Son of a BITCH! (RL)
Feb. 28th, 2004 08:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwendolyngraceMinor rant time.
So, we've been helping out some people in the neighbourhood who were hard up for cash. Letting them shovel the driveway, etc.
Several weeks ago, without really consulting me, my mother contracted with them to redo our kitchen floor. This is an unmarried couple, who recently found out that the woman (Elaine) is pregnant. Panic set in, I guess in more ways than one. But Keith (the guy) says that he does construction and other jobs during the on-season, and he knows what he's doing, and they're trying to get a small business going.
So, she goes over the job with them, they bring over tile samples and choose the grout and give us a schedule. We, having no reason not to trust them, give them a key.
All goes well, except...I noticed on the second day that a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of massage oil are missing from my toiletries bag (I'd been out of the house that weekend). Hm.
Two nights later, I come upstairs to find a light on in my mother's room. A light we never use. I said something, to which my mother replied, "Oh, I'm sure she's just snooping."
Right.
I spent the following weekend in Syracuse (getting a totally bogus parking ticket, but I digress). I came back on Sunday, which was supposedly the last day of the job.
Well, the floor is looking great, everything's great - but they ran out of grout about 8 tiles short of the back door. Keith says he'll get more grout and come back Monday to finish the job. He also needs to finish cleaning up and to rehang the closet door. Mom gives them their final payment. Elaine, apparently, was a bit agitated about getting out of there Sunday afternoon.
Well, Monday morning, mom realizes that her hair gel is missing, and I can't find my favourite turtleneck that I want to wear to work. (It had been on the cedar chest Friday night.) This is enough for me to conclude that they're stealing from us. Mom says, "Well, I hope that he'll come back today and finish, and we can maybe bring it up."
Nothing.
Tuesday, we decide to use the skeleton key and also flip the latch on the back door, so that they *can't* come in but have to come by while we're home. I also discover that, in addition to the stuff they didn't finish, our laundry room deep sink is completely clogged....because that's where they dumped all the sludge from the grout. Brilliant. So we also can't do laundry.
Well, we figured that they must have realized we'd notice the stealing, so they were going to avoid us from now on. I figured that if the worst thing we lost was a turtleneck and having to finish up ourselves, well, okay.
Wrong.
Tonight, I discovered the rest of their theft.
We keep a jar for coins - one for pennies, another for silver. There was also a bag of coins that had been wrapped, but not yet taken to the bank. Yup. Gone. They left the pennies, but the other two are long gone. Had to have been at least $100, maybe closer to $150.
Son of a BITCH.
Have told my mother in no uncertain terms that this is exactly why I do not support charity. Have never yet been nice to anyone "down on their luck" when I didn't get bitten in the fucking ass for my trouble.
God fucking damn it. I just can't believe it took me that long to notice - all because I didn't have change to put in the jar until today.
Fucking hell.
So, we've been helping out some people in the neighbourhood who were hard up for cash. Letting them shovel the driveway, etc.
Several weeks ago, without really consulting me, my mother contracted with them to redo our kitchen floor. This is an unmarried couple, who recently found out that the woman (Elaine) is pregnant. Panic set in, I guess in more ways than one. But Keith (the guy) says that he does construction and other jobs during the on-season, and he knows what he's doing, and they're trying to get a small business going.
So, she goes over the job with them, they bring over tile samples and choose the grout and give us a schedule. We, having no reason not to trust them, give them a key.
All goes well, except...I noticed on the second day that a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of massage oil are missing from my toiletries bag (I'd been out of the house that weekend). Hm.
Two nights later, I come upstairs to find a light on in my mother's room. A light we never use. I said something, to which my mother replied, "Oh, I'm sure she's just snooping."
Right.
I spent the following weekend in Syracuse (getting a totally bogus parking ticket, but I digress). I came back on Sunday, which was supposedly the last day of the job.
Well, the floor is looking great, everything's great - but they ran out of grout about 8 tiles short of the back door. Keith says he'll get more grout and come back Monday to finish the job. He also needs to finish cleaning up and to rehang the closet door. Mom gives them their final payment. Elaine, apparently, was a bit agitated about getting out of there Sunday afternoon.
Well, Monday morning, mom realizes that her hair gel is missing, and I can't find my favourite turtleneck that I want to wear to work. (It had been on the cedar chest Friday night.) This is enough for me to conclude that they're stealing from us. Mom says, "Well, I hope that he'll come back today and finish, and we can maybe bring it up."
Nothing.
Tuesday, we decide to use the skeleton key and also flip the latch on the back door, so that they *can't* come in but have to come by while we're home. I also discover that, in addition to the stuff they didn't finish, our laundry room deep sink is completely clogged....because that's where they dumped all the sludge from the grout. Brilliant. So we also can't do laundry.
Well, we figured that they must have realized we'd notice the stealing, so they were going to avoid us from now on. I figured that if the worst thing we lost was a turtleneck and having to finish up ourselves, well, okay.
Wrong.
Tonight, I discovered the rest of their theft.
We keep a jar for coins - one for pennies, another for silver. There was also a bag of coins that had been wrapped, but not yet taken to the bank. Yup. Gone. They left the pennies, but the other two are long gone. Had to have been at least $100, maybe closer to $150.
Son of a BITCH.
Have told my mother in no uncertain terms that this is exactly why I do not support charity. Have never yet been nice to anyone "down on their luck" when I didn't get bitten in the fucking ass for my trouble.
God fucking damn it. I just can't believe it took me that long to notice - all because I didn't have change to put in the jar until today.
Fucking hell.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 06:08 pm (UTC)Actually the majority of people down on their luck probably won't do something like that. But some will. I guess you have to be able to read personalities accurately or something to be able to tell which is which.
Erm, well, don't know whether this will make you feel better or not, but at least nothing irreplacable is missing.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 07:09 pm (UTC)Anyhow, at least now you know not to let them in your home again. Probably want to change the locks on the doors, too. Just in case,k even if they give the keys back, they could have made copies.
::hugs::
oh, no kidding
Date: 2004-02-27 07:12 pm (UTC)Even more squicky? The shampoo bottle was half-full, and the turtleneck had been worn at least once and not washed. I hope it fucking shrinks on her.
no subject
Will they ever be coming back?
no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-27 08:14 pm (UTC)Some people are just... geez.
I'm sorry you lost all those items and they ruined your drain. :(
and people wonder why we don't trust anyone these days?!
no subject
Date: 2004-03-02 05:33 pm (UTC)