[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Loaning Things Out (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 5/27/2008 3:38:42 PM EDT
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Somehow I turned into a a free rental service that many in my neighborhood are taking advantage of and I'm getting sick of it. Most recent example is my neighbor across the street, she keeps borrowing my jig saw and the last time when she brought it back I mentioned in a light sort of way that she should invest in one herself with how much she's using mine. I think she is clueless because she just laughed it off and talked about possibly needing it again soon. Well tonight my wife told me that my neighbor talked to her about needing my jig saw again coming up so I want to prepare for this and try and say fuck off in a nice sort of way that doesn't just come out and say "fuck off". People just have no class when it comes to these sort of things and it's getting to me now for being a nice guy. Oh, it must run in the family because her son came over the other day asking to borrow my weed trimmer, as per usual I said ok, fine here ya go and what do I get back? A weed trimmer empty on fuel, at least fill the damn thing up and clean it. What the hell is wrong with people? So anyway, I apparently have a hard time saying no and don't need to make any enemies so what is a good way to handle this situation I created for myself? |
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I have a LOT of tools. However, when I was younger, my snow blower died. I knocked on my older neighbor's door, and asked to borrow his. I offered to snow blow his walk and driveway in exchange. Next time they want to borrow the lawnmower, ask if they wouldn't mind cutting your grass, while it was out. Either you will have them do your chores, or they will stop asking. |
Sounds like a plan to me. |
Yes, I'm aware of this and that's why I'm asking for advice on not letting them any more. I don't mind helping people out, I may need help one day but when it's like the situation above where my neighbor is using my saw more than I it's time for her to invest and I told her so. I guess it just pisses me off that I said something and it was just in one ear and out the other. I don't think they're low class just clueless. I've always been one that if I needed something I went and bought it, if I needed help, I hired it etc, I hate asking people for things and plain don't do it. It's the favor system, if you use something of someone's you do something for them in return, seems like a simple concept to me. |
| Fuck, you can get a jigsaw at WalMart for probably less than $20, it's not like you're suggesting she invest in a $1000 item. Tell her the blade is broken and you don't have any more. Or "oh my (son, daughter, some relative that doesn't live with you) borrowed it". |
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I lent a pair of stilts to a coworker (my senior) so he could help his son spackle an addition he was putting on his house and I didn't see them for 18 months. The first year I never said a thing, then I would ask once a month. The last month I asked every other day for 3 weeks. Not long after, he asked if he could borrow my plumbing snake because his tub wouldn't drain. I said of course. Just as soon as you pay $5,400 you owe me in rental fees for the stilts at $10 a day. $3 cheaper than our rental place in town. He didn't speak to me for 2 weeks and he never asked to borrow anything again. eta: grammar |
Ask for an ID, have em sign your rental agreement and pony up the $XX daily rental fee. Make sure you ask for a deposit. When they give you this look  , just tell them people keep walking off with your tools, abusing your tools, or breaking your tools and you need to keep track so that all parties are aware and will take responsibility as you simply cant afford to keep replacing tools. They'll get the hint.
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I had a sign in the garage that read, "NO TOOLS LOANED OUT - DON'T ASK." I've learned the hard way of not telling people I work on cars, do AC repair, etc. Oh yeah, keep people out of your garage and don't let them see what you have. A few close friends is ok, but be careful. |
Exactly on being able to buy a cheap one. The Saw In Question I think she is using it in place of a circular saw because she can't handle those, she said something to that like anyway. I think I'll go with the it's loaned out so someone else excuse and then ask if she's looked into buying one and then if I'm feeling particularly froggy when she decides to attack I may mention that my weed whip was used and brought back empty by her son and ask if he learned that from her. 
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If I'm not needing it, I'll loan a tool or something out once. Then again if it doesn't come back all fucked up. I loaned a tape measure,safety glasses and an extension cord to a next door neighbor. She says " I'll bring it back as soon as I'm done.", 1 day goes bye. 2 days go bye. Well, now it's raining and I walk over to get my tools back and low and behold, there they all sit out in the rain with visible rust starting on my measure!  A couple of days later she asks to borrow a hand saw. I said "No, those other tools were left out in the rain so, your not welcome to borrow anything again." And shut the door. Fuck'em. |
Is your wife hot? Can I borrow her?  |
Yes she is and NO you can't. How dare you. 
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So did he ever return them or at least pay for them? |
Treat your tools the same way from now on, okay?
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I've wanted/needed a truck for years. This is why I haven't bought one. Everyone and their brother will want to 'borrow' it. I worked in a wood shop for over 10 years. I had a rule, I don't loan my tools, go ask someone else. As soon as you leave your area someone helps themselves to your tools. Half the time I never found them. I went to sweep my garage once and my push broom was gone. All my stuff has it's place so I don't have to look for it. I looked and realized several other outdoor tools were gone. Shovel, rake, etc. I thought my wife left the garage door open and someone stole them. Months later I was over at my SILs house and found them. They were under a bunch of trash in their garage. The bristles worn out and smashed on the broom and the other tools rusted. WTF? Turns out they were over one day and helped themselves to throw MY tools into their van and use them indefinitely without telling me. |
Totally true. I've had friends/relatives destroy some of my tools, keep them permanently, return them to their friends instead of me, etc. I don't lend tools out to anyone now. ETA: I never borrow other peoples, either. If I don't have it and need it, I buy it. Ever notice how the borrowers seem to have money for other things, but not tools? Let them invest some of that into useful tools rather than kitschy crap. |
+1 I don't loan shit out. Loaned my buddy my motorcycle chain breaker, never returned, months go by and I call him on it. He's like oh fuck man, I'm sorry I'll get it back. I said get it back? Yeah so and so borrowed it and they have it now. I was pissed, long story short, I never got it back. So from then on I don't loan or borrow anything.
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I think I figured out what I'll do. When she comes over to ask for the jig saw again, I'll first say "you still haven't bought one yet? Hold on, let me go get it." I'll come back empty handed and say I can't find it. I currently have someone refinishing my basement and they know this as his work trailer has been in front of the house. I'll suggest that he must have taken it with him thinking it was his, easy to do regardless. I should be able to play this one off for quite some time, by saying "oh, I forgot to ask" and then eventually I can say he didn't have it or whatever. I don't like being a sissy about this but I think just saying "no" would have ill effects even though it shouldn't. |
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Nice saw, can ya' lend it to me? I'm willing to help out the neighbors - or at least those that can't do for themselves. I chased an electrical problem in the retired guys house across the street for four hours before finding it. I hung another neighbors address numbers up. Installed a second drive light for another. But I won't say I never lend tools - I never lend tools that can get damaged and that includes a jig saw. Want to borrow a hammer or a pipe wrench then we're good. |
Yeah I wouldn't be lending a Bosch out anywhere. I have to correct myself on the WalMart jigsaw, looks like the cheapest they have is $30. But Harbor Freight has one for $20. If she's confident/handy enough to be using one on a regular basis, she would get use out of buying one in the future...it's not like you're saying "go buy your OWN transmission jack" or some specialty tool that most people would only use once. But a $30 jigsaw shouldn't break her bank. A friend of mine was doing all this work on his house and borrowed my circular saw for like a whole summer. He probably spent a couple thousand on materials, but I guess another $100 or so for a circular saw was out of the budget (mine is a DeWalt that I've had for years, and I think it cost me $110 or so at the time). So then it was like I had to borrow it back, "well I'm not done with it, I have to" blah blah whatever. Me: "ok, well I can bring it right back, I just need it for like 5 minutes" and it's MY FUCKING SAW. I think the idea about saying the person working at your house "accidentally" took it would be the best bet. Then say "but, if you really need one right now, Home Depot rents them pretty cheap". |
| I got a brand new car a few months ago. It wasnt parked in the driveway more than 24 hours and the nieghbor, who I am not close with other than a wave or small chit chat, asked if she could borrow it so she could go get some groceries. I said isnt your husband coming home in a few hours and she sd yeah. I said, well there you go. What a fucking douche. Some peopl have no fucking manners or respect. |
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I loaned out a Skid steer to a good friend of mine before. I brought it over to his house on my trailer (he has a trailer), I said let me know when your done with it..... Expecting he would use it the next day, and be done within a couple days. HA. He never fucking used the god damn thing, the guy gets off work at 4 pm and he never used it while it sat at his house for a week. Idiot. I went over and picked it up put it on the trailer again, and drove off. Last time he borrowed anything from me again. Why ask to borrow something, that would cost you pretty good chunk of change from a rental place, and then not even fucking use it? Because you didnt have to pay anything for it and dont care. I hate assholes like that. |
What kind of fucking idiot would ask to borrow some stranger's car? |
brand new strangers car. |
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That circular saw story sounds familiar. Another neighbor of mine, one who is actually a good friend asked to borrow my rototiller, not only for him but for another neighbor friend as well. I thought that was rather ballsy and weak at the same time that the other neighbor didn't come ask. At least he was up front about it vs. borrowing it and then loaning it out. Anyway, I was in the same boat, I just thought about the whole situation and wanted my tiller back, I didn't need it but it didn't need to be sitting down there either so I made up an excuse to get it back and felt weird about it, same thing I don't need an excuse for MY FUCKING TILLER.  So, I got it back, dirty as hell and empty on gas, I'm still pissed about that one because he should know better. If he ever asks for anything again, and I'm sure it will happen the answer will be no. I can see him asking for the tiller again as it's also an edger, aerator and dethatcher...... Hell, maybe I just need to move. |
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When I was just outta highschool (bout 20 years ago)I had a pretty nice craftsman mechanics toolset that my dad bought me(cost a couple hundred bucks at the time), had the toolbox with the drawers and stuff, and I had everything organized with all the sockets on holders and stuff, even had the drawer liners and all. Anyway this A-hole friend of mine asked to borrow them to do some work on his car, I said sure. He had them for a few days before I asked about em and he told he didn't even have em cause he loaned em to some fucker I didn't even know.  So anyhow I told him to get em back... took a coulpea weeks for that too happen, and when I he brought em over the box looked like someone hit it with a sledge hammer(all this stuff was prestine because I took pride in it, working on cars with my dad was a big deal to me), lid wouldn't even shut right. Then I opened up the box and I swear to God there weren't any of my original tools left in that thing other than some loose sockets. All the sweet rachets and drivers were gone and few were replaced with rusty/crusty old chinese crap you'd by ala cart at schucks or the supermarket. All the nicely organized sockets and their holders were disappeared and just a buncha random, unmatched sockets were thrown in the bottom of the box.I literally laughed out loud asking him WTF happened to my tools. I told him he was buying me a new set, and he did fork over, but that tought me a lesson about "loaning" tools. Only a select few that I know will care for things like they paid for them themselves will ever get their hands on my stuff, and it won't be any strangers or aquaintences. Seriously, what kinda douchbag, jackass loans out some other guys tools????
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Hey how's this for borrowing tools... A few years ago a guy I only knew 'cause I'd see him walking his dog past my place asked if he could borrow my (new)air compressor and nailer... He was building a very elaborate fence at his place just a few houses up from mine... 'Seemed like a nice fella... I had spoken with him a few times on the street... And I wasn't using the compressor/nailer at the time... My wife and I were about to leave on vacation so I said sure.... He took the tools and manual as I didn't have time to show him how to use/adjust things... We go away for a coule weeks and upon our return I expect to get a visit from the guy to return my tools.... I mean the fence he was building looked finished. Nothing for a couple weeks... Then we hear through the neibourhood gossip that the guy committed suicide. Fawk... If your gonna kill yerself at least have the courtesy to return my stuff! Imagine how awkward it felt to knock on his widows door and ask for my stuff back. I mean... I had never met his wife and she had no idea where the compressor in their garage had come from. She apologized and let me retrieve my gear. Thinking back I should have told her that her late husband also owed me $50 |