Author Topic: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition  (Read 982742 times)

talltexan

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1500 on: December 06, 2021, 08:53:09 AM »

I'm a learner driver in Europe and I'm choosing to only learn to drive an automatic. I'm not going to own a car, I'm only going to use company cars (full fleet is electric) and maybe rent a car very occasionally, and all the cheap rentals are electric these days. I don't expect to rent a car more than once a year seeing as I've succesfully lived for 31 years without a driver's license. In almost all cases it's cheaper to get large stuff delivered rather than rent a car to pick it up and everyone I visit lives near major transit hubs. If it wasn't for my job I would never have gotten a license.

I could spend a ton of extra money to also learn how to drive and get a license for a manual car, but it's 2021, chances of me ever getting into a situation where I would need to drive a stick car are so low that it's simply not worth spending the extra €500 or so in lessons. 10 years from now petrol cars have probably disappeared.

I was going to say that learning to drive stick is a valuable life skill, then realized I would sound like the people who thought that "slipstick" (sliderule*) skills would always be valuable.
"What about when the batteries die" -- a semi-valid concern for early electronic calculators
I lost, then refound my 1st college calculator many year later, and it still worked on 8+ year old batteries. My grad school calculator (30 years ago) still works on the 1st battery replacement.

*I now realize that I have to put in the definition of slderule https://www.thefreedictionary.com/slide+rule

However, hearing the stories of USA colleagues who didn't know stick driving before picking up a car in Paris are priceless-kostenlos for me, very pricey for Avis France :-) **
    Downshifting from 5th to 2nd at over 110km/hr (70mph) on the Autoroute (Freeway, Autobahn)
    Not knowing how to get into reverse (VW, pull up on gearswitch, then place in reverse) at the wrong Autoroute toll booth lane and having to manually push the car back far enough to get into the correct lane.
   Parking on slope (me).  Result, one stone marker forward knocked over, one tree behind bashed into.

   I only had 5 or so CAR stick experiences before trying to follow a colleague out of Paris CDG Terminal 2 at an excessive speed.  I had been riding motorcycles (almost all of which were manual) so I had a good  grasp  (no pun intended) of clutch operation.

**I'm sure Avis France shudders when a certain well known US logo on a shirt shows up at the counter. If not, they should.  Many stories of destruction beyond just stick misuse.
But they got us one time, since we were Americans and they assumed automatic only, which pushed the price range way up.  A colleague and I got a Citron C6 -- very nice car, good enough for the French President https://automobile.fandom.com/wiki/State_Limousines_of_France,  good enough for us.  The bean counters were enraged that we accepted a Euro6000/month car.

I was teaching college level classes in 2009-2010, and none of the students in those classes had any idea what a slide rule was.

Sibley

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1501 on: December 06, 2021, 11:07:48 AM »

I'm a learner driver in Europe and I'm choosing to only learn to drive an automatic. I'm not going to own a car, I'm only going to use company cars (full fleet is electric) and maybe rent a car very occasionally, and all the cheap rentals are electric these days. I don't expect to rent a car more than once a year seeing as I've succesfully lived for 31 years without a driver's license. In almost all cases it's cheaper to get large stuff delivered rather than rent a car to pick it up and everyone I visit lives near major transit hubs. If it wasn't for my job I would never have gotten a license.

I could spend a ton of extra money to also learn how to drive and get a license for a manual car, but it's 2021, chances of me ever getting into a situation where I would need to drive a stick car are so low that it's simply not worth spending the extra €500 or so in lessons. 10 years from now petrol cars have probably disappeared.

I was going to say that learning to drive stick is a valuable life skill, then realized I would sound like the people who thought that "slipstick" (sliderule*) skills would always be valuable.
"What about when the batteries die" -- a semi-valid concern for early electronic calculators
I lost, then refound my 1st college calculator many year later, and it still worked on 8+ year old batteries. My grad school calculator (30 years ago) still works on the 1st battery replacement.

*I now realize that I have to put in the definition of slderule https://www.thefreedictionary.com/slide+rule

However, hearing the stories of USA colleagues who didn't know stick driving before picking up a car in Paris are priceless-kostenlos for me, very pricey for Avis France :-) **
    Downshifting from 5th to 2nd at over 110km/hr (70mph) on the Autoroute (Freeway, Autobahn)
    Not knowing how to get into reverse (VW, pull up on gearswitch, then place in reverse) at the wrong Autoroute toll booth lane and having to manually push the car back far enough to get into the correct lane.
   Parking on slope (me).  Result, one stone marker forward knocked over, one tree behind bashed into.

   I only had 5 or so CAR stick experiences before trying to follow a colleague out of Paris CDG Terminal 2 at an excessive speed.  I had been riding motorcycles (almost all of which were manual) so I had a good  grasp  (no pun intended) of clutch operation.

**I'm sure Avis France shudders when a certain well known US logo on a shirt shows up at the counter. If not, they should.  Many stories of destruction beyond just stick misuse.
But they got us one time, since we were Americans and they assumed automatic only, which pushed the price range way up.  A colleague and I got a Citron C6 -- very nice car, good enough for the French President https://automobile.fandom.com/wiki/State_Limousines_of_France,  good enough for us.  The bean counters were enraged that we accepted a Euro6000/month car.

I was teaching college level classes in 2009-2010, and none of the students in those classes had any idea what a slide rule was.

I'm just a couple years older than your students were, and while I know what a slide rule is I do not know how to use it.

Plina

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1502 on: December 06, 2021, 02:58:46 PM »
Is it a separate license for driving a manual vs an automatic?

In the Netherlands it is, yes. A manual license is considered a "full" license, an automatic is a partial license. If you pass the manual driving test you are also allowed to drive an automatic but not the other way round. If you want to get a full license rather than just an automatic license, you can expect to need 5-10 extra driving lessons on average to learn the skill of using a stick (at €65/lesson). Most kids who get their license at 18 do learn to drive a stick because they're going to use their parents' older vehicles while they're still living at home and most older vehicles are manual. My situation of learning to drive as an adult who is not going to borrow their parent's car is a bit different. At my age I'll statistically need a lot more lessons than a younger driver to pass in the first place, so I decided to not take all those extra lessons for a manual on top of that to save a little bit of money.

I'm surprised it's not a seperate license there, does that mean if you passed your driving test in an automatic, you could still legally drive a manual even though the driving examinator has no idea if you are actually able to do it?

It is the same thing in Sweden. I think the big difference in rental car pricing between manual and automatic have mostly dissappeared as automatics are taking over more and more.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1503 on: December 07, 2021, 04:31:25 AM »
Since we are all putting out funny license stories, my mother learned how to drive agricultural machines 50 years ago in East Germany. (Was part of higher education students had to learn "real work" in the farmer and worker state until a bit later). Think of small tractors.

Even today she is technically allowed to drive those monsters that block 2/3 of country streets. She probably knows less about how to drive them than I do, because I have seen it in a video a few years ago :D


Siebrie

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1504 on: December 07, 2021, 05:26:22 AM »
I have a license for a stick-shift, but didn't drive very often. My friend, who had an automatic company car, allowed me to drive every time we went somewhere together. She had to remind me frequently that just because the stick is automatic, and cruise control is activated, I do still have to engage my brain and apply the brakes!

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1505 on: December 07, 2021, 07:35:06 AM »
The automatic/manual learning curve causes problems both ways.  I learned to drive on a manual.  I owned nothing but manuals until maybe 10 years ago.  I even had a commercial driver's license.  Years ago, my (very small) town's manual ambulance needed work and we were given an automatic loaner ambulance in the interim.  I had no trouble driving my first ever automatic vehicle (lights and siren) to an emergency call, but once there, I was completely unable to park it on a hill in a high stress situation. (Who knew you had to push a button to park?)  Bless the poor firefighter who took over parking so I could treat patients, and d@^^^ the same firefighter who took great pleasure in retelling the story at Holiday parties for years afterwards.
You shouldn't feel bad about that.  A pushbutton emergency brake is one of those "features" that some car companies seem to think is a good idea.

I learned to drive in a manual.  The first time I drove an automatic, I reverted to habit, tried to press the clutch in to shift gears, and hit the brake pedal instead.  Boy, that was an abrupt stop!

Plina

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1506 on: December 07, 2021, 08:57:38 AM »
I have a license for a stick-shift, but didn't drive very often. My friend, who had an automatic company car, allowed me to drive every time we went somewhere together. She had to remind me frequently that just because the stick is automatic, and cruise control is activated, I do still have to engage my brain and apply the brakes!

In some Volvo modeld I have driven it automatically breaks when it catches another car. I took a while before I realised that the first time I drove one.

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1507 on: December 07, 2021, 12:37:42 PM »
The first time I drove an automatic I was pulling into a parking spot and thought "Oh, I'm supposed to put the lever in 'P' when I park", so I threw it into Park while I was still doing maybe 10mph. Oops, screech! It wasn't my car, either. No damage, afaik.

I gave up driving stick when I had a work commute that involved a couple of thousand gear changes at 0-25mph...it was just too much. Now I work from home and barely drive at all :)

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1508 on: December 07, 2021, 01:05:29 PM »
On vacation several years back, we rented a car that was very similar to my car at home, only manual instead of automatic (can’t get the manual version here).  After two weeks of driving the manual, we flew back and jumped in my car for the trip home. I jammed my left foot into the floorboards a few times only to discover there was no clutch. Then I had the automatic transmission in manual mode and intended to shift up from 3rd to 4th as I passed someone on a hill, but instead downshifted from 3rd to 2nd at about 60 mph (I pushed the lever in what would have been the right direction if I had still been in the rental). It was a big surprise, and I was probably lucky not to be rear-ended after such an abrupt slowdown with no brake lights. Later in the drive, the alternator failed. Maybe it was age, maybe it was the 11-year-old battery, or maybe it was because I shifted wrong.

tl;dr  switching between manual and automatic versions of the same car can cause confusion and cost a lot of money.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2021, 03:08:15 PM by Taran Wanderer »

Kris

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1509 on: December 07, 2021, 01:34:43 PM »
On vacation several years back, we rented a car that was very similar to my car at home, only manual instead of automatic (can’t get the manual version here).  After two weeks of driving the manual, we flew back and jumped in my car for the trip home. I jammed my left food into the floorboards a few times only to discover there was no clutch. Then I had the automatic transmission in manual mode and intended to shift up from 3rd to 4th as I passed someone on a hill, but instead downshifted from 3rd to 2nd at about 60 mph (I pushed the lever in what would have been the right direction if I had still been in the rental). It was a big surprise, and I was probably lucky not to be rear-ended after such an abrupt slowdown with no brake lights. Later in the drive, the alternator failed. Maybe it was age, maybe it was the 11-year-old battery, or maybe it was because I shifted wrong.

tl;dr  switching between manual and automatic versions of the same car can cause confusion and cost a lot of money.

I always had manual transmission cars from the time I bought my first one. Then I married a guy who suuuuucked at driving stick. After months of listening to him grind my gears every time he shifted, the next car I bought, I got an automatic.

Those first few months were HARD. I used to have to jam my left leg/foot all the way back and against the driver's seat door so I wouldn't forget and mistakenly push the brake thinking it was the clutch. I finally got used to it, but it took a lot longer than I thought it would.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1510 on: December 07, 2021, 03:38:59 PM »
Glad I’m not the only one who slams the brake when i switch from manual to auto (haven’t driven manual in a long time though)


Siebrie

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1511 on: December 10, 2021, 05:30:14 AM »
An older one (as in, seen in my previous job, about 6 years ago): my boss, Head of an International Legal Department in a company of about 40,000 employees, had a pinstripe suit changed into a very elegant pinstripe dress. It was much cheaper to change the suit than to buy a new dress.

TomTX

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1512 on: December 12, 2021, 04:13:23 PM »
An older one (as in, seen in my previous job, about 6 years ago): my boss, Head of an International Legal Department in a company of about 40,000 employees, had a pinstripe suit changed into a very elegant pinstripe dress. It was much cheaper to change the suit than to buy a new dress.

Interesting. Was the dress for themselves, or someone else?

Either way, sounds like a good use of resources.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1513 on: December 12, 2021, 06:33:52 PM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1514 on: December 13, 2021, 07:17:34 AM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

NorthernIkigai

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1515 on: December 13, 2021, 07:40:08 AM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

It doesn’t really matter for the story, though, does it? I’m more confused about how a suit can be made into a (nice enough that it’s worth the expense of having it altered so radically) dress, but then again I’m kinda sartorially challenged.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1516 on: December 13, 2021, 10:45:53 AM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

It doesn’t really matter for the story, though, does it? I’m more confused about how a suit can be made into a (nice enough that it’s worth the expense of having it altered so radically) dress, but then again I’m kinda sartorially challenged.


That was my issue.  I can see taking the fabric from pants for a skirt, but the end result would be a skirted suit, not a dress.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1517 on: December 13, 2021, 10:58:18 AM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

It doesn’t really matter for the story, though, does it? I’m more confused about how a suit can be made into a (nice enough that it’s worth the expense of having it altered so radically) dress, but then again I’m kinda sartorially challenged.


That was my issue.  I can see taking the fabric from pants for a skirt, but the end result would be a skirted suit, not a dress.

Unless they lost a LOT of weight

Sugaree

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1518 on: December 13, 2021, 12:37:49 PM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

It doesn’t really matter for the story, though, does it? I’m more confused about how a suit can be made into a (nice enough that it’s worth the expense of having it altered so radically) dress, but then again I’m kinda sartorially challenged.


That was my issue.  I can see taking the fabric from pants for a skirt, but the end result would be a skirted suit, not a dress.

I'm kind of picturing something that looks like a skirted suit, but is really a dress with a peplum. Maybe you'd be able to rework the front opening to look like something other than a suit coat. 

Imma

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1519 on: December 14, 2021, 04:38:02 AM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

It doesn’t really matter for the story, though, does it? I’m more confused about how a suit can be made into a (nice enough that it’s worth the expense of having it altered so radically) dress, but then again I’m kinda sartorially challenged.


That was my issue.  I can see taking the fabric from pants for a skirt, but the end result would be a skirted suit, not a dress.

I'm kind of picturing something that looks like a skirted suit, but is really a dress with a peplum. Maybe you'd be able to rework the front opening to look like something other than a suit coat.

You guys should look this up on Pinterest or YouTube. I've seen several great examples of this. It helps if it's a baggy suit or if you've lost weight, but if you take apart the jacket there's usually more than enough fabric for the top half of a dress. You just have to pay attention to how you piece it all together.

NorthernIkigai

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1520 on: December 14, 2021, 07:06:37 AM »
Happily, my work clothes are nowadays either very sporty and comfortable (think merino wool thermal underwear with some kind of outdoor trousers for the commute) for when I’m alone in the office or nice and comfortable (nice stretchy dresses, which feel more or less like nightgowns but are legit work dresses) for when I’m meeting customers. I haven’t worn a pantsuit in about a decade. I hope I will never have to get or wear one again.

Siebrie

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1521 on: December 21, 2021, 04:16:56 AM »
I had to think about that for a moment, and then, challenging my innate biases, I realized that perhaps the boss was a woman who decided she would like a dress rather than a pantsuit. Or I could be wrong?

Isn't it also biased to assume they are a woman?  Couldn't a man also want a dress?

It doesn’t really matter for the story, though, does it? I’m more confused about how a suit can be made into a (nice enough that it’s worth the expense of having it altered so radically) dress, but then again I’m kinda sartorially challenged.


That was my issue.  I can see taking the fabric from pants for a skirt, but the end result would be a skirted suit, not a dress.

I'm kind of picturing something that looks like a skirted suit, but is really a dress with a peplum. Maybe you'd be able to rework the front opening to look like something other than a suit coat.

You guys should look this up on Pinterest or YouTube. I've seen several great examples of this. It helps if it's a baggy suit or if you've lost weight, but if you take apart the jacket there's usually more than enough fabric for the top half of a dress. You just have to pay attention to how you piece it all together.
It was/is a woman. The pants were flared, and the lady really slim. Plenty of fabric for the seamstress to work with for a kneelength dress. It became a wraparound with a bow on the left, if I remember correctly.
« Last Edit: December 21, 2021, 06:36:57 AM by Siebrie »

Siebrie

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1522 on: July 12, 2022, 03:47:39 AM »
I seem to have killed the thread :)

I have another example to revive it!

My current boss (of our 3-person NGO, makes about €8.000/month gross) on the phone with her husband, who seems to be in a supermarket: "well, you need 1kg of sugar for 1kg of fruit. Oh, not enough sugar on the shelf? You know what, I still have some sachets of pectin at home from that trial we did a few years ago; we'll use those."

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1523 on: July 13, 2022, 03:41:22 AM »
I seem to have killed the thread :)

I have another example to revive it!

My current boss (of our 3-person NGO, makes about €8.000/month gross) on the phone with her husband, who seems to be in a supermarket: "well, you need 1kg of sugar for 1kg of fruit. Oh, not enough sugar on the shelf? You know what, I still have some sachets of pectin at home from that trial we did a few years ago; we'll use those."
What? Where does she live, a fucking McMansion? She should have used that up years ago and make space!!!

Siebrie

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1524 on: July 14, 2022, 03:26:51 AM »
She lives in a well-built well-designed detached house (definitely not a McMansion) where her 3 sons grew up, who have now moved out. She has a basement, an attic and a pantry. And a veg & fruit plot :)

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1525 on: July 19, 2022, 09:27:58 AM »
I seem to have killed the thread :)


It’s an 8 year old thread most of the early commenters are no longer at work

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1526 on: July 19, 2022, 11:07:07 AM »
I seem to have killed the thread :)


It’s an 8 year old thread most of the early commenters are no longer at work

Also, of those still working, more might be working from home/remote, or on a hybrid cycle, hence less workplace stories to share.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1527 on: July 19, 2022, 11:08:47 AM »
At work, the president and I fixed a toilet this morning.  The flush handle had broken.  Somebody went through the trouble of putting up "out of order" signs, putting tape across the toilet, and going to the hardware store to buy a replacement....but then left it at that, despite the illustrated instructions on the back of the packaging.

Our company has always been kind of...scrappy?, and the president wants to keep it that way.  By "scrappy" I mean we try to be resourceful and figure out how to solve problems instead of just throwing money at them.  The president is more than willing to spend money where it makes sense, but if a toilet get plugged or a light bulb burns out, it's fine for a senior engineer to go fix it.  As the company grows, he's trying to avoid the bloat, inefficiency and corporate-style hogwash that commonly creeps in.  It's tough.  We have one admin who is continually pushing to "civilize" (my term) the company--she spent a few days painting her office (with permission) and circulates birthday cards every month for people to sign, and we now have monthly company cookouts, and when I arrived today there were two large flower pots flanking the entrance.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1528 on: July 19, 2022, 11:45:56 PM »
How many senior engineers do you need in a bog corporation to fix a light bulb?

None, because it's forbidden. You have to do a bidding process and give it to the cheapest outside company, because that is more efficient!

moof

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1529 on: July 20, 2022, 01:04:29 AM »
How many senior engineers do you need in a bog corporation to fix a light bulb?

None, because it's forbidden. You have to do a bidding process and give it to the cheapest outside company, because that is more efficient!
I once witnessed two senior engineers spend two days dismantling and repairing a coffee maker.  Roughly $3800 at our bill rate to avoid $500 for a new machine.  The repair lasted about 2 months.

glacio09

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1530 on: July 20, 2022, 06:35:05 AM »
How many senior engineers do you need in a bog corporation to fix a light bulb?

None, because it's forbidden. You have to do a bidding process and give it to the cheapest outside company, because that is more efficient!
I once witnessed two senior engineers spend two days dismantling and repairing a coffee maker.  Roughly $3800 at our bill rate to avoid $500 for a new machine.  The repair lasted about 2 months.

Yes, but their enjoyment was priceless.

ATtiny85

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1531 on: July 20, 2022, 07:03:38 AM »
How many senior engineers do you need in a bog corporation to fix a light bulb?

None, because it's forbidden. You have to do a bidding process and give it to the cheapest outside company, because that is more efficient!
I once witnessed two senior engineers spend two days dismantling and repairing a coffee maker.  Roughly $3800 at our bill rate to avoid $500 for a new machine.  The repair lasted about 2 months.

Reminds me of an anecdote someone sent to Scott Adams and he put in his first Dilbert book. Copy machine was broken, so a couple engineers took it all apart to make it “easier” for the technician to fix. Uh, not so much. I don’t remember the actual defect but it was something that is simple to diagnose and even simpler to fix…assuming the machine is together.

There’s a lot of counter examples as well of course. I’ve seen a dump truck (about a million bucks each all in) product line fixed by one real damn clever engineer who was not even involved in product engineering. Rear wheel assemblies where going to fall off, which is not the best thing to happen with a loaded truck.

lifeisshort123

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1532 on: July 25, 2022, 08:25:56 AM »
One day in lunchroom

Well, we have lots of credit card debt, but it really isn’t a big deal.  We just pay it at 0%.  And then when we haven’t paid it off, we just transfer it to another card at 0%.  So it really isn’t a big deal, because it is all at 0%.

Seems like a great way to build wealth….

Same person said on another occasion they and their husband have no plan to retire and will just work until they die.

dandarc

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1533 on: July 25, 2022, 09:15:45 AM »
One day in lunchroom

Well, we have lots of credit card debt, but it really isn’t a big deal.  We just pay it at 0%.  And then when we haven’t paid it off, we just transfer it to another card at 0%.  So it really isn’t a big deal, because it is all at 0%.

Seems like a great way to build wealth….

Same person said on another occasion they and their husband have no plan to retire and will just work until they die.
Tried that - the X factor for me is the stress around only actually having ~1-2 years locked in at the 3-5% fee. Effectively getting a pretty good interest rate so long as you can roll-over at the end of the promotional interest rate. Those 0% offers went away for a while in 2020 (at least the standing ones on existing cards did). They have come back but the risk of not being able to do the rollover remains pretty front-of-mind for me. So I'm unwinding it for non-financial reasons. I probably should have done this move much earlier than I did - raising $30K via balance transfers when you've only got $30K has more impact compared to doing so when you've got another zero or two.

SwordGuy

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1534 on: July 25, 2022, 09:23:04 AM »
I've never seen a 0% rollover offer that didn't come with an up-front fee that amounted to several % of the balance.

Do 0% fee, 0% interest offers really exist?

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1535 on: July 25, 2022, 11:09:05 AM »
I've never seen a 0% rollover offer that didn't come with an up-front fee that amounted to several % of the balance.

Do 0% fee, 0% interest offers really exist?


Supposedly Navy Federal has one.  I joined with them so that a family member could join through me and attempt to get that offer. 

Dave1442397

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1536 on: July 25, 2022, 01:24:16 PM »
I've never seen a 0% rollover offer that didn't come with an up-front fee that amounted to several % of the balance.

Do 0% fee, 0% interest offers really exist?

I got a 0/0 offer from Chase Slate back in early 2017. I put the last $12k we owed on it and paid it off before the interest-free period ran out.

ducky19

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1537 on: July 25, 2022, 01:25:52 PM »
The 0% offers have come back in full force here. I get several emails, mailers, etc. per day telling me about them. Most are at a 3-4% fee, but the local credit union does offer one without a transfer fee. In my experience, those are the places to look if you want to try to find one.

dandarc

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1538 on: July 25, 2022, 01:33:33 PM »
I've never seen a 0% rollover offer that didn't come with an up-front fee that amounted to several % of the balance.

Do 0% fee, 0% interest offers really exist?
I imagine it is possible for a 0/0 offer, probably as an enticement for a new card, but I'm usually viewing "4% fee, 0% interest for 16 months" or whatever a particular card offers as pretty cheap money. Not as good a deal as a sub 4% 30 year mortgage because there's no guarantee you'll be able to make a transfer for those same "4% fee, 0% interest for 16 month" term down the road vs. the 30 year fixed interest rate with a mortgage, but if we're only looking at the monetary costs of borrowing, paying a 3-5% fee every 12-24 months while enjoying 0% interest is on-par, sometimes better with fixed mortgage interest rates.

lifeisshort123

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1539 on: July 25, 2022, 02:50:31 PM »
At least once a week I get a letter in the mail from Citi inviting me to take advantage of it.  I often get the opportunity to do so with discovery as well.

If I were more entrepreneurial, I would take out say 10k in credit card loans and purchase iBonds with them.  Even with the 3% charge, I would make money guaranteed in the amount of time the loans would be valid for.  However, I am not that entrepreneurial, and prefer to just not have credit card debt. 

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1540 on: July 26, 2022, 08:17:56 AM »
At least once a week I get a letter in the mail from Citi inviting me to take advantage of it.  I often get the opportunity to do so with discovery as well.

If I were more entrepreneurial, I would take out say 10k in credit card loans and purchase iBonds with them.  Even with the 3% charge, I would make money guaranteed in the amount of time the loans would be valid for.  However, I am not that entrepreneurial, and prefer to just not have credit card debt.

The problem with that credit card debt is that it has to be repaid regardless of whether the investment keeps up with inflation. I find that when I carry consumer debt, even if I'm in a position to pay it all off instantly, I have a higher level of free-floating stress than I would have otherwise.

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1541 on: July 26, 2022, 08:48:56 AM »
At least once a week I get a letter in the mail from Citi inviting me to take advantage of it.  I often get the opportunity to do so with discovery as well.

If I were more entrepreneurial, I would take out say 10k in credit card loans and purchase iBonds with them.  Even with the 3% charge, I would make money guaranteed in the amount of time the loans would be valid for.  However, I am not that entrepreneurial, and prefer to just not have credit card debt.

The problem with that credit card debt is that it has to be repaid regardless of whether the investment keeps up with inflation. I find that when I carry consumer debt, even if I'm in a position to pay it all off instantly, I have a higher level of free-floating stress than I would have otherwise.

We are floating part of our ibonds purchase on a 0% cc (so not even the loan fee) at the moment. I only stress about how much to pay for a few minutes each month.

sonofsven

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1542 on: July 26, 2022, 09:00:44 AM »
At least once a week I get a letter in the mail from Citi inviting me to take advantage of it.  I often get the opportunity to do so with discovery as well.

If I were more entrepreneurial, I would take out say 10k in credit card loans and purchase iBonds with them.  Even with the 3% charge, I would make money guaranteed in the amount of time the loans would be valid for.  However, I am not that entrepreneurial, and prefer to just not have credit card debt.

The problem with that credit card debt is that it has to be repaid regardless of whether the investment keeps up with inflation. I find that when I carry consumer debt, even if I'm in a position to pay it all off instantly, I have a higher level of free-floating stress than I would have otherwise.

We are floating part of our ibonds purchase on a 0% cc (so not even the loan fee) at the moment. I only stress about how much to pay for a few minutes each month.

Can you use a credit card at the Treasury Direct site?

lifeisshort123

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1543 on: July 26, 2022, 04:14:57 PM »
I don’t believe you can buy the iBonds directly with a credit card, but maybe there is a way.

ixtap

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1544 on: July 26, 2022, 04:31:16 PM »
At least once a week I get a letter in the mail from Citi inviting me to take advantage of it.  I often get the opportunity to do so with discovery as well.

If I were more entrepreneurial, I would take out say 10k in credit card loans and purchase iBonds with them.  Even with the 3% charge, I would make money guaranteed in the amount of time the loans would be valid for.  However, I am not that entrepreneurial, and prefer to just not have credit card debt.

The problem with that credit card debt is that it has to be repaid regardless of whether the investment keeps up with inflation. I find that when I carry consumer debt, even if I'm in a position to pay it all off instantly, I have a higher level of free-floating stress than I would have otherwise.

We are floating part of our ibonds purchase on a 0% cc (so not even the loan fee) at the moment. I only stress about how much to pay for a few minutes each month.

Can you use a credit card at the Treasury Direct site?

No, we paid for our cruise and some other things with the credit card (as we would have even without the 0% APR) and used our cash to buy Ibonds instead of paying down the card immediately.

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1545 on: July 26, 2022, 05:11:01 PM »
The problem with that credit card debt is that it has to be repaid regardless of whether the investment keeps up with inflation. I find that when I carry consumer debt, even if I'm in a position to pay it all off instantly, I have a higher level of free-floating stress than I would have otherwise.

I hear that. This month, I have a rewards card with a store than is switching from one back to another. I can’t decide if I’ll keep the card, but until I decide, I don’t want a balance switching over to the new bank. Meanwhile, the old bank wasn’t creating a statement. I finally had to just check the balance and pay the monthly bill to the old bank without the statement. (The official account transition date is 8/5.)

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1546 on: July 28, 2022, 10:52:56 AM »
I don’t believe you can buy the iBonds directly with a credit card, but maybe there is a way.

If you overpay your taxes you can get some refund in i bonds .  You can pay taxes with a CC but there is a fee. 

okisok

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1547 on: September 19, 2022, 05:09:15 PM »
Today a coworker mentioned they and their spouse paid off all student loans in two years by keeping to a $120/month grocery budget for that time. This was in the past few years, not 'back in the day'. I'm hoping to be able to ask what else they did, if anything.

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1548 on: September 20, 2022, 07:19:55 AM »
Today a coworker mentioned they and their spouse paid off all student loans in two years by keeping to a $120/month grocery budget for that time. This was in the past few years, not 'back in the day'. I'm hoping to be able to ask what else they did, if anything.
Wow, that is remarkable dedication.  Kudos!

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Re: Overheard at Work: The Anti-Antimustachian Edition
« Reply #1549 on: September 20, 2022, 07:19:24 PM »
The problem with that credit card debt is that it has to be repaid regardless of whether the investment keeps up with inflation. I find that when I carry consumer debt, even if I'm in a position to pay it all off instantly, I have a higher level of free-floating stress than I would have otherwise.

I hear that. This month, I have a rewards card with a store than is switching from one back to another. I can’t decide if I’ll keep the card, but until I decide, I don’t want a balance switching over to the new bank. Meanwhile, the old bank wasn’t creating a statement. I finally had to just check the balance and pay the monthly bill to the old bank without the statement. (The official account transition date is 8/5.)

I think I have the same rewards card. New interface doesn't seem any worse than the last one. The extra 0.5% cash back elsewhere doesn't matter since I only use the card for the merchant and previously to pay my family phone plan since it provided free insurance. Sadly it seems like that is not carrying over to the new bank.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!