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  • My Cousin the Auto Mechanic

    As requested by Nunavut Pants, my auto mechanic story. Warning: bit of background, and the more I wrote the more I remembered…

    *****

    My cousin has been an auto mechanic since he got out of high school, and finally got enough money to open his own shop. It’s not a huge shop but he’s got a good reputation and lots of repeat business. One thing he does is hire kids from the local high schools to work weekends and holidays – he pays above minimum wage, they get a lot of good experience and frequently get good job offers when they graduate (more than one worked for him over the years).

    He was approached by his church pastor one Sunday with a suggestion. Their church had a number of parishioners who were either on state assistance or were elderly with fixed incomes. They drove older vehicles which were in poor shape and they couldn’t afford to get them fixed or pass state inspection. Could he help?

    After giving this some thought he came up with a plan - he could offer a program where he would do his best to keep costs down as much as possible.

    He debated about how many work slots to open each month as he did have to have room for paying customers. He finally decided on two slots a month – first come, first serve. A special contract sheet was printed which spelled out this and more:

    - No warranty, expressed or implied. The only thing he guaranteed was that it would pass inspection and would drive out the door.
    - He would try and get used parts from junkyards whenever possible.
    - Absolutely minimal body work, just enough to make the vehicle legal and drivable. No painting was offered.
    - He would use his trainees to keep labor costs down. He would eat labor costs to keep the bill down if necessary although this wasn’t mentioned in the contract.
    - They would be as careful as possible, but if window glass was broken it was the responsibility of the owner to get that fixed at THEIR expense.
    - He would only do such work as to get the vehicle drivable and up to code, anything else would be discussed but would have to be authorized.

    With this in hand the program started. And it was a disaster, in the end he serviced only six vehicles before cancelling it. It seems he’d forgotten one big thing, these people had no money. Thus when it was time to get paid he got all sorts of excuses about how they needed the vehicle immediately and would pay later. One couple even brought in their pastor, who swore “these were good people and he would get paid.” Of the six one paid $50, two paid $25 each, one paid $10 and about $20 more later, the last two were total stiffs to around a total $800-900 loss, not counting what he wrote off.

    The worst part, though, was the absolute entitlement. I spoke to the secretary and a couple of the mechanics and they all agreed this was the most offensive part. After my cousin cancelled the program he had people demanding he honor it. He agreed to honor it for the next two people on the list but both argued with him about payment to the point where he told them he would not work with them and to take their vehicles and leave.

    His secretary put it best. “If any of these people had shown some gratitude and willingness to work with your cousin he would have bent over backwards to try and help. But each and every last one came in with what your grandfather (his uncle) used to call ‘a full load of rude.’ (I always wondered where my father learned this phrase, he sometimes used it as well.) They made demands and threats, would not listen to us or even try to work with us but instead gave outrageous and impossible orders. I’m not surprised your cousin cancelled this program, I’m shocked he tried as hard and as long as he did before shutting it down. It’s not OUR fault your vehicle is past its inspection date and you need it fixed now, you have to go on the list and take your turn. And it’s not OUR fault you want to take in on vacation next week and need it fixed now, you need to wait your turn. We cannot turn away fully-paying customers to get you in now.”

    His own minister gave him grief about it, and when my cousin suggested the minister pay for the work and then collect from these people he got the silent treatment. He left the church and never went back…

    *****

    And unfortunately this colored his view of charity from that point on. In his mind everyone on welfare and social security is “a parasite and a leech” and he refuses to donate any more, feeling he’s donated enough already. He would be willing to work with someone but will NOT be bullied into helping.

    *****

    There was some karmic comeback. He got a call from one of the two complete stiffs (hereafter called The Family Deadbeat) about six weeks later. The caller complained their mother’s vehicle had crapped out and DEMANDED he fix it for free and NAO! After trying to get a word in edgewise and explain he told the asshole on the phone to shut up, that they had stiffed him and thus even if there was a warranty (which there wasn’t) he wouldn’t fix it. He then hung up and had their number blocked.

    This was a Thursday, and on Monday a tow-truck driver showed up with a vehicle to drop off for repair. He went out and took a look at it to find it was from The Family Deadbeat. He told the driver he was NOT going to accept the vehicle, had told the family such and hoped he’d been paid at least. The driver told him they got cash up front but he’d only been paid to bring the car there, NOT bring it back. My cousin was adamant it was not going to be put on his property so the driver dropped it in the street in the only free area – right in front of a fire hydrant. My cousin had his secretary call the cops who came out, ticketed it and put on a notice saying if not moved in 24 hours it would be towed. Sometime before work started Tuesday it was towed, he wasn’t sure if it got a second ticket or not.

    Cue Friday and The Family Deadbeat shows up – mother, 2 sons and an unidentified third male. My cousin knew there would be trouble and had the secretary call the police.

    They came in with an attitude, demanding to know the status of the vehicle. My cousin played dumb at first and things started getting out of hand, a couple of the mechanics came out with a small sledge hammer and a large socket wrench and stood behind him. The cops showed up, the younger took the Family Deadbeat outside to get their story while the older officer got my cousin’s. He showed the officer the contract stating NO warranty and that the bill remained unpaid.

    The officer informed my cousin and his staff of a few things. The older brother was currently out on parole, and the officer told them this could easily be considered a violation of it. The younger brother was currently out on bail, and this was definitely a violation of it. The third male was a cousin who the officer was pretty sure had an arrest warrant out on him a couple of counties over. And mama was no prize either: numerous arrests for shoplifting. Then she would go back, was told she was banned and refused to leave. She would then get arrested for trespassing and, more often than not, resisting arrest. A real upstanding family…

    So officer goes out and talks with his partner. He then asks Family Deadbeat for the paperwork showing they paid for the repairs and the warranty. What a shock, they didn’t have those with them! Officer then informs them of the fact that car was towed, they can get it back by bringing down their paperwork and paying the ticket, tow and storage charges – and of course right now are more than the car is worth. Then he tells them he knows what’s really happening here. “The shop owner will not press charges for failure to pay, but he wants you to leave and you are banned from these premises for life.” They start to argue but officer puts up his hand. “This is NOT up for discussion and you have two choices. The first is you leave on your own. The second is that you all come down to the station and have a talk with my captain. And meanwhile your names will be run through the computer.”

    Family Deadbeat couldn’t leave fast enough…

    Officer comes back in. “That’s what I figured was going to happen, they know what would happen if we ran their names. I doubt they’re stupid enough to come back but if they do call, the next time they WILL go downtown.” They were smart and never came back…

    *****

    Over the years my cousin has calmed down a bit, but still refuses to donate to any charity and has nothing but disdain for organized religion…

  • #2
    I'd say I'm shocked, but I'd be lying like a rug.....

    Comment


    • #3
      What Minflick said!

      People can be so entitled at times that it stops other kind people from helping anyone. My sweetie does auto body work for a living. He's a good mechanic. He totally refuses to lift a wrench for a stranger and for 2 of my sisters because of the expectations and demands. I don't blame him.

      (The sister he will lift a wrench for thanks him profusely for anything he does and brings food and beer and washes his truck in exchange for whatever he does. He loses money on the deal, but at least he feels appreciated.)

      Comment


      • #4
        That letting the person doing the freebee feel appreciated will take you far in letting it happen more than once! Appreciation is the name of the game, dammit!!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Amazing how people getting freebies show far more entitlement than the people actually paying for the same services.
          Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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          • #6
            Thanks again for the story! I'm sad to hear that your cousin was exposed to that, but (checks name of site) I can't say I'm surprised.
            “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
            One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
            The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

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            • #7
              I sometimes have to ask others for favors. Usually involving rides to the store where I can buy my groceries. I've decided early on that the best way to show appreciation is to make the favor as convenient as possible. They still have to go out of my way somewhat, but I've done a few things to lessen the impact.
              -Being ready before they get to my place
              -After shopping, we have a designated pickup spot that has less traffic. We both know to meet there now.
              -Be flexible. I have to work around their schedule, not the other way around.
              -And of course, show gratitude. No one likes an ungrateful bastard.

              I'm sure one could come up with similar rules for themselves when receiving different types of favors, but the underlying point, is make it as convenient as possible!
              To right the countless wrongs of our days... We shine this light of true redemption, that this place may become as paradise...Oh, what a wonderful world such would be...

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              • #8
                I have an engineer friend who works a sweet deal with me for car repairs:
                - he gives me a list of parts to go buy, and I do.
                - at his convenience he works on my truck at my house or at work, and I give him a ride (I often do anyways)
                - I supply drinks, food and music of his choice
                - he charges me half (or less) on labor that a shop would charge me

                Its a more than fair deal, plus he is GOOD. I don't understand people who expect to be given FAR more than they would ever offer give to someone else in need.

                Comment


                • #9
                  What the HELL was wrong with the minister, is what I want to know? These were not the deserving poor! Parasites are parasites but HE should have known better... if he was any good at his job, at least!

                  What an ass.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thought I'd chime in here... Please keep it clean. Anything that could be Fratching...take over there. Thanks!

                    But, I don't blame the OP's cousin one bit refusing to deal with "charity cases." There are simply some people who are too damn entitled for their own good. Give them an inch, they want 100 miles. They'll bitch and moan about how it's "too expensive" and usually insist on the cheapest service available. Then they bitch and moan because they're not getting BMW quality

                    That's why I treat mechanics--especially those working on my MG--with respect. Sure, I've had the car completely apart, but I really don't want to spend hours messing about with a worn pair of SUs. I can do it, but since I don't have the air-balancing tool (good luck finding one), it tends to take awhile

                    Other times, I've slipped them cash for a pizza or two. Such was the case when my Mazda started running rough one night. Except for the "mayo" (foam) under the radiator cap, it seemed like I'd blown a head gasket. The other signs--a lack of power, lots of white smoke--were both present. Somehow, I made it to the garage on 3 cylinders.

                    Turns out that one of the coil packs was failing, causing the car to misfire. I was there about an hour. During that time, they swapped out the failing pack, replaced the spark plugs, wires, and checked the battery. I certainly didn't expect them to waive part of the labor, nor did I expect them to squeeze me into their busy work schedule that night. By then, it was nearly time to close, so I slipped them a $20, and told them to get some pizzas.
                    Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. --Enzo Ferrari

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Once at the roofing company, we tried to do something nice. A lot of the bus stops around here are little structures with a roof since, well, rain. So it seemed like a good idea to roof some of them for free. Advertisement, tax write off, I don't remember the details. Anyhow. We got two lined up. Everything was based on weather and materials available. Within the first week, the HOA people were calling shrieking at us, "why haven't you started?!?!" Then, even though we had not advertised this, other people (parents, other HOAs, etc) started calling demanding we roof and fix the bus stop at their neighborhood.

                      Needless to say, we did the two we had set up, and never, ever did such a stupid thing again. Also, we stopped helping out family before I started working there. There are a few people we will go out of our way to help, but they are few and far between. Like the sweet little old lady who got swindled. Her roof had literally been put on a month ago by a horrible fake (not tax paying, no business license) outfit. There was a windstorm and shingles were blowing off like crazy. We were doing a roof nearby and she came over and asked us to take a look. She couldn't get a hold of the company who did the roof, surprise, surprise. She got a smoking good deal from us, poor thing. She was nice about it, too.
                      Replace anger management with stupidity management.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Quoth Minflick View Post
                        That letting the person doing the freebee feel appreciated will take you far in letting it happen more than once! Appreciation is the name of the game, dammit!!!
                        QFT. I've been unable to drive for the last six weeks, because of a knee replacement. A friend, a retired nurse, has been giving her time and effort to get me to PT, the grocery store, SCA meetings, even a concert. I let her make my PT appointments, because hey, she knows when she's available; I TELL HER every time how much I appreciate the help; I buy her stuff at the grocery store . . .

                        Appreciation breeds willingness. Entitlement breeds anger. How hard is that?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I'm honestly disappointed with cousin's former pastor. I completely understand him trying to arrange some charity for people in the congregation who are less well-off, but to then support the entitled attitudes and try to guilt cousin into not just accepting being stiffed and yelled at....? Quite disappointed.
                          "Enough expository banter. It's time we fight like men. And ladies. And ladies who dress like men. For Gilgamesh...IT'S MORPHING TIME!"
                          - Gilgamesh, Final Fantasy V

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth Kogarashi View Post
                            I'm honestly disappointed with cousin's former pastor. I completely understand him trying to arrange some charity for people in the congregation who are less well-off, but to then support the entitled attitudes and try to guilt cousin into not just accepting being stiffed and yelled at....? Quite disappointed.
                            That was only part of the problem, I always had the impression Pastor was a bit of a narcissist and was pushing this to get the credit. And apparently he called a number of other ministers/reverends/pastors around town plus some retirement homes giving out the program prematurely. My cousin was still trying to set up lines of credit with a number of junkyards for parts and get everything set up before announcing the program. Instead before he was ready to start this program he was mobbed by people, all demanding immediate service. This caused a lot of difficulty in getting used parts which spiraled on until the program ended.

                            Another problem was that labor is the biggest cost here, with parts running a close second. He was afraid his regular customers would find out about the lower labor costs and demand the same. AFAIK that never happened, but if it had he'd have worries about not honoring it for his other customers and could easily have started losing a LOT of money...

                            What really ticked me off was the Pastor who vouched for his parishioners so they could get their car back without paying. When they didn't pay (this was the other complete stiff) my cousin had the secretary call him. When told about the stiff his answer was "well, that's between you and them. Good luck and God bless." Hey, you vouched for them - you can cover the bill and collect it from the deadbeats. If you're not willing to do that then you have NO business vouching for anyone else's credit!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth Slave to the Phone View Post
                              (The sister he will lift a wrench for thanks him profusely for anything he does and brings food and beer and washes his truck in exchange for whatever he does. He loses money on the deal, but at least he feels appreciated.)
                              Precisely how one should treat a person doing one a favour.

                              The pastor should have kept it to himself at least until the program was running well in his own district, and should have limited the people informed about it to those who were in need for reasons beyond their control: disabled, laid off, etc.
                              Or people like a family I've mentioned before: the couple had three kids of their own, and were running a normal working class lifestyle. Then they found out about an orphaned family of five kids under six, some of whom were disabled, who needed parents.
                              They adopted the family, after consultation with their community (including their own pastor). So yeah, that couple was accepting charity to help support the eight kids - for some reason!

                              But if the cousin had been helping a family like that one, instead of the 'everyone has an arrest warrant out on them' deadbeats ....
                              Seshat's self-help guide:
                              1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
                              2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
                              3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
                              4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

                              "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

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