Your country ‘does not’ need you! An off-topic rant.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009Okay, if you don’t want to read a rant, then skip this post.
Sorry to offload some negative energy like this, but I’ve got to get it off my chest.
Some local kids had been climbing trees in my street, and had accidentally broken off a fairly large branch.
I was out this morning, and not far from home I saw a contractor pruning trees and putting them through a chipper to take them away. I checked that I could lift the branch before walking over. They were taking a break in their van. Here’s the conversation:
Me: Hello mate. Some kids have broken a branch off a tree, if I bring it over would you mind running it through your machine and getting rid of it please?”
Mr Helpful (shaking his head): No, can’t do it.
Me: Why not?
Mr Helpful: It’s not my job.
Me: Oh, your country needs people like you, mate.
I started to walk away, but he was saying something so I went back.
Mr Helpful: I don’t get paid to do it. Why don’t you do it?
Me: That’s what I’m doing.
Mr Helpful: I’m a contractor for the Council, not the Council.
Well, I wasn’t going to waste any more time on this type of person. Why couldn’t he just say “Yeah, alright, bring it over”? It would have taken 30 seconds, and he would have helped someone. But no, what I’ve got to do now is call the Council, use up their time, they’ve got to get a contractor out (maybe him, but I hope not), and that costs money. My money, his money, and everyone who pays Council Tax.
It’s exactly this attitude that is contributing to the state of the economy and the general bad attitude of British people at the moment. “I’m looking out for myself, and I don’t want to help anyone else”. I think there are two types of people in this country, the ‘Can do’ people, and the ‘Can’t do’ people. He’s one of the ‘Can’t do’ people that don’t offer anything positive to their fellow Brits.
A 'Can't do' company
So, it’s time to name and shame. Well done Mr Helpful from W Wood & Son, Tree Specialist from Rayleigh, Essex. Your ‘Can’t do’ attitude just won you a mention on my blog.
Maybe he thinks that his company might get the call from the Council to remove the branch, and earn a little more cash from the Council. If the Council has to deal with this, they’ll use up their budget more quickly, and his firm might not get any work near the end of the year. Next year, the Council will be trying to save money again, so he (or his employer) will have to cut costs, and maybe jobs.
But, his company won’t get a call about this branch. I’m going to take time out from being with my family at the weekend, I’m going to get my hand-saw, and I’m going to cut up the branch and put it in a composting sack for the regular waste collection. Sure, it’s going to take me an hour maybe, when it could have taken him 30 seconds, but I’m a ‘Can do’ type of person. I can do it. I can can do it for no personal gain. I can do it for my neighbours.
In the interests if balance, I’ll be making two more off-topic posts about the next two people or companies who put themselves out to help me, make me happy, or who provide a good service. If you would like to comment about such ‘Can do’ people, please do so (but no self-promotion please).
