Here and there
My new roof looks pretty good. Some sloppy bastard slopped tar on the paint so I made them come back and clean it up. Then I noticed the lazy sombitches didn't clean when they finished the previous day, so I had them sweep the whole yard with a big magnet. They probably found 400 used roofing nails. I guess it's better than me finding one lodged in my foot
When the guys came out to fix those minor issues, I paid them 50 bucks to climb up and putty the holes where squirrels had chewed through the wood siding. I had already removed the stuff from the attic that the little rat bastards had been nesting in. I needed their entry point closed up. Luckily the roofers had putty the exact color of my paint so it saved me from having to borrow a ladder and do it myself. I don't do well with heights so I'm glad they had to come out after all.
I was noticing all of the roofing and landscaping guys eat take out barbecue and drink sodas from the convenience store every day for lunch. It's got to be expensive doing that six days a week but nevertheless it seems almost all of them do it.
When I was working low wage manual labor, I made my lunch at home and drank water from a fountain. On Friday nights, I would treat myself to a Jumbo cherry coke from the fast food joint across the street from work. There was no way I could eat out and buy dollar soft drinks every day and still pay the bills. I wonder how they do it?
The other morning after I dropped the kids off at school, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up food for the week. As I was getting ready to check out, there was a lady with a small boy, an infant in one hand and a few groceries in the other. I was opening my mouth to ask her to go ahead of me. Before I could speak she sneered at me and asked in a bored contemptuous tone " can I go in front of you?" I was taken aback by her rude snide attitude but before my mind could react,I gestured for her to move in front of me.
She didn't thank me of course, and then she proceeded to do the same thing to the other two people in line in front me. Of course, there was no good way for anyone to refuse her or tell her where to shove it without looking like a total asshole.
I don't know why I let things like this bug me.
posted by Bill Rowland @ October 11, 2007
31 Comments
31 Comments:
It'd bug me. One time I had a guy come up behind me with just one item - bottle of booze - and look pointedly at my pile of groceries and then back to his single item before I finally got the hint and allowed him in front. I had to chuckle rather loudly when he got to the register and his card didn't work, so no booze, boyo!
I wouldn't know what to think if a man opened a door for me here in town. They never think about it and usually walk on. Your a true gent Hammer!
The guys that put in our new windows left nails AND broken glass all over our yard. I deducted money from their final payment for this transgression.
Stuff like that makes a deadly projectile when the lawnmower hits it!
Things like this bug all of us who miss the common decency that used to be in our world and is now so rare.
Take heart, Hammer, that you're not alone.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
Sorry Hammer, but I would've gone ahead and been an asshole. Rudeness ALWAYS gets my dander up...
I never understood how people could buy fast food for lunch every day either. It's too expensive. I guess they didn't think about it like I did. To me it was about $5/day, which meant $80 per month or so they were spending on food, when they could have made their own lunches and spent a fraction of that.
Funny, you taking their picture...it's like something I would do! They probably thought you were preparing a law suit!
What out - maybe in the next life you come back as a squirrel! Eek.
I'm sure I've said this before, but just in case I haven't 'be careful whose fingers you tread on as you climb the ladder of success because you'll surely meet them coming down the other side as you slide down the greasy pole.'
Methinks that 'the lady' isn't one.
A shorter version = 'what goes around comes around.'
Cheers
The brown bag is as dead as 14.4 kbs dial-up. I used to have to go to a lot of assembly plants, and would marvel at how the minimum wagers would line up when the gut truck came to the parking lot and beeped the horn. $4 sandwich halves and $2 soda pops didn't phase them one bit. These were the types who'd live ten to a room and wire the money back home. But they had to have their sammiches and pop.
I worked security with a guy who wanted to order pizza delivery to the guard shack every night. I went in on it the first time to be a good sport, but he expected me to front half of a $15 pie every night, and he had a baby and stay at home wife to support on his peanut wages. Of course I made a bitter enemy by being such a capital ass to tell him no.
Maybe the guys are too lazy to make a sandwich in the morning. Maybe bringing a lunchbox to work is not considered cool. Then there's the chore of washing up the lunchbox when you get home. That might be too much work for some people. Of course, there's always the theory that food tastes better when you don't have to cook it. Maybe one of these days they'll add up what they spend a week on lunch and think, "hey, I can afford a big-screen TV if I saved this much money for a year".
Nasty woman. I bet she'll never let a woman with kids get in front of her in line when she gets older. I just wish I had more proof that what comes around goes around.
People are stupid. I actually pre-think if I'm standing in line, especially during lunch, what I'd do if someone tries that crap. Even if it's a little old lady. If I'm in a good mood, I'll generally let someone in, but if they're snotty, I'll just get ready to tell'em "Hey. I'm working. You look like you're not. You can wait."
Idiots.
IF they keep eating fast food they won't be able to work on a roof anymore - they'd break the ladder!!
A simple "Blow me very much" would have tipped the lady off as to how you felt...
you did the right thing, hammer. in spite of the rudeness of others, we should always err of the side of goodness - unless they're in our face - then we should just go ahead and reach over and bite their noses off to spite their ugly faces! spit it out and carry on...not that i've ever had the opportunity to do that...in the last ten years or so...
Good question Hams. I have no idea how they can afford it. Maybe they live in their cars? Dunno. I certainly can't eat out every day, that's for darn sure.
I usually let people go in front of me if they have fewer items than me. I'll even let someone with a ton go in front if they're elderly. It teaches me patience. That lady sounds like an ungrateful and entitled bitch to me.
You handled all of the situations better than I would have.
Particularly the nails in the yard. One of those nasty things go in my kids foot... I would have absolutely strung someone up.
Do you ever read zenhabits.net? Sounds like those guys need to read it. They give great ideas about saving money. Too many people throw money away on lunch, lattes and junk.
I know why such things bug you, there no excuse for half ass work or bad manners!
Glad you got those guys to come back!! I would have done that too.
as far as the asshole at the grocery store, let it go, assholes aren't worth the trouble!
Peace
I have a mean streak in me. I have used it with total strangers. One time I in line and someone asked if they could go ahead of me. I said "No, I've got to get going."
Another time I did let someone ahead of me thinking they may want to get going. That person told the cashier they weren't doing anything special, after they told me they had to get going.
I totally let guys open the door for me. I love that kinda crap.
To answer your last question, it's because you're a decent guy. The decent folks will always end up feeling like they've been fucked, but what are ya gonna do? If you're a decent person, you really don't have a choice about it.
And another thing, the history book I teach out of says that people back in the old days practiced something called "ruthless underconsumption". Never spent anything unless they had to. Sounds like you used to do that, and the folks now don't know how.
Number one: I would never ask someone if I can go ahead of them. I mean, REALLY. Number two: Women who expect to be treated differently than others because they have children are out of line. I appreciate when people help me when I have my children, but also know it goes with the territory and I have to man up. Number 3: I despise rude people. Especially rude women...
My friend, it bugs you because you are not an asshole and can't imagine acting that way.
Those poor children, being reared by a woman with such contemptible manners. Tam was right - our society is going down the tubes, if the average person's manners are any indication.
Because when you are a nice and polite person yourself, people who have an attitude of entitlement and are rude just go against what you believe in is the right and basic/decent thing to do -
man that lady at the store sounds like a real PITA...doesn't it make ya wanna smack her?? LOL.
Ain't it a bitch? I let the same things bother me too and I have no idea why. When you get down to it, they should only be momentary annoyances and should in no way affect your life.
I always let people go in front of me in a situation like that, unless they are rude like she was. I have looked back with the same nasty sneer and just shook my head. No need to say anything...sorry.
Those nails would have been pretty dangerous when the lawn mower went over them!
A lot of the people I work with eat out each and every day. Lots of us don't, but I sure wonder how they do it. I make a decentl living, but can't bring myself to spend that much for lunch every day.
The lady at the checkout stand, yeah, I'll probably die ten years before I'm supposed to because I've done the same thing a million times and then fantasize about what I SHOULD have said. It bothers me forever and she forgot I was alive the minute she walked past me. Go figure.
I used to eat out everyday and it really does cost a lot and it makes me fatter than home made food. When I worked in a warehouse the lunch truck would give us credit until the next check came. That's what kept us coming back everyday. Laziness? Probably that and convenience. I bring my lunch every day now. The food is healthier, I can pronounce all of the ingredients (most all), and I don't have a big pile of trash to throw away every day. Cost is one thing, but all this take out food is packaged and it adds up in pollution. So, there's another angle.
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