Met up with a human buzz saw today. Her husband deserves any sympathy he receives.
A repeat client called a week ago about a job to cut five acres out of the west half of the southeast quarter of a section where we have had two simple jobs earlier in 2015. Had a bit of extra time one day so we stopped by and began to tie together the south line of said quarter section. Not as simple as it sounds, but not too bad. A couple days later we stop by to search for a bit more help and call the client. Ask if he can drop by to show us precisely which five acres to lay out around the house and a couple outbuildings. He says to go from the drive west of the house to the east line of the 80 and as far north as the south edge of some cropland. I tell him that's a lot more than five acres and that if they go all the way to the east line the survey bill will at least triple. He's tied up so says to just ask the seller what he wants to do.
We head to the house and see the owner and a couple of other guys in a convenient spot out by some farm equipment. He's really a nice guy. He tells us basically the same thing and I explain that what he is pointing out is more like eight or nine acres instead of five. He's a bit surprised but tells us to work out a preliminary plan or two and then he can decide what might be best. We gather plenty of data, including shots on either side of a small pond that could go with the house or with the farm land being sold.
We pull up today and begin to set up to tie in a couple more critical points. Next thing I know a red pickup is headed my way and I hear the horn honk to get my attention. Before it finishes rolling to a stop the guy's wife is jumping out of the passenger side and he says she wants to talk to us. "talk to us" is putting it very nicely. We were informed by her that it didn't matter what we might have been told previously but from here to the hedge row and back to the crop land is five acres and by G** that's what we were going to survey. I tried to be as nice as possible for the first 10 minutes as it became very apparent who wore the pants in that household. I attempted to explain that both parties had agreed to five acres and what she was wanting to do was more than eight acres. Well, I apparently got my license out of a cereal box because I definitely did not know how to measure out five acres. Besides, if we didn't make the hedge row the east line of the "five acres" it wouldn't be legal to sell it. Her husband asked her why it wouldn't be legal and ended up ducking back into the pickup and shutting the door to get away from her tirade. He gave me one of those looks that said, "I'm sorry" and waited for her to stop lecturing me.
This is gonna be a dandy!
I'm jealous.
I live for encounters such as you've described.
I probably would have let her get a little too close to me then given her my "drooling-mad-dog-guttural-shriek" while barring my teeth...works every time. I picked it up from Harpo Marx in one the Marx Bros. movies. Very effective.
...or maybe just told her how freakin' nuts I thought she was...
...or maybe just ask her husband to put her back on her leash...
...the possibilities are endless! B-)
It really does add some flavor to our resume, doesn't it?
paden cash, post: 332045, member: 20 wrote: I'm jealous.
I live for encounters such as you've described.
I probably would have let her get a little too close to me then given her my "drooling-mad-dog-guttural-shriek" while barring my teeth...works every time. I picked it up from Harpo Marx in one the Marx Bros. movies. Very effective.
...or maybe just told her how freakin' nuts I thought she was...
...or maybe just ask her husband to put her back on her leash...
...the possibilities are endless! B-)
Gotta have your fun where you find it.
Brad Ott, post: 332114, member: 197 wrote: Gotta have your fun where you find it.
We were being harrassed by a neighbor once while setting points on a lot line.
She kept badgering my helper, "That's not where the line is!", "Get off my property!", "Quit ruining my flowers!", ad nauseum.
With a stentorian voice he slowly rose to a standing position and said, "My doctor says my medicine won't work if I get excited!"
With that she retreated into her house never to be heard form again.
paden cash, post: 332045, member: 20 wrote: given her my "drooling-mad-dog-guttural-shriek" while barring my teeth...works every time. I picked it up from Harpo Marx in one the Marx Bros. movies. Very effective.
I went to youtube. I went looking for this "drooling-mad-dog-guttural-shriek" But, I did not find it. This skill of spooking these kind of women, seems like a very valuable skill, and I wanted to learn it. Do you think you could either re enact it, and place it on youtube, for the benefit of those of us who have occasional contact with this particular kind of female?
Thanks
Nate
Prayers going out for her husband.
After 30 + years in this business I've certainly had my share of complaints, some legitimate but of all of them only about 8 or 10 have involved someone being really abusive and telling me in very nasty language that I'm incompetent and that my measurements are wrong. And of those 8 or 10 I can only think of one that was from a male.
Sounds like when a lawyer told my party chief, "If you're going to survey, then you'd better survey right!"
I heard those words and took two steps back because I wanted to be out of the way in case the party chief started swinging!
Nate The Surveyor, post: 332123, member: 291 wrote: ...Do you think you could either re enact it, and place it on youtube, for the benefit of those of us who have occasional contact with this particular kind of female?
Nate,
Here's the best I could do.
[MEDIA=youtube]DDYDVZ0LFd0[/MEDIA]
At 20 times the size of the Chihuahua (with a deeper voice) you really don't want to see me doing it...it's scary..I also try to spit a little when I do it...;-)
Cee Gee, post: 332195, member: 451 wrote: After 30 + years in this business I've certainly had my share of complaints, some legitimate but of all of them only about 8 or 10 have involved someone being really abusive and telling me in very nasty language that I'm incompetent and that my measurements are wrong. And of those 8 or 10 I can only think of one that was from a male.
Sometimes I would rather have the raving lunatic than the condescension I get from most men - and most of that from male surveyors! At least everyone can see the lunatic is crazy. I like the guy who told me he wouldn't hire a woman for a field crew because "where would she go pee", or the party chief who explained to me he was "happily married" - great, so am I. Don't get me started on the gender thing:pissed:
geonerd, post: 332214, member: 8268 wrote: .... I like the guy who told me he wouldn't hire a woman for a field crew because "where would she go pee", or the party chief who explained to me he was "happily married" - great, so am I. Don't get me started on the gender thing:pissed:
I guess I've been blessed in my career. I've had female crew members and field employees frequently over the years and never had one bit of any kind of gender problems. I did have to separate a couple of employees once for a fist fight that broke out and 50% of that fight was female...she also wound up on top of the other guy... As for where they all went to pee, hell, who knows? That's crazy...
Wee bit of extra info.
The husband mentioned above has a cousin whose wife works with Mrs. Cow. Mrs. Cow mentioned to her co-worker that I was doing a survey involving some of her husband's kinfolk. She asked which ones. When told, she responded with, "We don't have anything to do with them." In her opinion there is an excessive quantity of alcoholic beverages consumed in that household, principally by the wife. Fortunately, Mrs. Cow made no further comments.
I've had plenty of experience with cantankerous types, some of which involved alcohol and other tools of the Devil, but, the majority are stone cold sober and are fully aware of every word they utter in my direction.
These kinds of interactions simply cannot be properly taught in an academic setting. Repeated personal experience is the only valid lesson. Just one more of the many issues that a business owner must learn to handle no matter how technically skilled they may be in the subject matter of their chosen profession.
geonerd, post: 332214, member: 8268 wrote: Sometimes I would rather have the raving lunatic than the condescension I get from most men - and most of that from male surveyors! At least everyone can see the lunatic is crazy. I like the guy who told me he wouldn't hire a woman for a field crew because "where would she go pee", or the party chief who explained to me he was "happily married" - great, so am I. Don't get me started on the gender thing:pissed:
Then you might actually like me.
I don't need to "Explain" that I am Happily Married. I am Married. End of Discussion.
I have had female party members before. The only allowances made for them was a little extra room when it was bodily functions time and for differences in strength.
Other than that who really cares if you are female, if you can do the job.
That also goes for registered/licensed surveyors too. I worked with one for a couple of years here until she found a job at a higher level of responsibility that she wanted. The only thing she did that ticked me off was take one of our SIT's with her.
SJ
geonerd, post: 332214, member: 8268 wrote: Sometimes I would rather have the raving lunatic than the condescension I get from most men - and most of that from male surveyors! At least everyone can see the lunatic is crazy. I like the guy who told me he wouldn't hire a woman for a field crew because "where would she go pee", or the party chief who explained to me he was "happily married" - great, so am I. Don't get me started on the gender thing:pissed:
There there missy, don't get your panties in a wad..... (edit, hope you know I'm joking)
I was just floored years ago when our old friend TedDD had to tell you how you could never run a business. You seemed to handle that well without telling him where he could go.
Tom Adams, post: 332615, member: 7285 wrote: There there missy, don't get your panties in a wad..... (edit, hope you know I'm joking)
I was just floored years ago when our old friend TedDD had to tell you how you could never run a business. You seemed to handle that well without telling him where he could go.
Tom, we've known each other too long for me to ever take offense at something you said to me. But there are some out there who are clueless. You nailed it - calling me Missy or Honey is not a good start unless you have a smirk on your face and waiting for a good banter 😀
I knew I might be grabbing the "cat by the tail" with that one. I was certain you would know I was joking, but I had to come back and edit to let you and anyone else that couldn't believe I said that, that It was in jest.
I once new somebody whose name was Missy. For real. I used to watch others call her "Missy", and those who did not know it was her name, would raise their eyebrows. It did not matter to me at the time, because Missy was a very lady like person, who was very able to handle herself. But it was my introduction to the concept of "Missy".
Some folks are funny about their name. "Junior" is an acceptable name in the south, but in Calif, was very derogatory.
I even know somebody who goes by "Scooter". If you called him by his name, he would think you were talking to somebody else!
Context is everything!
N
Young boy and his little brother on the first day of school approaching the teacher's desk.
"And what's your name?", she asks.
"Stupid", replied the oldest.
"No, really, what is your GIVEN name?"
"Like I said teacher, Stupid."
The teacher turned stern, "Young man, I want you to march back out in the hall and don't come back until you can tell me your real name!"
The oldest turned to his little brother and said, "C'mon with me Sh*thead, she ain't gonna believe you either."
geonerd, post: 332214, member: 8268 wrote: Don't get me started on the gender thing:pissed:
I have a serious problem with gender issues in so much as I pay 100% of my employees health insurance. For whatever reason the insurance company charges about twice as much for females as opposed to males. And it's not just in their child bearing years.
With respect to female employees, our VP is a female who basically runs the place.(she also makes a six figure salary) Our two CADD techs are also female.
To be sure, I really don't care about sex/race/color etc.If I think the person I am interviewing is qualified for the position then they are hired. B-)
Be safe, we need you back in the USA.:-)
