:transaction timeout:SQLRollback called or anything nice and ugly like that. It just quietly got on with looking as though the transaction had taken place.
I even remember that 'Start date' on your credit card isn't marked with an asterisk as a required field on the form, but that they make you enter it anyway, for chrissakes.
Anyway, I put all this into a nice letter. It was two pages long, but thorough, charming and articulate.
I got a not-so-nice letter back saying that they've looked through their records, can find no payment, and if payment isn't received for any reason then I am liable for a fine. Which I can't help feeling is slightly unfair, given that I was relying on their system to make that payment.
The not-so-nice letter also tried to warn me off appealling further, as I might get costs awarded against me. [Meanwhile the official form by the independent arbitration people says this is 'unlikely'.] Mmm, threatening. We're dealing with a class act here.
So, I'm trying to find my IP address on that day so I can ask them to check their server logs. (Which they won't, but the fact that I am armed with it might make a difference).
And, do you know what?
I didn't once look at my blog that day. Didn't post, didn't despam. Nothing.
Kids! Remember to blog each day. It could save you forty quid!
Posted by Tom Dolan at April 22, 2004 11:54 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.sparklefluff.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/591
Comments
well, do you reckon you might have looked at mm.com on that day, or do you only jump to it from your blogroll? cos i've just downloaded my server logs for 24 March, and if you know what sort of IP range your NTL service normally gives you we might well be able to work out what one is you....
simon.
Posted by: Simon Thornton at April 23, 2004 02:59 AM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
