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Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by snprbob86 on Thursday February 21, 2013 @11:59PM (#5262791)
> [T]he procedure is, for the normal person, a once-in-a-lifetime event. But the flunky on the other side of the desk does it every day.

I just had a TV delivered. And then a replacement delivered, but they were unauthorized to pick up the original, so the same two delivery guys had to come back a third time.

All three times, the delivery guys tried to force me to sign an incomplete form. They clearly wanted me to sign for whatever condition it was in and they would check all the boxes on my behalf to cover their own asses. The tactic was plainly obvious.

> The other solution is to be really, really nice. To be incredibly accommodating.

That's what I usually try to do in this sort of situation. However, it simply was impossible because the delivery guys 1) were rather large and intimidating 2) in my home, where I'm still unpacking and 3) spoke very poor english. Charm simply does not work on underpaid meatheads who don't understand the words your using. Any attempt to communicate clearly resulted in them becoming impatient and visibly annoyed, which resulted in me becoming uncomfortable (in my own home!). So each of the first two times, I just didn't sign my name. I just made an X that is in no way similar to my normal signature. The last time, for the pickup, I wrote "PERFECT CONDITION" over the whole form and then signed my name to that. The delivery guys were clearly pissed that last time because they didn't have another form and that if they dropped the TV, then they couldn't blame damage on me.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by vacri on Friday February 22, 2013 @12:04AM (#5262812)
Take photographs. 'perfect condition' on a form is not as powerful as 'here are your guys and my TV'. Certainly if you're a renter, take pictures before you move in. Same as landlords, too. Pictures are free and can potentially save a lot of heartache.
Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by jasonlotito on Friday February 22, 2013 @07:14AM (#5263861)
Maybe you have reason to be afraid, but...

> Charm simply does not work on underpaid meatheads

Charm, or respect, works on people. Sorry, but when you call them meatheads, it doesn't instill me with any confidence that you treated them with respect. The actions you describe support that fact (mostly through the way you describe it).

Again, maybe you have a reason, but unless you are leaving critical things out, your attitude is what makes it impossible.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by d23 on Friday February 22, 2013 @09:36AM (#5264331)
Back and forths like are annoying and make this community look pedantic. You know damn well you sometimes deal with people who simply don't respond to your niceties. It's a fact of life, and the commenter was simply pointing that out.

You don't know the situation. Why does it have to be his fault? Some people out there really are assholes and really do just want to take advantage of people.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by jasonlotito on Friday February 22, 2013 @02:47PM (#5266287)
> You know damn well you sometimes deal with people who simply don't respond to your niceties.

People.

> Again, maybe you have a reason, but unless you are leaving critical things out, your attitude is what makes it impossible.

I said as much.

> Why does it have to be his fault?

It doesn't have to be. I said as much.

> Back and forths like are annoying and make this community look pedantic.

Commenting is not the way to handle this then. Downvote, or flag if you think it's not appropriate. Commenting, however, signifies what I said contributed to the discussion. If it didn't, then any reply would be equally worthless.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by snprbob86 on Friday February 22, 2013 @10:38AM (#5264688)
The more important part of that sentence, which you elided, was the fact that there was a language communication barrier.

I treated them with nothing but respect in person. I always joke around and make small talk with people in the service industry. I know how far that sort of thing can take you. However, I elected to use the word "meatheads" because it paints a picture: They were large men whom couldn't hold a conversation. Whether or not they could hold a conversation with native spanish speakers was immaterial to the story.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by jasonlotito on Friday February 22, 2013 @02:53PM (#5266341)
> The more important part of that sentence, which you elided, was the fact that there was a language communication barrier.

It's not more important. You're attitude has nothing to do with language.

> However, I elected to use the word "meatheads" because it paints a picture: They were large men whom couldn't hold a conversation.

Meathead is means far more than that. If you used it merely to mean "people I can't speak with and are large," than you should know it's not what people associate with that word. It's much more derogatory.

> I treated them with nothing but respect in person.

At least the first time.

At once you tell me that they can't communicate, but then you go on to imply that they understand the words you are writing out on paper (Perfect Condition).

Something doesn't add up.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by ugk on Friday February 22, 2013 @09:32AM (#5264316)
Respect is earned. Treating another person with immediate decency is an honorable thing, but to give respect freely indicates a weakness that will be exploited. They were there to do a job, not have tea and chat about local charity.
Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by jasonlotito on Friday February 22, 2013 @02:56PM (#5266359)
> Treating another person with immediate decency is an honorable thing

That's respect.

> Respect is earned.

You are confusing trust with respect. The only people that believe that respect is earned are people that need to an excuse to act like an asshole. Respect costs nothing.

Re:The Department of Homeland Security Stole My Boat Today by MechaJDI on Friday February 22, 2013 @03:42PM (#5266641)
Somewhat clever but signing an 'X' didn't make it not your signature but rather just what you 'signed as'. :P