posted
...being something I almost never do, today I made an exception. There's a building in town where I've contracted to replace a number of signs, including a private parking sign. Because it's two blocks from my house, and because I'm planning to take next Friday and Monday off, I decided to walk over and take down the parking signs today, instead of waiting til Monday morning.
So I'm in the parking lot unscrewing the signs and an old lady who owns an antique shop in the building pulls up in her car and says, "Excuse me". "Yes?" "May I ask what you are doing?" I smiled. "Why, yes, you may." (silence) I keep working. She's never met me, though I know who she is through the building's owner, and she's getting annoyed. "Well, what are you doing?" she demands finally. "I'm taking the sign down." I could tell she was starting to hyperventilate. Sensing that I'm either going to explain myself to her or to the Stonington Police, I decided to tell her who I was, what I'd been hired to do, and offered her a card. She stares at it like it's in Abyssinian, then says, "Oh. You're the SIGN person." "Yes." (I'd already told her that.) "Are you expensive?" she asks, just like that. Now, to give you a proper context to that question, I'll ask you to visualize the quality and nature of her signage. Her shop is identified with cut-out plywood letters from the hardware store, purchased in different sizes and styles, and her hours are also letterd with True Value stick-on letters, and an OPEN sign that appears to have been rendered in Crayola. But hey, she's a potential client who asked a simple question, which, deserves a simple answer: "Yes". She recoiled. Clearly this was not the response she had hoped for. "Oh", she said, finally. "Well. The signs I have have been perfectly adequate since 1994." Sensing I was not being asked to comment on the quality of her signs, I simply smiled and nodded, and kept working. By now the signs are down and I'm ready to leave. "Are you sure you're going to bring those back?" sh asks, after studying my card suspiciously for a few more seconds. "You're not just taking them for a souveneir, are you?" I just smiled, picked up the signs and walked off.
I should work on Sunday more often.
-------------------- "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
Cam Bortz Finest Kind Signs Pondside Iron works 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988" Posts: 3051 | From: Pawcatuck,Connecticut USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I had to laugh at your story. Today I went to finish a beauty salons lettering. I love working Sundays for the simple reason no customers are going in and out to get in your way. I had to scrape off a few old stick on signs (no soliciting) and while I was scraping....a couple neighbors came out and asked what I was doing. I guess they thought I was doing some damage. I did pick up a couple orders from them after explaining to them what I was there for! Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
I remember earlier in my career (probably in my long-hair days) I was working on removal of some architectural signage in some high-tech place with a bunch of self-important people. I had my bucket of tools & my leisurely just-doing-my-job attitude when some "suits" walked up and inquired "just exactly what it was that I was doing".
posted
I almost prefer to install signs on Sundays. Fewer traffic, parking and pedestrian issues. Taking days off during the work week has benefits too. Less crowding at recreational spots because the rat race is '9 to 5'n'. Today I work because the weather is too ugly to do anything fun outside. I'm sure there will be a day or two later in the week when it'll be much too nice to work and I'll goof-off. I love my unstructured lifestyle. Client appointments, my son's sports activities and the occasional date when I can get one are the exception.
-------------------- Happy Signing...... Marty
M.F. (Marty) Happy Signmaker Since 1974 Happy Ad Sign & Design Regina SK, Canada S4N 5K4 306-789-9567 happyad@sasktel.net www.happyad.ca
Get Happy & Get Noticed! Posts: 773 | From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada | Registered: Jan 1999
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posted
One day I was painting a sign on a wall in "the "hood" when a car full of "homies" pulls up and they are giving me "that look"! I walk over to their car and say "Well? Are the colors OK?" Blank look. I ask "Jealous?" Now they look puzzled, so I tell them "When you do something like that, ya get busted, but I get paid!" They break out laughing, give me the high sign, and drive off.
[ June 09, 2002, 07:36 PM: Message edited by: Si Allen ]
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8831 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
i dislike workin sundays....and sat...also...but...i worked yesterday and today...playin catch up...stuff i didnt quiet finish thru the week. also sat i get the car crowd. windshield banners or some dumb stuff. dont mind its usually fun dealin with the young guys.next weekend i got a van to do $400...ill take it. sat evening we went out to a sorta picnic(vegitarian society of pensacola) monthly meeting. it lasted till dark, on the way home i remembered this little sign on a church i needed to repaint. so on the way home we stopped and i was out there with a screwdriver removing the sign. no one saw us.....luckly....i can see it now explaining to the cops what i was doing!!!!!!
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I too NEVER work Saturday or Sunday but guess what, did this weekend, both days...
-------------------- Ken McTague, Concept Signs 57 Bridge St. (route 107) Salem MA 01970 1-978-745-5800 conceptsign@yahoo.com http://www.pinheadlounge.com/CaptainKen
---------------------------------
"A wise man once said that, or was it a wise guy?" Posts: 2425 | From: Salem, MA | Registered: Apr 1999
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posted
well...my story does not happen on a sunday but a monday morning.I don't work on Saturdays or Sundays , but the customer did want me to take down over the weekend!
I was contracted to take down a sign from a past customer that was in a partnership. well i was told that the parnership was over and that the sign was to come down.
so im in the process and the other partner comes out and begins to verbally attact me, then the son come out and i thought i was going to have to defend my self. I was told the law was on the way . well.. i gave up the signs to the that was taken down (legally they were not mine ). well after i got them both calmed down, ( which in the past would have started swinging but am working on my anger management ) i offered to put them back up but i would have to charge for the re-installation.
well...need less to say i walked a way with my pride, a check and a good lesson in letting other people get there nose out of joint with out it affecting me personally.
thanks for this post!
chris
P.S. i also learned to always check with all the partner before any action is taken.
[ June 11, 2002, 04:00 PM: Message edited by: Chris Lovelady ]
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
posted
I had to letter a semi trailer on Sunday afternoon many years ago for a paperboard container company as the truck came in late Saturday and then left again early Monday morning.
Well, the container company supplied me with factory made vinyl decals ( this was before the Gerber Signmaker was invented and 3M vinyl was either hand cut or manufactured by die cutting on huge presses)
The trailer had horizontal ribs ever inch and lots of rivits. The vinyl graphics were huge, and I had never installed vinyl this size ever.
As you might guess, the sun when down, and of course the police got wind there was something "going down" at the container factory.
I really didn't need that agrivation piled on top of horizontal ribs and rivits!
I did get the job done....by 4:00 a.m. Monday morning just as the guy who divers the truck pulled up to make his delivery runs for the week.
posted
Hey Dave....I have done tons of containers. One Sunday I was applying decals on a bunch of containers in a seedy part of town. All the containers are stacked and close together. I was all alone and was moving on to the next row and a bum was sleeping....I decided not to go there alone anymore.
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
GOOD OLD "MUCADOODLE".....parents owned a bar...and the old winos...loved that stuff. hennie made some wine here in fla. last couple years...and she makes it from local grapes called.."MUSCODINE", small white/yellowish grapes that grow wild here.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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