Fan belt

[Tracy D'arth]

1 minute ago, The Happy Nomad said:

 

Where did I say you were profiteering?

 

You were I presume quoting the 'going' rate for a call out on a Easter Weekend, one which included significant travel. 

Where was the bragging about what I could earn then?  Conversation over my friend.

[Guest]

Just now, Tracy D'arth said:

Where was the bragging about what I could earn then?  Conversation over my friend.

 

It was in your post.

6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Well, I certainly got the impression from his first post that he expected a member to turn out for him. I thought it was rather abrupt if he wanted help.

 

I honestly don't read it the same way.

 

It doesn't contain anything like the info. needed though, which Alan asked for subsequently.

[MtB]

The reality is that Tracy and I both rely on our hands, tools and our time to do practical work to earn a living, so maybe the OP's post comes over differently to us. If I were moored half a mile from him I'd be happy to bike up there with some tools in a rucksack and do it for nothing but he's not, he's 6 hour round trip from me here so doing it for nothing is not really practical. 

 

 

 

 

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, MtB said:

The reality is that Tracy and I both rely on our hands, tools and our time to do practical work to earn a living, so maybe the OP's post comes over differently to us.

 

Maybe that is why I took it that way as well.  If he was within a few miles of Reading I would also have happily offered help (FOC) as well but would have needed far more information.

Edited April 16, 2022 by Tony Brooks

[Guest]

It's a reminder as well that boaters really have to learn how to do basic stuff themselves if they are able.

 

Relying on waterside tradespeople really is an expensive game. 

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Maybe that is why I took it that way as well.  If he was within a few miles of Reading I would also have happily offered help (FOC) as well but would have needed far more information.

 

 

Yes exactly. The further away a potential customer is, the more depth I go into it with the customer over the phone to be certain I can fix it in one hit. Last thing I want is to drive 100 miles to find I don't have the right part. 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by MtB
Missing word

[blackrose]

43 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

It would appear he is only 100 to 200 yards from Beeston marina. If I needed help I would have walked there.

 

If I didn't know how to fit a fanbelt I think the first thing I'd have done is go onto Youtube and see if there was a relevant video to show me how to do it. That's assuming he's able-bodied and capable of tackling what is let's face it, one of the simpler engine servicing jobs.

[blackrose]

37 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

It's a reminder as well that boaters really have to learn how to do basic stuff themselves if they are able.

 

Relying on waterside tradespeople really is an expensive game. 

 

Lots of new boaters seem to have no idea how to do anything and just pay people. It's up to them I suppose. 

 

I remember about 10 years ago a woman on the forum asked how to change a gas bottle. I thought it was ridiculous that she didn't know, but got told by others that everyone has to start somewhere. Fair enough, but if it had been a man asking I'm not sure everyone would have been quite so sympathetic. 

[Nightwatch]

Some years ago, I thought I was helping a lady in distress, I wasn’t. I was helping a female woman who was a little bit short of a full picnic. She turned against me in a big way. I’ve got over the shock but still think twice about helping folks.

[ditchcrawler]

There is a video on youtube on how to do it, I doubt with my internet access here I could find it.

 

 

First hit, I havent watched it 

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by ditchcrawler

[MtB]

18 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

I was helping a female woman

 

At least it wasn't one of them male ones! 

[Nightwatch]

Just now, MtB said:

 

At least it wasn't one of them male ones! 

You can never tell. As a youngster in Singapore many moons ago, one could be forgiven for making the wrong choice of ‘drinking’ partner. It wasn’t me chief.

[Alan de Enfield]

22 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Some years ago, I thought I was helping a lady in distress, I wasn’t. I was helping a female woman who was a little bit short of a full picnic. She turned against me in a big way. I’ve got over the shock but still think twice about helping folks.

 

Wasn't that "mad max" ? with the "All Blacked Boat" (Including windows and air vents ?

 

If it was you then you with the accusations she made you could have been in serious trouble

 

I offered as well but grateful she didn't take me up on the offer

[Nightwatch]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Wasn't that "mad max" ? with the "All Blacked Boat" (Including windows and air vents ?

 

If it was you then you with the accusations she made you could have been in serious trouble

 

I offered as well but grateful she didn't take me up on the offer

Yes. It was me. What a nasty piece of work she was. I wonder what happened to her, her very young puppy, her very young kitten and her very old Boat.

[Slow and Steady]

I had a mate who rebuilt engines and his motto was "never help a customer!". Sounds bad but what he meant was just do what you've been asked to do - never anything else you spot as you'll get the blame for it being broken/unrepairable/costly.

Another mate in the motor trade used to refer to a particular type of customer as "corners" meaning you do some work at one corner and subsequently get the blame for something totally unconnected at the opposite one.

One I had, I inspected his fuel hoses free of charge. They were all good and off he went. Later he called to say he'd filled with petrol and it was pouring out. What he'd done was dislodge the 50 year old filler pipe from the tank while wangling the pump nozzle in. His view was I'd twisted his van and popped it off by jacking it up!

 

You do have to be careful who you help as some people will blame you for everything that goes wrong later.

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by Slow and Steady

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

 

Yes exactly. The further away a potential customer is, the more depth I go into it with the customer over the phone to be certain I can fix it in one hit. Last thing I want is to drive 100 miles to find I don't have the right part. 

 

 

My son drove 60 miles, went into the office, pressed the eject button on a computer that wouldn't fire up, removed the offending CD and got told he must have planted it there. That was after he went through everything on the phone with them. They got a nice bill for pressing a button and 120 miles

[MtB]

36 minutes ago, Slow and Steady said:

I had a mate who rebuilt engines and his motto was "never help a customer!". Sounds bad but what he meant was just do what you've been asked to do - never anything else you spot as you'll get the blame for it being broken/unrepairable/costly.

Another mate in the motor trade used to refer to a particular type of customer as "corners" meaning you do some work at one corner and subsequently get the blame for something totally unconnected at the opposite one.

One I had, I inspected his fuel hoses free of charge. They were all good and off he went. Later he called to say he'd filled with petrol and it was pouring out. What he'd done was dislodge the 50 year old filler pipe from the tank while wangling the pump nozzle in. His view was I'd twisted his van and popped it off by jacking it up!

 

You do have to be careful who you help as some people will blame you for everything that goes wrong later.

 

 

Yes I very much agree. The"you touched it last" syndrome. 

 

I too have learned never to touch or get involved in or even suggest something you weren't called out to deal with. Not only will there be reams of scope for it to go horribly wrong on you, even if it goes swimmingly all you've done is make the final bill higher, making the risk of a "'Ow much????!!!" quibble that much bigger. They are rarely grateful for a bill for a fix they didn't think needed doing.

[MtB]

 

Oh and to cap it all, back in the day before I learned the lesson, it got back to me that one customer considered that I was indulging in 'making work' for myself by pointing out something that needed fixing pronto....

 

[Slow and Steady]

2 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Yes I very much agree. The"you touched it last" syndrome. 

 

I too have learned never to touch or get involved in or even suggest something you weren't called out to deal with. Not only will there be reams of scope for it to go horribly wrong on you, even if it goes swimmingly all you've done is make the final bill higher, making the risk of a "'Ow much????!!!" quibble that much bigger. They are rarely grateful for a bill for a fix they didn't think needed doing.

Advise, say you haven't time, don't touch. lol

In another life, fixing metal windows and doors often as part of a council contract, we'd go in, check it out and if we were getting "that vibe" from the customer we'd say we had to go back to the yard for parts and never come back. Ha-ha. So much fun being a roving fixer working for someone else. One of our best jobs was replacing up and over doors - they'd negotiated 2 men/4 hours - we could do it in 20 minutes then off to the pub/cafe.

[Mad Harold]

2 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

You can never tell. As a youngster in Singapore many moons ago, one could be forgiven for making the wrong choice of ‘drinking’ partner. It wasn’t me chief.

Yes, you could end up taking a woman home.😃

[Nightwatch]

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

Yes, you could end up taking a woman home.😃

Tee hee! You’re such as ally wag!

[Iain_S]

20 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Lots of new boaters seem to have no idea how to do anything and just pay people. It's up to them I suppose. 

 

I remember about 10 years ago a woman on the forum asked how to change a gas bottle. I thought it was ridiculous that she didn't know, but got told by others that everyone has to start somewhere. Fair enough, but if it had been a man asking I'm not sure everyone would have been quite so sympathetic. 

To be fair, the left hand thread catches a few people out 😊

[MtB]

23 minutes ago, Iain_S said:

To be fair, the left hand thread catches a few people out 😊

 

 

Still catches me out sometimes, as I remember 'left hand thread' and reverse the direction of loosening in my head, then I reverse it a second time in my head occasionally and find myself still tightening it, even having thought about it! 

[OldGoat]

Many things boaty make me wonder "where's the problem" until I realise that being an (old) car enthusiast and living out in the sticks, that changing gas bottles and fanbelts were usual functions learnt as part of daily life, also being forced into Scouting made me familiar with knots and cleaning out the 'lats' helped with boating loos.

 

So I pause while before I pass judgment on those other folk that seem to be flumoxed by thesee simple tasks...

 

[MtB]

46 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Many things boaty make me wonder "where's the problem" until I realise that being an (old) car enthusiast and living out in the sticks, that changing gas bottles and fanbelts were usual functions learnt as part of daily life, also being forced into Scouting made me familiar with knots and cleaning out the 'lats' helped with boating loos.

 

So I pause while before I pass judgment on those other folk that seem to be flumoxed by thesee simple tasks...

 

 

How about folk who come on here asking for help then don't acknowledge any of the responses?