I think my vacuum was trying to phone for help

Poor little Roomba, needs a recuperative recharge me thinks...... Blimey, I must be losing marbles at a scarey rate if commiserating with a vacuum cleaner [tchhum] ,

I found myself telling it not to close the door the next time. I'll join you in the loony bin.

Wait for me! I was imagining the panic your Roomba must have been in when it was trapped

Crikey! What do we sound like! Was also imagining it panicking just then Mini!
WE need a stiff [drink] pdq ...... Men with straight jackets seen on the horizon?

How lovely to have a housework robot! We have steps everywhere, scarcely have two rooms on the same level so the poor little thing would be constantly falling down and bruising its little metal knees.

Welcome to the Poor Little Roomba club........! Great to have another (nutty) member!
And to think I'd never met one until now!
(Just as well, as clearly lost the plot , is it by any chance a full moon [tchhopeful]?

It did an extra shift as an alarm when ny mobile failed and was not avalable. It is quite pleasant to be woken early when you can watch the staff assiduously vacuuming round and under your bed,

He'd get very giddy and confused in my house I fear, too many obstacles to avoid !

It wouldn't stand a chance here either - my cat would hunt it down, although she'd be very disappointed that it's cordless!

I have a Neato, and I find myself talking to it as it trundles around. 'Here, wait a minute, let me move the doormat for you!' and feeling sorry for it as it wearily trundles back halfway through the cleaning to recharge, with its pitiful little 'Please empty my dustbag and clean my filter' as it nudges itself back into position with an exhausted little shuffle. Today I found myself idly contemplating buying it a length of red tinsel.

I wouldn't dare leave my phone lying around near it though. It would be phoning all its little friends and telling them what a slut I am, and how I only move all the furniture out of its way if visitors are expected.

It's not looking too good for some of us, is it?

We have to start somewhere. I think of it as getting a little practise in. My next stage hopefully will be being rude to people out loud and then swiftly following it up with the dotty old lady act so that they forgive me.

Take it steady JaneR, we don't want to read about you in the tabloids

Mine got out of the back door once and was about to try going down the steps. I know it has a built-in sensor to save it, but I scooped it up and scolded it as I returned it to safety . . .

Have you checked for tunnels Elegran - telltale little piles of dirt hidden in sneaky corners? Do a Roomba frisk for little pouches of dust from digging?

Check the docking station for missing bed boards?

Almost sounds like the ideal pet! Cleans up after itself and doesn't need much other than recharging!

Ah, but it seems to need 24 hour surveillance, so could be tricky as a pet.

I suppose I could use the "virtual wall" gadget that puts an infra-red beam across places you want to keep the Roomba out of - but I would have to set it. I would forget. As it is, Thursday evenings are also the time to take out the bins and put a saucer outside the front door for the milk carton (to avoid getting a greasy mark on the step)

You can programme it to wake up once a day and get on with its chores, then go back to the docking station to recharge. It is when it meets hazards when going about its lawful business that it hits trouble. Remembering which doors to open and which to close when it is due to be around, that is the problem. In theory it turns away when it meets a drop, but this one seems to just freeze where it is and call for help.

It doesn't like the fringes on the rug in the conservatory either - they get caught in its brushes and make it squeal. I think I've got a Roomba wimp.

Danger, Roomba at work.

Mine manages fringes happily, but one day I forgot to remove the flokati rug next to my bed. I had to take the poor thing apart to get all the fluff off its rollers.

I have strips of something that I can place where I don't want it to roam, but it has never fallen down the stairs yet, despite knocking the strip down them. I have had to place one permanently under the tv cabinet though, as it goes in there and gets stuck. Also I don't like seeing it emerging from there smothered in cobwebs and waving them at me as it exits. I'd rather not know.

It also isn't all that keen on xmas tree needles apparently. I have to do a spot clean now that our tree has started to shed a little.

Sounds as though Roomba Boot Camp may be called for.

I had never heard of a Roomba until i read this thread, just had a great laugh, really cheered me up, I want one!!!!!

Be careful what you wish! Need to make sure fully trained, particularly very obedient, or else could spend your life trying to rescue it from trouble, like Elegran! . janerowena's 'breed' doesn't sound much more intelligent........
Found myself laughing out loud at their stories, priceless!

Felice neither had I! Sometimes GN is a revelation!

Perhaps Roomba should go on "I'm a Celebrity"