decline of morals, honesty. is it just me?

[Bill Barber]

Almost hate to read the morning paper, mass shootings, parents killing there children.

ponzi schemes that destroy people.

What ever happend to honesty?

On a very minor note, I run a small fix-it buis, I got cheated (ripped off) twice yesterday.

lady that walks my street every day drops by, can you fix my Vaccum cleaner.

maybe, i can come bye and pick it up no prob, she says I will bring it down in 10 mins.

comes by, I remove the busted belt (she had an extra) tons of dental floss, hair, mono fishing line, machine works to perfection, she comes by and picks it up

Her husband calls 3 hrs later, the machine is not working i want my money back (30 bux)`

No problem, bring it by and will look at it again, he says no we put it in the recycle bin, came by and I offer his money back in full, he says I am a fair man, give me 15, done deal.

See her two hrs later on her walk, she drops by, says the machine is perfect, why was i cheated? never said a word.

removed a low voltage lighting system last week ( all set in concrete) took two hrs 15 lgts.

asked the husband if he wanted to keep the transformer as it was good, is about a $50.00 item, he said no, i said Fine as I can use it in my yard (Charge them 70 bux)leave an invoice in the mail box, he leaves me a ck in my box for 20, less the 50 for the transformer, go figure

I realize times are hard, I live in a gated community, I get calls at midnight to change lightbulbs for 90 yr old ladys, I do it for free.

this country and the people that live here, is going down the tubes IMO, just do not understand what is going on anymore, Rant over:angry:

 

[Dave S 2]

You just now catching on to this? Surely not...



$ is king!!!

 

[Jeffrey Travis]

Reinvoice that one guy and charge him $50 for disposal fee.

 

[Bud Williams]

I have to agree with you Bill, people want a free ride, it has become the entitlement mentality in this country. We are going down the tubes for the most part, however there are still good people left. Don't get too discouraged.

 

[Geoff Barker]

Some people just have no shame. Unfortunately there is getting to be more and more of them.

 

[Bill Barber]

Am not Discouraged, am a firm believer in you will reap what you sow, and what comes around go's around, thats why I am so passive with these people.

cheat me one time, will not happin again, will let that slide.

I sadly feel the state of the economy is degrading the moral fiber of what were at one time upstanding honest people.

God bless America, i think at times God has forsaken America.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Bill, I think you have it all figured out pretty well.



It will come around for them.



Golden rule still applies.

 

[Bill Barber]

gavin

You got it right, the golden rule is the only rule, but more and more people do not live by it.

 

[Tom Schindler]

The Golden Rule is alive and well.



"He who has the gold, makes the rules".





Tom

 

[Dingo]

Companies do it, too.

I pay $12 twice a month for dental insurance. It's supposed to provide 2 cleanings a year, and more benefits for other crap. Got a cleaning. I got a bill from my dentist for $75 afterward. Turns out the insurance paid him $30 and thought that was enough.

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

I've been in my own business since 1974. Had my share of old ladies and retired people that I didn't charge or gave a big discount to. When it comes to cheats or people who don't pay, I just file small claims papers on them. If no one says anything, they just keep doing it. As a matter of fact, I will be filing papers on someone this week. He has owed me money since March. I can not work for free, or feed my family if I don't try to get what's owed to me. Speak up, or it will just keep on. JMO.



Gary D. in CT

 

[Mrlunchbox]

I used to finish off basements and do all sorts of handyman type things. No longer... I have had too many issues as described above. It is very sad these days.

 

[Bill Barber]

gary D, these people are my Nieghbors, 90% of the work i do I get paid for, 10% are deadbeats, and or cheats,all my work comes from refferals, think it is best to just eat the 10%

Do not like being jacked around by a cheat, actually is a rare occurance, maybe 3 times in the past 4 yrs, twice yesterday,what go's around comes around.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

God bless America, i think at times God has forsaken America.

God has not forsaken America. America has forsaken God.



We banned prayer in schools, we removed the Ten Commandments from public places, we are allowing same-sex marriages, etc. Our leaders are allowing this to happen and no one is standing up against it.



In Poland, Thursday is a National Holiday. It is Corpus Cristi, and every store and shop will be closed. Only restaurants, bars, gas stations and pharmacies will be open. This is only one of many church holidays. Over 90% of Polish people are Catholic, and the church has a big influence on the society here. It is wonderful to live here. Poland is like America was 30 years ago.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

No, Bill it is not just you. It is to bad that a few bad apples have to mess things up for the rest of us.

 

[Les]

Karma...

 

[Tommy VanNess]

I sadly feel the state of the economy is degrading the moral fiber of what were at one time upstanding honest people.

I don't think the economy is doing this. I feel it has been happening for a long time and the economy is only now adding to it making it worse.



I believe this is the greatest country in the world, but that it is eating itself from the inside due to profits and politics. I feel that there is an American spirit in which people care for their neighbors and do good from their hearts. But somehow more and more people care about the dollar more than anything.



I will say this. Political disputes aside, I enjoy coming to this site not only for the ST info, but because there are more true blooded Americans here than anywhere.

 

[Bud Williams]

Tommy,

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Bill Barber,



As described above I could potentially see both of the incidents you described as misunderstandings or miscommunications.



Maybe the vacuum motor has gone belly-up and the husband is privy to it, but the wife not. Some husbands and wives don't talk to each other that much...especially the older gen.



As for the transformer, if you told the guy it was worth $50 and asked if he wanted it, then maybe he assumed he would get a $50 credit on his bill and you simply forgot to include it since you took it away.



But then again, my wife says that I have a personality disorder in that I assume most differences and so-called "wrongs" are actually the result of two people both with good intentions simply misunderstanding or miscommunicating.



TJR

 

[Bill V]

Based on what I've seen in my lifetime (38+ years)--it's not a decline in morals or honesty. It's an increase in perception.



Yes, morals and honesty are in rare supply in this country. But they've always been. So that's not a decline. The only thing that has changed is the technology, allowing people to see those low morals and honesty on a more frequent basis--thereby making it appear to get worse, when it hasn't.



"We didn't start the fire.

It was always burning since the world's been turning.

We didn't start the fire.

No we didn't light it, but we tried to fight it."

--B. Joel