Lack of basic knowledge.

[stomachmonkey]

To be fair there is a lot I don't know but the basics of how things that you own should work is not too much to ask.

I'm at SIL's, having T-Day here. 10 people in the house.

Water heater just took a dump so it's all hands on deck and a mad scramble to keep basement from flooding.

My BIL turns off the main supply to the house, not a bad idea and the thing most people would do.

I run down to the basement and he has not shut off the the lines at the tank. I can hear the tank back feeding so I shut it down.

I try to explain to him how it works and he shrugs, "yeah but I shut off all the water". I tell him he did not need to do that, turn the main back on, "nah".

K, fine by me. I'm sure that'll work for you right up until your wife or MIL realize they have to go take a dump in the woods because they can't flush.

Good luck with that.

[2porscheguy]

WTF? Ya, you shut off the supply to the tank.....He didn't get that??

[M.D. Holloway]

you are a better man than me, I would have shook my head and headed to the hotel.

[crb07]

While we're on topic.
Turn your water valves on and off at least once a year. If they were made in china they will need to be replaced sooner than they should be as they are Chinese. This way when you need the valve to work it just might.

[scottmandue]

Let me get this straight.
Less that 24 hours to Thanksgiving dinner.
10 people in the house.
No water.

If you don't have a video camera get one and film the holiday... you will make some big $$$ selling the footage to the networks.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

First thought:

[Evans, Marv]

There are some people in the world like that who have no conceptual ability for that kind of thing. I'm not a good artist or musician, so I give people like him a pass. However it's amazing to me some people can't grasp some things so basic.

[fintstone]

My mom told me that she just tried to renew the registration for her car on line. The site she logged into had nothing to do with the state or DMV...but asked her for every possible bit of personal information which she provided. I imagine someone is getting a new credit card in North Korea about now. She is really not concerned...and would never let me help, but will complain to everyone she knows that I did not if something goes wrong.

[ckelly78z]

I know way too many people who only know how to dial the phone to "call the guy", to fix any problem with their car/house. I just don't know how they function trusting the good nature of total strangers to only fix what's wrong, and not upsell them for the big payoff.

[look 171]

I stopped long ago trying to educated the know it all. Afterall, Utube, internet and HGTV is always correct instead of years of experience then, there's the call someone 30-40 year old crowd. I have to love those because they can't tell what end of the hammer is the steel part. they are the easy ones since they just want it done. Nothing wrong with that. the know it all kicks my ass.

[varmint]

This is a common problem with my generation. And getting worse. My dad took off when I was pretty young. So I missed a lot of basic education. I learned to be handy through books and a brutal trial and error process.

Others solution is to just throw the thing away and buy new.

[Gogar]

I'm surprised he knew how to turn the water off.

[stealthn]

I built a house with my Dad when I was just gettng into the teens so I learned everything from him. Have done many house items and tried to get the boys involved, but there’s just no drive there to learn.
I blame it on video games...

[look 171]

Originally Posted by varmint

This is a common problem with my generation. And getting worse. My dad took off when I was pretty young. So I missed a lot of basic education. I learned to be handy through books and a brutal trial and error process.

Others solution is to just throw the thing away and buy new.

What generation is that?

I think every generation has those people that are not handy and unwilling to learn it. You would think I am computer savvy (my generation is the first computer driven. Started using them in Jr hi) but I am not and hate it and hate most things involving computers but I realized everything we do now days, a computer is involved somehow. I don't really want to learn how to do it, but I am very interested in what can be done so I can hire the expert to perform that task.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by stealthn

I blame it on video games...

The an unspoken lesson of video games is that mistakes have virtually no consequences.

[unclebilly]

I recall a certain sewage drain thread in this very forum...

[wdfifteen]

Get to the bathroom first.
You are a good man to put family harmony above technical correctness. Family harmony will break down as toilet loads increase, but you did your best. Once the situation gets critical you have a chance to be the hero. Just say, "Wait! I think I can make this work!" Grab a spatula from the kitchen and a leaf blower out of the garage, make a bunch of noise, switch the valves, and voila!, you're a MacGyver grade hero.

[JackDidley]

I do not understand the thought process. I know people that do not even know how to mow the grass. Not wealthy people. Lazy people. If it does not work, call a pro. Pay with a credit card. Or, get a new one. (whatever does not work). Pay with a credit card. I come from poor people. Get dirty, sweat, curse, work and call a friend if needed.

[island911]

Here I thought that everyone knew that inlaws are idiots.

[SiberianDVM]

This morning I drove out to the GFs house as she was cooking her great Thanksgiving Day feast. I loaded up the trunk of the BMW with tools, and while she was cooking I worked on her lawn tractor: oil and filter change, air and fuel filter change, blade change, and repaired the mower height adjustment.

Meanwhile her 34 year old son, who hasn't worked in 5 years because he has a "bad back" put icing on the cupcakes and called it a day.