Recent comments in /f/vermont

smokeythemechanic t1_ja4i2kc wrote

I set expectations when I hire them, if they fail, I ask if there was an issue with their equipment, if not I tell them what my problem was, if they do anything but fix the situation, they get dragged as especially in VT you have word of mouth where if you fuck someone's job up and refuse to fix it, you might as well close up shop and move because everyone Swanton to Bennington to Averill to Brattleboro will know how big a fuck up you are otherwise. It's not micromanaging if you set the expectations in the beginning of the contract they agree to and then they fail to meet them.

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BudsKind802 t1_ja4gtc9 wrote

Some social scientists believe that America lost it's democracy after Citizens United with it's (un)intended consequences of unlimited Super PACs, dark money PAC, and no disclosure donations. It allowed the super rich like George Soros and Robert Uiline to drop hundreds of millions of dollars to affect elections like never before, essentially giving them the most "speech" from their grand pulpits.

We need to return all national political office to public financing and end PACs, since that's what allowed this fiasco. I don't blame any politician for taking unlimited dark money - hate the game, not the player

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Kvltadelic t1_ja4g446 wrote

The math doesn’t really add up on getting a plow. You’re gonna spend 5k on something that’s decent and you’d have to spend a lot on plowing to make that balance out. Our plow bill is like 500 to 600 a year and Ive never thought it was worth it, by the time you break even you are going to need a new plow. Unless you want to do some for profit plowing on the side, that could make it worth it.

I agree wholeheartedly with your second point.

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Stockmom42 t1_ja4dvjn wrote

If you complain about service here you will lose service at least this is my experience dealing with anyone in Vermont. The service industry is overwhelmed and if your a difficult client they will drop you. So if you don’t have someone else lined up or plan on DIY. Proceed with caution.

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1T-Nerd t1_ja4dg1v wrote

This is the advice you need. Landscapers/Plow companies are all in high demand and will remain so for the foreseeable future here in Vermont. Obviously, you can wait till next season to find a different provider but the season won't be over for a few more months so present your issues like the above commenter writes and you'll be fine. If you do reach out to the provider ask them to avoid sanding/plowing certain sections and you'll handle the rest through shoveling or sanding. Problem solved.

It is easy to forget the men/women who drive these trucks are spending long hours in terrible weather conditions providing an under appreciated at times service for us all so we may avoid snow blowing/shoveling. Hiring a company to plow or sand my driveway sounds like a dream. However, my reality is that my driveway is ancient and a plow truck would make mince meat of it. This is not the fault of the plow or the plow driver but due to the age of my driveway.

Here is my judgmental take: If I had a "rare car" like you write in later comments below I'd find a garage to park it in for the season rather than expose it to the New England roads at winter time. If I don't want or can't do that then I accept like an adult the risk of my "rare car" getting the wear and tear which comes with driving in New England winters.

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Disastrous-Nothing14 t1_ja4cbhe wrote

This is the answer. I'm lucky enough to have a guy who just kind of does it on the side on his way to work and lives nearby, so a special request here and there is nbd, but like I said I'm lucky. If you're making money plowing its reliant on volume and also inherently time sensitive by nature of having snow cleared for the commute.

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GrilledSpamSteaks t1_ja4b3e8 wrote

If I tried to micromanage my guy, he’d nod, say thank you, do it the way he always has and charge me 50% more.

As for the one outside car we have, the two of us talked and came to a decision that I’ll park the car in the drive wherever he tells me to.

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Allemaengel t1_ja49pe4 wrote

I plow and salt for a municipality and keeping areas clear of cars, trash cans, basketball standards, etc. and properly snow staked goes a long way towards a proper job and minimal risk of damage.

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Legitimate_Proof OP t1_ja483a2 wrote

Right! Do people think I'm promoting fossil fuels? I'm saying the amount of energy is so high, it is shocking and we should use not waste them in vehicles that are 1-3% efficient. We should use them more carefully, only for things that need very high energy density.

Trying to avoid getting into a conservative vs progressive fight, I just introduced the scale comparison, which I assume people didn't know, and said it's out of proportion:

>sprawling economy that is out of scale with nature and human evolution.
>
>...
>
>out of whack with the world's resources.
>
>...
>
>allowed us to casually go well beyond natural and renewable.

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