Social Situation: What Would You Do?

[thefed]

I'd probably give it back. no help moving though...agreed.


Knowing you are a better person for fixing it and giving it back, no arguments, should be reward enough.

[Rustic23]

Give it to them. Don't say anything to them. Relate the story to a friend i.e. town gossip. Something like 'You know I heard the Johnson's gave the Smithers their old lawn mower. The one that was broken. Jack rebuilt it, painted it, and got it in a1 condition. The johnson's then ask for it back to give to their son!!'

Close enough story that it would most likely get back to your wife's friend, but not have your name attached to it!

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I think the daughter is a fattie, and that's why her mom is desperate to get her the treadmill.

Does saying that about her daughter make you feel better?

[JPatrick]

Option #1-- Pull the cable. When she asks, tell her, yeah that happened to me all the time, you really need to get a pro to fix it.

Option #2--Pull the cable. Tell her you had sort of jury rigged the fix and you don't feel comfortable with the kid using it that way. Suggest they spend the bucks to fix it right.

[samclem]

I'd give it back, and I like the idea of sprucing it up. Maybe put a bow on it for her. Some improvements:
- You don't want that belt to rot, so be sure to spray lots of Armor All on it
- Dials and settings can be confusing. If there's a speed control, bypass it. Now the machine is either off or it is going 15 MPH. There's a workout for you.
- Fish. 2 of them. Near the motor, where they will get warm (if anyone ever uses the thing). "The gift that keeps on giving."

********************************
Seriously, I'd give t back and just wave goodbye as they left. It really didn't cost you much time, you got good use out of it, and there's no point in ruffling feathers and spreading discontent over this. Anyway, are you 100% sure there's been no miscommunication between you, wife, and her? "I'm going to buy a treadmill for Jeannie." "Why, we've got the one you gave us. Frankly, T-Al's sweat stinks up my sewing room when he uses it, and I'd like to be rid of it. Would you take it? " "Well, I, uh, guess." In the translation, you get a slightly modified version of events. Not that this kind of thing ever happens in MY house.

[Gardnr]

Did you say "friend?" With friends like that...

[Payin-the-Toll]

As Johnny Carson used to say: "Tough Crowd!!!!"

[SkisALot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Unplug the cable before they pick it up.

My thought exactly. Doing anything other is reinforcing bad behavior. And we have enough of this going around in both society and government.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Banana in the tailpipe?

Car's tailpipe?

[Achiever51]

DH had a similar situation in our last house. We had a lawn tractor but did not have a cart for it. A neighbor saw us moving around mulch with a wheelbarrow and said he had a cart in his garage that he no longer needed as he got rid of his lawn tractor. We offered to pay for it but he refused to accept.

Over the next three or four years, we used the tractor and cart and even helped this neighbor move garden stuff with our tractor and the cart.

Fast forward nearly five years after neighbor gave us the cart. His wife comes over one day, mad as hell, and demands the cart back, saying that she wanted to give it to her brother -- and "oh, by the way, when we loaned it to you it was in excellent shape and now I see it's all scratched up."

DH decided that (1) he was glad that he wasn't married to that woman; (2) the neighbor was probably mortified that his wife demanded the damn trailer back; and (3) DH would be the better neighbor in this case. So, rather than returning the now well-used trailer, he went to Tractor Supply and bought a brand new one and delivered it to the neighbor, complete with a huge bow on it.

After that, every time we ran into neighbor woman, her discomfort was obvious and priceless. (And her husband thanked us more times than I can count!) Glad DH handled it the way it did.

[dex]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Problem is, it is not one of Al's friends but a very good friend of his wife. If refusing to return it is going to upset his wife, then give it back. (could loosen a few screws - ideally it will break shortly after it is returned).

OK - the wife should read this thread also and help with making the "friend" feel uncomfortable about asking back for the machine.

2 Years - come on now - how many years would it take for it for the machine to be Al's?

[dex]

I wonder what the "friend's" reaction would have been if Al decided he didn't want the machine any more 1 year ago and got rid of it. Would the friend expected he buy her a new one?

[thefed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achiever51 DH had a similar situation in our last house. We had a lawn tractor but did not have a cart for it. A neighbor saw us moving around mulch with a wheelbarrow and said he had a cart in his garage that he no longer needed as he got rid of his lawn tractor. We offered to pay for it but he refused to accept. Over the next three or four years, we used the tractor and cart and even helped this neighbor move garden stuff with our tractor and the cart. Fast forward nearly five years after neighbor gave us the cart. His wife comes over one day, mad as hell, and demands the cart back, saying that she wanted to give it to her brother -- and "oh, by the way, when we loaned it to you it was in excellent shape and now I see it's all scratched up." DH decided that (1) he was glad that he wasn't married to that woman; (2) the neighbor was probably mortified that his wife demanded the damn trailer back; and (3) DH would be the better neighbor in this case. So, rather than returning the now well-used trailer, he went to Tractor Supply and bought a brand new one and delivered it to the neighbor, complete with a huge bow on it. After that, every time we ran into neighbor woman, her discomfort was obvious and priceless. (And her husband thanked us more times than I can count!) Glad DH handled it the way it did.

wow. that's an interesting way to handle it.


and she was worried about scratches on a garden trailer....why?? lol

[Achiever51]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thefed wow. that's an interesting way to handle it. and she was worried about scratches on a garden trailer....why?? lol

DH said that if he had bought one in the first place, it would have cost about the same amount as he ended up paying for the one for the neighbor, so it was pretty much a wash. (He felt bad for the neighbor too.)

As for the neighbor's wife and her comments about the cart, well, you'd just have to take my word for it...she was weird! Once she made her husband get up on the garage roof WITH THE SNOWBLOWER!!!! to remove the snow off the roof because she didn't want the risk of snow sliding off the roof onto her car. Nevermind that her husband had a bad back & was in his late 60s at the time...like I said, weird!!

[Goonie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Banana in the tailpipe?

We used to use potatoes.....ka-bloooey!

[toofrugalformycat]

I say give it back without a peep. Do not gossip. Memories are faulty and humans make mistakes.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Unless of course this treadmill is necessary for your life and health and cannot be replaced, but you've indicated that this is not the case.

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achiever51 DH had a similar situation in our last house. We had a lawn tractor but did not have a cart for it. A neighbor saw us moving around mulch with a wheelbarrow and said he had a cart in his garage that he no longer needed as he got rid of his lawn tractor. We offered to pay for it but he refused to accept. Over the next three or four years, we used the tractor and cart and even helped this neighbor move garden stuff with our tractor and the cart. Fast forward nearly five years after neighbor gave us the cart. His wife comes over one day, mad as hell, and demands the cart back, saying that she wanted to give it to her brother -- and "oh, by the way, when we loaned it to you it was in excellent shape and now I see it's all scratched up." DH decided that (1) he was glad that he wasn't married to that woman; (2) the neighbor was probably mortified that his wife demanded the damn trailer back; and (3) DH would be the better neighbor in this case. So, rather than returning the now well-used trailer, he went to Tractor Supply and bought a brand new one and delivered it to the neighbor, complete with a huge bow on it. After that, every time we ran into neighbor woman, her discomfort was obvious and priceless. (And her husband thanked us more times than I can count!) Glad DH handled it the way it did.

Your husband is a class act.

[Bestwifeever]

Al, wouldn't you love to know if your DW's friend's daughter actually wanted the old treadmill, and more, if she even uses it once her parents drag it to her place? Maybe you can tell the mom you'll be happy to take it off their hands again if it doesn't get used. Or you may be able to buy it from Craigslist when the daughter sells it

[OAG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I think the daughter is a fattie, and that's why her mom is desperate to get her the treadmill.

If you give it back it will be little used; maybe a week or so (may be very presumptive on my part). Tell her (DW friend) "yeah, come and get it, hope your daughter enjoys it as much as we have these past couple of years." And after she gets it back maybe your DW takes pause to assess the "friend" part of this situation.

[deserat]

T-Al - you're responses to this thread are killing me they are so funny - HOWEVER, I'm of the approach of a kind confrontation - call up and say that you understood it had been given to you and not 'loaned.' The fact that it is now working is beside the point - better yet, perhaps have your wife do the interaction as this is her friend. If she says it was a loan, then I would tell her that wasn't your understanding, however, I would give it back to her. This allows everyone to know where they stand....she knows you know she's passive aggressive or deceptive, your wife knows, too, and you can then decide if it's worth your time interacting with her in the future.