There Are Some Cheeky Blighters About

[ProDave]

So my rental house had a leak in the roof. I have a section of scaffold up and my roof ladder on the roof.

I've fixed the leak but I'm leaving the scaffold up until we have had a real good downpour just to be sure. I left the roof ladder up there but took down the ladder to get up onto the scaffold. It's been like this about 2 weeks now.

I went there today.  Well blow me down, my roof ladder isn't on the roof, it's leaning against the scaffold. How the F did it get there?  My first thought was someone was trying to nick it but got disturbed.

Had a look around and 3 doors up the road a house is being painted.  Oh look, there's white paint on my ladder matching the white paint on the shiny newly painted house.

So I march along and confront the cheeky blinder. Oh yes I borrowed it. I tried to phone you to ask but got no answer. I was going to put it back on the roof this afternoon (so I would have been none the wiser apart from wondering how it got painted)

I would never have done something like that, would you?

 

[Andy™]

send him the invoice for hire of access equipment

 

[Sharpend]

send him the invoice for hire of access equipment

Dont forget cleaning!!

I should download the 'proper use of ladders' and 'working at heights regulations' from HSE to take round and ask him to sign to say he has read it and fully understood it just to dissolve you of any responsibility of consenting to him borrowing your ladder.

 

[kerching]

Are proper "roof ladders" actually suitable to be 1:4 against a wall?

Just wondering

 

[ProDave]

He had borrowed it to get on the roof. It's a row of terraced houses that are staggered so he needed to get on the roof to paint the little bit of roof between that house and next door. He had his own ordinary ladders.

It's not so much that he borrowed it that gets my goat, I probably would have said yes if he had asked. It's the fact that he left it just leaning against my scaffold at ground level.  While it was up on the roof with no means to get up the scaffold I felt it was quite safe, but I don't rate it's chances of staying there so accessible for more than one night if I hadn't happened to come by today and find it.

 

[dave2]

Reminds me of when I got a set of new step ladders and left them at the clients house for the weekend.

Plasterer worked over the weekend and used my steps.

Left them covered all over in plaster.

8 years later there are still traces of that plaster.

 

[kerching]

Reminds me of when I got a set of new step ladders and left them at the clients house for the weekend.

Plasterer worked over the weekend and used my steps.

Left them covered all over in plaster.

8 years later there are still traces of that plaster.

I did that at a clients with a 9' set of fibre glass step ladders.

Came back after the weekend and they had borrowed them for access to spray paint all the ceiling black.

I have had a set of BLACK & Yellow steps for about 12 years now!....at least we know who they belong to

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Reminds me of when I got a set of new step ladders and left them at the clients house for the weekend.

Plasterer worked over the weekend and used my steps.

Left them covered all over in plaster.

8 years later there are still traces of that plaster.

Same here, plasterer borrowed my new stepladder without asking, but he had the bright idea to put masking tape over the steps, he got bored of trying to tear off the bits of masking tape since they would not come off in one piece, there are still pieces of both on them. :facepalm:

 

[Evans Electric]

Reminds me of when I got a set of new step ladders and left them at the clients house for the weekend.

Plasterer worked over the weekend and used my steps.

Left them covered all over in plaster.

8 years later there are still traces of that plaster.

Another reason why I hate plasterers

 

[Evans Electric]

So my rental house had a leak in the roof. I have a section of scaffold up and my roof ladder on the roof.

I've fixed the leak but I'm leaving the scaffold up until we have had a real good downpour just to be sure. I left the roof ladder up there but took down the ladder to get up onto the scaffold. It's been like this about 2 weeks now.

I went there today.  Well blow me down, my roof ladder isn't on the roof, it's leaning against the scaffold. How the F did it get there?  My first thought was someone was trying to nick it but got disturbed.

Had a look around and 3 doors up the road a house is being painted.  Oh look, there's white paint on my ladder matching the white paint on the shiny newly painted house.

So I march along and confront the cheeky blinder. Oh yes I borrowed it. I tried to phone you to ask but got no answer. I was going to put it back on the roof this afternoon (so I would have been none the wiser apart from wondering how it got painted)

I would never have done something like that, would you?

No I wouldn't ,its a damn cheek .      If  you were perhaps on the same job I might have approached you , to borrow the ladder for a suitable hire sum  if it was just for an hour perhaps.

I'd never use anyone's gear without perrmission .

I remember losing it big time once with some partitioning guys.       W\e knew we had to do this job at the university , 6th floor , high ceilings, take the lights out of the ceiling on Monday morning , make electrics safe etc.      Partitioning & ceiling coming out , refurbing.

So Friday I go over to a job at a church we were doing , apprentice at college , my mate busy at church so load up two pair of tall trestles & Youngman platform thing...... drive across city to uni.....get permission to take van down service tunnel .....offload trestles etc into tunnel , drive van out to parking area .........walk back down tunnel ...call service lift .......its out of order !!     Carry     2 pairs of 8 ft trestles up 6 flights of stairs   plus the 8ft platform ....then cart them down miles of corridors to the appointed room ........ phone security to get it opened ....stack it all in there & begger off home .

Turn up Monday morn to do electrics ........... bunch of twatty partionioners standing on my Youngmans , stripping ceiling out , light fittings hanging everywhere  .  A right bull & cow ensued when I announced I'd like them back now to get on with electrics .  Bloody cheeky bleeders.  

say. 

 

[ProDave]

You usually find on sites other trades are happy to loan stuff if given the courtesy of being asked.  If there's a pair of steps there and no obvious owner, I will fetch my own rather than just take them.

 

[steptoe]

On sites, if asked, I will generally lend stuff like steps etc, until the borrower doesn't return them,

Then they will get loaned jack next time they ask.

 

[Andy™]

as above.. ask and ill usually say yes if im not using it at the time. dont ask and i will suddenly need it

 

[kerching]

Sometimes when working in garages i may need a long extension bar, weird size socket etc.

I ALWAYS ASK, I ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE MECHANIC SEES ME PUT IT BACK IN THE RIGHT DRAWER.

i always say thankyou AND buy them a cake at lunchtime

Just common courtesy really

 

[Andy™]

and make sure it goes back clean, and not full of oil / grease etc from what you have just taken apart

 

[ProDave]

That reminds me, my next door neighbour borrowed my battery charger. Before Christmas. He won't be borrowing anything else ever again.

 

[NozSpark]

I lent a UHF signal meter to a "plumber" I know..... He had it knocking on 18 months,,,, he won't be borrowing anything else.....

 

[Sharpend]

General rule of thumb, if you can afford to replace it then I'll lend it, if you can afford to replace it you can afford to buy your own for next time!

Lent a dvd to a plumber, recently called him to wish him happy anniversary as he's had the dvd a year now, he's now watched it and is bringing it back!

 

[kerching]

Unless it is an extortionately expensive piece of kit...I reckon if you need to borrow one more than twice then you need to own one!

Just owning A LOT of stuff...that hardly ever gets used, BUT is Not available for loan unless I have borrowed something from you!

 

[Evans Electric]

Even the builders with whom I have worked for about 20 years wouldn't take anything from by toolbox without asking .

OK  these days I 'd hear a shout ....  " Deke , !!  I'm borrowing your terminal driver "          Usually followed by "  Gonna lever up a manhole cover with it " or similar jolly jape.