You Know You Are Old When

[WinterDeere]

I’d give our state roads an “F”.

We have some of the same problems WRT trees encroaching on roads, and tar and chip on local roads. Thankfully the major thoroughfares here never get that treatment, and there's always a way to skip around most local roads for a week or two after the tar and chip treatment. Here, they usually come back with a street sweeper to clean up the loose chips, maybe 2-3 weeks after treatment.

You're in a similar climate to us, maybe just 2 weeks less freeze/thaw cycles at each end of the season.

One thing that always scares the hell out of our out-of-staters, is that our roads have no shoulder. Our "45 mph" country roads, upon which everyone is doing 55 mph (almost no speed enforcement in PA), have two narrow lines, with the white line being almost on the grass, just a crumbling asphalt ledge aside a drainage ditch. Wander more than 6 inches right, and you're in a ditch. Get a flat, and you'd better find a driveway. Other than limited-access expressways, our roads generally have no shoulders.

 

[Hay Dude]

This wasn't about schedule, it was about being a jerk to the customer. No time for that.

Again, in Bad Boy Biker's defense, he may have been ginning up the story a bit, for effect.

I would rather hire a guy with some religious scruples than a guy who will come to your house on a Holiday and make noise for the neighbors.

Having graduating high school and college in Pennsyvania, as well as living both sides of the state above Philly and above Pittsburgh, as well as taking numerous trips north to New York and south to WV to kayak (point being, I've been ALL over Pa as an adult), I can assure you the ENTIRE state sucks for their roads, not just around Philly

The PA Turnpike is very good. I drive it all the time.

 

[WinterDeere]

I would rather hire a guy with some religious scruples than a guy who will come to your house on a Holiday and make noise for the neighbors.

I agree. But that wasn't the point at all.

1. There was never any discussion of construction work on a holiday, they were only discussing a sales call, to show samples.

2. The OP stated they'd stop by Monday morning, no offer of any evening after work the following week. Again, if you're in a retail business, like home repair, it's in your best interest to make yourself available for an initial consult or sales call, when customers are available.

I'm in commercial electronics, but my customers are in different time zones, all over the world. I accept invitations for plenty of midnight and 3am sales and support calls, when it suits the customer's schedule. That's not when I'm doing the actual work on their project, that happens on my schedule, but those 30-60 minute sales calls have to happen when the customer is available.

 

[Sigarms]

The PA Turnpike is very good. I drive it all the time.

Having lived 30 miles south of Erie for some time, when visting my parents on the east side of state, generally drove I-80 going east to west, haven't been on the turnpike since the late 80's. Unless things have changed, I-80 isn't the greatest road out there LOL 79 and 81 never seemed that great as well.

 

[Sigarms]

I agree. But that wasn't the point at all.

1. There was never any discussion of construction work on a holiday, they were only discussing a sales call, to show samples.

2. The OP stated they'd stop by Monday morning, no offer of any evening after work the following week. Again, if you're in a retail business, like home repair, it's in your best interest to make yourself available for an initial consult or sales call, when customers are available.

I'm in commercial electronics, but my customers are in different time zones, all over the world. I accept invitations for plenty of midnight and 3am sales and support calls, when it suits the customer's schedule. That's not when I'm doing the actual work on their project, that happens on my schedule, but those 30-60 minute sales calls have to happen when the customer is available.

Try being in the HVAC industry for residential and commercial work.

My wife gets agrrivated because I will pick up my phone between 0500 to 2100 hours, 7 days a week (I'm not answering the phone when I'm sleeping LOL). That said, I love my job because I'm not tied to a 9-5 scheduel at a desk and do what I want to do as I plan it.

New Years day, Thanksgiving day, Labor Day, Memorial day and Christmas day is what I normally take off. My wife works for a company that takes all the federal holidays off, and I can't believe how many there are LOL

That said, common sense dictates that if calls HAVE to be made over the weekends or on religious holidays, you're going to pay a surcharge for those days.

 

[Oaktree]

Agreed. No one should be expected to work on their religious holidays, but the post that started all of this seemed to be more than just that. After all, if you're in a retail business, you have to make yourself available when people are not at work, it's the very reason retail stores aren't open only 9-5 / M-F. The contractor had said he'd be available only Monday morning... not Monday evening, after the customer was home from work?

So, while I agree with your point, I'd also not use any contractor who copped an attitude like that. There are just too many others available to call, to waste my time on one who gives me crap, as a paying customer.

My point exactly. While I am not religious myself, I totally get that some are and respect that they may not wish to work on their religious holidays. But there is no excuse for giving a potential customer a snarky answer. Would it have been that much of an imposition to explain that he wasn't available that day, and ask the customer what would be a convenient time for the two to meet. You don't need to be a jerk.

 

[sixdogs]

I recall in grade school one year a nun had a hankering for nostalgia I guess, and we were required to get fountain pens for handwriting class.

They had cartridges. No fountains. So why did they call them fountain pens? Teacher told me to stop asking questions.

And even without fountains, they caused a great mess and we were eventually told to stop bringing them to class.

As mentioned earlier, my grade was the first to get ballpoint pens. You're right on the mess. Boys put them in their pockets and they leaked almost immediately. Hence the need for the pocket protector, and I had several.

Ink was everywhere till the quality improved and then they only leaked at the most inopportune time.

 

[Hay Dude]

My point exactly. While I am not religious myself, I totally get that some are and respect that they may not wish to work on their religious holidays. But there is no excuse for giving a potential customer a snarky answer. Would it have been that much of an imposition to explain that he wasn't available that day, and ask the customer what would be a convenient time for the two to meet. You don't need to be a jerk.

None of us were there to hear the conversation, so it’s hard to judge. For all we know, you may have been snarky, too.

I have stumbled upon other peoples jewish & muslim holidays, not knowing they had a holiday, but there’s no need to get offended.

I guess since it’s a Judeo-Christian founded country, some Christians may be annoyed at your suggestion that they work on one of the most religious holidays of Christian calendar.

There’s a general apathy & malice towards Christians these days and some of them are pushing back.

I would have just said I’d meet you on another day.

 

[Hay Dude]

Having lived 30 miles south of Erie for some time, when visting my parents on the east side of state, generally drove I-80 going east to west, haven't been on the turnpike since the late 80's. Unless things have changed, I-80 isn't the greatest road out there LOL 79 and 81 never seemed that great as well.

I think PA has thrown all the taxpayer money at the big roads and told the flyover country people to go $#*$ off.
Just my observation from being a resident of the state for many decades and paid for more than my share of passenger side mirrors, fixed stone chips & windshields and even a blown tire.

 

[scootr]

Your roads are bad if you know where every pothole is on your usual routes.