weird requests

Now you know why I don't have a sign in front of my shop. :)

I get old farmers in here with a broken pulley or what not in their hand. "Can you make me one of these?", they ask. I always reply, "yes, but it will be expensive". They'll usually say, "well, I can get one down the street at the tractor supply place, but they want $25.00 for it!". When I tell them I won't even look at it for $25.00, they get a bit pissy.

Still stuck on Depression-era prices when you could get a whole lot of work done for 25 cents...

Stan

You have to understand farmers, at least the "old time" kind. The never make the connection between time and money. If they raise pigs, for example, they know exactly what a pig is worth. But they never connect that to the time it took to raise it. Consequently, they don't see time as being worth much. Especially not someone eles's time... In all fairness, most of them will cheerfully put a substantial amount of time into helping a neighbor, never expecting to be paid, but expecting help when they need it... And, of course, they'll spend hours gabbing with a neighbor... But they'll turn livid at the thought that someone should be paid more than, at most, minimum wage... And they regard the requirement that they pay that much as being nothing but intrusive government interference.

Jerry

Yep! My gramps figured my dad was pulling his leg when he bought his lot for his house. Back in the mid seventies dad paid $5000 for 4/5ths of an acre. Gramps just laughed and walked away! Greg

In 1932 my dad paid $75 for a 1 acre lakeshore lot with sand beach and main road access. In 1949 someone showed interest so dad said $1000 which the guy paid without discussion. I wonder what it would go for today without the four houses. OTOH, I figured in 1949, that if I ever earned a dollar an hour, I would be a rich man. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

I have this old black woman call me once in awhile asking when I'm going to come over and fix her toilet. I told a friend about it and he went off on some other similar situation and got me thinking. Next time I should get her info. and if it's close go fix it for her.

I have no sign, no business cards, and an unlisted phone number. Ned Simmons

Ha! - thats nothing.......

I am a self employed electronics tech - when I used to advertise, it was "9am-9PM' - ok, picture this scenario....

Its just on 9.30pm Sunday night. Kids finally in bed, kitchen sorted out, jobs list and parts order set up for the week. Phone rings.

"Ish thes the TV place - I want you to come and fix my VCR's now.." "Sorry, cant do it before Tuesday morning...(the van is in dock for a long overdue service" "but your add says 9am-9pm. (Ignoring the fact its 9.30pm on a Sunday night, I reply) "yes, and I have answered the phone and am talking to you.." "Well, who can fix my VCR NOW!" (I didnt think too hard, but said) "Well, if you want instant service, go to McDonalds" "Oh. Whats their phone number" "Er - its hamburger joint. Their the only ones who give instant service"

CRASH!!!!!

Later that night, about 11pm. Phone rings. Same woman, speech a bit more slurred.

"Are you the person I spoke to about my VCR?" "Yes." "Well, I am going to report you - you are discriminating against me as I only have one leg"

CRASH (again)

This was probably the most off the wall customer phone call I have had. I no longer advertise, word of mouth is a good filter...

Andrew VK3BFA.

If you don't know her info then how do you know she's black? And why even mention it? ERS

On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 08:17:34 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, Eric R Snow quickly quoth:

Gee, wild hare time, sir?

Yeah, Eric. He's just a horrible racist, ageist, misogynist. That's why he's thinking about fixing it for her.

P.S: If you can't tell an old from young or a white from black from hispanic from flip accent, you're just not _listening_.

---------------------------------------------------------- --== EAT RIGHT...KEEP FIT...DIE ANYWAY ==--

Bullshit.

I have spoken to people on the phone who had a "black" accent only to find out later they were white. That helped to teach me not to make those kind of assumptions. I didn't call him a racist. Or any kind of "ist". I just asked why. And even if he is willing and wanting to fix the toilet doesn't mean he's not a some type of "ist". I do find it interesting however that you assumed I was calling him something. Eric R Snow, Who may be sensitive to bigotry because he was once a bigot.

My Dad (now semi-retired) spent the last part of his career as a locksmith. Once had a customer come into the shop looking to buy a safe. When asked what the use would be, he answered that he was going to put his toilet paper in it so his roommates would stop stealing it.....

Nothing worse than a reformmed bigot,..drinker..smoker, gambler,ex-politition, and on and on........ batw

On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:01:03 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, Eric R Snow quickly quoth:

Aw, c'mon, Eric. Both the other message and this one have those (overt?) undertones. The fact that you took time to ask hinted at calling him some sort of "ist", didn't it? AFAIC, bringing up something like that only carries it on. If everyone forgot to mention it, maybe it would fall from everyone's mind and disappear. Earth people are multitinted but all one race, human. ;)

"Who might want to keep working on it"?

---------------------------------------------------------- --== EAT RIGHT...KEEP FIT...DIE ANYWAY ==--

On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:43:47 -0600, with neither quill nor qualm, "batw" quickly quoth:

Heh heh heh. I'm an ex-smoker/drinker and am hell on wheels when it comes to either.

---------------------------------------------------------- --== EAT RIGHT...KEEP FIT...DIE ANYWAY ==--

On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:06:08 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Pete Snell quickly quoth:

No shit?

(Somebody had to say it.)

---------------------------------------------------------- --== EAT RIGHT...KEEP FIT...DIE ANYWAY ==--

Ex politicians are good... grass grows over them

Mark Rand RTFM

Let's talk about overtones. If you think that my response had accusatory overtones then using your logic his post had overtones of racism. Or something. Look my point is that it's way too easy to look down on someone, and describing somebody by something that has nothing to do with the situation makes it even easier to set ourselves apart. And you're damned right about working on it. I'm not a bigot now and don't want to be again. And even though everybody has the right to be a bigot, everybody also has the right to complain about it and point it out. We all have the right to be self righteous too. It could be I'm excercising that right. Please feel free to tell me so. ERS

I am a locksmith, and when I was an apprentice an old lady call up and wanted her locks rekeyed because someone was breaking in and tampering with her appliances. I had the service call written but this sounded strange so I put her on hold and told one of the field guys about it. Oh that would be Mrs. Wilson on Edison right? I found out she called weekly and it was always something like this, last week it was because someone had left her toilet seat up etc.

The other locksmith assured Mrs. Wilson that they would be out that afternoon and tossed the slip into the trash, explaining that after three service calls, they decided that she should not be spending her money like that, talked to the woman's daughter and found out that Mom was likely to forget that she had placed the call and not to bother anymore.