Propane

[jeeppoor]

So I go up to the Meijer's gas station to exchange an empty 20lb propane tank and get a full one. There were 2 people behind the counter. And older gentleman and a young kid (Maybe 20). The older gentleman was waiting on another customer so the kid who was standing in the back waves at me to go to the other register. So I go there and tell him I need propane. He says what? I tell him again "I need to get a 20lber of propane". He says excess me. So I tell him a 3rd time. Then he starts looking up at where they keep their cigarettes at. Like he is looking for a pack of propane cigarettes. The older gentleman is done with his customer and says I got this. He starts to rings it up. Mean while he is doing this. The kid is asking the older gentleman what propane is? So he says it is the 20lb cylinders out in the cage. You take and empty one from the customer and give them one with a blue cap on it. The kid looks confused as hell. Like he just told him he just won the lottery or something. mean while I am waiting for the kid to finish ringing me up. He does just as the older gentleman gets the key. So as we walk out the store he looks over at me and I am smiling and kind of laughing to myself. He says so how are you doing. trying to be nice. I ask him who the hell doesn't know what propane is? He says he just start here. I go ok, but who doesn't know what propane is, most grills run on propane. He says again, Well he just started here.
I mean what rock did this kid craw out from under? I knew what propane was before I was out of kindergarten. And back then I hand never seen a propane barbeque before.
I guess this goes right along with the insurance commercial about a teenage boy that don't know how to change a tire. They should have a class in school that everyone has to take and pass. Life lessons. How to balance a check book, how to live on a budget, how to change a tire, how to check and maybe change the oil in your car, how to do laundry, how to file you taxes to start with.
Ok Done with my rant.

 

[TBItoy]

You really want the government responsible for a "life lessons" class?

Hahaha

Some people learn the hard way, some don't learn at all.

 

[BUG-E J]

You really want the government responsible for a "life lessons" class?

Hahaha

Some people learn the hard way, some don't learn at all.

My youngest one has finally started tagging along with me alot. Our motto is lifes lessons are best taught the hard way. We both learn things daily

 

[poolman]

I bet if you go back in there in two weeks the kid will be gone. 90% of kids in there 20s will not work. :****:

 

[dwa2469]

I bet if you go back in there in two weeks the kid will be gone. 90% of kids in there 20s will not work. :****:

Or they have 3 kids with 4 different woman, and quit when they start taking out child support

 

[TBItoy]

3 kids with 4 different women

Life goals.

 

[civicmindedex79]

So in all seriousness I have one of "these kids" at the house. Smart as hell for book smarts, common sense dumb as ****. So I try to force him into learning basics with a vehicle (check and change oil, change a flat, basic battery stuff) and he refuses to learn it. Says he will have plenty of money to pay someone else to do it in his life. So my question s what do you do with that? I have took an ass load of time with him trying to teach him and cost me an ass loads of money already in trying to teach life lessons. My plan is that when he starts driving I wont do any of the maintenance of any kind on his vehicle as I do for the other 5 vehicles and he can sink or swim. Any better ideas?

Yes I know there will be plenty of the "I am Billy bad ass and I would force him to do it people" but seriously if you don't want to learn something you know you aren't going to.

 

[bgredjeep]

So in all seriousness I have one of "these kids" at the house. Smart as hell for book smarts, common sense dumb as ****. So I try to force him into learning basics with a vehicle (check and change oil, change a flat, basic battery stuff) and he refuses to learn it. Says he will have plenty of money to pay someone else to do it in his life. So my question s what do you do with that? I have took an ass load of time with him trying to teach him and cost me an ass loads of money already in trying to teach life lessons. My plan is that when he starts driving I wont do any of the maintenance of any kind on his vehicle as I do for the other 5 vehicles and he can sink or swim. Any better ideas?

Yes I know there will be plenty of the "I am Billy bad ass and I would force him to do it people" but seriously if you don't want to learn something you know you aren't going to.

No car privileges until he learns X, Y, and Z. You not doing maintenance on his car sounds like a good way for you to end up paying repairs down the road. Tell him you don't want him to be the dumbass kid on the insurance commercial that can't change a tire. Making lots of money won't change him being stuck on the side of the road with a flat and no cell service one day in the future.

disclaimer, not a parent and no intention of ever having kids.

 

[civicmindedex79]

No car privileges until he learns X, Y, and Z. You not doing maintenance on his car sounds like a good way for you to end up paying repairs down the road. Tell him you don't want him to be the dumbass kid on the insurance commercial that can't change a tire. Making lots of money won't change him being stuck on the side of the road with a flat and no cell service one day in the future.

disclaimer, not a parent and no intention of ever having kids.

I have exactly told him that when the commercial comes on. I won't lie I am a little lost on it. Thanks for the advice either way.

 

[Bebop]

It's been like that for a while.

Of course I'm not making a generality, but not very many people can change a flat tire or check their fluid levels. So doing an oil change is out of this world difficult for most people.

And like you said, they don't want to learn. So why force it on them ?

I'm part of this generation you describe and I kind of feel concerned by this.

I have a counter example though : most older people (I'd say 50+ yo) I work with or I interact with in life don't want to learn how to use computers.
Computers are part of life now. Everything is connected.
So when their computer crashes or has a problem, they bitch and they bring it to a computer specialist. How is it different than bringing your car to a specialist for an oil change ?

 

[muddinmetal]

It's been like that for a while.

Of course I'm not making a generality, but not very many people can change a flat tire or check their fluid levels. So doing an oil change is out of this world difficult for most people.

And like you said, they don't want to learn. So why force it on them ?

I'm part of this generation you describe and I kind of feel concerned by this.

I have a counter example though : most older people (I'd say 50+ yo) I work with or I interact with in life don't want to learn how to use computers.
Computers are part of life now. Everything is connected.
So when their computer crashes or has a problem, they bitch and they bring it to a computer specialist. How is it different than bringing your car to a specialist for an oil change ?

Some **** you are supposed to learn from your parents and from growing up. 50 years olds couldn't have learned that from their parents.

Also, you sound like a liberal millennial with your devil's advocate example

 

[Bebop]

What if they were raised by people that had no clue how to change a tire ?

To continue with my devil's advocate example : None of the millennials that know how to use a computer were taught how to use them by their parents. So your argument is invalid.

 

[poolman]

Some **** you are supposed to learn from your parents and from growing up. 50 years olds couldn't have learned that from their parents.

Also, you sound like a liberal millennial with your devil's advocate example

I agree. Do you have kids? If not you don't you don't have a clue what your talking about.

 

[Bebop]

I agree. Do you have kids? If not you don't you don't have a clue what your talking about.

With such a strong argument, I'll admit that you totally convinced me

 

[j-mox]

So in all seriousness I have one of "these kids" at the house. Smart as hell for book smarts, common sense dumb as ****. So I try to force him into learning basics with a vehicle (check and change oil, change a flat, basic battery stuff) and he refuses to learn it. Says he will have plenty of money to pay someone else to do it in his life. So my question s what do you do with that? I have took an ass load of time with him trying to teach him and cost me an ass loads of money already in trying to teach life lessons. My plan is that when he starts driving I wont do any of the maintenance of any kind on his vehicle as I do for the other 5 vehicles and he can sink or swim. Any better ideas?

Yes I know there will be plenty of the "I am Billy bad ass and I would force him to do it people" but seriously if you don't want to learn something you know you aren't going to.

I feel ya man. I got one too.

No matter how I have tried he just has no interest in learning those kinds of skills. Tried when he was younger but lost interest quick. Say he would want me to show him something and as I did it he would wander off. Some is my fault cause I would just end up doing it for him cause it was less frustrating than trying to teach someone who didn't want to learn. He has worked several places now and does well at them and has gotten promoted but life skills are just not in the cards. Just got done with a rant over him not taking his car for oil change with it way overdue. The oil percent gauge is what he goes by I guess. Had same issue with tires recently.
Hey dad my tire pressure light is on.
Well did you check them with a gauge?
Yeah.
Go out with a gauge and they have about 20psi in them. He is going off the readout inside of each tire. So I ask well how much do you think is too low? IDK. Maybe 15

Asked him recently what way he took to go on a trip to a friends house about 1 1/2 hour away. IDK. Where my phone told me to take. Not a CLUE where he was!

I give up. It's just the generation of kids now. When I was young I took stuff apart all the time just to see how it worked. Still not real afraid to take things apart and feel my way into something to try and fix myself. Kids just don't do that anymore

 

[muddinmetal]

What if they were raised by people that had no clue how to change a tire ?

To continue with my devil's advocate example : None of the millennials that know how to use a computer were taught how to use them by their parents. So your argument is invalid.

The school or their parents did teach them how to use it... or they at least had access to a working computer to figure it out on their own, just like they have access to vehicles. Children of the 70s had no access to a computer dude.

 

[Bebop]

[...] or they at least had access to a working computer to figure it out on their own, just like they have access to vehicles. Children of the 70s had no access to a computer dude.

And we agree completely.

Millennial shave access to both cars and computers. If they want to figure out how to maintain a car, they can. Just like they figured out how to use a computer.

Now « older people » have access to computers with appropriate training material. They could learn too.

The problem is they (both millennials and older people in each case) don't want to. So why bother ?

You can lead a horse to the water but you can't make him drink is what I think would be appropriate here ?

 

[xjmarc]

Back when I was in high school we took a class where we had a made up job and got paid, paid bills, balanced a check book etc. Got graded on how well we kept up with it. I'm old though and most people don't even know how to wright a check. As far as basic skills I credit my grandfather, uncles and father. They would pay me to change spark plugs, oil and such from the time I was about 10. Me and one uncle would buy old lawn mowers and fix them up and sell them. That's how I got money as a kid, didn't know what an allowance was till I was much older but never got one. My youngest brother, 16 years younger, was coddled and still is to an extent but he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and knows more about cars than a lot of mechanics. I see it a lot with kids not caring about the basic things because mommy and daddy will handle it but there will come a time. Our country is a bit screwed with this next generation.

 

[jeeppoor]

We have 2 kids. Both girls. Both know how to change their oil, change a flat. Not afraid to try and fix something they have never worked on (they know they can call dad for help if they need to ;D) Our oldest daughter is a better mechanic than her husband (which he can not stand. And a lot of people know it )
Now we have 6 grand kids ranging from 1 to 13. the 4 oldest 6 to 13 can change oil and tires thanks to grand pa.
But the parents cant get them to help them. They have no patience o work them. When they help me I already know it is going to take me at least twice as long if not longer. But the way I look at it will pay in the future. They like helping me do projects. and when we are working on something I can ask them to get me a wrench or impact or tell them they are going to need a certain wrench and they know where it is what it is. And we get to spend some quality time together.
I also have a rule that when they can see over the windshield and reach the pedals that they can drive. Seeing over the windshield is the important one. I have duct tape 4x4 blocks on the pedals so they could drive. Not on the streets. Out in the woods or an orv park.
Making memories.

 

[xjmarc]

What if they were raised by people that had no clue how to change a tire ?

To continue with my devil's advocate example : None of the millennials that know how to use a computer were taught how to use them by their parents. So your argument is invalid.

My father in law is a prime example. He's an old hippie and doubt he knows how to check his oil. I fix everything at their house including vehicles when I can. My wife on the other hand likes to know things and could probably change a u joint faster than some of the folks on here and has been known to change the brakes on her car. Her father had a truck towed home because it quit running and bought a new vehicle, after some nagging he let me look at it and it was out of gas, gas gauge had quit working. I'll never let him live that one down. He's smart as hell when it comes to animals, birds, bugs and that kind of thing but mechanically he's an idiot.