Author Topic: Tyre buster story  (Read 3650 times)

Doug

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Tyre buster story
« on: August 30, 2006, 04:44:58 AM »
Trying to get stuff done around the house tonight and I looked over and saw the right rear on my car half flat, I picked up nail some place ( not impressed ) So I drove over to Canadian Tire ( local hard ware chain in Canada ) to get it fixed. I hate buying auto parts there or service because they're hacks of the wost kind but I needed that tyre fixed for work in the morning. They made me wait of course and wait and I heard ome for the mechanics in the back making cracks about some guy they call "the claw". The tyre buster also was cleaning the shop and serving propane so he took a long time to fix my flat. But he was a young kid and he seemed to care what he was doing, the hack at the dealer had the bolts on my wheel so tight I would have never got them of but the kid worked at for about 15 minuts, he did a good job on the patch and plug too. and he spun the tyre but told me he had no weights for aluminum rims and said it wasn't bad so I took his word and went into the front to pay and complain about the slow service ( not the kids fault he was the only guy moving at a perceptable speed ) and lack of a ballance. They did the job for free. Nothing in life is actualy free so I bought a box of doughnuts and a coffee for the kid an came back a little while later. Somebody found some weights and the kid ballanced it again and still for free and again I heard some cracks about the claw and thought nothing of it. The kid installed my tyre and torqued it with a wrench, not an impact ( this impressed me even more that he knew what to set a torque wrench too and did the job right ).

Then I noticed his left thumb was realy stubby, about half normal size and he was missing a finger. He was "The Claw". I saw red for a minut here was a young man probaly a high school student working hard doing a good job and those other clowns were mocking him.

That pissed me off so much I went into the office and took my doughnuts back. I left them with the kid in the back sweeping the floor and gave him my card with the advice " Finnish your schooling, go to trade school and call me someday when your ready with a copy of your marks. If they're good enough I'll drop some names in Copper Cliff and see if I can get you an interview with the HR.

I see lots of young people in the trades these days I want to kick in the back side because they are lazy or think the world owes them something for going to school and just aren't willing to start at the bottom and do a good job. Then I saw a young man with a work ethic getting mocked for a minor birth defect that didn't slow him down. I watched that kid for an hour and half sweep fill propane bust tyres and run for parts no bitching no slacking and not even a word unless I pried it out of him. If I still had my buisness I would have hired him on the spot and made an electrician out him....

Doug

twombo

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Re: Tyre buster story
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2006, 05:27:04 AM »
You are a "mensch", Doug.  I like your style!! I hope the kid takes you up on your offer!!!

I'll take  hard worker with a good attitude and few skills over a guy with a bad attitude and pro skills any any of the week. First guy is money in the bank, the second is a pain in the ass!

Mike

Doug

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Re: Tyre buster story
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2006, 05:56:29 AM »
They're all a pain, one time I went there for tyres and some clown took my old ones off and tossed them in a bin only come back a half hour later to tell me they don't have my size...

I hate new hires that can't do a job. Whatthe hell am I suposed to do with a 120 pound 21 year old girly aprentice? I hang cable that weighs more than she does!
Don't get me wrong I like women and see nothing wrong with them in the work force. But I want them big, with man hands and preferable with a mustach ( or at least just ugly, don't need any distractions on my beat! )

Doug

Copybell

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Re: Tyre buster story
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2006, 07:11:34 AM »
Doug,
   You are the reason songs like Louis Armstong's It's a Wonderful World are written.

Best regards,
Copybell
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contango

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Re: Tyre buster story
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2006, 07:39:14 AM »
Doug,
You are a "Mensch" for sure!!! Encourage the youngsters with the work ethic to get into the trades!!!
BTW, as for repairing (plugging) nice, small, round punctures in tubeless tires, I once was a small time racing tire dealer/ mounter/ schlepper/ balancer, and I had a small line of snow plow trucks on the side. Let's say I got good at "fixing" tires. Go to a good auto parts place there and get one of the "tire repair kits" that have the "rubberized" rope/twine stuff with the goofy "crochet needle" looking tool. In addition to that, look around the garage for a sharp knife, needle nose pliers, and a funky small tapered round file. Grind the file to a sharp point. This method is really quick and effective. You can do it "on the truck". Pull the nail, Clean up the hole with the file if you need to, jam the "rubber/rope" plug in like the directions say, wind (twist), trim, done. If you work FAST and if the hole isn't too big, you won't loose very much air either. I've used this method on everything from mowers to 140 MPH $500 ea. Formula Atlantic tires. It works.    

Doug

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Re: Tyre buster story
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2006, 12:13:37 AM »
"Mensch" ah its a Yiddish word meaning good person. Well I'm blushing a wee bit....

There are a lot of people who would disagree because I'm opinionated and say whats on my mind regardless of who is around, I hold grudges, and get even. But I believe in far play, honesty, loyalty like most people. Lots of people here would have said something to those guys if they had been in my possition if I'm any judge of character from the posts I read here.

Some REAL "Mensch" I know.

"Stan The Man", retired security gaurd who went back to work for the extra bucks required to raise his twin grand daughters

"Mitchel" old guy with high blood presure diabetes missing fingers and scars from an industrial accident and enough years under his belt to also retire but still driving that dump truck to raise troubled kids.

"Pops" the unemployed lock smith who took me home to his family for Christmas, the winter of 91 when I was alone in the res in college and had no place to go.

And as a side note kpgw A plug was what I wanted in the first place but I'm told tyre shops won't use them anymore, some new law....

Doug

Twinscrew

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Re: Tyre buster story
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2006, 09:00:58 PM »
Doug, you sound alot like me. Same qualities, most good, some could use improvement. ALWAYS willing to reward effort. Chances are "The Claw" will do one of two things. He'll either let all of the ridicule fuel his determination to succeed. And based on your observations of his drive and work habits, this is what will happen. Or......... he will let the torments build up inside and one day "GO POSTAL" with an AK-47 seeking revenge on anyone who had a laugh at his expense. Nature has a way of working things out. You can rest assured that you had a positive impact on that kid, and he will probably never forget you or even what size and brand of tire he patched for you. You did the right thing.