His mother was bringing him at 9:30 am Saturday. They arrived at 10 am. I was not happy as I had planned for him to take about two hours, and at 11:30 we could leave to stop by bank and get cash for him.
I had plans for the day and this screwed it up since I had to go to Publix, buy something, wait in line, write a check, and get back to car. I bought one banana for 25 cents.
He mowed down every last daffodil, so I wonder how many I will have next year. However, I did not show him daffodils. He mowed down a Hosta last time. This time, I showed him the Hosta nearby and told him I was not angry, but he mowed down one last time and watch for them. I pointed to the chopped off hosta. He exclaimed, "It was dead!" It was still green, though hacked up. He lies. He cannot take instructions or corrective criticism. He makes excuses.
This was about thirty seconds after his mother pulled out of the driveway! It portended the tone for the rest of the day.
He lives in a trailer with no grass, only weeds but mostly dirt, and not one shrub or flower. He mowed down my monkey grass and left weeds all over the place.
At one point, I told him not to try to get all the wisteria out of a doomed crape myrtle, just to get it where he could walk under it to mow. He said, "I will if you will just let me do it." That did not set well with me.
He was carrying the crockpot to the door for me. I did not want him walking onto the porch because there is only a small space to stand and I needed to get my hands on the crockpot while mostly facing the door and keep my balance as I turned to go into the house. I kept saying as I motioned, "Come right here." Exbf always put things on the porch rail for me as he stood by the steps. So, this is not new.
He kept not coming to my side and the side of the steps. I said, "Now put it right here where I can handle it. I motioned to and patted the iron rail where it makes a ninety degree turn, making a right angle where something can be set down and not have it fall off. Instead, he held it about a foot above the rail and it was moving in the air as he could not keep it steady. I had to tell him twice more to set it down while I was patting the rail.
When it is on the iron rail and steady, I can get the grasp I need. He said to me, "If you don't quit being impatient, I won't come back." What? Threaten me? I told him I was exhausted and if I sounded impatient, it was a function of my lack of energy and the pain. I did not tell him I was impatient because he tried to do things as he pleased when I gave a specific instruction!
He mixed wood and tree limbs which will cause the city not to get the limbs! He claimed he did everything right, things I specifically told him to do! I looked out at about 2 am and found wood where I told him not to place it, still in the backyard and not in the street where I told him to place it for pickup. Earlier in the morning, he explained in a patronizing tone that he would do it later. NO, SHIT, Do it now...but I did not say that.
When I left him at his mother's home, I said, "Well, if you or your brother want to mow, it will need mowing in two weeks. He said "okay" and left fast as he could.
Having missed what I wanted to do Saturday afternoon, I came home and took a nap. When I got up, I checked the other side of the yard. He did not even mow what I told him to mow! It is not like he missed it as it was about 20' x 30'.
He told me he took all the nails out of boards that clearly had nails left in them. He continually dragged a bistro table as I was yelling, "Don't drag the table, Pick it up!" That annoyed him to no end!
I paid him $23 for 2 hours and 15 minutes and lots of aggravation! So, that makes $35 for all the mowing and other stuff. Oh, I had told his mother there were things other than mowing, things in the yard. So, he was not quoted a price for mowing and then came and found there was more to do. He was not told it was only pushing a mower and was tricked. Actually, the other things than mowing are mowing related, like moving something to mow underneath.
I told him to move two chairs and two tables, mow under them and move them back before he left. He only moved back one table. When he stacked the chairs, he did not stack them. He just sort of laid one on the other. He piled the stackable chairs. However, when he "unstacked them," he put them all over the yard, just wherever he happened to stop with them.
His mother warned me he had to be reminded sometimes, that he did not focus. She also said he could not hold a job because he became angry over something and just walked off the job or was fired, often on his first day of work. He is 21, no diploma, has a girlfriend and two children, and they live with his mother. He has many tickets and has lost his license after spending time in jail. Enough said?
The yard can now be mowed in less than one hour. It took almost three hours for cleanup and mowing and I paid $35. I suppose he will want $35 for one hour next time if he came here. He won't get it. He will not come back.
I had him move a 24-pack of water, turning it up instead of my leaving it upside down as a clerk put it in the trunk. He was going to close the trunk hinges on a long box. I frantically said, "wait, wait." He yelled, "WHAT!" Rude?
In the car as we passed a car wash by teens, I asked him how much he would charge me for washing my car in my yard, using my car wash liquid, my water, just the outside of the car. He said $10 or $15. ???!!! For 30 minutes work?
Exbf said he agreed I should be disappointed and said do not ever have him here again. Your thoughts? I do not need suggestions of who to get! People are over-priced, lazy, or rude and sometimes all three.
I would not have him come back. He is a man. He needs to act it. My 11 yo foster son does better listening and following directions than him.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
DeleteHe is a man and feels like he is not being respected. I think this is because his mother is white and father is black. Maybe I am wrong, but I think his efforts to prove himself as a man are wrong directed. Maybe he cannot remember the things I told him to do, but he never checked to see before he put up the mower.
That was the problem with J. She would put the lawnmower up before she asked if it was all done. I had told her to get me before she put the mower away. Not once did she do so.
I am not saying his mother did not teach him, but some of it did not take.
Nope, I wouldn't have him back either. He is not doing you a favour but is being employed. And needs to listen and follow directions.
ReplyDeleteEC, Thanks. I need encouragement to be strong. I doubt he will volunteer to come, but if his mother wants him to finish the job out of guilt and our friendship, I need to be strong and not let him come back. People forced to work do not work well.
DeleteI have a guy who cuts our grass and does incidental yard work. We no longer discuss the fee (He has a base fee for cutting, edging and blowing) and he is reasonable for our area, but I do expect everything other than his base services to come with an additional charge. He knows I am a great referral source, so I have never felt gouged. I had used 3 different people before him and he is the best by far and a keeper. Plus he works very fast so he can move on to his next job and make more money. And yes, I could cut the yard and do all theedging myself, but he gets done in 1 1/2 hour what takes me all day and I do place some value on my time.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteYou have a good deal/situation. I never want anything blown. There is only one place that needs a weedeater. This guy did not work fast, especially if I were pointing out something to do. I like having the same person do the job so I don't have to start anew each week or two weeks. I need a keeper.
I hope you can find yourself a keeper. Like I said it too 3 different tries to find someone as good as he is.
DeleteAnne,
DeleteI hope so, too. I have had good people to mow and do things. Well, exbf did it for 8 years. Since about four years ago, when I told him not to do it because he struggled so, it has been hard.
Too much frustratio over too little and clumsy work. You can find a level-headed teenager I am sure.
ReplyDeletefrustration
DeleteT'pol,
DeleteDefinitely frustration. Teens want $50 for this hour of work. I am sure this is one somewhere who is not trying to gouge people, but I do not have time or energy to find that person. And, I do not want liability of a teen.
Locally the people who mow lawns as a business charge $75/mo year round or $25 each cut. That includes mowing, string trimming and blowing the grass off sidewalks and drives. Extra would be charged for cleaning up debris, trimming trees etc. The most I've heard charged for something like you're describing would be $25 for the mowing stuff and another $15 for the debris removal. And they provide the transportation and equipment and take direction well or they won't be in business. So I think you overpaid for underwork.
ReplyDeleteAside from a lawn mowing business is there a youth church group that has members that do that kind of work? Or maybe a high school organization that does community service projects? Or even Scouts? The only thing I would be careful of is the liability issue with those under 18.
Like I said, I DO NOT NEED suggestions of where to go. Did you read that?
ReplyDeleteNo sidewalk, no blowers allowed in my yard, no debris removal, no need for equipment!
No, I would definitely not have him back. DH talked to is dad yesterday and the high school kid DH found to take care of his yard did a great job on Saturday, his first visit there. We are glad of that!
ReplyDeleteOne,
DeleteThat is great that kid dh hired is doing a good job and his father approves.
One,
ReplyDeleteThat's great. Now that you have one thing settled, you will not have to worry about finding someone. I'm glad your father is happy with it.