todays kids

[amertrac]

My sisters grandson ( my grand nephew? ) wants to be a auto mechanic so my sister asked if I would put together a set of tools for him.It took two months for me to gather
a 11 drawer craftsman tool chest
a complete set of 1/2in....3/8in..... 1/4in socket set with ext,rat,etc
a complete set of doe.dbe and combo wrenches from 5/16 to 1in
a fist full of each screwdrivers  std and phillip
15 pairs if pliers
a set of adj.wrenches
a set of tubing wrenches
pluss a few things that i thought he might use
  now granted they were mostly foreign and not matched sets  but for starting out I thought he could buy what he wanted as he went along   BULL SHIT     he flat out refused to take them saying he wanted a set of snap-on and did not want to show up to a job with a mixed set of tools. Well I  guess I  started on him and blew my top.He left in a huff and my sister called and wanted to know what happened so i told her*^%#@%^&(. I said he could have taken the damn tools ands threw them away. I don't know whether i was hurt or pizzed off more .I told him that tools don't repair cars mechanics do and a shiny tool don't make a man a mechanic.
my brother in law called last night and offered to buy the tools and i told they are and never were for saleand I will find someone that will appreciate them and hung up   I guess times have gotten way ahead of this old man   bob w.

[Branson]

Flat out refused?!  Unbelievable.  A little problem with values here.  Wants a set of Snap-Ons?  Doesn't want to show up with a mixed set of tools?  I guess he doesn't want to show up then.  Guess he can wash dishes or muck stables until he earns enough money to buy shiny new Snap-Ons. 

Funny values to me.  I'd rather show up with tools that looked like I had actually used them.   I've been known to take a shiny new tool and make it look at least slightly used.

That's not a real new value.  I worked with a young gal who was a scenic artist (painting theatrical sets).  She had just been accepted into a master's degree program for scenic artists, and had bought a few pairs of painter's pants to take to college.  She wore them to the scene shop, a new pair every other day and got them all cruddy looking.  I asked her why she was wearing her new stuff to the job.  She said, just a little huffy, "If you think I'm going to show up for classes looking like I don't know the work, you're crazy!"

Sorry this happened to you, Bob.  I know it hurts.

[RedVise]

Bob, that was a very nice gesture on your part. Some kids are worth the effort, some are not, it usually goes back to the way they were raised. Every generation is different, good and bad together.

In hind sight, possibly if you had involved the kid in the search and educated him about the value of good steel versus a "big name",  he might have been more receptive.

Again, that was good work on your part to help a young man get started. I wasnt always open to good advice when I was a young man, my loss.


Brian L.

[OilyRascal]

Good of you to try and help him.  I wish it had worked out better for you in the end.   Chin up!

I'd rather show up with tools that looked like I had actually used them.   I've been known to take a shiny new tool and make it look at least slightly used.

lol - I can relate

[Papaw]

It's not only with tools, my older son needed a truck but didn't have enough money. I got a truck in trade, fixed it up and offered it to him free. He said NO, I'm  getting a new one.
How he did it, I'm not sure. He has kept it, paid it off finally, and now he says he  has learned his lesson.

Couple weeks later I sold the one I fixed up for a profit of $1000. Money he could have saved by waiting until his credit kept his payments down.

[amertrac]

It wasn't the damn money I spent nor the time and effort rounding them up . T was the flat oh no I need snap on. It felt like somebody stabed me.Like I said he could have thanked me, went down the road and dumped them.It probably it would not have hurt as much
Maybe I made a mountain out of a mole hill . I definitly will remember it for a long time  bob w.

[lbgradwell]

I'll happily accept a big box of whatever you care to assemble for me, Bob! ;)

[skylab]

Give the kid some time.  Tools are always at risk of being lost or stolen.   He may wish he took your kind offer. 

[Neals]

I feel for ya Bob. That would sure lite my fire too. I suggest gettin rid of that box or at least moving it to where you don't have to look at it daily and get all fired up again. The younger ones in my family are fairly evenly split between those who understand afford and make do and those who want to start out with more than their parents got in a lifetime. As the old saying goes"To soon old, to late smart"

[Mac53]

Not sure how old he is, but I can assure you it isn't all of us (I'm 21). Any tool that is remotely proper for a job is a good tool to me! I can't tell you how many times I've had to make a tool, be it a spanner, screwdriver or what have you, when I didn't have \ couldn't find the right one.

I'll admit though, I wouldn't have readily accepted it either- I'd feel guilty taking a whole tool box from someone with nothing to offer in return... But that's a bit different.

[johnsironsanctuary]

I went off on a 'Tool Snob' rant last week so I won't do it again here. Tuff break Bob, but a very kind gesture.  I hope that he comes around to your way of thinking before he mortgages his soul to the SnapOn guy.

[jimwrench]

 thats not about being a tool snob;thats about being grateful for a gift. Glad I don't have to give him a christmas present.

[Nolatoolguy]

WOW, thats just ridicoulous.

Being 17 I can say. I see it at school about the brand names, not in tools but deffinitly in clothes. People act as if its a tragety if there clothes dont have certian tags. I myself dont care as long as they fit well an last long.

Just this last christmas my grandma had me make a list for christmas. I put a bunch of stuff on there just simple little stuff from several stores. She ended up getting me a 6 piece coffee cup set, totally not on the list. But I didnt care what it was I still acted just as happy as if it was a tool from homedepiot. It was about the thought not the actual gift. I must admit I havent used the coffee mugs once but my older sister enjoys them.

But you tried to be nice at least. He will learn one day its not all about the brand as long as it works well.

[1930]

Maybe this has aready been mentioned I didnt bother to read all of the posts but that is one spoiled little bas@@@d.

He will maybe find out one day when he dosent have his mommy or daddy taking pity on him to wise up and smell the coffee.

I would have thrown him out on his ears

[Lump]

Unbelievable! Sorry you went through that, Bob. I would have choked on that situation.

I agree with someone earlier who said, "...it's about gratitude for a gift."

When my two sons were little boys, my wife and I taught them strictly to make certain they showed extreme gratitude for any gift from anyone, anytime. So if they opened a Christmas present from grandparents with a pair of socks inside, they had BETTER make a fuss about how much they liked those particular socks, and thank the grandparents clearly and distinctly BEFORE opening any other presents. Even if they really wanted video games, or whatever. I warned them vigorously that if one single present was opened without gratitude being shown, and a pause made for a directly-spoken "thank-you," that I would take away the rest of their gifts for a week. I am proud to say that, even today they understand this lesson well.

I am sorry that your nephew did not. But I suspect that if he doesn't understand this, then he will have several important lessons to be learned in life. And life as an automotive technician is not so easy... That life will definitely teach him many, many tough lessons...the hard way.