Borrowing

Not wishes to highjack Chris Judd's post but prompted by the comments regarding borrowing books etc, I have a rather expensive book in my possession I know whom it belongs to but my friend deny's that the book is his and refuses to take it back But I'll make sure he get's it back I've put it in my will . Anymore similar stories

H

Not at all similar, I'm afraid, Harry ... but I'll share it anyway:

I had a bound volume of the 'Illustrated London News' containing two great items: A lengthy article about the pneumatic railway, and a beautiful engraving of a Gatling Gun mounted on a Camel.

A 'friend' borrowed it to lend to a friend who wanted to use the illustration in a TV programme.

Needless to say: I never saw it again.

... Lesson learned.

MichaelG.

I suspect the TV and film industry are among the most reckless borrowers of people's property.

I once received a request from the BBC to use my former house as a location for filming. Even though the remuneration would have been good, I refused when I saw the disclaimers about potential damage to my property.

I was already on my guard anyway; as a boy I lent my great grandfather's Acme Thunderer railway whistle to someone we knew who was making a film and, like Michael, we never saw it again.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 17/08/2019 20:58:51

This defines the two sorts of human being.

The ones who are honest and concieneous, who, if they borrow something return it clean and tidy, and promptly.

Possibly, better than when you lent it.

The others are, as said, reckless, careless or even dishonest. IF you get it back it is dirty, damaged of missing parts.

Somethings just vanish, "No, I never had it" and so on. Even if you can see it among their other possessions, "No that never came from you" Careless of other folk's possessions, at the least.

They get crossed off the list of friends, and the Christmas Card list.

But I love dealing with the first sort. They are a pleasure to know.

Howard

To quote a very old saying “never a borrower or a lender be”.

I made the mistake of being the second one and losing gear a few times never again (I don’t borrow things either).

Edited By V8Eng on 17/08/2019 21:49:29

It rains upon the Just and on the Unjust, both together

But it rains more upon the Just

Because the Unjust has the Just's umbrella.

Friend of mine borrowed a 5 ton fly press from me and used it at his friends workshop for making large traction engine wheels. This friend of his passed on and my press ended up in his estate never saw it again. expensive lesson

.

Don’t lend them your brolly either then.😉😁

Edited By V8Eng on 17/08/2019 22:07:04

Personally i always think if someone is kind enough to trust you & lend things until you can source your own, you should always go out of your way to return items promptly. Unfortunately there are some people that either don't return items or you have to do the chasing to get your items returned to you.

Similar story ... I have an antique cylinder phonograph which I stupidly lent to a "friend" for use as a prop in a stage-play. He assured me that it was simply a visual prop ... it would not see any actual use.

What he didn't tell me, until he returned it, was that after the show, he let his kids play with it for a day or two (huh?). It was returned with considerable damage to the horn. He tried to minimise that by claiming that the horn was "pretty dented actually when I lent it to him" (it absolutely wasn't).

Since then, I'm "neither a borrower nor a lender" and he, considerably less a friend.

(The horn incidentally was an all but irreplaceable original .... not one of the modern, replacement spun-aluminum horns)

Edited By Bandersnatch on 18/08/2019 01:38:07

Some years ago, a work mate asked if he could borrow a pair of axle stands, an angle grinder and trolley jack.

I say, "sure thing, what do you want them for?", believe it or not, the answer I got was "I'm going to restore a car, I'll only need them for 6 months"!

Needless to say, I declined.......

Jim

I lent a friend an air needle gun and an air accessory set. Quite some time later after badgering I got the accessory set back minus a custom air fitting, which made it useless. Also the spray can had not been cleaned properly. I recently rediscovered the set while moving house, I have now replaced the custom fitting so I could use the air duster to clean the lathe.

As to the needle gun, he denied having it till I pointed out what he had used it on. Then he said he must have sold it on ebay. No apology or offer to replace it.

Needless to say he is not a friend anymore.

Oh and my brother borrowed my copy of "its a wonderful life" never saw it again. My wife bought it as a gift, and she is not pleased. Every year the film comes on TV, and the comments start

Adrian

Edited By AdrianR on 18/08/2019 11:27:58

I loaned a mate my work SDS hammer drill, told him explicitly that i needed it for a job on the coming Thursday, He didn’t bring it back, and wasn’t answering my calls, so i went and bought a new one.

When he did return it the week after, seemed a bit miffed when i explained i didn’t want it back but expected him to buy it, for what it had cost me to replace.

We are still friends, but he never asks to borrow anything these days.

As the years have passed I've amassed a good collection of tools and equipment, from building, plumbing and agricultural to engineering equipment and I've also sorted out friends and acquaintances into 'trustees' and 'not to be trusted with anything' categories.

The system works well, if you tell at the point of inquiry, to which stream the friend/acquaintance belongs.

I also stencil or engrave most things on the advice of the police after a burglary some years past.

Guy

I usually find that if I borrow anything (which is rare) I have to fix it before I can use it, and if I lend anything, I have to fix it when I get it back! If anyone asks to borrow now I generally tell them to fetch the problem to me, rather than take my tools to the problem!

I'm with you there Phil!

Jim

Some years ago a neighbour asked to borrow my sledge hammer to do some fencing work for his mother. He brought it back after the weekend - fine. A couple of weeks later he borrowed it again, and then again. and again. Return period got ever more extended.

Finally he came to borrow it one day and I was able to say 'Well you could borrow it, but you need to return it from last time first!'.

Mike

sorry  -  finger trouble.

Edited By Watford on 18/08/2019 18:58:10

Edited By Watford on 18/08/2019 18:59:23

I'm sure a little humour wouldn't completely assuage the sense of 'let-down' but would that have been the Sopwith or Bactrian variety MichaelG ?

DaveD