Can you say no? Or do you say yes?

I was sitting in the garden when the front gate’s we’re being shaken,
It was a man ive seen about three times driving past in the last year, I managed to get to the gate and greet this stranger,
I did not know his name and he never offered to say who he was,

It worked out he’d seen my tractor sticking out of the Barn Doors,

It’s not 12months old and I do look after it, As i did the last one i had,
I was asked if I’d used it of late?

I replied no not latley, as ive got leg trouble,
The visitor said yes he’d heard, And then said "Cancer is’nt it ?

Yes I replied, I was then asked if he could have use of the tractor for a few weeks and the use of the long ladder’s you’ve chained to the side of the Barn,
As he had work to do in his garden and gutter’s need unblocking,

I really could not believe this man had the nerve not only not to introduce himself or say we’re he lived, But to ask for the use of these tools,

I asked who told him about my health problem,

He replied he asked the post Lady ref the tractor & she told him I was ill and of late had not been doing his garden and that was why the tractor was not put away,

He then said he could take the tractor later on in the week !!!

No i said, I do not lend out tools /ladder’‘s or tractor’ trailer etc etc,

Oh he said,

I’d be willing to return it full of fuel ,

Again I said No, And the vehicle was only Insured in my name,

He stood up and walked away just as my wife returned,
She bid him an Hello and got no reply as he went through the gate and down the path,

After telling her the reason for his visit “She explained” One of our four neighbours was asked for coffee,as he’d run out of his,
She asked if he lived local, and got no reply, But she gave him a pkt of coffee,
Now we are wondering whats going on,

He is english and we’re thinking he may come from the next Hamlet about two miles away,

Did any of you have such an experience ? And if so ? How did you sort it out?

Do you say No,

When I was an apprentice training as a mechanical fitter and machinist I asked my boss who was working on the next machine, if I could borrow a spanner. He passed me the spanner but said I will lend it you this once, but now you know that you need this particular spanner you will have to buy one…

To this day I never forgot those words and very rarely lend out tools.
You did right to refuse the use of your tractor and ladder Daniel…
Especially under the circumstances you mentioned.

Well I have given some kit to a friend including an Oscilloscope, A decent fellow he is !

1 Like

Evening Old Grey Fox,
And thanks, I must admit i feel a bit better having read what you had to say,

When in the uk I lived at one point in a semi, 7 houses in all,
One day I got a knock on the door and it was furthest neighbour from us,
I’d see hime every now and then but we’d never spoke, And as we both worked we never really had any long chats with any of them,
I was asked if he could use my trailer to take some rubbish to the local council tip,

I got the trailer from the rear of the house connected it up to his car and asked when I would see the trailer again,

Oh later on to night,

7pm and the trailer was back,

I asked if every thing went well ?
No was the reply followed by if I had Insurance for the trailer as he’d jack knifed the trailer and damaged his rear light and bumper,?

No mention of any damage to my trailer, (my trailer was an unpainted metal one & no sign of any damage)

I said the trailer was Insured while it was on my van and i was driving the van, But not for anyone elses use,
His reply was he’d have to pay out of his pocket for the light damage & bumper as he was not going to loose his no -claimes,

He never spoke to me again or waved when he was outside his house And it was then i thought it was time I woke up,

But if your are having a dull day and want a laugh?
Go and park up in the likes of council tip’s and watch the drivers trying to put the trailer “back wards” with out unhitching it from the car,

These drivers have that "I will do it like the HGV drivers do “At any cost”

1 Like

There is an old saying " Never a lender or borrower be". Having said that I have actually given away to a nex door neighbour a petrol hedge trimmer and a karcher pressure washer to my son. This is because I wanted to, not because either had asked

And very grateful he was too…
:+1:
You are indeed a gentleman Bes…

1 Like

daniel I would not have lent this guy my ladder, he sounds like a Rung-un :icon_wink:

1 Like

Blimey he sounds a cheeky so and so. I think you showed great patience and politeness.

Hi spitfire,
The ladder he had his eye’s on is what the english window cleaners call “A Froggy” because the second half of the ladder goe’s into a point and was common in the fruit picking dept’s,
So he was pointed rung un,