Adventures in Pointless Polling: Replacing Lost Umbrella Etiquette

Started by alfred russel, October 23, 2012, 06:25:48 PM

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What was the proper etiquette in the situation?

The guy should have asked me to buy a new umbrella
2 (11.1%)
The guy shouldn't have asked me to buy a new umbrella
13 (72.2%)
We should have both bought Jaron a new umbrella (due to his size he might need two for total coverage)
3 (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 18

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alfred russel

October 23, 2012, 06:25:48 PM
The scenario: I was on a business trip with someone else, and we rented a car together. He went home for a few days, while I kept the rental. He left his umbrella in the rental car (I don't remember if he told me, but I think I knew he had something in the car). While he was gone, I lost the keys to the car. The rental car company couldn't find an extra set, so they towed the car with his umbrella inside and gave me a new car.

When this guy came back, he found out what happened, and asked me to buy a new umbrella for him. I agreed, and bought an umbrella from Target.

But I guess I'm feeling a little passive aggressive about this umbrella. So was this guy right to ask for the new umbrella? I don't think he should make me liable for stuff he leaves in my care while he is out of town, but then I did lose his umbrella.

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014

Razgovory

#1
October 23, 2012, 06:33:10 PM
How many business trips to do you do a year?
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

sbr

#2
October 23, 2012, 06:34:32 PM
It was his fault for leaving the umbrella behind.

He was a doucebag for asking you to replace it, and you did the right thing to just replace it when he asked.

alfred russel

#3
October 23, 2012, 06:39:48 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on October 23, 2012, 06:33:10 PM
How many business trips to do you do a year?

It depends. Last year it was a lot, now it is less.  :P
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014

Josquius

#4
October 23, 2012, 06:42:10 PM
You should have replaced the umbrella for him but it is a bit rude for him to outright tell you to do this.
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Ed Anger

#5
October 23, 2012, 06:43:34 PM
Get the fucker a dollar store umbrella.
Stay Alive...Let the Man Drive

Razgovory

#6
October 23, 2012, 06:44:36 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on October 23, 2012, 06:39:48 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on October 23, 2012, 06:33:10 PM
How many business trips to do you do a year?

It depends. Last year it was a lot, now it is less.  :P

You always seem to be visiting some third world hell hole, Bolivia, Morocco, Mississippi...  yeesh.
I've given it serious thought. I must scorn the ways of my family, and seek a Japanese woman to yield me my progeny. He shall live in the lands of the east, and be well tutored in his sacred trust to weave the best traditions of Japan and the Sacred South together, until such time as he (or, indeed his house, which will periodically require infusion of both Southern and Japanese bloodlines of note) can deliver to the South it's independence, either in this world or in space.  -Lettow April of 2011

Raz is right. -MadImmortalMan March of 2017

Jacob

#7
October 23, 2012, 06:46:05 PM
The ideal scenario is that he does not ask you to buy him a new umbrella, but that you make it up to him somehow - either by actually buying a replacement umbrella or some drinks or otherwise extending goodwill towards him.

When he asks for you to replace the umbrella he's being a bit of a putz, and you are occupying the moral high ground by replacing in.

Conversely, if he did not ask for a replacement but merely confirmed that the umbrella was lost he would've occupied the moral high ground; you would then be a bit of a putz if you did nothing to make it up to him.

katmai

#8
October 23, 2012, 06:46:29 PM
What kind of rental company doesn't have spare set for car?
Didn't they tow it o someplace you could still recover belongings from? I mean what if you had something more important than an umbrella??
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son

Lettow77

#9
October 23, 2012, 06:47:20 PM
 In this situation I could not have brought myself to ask for the umbrella if I was him, and could not have brought myself to not replace the umbrella if I was you.

Ideally he'd not have asked with the unspoken expectation you'd do the right thing, and he'd resent you as a cold yankee afterwords if you failed to replace his lost item.
It can't be helped...We'll have to use 'that'

alfred russel

#10
October 23, 2012, 06:50:08 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on October 23, 2012, 06:44:36 PM
Quote from: alfred russel on October 23, 2012, 06:39:48 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on October 23, 2012, 06:33:10 PM
How many business trips to do you do a year?

It depends. Last year it was a lot, now it is less.  :P

You always seem to be visiting some third world hell hole, Bolivia, Morocco, Mississippi...  yeesh.

I've never been to Bolivia, and I think the only time I posted about being in Mississippi was with Lettow.

You may not believe this, but the umbrella incident was actually in Saint Louis.  :P
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014

derspiess

#11
October 23, 2012, 06:51:11 PM
What sbr said.  Can't imagine asking someone to buy me an umbrella in this or really any scenario.  And although I'd  go ahead and agree to replace the umbrella if asked, the person who asked for it effectively would be dead to me.  I'd show them the bare minimum of courtesy and attention, and probably wouldn't ever go out of my way to help them after that.

I've run into several people like that, who maybe seem fairly normal at first but then do something really weird.
"If you can play a guitar and harmonica at the same time, like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, you're a genius. But make that extra bit of effort and strap some cymbals to your knees, suddenly people want to get the hell away from you."  --Rich Hall

PDH

#12
October 23, 2012, 06:54:13 PM
Kill the guy and make an umbrella out of his skin.
I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.
-Umberto Eco

-------
"I'm pretty sure my level of depression has nothing to do with how much of a fucking asshole you are."

-CdM

garbon

#13
October 23, 2012, 06:54:17 PM
Quote from: Jacob on October 23, 2012, 06:46:05 PM
The ideal scenario is that he does not ask you to buy him a new umbrella, but that you make it up to him somehow - either by actually buying a replacement umbrella or some drinks or otherwise extending goodwill towards him.

When he asks for you to replace the umbrella he's being a bit of a putz, and you are occupying the moral high ground by replacing in.

Conversely, if he did not ask for a replacement but merely confirmed that the umbrella was lost he would've occupied the moral high ground; you would then be a bit of a putz if you did nothing to make it up to him.

What J said.
"I've never been quite sure what the point of a eunuch is, if truth be told. It seems to me they're only men with the useful bits cut off."
I drank because I wanted to drown my sorrows, but now the damned things have learned to swim.

alfred russel

#14
October 23, 2012, 06:54:41 PM
Quote from: katmai on October 23, 2012, 06:46:29 PM
What kind of rental company doesn't have spare set for car?
Didn't they tow it o someplace you could still recover belongings from? I mean what if you had something more important than an umbrella??

It was Hertz. They towed the car away and I never saw it again, but I think the only thing it had in there was the umbrella. It was a bit of a fiasco--it took a good part of the day (my fault of course).
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

There's a fine line between salvation and drinking poison in the jungle.

I'm embarrassed. I've been making the mistake of associating with you. It won't happen again. :)
-garbon, February 23, 2014
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