<Fn><F2> = $25

[W3WN]

Made a quick $25 bucks tonight, but to be honest, I feel a little guilty about it.

Had a call yesterday from some close friends of my in-laws. Older couple in the late 70's. Her new Dell Win 7 laptop was suddenly not talking to the FiOS router, could I check it out?

Got over there (husband was there, wife was out), checked everything over (found out the Verizon tech hadn't told them the admin account & password for the router... BTW, it's "admin" and the SN of the router most of the time) to make sure it wasn't anything super obvious.

But it was. She accidentally hit <Fn><F2> which turns off "the radio" (the wireless transceiver).

Spent some time on the phone with Support to get the admin password, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Still, I suspected that the password was... just what it was, so I eally shouldn't have had to call support (but he wanted me to confirm, so I did).

He wouldn't take "don't worry about it" for an answer, so I took the $25. But I don't feel right about it.

...and no need to offer to spend it for me to assuage my guilt. The boss has already confiscated it towards tomorrow evening's dinner... which means she's probably ordering pizza again...

[W1GUH]

Enjoy, Ron! To you, it was a trivial thing...to them...you saved them lots and lots of grief -- the gratuity was heartfelt. It would be rude to not enjoy it!

Enjoy the pizza!

[KG4CGC]

Enjoy, Ron! To you, it was a trivial thing...to them...you saved them lots and lots of grief -- the gratuity was heartfelt. It would be rude to not enjoy it!

Enjoy the pizza!

This ↑↑↑

[KJ3N]

Take the $25.

That's more than I get for delousing machines for friends and family. Most of the time, I get nothing in compensation for my efforts.

[KB3LAZ]

Sigh this reminds me. When I am gone there will be no one to fix my parents and grandparents TV/PC etc.

[K7SGJ]

Absolutely enjoy it. It's not like you swindled them, and the truth is, it would have cost them a hell of a lot more to have Verizon come out. Besides, next time it doesn't work, guess what they will try first before calling anyone. I had a truck that had an intermittent problem I just couldn't fix. My mechanic had it a couple of days and it turned out to be something very simple. I picked it up and he said no charge. I gave him some $$ and told him to buy the guys a burger or something for lunch. He appreciated it, I appreciated it.

It's like the old story about the washer repairman. The lady said it's making a strange noise. The guy kicks it and the machine is quiet. 50 bucks, he says. The lady says FIFTY BUCKS!! Just to kick it. No he says, it's 20 bucks to come out, and 30 bucks for knowing WHERE to kick it.

Save me a slice.

[KC2UGV]

You weren't paid to turn the screw; you were paid because you knew WHAT screw to turn.

It's what I tell my auto mechanic whenever he charges me $7 for a turn signal bulb, and he sounds sorry about it.

[W3WN]

It's like the old story about the washer repairman. The lady said it's making a strange noise. The guy kicks it and the machine is quiet. 50 bucks, he says. The lady says FIFTY BUCKS!! Just to kick it. No he says, it's 20 bucks to come out, and 30 bucks for knowing WHERE to kick it.
You weren't paid to turn the screw; you were paid because you knew WHAT screw to turn.I first heard that one in a story about Charles Proteus Steinmetz, the engineering genius who helped develop AC power for GE.

Story went that after he was retired, he was called in as a consultant due to a problem with a generator at the Niagra Falls power plant. He came in, listened for a minute, drew an "X" on part of the generator casing, and said "Problem is here" followed by explanation. He then billed them some exorbitant fee... $50,000 IIRC.

Accountants asked him to explain why 5 minutes or less was worth a $50K bill.

His itemized reply:
Making Mark: $5
Knowing where to make mark: $49.995

They paid.
----------
I always felt that the unit of frequency should have been named after him, no offense to Henrich Hertz. Of course, Steinmetzes would have sounded unwieldy, so instead, use his initials.


(You fellow OF's will get that one)

And tell you what guys... if we meet up at Dayton, first pizza (or reasonable equivalent thereof) is on me.

[K7SGJ]

Free pizza, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Wow, maybe W6D can stop by and pick me.....................uh, on second thought, will a slice fit in a USPS small flat rate box?

[W1GUH]

Free pizza, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Wow, maybe W6D can stop by and pick me.....................uh, on second thought, will a slice fit in a USPS small flat rate box?

Depends. Depending on where/how the pizza was obtained, it could be hazardous material?

So could Depends.

[K7SGJ]

Depends. Depending on where/how the pizza was obtained, it could be hazardous material?

So could Depends.


Probably still safer than the car and driver.

[W1GUH]

Uh huh!

[W3WN]

Free pizza, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Wow, maybe W6D can stop by and pick me.....................uh, on second thought, will a slice fit in a USPS small flat rate box?Do you really want to ride shotgun with him?

And if he fills that car up with junque treasures for the Crest Radio Museum, how are you going to get home?

[kb2vxa]

Here's your answer, we've got the shotgun question covered too.

[KB3LAZ]

Now I want pizza...grr

[NQ6U]

Now I want pizza...grr

Hello.

And I still want a taco!

[W7XF]

<snip>
Accountants asked him to explain why 5 minutes or less was worth a $50K bill.

His itemized reply:
Making Mark: $5
Knowing where to make mark: $49.995 <snip>
Watching the bean counters eat crow: Priceless! Sorry, Brother Ron...this line JUST begged to be added!)

They paid.
----------


<snip> And tell you what guys... if we meet up at Dayton, first pizza (or reasonable equivalent thereof) is on me.<snip>

I know Ron... I know what you're gonna say about the added text up there...but I'm sure even you will agree.

As far as the pizza: HOLD THE BAIT!!!!!
(should be reason enough for me to bribe a dispatcher into laying me over in Dayton for a certain weekend)

[W3WN]

No problem, since it's pretty clear that you added the text. I just hate it when someone rewrites something to add a quip or a zinger, and doesn't note that it's now THEIR words, not MINE.