June 15, 2005 Dear Annie,
I have a brother who's a professional mechanic, and it seems like he'll work on anybody else's car before mine! He knows my car needs a tune up, I remind him every time I see him, and he keeps putting me off. Wouldn't you think he'd take better care of his sister?
Vickie in Aberdeen, WADear Vickie,
Is it possible that you want to be treated like your brother's best customer, yet you don't behave in like manner? It's been my experience that those who rely on family for jobs they'd otherwise have to hire strangers to do, impose unfairly on their relatives. Do you pay your brother what, or nearly what, others would pay him for his time? Do you pay promptly and with no reminders from him? Those two questions need to be answered in the affirmative if you want him to put your needs in front of other customers. Also, do you have unreasonable expectations of him, or whine and complain every time he does work on your car? I recall when we owned a garage that people paid to have one problem worked on and then returned, months later, expecting some completely unrelated breakdown to be fixed for nothing. People own old pieces of junk that can barely make it down the highway and look for miracles from those trying to repair these beasts.
I suppose you expected a different sort of answer, for me to confirm that you are the victim here and your brother a brute; but I think unless he's simply overwhelmed with work or unkind as a matter of course, that the problem lies at your door. Stop nagging your brother every time you see him and hire someone else to do the tune up!
Annie
Please write to:
Annie, P.O. Box 1084, Eatonville,WA 98328
E-mail: letters_annie@hotmail.com
Past Ask Annies:
June 15, 2005 Mechanic Brother Doesn't Tune Her Car
June 1, 2005 Friends Are Along With Us Too Much
May 25, 2005 Fiance's Parents Badmouth and Shun Her
May 18, 2005 More About Charitable Cards and Janitorial Work
May 11, 2005 Funeral Guests Laughed and Friends Sent Charitable Organization Cards
May 4, 2005 Employee Expected To Do Janitorial Work
Apr. 27, 2005 Lamenting Bad Parents
Apr. 20, 2005 Tribute to Fine Parents
Apr. 6 & 13, 2005 Boyfriend Acts Silly
Apr. 6, 2005 Wife Made Doilies When Angry at Husband
Mar. 30, 2005 Over Fifty's Showing Midriff
Mar. 23, 2005 Momma's Boy Has Some Good Points
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Mar. 9, 2005 Disposing Girlfriend's Mom's Things and Boyfriend Always Has Cell Phone In Ear
Feb. 23, 2005 Noisy, Un-private Hospital Childrens' Areas
Feb. 16, 2005 Unkind Remarks and Brother-in-Law Who Wants Son's Bedroom
Feb. 9, 2005 Stop Complaining and Smelly Employees
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Jan. 26, 2005 Pestered Employee Might've Been a Man
Jan. 19, 2005 Pay Less Attention to Relatives' Crude Remarks
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