Be a post whore!

[elSicomoro]

I didn't sleep well last night...it's all M's fault. If she wouldn't have gone out of town to a convention, this would have never happened!

Now I'll just need to console myself with hookers and blow...

[glatt]

My birthday was last week, and my wife gave me a very generous gift. We had gotten a $100 rewards card from the credit card, and she gave it to me to buy a tent. Now, the tent is a nice gift, but the real gift is that it meant she was willing to go camping sometimes.

So fast forward to yesterday when the tent arrived from Amazon. It's a very nice tent. Sold as a 3 person tent, but the reviews said it was kinda tight for 3 and really should be used by 2. That's what I wanted, so I was happy. The outside label of the box has a nice floor plan diagram showing the layout.

Looks roomy and tall.

So we spread it out and set it up. And it doesn't seem very roomy. It's clearly a 2 person tent to me. You can see the floor size pretty clearly here where it's set up part way.


So let's look at that floor plan again. Huh. Look at those numbers. The tent is just over 3 feet tall, but look at the silhouette dude standing next to it. He can't be much more than 4 feet. And those sleeping bags. Are they right?

I open up the diagram in a photo editing tool and measure pixels against the scale provided.

That silhouette dude is only 4' 9" and those mummy bags are only 4' 10" long. What a crock! It's like the Stonehenge in Spinal Tap that was in danger of being stepped on by dwarves. Your product won't look so small if you get midgets to pose with it.

The tent is a good size for a 2 person tent, so I'm happy with it. It's nice. But it seems like there should be a standard person size when showing the scale of these things. Something around 5' 10"

[glatt]

And here's a shot of the tent with a kid in it, reaching simultaneously for the zippers on both doors. Did I mention it has two doors? You don't have to climb over anyone to get in.


Doesn't look so small with a little kid in it. They should get little kids to pose with the thing.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The picture and your childish emotions have no bearing on the veracity of their claims. An adult would look at the numbers, then check the tent floor with a precision tape measure which every tent checker should own.

Pictured is a standard 12 year old Asian worker at the tent factory.

[glatt]

[footfootfoot]

I think it's one person per season, hence 3 person, 3 season. I see no problems here.
NEXT!

[Aliantha]

So, as some of you will know, I have a houseful of sick kids at the moment, although they're all on the get better side of it, so that's good. The bad part is I'm sick now, but I'm sure I'll live.

In other news, I got rear ended yesterday, and not in a good way. Yes scoff if you like, but getting run into by someone with no insurance is no good. The even worse part is that I feel sorry for the person that hit me! She's a single mother with two autistic kids, one of whom was in the car with her yesterday, so that was an ordeal in itself. The boy who was probably around 10, was in the front passenger seat, and he was thrown forward hard enough to smash the windscreen with his forehead. Somehow there was no blood. He had very thick hair, so maybe it sort of cushioned his skin or something. I don't know, but he was ok.

So anyway, I feel sorry for this woman. Her car was a heap of shit beforehand, and now it's worse. She lives in my neighbourhood, and I know which house she lives in. It's nothing flash. She was neat and tidy, but clearly not expensively dressed.

She has assured me that if I get quotes, she'll give me the money to get my car fixed, but I really feel like I need to give her a break. There's not all that much damage to my car (my beautiful good little car that I love). The boot has a bit of a wrinkle where the back has been a bit bent, and the bumper either needs replacing or respraying, so really, all in all, not too bad.

Would you 'pay it forward' so to speak? Put something good out into the universe?

As I said to Daryl this morning, I just feel sorry for the woman, and doubt she's got the money to give me. I imagine her life is a daily struggle and this would be just one more little thing to create havoc for her. With that in mind, I just want to let her off the hook for this one and tell her to buy some insurance instead.

I'm going to ask Dad if he can fix the boot and stuff for me, and I think the bumper will be fine as it is for now. I might find a replacement at a wrecking yard some time down the track. Who knows.

I just want to come out of this with a free conscience. You know. Feel that I've done something to make someone's life a little easier.

eta: I asked this question on FB as some of you will know, and people overwhelmingly seemed to think I should go through the legal channels and make her pay. I was actually surprised at the lack of compassion in some people. So anyway, that's why I'm asking you lot. Do you think I'm being stupid?

[Aliantha]

glatt, sorry about your tent. Maybe you could chop yourself off at the knees?

[ZenGum]

I'm sorry, I'm still stuck at the fact that this woman had a ten year old in the front seat apparently without a seat belt or age-appropriate safety harness.

Lady, you want an autistic kid, or an autistic kid with traumatic brain damage?

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

I just want to come out of this with a free conscience. You know. Feel that I've done something to make someone's life a little easier... Do you think I'm being stupid?

I think that your plan is sweet and wonderful, and would truly make a difference in this woman's life even more than you suspect. It has brought tears to my eyes just thinking about it. But I am obviously biased and overly-invested in the scenario.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I'm sorry, I'm still stuck at the fact that this woman had a ten year old in the front seat apparently without a seat belt or age-appropriate safety harness.

Lady, you want an autistic kid, or an autistic kid with traumatic brain damage?

I don't know anything about the functioning level of this kid... but I'll just say this: it gets a lot harder once they get smart enough to undo their own buckles. I know parents who have had to put actual combination locks on their children's seatbelts. Sometimes, if the kid is willing to sit calmly and just let you drive as long as he's in the front seat, you give in.

[Aliantha]

Zen, he had a seatbelt on, but as I said, it was an old shitbox car, and I think there's a good chance the seatbelts hadn't been tested for a very long time. I'm not sure I would judge her that quickly. Who knows what the boy was up to at the time. Obviously something distracted her from driving and paying proper attention - although in saying that, I did have to break pretty heavily to avoid the collision I almost had with the person in front of me. I don't know if you've ever driven with kids before Zen, but any kid can do naughty stuff at the best of times. You just always hope (well I do) that when they choose to do something naughty or stupid, that it's not at a time that will endanger their lives.

[xoxoxoBruce]

First to answer you question.

Do you think I'm being stupid?

Hell no, if you can fiqure out a way to help somebody out, that's never stupid.
If it's not taking food out of your kid's mouths, or putting a strain on your marriage, take every oppotunity to make others, and yourself, feel good.

I agree with Zen though, bad juju not having the kid restrained. If you decide not to make her pay in cash, you might make her pay by listening to a little lecture about that.

To the people on facebook that say you're doing it upside down, remind them it's Oz.

[Aliantha]

Clod, I think he was most likely fairly low functioning. I did not hear a single sound from him during the whole episode. Not a tear in his eye. No emotion as all in the true sense of it. Only stress. That's the only thing I could see in him which was why I had already started to form the assumption that he may be ASD even before she said so.

[Lola Bunny]

Ali: You're a good woman and don't let anyone call you anything else. I've heard the phrase, "there's a fine line between being nice and being stupid." Guess where that person was going? Yups, was calling me stupid. Hey, at least I'm stupid AND nice.