How seriously do you take your day off?

Joined
Jun 5, 2003
Messages
27,851
Location
Apple Valley, California
I am often asked to help out a friend on my days off. Quite frankly I'm pretty tired of donating my day off and not getting my projects done.

A guy comes by my work to wash cars. He called me last night and asked me if I would look at a coolant leak his car has.

So I headed all the way across town to check it out for him. He apparently hit something and smashed the radiator.

It's one of those cars where the whole front end has to come off,evac and charge the ac etc to get the radiator changed.

I told him to get it towed to my place and I'll work on it this week after my regular job. No he expected me to do it today in an apartment complex parking lot on the wrong side of the tracks.

I don't know exactly what tools I may end up needing and don't want to spend the day chasing tools....either driving 45 min 1 way home to get something or running back and forth to AutoZone only to buy duplicates of what I already have.

Plus most of my tools are locked up at my day job and I can't access them on a Sunday.

Make sense or not?
 
Is he your friend you want to help out? You can always say you are busy that day and if emergency call a shop or rent another car. If he just want things fixed fast then he should pay someone else.
 
I can see donating my time, but only if there wasn't a pressing need to get something done for myself. I could also see driving across town to get a job done. But not both at the same time...

BTW sent you a pm
 
Is he your friend you want to help out? You can always say you are busy that day and if emergency call a shop or rent another car. If he just want things fixed fast then he should pay someone else.
He is an acquaintance. Mainly irked me asking me to take a look then expecting me to stay all afternoon and fix the thing. The job would be a freebie plus I'm sure I would be buying something like coolant or hose clamps.

My wife has honeydoo projects planned for us plus her car needs tie rod ends I need to get on it asap.
 
I’ll help immediate family members with their automotive needs, but cousins and friends are off limits. They are the worst complainers when it comes to price and they also want a lifetime warranty on every effin part of their car…whether I worked on it or not. My mild-mannered wife becomes an instant pit bull if a relative even asks for repair advice.
 
Tell him you'll take a look in the parking lot at work, and let him know what HE should do to fix it.

Most apartment complexes don't allow you to work on your car in the parking lot.....
 
You’re nicer than I am, I’d have said the same thing as JustinH, maybe work out a bit of a deal to help him a bit but no way am I working for free for an acquaintance.

Family is a different story, I’ll go help my brother or sister in laws every time but none of them are very needy, though I still have my brother in laws s***box 1999 Ram 1500 in my backyard. I may buy that off him as a project vehicle 🤔
 
At the minimum, I wouldn’t like the idea of tearing apart somebody else’s car in the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Them wanting it done at their convenience is irritating too. Perhaps start being mean and say no? Or have him dump a bunch of that ginger root GM radiator fix stuff. Lol.
 
I used to take on literally anything I could make a dollar on. Now I understand how valuable time is. I work for myself during the day, full time job at night and my weekends are mine. I’m also drawing the line with work that my days are mine. They love to schedule training at 8 am even if you work second shift. Last time I told them that if it couldn’t be done at 4pm count me out.
 
He is an acquaintance. Mainly irked me asking me to take a look then expecting me to stay all afternoon and fix the thing. The job would be a freebie plus I'm sure I would be buying something like coolant or hose clamps.

My wife has honeydoo projects planned for us plus her car needs tie rod ends I need to get on it asap.
There used to be a girl who would "charm" guys into fixing her PC back in the school days. I offered to help if she drop off her PC at my apartment (she has a car) but she was whining about having to drive the PC over. So she somehow "charmed" another guy to do it instead.

I would try to stay away from this acquaintance in the future.
 
I help friends all the time with things, but your “friend’s” request sounds like a customer’s demand.

Scott

PS Never in my life have I ever helped someone move. I wouldn’t dream of asking someone to help me move.
 
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