Originally Posted by Phobia (Post 7757924)

I have a single mother across the street that seems to think I'll do plumbing or anything else for her for free simply because we live near each other. Every time she calls me over the first thing I tell her is the price I charge for those services. I'm all about being charitable and neighborly but I do this stuff 60 hours a week for a living...

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990 (Post 7757965)

If people are going to do that and expect it for free, the least they could do is give something in return every once in awhile.....a gift card, some beer, pay for your lunch, etc...

Originally Posted by Iowanian (Post 7756850)

I'm a charitable person, probably to a fault.

Here is an example of what happens when you help the poor.
I've been mowing a couple of yards since 07-08 for up to 3 elderly people.
One who lives across the street knocked on my door and asked me to do it "as a gift" because they couldn't afford it. I wanted it mowed, so I've been doing and have received a grand total of 1 thank you in 3 summers.

Last week my home phone started getting messages from the guy, and one from his wife whom I've never seen in 4 years(Gilbert Grape's mama). "Our daughter is moving home to help my sick wife and you, our dear friend, said you would help, so come and help move her stuff into the house saturday"....8 days in a row of messages, of which I've never agreed to do. Progressively more demanding..."so be here at 8am, because our daughter will be tired". The old man says, as the wife bellows 1000wpm in the background on the messages.....

I'm out in a poker game until 3am saturday morning, but get up at 7 because I've got a long list of things to do at my home and the family is gone. 8am, not there, 9am, not there......so I begin on my projects, new light fixtures, interior door, fixing the odds and ends stuff I can't do when the family is home.

It's hot...12:30 I look out, and it's not a pickup, but a Uhaul van truck backed up to their house. I go over and find one other sucker, sweating trying to unload this truck. Guilt kicks in, and I tear into a pile of boxes to pack up the stairs(everything goes to 2nd floor).

I get to the top of the stairs and have 3 choices of rooms. I hear conversation and step to the room to find 2 fat hogs who look like bullfrogs sunning themselves stretched out on their backs on a bed. One points to the other room without saying a word.

The other man and I unload the entire truck, while the old man attempts to help but physically can't....and the entire time, via a hallway, I can see Gilbert Grape's mama's Arm hanging off of a chair with a soda and her leg....and a 60" big screen. She's bitching about 500mph because the truck isn't unloaded fast enough, we're letting air out because I had to take the door off to get the F'ing sofa indoors and up the stairs.

Eventually we get everything unloaded in the sweltering heat......not 1 box..not a single box was carried by the 2 sows who now live across the street with the old people.

I'm pissed, have the truck unloaded and am putting the door back on, when one of the bullfrog twins trots to the door and starts in about how I need to put in the window AC in her room and switch headboards and on....and I finally have my fill and say "you know what, you are rested up enough to handle that shit yourself.

4 people in that home....not 1 thank you.

I've been mowing their yard for free for 3 years, they've got a bigger TV than I do. Ask for help, but bitch while I litterally do it all.


In short....This guy, is NOT feeling very sympathetic to the plight of people who don't take care of themselves.

And yes....Their AC was running to keep that house cooler than I can keep mine.

Originally Posted by Phobia (Post 7757924)

I wouldn't mow a lawn for anybody but a widow or a disabled (legitimately) neighbor. I have several around me but they pay a service which is a-ok with me. I have a single mother across the street that seems to think I'll do plumbing or anything else for her for free simply because we live near each other. Every time she calls me over the first thing I tell her is the price I charge for those services. I'm all about being charitable and neighborly but I do this stuff 60 hours a week for a living...

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990 (Post 7757965)

If people are going to do that and expect it for free, the least they could do is give something in return every once in awhile.....a gift card, some beer, pay for your lunch, etc...

Originally Posted by Rain Man (Post 7758623)

This type of stuff makes me glad that normal people typically have no use for my services. I very seldom have a neighbor come over and say, "Hey, Rain Man, can you build me a mathematical demand model? And get the opinions of 384 people around the country for me?"

Originally Posted by Okie_Apparition (Post 7758786)

We're starting to wonder why Iowanian keeps going back... This won't be pretty...

Originally Posted by Iowanian (Post 7758637)

"Iowanian, I saw you unloading some heavy things into your garage last weekend, I'm really tired from running this marathon and developing statistical data models to anticipate reproductive velocity of the ejaculation of the elbert squirrels in Rocky Mountain National Park.....could you come over and put these 2 large boulders in my back yard? If you don't mind hurry up and be quiet as I'll be relaxing in the hand made hemp hammock I traded a tribesman for in Madagascar"

Originally Posted by Dave Lane (Post 7757743)

There are lazy worthless non-workers that I have no sympathy for but to say if you have a house you rent and an xbox means you are too well off to be considered poor is absurd.