manager torched the locks off my toolbox

dwdude · Jan 24, 2018

thepumpguysc said:
That's what I was gonna say 92>> there are 2 guys at work that are "road" mechanics..
Mngment came up w/ a brilliant idea to leave the trucks AT WORK at nite.. Well, start to add 2-3-4 hrs to EVERY JOB to load & unload tools & you figure out real quick it isn't a BRILLIANT ides.. it took about aweek for things to go back to "normal".. & the customers that were denied service was staggering.. they would call late afternoon & need something QUICK.. Well it was gonna take 2hrs just to pack up the tools to do the job.. so the mechanic said, nope.. I aint goin,, I gotta be home at 5:30..

Now on the other hand>> I had to sign a "rental" agreement for my tools that were in the shop..
THAT WAY my tools were covered under the companies insurance policy if something were to happen while they were in their building..
SOOO.. if you had to sign something like that.. in actuality they were their tools & could do w/ them as they pleased..??
Its still a looser move tho..
I would take a few days off under the guise of looking for another job.. just to get the point across..

I definitely didn’t sign nothing like that. These tools definitely don’t belong to them...

92U 3406 · Jan 24, 2018

I don't even like borrowing other people's tools. They don't feel right. Could be the exact same wrench but its like mine is molded to fit my hand lol. Non-mechanics just don't understand that lol.

DMiller · Jan 24, 2018

When I worked Independent shop we all had our own specialty tools. I had the old style Cummins Dial indicator tune up kit as well a cam timing set, came back to work a week vacation later and the shop owner was mad as they could NOT finish a overhaul due to my tools being locked. They had NOT cut locks or damaged the box but was wanting to dock me for the lost time. I looked at him straight faced told him in no uncertain terms they could from that point on Rent MY tools if they so chose to, they were not for lending further. He recanted then tried to argue a apology, finally bought the timing gauge set up from me to set things right(I made out good there). One of the rookies left the assembly on a tire and backed the truck out crushed it, Not my problem!!

thepumpguysc · Jan 24, 2018

SAME EXACT THING went on at my shop Miller..
Mechanics BOUGHT special tools to make THEY'RE time/job go smoother & then everybody wanted to use them.. F that..
ESPECIALLY when you had to go LOOK FOR THEM when YOU wanted to use them!!!
That's what happened to MY special tools.. ended up being only 1 guy I would loan stuff to.. ONLY BECAUSE he would bring it back when finished w/ it.. & if he needed it more than ONCE, he'd buy 1 himself..
I'd tell somebody NO & they would go "whine" to the boss.. the boss would come up & say, let so n so use that tool.. I'd tell him, F YOU buy your own tool.. lol.. what could he say??

thepumpguysc · Jan 24, 2018

Theres 4 things OF MINE you don't mess with..
Car, wife, money & tools..
& not necessarily in that order.. lol

How many time have you caught someone in your box & yelled> HEY, can I help you?? Mechanics are VERY protective of their tools.. & to have someone BURN a lock off?? that's grounds for the cops to be called..
I don't care WHO IT WAS !!!

dwdude · Jan 24, 2018

Thanks for the replies everyone. I’m so bothered by this **** that I couldn’t even sleep last night. I just feel disrespected. He’s also a licenced truck mechanic with his own tool collection. He should have known better. Leaving isn’t an option for me cuz of the pay.

funwithfuel · Jan 24, 2018

Come down here and join us there's a **** ton of money to be had Union wages health care vacation told security tool insurance being paid what you're worth you might wanna consider becoming an American

funwithfuel · Jan 24, 2018

I'm a little bit sorry for the last post but you get the idea. And I'm only sorry in so much that I might have knocked your country just a little bit

thepumpguysc · Jan 24, 2018

I've been in THAT BOAT too.. being disrespected & the pay..
I put my head down, told everybody to F-OFF & lived my life..
banked all I could without working ANY O/T {which would mean helping them out & I was asked many times}..
& worked side jobs & built up my account to where I could walk out.
& it doesn't happen overnite..
You just have to reach THAT boiling point..
I THINK that may have just been a drop in the bucket of whats to come..?? Only you know that.

92U 3406 · Jan 24, 2018

funwithfuel said:
I'm a little bit sorry for the last post but you get the idea. And I'm only sorry in so much that I might have knocked your country just a little bit

Hey! Being sorry is our thing lol!

Tinkerer · Jan 24, 2018

dwdude said:
I was in the emergency room bcuz I had rolled a truck on my way to work. My van was in the Mercedes dealer getting a turbo put on. They went out of there way to pick the van up (without repair) and use my ****. N f**k no. This kid won’t be on the road for a very long time

I hope you didn't think I was implying that you created a situation that forced that to happen. It was just normal (I think) curiosity that I asked that.
Good grief you had enough tough luck without those rats messing with you.
Oops ! I apologize to all the real rats in the world that I said your mismanager was one.

Old Doug · Jan 24, 2018

I have zero tolerance for stuff like this i will put up with alot of stuff on the job but if i am disrespected i will leave i have seen to many guys that got in deep and had to stay or have problems with the bank i dont want to ever be in their shoes. One time i saw a guy start to remove a tool from a buddys toolbox and i stoped him he told me it was ok i called him a liar and some other things he finaly walked off. He was part time his other job was on the police force. I afraid that every time i went through that town a cop would be on me but nothing ever happen.

JD955SC · Jan 24, 2018

I've got the bowl of popcorn waiting for the post confrontation report...do you need bail money?

thepumpguysc · Jan 25, 2018

make some room on the couch JD.. this should be good..

DMiller · Jan 25, 2018

Working for a larger utility I saw some pretty awful situations, managers walking over people, union failing to stand up for the employee(knowing they were right), managers sent to training to be direct and imposing shitheads so they could get more while looking innocent. I packed away what I could, built my retirement and made a few needed nasty repairs to the old frame work, got to that single worst last day where the balance scale tipped a little too far and in anger said ENOUGH. The company took it as less than appropriate for me to just be out on sick leave then file retirement but as was asked delivered the dissertation on the WHY was given the empty deer in head lights look, a thanks for my service and sent home. They really don't give two shits worth no matter what they put out as to employees being their most important component and commitment.

56wrench · Jan 25, 2018

Sending an apprentice on a field job without permission to use someone else's tools is not the way to promote morale in any shop, let alone cutting the locks off. I would say that the manager needs an attitude adjustment. One thing that ticks me off is when some apprentices start in the trade, the first thing they do is buy a huge snap-on toolbox worth thousands of dollars on a payment plan and then can't afford to buy tools to fill it. So then they come to us old guys with the 40yr old cheap toolboxes crammed full and beg to borrow our stuff. They don't appreciate the true value of the tools, only the shiny toolbox.

PJ The Kid · Jan 25, 2018

I would need bail money. I used to never lock my toolbox at the smaller shops I worked at because we all had some camaraderie, we traded off, I would use his noid light, he would use my power probe type stuff, but the last shop I worked at about came to blow, and would have if not for the owner grabbing me about to swing at the other guy. Working in the dealer atmosphere there was some fellowship, but mostly competition, had a couple guy use my tools enough that they would get mad when I needed them and had to steal MY tools out of THEIR box. Came in to grab tools for something at home and saw a guy trying to pick my lock and about lost my $**t

92U 3406 · Jan 25, 2018

I have no qualms about lending out tools. My only conditions are that I'm asked first, return it clean and if you break it and its not warrantied, replace it. Break the rules once and I won't ever lend anything to you again.

CM1995 · Jan 25, 2018

I'm not a mechanic but we're a site work contractor. We make it very clear to the GC and other subs that our equipment is not from a large rental house, here to be used and abused and they better stay off of it. I can't imagine anyone torching locks off and using another ones tools or equipment - no matter the reason, other than impending bodily harm or alien invasion.

Had a project super use our 321 hoe on a Saturday without even a phone call to ask. When we arrived at work Monday, the tractor was moved and the step was bent. Brought it to his attention, in which he admitted - I rode that incident for the entire job.

If we'd come in the next day to find our equipment lockdown devices were dismantled and the equipment was used without permission there would be tire smoke on the street from the lowboy moving in.

AzIron · Jan 25, 2018

cm if that aint the truth i have walked off two jobs for that reason alone now everything has multiple kill switches if it stays on sight overnight i am much more polite than my dad is tho i remember back when he took on an entire crew of landscapers over a grade tractor they were "borrowing" to do some little crap on a Saturday 4 of them were laying on the ground when it was over and he was chasing the rest with a 2 by 4 down the street of the neighborhood its funny to think of now but at the time dad was livid.

the thing that always gets me is no one cares that your tools or equipment cost money that you invested but because they need it for 5 minutes you should let them borrow a wrench or move said pile of dirt for free.

i say it like this i can go broke sitting at home i dont need to go broke lending or working for free.

manager torched the locks off my toolbox

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