What?????

[Dealy (Kev)]

I work for a water utility.

I went to a job today where a lady had rung up to report a water leak. When I arrived I had a look around the area - no leaks, everything looked fine.

She came out and told me the story:

"When I water my front garden for 15 mins water runs beside the garden and flows down beside the house. I think I must have a leaking pipe under the garden".

I said "So the water only 'leaks' when you have the garden hose on?"

"Yes that's right. My water meter was changed 3 weeks ago - do you think the pipes were 'jiggered' when that was done, causing the leak?"

I politely replied "I think the water is coming from your garden hose".

"There must be a leaking pipe under the garden".

"Then why isn't it leaking now? The only thing that changes from when it's not leaking to when it is leaking is you turning the tap on".

"Turning the tap on must do something to the pipes causing them to leak".

"Ok, try taking the hose out of the garden and running it for 15 mins like you usually do. You will find there will be no water running from the garden".

"So if it does is that something you fix or do I need a plumber?"

"Umm ... you will need to call a plumber".

[MortonH]

Thanks for the laugh!

[Somnium (Aidan)]

wow, just wow ...

[MortonH]

Just accidentally navigated back to this thread and laughed out loud for a second time.

[alpal]

Kev - you were dealing with a halfwit.

[MortonH]

Originally Posted by alpal

Kev - you were dealing with a halfwit.

She'd have to be standing in front of a mirror to make a half-wit.

[Somnium (Aidan)]

i honestly don't know how you kept a straight face

[Dealy (Kev)]

Originally Posted by Somnium

i honestly don't know how you kept a straight face

She didn't see me smiling

[Atmos (Colin)]

I have had some situations like that, maybe not to that extreme but some people have a lot of empty space.

About a year ago I was at a petrol station, I was watching a woman (probably early-mid 20's [my age]) walking up to various people, talking to them briefly and then moving on. Eventually she walked over to me and asked:
"My boyfriend sent me down to get some fuel for the lawn mower and I don't know what to get. I think I need leaded fuel but no one seems to know where it is."

At this point I politely mentioned that leaded fuel hasn't been sold in petrol stations for some 20 years (I didn't really want to point out that they stopped making engines that required leaded petrol a couple of years before EITHER of us were born) and that she should just fill up from the yellow bowser because it is the cheapest fuel.

Now although I have nothing against her for not knowing about the leaded fuel thing, I am more inclined to think her boyfriend mentioned it to her. What I couldn't understand is that the two 60ish year old men that she asked couldn't give her an answer!!

[billdan (Bill)]

She probably meant 2-stroke Colin, then you would have some explaining to do.

Bill

[Atmos (Colin)]

Originally Posted by billdan

She probably meant 2-stroke Colin, then you would have some explaining to do.

Bill

I did mention that 2 stroke was the synthetic leaded fuel but she said her boyfriend said it would come out of a bowser

[N1 (Mirko)]

Originally Posted by Dealy

She didn't see me smiling

Bit hard to tell with that emu face

[AstralTraveller (David)]

I can see how a call like that would make your day. Plenty of tea-room conversation for quite a while. Well done too for not telling her just how irrational she is.

I'm wondering whether she has some sort of anxiety disorder. I've seen similar behaviour before (in a loved one - which made it quite tragic). The belief that -something- must be wrong is so strong it overrides any logic and evidence to the contrary. That there is no problem just can't be accepted and the person will 'double think' their way around any reassurance. She may well have called an electrician about light globes getting hot when turned on, a builder about the curtains moving when the windows are open or a technician about the waves in the washing machine. In this case I wonder whether the replacement of the meter has set her off. Presumably she has watered the garden before and not seen a problem. However once convinced that the replacement of the meter will end in disaster it only remains to see the 'evidence'. Sh!t of a way to lead your life.