What ever happened to people being real "neighbors"

[il d00d]

I will acknowledge and respect the nature of the rant and say that guy sucks. I bet he would not charge $20 for four seconds of saw time for a customer.  On second thought, I guess he would.  Ass.

I will say though, and as others have illustrated, your proximity to assholes does not necessarily mean the end of the neighbor relationship as we know it.  Good neighbors are out there, you just don't live by them...

When hurricane Ike barreled through Houston, this became what is known as the Great Get to Know Your Neighbor event as we exchanged ice, food, rumors about what was open, that status of clandestine FEMA operations, etc.  So, if your neighborhood consists of known and suspected assholes, sometimes it takes some event  -12 days without power, but I don't recommend it-  for a neighborhood to pull together.  The best you can do is be the neighbor you want to live next to, and hope the people around you follow suit.

[cyrus buelton]

Cyrus, the guy that wanted to charge you $20 to cut a piece of wood is probably an asshole, but try to look at it from his perspective. He's the one guy in the neighborhood that can fix anything and has tools and truck, etc. That guy must get hit up for shit all the time from friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, etc. If you knit socks for 50 hours a week in order to pay your bills you'd get pretty snippy with the 100th person who asked if you could just to knit some little socks for the new baby or whatever on your weekend or in your free time. He wanted to charge to $20 not to get the $20 but to make sure you never asked him for anything again. Don't take it personally, he just doesn't want to use his free time that way. What you see as quick little cut he sees as dragging the tool out (got move that other shit out of the way first) set it up, get the extension cord out, measure and mark the wood, make the cut, bullshit with you for 10 minutes, unplug the saw, wrap up the cord, put the cord away, clean up the saw, break the saw down and put it away, get the broom, sweep up the saw dust and put the broom away. All the while worrying if there is a nail in that piece of wood he doesn't know about that is going to make the beast with two backs up his blade and if the dimension you gave him is incorrect and that you'll come back and yell at him for cutting it wrong. So, yeah, if he ain't looking to make friends, $20.

I should have clarified a bit about this guy.

He sold off his truck a long time ago to buy some coffee house that failed.

He does do projects for people on the side.


I paid him to paint a portion of the inside of my residence because it was a vaulted ceiling area going upstairs and I don't have the means to get up there to paint via scaffolding, etc.

He even over charged me for that come to find out. I won't even post what I paid him to do that.


It's not like I am asking for free shit from him. I had the board measured, line drawn, etc.

He has a miter saw on a table in his garage.

It would have taken him less than 10 seconds to make the cut for me.


I have also paid him to move some electrical wires in my house when I had some new windows installed. Again, he overcharged me for that work.

As for talking..........he should pay me to have to listen to him babble every time I come home. He doesn't really work and always catches me when I am coming home and yaps my ear off for an hour.



but I do get what you are saying about doing side work, etc.

I wouldn't ask that of him, but just a little advice on a toilet wouldn't kill someone.

[Oldfisti]

I should have clarified a bit about this guy.

He sold off his truck a long time ago to buy some coffee house that failed.

He does do projects for people on the side.


I paid him to paint a portion of the inside of my residence because it was a vaulted ceiling area going upstairs and I don't have the means to get up there to paint via scaffolding, etc.

He even over charged me for that come to find out. I won't even post what I paid him to do that.


It's not like I am asking for free shit from him. I had the board measured, line drawn, etc.

He has a miter saw on a table in his garage.

It would have taken him less than 10 seconds to make the cut for me.


I have also paid him to move some electrical wires in my house when I had some new windows installed. Again, he overcharged me for that work.

As for talking..........he should pay me to have to listen to him babble every time I come home. He doesn't really work and always catches me when I am coming home and yaps my ear off for an hour.



but I do get what you are saying about doing side work, etc.

I wouldn't ask that of him, but just a little advice on a toilet wouldn't kill someone.

I would do it for free anyway but if I had charged you for work performed in the past I would feel like the worlds biggest d-bag for even thinking of charging you.


 

[cyrus buelton]

I would do it for free anyway but if I had charged you for work performed in the past I would feel like the worlds biggest d-bag for even thinking of charging you.
 

I just can't believe he wanted 20$ to chop a piece of wood in half.

[JEFF_H]

Why did you go to a guy for service that you felt dissatisfied and overcharged in previous experiences?

[Vindingo]

I tend to agree with Sac on this one.  I work for Porsche fixing cars.  I don't do work on the side, period.  I have made the mistake of helping a neighbor with a small problem, next thing you know I can't even open the garage door without someone wanting me to fix their car. I turned down neighbors before and they get rude like I owe them something. My time off is just that, time off. I don't bring my tools home with me, they stay at the dealership. I keep a very limited amount of tools at home, usually for bike stuff. If one of my cars needs something it goes to the dealership and I do it there.  Now if a neighbor wants to drink beer with me or come to one of my barbeques that's great. If I'm mowing the lawn and accidentally mow my old lady neighbors lawn, oh well.  Just don't ask me to fix your damn car on my time off. 

I don't see a problem with the way you handle your situation.  Turning someone down is totally different than saying "sure I'll change your oil, but it will cost you $200"  If he had said no, "I can't cut that piece of wood for you right now" I think it would have been different.

Asking for an absurd amount of money to do a favor makes that dude a prick, even moreso because you have paid him do work in the past.  

I wouldn't ever hire him again if I were you.  

Admittedly I have over charged people for bullshit work, and the only reason was because I it was did not like them and never wanted to do work for them again.  Maybe he doesn't like you?

[Speedbag]

Take a shit on his front step. Fire optional.

[ducpainter]

Why did you go to a guy for service that you felt dissatisfied and overcharged in previous experiences?

So he can complain when he does it again.

[cokey]

My neighborhood in NY sucks ape balls..it was once a nice block and a nice town...

then it became a "destination community" in the late 1980's and especially after 9/11 when people dumped their brownstones and fled out here...we used to have 2 topless joints and a dozen shot-and-beer joints in town

the only time you see kids now is when they are coming or going to the car to their "planned activities"   kids don't hang out and just play like they used to

I am the last person on the street who still cuts his own lawn...they all are chopping down the old trees...it is turning into Queens NY...they sneer at me because I am not in the game, own my house and don't give a shit to join the golf-yacht-country or tennis clubs

I hate the northeast or more accurately the NY area, I hate the attitudes up here, I hate the make the beast with two backsing miserable unhappy sneering "I've arrived" self-entitled self-important douche bags riding up on your ass in a fake Hummer on a side street because they have to get little Mikey to soccer and their nail appointment ran late or they lost track of time at the gym...

or when they size you up at a check-out and try to cut in line in front of you explaining they are in a hurry...to which I usually scream...I am older than you and will die sooner,,, make the beast with two backs your hurry

they are all about saving make the beast with two backsing Darfur but they won't lift a finger to help the old widow next door shovel her walk when it snows

Move down south to a non-migratory town...at least people are polite and have some semblance of manners or they just bother to pretend to....there are still humans on the planet but they are getting harder to find...I think they are pretty much extinct in large urban areas

God please get me back to Asheville for good...my neighborhood there is just that...a neighborhood...we throw a couple BBQ picnics a year, people drop by and just hang out on the porch

they see us digging a trench for a new sewer hook up and they come over and ask for a shovel to help...makes you want to weep with joy that real people still exist

sounds right..  what part og ny you in, LI?   cant wait till we are able to move out of state..  for me its a bit diff.. i live and have always been in the ghetto..  i need me some lawn and backyard all ready..   shit, couple months ago some one was murded feet from my front door..

[Grampa]

So he can complain when he does it again.

the circle is complete young jedi

[rgramjet]

You couldn't pay me enough to live in NY.  I think people get friendlier the farther South you go.  Something to do with the Frustration Aggression Hypothesis coupled with lack of Vitamin D.

[cyrus buelton]

Why did you go to a guy for service that you felt dissatisfied and overcharged in previous experiences?

I was in a severe pinch on the electrical deal. He happened to be home and worked with my bootleg contractor.

My fault on paint and toilets was cheaper then a plumber or me spill shit everywhere, but still my fault.



I just didn't realize asking for one slice of wood would be a 20 spot!


like hell his make the beast with two backsing dirty hippy son is going to get any beer at my 4th of july bash this year make the beast with two backser came over last year and pissed everyone off and just helped himself to our keg.

He never introduced himself.

Found out the next day who he was.

Nice neighbors.

[DoubleEagle]

For the first 10 years of my life I grew up in a small College town. Probably no more than 2500 people including the College.

It was like some have eluded to, kinda like a fairy tale existence.

A very close knit group of people , most had lived there all their lives .

My parents belonged to several social clubs so there always seemed to be people in the house .

Everybody was friendly and everybody knew everybody . There was one long street that ran the length of the College and a lot of the homes on the one side of the street were occupied by professors.

Then we moved when I was going on 11 to Ohio and it was tough at first not knowing anyone but I soon made a lot of friends as did my folks and once again all the neighbors were friendly and associated freely , shared tools and helped with anything that you can think of.

Now I have pretty much isolated myself . I treasure my privacy and socialize very little.

I enjoy riding my bikes and collecting fine things. I can play my " Classic Rock "  LOUD and stay up until 4-5 am enjoying the good things in life.

It's nice here in the Northern edge of the Hocking Hills only 5 minutes away from a great road full of curves and wild scenery.

Dolph    

[Stella]

I should have clarified a bit about this guy.

As for talking..........he should pay me to have to listen to him babble every time I come home. He doesn't really work and always catches me when I am coming home and yaps my ear off for an hour.

  

[rgramjet]

Ive got a neighbor like that.  You can tell him you have a meeting in 10 minutes and he will ramble for 20.  Pisses me off.