# Residential etiquette?



## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?


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## Bluenose for rent (Nov 6, 2020)

Customer etiquette is a thing too. If they don’t tell me where the bathroom is and have their stuff moved out of the way, I grumble (internally) and wonder who raised them.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I normally do Home Depot. If it’s a hot steamer, I definitely give it to Home Depot. I might do a quick pee at a customer’s place if the bathroom is right there.

I was working on a small commercial job last month and I heard a noise in the bathroom. I was supposed to be there alone. I peeked over the partition wall and there was a guy sitting on the chitter. The water wasn’t turned on.  He was from the job next door. His boss walked in and turned on the water so they could flush the toilet. Complete morons. Maybe the plumber had it turned off for a reason. I always do a test flush first and would never think of going onto another site without asking to use their facilities.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

I have pooped in a bag and bucket in my truck a dozen times, no big deal. 
I have a gallon ziplock with a roll of TP and some kitchen garbage bags tucked away in the cab of my truck for such occasions. 
Keep a 2' piece of 6" PVC in your truck, it will be around long after a bucket disappears. 
I typically won't pee on the ground unless I'm way out in the wild somewhere. Ill pee in a water bottle or a cup and then dump it in the bushes or cap the bottle and throw it away when Ican.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

Beware, a quick flush will empty the tank but doesn't guarantee that the water is on to refill for another flush. Dont ask how i know this


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## MotoGP1199 (Aug 11, 2014)

You are human. If the customer is uncomfortable they are a ****. Especially if you are there all day. I will use HD if i can time it on the way there.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

This is especially relevant when your daughter works for you. Back then I had to have a bucket and toilet paper in the trailer.

When it’s just me. If I don’t eat breakfast, I wouldn’t need to crap. But peeing is not an option. 

On a house build, the GC or HO should have a porta john on site. Otherwise they will have half a dozen guys pissing around their new house for months.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Southeast Power said:


> I have pooped in a bag and bucket in my truck a dozen times, no big deal.
> I have a gallon ziplock with a roll of TP and some kitchen garbage bags tucked away in the cab of my truck for such occasions.
> Keep a 2' piece of 6" PVC in your truck, it will be around long after a bucket disappears.
> I typically won't pee on the ground unless I'm way out in the wild somewhere. Ill pee in a water bottle or a cup and then dump it in the bushes or cap the bottle and throw it away when Ican.


I am glad I have a box truck and I also keep a five gallon bucket with plastic garbage bags and TP.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Caught the crabs once while in the navy aboard ship.

40 years later I still won’t use someone else’s washroom.

And BTW, don’t open the medicine cabinet in my house, it might be filled with ping pong balls.


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## zappz922 (6 mo ago)

Bluenose for rent said:


> Customer etiquette is a thing too. If they don’t tell me where the bathroom is and have their stuff moved out of the way, I grumble (internally) and wonder who raised them.


I LOVE THIS ITS LIKE "HEY" IF YOU DONT WANT TO APPRECIATE ME FIXING YOUR PROBLEMS AND MAKING YOUR FAMILIES LIFE SAFE WHEN THEY SLEEP !" enough to allow me as the person tending to those issues to piss thats bs. but taking a gangster in there is a totally different monster!!! IMO


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## em158 (Jul 7, 2016)

I did a 10 P.M. to 6 A.M power outage to P.M. the incoming 34kv switchgear at the US Patent Office in Alexandria, Virginia. Beautiful almost new modern building.









Spent about an hour doing switching and lockout. The whole time my tummy was gurgling. I ditched the building engineer and told him I would meet him in the electrical room. Ran to a dark, except the Exit light mens room. Greatly relieved because I had to work all night. Relieved until I realized the modern auto-flush commode didn't work without power.


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I believe around here you are required to have access to the owners bathroom or a port-a-let must be installed. That is the builders responsibility. 

I know a plumber who will use the bathroom of a homeowner if he just needs to pee but will otherwise leave the job and find a bathroom somewhere. Some people cannot poop on command so there should be a toilet available on the job. My builders always asked the homeowner if it was okay to use their bathroom otherwise a port-a- let was installed.


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## aidonius (Jul 10, 2018)

When i was rewiring apartment buildings we usually were able to ask one of the tenants to use their bathrooms if there wasn't an extra bathroom or at least a sink in the storage room. I'm not pooping in a tenant's bathroom so if there wasn't one in the basement it was time to find the closest corner store or something. Parking in the city is a real pain but at least there was usually something within a 5min walk. 
I doubt that the boss factors that into the bid but that's just the price of doing business IMO.


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## mburtis (Sep 1, 2018)

So my colleague at work trains for strongman and has hopes of going pro. So part of his whole work out and diet regiment is an obscene amount of water. There's days I swear he pees more often than my pregnant wife. On the other hand there are days that I'll have a cup of coffee in the morning and that's the only thing I put in my body until dinner. Not healthy but I don't have to pee all day.


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

You know its a hot day when you've been hydrating and only had to piss once


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## Buck Parrish Electric (Jan 8, 2021)

We done a job at a Vegetarian lady's house. She was gone a lot. My helper had gas really bad after lunch. When she came home, she said what is that smell. She was looking all around the house. I'm guessing she had never smelled a meat eaters fart. 
Finally, I said mam we did cut sheetrock in a couple places I think a mouse might have died in there. So, she quit looking around then. 
We patched the holes and moved on...


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Dennis Alwon said:


> I believe around here you are required to have access to the owners bathroom or a port-a-let must be installed. That is the builders responsibility.
> 
> I know a plumber who will use the bathroom of a homeowner if he just needs to pee but will otherwise leave the job and find a bathroom somewhere. Some people cannot poop on command so there should be a toilet available on the job. My builders always asked the homeowner if it was okay to use their bathroom otherwise a port-a- let was installed.


No builder on site. It was a service change. Most GCs now supply a Porta Jon. It’s only $25.00 per week so they can splurge.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

I am glad we all have the same problems and I love to hear these stories.


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## paulengr (Oct 8, 2017)

kb1jb1 said:


> Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?


Two issues here. The first one is always follow the golden rule, in this case act like how you would wAnt a contractor to treat your spouse and kids. If you don’t want that person acting a certain way, you should not do it either,

Second this is a job where often we have to supply everything ourselves and often we are “roughing it”. As a contractor pretty quickly you get used to urinating just about anywhere More than once I’ve also made use of shop towels and a trash bag, buckets being optional. The back of a van or truck or opening two side doors may be your only options. Similarly always carry a bug out bag and overnight bag. Don’t plan on meals having access to a microwave or fast food and don’t plan on always sleeping in your own bed, or any bed. And plan on getting nasty when you don’t expect it, or the weather report being wrong.

So you start to think of indoor plumbing as a modern convenience as a contractor, not a necessity. And others have it much worse than electrical contractors. Think of divers for instance in dry suits.

Once you get the “roughing it” idea in your head though it’s hard think they other way. Once you are used to going anywhere it is far more convenient to use a bush than to go through a long complicated effort to handle a simple nature call.

My personal downfall is thinking the job will
Be quick and I can hold a nature call until after the job is done.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

Wirenuting said:


> Caught the crabs once while in the navy aboard ship.


Is that the poop deck?


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

When I first started, it made me feel uncomfortable to ask a customer to use their restroom. But I soon realized that they should know we are not home all day, or at a shop, so we are bound to have to go sometime. So I usually only asked if it was absolutely necessary. Now, it still bothers me some but I just ask anyway.

A couple of stories............
I've only had one customer that even slightly acted like they didn't want me to use their bathroom. Actually, this lady paused for a long moment and then said "well, ok but it might be a little messy in there as I have not cleaned this week." I apologized and said I didn't have a choice. I had worked there for a day and hadn't needed to go while there as I used parts trips and lunch to take care of my needs. I was there to set up the electrical for a new mfg/mobile home that was right in front of the old house that the lady lived in, so I had never been in the house.

I made my way into the house and it was terrible from the front door forward. There was cat poop, dog poop, hair, dog & cat food poured out everywhere, some filth that I couldn't even identify! I was in a hurry so I dismissed the filth and went on to the bathroom. When I got there, it was worse, I can't even describe how bad it was. The lady was right, she had not cleaned that week, *OR ANY WEEK!* I have never been able to "squinch" a #2 movement when it's real bad, but I did this time. I got out of there and made it to the supply house!

One of my first jobs years ago I had to disconnect power to work in the main panel and add a subpanel. I just got the power off and "the pain" hit me. I went to the bathroom (after asking) and when I was doing my thing, I realized the power was off and couldn't run the fan. I thought I could do multiple flushes and leave the door open and no one would know. Turns out, the customers were just moving in and the lady had her mother there helping to clean. Her mother started cleaning just outside the bathroom while I was in there. I'm sure the fog knocked her down when I came out!🤢

At my age, I have learned I can pee most anywhere! My favorite, when I can't find a restroom, is a country cemetery. No traffic and usually some woods or trees to get behind. You city folks probably don't know what I'm talking about.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

paulengr said:


> Two issues here. The first one is always follow the golden rule, in this case act like how you would wAnt a contractor to treat your spouse and kids. If you don’t want that person acting a certain way, you should not do it either,
> 
> Second this is a job where often we have to supply everything ourselves and often we are “roughing it”. As a contractor pretty quickly you get used to urinating just about anywhere More than once I’ve also made use of shop towels and a trash bag, buckets being optional. The back of a van or truck or opening two side doors may be your only options. Similarly always carry a bug out bag and overnight bag. Don’t plan on meals having access to a microwave or fast food and don’t plan on always sleeping in your own bed, or any bed. And plan on getting nasty when you don’t expect it, or the weather report being wrong.
> 
> ...


By roughing it, I remember many years ago when it was more rural here we use to carry a shovel and a roll of TP in the truck and having to take a walk in the woods. The good old days.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

Everyone has an opinion on this. Mine is If someone needs a bathroom, well, that's what it's there for.


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## Madmax73 (Jul 10, 2014)

I was working in Ottawa about twenty years ago and one of my coworkers told me this story. 

The company we were working for was hired to install potlights in the master bedroom or 24 Sussex Drive - the Prime Minister's official residence (Canada's equivalent to the white house). The workers were told not to use the ensuite bathroom, but to go down the hall to another one if they needed to go. After a couple of hours one of the guys had to take a dump and said F*ck it, I'm using the PM's bathroom. When he was finished he tried flushing, but nothing happened, so he closed the lid and walked away. Nothing was ever said about it. 

I can just picture Chretien's face when he got home and opened the lid.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

Madmax73 said:


> I can just picture Chretien's face when he got home and opened the lid......


........and I sh*t you not, Justin Turdeau was floating in the toilet staring back at him


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## frankendodge (Oct 25, 2019)

The 2 guys I the background look like they just saw him drop a log right there.

Generally I find people are pretty good about it. They will often offer where the washroom is when we show up.
Unless I ate something bad, I can usually go all day without needing anything but the nearest tree.

Several months back we were roughing in a duplex. The builder was beyond incompetent. His helpers were not the brightest lot either.. high all the time and no skill to speak of.
No porta potty on site. Their crew had been using a bucket behind the house.. full of turds and some wooden door stop wedges they were clearly using to wipe. Can't make that up. Its still the running joke with us and the plumbers.
Anyways my guts were grumbling so I took off for the gas station 5 minutes up the road. I get back and the builder is there, asking "how does your boss make any money with you leaving?" Lmao haven't had to sink that low to keep the job on task yet.

My apprentice saw him taking a piss on a rubble heap out front a little later and yelled "hey, that's illegal!"
"What is? The guy asks..
"A grow man holding a little boy's ****!"
He didn't seem to like that as much as I did.


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## GrayHair (Jan 14, 2013)

When I just *had* to take a leak at a customer's home, I always squatted to urinate (no splatter). I also took a small bar of soap and something to dry my hands on (no damp and possibly soiled soap or towels). 

Trash bags and toilet paper in the truck for emergencies.

*EDIT*: I too learned the hard way to make sure the water was on before I did anything else.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> Is that the poop deck?


No, it’s a ships “Head”. 
The poop deck was on the back of sailing ships. The crews head was located on the bow. keep
In mind that a sailing ship never moves faster then the wind. So the bathroom was in front and the smell was carried away from the ship. The wave action also cleaned what went overboard.

The red seat was what was called “The hot seat” for those who had some social disease.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

Peeing into a Coke bottle makes me glad I’m a guy.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Screw it, I am using the restroom.

This is another one of those reasons contractors complain about not being able to find good help.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

During Covid, I ordered a porta potty for every job. Total cost was $100 to drop it off, $100 to pick it up and $100 per month. Its much cheaper than paying electricians to find a place to go off site.
FWIW, most suppliers will bring one out the same day you order one.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

99cents said:


> Peeing into a Coke bottle makes me glad I’m a guy.


Man I gotta use a wide top bottle.
Sorry you gotta deal with that sub-zero cold all year long.


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Wirenuting said:


> No, it’s a ships “Head”.
> The poop deck was on the back of sailing ships. The crews head was located on the bow. keep
> In mind that a sailing ship never moves faster then the wind. So the bathroom was in front and the smell was carried away from the ship. The wave action also cleaned what went overboard.
> 
> The red seat was what was called “The hot seat” for those who had some social disease.


Sitting cheek to cheek, heads at the yard had a little more room but still open walls.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

just the cowboy said:


> Sitting cheek to cheek, heads at the yard had a little more room but still open walls.


In drydock in the dead of winter, cold iron and only 1 roll to share.

Still better then an FF in the North Atlantic in the winter. Rolling so hard and trying to hold on and lift your feet as the brown trout swam back and forth.

And todays sailors bitch about “lowering their standards”.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

LoL at many of these stories 🤣

Never had an issue with #2. Always went first thing in the morning at home, 1/2 way thru my morning coffee.

Spent most of my time on the road, windsheild washer fluid bottle works great !

Fun Fact, if you pee in the blue stuff, it turns green like the good -40˚ stuff 🤣


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

emtnut said:


> LoL at many of these stories 🤣
> 
> blue stuff, it turns green like the good -40˚ stuff 🤣


Oh man, I thought it was supposed to turn a dark red. 
Dam I better go see the Dr.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

I think there should be a Google Document on this.


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## mdnitedrftr (Aug 21, 2013)

#2 I'll run to a public bathroom. Only had to use a customers once in my career. The job was taking too long and my lunch did not agree with me.

#1 It depends on how many bathrooms they have. If they have 1 bathroom, I will find a bush or behind the truck door. 2+ and I'm ok using the guest bath. Some of my customers have 11+ bathrooms, so I have my pick there.


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## canbug (Dec 31, 2015)

This isn't residential but.
Working at one of the bigger hospitals here, you hear the fire trucks come by a couple of times a week but this time they came to the construction site, 5th floor. Someone had taken a dump in the unfinished washroom and poured a 5 gallon bucket of water into the toilet to flush. The pipes on the 4th floor weren't hooked up and set off the fire alarm. 
Not an electrician, one of the drywallers.

Tim.


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Electricians wiring 2 story apt buildings, had no place to go & this was in the days when Romex came in cardboard boxes, so dropped a load in a Romex box & tossed it out the window.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

I used to work in Vancouver on residential towers. A couple of hundred trade workers sharing 2 or 3 portable toilets on the ground level and a 30+ minute wait for the skip. If you were lucky they would bring a half-toilet up to the 15th floor. Sitting there taking a  with a view of the ocean and the cool breeze blowing in your face. It truly was magical.... and everyone can see the look on your face when they come running down the stairs ready to piss their pants and you're still pinching a loaf.


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## SPINA ELECTRIC (Dec 1, 2009)

kb1jb1 said:


> Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?





kb1jb1 said:


> Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?


I always ask the customer If I can use their bathroom.


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## SPINA ELECTRIC (Dec 1, 2009)

I always ask the customer if I can use the bathroom.


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## Matt Hermanson (Jul 18, 2009)

kb1jb1 said:


> Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?


A half gallon per day (64 oz) is not much unless your days are short. #2 gets dropped off at the closest convenience store. Ask permission for using the bathroom. Either we use the customer's facilities or the time involved grows. And time is money - the customer's money.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Norcal said:


> Electricians wiring 2 story apt buildings, had no place to go & this was in the days when Romex came in cardboard boxes, so dropped a load in a Romex box & tossed it out the window.


I forgot all about the handy romex boxes. Except we threw them into the dumpster if available.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Matt Hermanson said:


> A half gallon per day (64 oz) is not much unless your days are short. #2 gets dropped off at the closest convenience store. Ask permission for using the bathroom. Either we use the customer's facilities or the time involved grows. And time is money - the customer's money.


His mother told him to drink 1/2 his body weight in ounces per day. The kid is only about 125 pounds.


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## kristopherk1985 (Oct 26, 2021)

paulengr said:


> Two issues here. The first one is always follow the golden rule, in this case act like how you would wAnt a contractor to treat your spouse and kids. If you don’t want that person acting a certain way, you should not do it either,
> 
> Second this is a job where often we have to supply everything ourselves and often we are “roughing it”. As a contractor pretty quickly you get used to urinating just about anywhere More than once I’ve also made use of shop towels and a trash bag, buckets being optional. The back of a van or truck or opening two side doors may be your only options. Similarly always carry a bug out bag and overnight bag. Don’t plan on meals having access to a microwave or fast food and don’t plan on always sleeping in your own bed, or any bed. And plan on getting nasty when you don’t expect it, or the weather report being wrong.
> 
> ...


Just gotta be careful because sometimes there's cameras outside.


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## ElectronFlow (Dec 21, 2014)

kb1jb1 said:


> Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?


he wanted a password for the owners wifi?
field check. end of story.
he even ASKED? field check for asking. wtf is he there for? recreation?

i was working in a very expensive house, and asked the customer where the restroom was at.
she said... "the restroom is only for family members."

i nodded, said i understood, and as i hadn't started work yet, after a 90 minute drive, walked
out to the van, opened the drivers side door, and peed on the driveway, carefully not getting any
on my feet. then, i got in the van, and drove away.

dunno if they ever called to see what happened to me. i blocked the number.


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## zoltan (Mar 15, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> View attachment 166830


Damn what kind of ship was that? My Knox class FF had proper stalls


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

zoltan said:


> Damn what kind of ship was that? My Knox class FF had proper stalls


That is on a DE museum ship, I forgot which one.
My Knox was 1092. I liked carrier life better.
Ya the Knox class had better heads. But the forward one sure did back up in rough seas. Brown trout season.


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## Djea3 (Mar 8, 2019)

From the time of my first construction job, in fact even in High School, it seems that I could train my bowels to reletiase first thing in the morning or just before sports. Literally 7 minutes after awakening, done for the day. Served me VERY well though our all my careers. 
With regard to liquids: If one does not have to take a leak at LEAST three times during a work day, then they are NOT drinking enough. The danger in this is that bladder infections and problems will begin to take affect as you age. My father was in the trades and wound up peeing blood regularly on hot days. Not pretty at all. Neither are the infections that come with that.
All that being said, I am never afraid to TELL a customer that I need to use their facilities. If they require me to leave, the change orders will begin shortly. Things that I would just do and be done with it begin to cost them money. There is NOTHING so rude as a person who does not understand that basic bodily functions must be attended, or that is afraid to let a tradesman use the facilities.
BTW, TP is ALWAYS in my truck, at least 3 half rolls in the net behind the seats. Its called MOUNTAIN MONEY for a reason.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

kristopherk1985 said:


> Just gotta be careful because sometimes there's cameras outside.


Outside. Inside. Across the street on the neighbors doorbell. Poking out of the neighbors soffit. I have a full 360* view of my house with my cameras. At this point I just assume I am always being filmed when I'm working.



ElectronFlow said:


> he wanted a password for the owners wifi?


He can't afford a data plan in 2022? Might be a red flag. I wouldn't trust anyone else's wifi, and I certainly wouldn't give any random strangers access to my network.


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## zoltan (Mar 15, 2010)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> . At this point I just assume I am always being filmed when I'm working.


Some of those cameras record sound as well. Don't be talking chit about the HO!


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> Outside. Inside. Across the street on the neighbors doorbell. Poking out of the neighbors soffit. I have a full 360* view of my house with my cameras. At this point I just assume I am always being filmed when I'm working.
> 
> 
> He can't afford a data plan in 2022? Might be a red flag. I wouldn't trust anyone else's wifi, and I certainly wouldn't give any random strangers access to my network.


He wanted the wifi to tie into the customers speakers for his music. I did not know until after the fact. I told him I have 2 Bluetooth speakers in the truck . He has a lot to learn.


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## zoltan (Mar 15, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> That is on a DE museum ship, I forgot which one.
> My Knox was 1092. I liked carrier life better.
> Ya the Knox class had better heads. But the forward one sure did back up in rough seas. Brown trout season.


Ya,I was 3rd div and we were in charge of the forward head. As a SN STG most of my Div mates were pushbutton PO3's so I did my share of trout wrangling.


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## Djea3 (Mar 8, 2019)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> Outside. Inside. Across the street on the neighbors doorbell. Poking out of the neighbors soffit. I have a full 360* view of my house with my cameras. At this point I just assume I am always being filmed when I'm working.
> 
> 
> He can't afford a data plan in 2022? Might be a red flag. I wouldn't trust anyone else's wifi, and I certainly wouldn't give any random strangers access to my network.


I make sure apprentices know that music is not welcome on my jobs. If they can't hear me when I speak, or call them the earbuds go, period. There is no second chance.. I wear earbuds for my phone only. They have mild noise cancellation which is good, but I can hear anyone calling or yelling for help or trying to talk to me.
Job sites are not about someone "enjoying" their day. They are about safety first so that every day can be enjoyed. Listening to music is the easiest way to get hurt on the job, especially when there are multiple crews.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Djea3 said:


> I make sure apprentices know that music is not welcome on my jobs. If they can't hear me when I speak, or call them the earbuds go, period. There is no second chance.. I wear earbuds for my phone only. They have mild noise cancellation which is good, but I can hear anyone calling or yelling for help or trying to talk to me.
> Job sites are not about someone "enjoying" their day. They are about safety first so that every day can be enjoyed. Listening to music is the easiest way to get hurt on the job, especially when there are multiple crews.


Ditto!


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

Djea3 said:


> Job sites are not about someone "enjoying" their day


I couldn't disagree more, sorry. I measure productivitely by the week, not the day, hour, or minute. Micromanaging increased my stress and decreased overall productivity. Happy workers will work harder when you need them. Treat them like slaves and they will drop the tools when the bell rings and go home because that's all you pay them to do.


> They are about safety first so that every day can be enjoyed. Listening to music is the easiest way to get hurt on the job, especially when there are multiple crews.


I have never witnessed an accident or injury that would have been prevented if music wasn't playing. I've quit jobs for less. If you told me that I couldn't listen to my own music I would pack my bags and tell you to finish the job yourself.

I do agree with the part about communication. If someone is not alert enough to turn off the music when I need to talk to them, that would be an issue. Usually the music is quietest thing on a job site.

How do you feel about hearing protection in general?


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

zoltan said:


> Ya,I was 3rd div and we were in charge of the forward head. As a SN STG most of my Div mates were pushbutton PO3's so I did my share of trout wrangling.


The FF was my 3rd ship and I was a GM so I didn’t have to go hurding those trout.


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## Djea3 (Mar 8, 2019)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> Usually the music is quietest thing on a job site.
> 
> How do you feel about hearing protection in general?


The problem with music is that it adds to the overall noise levels, the louder the job the louder people want to play music. I have been on sites where it was insanely loud due to the fight between ambient construction noise and music.

It is too late for my ears with regard to hearing protection, now it is about minimizing further damage only. So, yes, it is a good thing to use from day one as an apprentice. Noise cancelling earbuds are an excellent tool for this.
As I said I keep my noise cancelling earbuds (never ear cups) set low and use them for hearing protection, not music. I use them for phone communication when necessary only and as a radio when working with others to communicate across the site.
I do not mind people listening to music, I do mind when it affects communication and safety and frankly I mind if music irritates (I should not have to hear it if it irritates me, irritating me has a lot to do with the hearing damage I have from industry rather than the music itself, it can make communication very hard). Having been on safety teams in industry, it comes down to "can the person hear the communication around them"? If not then the privilege is revoked at least until the person understands the safety part of the equation and adjusts. I have never had an apprentice or even a JM that this was a problem for. They get it when it is explained.
If you have ever been on a site where someone was injured or had a heart attack or whatever then you would want the same (I have been on sites in industry where someone died and was revived because of communication). What if it was you, in an attic or crawl space and needed help and everyone had music on and could not hear you? There is NO way that a person could know that they needed to turn down the volume to communicate when you are not standing there trying to talk to them!
Stopping unsafe conditions is nothing to do with micromanaging at all. It is a REQUIREMENT ON ALL JOBS.


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

I’ve always felt that any loose bills or change left out, was left there as my tip. I never understood some costumers that made me dig through drawers to find my tip. It probably could have saved them some money had they just left it out.


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

And remember to carry matches as an air freshener.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

BleedingLungsMurphy said:


> I couldn't disagree more, sorry. I measure productivitely by the week, not the day, hour, or minute. Micromanaging increased my stress and decreased overall productivity. Happy workers will work harder when you need them. Treat them like slaves and they will drop the tools when the bell rings and go home because that's all you pay them to do.
> 
> I have never witnessed an accident or injury that would have been prevented if music wasn't playing. I've quit jobs for less. If you told me that I couldn't listen to my own music I would pack my bags and tell you to finish the job yourself.
> 
> ...


I agree with your take on music. I usually have the Bluetooth speaker and I Heart radio. I am both a news junkie and country western music fan. A big Zac Brown fan. LOUD trash metal or death rock music is a no go. Also Rap music. Keep the music low so you can hear what us going on. I try to be the only crew at the jobsite at the time. If there are multiple crews on site then little or no radio.


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## BleedingLungsMurphy (10 mo ago)

Djea3 said:


> he louder the job the louder people want to play music.


I have been on sites like that, too, anything can be taken to the extreme. If there is music playing and someone turns their radio up louder they should be removed from the site. If the job is loud I'm wearing bluetooth headphones with hearing protection. 

If your apprentice is wearing headphones and he doesn't hear you, try calling his phone. Hands free communication is pretty useful on a job site.


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## James Philip Ryan (5 mo ago)

kb1jb1 said:


> Many many years ago there was an article in the home section of a local newspaper. It dealt with a homeowner who was having work done in her house and one of the workers asked to use the bathroom. She was a bit surprised and did not know what to say . She was uncomfortable but said yes. This question to the newspaper led into an article about contractors etiquette. This was a basic dos and don't s and reasons why. In 40 years I probably used the customers bathroom maybe 12 times and only for people I knew well. Fortunately where I am we are rarely more than 10 / 15 minutes from a Home Depot or other supply house, or some public bathroom. What is the consensus here about using a customer's facilities? I just hired someone who drinks a lot of water, 64oz plus per day and you know what that means. 4 times in one day. I wonder what the homeowner was thinking. He is young and like a little kid I told him to go before we left and while we were at the supply house but as soon as we show up at the house, nature calls. He tied into the homeowners wifi and Sonos speakers for his music. He is a very polite kid and always asks the homeowner before he does anything. After work I explained what I remembered from the etiquette article but he did not understand what was wrong as long as he asked. Has etiquette changed and I am stuck in the old way of doing things?


Listen, everybody eats, drinks, and shits. Despite what Jewish people think, I never smelled **** that smelled nice. Nobody likes to **** in someone else’s house, but if you are charging by the hour, it’s not possible to leave, drive someplace, and come back. Worst scenario carry a can of spray when your done. At that point you have shown as much respect as you can, and that’s that.


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## Nukie Poo (Sep 3, 2012)

Southeast Power said:


> I have pooped in a bag and bucket in my truck a dozen times, no big deal.
> I have a gallon ziplock with a roll of TP and some kitchen garbage bags tucked away in the cab of my truck for such occasions.
> Keep a 2' piece of 6" PVC in your truck, it will be around long after a bucket disappears.
> I typically won't pee on the ground unless I'm way out in the wild somewhere. Ill pee in a water bottle or a cup and then dump it in the bushes or cap the bottle and throw it away when Ican.


We call that a sh*t kit and all trucks are so equipped 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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