Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252786 times)

Metric Mouse

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13150 on: April 28, 2016, 05:55:31 AM »
Is it actually possible though?  Is there any intrinsic value in a name brand purse if no one recognizes the brand value?  If the brand is not adding to the value, then isn't the only value the function of the item?  I suppose design and material could factor in a bit, but there's really no way I can see to value a purse at $2k unless you count brand awareness as some value.

I would argue it is possible. If she really wanted, for example, a blue leather handbag with red velvet interior and a special pocket for her custom cigarette case, she may have to pay a premium for a brand name bag that has all of those features. It's over priced on its merits, but to get exactly what one wants it may be worth it (for them) to pay for more than the sum of its parts. It would have nothing to do with the brand.

Clearly I'm not arguing that a purse is worth $2K. But to get that quality, great looking handbag that you've always wanted? Might be worth it to someone, regardless of what name is stitched on the tag.

plainjane

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13151 on: April 28, 2016, 06:03:56 AM »
Back on topic: I have a cube mate who recently showed up to work with a new Louis Vuitton purse, promptly showing it off to everyone. Never having seen one before, I had to Google it to find out that it costs ~$2,000. She told me that she had been saving up for it for awhile, and that it was to reward herself.  When I mentioned it was good she had at least not put such an extravagant purchase on a credit card, she qualified her previous statement by saying that she had "mostly saved up for it, but still had to put the rest on a credit card."
The confusing part is that we live in a city where no one would be able to identify the purse as the status symbol she was hoping to acquire. In other words, our city is not known for its cognizance of high fashion :-)
Maybe she bought the purse for herself because she finds joy in it, rather than to show off to others? Being excited about something that brings one joy is a normal reaction.
Is it actually possible though?  Is there any intrinsic value in a name brand purse if no one recognizes the brand value?  If the brand is not adding to the value, then isn't the only value the function of the item?  I suppose design and material could factor in a bit, but there's really no way I can see to value a purse at $2k unless you count brand awareness as some value.

A big part of the value of the brand name is to the person who purchases it and the subset of people who likewise recognize it.  It is a clan identifier to both yourself & others.  You aren't the target - it isn't important that everyone knows, just the one group.  There may only be 100 other people in your city who are the target.  And it isn't just the people in the city who might see it - she's also claiming membership to the worldwide group of people who have & want to have this bag. 

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13152 on: April 28, 2016, 06:11:28 AM »
Is it actually possible though?  Is there any intrinsic value in a name brand purse if no one recognizes the brand value?  If the brand is not adding to the value, then isn't the only value the function of the item?  I suppose design and material could factor in a bit, but there's really no way I can see to value a purse at $2k unless you count brand awareness as some value.

I would argue it is possible. If she really wanted, for example, a blue leather handbag with red velvet interior and a special pocket for her custom cigarette case, she may have to pay a premium for a brand name bag that has all of those features. It's over priced on its merits, but to get exactly what one wants it may be worth it (for them) to pay for more than the sum of its parts. It would have nothing to do with the brand.

Clearly I'm not arguing that a purse is worth $2K. But to get that quality, great looking handbag that you've always wanted? Might be worth it to someone, regardless of what name is stitched on the tag.

Am I on the wrong board?!? Colleague has bought a $2k bag on credit.

This was overheard at work and is anti-mustachian.

This is the board where we mock our colleagues for financial decisions we think are foolish. Sometimes we may judge someone unfairly, mostly we don't because most of the tales here are hilariously spendy.

Might I suggest a separate thread for the justification of the purchase of $2k bags and $600k houses?

ender

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13153 on: April 28, 2016, 06:20:37 AM »
Is it actually possible though?  Is there any intrinsic value in a name brand purse if no one recognizes the brand value?  If the brand is not adding to the value, then isn't the only value the function of the item?  I suppose design and material could factor in a bit, but there's really no way I can see to value a purse at $2k unless you count brand awareness as some value.

I would argue it is possible. If she really wanted, for example, a blue leather handbag with red velvet interior and a special pocket for her custom cigarette case, she may have to pay a premium for a brand name bag that has all of those features. It's over priced on its merits, but to get exactly what one wants it may be worth it (for them) to pay for more than the sum of its parts. It would have nothing to do with the brand.

Clearly I'm not arguing that a purse is worth $2K. But to get that quality, great looking handbag that you've always wanted? Might be worth it to someone, regardless of what name is stitched on the tag.

Am I on the wrong board?!? Colleague has bought a $2k bag on credit.

This was overheard at work and is anti-mustachian.

This is the board where we mock our colleagues for financial decisions we think are foolish. Sometimes we may judge someone unfairly, mostly we don't because most of the tales here are hilariously spendy.

Might I suggest a separate thread for the justification of the purchase of $2k bags and $600k houses?

$600k houses can be reasonable in some parts of the country.

$2k bags are never reasonable regardless of where you live.

Metric Mouse

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13154 on: April 28, 2016, 06:44:10 AM »
Is it actually possible though?  Is there any intrinsic value in a name brand purse if no one recognizes the brand value?  If the brand is not adding to the value, then isn't the only value the function of the item?  I suppose design and material could factor in a bit, but there's really no way I can see to value a purse at $2k unless you count brand awareness as some value.

I would argue it is possible. If she really wanted, for example, a blue leather handbag with red velvet interior and a special pocket for her custom cigarette case, she may have to pay a premium for a brand name bag that has all of those features. It's over priced on its merits, but to get exactly what one wants it may be worth it (for them) to pay for more than the sum of its parts. It would have nothing to do with the brand.

Clearly I'm not arguing that a purse is worth $2K. But to get that quality, great looking handbag that you've always wanted? Might be worth it to someone, regardless of what name is stitched on the tag.

Am I on the wrong board?!? Colleague has bought a $2k bag on credit.

This was overheard at work and is anti-mustachian.

This is the board where we mock our colleagues for financial decisions we think are foolish. Sometimes we may judge someone unfairly, mostly we don't because most of the tales here are hilariously spendy.

Might I suggest a separate thread for the justification of the purchase of $2k bags and $600k houses?

Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Tjat

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13155 on: April 28, 2016, 06:48:24 AM »
Am I on the wrong board?!? Colleague has bought a $2k bag on credit.

This was overheard at work and is anti-mustachian.

This is the board where we mock our colleagues for financial decisions we think are foolish. Sometimes we may judge someone unfairly, mostly we don't because most of the tales here are hilariously spendy.

Nah, you're in the right place. Unless someone is fabulously wealthy and/or easily financially independent, they have no business buying a $2K accessory where an alternative with identical functionality can be purchased for $50. <begin requested judgement> Keep an eye on her facebook, I predict her newsfeed begins with a picture of this beloved purse with a caption similar to "#deservethis", which includes comments from her inane friends like "#totallywantthis" and the absolutely insane "Congratulations!!!". Next she'll continue with a picture of a pet, meal, or glass of wine w/ skyline in background, followed by a MLM inspirational quote/advertisement, then a complaint about her job/financial situation. </end judgement>


Pooplips

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13156 on: April 28, 2016, 06:53:43 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.

Pooperman

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13157 on: April 28, 2016, 07:19:34 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.

This thread has taken offense to your lengthism. It isn't a 'few 100 pages' yet! Give it about 3 weeks though ;).

Playing with Fire UK

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13158 on: April 28, 2016, 07:27:23 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...
That totally makes up for it!

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13159 on: April 28, 2016, 09:32:46 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.
The bag was black, but the box it was in when she bought it was orange.

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13160 on: April 28, 2016, 10:52:00 AM »
I remember being at a wedding with a bunch of people from San Francisco in the mid 2000s as they talked about needing $600k for a "starter home".  I never understood how that math would work out.  They made more money than me, but not six times as much. 

Then 2008 came.  Turned out the math didn't work out.  :/

The math worked out just fine. I was visiting my friend in San Jose a bunch in 2010 - just post-recession. He was just starting out as at a dot-com, so was making about $75K starter salary. Another of his friends with the same salary bought a $600,000 condo (not a detached home) - 3 bedrooms, 1500 sq feet. Now said condo is worth 1.1 million. Both he and my friend now make over $100K, but my friend is still renting - he COULD afford that condo then, he can't now.

Detached homes are about $1.5 million for fixer-uppers, $2 million minimum if they're move-in ready or renovated.

The bay area looked at the housing "crisis", laughed really hard, and jacked the prices up 2-fold.


I, on the other hand, live in San Diego, where real estate is still reasonable (my 1200 sqft condo was purchased for $210K, worth about $250K now and rising fast). However, I can't afford a detached home and the market is growing much faster than my salary, so we won't be able to afford one unless my wife starts working. I make $90K / yr.

Yeah, my friends paid a little under $700k in 2002 for their "starter home" in Mountain view. 

Here's the trend:

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13161 on: April 28, 2016, 10:55:20 AM »
Yeah, real-estate is absolutely batshit in Silicon Valley. A distant family member of mine bought a home for roughly $3M a few years ago and I suspect it's worth more than $4 today. He's a very well-compensating individual so the cost wasn't a deterrent, I think he paid cash.

I'm in Minnesota, the house was nice, but I couldn't imagine how much lower a similar house would cost in Minnesota, even in North Oaks or Minnetonka, or another wealthy suburb.

Posthumane

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13162 on: April 28, 2016, 11:08:23 AM »
The Canadian gov't recently amalgamated their pay offices and rolled out a new pay "system" administered from one location. Instead of introducing it in stages, they basically shifted the entire payroll to this new system in one go. Problem is, the new system has some issues and they are having problems sorting out pay for people who are not on a fixed shedule, which is a significant portion of the work force. Anyone who works variable hours, overtime, etc. has had huge delays in pay. I found out the other day that a colleague of mine hasn't been paid since mid february.

Vertical Mode

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13163 on: April 28, 2016, 11:23:06 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.
The bag was black, but the box it was in when she bought it was orange.

Wait, where did we get the idea that the bag was black? Did OP say that and I missed it? Or was it just that it matched the color of the black box...I'm confused.

markbike528CBX

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13164 on: April 28, 2016, 11:28:47 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.
The bag was black, but the box it was in when she bought it was orange.

Orange is the new BlackTM  :-)   (ducks random facepunches)

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13165 on: April 28, 2016, 01:29:00 PM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.
The bag was black, but the box it was in when she bought it was orange.

Orange is the new BlackTM  :-)   (ducks random facepunches)
*sigh* and me was fighting sooo hard to not write that too....... :(

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13166 on: April 28, 2016, 01:59:12 PM »
Not my workplace, but ze wife's:

Her boss (company CFO/COO) wants to replace all 18 windows in his house. This would cost about $15-20k, depending on size of windows. (For our house, 15 windows, all impact-resistant, low-E glass, cost $11k installed.)

He said he'll have to refinance his house to come up with the money. He makes over $200k in base salary per year, plus a 'yooge bonus. On top of it all, he was wrongly paid $20k extra in 2015, which he hasn't returned to the company.

To top it all, his wife is an excellent cook and makes him breakfast everyday. He'll throw that away and get Egg McMuffins. Almost every day.

Oy vey!

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13167 on: April 28, 2016, 02:15:30 PM »
Her boss (company CFO/COO) wants to replace all 18 windows in his house. This would cost about $15-20k, depending on size of windows. (For our house, 15 windows, all impact-resistant, low-E glass, cost $11k installed.)
Depending on the climate and the type of window he's replacing, it might be worth it.

But making $200k/year and not being able to pay cash for it?  Yeah, that's facepunch-worthy.

Kitsunegari

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13168 on: April 28, 2016, 02:25:13 PM »

To top it all, his wife is an excellent cook and makes him breakfast everyday. He'll throw that away and get Egg McMuffins. Almost every day.

Oy vey!

WHAT

Inaya

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13169 on: April 28, 2016, 02:34:42 PM »
Reminds me of a somewhat related incident from my alma mater. The University President had his bathroom remodeled to the tune of $50,000. The kicker? The University actually owns the house the University President lives in, so the school paid for that bathroom. And we wonder why tuition is skyrocketing...

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13170 on: April 28, 2016, 05:00:15 PM »

To top it all, his wife is an excellent cook and makes him breakfast everyday. He'll throw that away and get Egg McMuffins. Almost every day.

Oy vey!

WHAT

Tell him you'll eat it.  Up for grabs!

Primm

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13171 on: April 28, 2016, 08:01:58 PM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.
The bag was black, but the box it was in when she bought it was orange.

Wait, where did we get the idea that the bag was black? Did OP say that and I missed it? Or was it just that it matched the color of the black box...I'm confused.

Old reference on this thread, from many months ago. Go back to page, oh, I don't know, about 167*, and you'll pick it up.

*Number pulled out of my arse. Not really page 167, but I can't be bothered finding out what page it actually was.

Ann

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13172 on: April 29, 2016, 06:00:51 AM »
...his wife is an excellent cook and makes him breakfast everyday. He'll throw that away and get Egg McMuffins. Almost every day.

Curious, how do you know what the quality of his wife's breakfast is?  ;-)

I do want to know, though.  Does he brag about his wife's cooking skills?  Have they invited you over and you experienced it first hand?  Or does his wife herself say she is excellent?

I'm just trying to wrap my brain around it.  Does he not like the breakfast?  Or does he just prefer something else?  Either way is dumb, but the action is so odd I'm mesmerized.

aperture

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13173 on: April 29, 2016, 06:35:30 AM »
Co-worker making less then $60K/y drives a Lexus SUV and complained to me yesterday about still having student loans. Eye roll - Ap

Vertical Mode

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13174 on: April 29, 2016, 07:07:22 AM »
Sorry for the foam. I forgot to ask if the black bag was actually orange...

Wow! That reference is a few 100 pages old now. Well done.
The bag was black, but the box it was in when she bought it was orange.

Wait, where did we get the idea that the bag was black? Did OP say that and I missed it? Or was it just that it matched the color of the black box...I'm confused.

Old reference on this thread, from many months ago. Go back to page, oh, I don't know, about 167*, and you'll pick it up.

*Number pulled out of my arse. Not really page 167, but I can't be bothered finding out what page it actually was.

Heh, flat text on a computer screen is not a good medium for sarcasm, I guess ;-)

Shoulda gone with the "</s>"

plainjane

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13175 on: April 29, 2016, 07:34:23 AM »
Co-worker in their late 40s/early 50s, making at least 6 figures, with a spouse who is likely doing the same given the title & company, goes on multiple trips to Florida & cruises in the past year.

Just heard that they went with a financing company to get the windows in their house replaced, and then had to take out a home equity loan to pay that off. (Lives out of the city, only a 45 minute drive if leaves at 5:30am.)

jinga nation

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13176 on: April 29, 2016, 07:44:33 AM »
Her boss (company CFO/COO) wants to replace all 18 windows in his house. This would cost about $15-20k, depending on size of windows. (For our house, 15 windows, all impact-resistant, low-E glass, cost $11k installed.)
Depending on the climate and the type of window he's replacing, it might be worth it.

But making $200k/year and not being able to pay cash for it?  Yeah, that's facepunch-worthy.

Same climate as us. He lives local. He told my wife he wanted low-E, impact-resistant windows, which is what we have. We had two 6ft x 6ft picture windows, which had the highest price. Our new windows are all double-hung. We now have them open almost year-round, including peak summer in July-August, when we have them open overnight only.

With the bonus, his gross is over $300k+ per year.

...his wife is an excellent cook and makes him breakfast everyday. He'll throw that away and get Egg McMuffins. Almost every day.

Curious, how do you know what the quality of his wife's breakfast is?  ;-)

I do want to know, though.  Does he brag about his wife's cooking skills?  Have they invited you over and you experienced it first hand?  Or does his wife herself say she is excellent?

I'm just trying to wrap my brain around it.  Does he not like the breakfast?  Or does he just prefer something else?  Either way is dumb, but the action is so odd I'm mesmerized.

My wife and her co-worker have told us that it is actually good. The boss has brought in food for the office staff, and it was good. My wife brought home leftovers, I verified they were good.

It isn't only breakfast, it is lunch too, and dinner sometimes if he's working late. It is homemade healthy food as he has diabetes and a bunch of health issues.

He leaves everything in the office refrigerator and freezer; his wife comes in periodically and gets mad and throws the food away. At the last Christmas party, she told us about his stupid food habits, after a few glasses of good cabernet, which I chose at the fancy steakhouse.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2016, 07:47:02 AM by jinga nation »

JAYSLOL

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13177 on: April 29, 2016, 06:44:45 PM »
We have 3 staff who drive to work and pick up company vehicles on a daily basis, their commutes are in the 20-30min range each way.  Only one of the three doesn't drive a 4 door 4wd pickup truck... He drives a 2 door 4wd pickup. 

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13178 on: April 29, 2016, 10:25:38 PM »
We have 3 staff who drive to work and pick up company vehicles on a daily basis, their commutes are in the 20-30min range each way.  Only one of the three doesn't drive a 4 door 4wd pickup truck... He drives a 2 door 4wd pickup.

A buddy of mine works for Comcast and uses a company vehicle for most of his work days, he has a truck as well. Though he does hunt and has a family cabin, so perhaps he does get some other use out of it.

RecoveringCarClown

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13179 on: May 02, 2016, 12:56:02 PM »
Conversation between a coworker and I; he knows that I am car savvy and sometimes asks me questions.

CW:My son bought a new Tacoma.
Me:Oh really?  Does he have a really good job?
CW: It's ok, I guess he can afford the payment.
Me: Oh mmhmm.
CW:Of course he had to get new rims and tires for it.
Me: [Trying not to visibly wince] Ouch, bet that was expensive.
CW: Yeah he had to buy different lugnuts and stuff too, so that was like another $100 or so on top of it.
Me: [I could tell at this point he thought it was dumb too] Do you think he learned his lesson?
CW: I hope so, he just wrapped it around a tree so it is in the shop at the moment.
Me: Oh.  [then silence, I had no more words]

Of course he does not need an expensive truck for his job or at all.  This is a reoccurring theme here though, especially for Tacoma owners.  I see hundreds of those things every day and the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Dollar Slice

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13180 on: May 02, 2016, 01:31:08 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Erma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13181 on: May 02, 2016, 01:58:57 PM »
A client paid an invoice of 300 CHF twice. My co-worker said that he wouldn't have been able to do this as he doesn't have that much money saved. If I lived like this I would go crazy.

Beaker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13182 on: May 02, 2016, 02:55:32 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Wait, wouldn't you attach the dog to the trailer hitch? I mean, unless you want the dog towing a trailer...

Anyway, for some dogs it's probably enough to stick a tennis ball over the hitch and yell "FETCH!"

Dollar Slice

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13183 on: May 02, 2016, 03:00:18 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Wait, wouldn't you attach the dog to the trailer hitch?

OK, Sergeant Semantics. ;-)  You attach them to each other, is what I meant!

marty998

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13184 on: May 02, 2016, 03:17:09 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Wait, wouldn't you attach the dog to the trailer hitch?

OK, Sergeant Semantics. ;-)  You attach them to each other, is what I meant!

And I suppose the ears flapping will double as indicator lights?

solon

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13185 on: May 02, 2016, 03:18:38 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Wait, wouldn't you attach the dog to the trailer hitch?

OK, Sergeant Semantics. ;-)  You attach them to each other, is what I meant!

And I suppose the ears flapping will double as indicator lights?

Do you know what the penalty for animal cruelty is in this state?

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13186 on: May 02, 2016, 09:12:20 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Wait, wouldn't you attach the dog to the trailer hitch?

OK, Sergeant Semantics. ;-)  You attach them to each other, is what I meant!

And I suppose the ears flapping will double as indicator lights?

Do you know what the penalty for animal cruelty is in this state?
What's the penalty for cruelly bad jokes about animals?

Dicey

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13187 on: May 03, 2016, 07:45:47 AM »
We have 3 staff who drive to work and pick up company vehicles on a daily basis, their commutes are in the 20-30min range each way.  Only one of the three doesn't drive a 4 door 4wd pickup truck... He drives a 2 door 4wd pickup.

A buddy of mine works for Comcast and uses a company vehicle for most of his work days, he has a truck as well. Though he does hunt and has a family cabin, so perhaps he does get some other use out of it.
Oh, boy, I can relate to this one. I walk DH to work every morning, all three tenths of a mile. For sport, he tells me how far each person who passes us has driven to get to work to pick up their company vehicles. The latest? FNG drives 80 miles one way! The worst thing is that they are sometimes on call, meaning they drive the company truck to and from work, collecting a premium for being on call and burning the company's gas. There's supposed to be a limit on how far they can take the trucks, but nobody's paying attention. Oh, it's a public utility. The waste is epicly facepunch worthy.

solon

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13188 on: May 03, 2016, 08:55:32 AM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Wait, wouldn't you attach the dog to the trailer hitch?

OK, Sergeant Semantics. ;-)  You attach them to each other, is what I meant!

And I suppose the ears flapping will double as indicator lights?

Do you know what the penalty for animal cruelty is in this state?
What's the penalty for cruelly bad jokes about animals?

Well... it's probably pretty stiff.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13189 on: May 03, 2016, 09:19:52 AM »
[ FNG drives 80 miles one way!


YIKES! Though apart from the time, the stress, the wear and tear on the car, and the gas, I probably would be ok with it as it means like 3 hours of listening to audiobooks. I could probably finish 50+ books on my commute alone.

RecoveringCarClown

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13190 on: May 03, 2016, 03:44:40 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Seems pretty simple really. :P

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tlw_RryEAlU/maxresdefault.jpg

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13191 on: May 03, 2016, 04:00:06 PM »
... the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!

Now I'm picturing all the ways one could attach a trailer hitch to a dog.

Seems pretty simple really. :P

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Tlw_RryEAlU/maxresdefault.jpg

https://roaddogtrailers.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/white-k9-side.jpg

BTW, those Road Dog Trailers really do belong in this thread.  "We are thrilled to announce we can now finance your new Road Dog Trailer for $0 down and as low as $74/month!"

JAYSLOL

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13192 on: May 03, 2016, 08:49:31 PM »
We have 3 staff who drive to work and pick up company vehicles on a daily basis, their commutes are in the 20-30min range each way.  Only one of the three doesn't drive a 4 door 4wd pickup truck... He drives a 2 door 4wd pickup.

A buddy of mine works for Comcast and uses a company vehicle for most of his work days, he has a truck as well. Though he does hunt and has a family cabin, so perhaps he does get some other use out of it.
Oh, boy, I can relate to this one. I walk DH to work every morning, all three tenths of a mile. For sport, he tells me how far each person who passes us has driven to get to work to pick up their company vehicles. The latest? FNG drives 80 miles one way! The worst thing is that they are sometimes on call, meaning they drive the company truck to and from work, collecting a premium for being on call and burning the company's gas. There's supposed to be a limit on how far they can take the trucks, but nobody's paying attention. Oh, it's a public utility. The waste is epicly facepunch worthy.

Ugh.  That's awful.  And why we don't let people take company vehicles home, lol.  Once i was working with a group of new hires and we were on a public site taking a lunch, when one new guy asks for the keys for the truck, so i give them to him thinking he needs to get something out of the truck.  Nope.  He planned to DRIVE the all of 500ft to the 7/11* down the road before i stopped him and asked WTF he was doing.
 
* Yeah, 7/11.  To buy junk food for lunch.  F#$k.

JAYSLOL

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13193 on: May 03, 2016, 08:53:08 PM »
We have 3 staff who drive to work and pick up company vehicles on a daily basis, their commutes are in the 20-30min range each way.  Only one of the three doesn't drive a 4 door 4wd pickup truck... He drives a 2 door 4wd pickup.

A buddy of mine works for Comcast and uses a company vehicle for most of his work days, he has a truck as well. Though he does hunt and has a family cabin, so perhaps he does get some other use out of it.
Oh, boy, I can relate to this one. I walk DH to work every morning, all three tenths of a mile. For sport, he tells me how far each person who passes us has driven to get to work to pick up their company vehicles. The latest? FNG drives 80 miles one way! The worst thing is that they are sometimes on call, meaning they drive the company truck to and from work, collecting a premium for being on call and burning the company's gas. There's supposed to be a limit on how far they can take the trucks, but nobody's paying attention. Oh, it's a public utility. The waste is epicly facepunch worthy.

Ugh.  That's awful.  And why we don't let people take company vehicles home, lol.  Once i was working with a group of new hires and we were on a public site taking a lunch, when one new guy asks for the keys for the truck, so i give them to him thinking he needs to get something out of the truck.  Nope.  He planned to DRIVE the all of 500ft to the 7/11* down the road before i stopped him and asked WTF he was doing.
 
* Yeah, 7/11.  To buy junk food for lunch.  F#$k.

Oh, sorry.  That was misleading.  Just looked it up and Google maps says it was actually 540ft away.  Definately should have drove

Goldielocks

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13194 on: May 04, 2016, 12:25:34 AM »
Hey,  540 ft is 5.46 minutes of walking.... EACH WAY.

bzzzt

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13195 on: May 04, 2016, 01:39:32 AM »
Oh, boy, I can relate to this one. I walk DH to work every morning, all three tenths of a mile. For sport, he tells me how far each person who passes us has driven to get to work to pick up their company vehicles. The latest? FNG drives 80 miles one way! The worst thing is that they are sometimes on call, meaning they drive the company truck to and from work, collecting a premium for being on call and burning the company's gas. There's supposed to be a limit on how far they can take the trucks, but nobody's paying attention. Oh, it's a public utility. The waste is epicly facepunch worthy.

Not sure the geography of the situation, but I work for a contractor that does work for utilites. For about 6 months, I was driving 100-130 miles each way in a company pickup plus more driving between jobs. It's just something you do if you want to keep the employee. I'm sure as hell not driving my own car that much, I'll go work somewhere else.

Besides, the gas is nothing in the scope of utility waste. Someone ordered the wrong stuff? Throw that in the dumpster (non-returnable) and we'll order the right stuff. Oops, this was supposed to be stored inside? Someone marked it outside, $100k in electronics is corroded junk. Makes you sick until you realize that their ineptitude is what keeps your paychecks coming.

mtn

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13196 on: May 04, 2016, 08:32:25 AM »
Hey,  540 ft is 5.46 minutes of walking.... EACH WAY.

more like 2 minutes.

In their possible defense, I used to do this at an old job when I needed to cross the street, but that was due to a lack of crosswalks and me not wanting to play frogger.

RWD

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13197 on: May 04, 2016, 08:49:07 AM »
Hey,  540 ft is 5.46 minutes of walking.... EACH WAY.

more like 2 minutes.

Agreed. And if you can't walk at a pace of 20 minutes per mile then you need to do more walking anyway...

Digital Dogma

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13198 on: May 04, 2016, 09:35:40 AM »
Conversation between a coworker and I; he knows that I am car savvy and sometimes asks me questions.

CW:My son bought a new Tacoma.
Me:Oh really?  Does he have a really good job?
CW: It's ok, I guess he can afford the payment.
Me: Oh mmhmm.
CW:Of course he had to get new rims and tires for it.
Me: [Trying not to visibly wince] Ouch, bet that was expensive.
CW: Yeah he had to buy different lugnuts and stuff too, so that was like another $100 or so on top of it.
Me: [I could tell at this point he thought it was dumb too] Do you think he learned his lesson?
CW: I hope so, he just wrapped it around a tree so it is in the shop at the moment.
Me: Oh.  [then silence, I had no more words]

Of course he does not need an expensive truck for his job or at all.  This is a reoccurring theme here though, especially for Tacoma owners.  I see hundreds of those things every day and the only thing they ever haul or tow is a dog!
Tacomas come with some pretty crappy tires, but thats no reason to buy new rims. If you're gonna wrap something around a tree, the Tacoma is a pretty safe choice.

MgoSam

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #13199 on: May 04, 2016, 10:28:13 AM »
Hey,  540 ft is 5.46 minutes of walking.... EACH WAY.

more like 2 minutes.

Agreed. And if you can't walk at a pace of 20 minutes per mile then you need to do more walking anyway...

I remember the look on my warehouse manager's face when I took my car to pick up lunch when it's a 5 minute walk each way. In my defense, everyone in the office was a trade show and so I had to be quick to avoid missing any calls.