Why don't people own up?

pxd867 · 01/11/10 - 15:53

One of our water pipes recently burst behind the cooker, and we've had to get people in to sort it and dry off the wall. We got someone in with a drying machine, he installed it pretty roughly, (banging a lot of the pipes and ripping off plasterwork) and sprayed a chemical on the wall to dry it off. As he was doing it, there was a build up of a gas-like smell.. We asked him if it was gas, and he said not to worry, it was the chemical.

For the last 5 days the smell lingered, it was worse at night when we put the drying machine on as it just blew the smell around the house. Luckily we don't spend too much time in the kitchen, but even upstairs you could smell it, although not as much. I mentioned that it smelled like gas, but the parents believed what he had said and left it. Yesterday, the same guy came round to pick up the drying machine. Just as he was going he said "oh by the way, I think you might have a gas leak". Now it was the same smell that started when he installed the machine - so why the difference? He then left before we could say anything.

We got Transco round who said that the gas pipe had been knocked and there was a release of gas. Luckily, it wasn't a huge amount (about 0.25% in the air) but it was enough to give you a headache in the morning, as the gas built up. As I said, it is fortunate it wasn't a lot worse.

We're not going to take it any further as nobody has been hurt but it only by sheer luck that the leak wasn't more. We get the feeling that he knew about the leak when he installed it (it was building up whilst he was there... there was no smell before that) yet was happy to leave it as it was. Why can't people own up to things? It could have been a disaster!

koantemplation · 01/11/10 - 16:16

I know what you mean, there does seem to be too many people who are immature now a days.

[Deleted User] · 01/11/10 - 16:30

Whoa that could have been nasty! :eek: There are a lot of stupid people out there I'm afraid, I'm glad you got it all sorted. The man was an arse for not owning up to it in the first place, imagine if the leak was more concentrated, then the guy would've been responsible for something much worse. He really should've been more careful, and owned up!

Bookends · 01/11/10 - 16:35

Unfortunately some people are more bothered about the consequences to them of owning up to a mistake than the consequences that said mistake may have for others if not corrected. Hence the immediate reaction to any enquiry is "It wasn't me!" and the reaction to any overt accusation is usually "Prove it."

Hypnodisc · 01/11/10 - 17:11

To spin this another way; people are too scared to own up for silly mistakes because people come down on others like a tonne of bricks.

Because everyone has to be held accountable for absolutely everything nowadays so much emphasis has been put on no mistakes being made, ever; with everything recorded on mountains of paperwork so much so that people are shit scared of having the finger pointed at them because of the risk of being suspended or whatever.. and having no job isn't fun in this economic climate.

Bring back an ounce of common sense and these sorts of things will change. Will never happen though.

Is it so hard to believe that people have an element of self-preservation?

Bookends · 01/11/10 - 17:21

Hypnodisc wrote: »

To spin this another way; people are too scared to own up for silly mistakes because people come down on others like a tonne of bricks.

Because everyone has to be held accountable for absolutely everything nowadays so much emphasis has been put on no mistakes being made, ever; with everything recorded on mountains of paperwork so much so that people are shit scared of having the finger pointed at them because of the risk of being suspended or whatever.. and having no job isn't fun in this economic climate.

Bring back an ounce of common sense and these sorts of things will change. Will never happen though.

Is it so hard to believe that people have an element of self-preservation?

That's certainly also true... the current social trend towards an increasingly present "compensation culture" has a lot to answer for. Accountability is a good thing... but, taken to extremes, it simply encourages a whole load of ever more creative ways of "arse-covering". Necessity being the mother of invention and all that...

Mr. Fahrenheit · 01/11/10 - 18:20

pxd867 wrote: »

One of our water pipes recently burst behind the cooker, and we've had to get people in to sort it and dry off the wall. We got someone in with a drying machine, he installed it pretty roughly, (banging a lot of the pipes and ripping off plasterwork) and sprayed a chemical on the wall to dry it off. As he was doing it, there was a build up of a gas-like smell.. We asked him if it was gas, and he said not to worry, it was the chemical.

For the last 5 days the smell lingered, it was worse at night when we put the drying machine on as it just blew the smell around the house. Luckily we don't spend too much time in the kitchen, but even upstairs you could smell it, although not as much. I mentioned that it smelled like gas, but the parents believed what he had said and left it. Yesterday, the same guy came round to pick up the drying machine. Just as he was going he said "oh by the way, I think you might have a gas leak". Now it was the same smell that started when he installed the machine - so why the difference? He then left before we could say anything.

We got Transco round who said that the gas pipe had been knocked and there was a release of gas. Luckily, it wasn't a huge amount (about 0.25% in the air) but it was enough to give you a headache in the morning, as the gas built up. As I said, it is fortunate it wasn't a lot worse.

We're not going to take it any further as nobody has been hurt but it only by sheer luck that the leak wasn't more. We get the feeling that he knew about the leak when he installed it (it was building up whilst he was there... there was no smell before that) yet was happy to leave it as it was. Why can't people own up to things? It could have been a disaster!

Things like this make me angry.

If you're paid for a service you should do it to the best of your abilities, and take responsibility for mistakes.:mad:

I hope you get some sort of compensation.

pxd867 · 01/11/10 - 20:36

BrunetteGirl1 wrote: »

Whoa that could have been nasty! :eek: There are a lot of stupid people out there I'm afraid, I'm glad you got it all sorted. The man was an arse for not owning up to it in the first place, imagine if the leak was more concentrated, then the guy would've been responsible for something much worse. He really should've been more careful, and owned up!

I suppose he may have genuinely thought it was the chemicals he was applying, but I doubt it. He was an arrogant so and so as well, I'm guessing someone who never admits to making mistakes. As you say though, if it had turned out worse, then he would have been responsible! All you can do is tell the Insurance company, as I'm sure they won't want to continue using people like that.

pxd867 · 01/11/10 - 20:37

Hypnodisc wrote: »

To spin this another way; people are too scared to own up for silly mistakes because people come down on others like a tonne of bricks.

Is it so hard to believe that people have an element of self-preservation?

If it was a relitavely minor mistake, no, but to ignore a gas leak is bordering on criminal.. in fact it probably is.

Hey there!

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