Issue with "friends"

Junebug

Junebug

JAFO
I think I may be getting a little cranky in my middle age. But, I have to draw the line sometimes. I have on occasion invited guys/gals over to detail their cars and let them help with the detail, kind of a “sweat equity” like Amy Mathews has on DIY network. They learn and get to appreciate what I have to go through. The most common phrase is “you don’t have to do all that – do you?” Yep, I do and in a little while you’ll see why prep is so important. OK, all well and good then I get a couple inquires from guys I worked with from my regular job. Here’s the issues: let’s call this guy the Milkman, that’s what we called him at work. He thinks he’s a genius cause he finally finished college after 10-12 years and quit when our boss wouldn’t give him a raise because of his new diploma. Boss said, you’re doing the same job, why should I pay you more. Ah, I see you’re wondering why he was called the “milkman”, ok, he would take a job that would take me 30 minutes to finish and make it last all day. No lie! I’ve seen him do it. The excuse was he was documenting each step, yeah right, he were doing re-work on some capacitor assemblies that failed in the field. You remove the wiring harness and reinstall a correct one. Milkman would go on for hours about the most minute topic, hey – just asked what time it is, didn’t need to build a watch you know! Next guy, let’s call him Mr. Acme, the company man. No one was at work longer than this guy and did so little. He made a point of telling all of us how he “worked” every Saturday. The boss said – he comes in, gets a cup of coffee and reads the paper till about 10:30, then walks around talking to the shipping guys for a hour, then does about 30 minutes worth of work and hangs out on the dock for a hour more. The thing is, these guys think they’re all that and have no clue the rest of the world has them figured out. And they want to come over to my place! Not in this lifetime! I forgot to mention that they are both extremely cheap and would nickel/dime me to death. I hate to be rude, but these guys aren’t worth my time and certainly not worth the money. I’d rather do a minivan.
 
I'd do it just to watch them work. Offer to give advice only and sit in a lawn chair drinking beer the whole time.
 
JuneBug- I hear you. Always seemed like sweat-inequity, in part because I simply never ask people to do much of anything for me and "helping them do it" often turned into "doing it for them".



The older I get, the less "let's get together and work on it" there seems to be; do it yourself or pay a pro. Maybe that's kinda sad, but that's how it is for me.
 
Now I only do things for true friends who I am happy to help with no obligation from them expected or for someone I want to extend the gesture to as a token of thanks and appreciation for something they did for me.



I don't have a problem with going all out for someone else. It does feel good--it's often actually for myself, more than for the other person, but I am more and more cautious with dispensing generosity, at least in the real world. But talking detailing on the internet? I'm always happy!
 
Internet help - sure, I try to assist when I can. What I want to know is what happened to the neighborhood kid that hangs around till you give him a job, or trades yard work for help on his car. My daughter has several friends that I've talked to and they just don't get the whole car care thing. They don't mind getting money from home to have me do their cars, I've even got some good details from Mom & Pop later too. But get down and sweaty working on a car - you kiddin?
 
Sounds like you work at a union shop Junebug. I know the feeling, the old geezer who gently whispers in your ear after you knock off work having busted your *** for 10 hours, "You know kid, I did about half of what you did today and look, we both got paid the same. You need to learn to pace yourself and not give so much to management." As my dad used to say to people like this "Why don't you go piss up a rope and suck on the wet end."



I would never entertain the thought of detailing their cars, even if they weren't present.
 
Hey Kolo - nope - down south, unions are rare. Where I did work was a small company with a big good ol boy network. That company went ka-put due to incredibly bad management and we got bought and sold twice. Now part of the "borg" my name for the over powering giant, faceless, mindless, corp comglomoronic organization.



And +100000 on Amy Mathews, she could work at my house til the cows came home.
 
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