Maintenance Cost - Is this in line?

[sailor55330]

I used to love general public stories....then I had my own and now the general public scares the daylights out of me. One is good for a laugh, the other is actually frightening.

1. I'm sitting in my car in a parking lot and a family pulls up....guy with an attitute and trophy wife and a couple of what appeared to be spoiled kids. Kid lets his door fly and hit my car while I'm in it. No damage and and a company vehicle, so no overly concerned. I said the kid (10-ish) in a friendly way..."gotta be careful when opening the doors in close spaces buddy". The dad jumps out of the car squares off on me and starts yelling at me about talking to his kid and "lecturing him" as I wasn't his parent. I guess I was in a bad mood and I said, no I'm not, but maybe you should address it. He told me "STFU and quit talking to me and my family and how he parents and leave immediately or else". I stood there and told him to calm down, he setting a bad example. He kept ranting and I got in the car and drove away. At the time, I was fighting the urge to take him out, now I laugh at it.

2. A few weeks ago I was going through security at a major airport and had an issue with my electronic boarding pass. I had it on my phone and ready and the TSA reader wasn't reading it. The TSA guy said it happens....dump it and download it again. I fly 100+ times a year, so not my first rodeo. I do this and a female about 3 people behind me starts to loudly and verbally call me out loudly (there were less than 10 people in the TSA pre line--"that fools not ready---put him to the back of the line....he doesn't know what he's doing----if he's not ready, he needs to get out of the way". The whole download took less than a minute and even the TSA guy shook his head. No one else said a word. After getting through, I saw the lady grabbing her bag and I approached her to apologize. I walked to within about 2 feet and said "Ma'am, I'm sorry for the boarding pass issue, TSA said it was their machine". She started literally screaming "Get the F*** up off me! What the H**** are you doing approaching me!". Here I am in business attire and the person screaming profanities like I was attacking her. People actually started to stop and stare. Most shook their head and laughed as one quick look showed I was clearly no threat. I simply announced loudly to the general area, I'm was trying to apologize for your inconvenience in the security line and walked away quickly. That one actually scared me. Now I don't speak to anyone in public other than to say please and thank you and generally walk with my eyes down. In today's society, the risk of being accused for something you didn't do is simply too great.

I used to be a people person, but I guess people ruined it.

[AsLan7]

Great stories sailor.

You definitely have to navigate thru the land mines out there. Not easy and unavoidable at times...especially if you are in a career field where you deal with the general public on a daily basis. These are the stories I’m talking about—in your daily dealings while working.

1. My nephew was working the McDonald’s drive-thru years ago and a patron ordered one cheeseburger—but the patron then added “without the cheese”.
My nephew said “ so you want a hamburger?”
The patron then angrily stated “NO! If I wanted a hamburger I would have ordered a (expletive) hamburger!”

2. My nephew wanted to say “ you’re an idiot”.


3. Instead he said “I’m sorry for the confusion. One cheeseburger—hold the cheese. That’ll be a $1.39...please pull around”.

[sailor55330]

Good for your nephew A7---learning to recognize that they walk among us early in life is a skill that will serve him well! It sure isn't like it used to be out there.

[AsLan7]

Good for your nephew A7---learning to recognize that they walk among us early in life is a skill that will serve him well! It sure isn't like it used to be out there.

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So true.
Like YT said, we are going to have to start a new thread on this subject. I’ve got so many funny stories while working and dealing with the general public...and I’m sure others do to.

[kas232ca]

Sorry you had a bad day but it sure made me laugh.
Maybe you should take up drinking.

I'm eating Halls like it's candy. I feel like hell and dealing with the public sometimes. Oh just saying.

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Our family actually embraces these experiences. We know what great stories they’ll make around the dinner table as we all compare the worst of the worst.
We present in three phases...
1. The general public situation you encountered.
2. What you wanted to say but cannot
3. What you actually said

For instance.
While I was in uniform, I went to grab some napkins at Chipotle a few weeks ago and a roughly 11 year old child with long blonde hair in a pony tail sporting pink and purple highlights and pink & black flower leggings was standing in front of the napkin dispenser.
I said “excuse me young lady”.
The child said “I’m a boy”!
I paused and said “ ok we’ll go with that”
Then the mom looked at me in disgust and shuffled her “son” away.

I wanted to say “you are messing that kid up”.

I actually said “my apologies ma’am “.

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I'm surprised you didn't get called into 'talk' with the chief pilot. Or HR. Or get sent to counseling. Or go to sensitivity training.

[AsLan7]

I'm eating Halls like it's candy. I feel like hell and dealing with the public sometimes. Oh just saying.

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Our family actually embraces these experiences. We know what great stories they’ll make around the dinner table as we all compare the worst of the worst.
We present in three phases...
1. The general public situation you encountered.
2. What you wanted to say but cannot
3. What you actually said

For instance.
While I was in uniform, I went to grab some napkins at Chipotle a few weeks ago and a roughly 11 year old child with long blonde hair in a pony tail sporting pink and purple highlights and pink & black flower leggings was standing in front of the napkin dispenser.
I said “excuse me young lady”.
The child said “I’m a boy”!
I paused and said “ ok we’ll go with that”
Then the mom looked at me in disgust and shuffled her “son” away.

I wanted to say “you are messing that kid up”.

I actually said “my apologies ma’am “.

.

I'm surprised you didn't get called into 'talk' with the chief pilot. Or HR. Or get sent to counseling. Or go to sensitivity training.

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So true K232.

[akorcovelos]

For sure start a new thread, I work in IT, I could write a novel. Let's just say the only professions that refer to their customers as "Users" are IT folks and drug dealers.

[Kate]

As7 wrote: ". . . start a new thread on this subject."

With a subthread titled: "Boating General Public Stories" -- Like that guy anchored in the cove or parked in a covered slip whose "music" is so damn loud that the trees and rafters shake. Then when you ask him politely to turn it down, he assumes an attitude of: "Don't you know who I am?"

[sailor55330]

As7 wrote: ". . . start a new thread on this subject."

With a subthread titled: "Boating General Public Stories" -- Like that guy anchored in the cove or parked in a covered slip whose "music" is so damn loud that the trees and rafters shake. Then when you ask him politely to turn it down, he assumes an attitude of: "Don't you know who I am?"

Hey now....no need to make this personal for some of our folks!!!! J/K I'll take the music guy over the "let me see how close I can pull my tube to the anchored boats" guy anyday

[Kate]

As7 wrote: ". . . start a new thread on this subject."

With a subthread titled: "Boating General Public Stories" -- Like that guy anchored in the cove or parked in a covered slip whose "music" is so damn loud that the trees and rafters shake. Then when you ask him politely to turn it down, he assumes an attitude of: "Don't you know who I am?"

Hey now....no need to make this personal for some of our folks!!!! J/K I'll take the music guy over the "let me see how close I can pull my tube to the anchored boats" guy anyday

I'll take the "tube guy" over the "BWI guy." (Still too personal? )

[AsLan7]

For sure start a new thread, I work in IT, I could write a novel. Let's just say the only professions that refer to their customers as "Users" are IT folks and drug dealers.

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Done akor.
Post your Career vs the General Public stories here.

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[Motex2011]

Well.... this post took an odd detour. But, at least it was an amusing read.

[AsLan7]

Well.... this post took an odd detour. But, at least it was an amusing read.

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Ya...It’s what we do here.

[Motex2011]

Just got another estimate from a guy that is very highly recommended. The logistics would be a bigger pain, but the cost was half. $941 for all the same parts. Now, I have to decide if I'm going to pull it back from the Cobalt dealer.

[ajcampen]

dont go to the dealer, save the $. just get a invoice of what was done.