Neither a borrower or a lender be?

[Golfgar4]

<font color=blue>"Meanwhile a neighbor with a worn out garden tractor just bought a 6500 dollar ATV."</font color=blue>

Will, your comments made me think of something that happened just the other day in our neighborhood.

One of my neighbors is one of those characters who can make anything out of anything. Heck, when he goes to the landfill, he comes back with more stuff than what he went with! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif He's also one of those guys that will do anything for anyone, especially when it came to fixing neighbors' lawn mowers, tillers, etc. He's also one of those guys that is going 90 MPH every minute of every day.

Well, a few years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and it's been all down hill since then for him. On some days, he can't even get out of bed. On other days, his "good" days, he can get out and do some minor outside little jobs that he just loves to do but can't really do regularly.

Well, there's this one guy down the street that has never done anything for anyone in the neighborhood. It's always him first, but don't ask him for anything. I found out this past weekend that he showed up at my sick friend's door and asked him to fix his lawnmower. When my friend explained that he just couldn't physically do it, this guy says "Well, thanks alot. I guess I'll have to find someone else to do it for me!" /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

I couldn't believe it when my friend told me this. Every other person in the neighborhood knows what his condition is, and we all go out of our way to help him when he needs it. But we also go out of our way to make sure that when he feels up to do something, we let him do it because we know how much enjoyment he gets from doing those little things. He actually edged one half of my driveway one day, and then apologized to me because he didn't have the strength to finish the job!

I was on my way down to let this guy know what I thought of him, when another neighbor stopped me. He asked me where I was going, and I told him. He said that the guy had stopped at his house and asked him to fix the lawnmower too. When he found out that he had first gone to our sick friends house, he literally picked up the mower and threw it out into the street, and then told the guy to take his _ _ _ _ ing mower and his lousy attitude and get out of here.

We haven't seen much of this character since then, not that we want to! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif Oh yeah. I was talking with my sick friend last night, and this little episode came up in conversation. He mentioned how badly he felt that he wasn't able to help this guy out!! /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Sorry about the length of this post, and that it's really not in line with your topic, but after your comments I just felt I could throw this in.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have an uncle (whom I never see unless he wants something even though he lives around the corner) who came over to see my new JD 950. He "told" me that when I buy a FEL he is going to use it around his yard to do some things he always wanted to do. I have a cousin who when he found out I had bought a JD "said" he was going to borrow it to do some trenching work in the back of his yard. Neither relative asked but "said" or "told". I told them that the JD doesn't leave my yard, I haven't seen them since. If I knew that before, I would have bought a tractor a long time ago. They think that they can borrow things at any time. They don't even ask, they just assume. I do not like to borrow anything. If I need it, I buy it or rent it. If a real friend or neighbor needed the use of my tractor, I would do the work and would be there before they could finish asking. I guess that I have "outlived" my usefullness to my relatives.

 

[butzkeg]

Sounds like most people use their best judgement. That's the rule I try to live by too.

I don't loan my tractor to anyone, except my dad to do work if I'm not around. My dad and I have a good relationship and borrow/loan whenever. It's usually me borrowing power tools though, 'cause he has all the cool ones. Borrowing his Paslode nail gun tonight, and I bought a new box of nails and gas cartridges to replace the one's I've used for my projects. I did kid him the other day about it not being fun borrowing his tools when the supplies run out./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

If my neighbors want something done with my tractor, they call and ask me to do it. Most of my neighbors are family too (2 Aunts/Uncles, 1 set of grandparents, and 1 set of parents). Everyone respects each other and their property and will help out if possible.

I occasionally borrow from my father-in-law too; I've even used his Ford 1920 at my house. I'm the only person he lets borrow anything though, and he has 14 of his own kids. None of his kids respect his property- things come back broken and aren't fixed or they never make it back.

 

[tdenny]

I would probably only let me neighbor use my tractor although that is still up for debate. I'd certainly loan out "replaceable" hand tools to any friend or neighbor in need and have unfortunatley had the instance where I have had to ask as well.

My neighbor has a Trac Hoe - medium sized and has done some clearing for me (with him driving the unit). I have offered to rent it from him so he didn't have to spend his time over at my property. He sort of balked at that suggestion - they use it for business - and I'm sure there is an insurance problem there. I do have the skills required to operate it and he knows that.

With that said - if he asked me to borrow the tractor, I might be willing to let him use it as he is an expert operator of darn near every type of machinery. Other than him - I wouldn't let anyone else borrow it. I would be inclined to offer to help them out - which is why I asked the "What type of Trailer do I need" question yesterday.

 

[Cdash]

I only loan out the things I do not care about to others. Everything else comes with operator, and then, only when it fits in my busy schedule, and my schedule gets real busy when it's something I don't want to do.

I have friends that I would trust with anything and friends that I would trust with nothing. I've learned the hard way which is which. The ones I would trust with anything don't ever ask to borrow anything and the ones that I don't trust, ask all the time. Anything that I have substantial money invested is treated like cash. Would I let someone borrow $1000? $10,000? I am guessing y'all can answer that one!

I have loaned things out in the past and gotten them back in laughable conditions. One being a lawn sweeper. Got it back missing the handle, the dump rope wraped around the brushes along with all kinds of crap, and the brushes bent. When questioned: "It was like that when you loaned it to me." Same person also says "When can I come over and get ________? When can you come over to help me _______?" My schedule gets fuller by the second every time he calls!!!

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Years ago I got what I feel is excellent advice from my father about borrowing tools. Dad was a mechanic by trade who'd grown up on a farm so tools were his life. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

His advice on borrowing went something like this. "Anytime you borrow something you stand a chance of breaking it. If you break it, you'll have to go buy a new one to replace it. The reason you borrowed it was so you wouldn't have to buy one but now you've bought one and STILL don't own one."

On lending, I take the same tack as most. I try to either avoid it by using the liability issue or offer to do the work myself when we're talking about items with moving parts that can remove digits or limbs.

 

[jhburke]

I was mgr of a parts store. I was in the trucking industry. Naturely evenings and weekends I would get calls to go to the store to get parts for them. Friends would assume that I had my wife answer the phone and tell people that I wasn't there. I told them I answer the phone 99 percent of the time. When I would get a call from those I never saw except after hours. I allways answered truefully that I couldn't go because I had other plans made. It was the truth because I always had other plans than to go back to the store.

 

[skent]

Borrowed a Camcorder from my dad many years ago. Worked great. I returned it later that week and the next time he went to use it it didn't work. He mentioned it to me and I told him I would have it fixed. He said never mind since it was three years old. I insisted anyway and took it to Radio Shack (where he bought it) and asked for an estimate. (Would cost $35 for estimate). The next week the store mgr called and said the camera was lost or stolen in shipping and I should come in and pick out a new camera . . . . on the house!

I sure lucked out on that one, and dad ended up with a shiney new camcorder too.

 

[cowboydoc]

Quickest way to lose friends and family is to be a lender of either money or equipment. I do like most of the other guys and will go help someone out but will not lend.

 

[GSS]

Agreed! Just like selling vehicles or the like to friends or relatives. You are just asking for it.

- G