Surveyors absolutely must learn to stifle their primal instincts that would result in some fool getting his neck wrung when he truly deserves to have it wrung. ?ÿStress is defined by the internal pressure one feels when they don't do the neck wringing that is so well deserved.
?ÿ
Yesterday the crew was doing one of the simplest little surveys we get. ?ÿSimply cutting a small tract out of the corner of a larger tract that I had surveyed several years ago. ?ÿThe father of the client arrived on scene to watch. ?ÿHe did not need to be there for any reason, but he was. ?ÿAs the crew was about to set the third and final corner he muttered something near one of them. ?ÿThat crew member thought it might have been important so he approached him and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said." ?ÿThe father says, "I SAID, How F'n long does it take to set three bars." ?ÿThis is a bunch of b... s...
?ÿ
Nice guy. ?ÿHe's not even paying the bill.
How long did it take ? ?ÿ
"It takes $XXX worth of our time to do it.
Similar encounter. New owner said he could go round the 100 acres with his iPhone in an hour or so!
He wasn't impressed at the time I was taking. No idea of what was involved.?ÿ
The Graybeard engineer?ÿretired and a few weeks later the Big Machine broke down, which was essential to the company??s revenue. ?ÿThe Manager couldn??t get the machine to work again so the company called in Graybeard as an independent consultant.
Graybeard agrees. He walks into the factory, takes a look at the Big Machine, grabs a sledge hammer, and whacks the machine once whereupon the machine starts right up. Graybeard leaves and the company is making money again.
The next day Manager receives a bill from Graybeard for $5,000. Manager is furious at the price and refuses to pay. Graybeard assures him that it??s a fair price. Manager retorts that if it??s a fair price Graybeard won??t mind itemizing the bill. Graybeard agrees that this is a fair request and complies.
The new, itemized bill reads??.
Hammer: ?ÿ$5
Knowing where to hit the machine with hammer: $4995
When insult is added, add to the bill.
Put insult in trash, money in pocket.
Be happy.
For dad's insult, add $50 or $100. Lable it such on bill. It'll get passed around. They will get their money'$ worth...
Yeah, we had that happen on a tree survey in the row. Spoke with the landowner once, briefly, as we passed their property, and they seemed indifferent about our row survey.
Later the FIL came ambling out of his fifth-wheel trailer on the back of the property (crazy uncle in the basement type), cane in hand, to make some determination as whether things were right or wrong here.
'Just tying in some trees here, sir. We're just surveyors, we just measure things.' ?ÿ
Pretty much put an end to the littany of questions that generally follow.
In hindsight, and if I had been on top of this, I would have seen this coming and moved far enough from the shade trees to not have been in earshot. I would have dragged the conversation out if we were standing in the sun for any length of time.