Reality Check

Don't know how old the boy was. But it makes me wonder if the son was the perp?

Or maybe the son was embarassed about a medical problem (some kids can mess without knowing it) and was trashing his own undies. I've been in peoples houses where they had spots in the sink which turned out to be tooth paste that the kids didn't quite get onto the brush.

It does sound like an odd situation.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon
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Yep, middle of the monsoonal wet season, and it's about 95% humidity and about 90 degrees. Speaking of intelligence, aptitude and people believing it's superior to get a college or university degree, down under, there is a big push on at the moment to get the young ones to take up a trade instead of going from school and into a university. This country is very low now on qualified trades people, eg: carpenters, plumbers, electricians, concreters etc. The pay increases and other incentives now provided by government are slowly tempting the would be academic away from a University degree. Trouble is, most young people are lazy little sh*ts, and just want to sit on their asses in an air conditioned room in front of a computer screen, instead of getting hot, dirty and sweaty out in the real world. At the moment a fully qualified plumber in his own small business would make far more than the local GP doctor, and these days the plumber doesn't even get very dirty, as most plumbers come complete with their own slave (laborer) to do all the digging and crappy stuff. The plumber 3 doors down from me, just bought his missus a new Merc sports, but I'm NOT JEALOUS... :-)

Reply to
Steve Paris

Yeah, we've had our fair share here too over the years. I will do the job once, then if they ring again and start to tell you about old Fred down the road, picking the new locks open and secretly shifting tooth brushes around and putting the knives and forks in the spoon drawer etc etc, then I suddenly become over booked, and refer them on to another Lockie. You can't take money off old people with this type of condition, it is almost as bad as robbing them. Best to avoid the situation if ya can.

Reply to
Steve Paris

what you doing around in my area?

the PUSH is EITHER computer, OR nurse..

need a 'handyman'? he is booked up for 4 MONTHS

and I know a house builder that would LOVE to get some kids that understand woodworking.

--Shiva--

Reply to
--Shiva--

very interesting :-)

g'day Steve

Reply to
Key

that's what we have always done. I too think that taking money off old people with this type of condition is just NOT the thing to do. (what goes around usually comes back around)

Reply to
Key

Seem like were all on here together at the moment :-), it's 4am Saturday morning, can't sleep, too much spaghetti bolognaise and vino last night. Oh well, might as well go hook up the boat and go fishing, cheers guys.

Reply to
Steve Paris

Steve

Is the 6.25 you are not bragging about in inches? Metric? scale of 1 to

10?
Reply to
Roger Shoaf

<snip>

Trouble is,

You say this like it's a bad thing.

At the moment a fully qualified

I bet you are still sore over the plumber you paid to tell you where your leak was.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf
<snip>

Definitely off the meds....NEEDS BLAST OF GEODON.........

As we say in the mental institutions... (no offence intended towards paranoids, schizophrenics, borderlines, attention-seekers, colaborators, intimidators, perpotrators, manipulators, etc...and on and on and on..............)

"DRAW IT UP"

"DRAW IT UP!!"

"DRAW IT UP!!!!"

"FIRE IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" LOL Honestly, we DO NOT say this out loud. goma.

Reply to
goma865

Yeah? How long after you leave before she calls the cops and accuses you of stealing from her?

Reply to
Putyourspamhere

Son was in his fifties(?) Mother - eighties(?)

No. After talking to this lady for a short time, it was obvious that she was "out there"

Reply to
Bob DeWeese, CML

You bet !!! **&^&$)*%) plumber. $498 for 45 minutes work ! ) >>

Reply to
Steve Paris

$45 for the work. $50 for the trip charge. $400 for knowing how to complete the work in 45 minutes.

If you don't like it, invest in learning how to do it yourself... but remember to bill yourself for the time you spend learning.

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (address as shown

And don't forget the investment in tools and parts. I've heard of a finish carpenter/cabinetmaker who had over $20K of tools in the back of his van on an average day. Plumbers, I think, have less in the way of tools, but their vans are plumbing stores on wheels.

rm

Reply to
BobMac

Steve had called a plumber that specialized in finding underground leaks. This was after he had put off the shovel work for months and his wife was ready to do what wives do when they really want something done.

The plumber hooked up his machine and In a few minutes had found the leak and gave Steve a bill he was not too pleased with. This allowed Steve to avoid spending days of his time converting his yard into a complete mud hole and he could resume his normal pursuits and avoid the wrath of Mrs. Paris.

IMO he got off cheap. Just don't let Mrs. Paris know that. He is probably still milking sympathy from her on this.:>)

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

Hmmmmmmm. I've got about $35K worth of machines and tools in my van, so maybe I should charge my customers $500 an hour. Get real !. The majority of the tools that a tradesman uses are for his own advantage, NOT, the customers. In the case of the plumber in question, he used a $7,000 tool to find the leak quickly, (10 minutes to locate). So this saved HIM 3 to 4 hours of wasted digging time locating the leak. Hence, he could do say 5 jobs a day instead of only 2, so at $500 a job X 5 = $2,500 compaired to only $1,000 for the days work. Sure you have to factor in the cost of tools ect into the job but you have to be realistic about it. In business you should be aware of the golden rule " if you do a good job at a reasonable rate for a customer, they may tell 6 people about you and how pleased they were. If you ripp off your customer, or do a crummy job they will on average tell 25 people. Then you are left sitting on your arse wondering why your phone won't ring anymore.

Reply to
Steve Paris

Damn right Roger ! She said to me today, "what are you getting me for our silver 25th wedding anniversary next week", and I told her that the money I had put aside for her silver necklace was what I used to pay the (*%&*%$^ plumber". I didn't know I could dodge and run so fast :-) Now, whats silver , and only costs about ten bucks ??

Reply to
Steve Paris

Granted. So why did you call this guy? You couldn't find a lower price from anyone you trusted, including yourself, right? That right there tells ya something...

Reply to
Joe Kesselman (address as shown

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