People never cease to amaze me
 

I have a neighbor three doors over whose name I don't even know.
Not too long ago, a bunch of my neighbors were having problems with the sprinklers primarily due to the lake being low.
They were all gathering around their pumps and talking about trying to fix them, with a couple of lawn guys unsuccessful at their attempts.
I am pretty good with PVC plumbing and sprinkler systems so I helped them diagnose the problem.
One neighbor in particular, the one I referenced when starting this story, needed a pump as his was totally shot.
I offered to guide him how to do it as a neighborly gesture.

I drew out a schematic and provided him with a list of the parts he needed, to include drawings for ease of locating them.
Yesterday morning, with two herniated discs acting up badly, I assisted him in changing his pump. Due to the man being a person with two left hands, turns out I did most of the cutting and gluing. He did the electrical with me guiding him. In between, I realized he was a part short and they had given him a wrong part to go along with that. Rather than sending him back and waste more time, I ran to Home Depot and got the parts myself. I spent $11 out my pocket for them and when I got back, I gave him the receipt for the expense.

We got done with the installation but couldn't prime the pump as the hose I had created for that was missing, thanks to one of those neighbors not returning it. I showed him how to make a hose to connect to the garden hose and the pump at the same time, since both have male threads at the end. I asked him if he had the receipt for the parts I bought (hint) and he said yeah.

Well, I walked away, with my back hurting more than when I started, having made a trip to Home Depot on my dime, having spent $11 for parts that he should have reimbursed me for, having saved him $200 for labor to change that pump out, all for a man whose name I don't know. Frankly, $11 is crap to me at the end of the day but man, that is some set of balls. When I see him this week, my balls are going to grow to the size of his and will ask him outright for my money.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Sorry bro, what is some se tof balls?

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Sucker. ;)

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Well, I busted my butt installing a pump for him, barely able to bend down due to the back problems, made a trip to get parts and the man didn't have the decency to reimburse me my money. I didn't charge him and didn't expect to get paid but I find it to be an incredible set of balls to be told twice about the receipt and for him to let me walk away without so much as saying, "hey, I don't have cash with me now. Can I get this to you later?"

Where I come from, that is truly some set of balls.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Ahhhhhhhh, I figured as much, but I didn't see that he didn't offer to pay after being reminded a coule of times. My bad.


Yeah, he's a puke.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Phew, I'm glad he did not need help fixing his Mac. :wo

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Pretty lame to be honest.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Carlos, it's your money but I say f it. You did theright thing and can look yourself in the mirror. Not sure he can do the same. I believe everyone answers for their actions one day.

You're one of the good guys don't forget that.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

He knows he is one of the good guys, but he's so old he may forget it. :r:r:r

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

when he has the decency to present you with your reimbursement, perhaps you could hand him an invoice for your labor as well. Pad it with the cost of a bottle of Zacapa as medication for your back.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Sad, but a fact of life that there are people that don't care or didn't have the upbringing to know any better.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

In this case, there is no doubt in my mind it is not an oversight.
He knew I went to the store to buy parts for him. That is clue number one.
I gave him the receipt for the parts I bought immediately upon my return. That was clue number two.
I asked him if he had the receipt for the parts right before I left. That was clue number three.

Again, it is not about the $11 so much as it is about that I can't help but feel this guy has a sense of entitlement. I somehow can't help but think that in his mind, I somehow owed him that. That is what pisses me off about this whole thing and thank goodness I haven't told my wife. I wouldn't hear the end of it.

It is just sad that you try to do the right thing and help out a neighbor and save him tons of money at a time when people can sure use it and folks are not considerate. If someone did that for me, not only would I make sure I reimbursed him for the parts but I would also offer to pay him for his time (I wouldn't have accepted it but it is the gesture that would have counted). If he wouldn't accept it, I would try to find out what he drinks and buy him a bottle. He saw me smoking a cigar while doing the pump. Me? I would go out and buy a couple of cigars and give them and say thanks. Bottom line, I would express gratitude.

I am an idiot like this on a regular basis and is the reason I won't dare tell my wife. I trim freaking neighbor's hedges/trees with my chainsaw, I help them fix things all the time and man, I just realized, no one has ever done crap for me. I can't change my way of being overnight but tell you what, the guard is up.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

I had a similar experience recently with a very well known charity, Carlos. I will tell you about it someday. It has been 2 weeks, and I still have a sour taste in my mouth.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

I think you're to be commended for all the things you seem to do to help your neighbors. Perhaps due to that nature, your neighbor assumed you were helping, with no expectation of anything in return. If that's the case, lesson learned, don't do anything for him without working terms out up front. At this point, wait a couple days, see if he comes up with something. As was mentioned, you're the better man in this situation...but I think you already know that. I think there's more to you that being the better man...it's about doing the right thing.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Have you asked his wife? He may not know if he has any money, but I bet she does.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

This sense of entitlement you speak of is 97.2% of the reason we are where we are at in this country today, I am with ya.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Don't go changin' , bro' !!! You have every right to be fed up with people. It always seems like good, giving people "get the short end of the stick."
I've had the pleasure of meeting you at TW with Alex... and all I can say is , don't go changin' who you are, because of shelfish people.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Ya'know.:tu

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

Thanks to you and all others who have posted kind words.

I can't change who I am overnight as much as may think I may want to. As such, there are more "Carlos helping out neighbors" events to come. I genuinely enjoy it as they are projects to me that challenge me. I just won't trip over the same rock.:D

BTW, this place and all the generous people that are part of it consoles me when I lose faith in the world. The world is full of plenty of good people. Unfortunately, there are plenty of not so good also that taint the good ones by leaving a bad taste.

That said, I don't think I could have picked a better title for the thread as people will never cease to amaze me. That goes for the bad as much as it goes for the good.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

And yet, still.... despite his neighbors screams of "CARLOS!!!!! I DO NOT WANT YOU TRIMMING MY WIFES BUSH AGAIN!"



or



"CARLOS, THAT HEDGE ISN'T SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE AN ORGAN!!"

he continues his quest for lanscaping infamy.

Re: People never cease to amaze me
 

I agree, it is hard though. But the blessing will come back, just maybe not from that particular person.:tu