Apologies for any inconvenience

It's been some time since this blog was last updated. Well quite a lot of time actually - nearly two years. Well at lot as happened in those two years. When I say a lot I am referring to the 15mth old little one upstairs asleep (currently).

So I apologise for any inconvenience whilst I've not been blogging.  So why what write this now?  Well in the interim I've actually started using Twitter and been 'micro-blogging' for some time. I saw the title of this post on a vending machine. My thought process was - 'oh I'll tweet about that when I get back to my desk; but 140 characters can't sum up my dislike for it'. So I'm here!

Scenario is: at work we have cashless-vending. i.e. we need to 'charge-up' a card with money. Stick in your card, cash, and you can now use vending machines/buy lunch at the canteen etc. There aren't many of these charging machines, and when one was out of order, the nearest is the other side of the site. Ten minutes walk - ok not a big problem but it gets a "grrrr" when all you want is quick coffee before the next meeting.

So what's my problem? It's the any in the phrase. It has always implied to me that the author is saying.  "This machine being out of order could possibly in some rare circumstance have caused you inconvenience. Should this unlikely circumstance have arisen then I'm sorry".

It's the fact that the any suggests for the most of time you won't have a problem - but if you do hey, we're sorry. My argument is that they when this phrase gets the probability is that you have (or will) be inconvenienced. Therefore this phrase just adds "insult to the injury".

Rarely you do see "Sorry for the inconvenience caused" - which always gives me a better feeling. It's also a case of writing a phrase that is so often used the author is not actually thinking about what they have said.

Anyway - that feels better now, rant off.  So when will the next post be? 2011? I certainly hope not, but if it does I apologise for the inconvenience I will have caused you.

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