Most conversations at the jobsite goes nowhere. I have bruises on my forehead from pounding my head against the roof, so I should know ;-).
One of my workers, the one whose cell phone rings more than E.F. Hutton's, wants to get an I-Phone. He thinks he needs it. Why, I have no idea, since the man doesn't know how to use a computer. Or how to change the ringtone on his phone, for that matter. I told him he doesn't need it; he just wanted it. He challenged me, saying that I was going to get one anyway, so why couldn't he?
I'm very frank with my roofer-workers. I mean, you can't talk pretty with them, okay? My answer: "Because you fucking asked me to advance you rent money for this week, you dumbass."
"But you're going to get one," he reiterated.
I sighed. This is the classic example where I can't make myself understood no matter how I tried. It was the same when I used to have a house to rent. I remember the renter whose logic went like this:
Him: "I can't pay you rent this week."
Me: "I can't have you pay late again. This is the fourth time."
Him: "But you own the house."
Me: "What has that got to do with anything?"
Him: "But you own the house."
Me: "Yeah, and you owe me rent."
Him: "I can't pay you this week."
Me: "Can you pay me next week?"
Him: "But you own the house."
Thus ended my career as a landlady. When I sold the house last year, I had the greatest pleasure in telling this tenant that I NO longer own the house, so bye-bye. I may write, but I sure don't know how to communicate. Sigh.
So back to the worker with the NEED for the I-Phone. Here's the rest of the conversation:
Him: Well, I'm getting one.
Me: What are you going to use it for?
Him: To make calls.
Me: You can do that with the cell phone you have now.
Him: But I need this new one. It has stuff.
Me: But do you use them?
Him: Not really.
Me: Okay, so then you don't need this new I-Phone, right?
Him: But I want one.
Me: Okay, we've established that. You want one. How much does it cost?
Him: About $600.
Me: Actually about $1000, once you activate the phone plan and change your service.
Him: Oh. Can I borrow $400 then?
And this man is a 44 year old father of two. I have no doubt that he's going to get the I-Phone somehow some way. And will probably be whining that he can't afford the rent next month.
I can so see the conversation now:
Me: "You had money to pay for the I-Phone the other week, so why should I lend you rent money?"
Him: "But you own your house."
;-P
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Saturday, June 30, 2007
Conversations You'll Never Hear In A Spy-Fi Romance
Posted by Gennita at 8:13 AM
Labels: people, rant, roofing stories
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6 comments:
Call me tech-silly, but why would you want the iPhone? I know why I love my iPod and why I'd love to get a MAC but I just can't see myself with an iPhone. I'm puzzled...
They are sooo cool :) I want one badly too but as I wouldn't use half of the apps there's no point. I don't envy you, I seriously hated managing. One of my cooks was Filipino, and of course every port we pulled into there were Filipinos. All well and good, he would make fast friends, and go out with them. Inevitibly, however, he would want to give them some part of the ship. Ma'am this is (insert name of random new bff here), can I give him my boots? uniform? some food? toilet paper? and then of course we would no more than pull out and he would be out of uniform because he had given half of it away or somesuch. I don't even want to know what he got in return for his altruism, because he was the ultimate schemer so I'm sure it was something good. At least he was nice and respectful, which is a far cry better than most of the rest of my guys were.
iPhone is a ripoff. Besides, who wants to be THAT connected? Your office can reach you ALL THE TIME. Are you insane? I spend more time trying to figure out how to LOSE/break my blackberry than actually working. Evil blackberry. I will NOT answer work emails @ 8:15 a.m. on a Sunday. NO!
Besides, the touch screen/pad on all iProducts BUG me. They're too sensitive. I left my nano in my pocket, sat down, and almost went deaf b/c the material of my pants managed to activate the pad and turn the volume WAY up.
Plus, iPhone so pricey, wouldn't you spend too much time freaking out over breaking it w/everyday use? What if you ate something greasy and had to pick up a call? Greasy fingerprints all over your expensive touch screen! You can't even put it in your pocket b/c it's so bulky.
Waste of money. Besides, American mobile phone market sucks. Have you seen the ones in Asia? Super powerful but UBER tiny. That's what I want.
Half the time I leave my cell at home, or have it turned off, or walk around with it with the battery dead. :-P And I just got a flip phone last year, after trading in my old dinosaur of cellie. So I really couldn't care about the whole new technology thing (although i do love my Nano), which means I can wait the 5 yrs till the iphone shrinks in size and price.
As for your worker, to borrow my 19 yr old son's favourite phrase: 'What a tool.' lol.
Fanciful Fern,
I guess it's so you can take a call while listening to the music? And surf the web at the same time? No idea!
Kim,
Ah, yes, I had managed some schemers in my time ;-).
SQ,
Your Yankees losing is really making you rant, eh? :-) KIDDING, KIDDING! (ducking from SQ's venom). I agree with you over about the sticky fingers on the i-Phone. Not good for construction either.
Jaye,
If it shrinks any more, the teens are going to have to evolve into beings with smaller fingers so they can text! ;-)
As for tools, well, PLENTY of those in construction. Ha.
I think what scares me the most about that is that he's a 44 y/o father of two. LOL.
If my husband came home w/ an iPhone, there'd be major trouble!
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