Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] [OT] Unbelievable

From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 3 May 2021 22:24:46 -0700

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I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can 
be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.  Not in stock anywhere other 
than HD per the websites.  The nearest HD said there were five in 
stock.  Couldn't find any.  Next one said there were three in stock - 
none there.  Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and still 
none available.  The employee at the last location said they are 
frequently shoplifted.  At each store I asked for help finding the belt 
and each employee said there were none in the store.  The sad thing is 
that a week later, the websites still had the same inventory numbers 
listed.  You would think there would be a process to correct inventory.  
I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number of stores to pick from and 
they are managed very differently.  I have not gone to the one nearest 
to my office in about five years because it is so poorly managed and the 
items like the plumbing and electrical fittings are all messed up.

My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key locator.  
Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their website.  Had an 
employee help me and checked all the battery storage areas and we 
couldn't find any.  A month later, the website still said 47 and the 
hook for that size remained empty.

I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.  Much smaller, but 
organized better and there was always an employee willing to help me.  
The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and service are 
worth it.  Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put in a restaurant 
that closed a year later (before the pandemic)

Brian

On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:
> Pardon me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing 
> pieces at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had 
> bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down and 
> ordered from Lowe's (2"<->2" elbow, external thread to slip joint, and 
> a 1.5" plug, for a different application). So, after FedEx apparently 
> lost, then found, the shipment they showed up today. One problem: the 
> jackass that packed them jammed the 1.5" plug into the threaded end of 
> the elbow so hard it may be impossible to remove it without breaking 
> the elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I get to my shop tomorrow, but 
> there's no guarantee of successful extraction.
>
> I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but someone 
> went out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's 
> Razor--"Don't attribute to malice that which can be explained by 
> incompetence"--but the plug is jammed in the elbow so hard someone 
> really had to work at it. I hope it felt good.
>
> Vent mode off.
>
> Bob
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> [email-masked]
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk http://autox.team.net/archive
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>

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    I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can
    be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.  Not in stock anywhere other
    than HD per the websites.  The nearest HD said there were five in
    stock.  Couldn't find any.  Next one said there were three in stock
    - none there.  Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and
    still none available.  The employee at the last location said they
    are frequently shoplifted.  At each store I asked for help finding
    the belt and each employee said there were none in the store.  The
    sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had the same
    inventory numbers listed.  You would think there would be a process
    to correct inventory.  I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number
    of stores to pick from and they are managed very differently.  I
    have not gone to the one nearest to my office in about five years
    because it is so poorly managed and the items like the plumbing and
    electrical fittings are all messed up.<br>
    <br>
    My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key
    locator.  Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their
    website.  Had an employee help me and checked all the battery
    storage areas and we couldn't find any.  A month later, the website
    still said 47 and the hook for that size remained empty.<br>
    <br>
    I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.  Much smaller,
    but organized better and there was always an employee willing to
    help me.  The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and
    service are worth it.  Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put
    in a restaurant that closed a year later (before the pandemic)<br>
    <br>
    Brian<br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
      cite="mid:[email-masked]">Pardon
      me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing
      pieces at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had
      bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down
      and ordered from Lowe's (2"&lt;-&gt;2" elbow, external thread to
      slip joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a different application). So,
      after FedEx apparently lost, then found, the shipment they showed
      up today. One problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the
      1.5" plug into the threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be
      impossible to remove it without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in
      a vice when I get to my shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of
      successful extraction.
      <br>
      <br>
      I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but
      someone went out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's
      Razor--"Don't attribute to malice that which can be explained by
      incompetence"--but the plug is jammed in the elbow so hard someone
      really had to work at it. I hope it felt good.
      <br>
      <br>
      Vent mode off.
      <br>
      <br>
      Bob
      <br>
      <br>
      <fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
      <pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">_______________________________________________

<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a>
Archive: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk">http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk</a> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://autox.team.net/archive">http://autox.team.net/archive</a>

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From: DAVID MASSEY <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 11:32:05 +0000 (UTC)

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 It cost actual money to do a hard count of inventory.=C2=A0 These outfits =
cut cost wherever possible and that is the first thing to go.=C2=A0 The rig=
ht thing to do is when this happens the employee should zero out the count =
but I seriously doubt they are empowered to do so.=C2=A0 Nor are they motiv=
ated to do so.
=20
Dave=20

=20
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Kemp <[email-masked]>
To: Bob Spidell <[email-masked]>; Shop Talk <[email-masked]=
Sent: Tue, May 4, 2021 12:24 am
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] [OT] Unbelievable

 I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can be.=
=C2=A0 Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.=C2=A0 Not in stock anywhere other=
 than HD per the websites.=C2=A0 The nearest HD said there were five in sto=
ck.=C2=A0 Couldn't find any.=C2=A0 Next one said there were three in stock =
- none there.=C2=A0 Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and sti=
ll none available.=C2=A0 The employee at the last location said they are fr=
equently shoplifted.=C2=A0 At each store I asked for help finding the belt =
and each employee said there were none in the store.=C2=A0 The sad thing is=
 that a week later, the websites still had the same inventory numbers liste=
d.=C2=A0 You would think there would be a process to correct inventory.=C2=
=A0 I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number of stores to pick from an=
d they are managed very differently.=C2=A0 I have not gone to the one neare=
st to my office in about five years because it is so poorly managed and the=
 items like the plumbing and electrical fittings are all messed up.
=20
 My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key locator.=C2=
=A0 Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their website.=C2=A0 Had an=
 employee help me and checked all the battery storage areas and we couldn't=
 find any.=C2=A0 A month later, the website still said 47 and the hook for =
that size remained empty.
=20
 I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.=C2=A0 Much smaller, =
but organized better and there was always an employee willing to help me.=
=C2=A0 The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and service are =
worth it.=C2=A0 Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put in a restaurant=
 that closed a year later (before the pandemic)
=20
 Brian
=20
 On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:
 =20
Pardon me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing pieces =
at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had bunches in stock=
--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down and ordered from Lowe's (2=
"<->2" elbow, external thread to slip joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a differe=
nt application). So, after FedEx apparently lost, then found, the shipment =
they showed up today. One problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the =
1.5" plug into the threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be impossible t=
o remove it without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I get to=
 my shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of successful extraction.=20
=20
 I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but someone went =
out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's Razor--"Don't attribu=
te to malice that which can be explained by incompetence"--but the plug is =
jammed in the elbow so hard someone really had to work at it. I hope it fel=
t good.=20
=20
 Vent mode off.=20
=20
 Bob=20
=20
 =20
[email-masked]=
te: http://www.team.net/donate.htmlSuggested annual donation $12.96Archive:=
 http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk http://autox.team.net/archiveUnsub=
scribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/bk13@earthli=
nk.net=20
=20
 _______________________________________________

[email-masked]
Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk http://autox.team.net/arch=
ive

[email-masked]

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<div style="color:black;font: 12pt Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div> <font size="3">It cost actual money to do a hard count of inventory.&nbsp; These outfits cut cost wherever possible and that is the first thing to go.&nbsp; The right thing to do is when this happens the employee should zero out the count but I seriously doubt they are empowered to do so.&nbsp; Nor are they motivated to do so.</font><br>
</div>

<div> <br>
</div>

<div style="clear:both"><font size="4">Dave </font><br>
<br>
</div>

<div> <br>
</div>

<div> <br>
</div>

<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black"><font size="2">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Brian Kemp &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>
To: Bob Spidell &lt;[email-masked]&gt;; Shop Talk &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>
Sent: Tue, May 4, 2021 12:24 am<br>
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] [OT] Unbelievable<br>
<br>

<div id="yiv5915337374">
<div>
    I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can
    be.&nbsp; Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.&nbsp; Not in stock anywhere other
    than HD per the websites.&nbsp; The nearest HD said there were five in
    stock.&nbsp; Couldn't find any.&nbsp; Next one said there were three in stock
    - none there.&nbsp; Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and
    still none available.&nbsp; The employee at the last location said they
    are frequently shoplifted.&nbsp; At each store I asked for help finding
    the belt and each employee said there were none in the store.&nbsp; The
    sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had the same
    inventory numbers listed.&nbsp; You would think there would be a process
    to correct inventory.&nbsp; I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number
    of stores to pick from and they are managed very differently.&nbsp; I
    have not gone to the one nearest to my office in about five years
    because it is so poorly managed and the items like the plumbing and
    electrical fittings are all messed up.<br clear="none">
    <br clear="none">
    My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key
    locator.&nbsp; Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their
    website.&nbsp; Had an employee help me and checked all the battery
    storage areas and we couldn't find any.&nbsp; A month later, the website
    still said 47 and the hook for that size remained empty.<br clear="none">
    <br clear="none">
    I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.&nbsp; Much smaller,
    but organized better and there was always an employee willing to
    help me.&nbsp; The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and
    service are worth it.&nbsp; Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put
    in a restaurant that closed a year later (before the pandemic)<br clear="none">
    <br clear="none">
    Brian<br clear="none">
    <br clear="none">
    
<div class="yiv5915337374yqt5945608998" id="yiv5915337374yqtfd72451">
<div class="yiv5915337374moz-cite-prefix">On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:<br clear="none">
    </div>

    </div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div class="yiv5915337374yqt5945608998" id="yiv5915337374yqtfd10811">Pardon
      me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing
      pieces at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had
      bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down
      and ordered from Lowe's (2"&lt;-&gt;2" elbow, external thread to
      slip joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a different application). So,
      after FedEx apparently lost, then found, the shipment they showed
      up today. One problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the
      1.5" plug into the threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be
      impossible to remove it without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in
      a vice when I get to my shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of
      successful extraction.
      <br clear="none">
      <br clear="none">
      I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but
      someone went out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's
      Razor--"Don't attribute to malice that which can be explained by
      incompetence"--but the plug is jammed in the elbow so hard someone
      really had to work at it. I hope it felt good.
      <br clear="none">
      <br clear="none">
      Vent mode off.
      <br clear="none">
      <br clear="none">
      Bob
      <br clear="none">
      <br clear="none">
      <fieldset class="yiv5915337374mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
      </div>
<pre class="yiv5915337374moz-quote-pre">
<div class="yiv5915337374yqt5945608998" id="yiv5915337374yqtfd47167">_______________________________________________

<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" class="yiv5915337374moz-txt-link-abbreviated" ymailto="mailto:[email-masked]" target="_blank" href="mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a>
Archive: <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" class="yiv5915337374moz-txt-link-freetext" target="_blank" href="http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk">http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" class="yiv5915337374moz-txt-link-freetext" target="_blank" href="http://autox.team.net/archive">http://autox.team.net/archive</a>

<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" class="yiv5915337374moz-txt-link-freetext" target="_blank" href="http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]</a>
<div class="yiv5915337374yqt5945608998" id="yiv5915337374yqtfd69919">

</div>
</pre>
<div class="yiv5915337374yqt5945608998" id="yiv5915337374yqtfd18538">
    </div>
</blockquote>
<div class="yiv5915337374yqt5945608998" id="yiv5915337374yqtfd07883">
    <br clear="none">
  </div>
</div>
</div>

<div class="yqt5945608998" id="yqtfd79595">_______________________________________________<br clear="none"><br clear="none"><a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:[email-masked]" href="mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a><br clear="none">Donate: <a shape="rect" href="http://www.team.net/donate.html" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br clear="none">Suggested annual donation&nbsp; $12.96<br clear="none">Archive: <a shape="rect" href="http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk </a><a shape="rect" href="http://autox.team.net/archive" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/archive</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none">Unsubscribe/Manage: <a shape="rect" href="http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]</a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></div>
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[email-masked]

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From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 07:46:21 -0400

In my state, a store pays property tax on inventory on hand on January
1st.  Between tax on things that don't exist, and lost sales due to
people giving up and going toteh competition, I can't imagine how it's
cheaper to hire one less employee to manage inventory.

I needed something from Lowe's on Saturday.  Web site said 20 were on
hand.  At the shelf, the hook was empty.  I found an employee, and we
found the box in the overhead storage.  Maybe I got lucky, but I like
to think my local store is helpful and organized.   Maybe they should
be giving lessons?

On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 7:33 AM DAVID MASSEY <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
> It cost actual money to do a hard count of inventory.  These outfits cut cost wherever possible and that is the first thing to go.  The right thing to do is when this happens the employee should zero out the count but I seriously doubt they are empowered to do so.  Nor are they motivated to do so.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
> To: Bob Spidell <[email-masked]>; Shop Talk <[email-masked]>
> I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.  Not in stock anywhere other than HD per the websites.  The nearest HD said there were five in stock.  Couldn't find any.  Next one said there were three in stock - none there.  Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and still none available.  The employee at the last location said they are frequently shoplifted.  At each store I asked for help finding the belt and each employee said there were none in the store.  The sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had the same inventory numbers listed.  You would think there would be a process to correct inventory.  I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number of stores to pick from and they are managed very differently.  I have not gone to the one nearest to my office in about five years because it is so poorly managed and the items like the plumbing and electrical fittings are all messed up.
>
> My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key locator.  Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their website.  Had an employee help me and checked all the battery storage areas and we couldn't find any.  A month later, the website still said 47 and the hook for that size remained empty.
>
> I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.  Much smaller, but organized better and there was always an employee willing to help me.  The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and service are worth it.  Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put in a restaurant that closed a year later (before the pandemic)
>
> Brian
>
> Pardon me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing pieces at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down and ordered from Lowe's (2"<->2" elbow, external thread to slip joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a different application). So, after FedEx apparently lost, then found, the shipment they showed up today. One problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the 1.5" plug into the threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be impossible to remove it without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I get to my shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of successful extraction.
>
> I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but someone went out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's Razor--"Don't attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence"--but the plug is jammed in the elbow so hard someone really had to work at it. I hope it felt good.
>
> Vent mode off.
>
> Bob
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>
>
>
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
>

[email-masked]

---

From: Pat Horne <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 06:54:56 -0500

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I=E2=80=99ve gotten to the point where I call the big box stores & have them=
 actually lay eyes on what I am looking for if the quantity is shown to be l=
ess than 20. If they confirm that they have it I then place an on line order=
 & pick it up in a few hours. It saves a bunch of time.=20

Peace,
Pat

Pat Horne=20
We support Habitat for Humanity

On May 4, 2021, at 12:25 AM, Brian Kemp <[email-masked]> wrote:

=EF=BB=BF I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers c=
an be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.  Not in stock anywhere other than=
 HD per the websites.  The nearest HD said there were five in stock.  Couldn=
't find any.  Next one said there were three in stock - none there.  Drove t=
o a third one with seven listed in stock and still none available.  The empl=
oyee at the last location said they are frequently shoplifted.  At each stor=
e I asked for help finding the belt and each employee said there were none i=
n the store.  The sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had the=
 same inventory numbers listed.  You would think there would be a process to=
 correct inventory.  I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number of stores=
 to pick from and they are managed very differently.  I have not gone to the=
 one nearest to my office in about five years because it is so poorly manage=
d and the items like the plumbing and electrical fittings are all messed up.=

My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key locator.  Went=
 to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their website.  Had an employee help=
 me and checked all the battery storage areas and we couldn't find any.  A m=
onth later, the website still said 47 and the hook for that size remained em=
pty.

I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.  Much smaller, but org=
anized better and there was always an employee willing to help me.  The pric=
es are a little higher, but the convenience and service are worth it.  Sadly=
 the landlord ended their lease to put in a restaurant that closed a year la=
ter (before the pandemic)

Brian

On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:
> Pardon me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing pieces=
 at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had bunches in stock=
--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down and ordered from Lowe's (2"=
<->2" elbow, external thread to slip joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a different=
 application). So, after FedEx apparently lost, then found, the shipment the=
y showed up today. One problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the 1.5"=
 plug into the threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be impossible to rem=
ove it without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I get to my sh=
op tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of successful extraction.=20
>=20
> I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but someone went o=
ut of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's Razor--"Don't attribute=
 to malice that which can be explained by incompetence"--but the plug is jam=
med in the elbow so hard someone really had to work at it. I hope it felt go=
od.=20
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk http://autox.team.net/arc=
hive
>=20
> Unsubscribe/Manage: http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/bk13@e=
arthlink.net

[email-masked]
Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk http://autox.team.net/archi=
ve

[email-masked]

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto">I=E2=80=99ve gotten to the point where I ca=
ll the big box stores &amp; have them actually lay eyes on what I am looking=
 for if the quantity is shown to be less than 20. If they confirm that they h=
ave it I then place an on line order &amp; pick it up in a few hours. It sav=
es a bunch of time.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Peace,</div><div>Pat<br><br><di=
v dir=3D"ltr">Pat Horne&nbsp;<div>We support Habitat for Humanity</div><div>=
<br></div></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br>On May 4, 2021, at 12:25 AM, Brian Kemp=
 &lt;[email-masked]&gt; wrote:<br><br></div><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF
 =20
    <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUTF-8"=
 =20
 =20
    I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can
    be.&nbsp; Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.&nbsp; Not in stock anywhere=
 other
    than HD per the websites.&nbsp; The nearest HD said there were five in
    stock.&nbsp; Couldn't find any.&nbsp; Next one said there were three in s=
tock
    - none there.&nbsp; Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and
    still none available.&nbsp; The employee at the last location said they
    are frequently shoplifted.&nbsp; At each store I asked for help finding
    the belt and each employee said there were none in the store.&nbsp; The
    sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had the same
    inventory numbers listed.&nbsp; You would think there would be a process=

    to correct inventory.&nbsp; I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a numbe=
r
    of stores to pick from and they are managed very differently.&nbsp; I
    have not gone to the one nearest to my office in about five years
    because it is so poorly managed and the items like the plumbing and
    electrical fittings are all messed up.<br>
    <br>
    My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key
    locator.&nbsp; Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their
    website.&nbsp; Had an employee help me and checked all the battery
    storage areas and we couldn't find any.&nbsp; A month later, the website=

    I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.&nbsp; Much smaller=
,
    <div class=3D"moz-cite-prefix">On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell wrote:<b=
r>
    <blockquote type=3D"cite" cite=3D"mid:38b2b690-f913-f37f-a5a1-c3d1ad0b99=
[email-masked]">Pardon
      <fieldset class=3D"mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
      <pre class=3D"moz-quote-pre" wrap=3D"">_______________________________=
________________

<a class=3D"moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]=
t">[email-masked]</a>
e.html">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a>
Archive: <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"http://www.team.net/pipe=
rmail/shop-talk">http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk</a> <a class=3D"moz=
-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"http://autox.team.net/archive">http://autox.team=
.net/archive</a>

team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]">http://autox.team.net=
/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]</a>

</pre>
    </blockquote>
    <br>
 =20

<span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span></span=
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[email-masked]

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---

From: Jim Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 09:07:50 -0400

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Sadly, my experience has been that big (and too often, not-so-big) box =
employees are either inadequately trained or simply lack the motivation =
to put any work into looking for something that is not readily obvious.  =
I went into a Tractor Supply store last week to buy Cotton Picker =
Spindle Grease 00, which I am sure is not a frequently purchased item.  =
(FWIW, I want to see if it is a good lubricant to use in my Alpine=E2=80=99=
s steering gear, since traditional gear oil often leaks out and regular =
grease is often too thick.). Their website showed the store carried it, =
but the kid who helped me looked through the motor oil section and said =
they didn=E2=80=99t have it.  I suggested that it might be somewhere =
else, but he was adamant that it would be with the auto oils and =
additives.  I eventually found another employee willing to look harder =
and they had about a dozen bottles in a completely different section =
just a few rows away. =20

This has happened to me more times than I wish to count, and I now =
rarely accept the first =E2=80=9Cwe don=E2=80=99t have it=E2=80=9D =
response and often just find it on my own.

Jim=20

p.s.  Writing the above reminds me of an experience more than 30 years =
ago.  We had just moved into a new home and needed smoke detectors.  I =
did some research on them and discovered that there were then two types, =
photoelectric and ionization.  I don=E2=80=99t remember which type I =
decided to get, but went to a local big box store (the national chains =
hadn=E2=80=99t taken over yet) and was studying their detector display.  =
A young girl came over and asked if I needed any help. =20

=E2=80=9CYes I do.  Can you tell me which ones are photoelectric and =
which are ionization?=E2=80=9D=20
=E2=80=9COh no, sir.  They all run on batteries."

> On May 4, 2021, at 7:54 AM, Pat Horne <[email-masked]> wrote:
>=20
> I=E2=80=99ve gotten to the point where I call the big box stores & =
have them actually lay eyes on what I am looking for if the quantity is =
shown to be less than 20. If they confirm that they have it I then place =
an on line order & pick it up in a few hours. It saves a bunch of time.=20=

> =EF=BB=BF I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home =
centers can be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.  Not in stock =
anywhere other than HD per the websites.  The nearest HD said there were =
five in stock.  Couldn't find any.  Next one said there were three in =
stock - none there.  Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock and =
still none available.  The employee at the last location said they are =
frequently shoplifted.  At each store I asked for help finding the belt =
and each employee said there were none in the store.  The sad thing is =
that a week later, the websites still had the same inventory numbers =
listed.  You would think there would be a process to correct inventory.  =
I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a number of stores to pick from and =
they are managed very differently.  I have not gone to the one nearest =
to my office in about five years because it is so poorly managed and the =
items like the plumbing and electrical fittings are all messed up.
>=20
> My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key locator. =
 Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their website.  Had an =
employee help me and checked all the battery storage areas and we =
couldn't find any.  A month later, the website still said 47 and the =
hook for that size remained empty.
>=20
> I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.  Much smaller, =
but organized better and there was always an employee willing to help =
me.  The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and service are =
worth it.  Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put in a restaurant =
that closed a year later (before the pandemic)
>> Pardon me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing =
pieces at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had =
bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down and =
ordered from Lowe's (2"<->2" elbow, external thread to slip joint, and a =
1.5" plug, for a different application). So, after FedEx apparently =
lost, then found, the shipment they showed up today. One problem: the =
jackass that packed them jammed the 1.5" plug into the threaded end of =
the elbow so hard it may be impossible to remove it without breaking the =
elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I get to my shop tomorrow, but there's =
no guarantee of successful extraction.=20
>>=20
>> I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but someone =
went out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's Razor--"Don't =
attribute to malice that which can be explained by incompetence"--but =
the plug is jammed in the elbow so hard someone really had to work at =
it. I hope it felt good.=20
>> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html =
<http://www.team.net/donate.html>
>> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk =
<http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk> http://autox.team.net/archive =
<http://autox.team.net/archive>
>> Unsubscribe/Manage: =
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked] =
<http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]>
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk =
http://autox.team.net/archive
> Unsubscribe/Manage: =
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
> Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk =
http://autox.team.net/archive
> Unsubscribe/Manage: =
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" =
class=3D"">Sadly, my experience has been that big (and too often, =
not-so-big) box employees are either inadequately trained or simply lack =
the motivation to put any work into looking for something that is not =
readily obvious. &nbsp;I went into a Tractor Supply store last week to =
buy&nbsp;<span style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" =
class=3D""><font color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
class=3D"">Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00, which I am sure is not a =
frequently purchased item. &nbsp;(FWIW, I want to see if it is a good =
lubricant to use in my Alpine=E2=80=99s steering gear, since traditional =
gear oil often leaks out and regular grease is often too thick.). Their =
website showed the store carried it, but the kid who helped me looked =
through the motor oil&nbsp;section and said they didn=E2=80=99t have it. =
&nbsp;I suggested that it might be somewhere else, but he was adamant =
that it would be with the auto oils and&nbsp;additives. &nbsp;I =
eventually found another employee willing to look harder and =
they&nbsp;had&nbsp;about a dozen bottles in a completely different =
section just a few rows away. &nbsp;</font></span><div class=3D""><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D""><font =
color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D""><br =
class=3D""></font></span></div><div class=3D""><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D""><font =
color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D"">This =
has&nbsp;happened to me more times than I wish to count, and I now =
rarely accept the first&nbsp;=E2=80=9Cwe&nbsp;don=E2=80=99t have it=E2=80=9D=
 response and often just find it on my own.</font></span></div><div =
class=3D""><span style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" =
class=3D""><font color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
class=3D""><br class=3D""></font></span></div><div class=3D""><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D""><font =
color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
class=3D"">Jim&nbsp;</font></span></div><div class=3D""><font =
color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D""><span =
style=3D"caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); background-color: rgb(255, 255, =
255);" class=3D""><br class=3D""></span></font></div><div class=3D""><font=
 color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D""><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D"">p.s. =
&nbsp;Writing the above reminds me of an experience more than 30 years =
ago. &nbsp;We had just moved into a new home and needed smoke detectors. =
&nbsp;I did some research on them and discovered that there were then =
two types, photoelectric and&nbsp;ionization. =
&nbsp;I&nbsp;don=E2=80=99t&nbsp;remember which type I decided to get, =
but went to a local big box store (the national chains&nbsp;hadn=E2=80=99t=
 taken over yet) and was studying their&nbsp;detector display. &nbsp;A =
young girl came over and asked if I needed any help. =
&nbsp;</span></font></div><div class=3D""><font color=3D"#212529" =
face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D""><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D""><br =
class=3D""></span></font></div><blockquote style=3D"margin: 0 0 0 40px; =
border: none; padding: 0px;" class=3D""><div class=3D""><font =
color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D""><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D"">=E2=80=9CYes =
I do. &nbsp;Can you tell me which ones are&nbsp;</span></font><span =
style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=3D""><font =
color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" class=3D""><span =
style=3D"caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41);" class=3D"">photoelectric and =
which are ionization?=E2=80=9D&nbsp;</span></font></span></div><div =
class=3D""><font color=3D"#212529" face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" =
class=3D""><span style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" =
class=3D"">=E2=80=9COh no, sir. &nbsp;They all run on =
batteries."</span></font></div></blockquote><div class=3D""><div><br =
class=3D""><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div class=3D"">On May =
4, 2021, at 7:54 AM, Pat Horne &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]" =
class=3D"">[email-masked]</a>&gt; wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=3D""><meta =
http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8" =
class=3D""><div dir=3D"auto" class=3D"">I=E2=80=99ve gotten to the point =
where I call the big box stores &amp; have them actually lay eyes on =
what I am looking for if the quantity is shown to be less than 20. If =
they confirm that they have it I then place an on line order &amp; pick =
it up in a few hours. It saves a bunch of time.&nbsp;<div class=3D""><br =
class=3D""></div><div class=3D"">Peace,</div><div class=3D"">Pat<br =
class=3D""><br class=3D""><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"">Pat =
Horne&nbsp;<div class=3D"">We support Habitat for Humanity</div><div =
class=3D""><br class=3D""></div></div><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D""><br =
class=3D"">On May 4, 2021, at 12:25 AM, Brian Kemp &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]" class=3D"">[email-masked]</a>&gt; =
wrote:<br class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"">=EF=BB=
=BF
 =20
    <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3DUTF-8" class=3D"">
 =20
 =20
    I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers can
    be.&nbsp; Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.&nbsp; Not in stock =
anywhere other
    than HD per the websites.&nbsp; The nearest HD said there were five =
in
    stock.&nbsp; Couldn't find any.&nbsp; Next one said there were three =
in stock
    - none there.&nbsp; Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock =
and
    still none available.&nbsp; The employee at the last location said =
they
    are frequently shoplifted.&nbsp; At each store I asked for help =
finding
    the belt and each employee said there were none in the store.&nbsp; =
The
    sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had the same
    inventory numbers listed.&nbsp; You would think there would be a =
process
    to correct inventory.&nbsp; I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a =
number
    of stores to pick from and they are managed very differently.&nbsp; =
I
    have not gone to the one nearest to my office in about five years
    because it is so poorly managed and the items like the plumbing and
    electrical fittings are all messed up.<br class=3D"">
    <br class=3D"">
    My last adventure was a replacement battery for my wife's key
    locator.&nbsp; Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their
    website.&nbsp; Had an employee help me and checked all the battery
    storage areas and we couldn't find any.&nbsp; A month later, the =
website
    still said 47 and the hook for that size remained empty.<br =
class=3D"">
    <br class=3D"">
    I used to live near a nice True Value hardware store.&nbsp; Much =
smaller,
    but organized better and there was always an employee willing to
    help me.&nbsp; The prices are a little higher, but the convenience =
and
    service are worth it.&nbsp; Sadly the landlord ended their lease to =
put
    in a restaurant that closed a year later (before the pandemic)<br =
class=3D"">
    <br class=3D"">
    Brian<br class=3D"">
    <br class=3D"">
    <div class=3D"moz-cite-prefix">On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM, Bob Spidell =
wrote:<br class=3D"">
    </div>
    <blockquote type=3D"cite" =
cite=3D"mid:[email-masked]" =
class=3D"">Pardon
      me, I just gotta vent. Not being able to find these plumbing
      pieces at HD and Lowe's--even though their websites said they had
      bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I finally broke down
      and ordered from Lowe's (2"&lt;-&gt;2" elbow, external thread to
      slip joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a different application). So,
      after FedEx apparently lost, then found, the shipment they showed
      up today. One problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the
      1.5" plug into the threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be
      impossible to remove it without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in
      a vice when I get to my shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of
      successful extraction.
      <br class=3D"">
      <br class=3D"">
      I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a shit job, but
      someone went out of their way to do this. I usually apply Hanlon's
      Razor--"Don't attribute to malice that which can be explained by
      incompetence"--but the plug is jammed in the elbow so hard someone
      really had to work at it. I hope it felt good.
      <br class=3D"">
      <br class=3D"">
      Vent mode off.
      <br class=3D"">
      <br class=3D"">
      Bob
      <br class=3D"">
      <br class=3D"">
      <fieldset class=3D"mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
      <pre class=3D"moz-quote-pre" =
wrap=3D"">_______________________________________________

<a class=3D"moz-txt-link-abbreviated" =
href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a>
href=3D"http://www.team.net/donate.html">http://www.team.net/donate.html</=
a>
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href=3D"http://autox.team.net/archive">http://autox.team.net/archive</a>

href=3D"http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]=
">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]</a>

</pre>
    </blockquote>
    <br class=3D"">
 =20

<span class=3D"">_______________________________________________</span><br=
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From: Bob Spidell <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 07:26:41 -0700

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Side note: The 'goto' for leaky steering boxes in the Austin-Healey 
universe is John Deere 'Cornhead Grease;' available at many places 
online (and probably equivalent to spindle grease). A friend sent me a 
couple tubes, but I haven't tried it yet; getting it in the box is the 
hard part.

On 5/4/2021 6:07 AM, Jim Stone wrote:
> Sadly, my experience has been that big (and too often, not-so-big) box 
> employees are either inadequately trained or simply lack the 
> motivation to put any work into looking for something that is not 
> readily obvious.  I went into a Tractor Supply store last week to buy 
> Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00, which I am sure is not a frequently 
> purchased item.  (FWIW, I want to see if it is a good lubricant to use 
> in my Alpine’s steering gear, since traditional gear oil often leaks 
> out and regular grease is often too thick.). Their website showed the 
> store carried it, but the kid who helped me looked through the motor 
> oil section and said they didn’t have it.  I suggested that it might 
> be somewhere else, but he was adamant that it would be with the auto 
> oils and additives.  I eventually found another employee willing to 
> look harder and they had about a dozen bottles in a completely 
> different section just a few rows away.
>
> This has happened to me more times than I wish to count, and I now 
> rarely accept the first “we don’t have it” response and often just 
> find it on my own.
>
> Jim
>
> p.s.  Writing the above reminds me of an experience more than 30 years 
> ago.  We had just moved into a new home and needed smoke detectors.  I 
> did some research on them and discovered that there were then two 
> types, photoelectric and ionization.  I don’t remember which type I 
> decided to get, but went to a local big box store (the national 
> chains hadn’t taken over yet) and was studying their detector display. 
>  A young girl came over and asked if I needed any help.
>
>     “Yes I do.  Can you tell me which ones are photoelectric and which
>     are ionization?”
>     “Oh no, sir.  They all run on batteries."
>
>
>> On May 4, 2021, at 7:54 AM, Pat Horne <[email-masked] 
>>
>> I’ve gotten to the point where I call the big box stores & have them 
>> actually lay eyes on what I am looking for if the quantity is shown 
>> to be less than 20. If they confirm that they have it I then place an 
>> on line order & pick it up in a few hours. It saves a bunch of time.
>>
>> Peace,
>> Pat
>>
>> Pat Horne
>> On May 4, 2021, at 12:25 AM, Brian Kemp <[email-masked] 
>>
>>  I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the home centers 
>> can be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt fast.  Not in stock anywhere 
>> other than HD per the websites.  The nearest HD said there were five 
>> in stock.  Couldn't find any.  Next one said there were three in 
>> stock - none there.  Drove to a third one with seven listed in stock 
>> and still none available.  The employee at the last location said 
>> they are frequently shoplifted.  At each store I asked for help 
>> finding the belt and each employee said there were none in the 
>> store.  The sad thing is that a week later, the websites still had 
>> the same inventory numbers listed.  You would think there would be a 
>> process to correct inventory.  I'm in the Los Angeles area and have a 
>> number of stores to pick from and they are managed very differently.  
>> I have not gone to the one nearest to my office in about five years 
>> electrical fittings are all messed up.
>>
>> locator.  Went to Lowes because they had 47 listed on their website.  
>> Had an employee help me and checked all the battery storage areas and 
>> we couldn't find any.  A month later, the website still said 47 and 
>> the hook for that size remained empty.
>>
>> but organized better and there was always an employee willing to help 
>> me.  The prices are a little higher, but the convenience and service 
>> are worth it.  Sadly the landlord ended their lease to put in a 
>> restaurant that closed a year later (before the pandemic)
>>
>> Brian
>>
>>> ordered from Lowe's (2"<->2" elbow, external thread to slip joint, 
>>> and a 1.5" plug, for a different application). So, after FedEx 
>>> apparently lost, then found, the shipment they showed up today. One 
>>> problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the 1.5" plug into the 
>>> threaded end of the elbow so hard it may be impossible to remove it 
>>> without breaking the elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I get to my 
>>> shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee of successful extraction.
>>>
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    Side note: The 'goto' for leaky steering boxes in the Austin-Healey
    universe is John Deere 'Cornhead Grease;' available at many places
    online (and probably equivalent to spindle grease). A friend sent me
    a couple tubes, but I haven't tried it yet; getting it in the box is
    the hard part.<br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 5/4/2021 6:07 AM, Jim Stone wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
      cite="mid:[email-masked]">
      <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
      Sadly, my experience has been that big (and too often, not-so-big)
      box employees are either inadequately trained or simply lack the
      motivation to put any work into looking for something that is not
      readily obvious.  I went into a Tractor Supply store last week to
      buy <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><font
          class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#212529">Cotton
          Picker Spindle Grease 00, which I am sure is not a frequently
          purchased item.  (FWIW, I want to see if it is a good
          lubricant to use in my Alpine’s steering gear, since
          traditional gear oil often leaks out and regular grease is
          often too thick.). Their website showed the store carried it,
          but the kid who helped me looked through the motor oil section
          and said they didn’t have it.  I suggested that it might be
          somewhere else, but he was adamant that it would be with the
          auto oils and additives.  I eventually found another employee
          willing to look harder and they had about a dozen bottles in a
          completely different section just a few rows away.  </font></span>
      <div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
          class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
            color="#212529"><br class="">
          </font></span></div>
      <div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
          class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
            color="#212529">This has happened to me more times than I
            wish to count, and I now rarely accept the first “we don’t
            have it” response and often just find it on my own.</font></span></div>
      <div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
          class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
            color="#212529"><br class="">
          </font></span></div>
      <div class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
          class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
            color="#212529">Jim </font></span></div>
      <div class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
          color="#212529"><span style="caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41);
            background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class=""><br class="">
          </span></font></div>
      <div class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
          color="#212529"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255,
            255);" class="">p.s.  Writing the above reminds me of an
            experience more than 30 years ago.  We had just moved into a
            new home and needed smoke detectors.  I did some research on
            them and discovered that there were then two types,
            photoelectric and ionization.  I don’t remember which type I
            decided to get, but went to a local big box store (the
            national chains hadn’t taken over yet) and was studying
            their detector display.  A young girl came over and asked if
            I needed any help.  </span></font></div>
      <div class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
          color="#212529"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255,
            255);" class=""><br class="">
          </span></font></div>
      <blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding:
        0px;" class="">
        <div class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
            color="#212529"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255,
              255);" class="">“Yes I do.  Can you tell me which ones
              are </span></font><span style="background-color: rgb(255,
            255, 255);" class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica,
              sans-serif" color="#212529"><span style="caret-color:
                rgb(33, 37, 41);" class="">photoelectric and which are
                ionization?” </span></font></span></div>
        <div class=""><font class="" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
            color="#212529"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255,
              255);" class="">“Oh no, sir.  They all run on batteries."</span></font></div>
      </blockquote>
      <div class="">
        <div><br class="">
          <blockquote type="cite" class="">
            <div class="">On May 4, 2021, at 7:54 AM, Pat Horne &lt;<a
                href="mailto:[email-masked]" class=""
                moz-do-not-send="true">[email-masked]</a>&gt;
              wrote:</div>
            <br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
            <div class="">
              <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
                charset=UTF-8" class="">
              <div dir="auto" class="">I’ve gotten to the point where I
                call the big box stores &amp; have them actually lay
                eyes on what I am looking for if the quantity is shown
                to be less than 20. If they confirm that they have it I
                then place an on line order &amp; pick it up in a few
                hours. It saves a bunch of time. 
                <div class=""><br class="">
                </div>
                <div class="">Peace,</div>
                <div class="">Pat<br class="">
                  <br class="">
                  <div dir="ltr" class="">Pat Horne 
                    <div class="">We support Habitat for Humanity</div>
                    <div class=""><br class="">
                    </div>
                  </div>
                  <div dir="ltr" class=""><br class="">
                    On May 4, 2021, at 12:25 AM, Brian Kemp &lt;<a
                      href="mailto:[email-masked]" class=""
                      moz-do-not-send="true">[email-masked]</a>&gt;
                    wrote:<br class="">
                    <br class="">
                  </div>
                  <div dir="ltr" class="">
                    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
                      charset=UTF-8" class="">
                    I agree that it is unbelievable how bad some of the
                    home centers can be.  Needed a vacuum cleaner belt
                    fast.  Not in stock anywhere other than HD per the
                    websites.  The nearest HD said there were five in
                    stock.  Couldn't find any.  Next one said there were
                    three in stock - none there.  Drove to a third one
                    with seven listed in stock and still none
                    available.  The employee at the last location said
                    they are frequently shoplifted.  At each store I
                    asked for help finding the belt and each employee
                    said there were none in the store.  The sad thing is
                    that a week later, the websites still had the same
                    inventory numbers listed.  You would think there
                    would be a process to correct inventory.  I'm in the
                    Los Angeles area and have a number of stores to pick
                    from and they are managed very differently.  I have
                    not gone to the one nearest to my office in about
                    five years because it is so poorly managed and the
                    items like the plumbing and electrical fittings are
                    all messed up.<br class="">
                    <br class="">
                    My last adventure was a replacement battery for my
                    wife's key locator.  Went to Lowes because they had
                    47 listed on their website.  Had an employee help me
                    and checked all the battery storage areas and we
                    couldn't find any.  A month later, the website still
                    said 47 and the hook for that size remained empty.<br
                      class="">
                    <br class="">
                    I used to live near a nice True Value hardware
                    store.  Much smaller, but organized better and there
                    was always an employee willing to help me.  The
                    prices are a little higher, but the convenience and
                    service are worth it.  Sadly the landlord ended
                    their lease to put in a restaurant that closed a
                    year later (before the pandemic)<br class="">
                    <br class="">
                    Brian<br class="">
                    <br class="">
                    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 5/3/2021 9:01 PM,
                      Bob Spidell wrote:<br class="">
                    </div>
                    <blockquote type="cite"
                      cite="mid:[email-masked]"
                      class="">Pardon me, I just gotta vent. Not being
                      able to find these plumbing pieces at HD and
                      Lowe's--even though their websites said they had
                      bunches in stock--and at a plumbing supply, I
                      finally broke down and ordered from Lowe's
                      (2"&lt;-&gt;2" elbow, external thread to slip
                      joint, and a 1.5" plug, for a different
                      application). So, after FedEx apparently lost,
                      then found, the shipment they showed up today. One
                      problem: the jackass that packed them jammed the
                      1.5" plug into the threaded end of the elbow so
                      hard it may be impossible to remove it without
                      breaking the elbow. I'll get it in a vice when I
                      get to my shop tomorrow, but there's no guarantee
                      of successful extraction. <br class="">
                      <br class="">
                      I get it; working the line at a warehouse is a
                      shit job, but someone went out of their way to do
                      this. I usually apply Hanlon's Razor--"Don't
                      attribute to malice that which can be explained by
                      incompetence"--but the plug is jammed in the elbow
                      so hard someone really had to work at it. I hope
                      it felt good. <br class="">
                      <br class="">
                      Vent mode off. <br class="">
                      <br class="">
                      Bob <br class="">
                      <br class="">
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---

From: "Tim ." <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2021 16:45:13 +0000

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