Comments The Locksmith Journals
- Thread starter day late
- Start date
day late
money? whats that?
This isn't the brand name same lock we sell, but the design is identical.
RT: 4:57
The picking happens in the first two minutes. The rest of the video is disassembling the lock and seeing how it works.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqL7wTu5IEk
RT: 4:57
The picking happens in the first two minutes. The rest of the video is disassembling the lock and seeing how it works.
Siskiyoumom
Veteran Member
May things go well at home.
day late
money? whats that?
Things have slowed a bit today, gives me a chance to say a thing or two.
The newest arrangement at work is that I'm back to just two days a week, no more day trips to Ocala, but be available for the occasional extra day. Since the agreement, there have been two extra days. The second one is this Wednesday. I'm going to wait and see how long this lasts.
On the home front, where to begin? A short time back my wife began complaining about pain in the left shoulder. Well, she is 70.
"Honey, it's arthritis."
It's sore, but with no decolorization, and a VERY minor amount of swelling in the joint. For a bit, she was certain that either her arm was going to fall off or have to be amputated. She went to the doctor. She has arthritis.
Mom is in her nineties and has leukemia. She and Dad used to take little trips in their motor home. Dad left us about nine years ago and the motor home hasn't moved since then. My surviving brother has a yard the size of a postage stamp. Mom decided that I need to inherit the RV because my yard is a bit over an acre. The roof over the bed had a bad leak. Once I got fresh batteries in the thing, the engine would turn just fine, but gas wasn't making it from the tank to the carburetor. I know because I used an entire can of ether trying to get it to crank. When I was done there wasn't the first hint of a gas smell. I got the roof sealed up but am still working on the ceiling over the bed. It took over a month to find the in-line fuel filter. I was all but convinced that it had to be in the tank. That meant finding a way to get that thing off the ground so I could drop the tank or cut a hole in the bedroom floor. I've replaced the filter, finally, but on that day the weather was against me so, I couldn't get to see if the problem was fixed. I bumped it a time or two and it seemed like it wanted to catch. But I had to get back home, and it was really bad weather, late in the day. I didn't want to drive through that at night. So that waits for my next trip to Mom's.
As far as Mom is concerned. She knows who she is. She knows who everyone else is. She knows where she is and what is going on around her. But she is having memory troubles. She will remember incidents from the past but will get the people involved wrong. I'll be back later.
The newest arrangement at work is that I'm back to just two days a week, no more day trips to Ocala, but be available for the occasional extra day. Since the agreement, there have been two extra days. The second one is this Wednesday. I'm going to wait and see how long this lasts.
On the home front, where to begin? A short time back my wife began complaining about pain in the left shoulder. Well, she is 70.
"Honey, it's arthritis."
It's sore, but with no decolorization, and a VERY minor amount of swelling in the joint. For a bit, she was certain that either her arm was going to fall off or have to be amputated. She went to the doctor. She has arthritis.
Mom is in her nineties and has leukemia. She and Dad used to take little trips in their motor home. Dad left us about nine years ago and the motor home hasn't moved since then. My surviving brother has a yard the size of a postage stamp. Mom decided that I need to inherit the RV because my yard is a bit over an acre. The roof over the bed had a bad leak. Once I got fresh batteries in the thing, the engine would turn just fine, but gas wasn't making it from the tank to the carburetor. I know because I used an entire can of ether trying to get it to crank. When I was done there wasn't the first hint of a gas smell. I got the roof sealed up but am still working on the ceiling over the bed. It took over a month to find the in-line fuel filter. I was all but convinced that it had to be in the tank. That meant finding a way to get that thing off the ground so I could drop the tank or cut a hole in the bedroom floor. I've replaced the filter, finally, but on that day the weather was against me so, I couldn't get to see if the problem was fixed. I bumped it a time or two and it seemed like it wanted to catch. But I had to get back home, and it was really bad weather, late in the day. I didn't want to drive through that at night. So that waits for my next trip to Mom's.
As far as Mom is concerned. She knows who she is. She knows who everyone else is. She knows where she is and what is going on around her. But she is having memory troubles. She will remember incidents from the past but will get the people involved wrong. I'll be back later.
day late
money? whats that?
Sorry. Honey-do's and I'm about for bed. To give you an idea, she will remember a certain item I found in the house that needed a little cleaning. Something more than Mom can do. It was Dad's old .38. Showing neglect. I told her I was taking it home to clean it, she said okay. For months after I returned it, she kept referring to it as the .38 I had given her. Only recently has she started calling it Dad's pistol again. And YES, she is perfectly safe with a firearm in the house. Considering the problem they've been having with bears, having that thing sounds like a good idea.
My brother and I take turns getting her to the doctor, as needed. One of us checks on her in person at least once a week. When we do, we never stay less than 24 hours. We take care of any heavy yard work she has. Mowing the lawn, trimming the hedge, that sort of thing. At night. that's always a trip down memory lane, and quite often taking the same side road three or four times.
Needless to say, between work, the RV, Mom and the usual, it's been a bit busy lately. Now I'm off to bed, work in the morning.
My brother and I take turns getting her to the doctor, as needed. One of us checks on her in person at least once a week. When we do, we never stay less than 24 hours. We take care of any heavy yard work she has. Mowing the lawn, trimming the hedge, that sort of thing. At night. that's always a trip down memory lane, and quite often taking the same side road three or four times.
Needless to say, between work, the RV, Mom and the usual, it's been a bit busy lately. Now I'm off to bed, work in the morning.
day late
money? whats that?
I know what you mean. Fortunately, the relationship my brothers and I have with Mom is the one all the other kids in the neighborhood wanted when we were growing up. She would walk into the living room on game day. EVERY piece of furniture and open piece of floor space was covered by a teenage boy. When she entered every one of them would turn, look, and loudly say,
"Hi Mom."
My surviving brother is in his early 70's. I'm late 60's. To this day, I say without fear of contradiction that either of us would step in front of an oncoming bullet, if necessary, to protect her. Neither of us would ask why, nor count the cost. Just hope that Mom is a good enough shot to get the bast**d that just shot us. I have also informed Mom, and Dad while he was still with us, that if they left me with nothing but memories, I'd die a rich man.
day late
money? whats that?
Before I forget, file this one not under 'what were they thinking?' but under 'were they thinking and how did they do that?' I get a call to open a bedroom. Nothing to it. Wrong answer. The door has no knob, only a smart key deadbolt. There is no way to pick it. The outside windows are locked. Only choice is to drill it. And this is one of the more expensive smart key locks with the drill resistant steel under the face plate. Lots of noise, sweat, and metal shavings later, we rescued the cat locked in the room.
A bedroom door. No doorknob. High security lock, that can only be locked from the outside. Don't ask me how or why. I don't know, I just work here.
A bedroom door. No doorknob. High security lock, that can only be locked from the outside. Don't ask me how or why. I don't know, I just work here.
day late
money? whats that?
HoooKay....Now I understand why I was kept and another guy let go a short time back. The boss mentioned it in the meeting last night. It also shows why you need to be very careful of directions.
Sometimes you get a call to go to a neighborhood that is still under construction. Google hasn't even gotten the street numbers yet. The guy gets sent to one of these to open a certain vehicle, of a certain color, (I won't say which and you'll understand in a minute.) on a certain street. He finds the car. He calls the customer and is told he will be right out. The guy opens the car. No customer. He calls. The customer tells him,
"I'm standing right next to my car, and I don't see you."
Wrong car. The guy is told where to find the right one, it's hot, call me when it's open. Our guy finds it, opens it, calls the customer. You guessed it. Wrong car again. Same make, model, year and color. He finally did open the guy's car, but the thing with this model is that you have to have either the key or the fob to lock it. You can't just push the button and close the door. That means he had to leave TWO apology notes at two different locations for leaving their cars unlocked.
This is not a good thing.
Sometimes you get a call to go to a neighborhood that is still under construction. Google hasn't even gotten the street numbers yet. The guy gets sent to one of these to open a certain vehicle, of a certain color, (I won't say which and you'll understand in a minute.) on a certain street. He finds the car. He calls the customer and is told he will be right out. The guy opens the car. No customer. He calls. The customer tells him,
"I'm standing right next to my car, and I don't see you."
Wrong car. The guy is told where to find the right one, it's hot, call me when it's open. Our guy finds it, opens it, calls the customer. You guessed it. Wrong car again. Same make, model, year and color. He finally did open the guy's car, but the thing with this model is that you have to have either the key or the fob to lock it. You can't just push the button and close the door. That means he had to leave TWO apology notes at two different locations for leaving their cars unlocked.
This is not a good thing.
day late
money? whats that?
Just when you think you've got it figured out, someone tosses out a curve ball. Last Saturday is not 'the case' in point. It was the 'cases'. While it doesn't happen often, sometimes customers that I have worked for before will call and specifically request me to be sent out to handle whatever the problem is. It's nice to know people like your work. So, first thing Sat. morning I'm told I have to go by the boss's house and pick-up special-order parts that I have been requested to install. This is no big deal. I'm even given a certain time that I have to be there. No problem. I get there slightly before the appointed time and knock on the door. The first thing is that I've never seen this house before in my life. A lady (whom I've never seen before) answers and we talk about the job. Here's where things go a little weird.
The husband had already spoken with the boss. The two of them went on-line to find the exact door handle that he currently had on the door. He had to have an EXACT replacement for the old one. The one ordered came with a double cylinder deadbolt and after the boss's markup came to around $360. There was also a $70 charge just to get me out there. With taxes and everything else the bill came to just a bit over $500. But the wife, who was at home, didn't want the deadbolt changed. It's working fine. All I need to do is replace the door handle. I've seen them in the store for around $50. That plus the service charge would only come to about $130. I called it in before I did anything. Dispatch gets back to me and says since it is special order, we can't return it, and we certainly can't return the 'unused portion'. The customer has to pay for it all. I see the sense in it because it was a special order, but this was just WAAAAY too expensive for what I did. I did explain everything to the lady as I was working, as each thing turned up. She was cool with it and paid the bill. I expected to hear later that the lady and her husband had called for at least a partial refund. Instead, I was notified yesterday of an absolutely glowing review that was left on-line about me, and highly recommending the company to any and all who might need a locksmith. They appreciated the fact that as I worked, I was showing the lady parts that have simply given up the ghost and had to be replaced. I didn't just say
"Yeah, this is bad and we gotta replace it."
I made certain she saw what I was doing and knew why. But still, $500 for a job that shouldn't have cost more than $160? Some folks have more dollars than sense.
Then just as we are getting to the end of the day, I get an out of town job. The lady's elderly mother had taken a tumble, broke her hip, and was being sent home from the hospital today. Walking on her own with just a hand to steady her. The problem is that the doorknob and the deadbolt work of different keys. They locked the doorknob on the way out of the house, but the daughter only had a key for the deadbolt. Mom's keys are on the coffee table. I had a 50 minute drive to get there. About five minutes to open the house and another fifteen to re-key the knob to be the same as the deadbolt, and I'm out. With a 50 minute drive to get back home. I'm told it was an insurance job, which means they don't pay as well. In this case it was around $130. The thing is, sending me that far out of town is usually $125, just by itself. What took me off guard was these folks also left a rather nice review about me. They had been afraid they would have to wait in a hot car for me to get there. I guess they called before they left the hospital because they said they didn't have to wait at all. I was there on time and was polite and professional in handling the matter.
Well, again it sounds good for me, it just seems odd that things worked out this way.
The husband had already spoken with the boss. The two of them went on-line to find the exact door handle that he currently had on the door. He had to have an EXACT replacement for the old one. The one ordered came with a double cylinder deadbolt and after the boss's markup came to around $360. There was also a $70 charge just to get me out there. With taxes and everything else the bill came to just a bit over $500. But the wife, who was at home, didn't want the deadbolt changed. It's working fine. All I need to do is replace the door handle. I've seen them in the store for around $50. That plus the service charge would only come to about $130. I called it in before I did anything. Dispatch gets back to me and says since it is special order, we can't return it, and we certainly can't return the 'unused portion'. The customer has to pay for it all. I see the sense in it because it was a special order, but this was just WAAAAY too expensive for what I did. I did explain everything to the lady as I was working, as each thing turned up. She was cool with it and paid the bill. I expected to hear later that the lady and her husband had called for at least a partial refund. Instead, I was notified yesterday of an absolutely glowing review that was left on-line about me, and highly recommending the company to any and all who might need a locksmith. They appreciated the fact that as I worked, I was showing the lady parts that have simply given up the ghost and had to be replaced. I didn't just say
"Yeah, this is bad and we gotta replace it."
I made certain she saw what I was doing and knew why. But still, $500 for a job that shouldn't have cost more than $160? Some folks have more dollars than sense.
Then just as we are getting to the end of the day, I get an out of town job. The lady's elderly mother had taken a tumble, broke her hip, and was being sent home from the hospital today. Walking on her own with just a hand to steady her. The problem is that the doorknob and the deadbolt work of different keys. They locked the doorknob on the way out of the house, but the daughter only had a key for the deadbolt. Mom's keys are on the coffee table. I had a 50 minute drive to get there. About five minutes to open the house and another fifteen to re-key the knob to be the same as the deadbolt, and I'm out. With a 50 minute drive to get back home. I'm told it was an insurance job, which means they don't pay as well. In this case it was around $130. The thing is, sending me that far out of town is usually $125, just by itself. What took me off guard was these folks also left a rather nice review about me. They had been afraid they would have to wait in a hot car for me to get there. I guess they called before they left the hospital because they said they didn't have to wait at all. I was there on time and was polite and professional in handling the matter.
Well, again it sounds good for me, it just seems odd that things worked out this way.
day late
money? whats that?
Just a short ditty today. I guess it is just a reflection of the times we live in. I am starting to see more and more people who want deadbolts installed on their BEDROOM doors. I did it again, just yesterday. It seems totally pointless to do that to me. Interior doors are mostly either hollow or filled with some kind of foam. One good, hard, swift kick and it's going away. Now if you're talking about just keeping roommates out of your space, fine. I can see that. A standard deadbolt will work just fine. But more and more people are going for the drill resistant, un-pickable, Smart Key deadbolts for the bedroom.
kyrsyan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I had a friend who was renting a room at one point. The other people in her house would regularly pick the locks she installed and help themselves to her items. She left as soon as she could afford to. I can understand why people would want that level of lock on their room if they are house sharing.
Or even if renting a house with a room off limits. Because I've seen renters regularly ignore that as well.
Or even if renting a house with a room off limits. Because I've seen renters regularly ignore that as well.
day late
money? whats that?
Well, it's official. I HATE certain Cadillac's and newer Corvettes. I have long said that the people who design things should be forced to use them. With some locks it seems there is a secret competition to find out who can put the highest number of useless parts in a lock. i.e. What is the point of putting a drill resistant plate on the inside of a deadbolt lock? Who's going to drill the stupid thing from the inside of the house? With cars, designers just get STUPID!!! Yesterday is the case in point.
The lady is driving a 2012 Cadilliac, with keyless entry. That means I have to get inside with the rod to unlock the door. That's normal. In this case some *%&#%)(&$@#^%$ designer got the bright idea that having a handle on the door to open it didn't look good. SO....put the handle on the floor. WAAAAAYYYYYY far forward on the floor. Close to the brake pedal kind of forward. The rod I use to open door is about 4 1/2 long. I couldn't reach the end of the handle to pull it up to unlock the door. I could easily reach the unlock button, but it didn't work unless the ignition was turned. I spent I don't know how long trying every trick in my book to reach the end of that stupid handle.
Sometimes, God smiles on you.
While I was working a guy comes buy to see what's happening. His Dad used to own a paint and body shop here in town. A very good and popular shop. He decided to retire and sold out. This guy had a few tools in his truck. We used one of his tools, one of mine, and a bunch of my electrical tape to put them together. It reached and the door came open. Honestly, I didn't open it. The other guy did. I offered to pay him out of my pocket for the help. He refused, but said he is opening a shop not too far away and would appreciate it if we could recommend business to him. I sure will.
EDIT TO ADD; That was the Caddy. The newer Corvettes have a kind of push bar on the floor next to the seat to open the door. Both a pain to get to, but neither really does anything about security.
The lady is driving a 2012 Cadilliac, with keyless entry. That means I have to get inside with the rod to unlock the door. That's normal. In this case some *%&#%)(&$@#^%$ designer got the bright idea that having a handle on the door to open it didn't look good. SO....put the handle on the floor. WAAAAAYYYYYY far forward on the floor. Close to the brake pedal kind of forward. The rod I use to open door is about 4 1/2 long. I couldn't reach the end of the handle to pull it up to unlock the door. I could easily reach the unlock button, but it didn't work unless the ignition was turned. I spent I don't know how long trying every trick in my book to reach the end of that stupid handle.
Sometimes, God smiles on you.
While I was working a guy comes buy to see what's happening. His Dad used to own a paint and body shop here in town. A very good and popular shop. He decided to retire and sold out. This guy had a few tools in his truck. We used one of his tools, one of mine, and a bunch of my electrical tape to put them together. It reached and the door came open. Honestly, I didn't open it. The other guy did. I offered to pay him out of my pocket for the help. He refused, but said he is opening a shop not too far away and would appreciate it if we could recommend business to him. I sure will.
EDIT TO ADD; That was the Caddy. The newer Corvettes have a kind of push bar on the floor next to the seat to open the door. Both a pain to get to, but neither really does anything about security.
day late
money? whats that?
The boss and I are going to have to have a talk. The idea was, I work two days a week and 'occasional' other days to cover for other people. It seems we have different ideas about what 'occasional' means. Since we agreed to this, 'occasional' has averaged two or three extra days, every other week. Usually, to cover while one of his sons goes some place. Not quite the understanding I had.
I will say that the workload has been next to nothing lately. Last week I pulled three extra days, and on two of them I had one call all day long. Last Saturday was different, and an example of what I mean. I actually didn't go on duty until 11 A.M. I got a call at 9.
"The guys in Ocala are busy on a big commercial job. We need to send you down there for a car lockout."
Ummmmm, you are aware that I don't start for another two hours, aren't you?
They had to send, guess who, one of the boss's sons. I start at 11 and get a call around 12. I'm going to do a car lockout. In Ocala. I'm supposed to be there by 12:30. It's a 45 minute trip. Not making that, but I'll be there shortly after that. I call and leave a message. I'm just getting started and have to pull over. Dispatch tells me,
Oppss. You have to be there at 1:30. BUT.... since you're going anyway, hang around at the shop while you're there, just in case. Oh, and the reason the customer didn't answer is because she had to borrow someone else's phone to call us. Her's is in the car.
At 12:40, I parked next to the car I had to open. At 1:50 I asked dispatch what to do. No customer in sight and this is an empty parking lot.
Oh, you're good to go. They'll have to call back.
I head to the shop. Just as I reach the parking lot, it occurs to me. What do you mean go to go? Go to the shop, or go home? I ask. The guys on the big job had to special order some parts. They are done with that job for the day. Go home. A whole day just driving around and waiting on other people.
I will say that the workload has been next to nothing lately. Last week I pulled three extra days, and on two of them I had one call all day long. Last Saturday was different, and an example of what I mean. I actually didn't go on duty until 11 A.M. I got a call at 9.
"The guys in Ocala are busy on a big commercial job. We need to send you down there for a car lockout."
Ummmmm, you are aware that I don't start for another two hours, aren't you?
They had to send, guess who, one of the boss's sons. I start at 11 and get a call around 12. I'm going to do a car lockout. In Ocala. I'm supposed to be there by 12:30. It's a 45 minute trip. Not making that, but I'll be there shortly after that. I call and leave a message. I'm just getting started and have to pull over. Dispatch tells me,
Oppss. You have to be there at 1:30. BUT.... since you're going anyway, hang around at the shop while you're there, just in case. Oh, and the reason the customer didn't answer is because she had to borrow someone else's phone to call us. Her's is in the car.
At 12:40, I parked next to the car I had to open. At 1:50 I asked dispatch what to do. No customer in sight and this is an empty parking lot.
Oh, you're good to go. They'll have to call back.
I head to the shop. Just as I reach the parking lot, it occurs to me. What do you mean go to go? Go to the shop, or go home? I ask. The guys on the big job had to special order some parts. They are done with that job for the day. Go home. A whole day just driving around and waiting on other people.
day late
money? whats that?
Yep. We have to have that conversation about 'occasional'. I got off work today at 5. Sent a text to the two sons since one or the other usually picks up the van. 1/2 hour later I get a text.
"Hey Buddy, do you want to work tomorrow?"
Let's see. I pulled three extra days last week. I had one day off that was spent with Mom. Then one day starting to get caught up on things around the house. I worked today. One whole job. And if I don't get the lawn tomorrow, it's going to start to take over. No, I'm not working tomorrow. At least not for the boss who pays me. Now this is after the text I got this morning.
"One of the boss's sons is taking vacation. Can you cover these five days the second week of July?"
I think I'll have a private word or two after the meeting tomorrow evening.
"Hey Buddy, do you want to work tomorrow?"
Let's see. I pulled three extra days last week. I had one day off that was spent with Mom. Then one day starting to get caught up on things around the house. I worked today. One whole job. And if I don't get the lawn tomorrow, it's going to start to take over. No, I'm not working tomorrow. At least not for the boss who pays me. Now this is after the text I got this morning.
"One of the boss's sons is taking vacation. Can you cover these five days the second week of July?"
I think I'll have a private word or two after the meeting tomorrow evening.
feralferret
Veteran Member
Must have been some long words. Hope all is well.
day late
money? whats that?
Sometimes, The Lord is just looking over your shoulder. I was going to have words after the meeting. The meeting was delayed. Ok. I can wait. The meeting was delayed again. It kept getting delayed until it is supposed to be next Monday. However, in the meantime very few words were spoken about this. Most of them by me, and nobody minds. As mentioned, they wanted me to pick up several days in mid-July. At the time I told them,
"My wife is arranging doctor's appointments. Right now, I don't know if I can cover".
I later texted what days I will not be available. I need to see the dentist. My wife has a couple of appointments that I need to be there. My mother has appointments that I don't know if I can take her, or my brother will. Of course, one of my wife's appointments is right in the middle of that five-day stretch they wanted me to cover. All of a sudden, they stopped asking me. It seems like we are good. At least for now.
Work has actually been very light for me. The younger guys that have gotten all the training are getting a fair amount of commercial work, which is good. But the residential stuff I usually handle drops way off. But you also get a few more of the fun jobs than usual. I mean fun in a different sort of way. Today is a good example. Only one job all day. It is out of town. The customer won't even be there while I'm working.
I think it was an Airbnb. A truly odd job. I get the key to the front door from the lock box. Once inside I'm told I have to unlock a pantry. That's it. Unlock it, lock the house up and leave. Now, when someone says pantry, I'm thinking something in the kitchen. A cabinet of some kind with food in it. There is one set of cabinet doors that are held closed by a cable lock and everything else is open. This isn't what I was told. I call dispatch. They call the customer.
"NO! Don't cut the cable. The pantry has that little white door."
After 15 minutes I found out that the 'little white door' was a regular sized interior door. Attached to a small room, just off the kitchen. It was unlocked and the 'pantry' was a catch-all for the vacuum, the mop and bucket, roll upon roll of toilet paper and other things you'd expect. NOTHING to do with food. And what do you mean unlock it? It is already unlocked.
"Oh. Well, we don't have a key for that door. Can you make us one?"
Uhh, yeah. Do you want the pantry door to open with the same key as the front door?
That would be great! Thanks.
Is it any wonder why patience is a big part of my job? However, the fun part of these jobs is I just sit there and work quietly without children, pets, overly curious customers or other things getting in the way. I can even very badly sing some of my favorite old songs without anyone thinking I'm crazy. This time of year, landlords are getting things ready for the upcoming student influx that begins next month. After that mad rush we will once again be back to rescuing folks who come to watch the Gators play.
"My wife is arranging doctor's appointments. Right now, I don't know if I can cover".
I later texted what days I will not be available. I need to see the dentist. My wife has a couple of appointments that I need to be there. My mother has appointments that I don't know if I can take her, or my brother will. Of course, one of my wife's appointments is right in the middle of that five-day stretch they wanted me to cover. All of a sudden, they stopped asking me. It seems like we are good. At least for now.
Work has actually been very light for me. The younger guys that have gotten all the training are getting a fair amount of commercial work, which is good. But the residential stuff I usually handle drops way off. But you also get a few more of the fun jobs than usual. I mean fun in a different sort of way. Today is a good example. Only one job all day. It is out of town. The customer won't even be there while I'm working.
I think it was an Airbnb. A truly odd job. I get the key to the front door from the lock box. Once inside I'm told I have to unlock a pantry. That's it. Unlock it, lock the house up and leave. Now, when someone says pantry, I'm thinking something in the kitchen. A cabinet of some kind with food in it. There is one set of cabinet doors that are held closed by a cable lock and everything else is open. This isn't what I was told. I call dispatch. They call the customer.
"NO! Don't cut the cable. The pantry has that little white door."
After 15 minutes I found out that the 'little white door' was a regular sized interior door. Attached to a small room, just off the kitchen. It was unlocked and the 'pantry' was a catch-all for the vacuum, the mop and bucket, roll upon roll of toilet paper and other things you'd expect. NOTHING to do with food. And what do you mean unlock it? It is already unlocked.
"Oh. Well, we don't have a key for that door. Can you make us one?"
Uhh, yeah. Do you want the pantry door to open with the same key as the front door?
That would be great! Thanks.
Is it any wonder why patience is a big part of my job? However, the fun part of these jobs is I just sit there and work quietly without children, pets, overly curious customers or other things getting in the way. I can even very badly sing some of my favorite old songs without anyone thinking I'm crazy. This time of year, landlords are getting things ready for the upcoming student influx that begins next month. After that mad rush we will once again be back to rescuing folks who come to watch the Gators play.
day late
money? whats that?
Ok. I'll admit it up front. I'm not perfect. I've made lots of mistakes. This time, I really hope and think I'm on the money. It's really something else to just sit back and watch The Lord work on your behalf. Lately I've talked about the meaning of 'occasional' extra days. I've put in quite a few days covering for other people. Mostly covering for the boss's sons going on vacation. For months now, the same sons haven't been holding up their end of the stick when it comes to just simple maintenance on the van.
Just yesterday, I get into the van that had been dropped off the night before. The gas gauge showed less than 1/4 of a tank. The boss wants them topped off at end-of-shift so it's ready for the next day/guy. Tools and supplies are here, there, and everywhere. The trash can is overflowing. THAT was bad enough. Normal for the son's, but not right. It got even better. Before this the boss decided to use this van for one of his weekly road trips, to stay in touch. He started by asking where certain tools are in the van. I told him,
"Everyone carries their own tools. There are a few random pics in the van, but no set."
He borrowed mine. He also borrowed a couple of other things. Then it got fun. Friday afternoon, I text the boss about getting the van that night so I could work yesterday. He tells me that he is working Sat. Check the schedule. I check the schedule. I'm working Sat. I inform the boss.
"That's the old schedule. Check with Brittany for the new one."
I check. I'm working Sat. After about 45 minutes of phone calls and texts, I'm working Sat. The van doesn't get to me until about 9:30 Friday night. Now I load up my tools and check for the ones I loaned the boss, which he assured me were in the van. Wrong answer. Call the boss again. By now it is after 10 P.M. He tells me,
"Sorry. Your tools are in my bag. Can you pick them up in the morning?"
It has to be early.
"9?"
Has to be. That's the time I start. I can't open a single door without the pics, dum-dum. Once I had them in my hands, I told him to his face.
"This is why I don't lend tools to people. I shouldn't have to chase them down so I can work. That's just wrong."
The boss agreed and promised it wouldn't happen again. If he only knew. I've decided that if he wants to borrow tools again, they will be returned by the end of the day. No exceptions, no excuses. But what was even nicer than that was during the ONE DAY he had the van, I got calls from him, twice, for help. He got a hands-on lesson about maintenance, supplies, and tools, all in one day. Repeatedly he had to come to me for the answers to problems I've been complaining about for a while now. MAYBE he hears me now. One can hope.
Just yesterday, I get into the van that had been dropped off the night before. The gas gauge showed less than 1/4 of a tank. The boss wants them topped off at end-of-shift so it's ready for the next day/guy. Tools and supplies are here, there, and everywhere. The trash can is overflowing. THAT was bad enough. Normal for the son's, but not right. It got even better. Before this the boss decided to use this van for one of his weekly road trips, to stay in touch. He started by asking where certain tools are in the van. I told him,
"Everyone carries their own tools. There are a few random pics in the van, but no set."
He borrowed mine. He also borrowed a couple of other things. Then it got fun. Friday afternoon, I text the boss about getting the van that night so I could work yesterday. He tells me that he is working Sat. Check the schedule. I check the schedule. I'm working Sat. I inform the boss.
"That's the old schedule. Check with Brittany for the new one."
I check. I'm working Sat. After about 45 minutes of phone calls and texts, I'm working Sat. The van doesn't get to me until about 9:30 Friday night. Now I load up my tools and check for the ones I loaned the boss, which he assured me were in the van. Wrong answer. Call the boss again. By now it is after 10 P.M. He tells me,
"Sorry. Your tools are in my bag. Can you pick them up in the morning?"
It has to be early.
"9?"
Has to be. That's the time I start. I can't open a single door without the pics, dum-dum. Once I had them in my hands, I told him to his face.
"This is why I don't lend tools to people. I shouldn't have to chase them down so I can work. That's just wrong."
The boss agreed and promised it wouldn't happen again. If he only knew. I've decided that if he wants to borrow tools again, they will be returned by the end of the day. No exceptions, no excuses. But what was even nicer than that was during the ONE DAY he had the van, I got calls from him, twice, for help. He got a hands-on lesson about maintenance, supplies, and tools, all in one day. Repeatedly he had to come to me for the answers to problems I've been complaining about for a while now. MAYBE he hears me now. One can hope.
day late
money? whats that?
Sorry, I forgot one other little item about the boss's recent education. When I started the van Friday night to check the gas gauge, a light came on telling me 'Oil Change Soon!'. I called the boss. I'm working tomorrow (Sat.) and Jiffy Lube is closed on Sunday. What to do?
"I saw that. We go by the sticker in the windshield. Don't pay attention to the lights."
I look at the sticker. I look at the odometer. I call the boss. The van was supposed to have an oil change 1,500 miles ago. What to do?
"Wait until the other guy on today is done with his current job so we have someone to cover. Then get the oil change."
If nothing else, I hope the boss is picking up on both maintenance and personal responsibility.
"I saw that. We go by the sticker in the windshield. Don't pay attention to the lights."
I look at the sticker. I look at the odometer. I call the boss. The van was supposed to have an oil change 1,500 miles ago. What to do?
"Wait until the other guy on today is done with his current job so we have someone to cover. Then get the oil change."
If nothing else, I hope the boss is picking up on both maintenance and personal responsibility.
day late
money? whats that?
YEEESH! It just gets better and better. The boss was informed that any borrowed pics were to be returned the same day, for reasons stated. The last time he did return my pic set at the required time. That's good. He also lost my favorite pic. You know how it is. You have a number of tools that will do the job but, there is just one that works better than all the rest. THAT'S the one he lost. Fortunately, I've become skilled at making pics. No, they aren't quite as good as factory made pics, but they work. I made another. He is still waiting for his pic set to get here in the mail, so he borrowed mine again. I hope he is more careful this time and his pics get here before he has to borrow mine again.
I did have one lady recently who was rather interesting. She had bought three doorknobs she wanted put on her home. No biggie. When these things come from the store each one has a different key. I offered to make them all work on the same key. The answer was no. WHY it was no, is a bit of a mystery. She said that by having different keys for each door, if she lost one set, it was less likely that whoever found them would go to just the right door and use them. Well, that's true, as far as that goes. How many times have all of us pulled out the wrong key for the door? Then we fumble around until we get the right one. She thinks that if the key doesn't work in the front door, the bad guy isn't going to check any other outside doors. That may not be quite as true. If I were trying to break in and had a set of keys, I'd try every door I could find. It seems that never entered her thinking and she was quite confident that different keys for different doors was going to keep her safe.
Please understand, the reason she called is because she has had a couple of break-ins recently, according to what she said. So, it appears that she is targeted. But to her, changing the doorknobs would be enough. I don't get it. From what I saw and heard while I was working, the lady is a nurse. She is high ranking at her place of employment. That was evidenced by the phone calls I overheard while I was there. She is quite intelligent. The problem is that she is so wrapped up in her work that it is hard to have a conversation with her. Simple things like explaining I can make all the locks work on the same key had to be explained three times before she got her head out of the nursing world long enough to understand what I was telling her. Did I mention she was very security conscious? She didn't want to give me her card to pay for the job. Fine. We can get the lady on dispatch take your information and punch it right into the system and we don't keep the numbers.
Not good enough. I get off at 5. This was my last job of the day. I finished around 5:15. Now, to get payment I have to follow her to the nearest BOA. I follow her. She gets there and goes to the ATM. It's down. Now we have to visit another BOA branch, several miles away. The charge was $210. She got the cash from the ATM, and it is all in new bills. You know. The kind that stick together. She carefully counts out $220. I then give her $10 in change. We go our ways. By now it is a little after 6. Later that evening I'm taking care of cash receipts and low and behold, I've got an extra $20. I only had one cash job that day. I know where it came from. I've got to give this back. I called her and explained that I was given too much money. She is about 5 minutes from my house. I can swing by and drop it off in ten minutes or less. I was off the next day and going to be out of town. So, I call to see if I can return it right away. Nope. She's going to the library to print out new copies of her resume. I ended up calling dispatch and telling them I left the extra cash on the desk in the office and someone else has to be there to hand it to her when she shows up. I'm outta town tomorrow, visiting Mom. You guys deal with it. I've done all I can.
I did have one lady recently who was rather interesting. She had bought three doorknobs she wanted put on her home. No biggie. When these things come from the store each one has a different key. I offered to make them all work on the same key. The answer was no. WHY it was no, is a bit of a mystery. She said that by having different keys for each door, if she lost one set, it was less likely that whoever found them would go to just the right door and use them. Well, that's true, as far as that goes. How many times have all of us pulled out the wrong key for the door? Then we fumble around until we get the right one. She thinks that if the key doesn't work in the front door, the bad guy isn't going to check any other outside doors. That may not be quite as true. If I were trying to break in and had a set of keys, I'd try every door I could find. It seems that never entered her thinking and she was quite confident that different keys for different doors was going to keep her safe.
Please understand, the reason she called is because she has had a couple of break-ins recently, according to what she said. So, it appears that she is targeted. But to her, changing the doorknobs would be enough. I don't get it. From what I saw and heard while I was working, the lady is a nurse. She is high ranking at her place of employment. That was evidenced by the phone calls I overheard while I was there. She is quite intelligent. The problem is that she is so wrapped up in her work that it is hard to have a conversation with her. Simple things like explaining I can make all the locks work on the same key had to be explained three times before she got her head out of the nursing world long enough to understand what I was telling her. Did I mention she was very security conscious? She didn't want to give me her card to pay for the job. Fine. We can get the lady on dispatch take your information and punch it right into the system and we don't keep the numbers.
Not good enough. I get off at 5. This was my last job of the day. I finished around 5:15. Now, to get payment I have to follow her to the nearest BOA. I follow her. She gets there and goes to the ATM. It's down. Now we have to visit another BOA branch, several miles away. The charge was $210. She got the cash from the ATM, and it is all in new bills. You know. The kind that stick together. She carefully counts out $220. I then give her $10 in change. We go our ways. By now it is a little after 6. Later that evening I'm taking care of cash receipts and low and behold, I've got an extra $20. I only had one cash job that day. I know where it came from. I've got to give this back. I called her and explained that I was given too much money. She is about 5 minutes from my house. I can swing by and drop it off in ten minutes or less. I was off the next day and going to be out of town. So, I call to see if I can return it right away. Nope. She's going to the library to print out new copies of her resume. I ended up calling dispatch and telling them I left the extra cash on the desk in the office and someone else has to be there to hand it to her when she shows up. I'm outta town tomorrow, visiting Mom. You guys deal with it. I've done all I can.
Wow! Why would someone so security conscious they refuse to pay by card *to a tradesman who they called, who has a physical address locally*, NOT have sufficient cash to cover the bill?!
Summerthyme
Summerthyme
feralferret
Veteran Member
Another "highly educated" person who has had all of their common sense educated out of them. All too common unfortunately.
day late
money? whats that?
Reminds me of Mark Twain.
"God must love the common man. He made so many of them. But why did he have to make them so common?"
day late
money? whats that?
There are things you pick up along the way in this job. Fortunately, I learned some things in the service as well. When I'm getting close to a customer, I'm scoping out the neighborhood. I'm traveling slowly, in a marked van, looking for an address. I get a good look before I stop. Most places are perfectly fine. no unusual precautions need to be taken. Sometimes I notice 9 out of 10 homes in the area have bars on all the windows. And of course, you have everything in between. BUT even then, you can't judge a book by its cover.
Saturday afternoon I'm called out of town. A place called Keystone Heights. It's an hour away. I arrive and this is a very upscale neighborhood. The smallest yard I saw was a good two acres. All the lawns well-kept, nice cars in the driveways, huge houses. All but the place I'm going to. Don't get me wrong. It is a beautiful house. But it has been a while since anybody did anything with the yard. I get there, no customer. I call.
"I got hung up. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Do you mind waiting?"
Uh, no. Better to wait than to come back. It turns out the new owner, who was quick to show me all the paperwork, had bought the place, at I think at a tax auction. He then had a two-year battle to get the former owner out. She was gone and I was there to rekey two locks and install a third. No bigger. I'll be done in less than an hour. We went inside.
Originally when you enter the front door, there is a large living room to your right. The entryway, living room, and quite a bit of more floor space isn't wood or tile. It is all natural stone. Beautiful. Looking ahead as you enter, there is more of the living room on the right, another room in front of you, couldn't figure out what that was for. On the other side of that is a pool. About half Olympic size. Very open and airy. Two stories. Three sets of double glass doors leading out to the pool. I heard the guy say on the phone that it was a three and two but could easily be converted to a five and three. (I guess he wanted to cut off the toilet out by the pool and attach it to a den area that was on the first floor. But I'm just guessing.) There was a working fireplace in one of the two living rooms. This place was BIG.
The previous owner had gone through the place and trashed it. Sections of the drywall on the ceiling of the pool deck area were on the ground. EVERY glass door was broken out. Door frames in several places showed damage, like someone was trying to pull them out. Pieces of furniture, old clothes, pots and pans, holes in the walls, you name it. The floor was covered in trash. I was literally stepping over piles of trash to get from one door to the other. Did I mention this was the first time the new owner had even set foot on the property? Nice little surprise for him.
The strangest part of all is that everything was basically clean. Normally when someone is forced out and trash a place, they are quite shall we say, dirty about it. Everything is covered in grime, clearly animals were kept inside and not let out often enough. Sometimes it is hard to work just because of the smell. Not this place. Even with them were covered in trash the floors had been recently cleaned. She didn't leave the fridge full of food and have the power turned off two days before she left. There was furniture that looked to be deliberately broken into pieces and then scattered everywhere. But it was relatively new, the clothing seemed to be recently cleaned and didn't smell to high heaven.
It ended up with actually rekeying three locks. One on the front door and two on a side door to the entryway. (I TOLD you this place was big.) At first the thought was to also get the doorknobs and deadbolts across the back, leading to the pool. Then the damage to the frames was discovered and so that was scraped. I couldn't install the lock on the door he wanted me to put it on, because a sheet of plywood had been nailed over it, and the door opened in that direction. One of the pool doors and the one closest to the edge of the roof. Rain might get in. But he did buy the lock so that it was there when the repairs got done.
The saddest part of all from what he told me is that none of it had to happen. Apparently, she had a good deal of equity in the place. Now she's lost it all. I couldn't begin to guess it's value when fixed up but 7 figure range as a starting point would be a good place to begin. Why she didn't use the equity to work something out and keep the place I don't know. But I do know she was PRETTY PI*SED about losing it.
Saturday afternoon I'm called out of town. A place called Keystone Heights. It's an hour away. I arrive and this is a very upscale neighborhood. The smallest yard I saw was a good two acres. All the lawns well-kept, nice cars in the driveways, huge houses. All but the place I'm going to. Don't get me wrong. It is a beautiful house. But it has been a while since anybody did anything with the yard. I get there, no customer. I call.
"I got hung up. I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Do you mind waiting?"
Uh, no. Better to wait than to come back. It turns out the new owner, who was quick to show me all the paperwork, had bought the place, at I think at a tax auction. He then had a two-year battle to get the former owner out. She was gone and I was there to rekey two locks and install a third. No bigger. I'll be done in less than an hour. We went inside.
Originally when you enter the front door, there is a large living room to your right. The entryway, living room, and quite a bit of more floor space isn't wood or tile. It is all natural stone. Beautiful. Looking ahead as you enter, there is more of the living room on the right, another room in front of you, couldn't figure out what that was for. On the other side of that is a pool. About half Olympic size. Very open and airy. Two stories. Three sets of double glass doors leading out to the pool. I heard the guy say on the phone that it was a three and two but could easily be converted to a five and three. (I guess he wanted to cut off the toilet out by the pool and attach it to a den area that was on the first floor. But I'm just guessing.) There was a working fireplace in one of the two living rooms. This place was BIG.
The previous owner had gone through the place and trashed it. Sections of the drywall on the ceiling of the pool deck area were on the ground. EVERY glass door was broken out. Door frames in several places showed damage, like someone was trying to pull them out. Pieces of furniture, old clothes, pots and pans, holes in the walls, you name it. The floor was covered in trash. I was literally stepping over piles of trash to get from one door to the other. Did I mention this was the first time the new owner had even set foot on the property? Nice little surprise for him.
The strangest part of all is that everything was basically clean. Normally when someone is forced out and trash a place, they are quite shall we say, dirty about it. Everything is covered in grime, clearly animals were kept inside and not let out often enough. Sometimes it is hard to work just because of the smell. Not this place. Even with them were covered in trash the floors had been recently cleaned. She didn't leave the fridge full of food and have the power turned off two days before she left. There was furniture that looked to be deliberately broken into pieces and then scattered everywhere. But it was relatively new, the clothing seemed to be recently cleaned and didn't smell to high heaven.
It ended up with actually rekeying three locks. One on the front door and two on a side door to the entryway. (I TOLD you this place was big.) At first the thought was to also get the doorknobs and deadbolts across the back, leading to the pool. Then the damage to the frames was discovered and so that was scraped. I couldn't install the lock on the door he wanted me to put it on, because a sheet of plywood had been nailed over it, and the door opened in that direction. One of the pool doors and the one closest to the edge of the roof. Rain might get in. But he did buy the lock so that it was there when the repairs got done.
The saddest part of all from what he told me is that none of it had to happen. Apparently, she had a good deal of equity in the place. Now she's lost it all. I couldn't begin to guess it's value when fixed up but 7 figure range as a starting point would be a good place to begin. Why she didn't use the equity to work something out and keep the place I don't know. But I do know she was PRETTY PI*SED about losing it.
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If I was writing this in a story, her accountant/business manager didn't pay the taxes, intercepted the notices, then bounced when everything came due with everything they could. First that she knew of the problem was the tax notice going up in her yard and all she had were the fake receipts and empty accounts.
day late
money? whats that?
Sorry to be away for so long, but the usual strangeness was even stranger lately. We have to start with "Miss Security Concerns" who I spoke of before. She almost got me fired. I admit I did have a hand in it, but just wait for it.
As I said before, I installed three doorknobs that she had bought. I offered to rekey them, so they all worked on the same keep. No thank you. I offered to upgrade two deadbolts and repair a third. No thank you. She admitted having had break-in's before I got there, but didn't want to pay for anything more than the service call and installation. I did the job, chased her around to different ATM's to get cash. Didn't want her card number on-line. I left. Two days later she got broken into again.
Now here is my fault in this. I'm just like anyone else. I'm not above having a beer with lunch. ONE beer. Which I had done before I got her call. Now that she has gotten broken into, I was drunk and didn't do the job right. The boss called, we talked. Things were tense for about 24 hours. That was when the appointment was for someone to go over and check my work. For some reason she wasn't available until then. Nobody told me what was said and or done. BUT I'm still employed. I did the job on Saturday the 23rd and then she was broken into by Monday. The inspection was done on the following Tuesday. I figure she's just trying to get someone to foot the bill for her loses.
Still, if he chose to, the boss could have made a big issue out of it.
As for the rest of it, we caught the edge of Debbie. It really wasn't bad here. LOT'S of ran and a good bit of wind, but not too bad. The worst problem was Mrs. late. In 2005 Francis put a tree through our roof. Ever since then, with every storm, she is convinced it's going to happen again. The power went out for a little while, but the T.V. and internet were down until a short time ago. Biggest problem we have now is clean up.
As I said before, I installed three doorknobs that she had bought. I offered to rekey them, so they all worked on the same keep. No thank you. I offered to upgrade two deadbolts and repair a third. No thank you. She admitted having had break-in's before I got there, but didn't want to pay for anything more than the service call and installation. I did the job, chased her around to different ATM's to get cash. Didn't want her card number on-line. I left. Two days later she got broken into again.
Now here is my fault in this. I'm just like anyone else. I'm not above having a beer with lunch. ONE beer. Which I had done before I got her call. Now that she has gotten broken into, I was drunk and didn't do the job right. The boss called, we talked. Things were tense for about 24 hours. That was when the appointment was for someone to go over and check my work. For some reason she wasn't available until then. Nobody told me what was said and or done. BUT I'm still employed. I did the job on Saturday the 23rd and then she was broken into by Monday. The inspection was done on the following Tuesday. I figure she's just trying to get someone to foot the bill for her loses.
Still, if he chose to, the boss could have made a big issue out of it.
As for the rest of it, we caught the edge of Debbie. It really wasn't bad here. LOT'S of ran and a good bit of wind, but not too bad. The worst problem was Mrs. late. In 2005 Francis put a tree through our roof. Ever since then, with every storm, she is convinced it's going to happen again. The power went out for a little while, but the T.V. and internet were down until a short time ago. Biggest problem we have now is clean up.
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kyrsyan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Unless you are a tea totaller, one beer is not likely to affect your ability to work. Odds are someone inspected your work and saw that you did your job correctly. And probably made the same suggestions that you did and got shot down by her the same way. Replacing locks does not mean that break-ins can't happen.
If she's being broken into that often, she has some issues that she is ignoring. She needs to find out who has targeted her. And she needs to seriously upgrade her security measures. And that would mean measures beyond three cheap lower locks.
I'd almost bet it's a stalker. And the break in so quickly after new locks was to show her that it didn't work.
If she's being broken into that often, she has some issues that she is ignoring. She needs to find out who has targeted her. And she needs to seriously upgrade her security measures. And that would mean measures beyond three cheap lower locks.
I'd almost bet it's a stalker. And the break in so quickly after new locks was to show her that it didn't work.
day late
money? whats that?
I'm feeling much better now. I know if I had been the boss when Miss Security started making accusations, I would have done what the boss did. Talk to me, hear my side, send someone out to check my work, and get the straight of the matter. I'm still employed, so obviously my work was OK. But I did admit to the beer. Were I the boss, given available evidence, I'd believe me. However, just to be on the safe side, keep an eye on me for a while. Just to be sure. Now it's known I'm part time and the schedule will change from time to time. But it didn't help that at the same time all of the above was going on, I was cut to one day a week. Does not look promising. Then, yesterday.
I was sitting at home when the boss called looking for a special tool. I didn't have it. It ended up with him asking me to come out and give him a hand with the job he was on. It was a good one for him. These locks are an unknown brand, probably twenty years old, highly decorative, and CAN NOT be replaced with new locks. Have to preserve the looks of the house. They were also the most off the wall things I've seen on a home. With certain industrial lever handles, you have to keep the key turned in the lock for the handle to work. With this place, you kept the key turned in the deadbolt in order to get the doorknob to work. Never seen that before. With this kind of arrangement, the internal workings of the lock were equally overly complicated. We ended up with me dis-assembling the locks, him re-keying them, me putting them back together, and him reinstalling them on the home. Saved a lot of time for him by doing that.
His son eventually showed up with a tool I've never seen before, but I want one. It cut dis-assembly time from about three minutes each down to about 15 or twenty seconds. AND it can be used on similar locks. Might be a good thing to have in the old tool bag. At any rate, we got the job done and later that day he sent out a thank you to myself and his son for the help. I think I've proved myself.
I was sitting at home when the boss called looking for a special tool. I didn't have it. It ended up with him asking me to come out and give him a hand with the job he was on. It was a good one for him. These locks are an unknown brand, probably twenty years old, highly decorative, and CAN NOT be replaced with new locks. Have to preserve the looks of the house. They were also the most off the wall things I've seen on a home. With certain industrial lever handles, you have to keep the key turned in the lock for the handle to work. With this place, you kept the key turned in the deadbolt in order to get the doorknob to work. Never seen that before. With this kind of arrangement, the internal workings of the lock were equally overly complicated. We ended up with me dis-assembling the locks, him re-keying them, me putting them back together, and him reinstalling them on the home. Saved a lot of time for him by doing that.
His son eventually showed up with a tool I've never seen before, but I want one. It cut dis-assembly time from about three minutes each down to about 15 or twenty seconds. AND it can be used on similar locks. Might be a good thing to have in the old tool bag. At any rate, we got the job done and later that day he sent out a thank you to myself and his son for the help. I think I've proved myself.