People that don't care about other people's things!

[North]

So last summer (July I think) a group of the younger Airman from work were going camping. They planned on doing so target shooting. One of the ones I liked ask if he could borrow a shotgun. I have a simple Mossberg 20 gauge pump that I let him take.

The next workday he was telling me how much fun he had and ask if he could buy it, I said sure I never had used it much. I told I would take $150 for it. He said he couldn't afford it right then. I said no problem, just hang on to it and pay what you could when you could.

Well, several months latter he had made no effort to pay anything. I told him just never mind, bring me gun back. Never brought it by the house. So today I told him I would swing by his place to pick it up after work. He bought it out when I arrived and said it rusted some, I didn't have anything to clean it.

I got my gun back, but now I have rust all over the exterior of the barrel!! Hell I would had brought him any cleaning stuff he needed. From the looks of it, all he would have needed to do was wipe it down after the camping trip.

I hate that a cheap but pristine shotgun (now rusted, pitted pretty good in a couple of spots), will forever change how I view this guy. I outrank the hell out of him, so I will just chalk it up as a lesson learned.

[Merlin Orr]

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head.

Lots left unsaid.

[speculatorking]

The Golden Rule comes to mind here. Unfortunately people will let you down. Is it just me, or is society on a downward slide??

[VegasOPM]

Learn from the experience.... remember that the lesson is only in regards to this particular individual- not society as a whole... move on.

[Fullauto_Shooter]

So last summer (July I think) a group of the younger Airman from work were going camping. They planned on doing so target shooting. One of the ones I liked ask if he could borrow a shotgun. I have a simple Mossberg 20 gauge pump that I let him take.

The next workday he was telling me how much fun he had and ask if he could buy it, I said sure I never had used it much. I told I would take $150 for it. He said he couldn't afford it right then. I said no problem, just hang on to it and pay what you could when you could.

Well, several months latter he had made no effort to pay anything. I told him just never mind, bring me gun back. Never brought it by the house. So today I told him I would swing by his place to pick it up after work. He bought it out when I arrived and said it rusted some, I didn't have anything to clean it.

I got my gun back, but now I have rust all over the exterior of the barrel!! Hell I would had brought him any cleaning stuff he needed. From the looks of it, all he would have needed to do was wipe it down after the camping trip.

I hate that a cheap but pristine shotgun (now rusted, pitted pretty good in a couple of spots), will forever change how I view this guy. I outrank the hell out of him, so I will just chalk it up as a lesson learned.

Since you outrank him, maybe you should take the opportunity to counsel him on just how unprofessional his actions were and how his lack of courtesy and utter disregard for your property are a direct reflection upon him as both a military man and as a person. At the very least he'll know he screwed up; I see a lot of kids in the Army like this and sometimes all they need is a good ass-chewing to get them on the right track. I'd also give the shotgun back to him with the proper cleaning gear and tell him that you expect it to be clean when he returns it. If you say nothing, all you do is condone his behavior. My two cents.

[North]

Since you outrank him, maybe you should take the opportunity to counsel him on just how unprofessional his actions were and how his lack of courtesy and utter disregard for your property are a direct reflection upon him as both a military man and as a person. At the very least he'll know he screwed up; I see a lot of kids in the Army like this and sometimes all they need is a good ass-chewing to get them on the right track. I'd also give the shotgun back to him with the proper cleaning gear and tell him that you expect it to be clean when he returns it. If you say nothing, all you do is condone his behavior. My two cents.

Oh, don't get me wrong I will talk to the young man. I posted this originally right after it happened. I was sort of in shock that he would just flat out not care about it the way he did. You see it coming from some folks, but this was a slap in the face coming from him.

By Chalking it up as a lesson learned, I meant that I will just fix it as best I can and try not to let it influence the professional environment. I have visions of shinny spots on the barrel if I were try to make him fix it, and it has come out in the past couple of weeks that his money managing skills are severely lacking so zero chance of him buying a new barrel.

[G-ManBart]

Man, that's no fun at all.

I've been there too and now I only lend stuff to a select number of people!

[J-Ho]

Rust in Alamogordo? That takes some effort. I'd be kind of pissed as well. Definitely time he got a lesson in etiquette.

[JD45]

Two things make life hard for everyone:

1. Not enough people believe in hell.

2. Not enough people believe in, "What goes around comes around" (even some atheists believe in that).

[North]

Rust in Alamogordo? That takes some effort. I'd be kind of pissed as well. Definitely time he got a lesson in etiquette.

Tell me about!! I have old 1911 frame hanging on a nail on my bench, I hadn't looked it forever. Just pulled it up. No rust.

[Graham Smith]

I fear this goes well beyond the mistreatment of a gun. This person never took ownership of the gun. I don't mean he didn't pay for it, I mean he never looked at it as his own possession - as something he valued and was willing to take responsibility for. Unfortunately, this kind of attitude can cut right across the spectrum and effect job performance, relationships, everything.

After 20 years in the Army, I can tell you that I ran into several men and women like this, and trying to motivate them to break out of this attitude was not easy - I lost more than I won because it takes a lot of time.

[Pat Miles]

I have to agree with Bart regarding loaning any of my possessions. There are a select group that are welcome to anything I have, a larger group that have yet to prove their trustworthyness and a third group that I just yell NO! Usually these folks know never to ask again.

CYa,

Pat

[want2race]

If counseling doesn't make the pain go away, smoke the ever-loving dog snot out of him. Make him sweat blood! Muscle failure has a certain quality about it that tends to make people remember to NOT be stupid anymore.

[Dan Hefta]

I live by this old saying,"screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twise, shame on me." Good luck with cleaning up the shot gun.

[chuckbradley]

I try to make a point not to borrow anything.

During an Ice Storm a few years ago that shut down this area. No power and my grocery store basement was flooding. Thats where all the compressors were located. I was desperate. I went to a local farmer friend and asked if I could use his pump. It saved the day.

Several months later I overheard his farm employee talking about the Farmer was upset because somebody had borrowed his pump and it wouldn't work because the screen wasn't used and rocks got in the pump. I drove straight to his house and asked the Farmer how much it was to fix it. 70.00, paid him for it but did tell him it was working when I got done and I never removed the screen from the end of the hose. But for what it saved, 70.00 was nothing.

Bottom line is when you borrow something you are assuming all responsibility for its well being while in your possession, actual or perceived.

I also dont like to loan anything out that I care about because of the awkward situation you can get into. I lent a chain saw out , it doesnt work now and the shop said it was fried, no compression. No blame, just awkward. I think I will get it back and keep it around for next time. Sure here you go and by the way you can keep it, I dont need it.

[SiG Lady]

Whatta loser. He needs a serious talkin' to.