September 27th, 2021Kyle’s Rant

LAST week I hired a post hole digger from the blokes at Kyneton Hire. The reason for the post hole digger procurement was as an easy way to plant a few plants that have grown too big for their pots. The cost was $90 for a 24-hour hire and when you are looking down the barrel of a dozen or so big tree holes, a bargain by anyone’s calculation.
I picked the hole-maker up around 4.30pm the night before the post hole preparations and had planned to crack on to the job at “sparrow’s fart” – that’s old-man speak for early. The next morning, as is common in this lockdown enthusiasm- void world, I found myself dragging my feet. But I did have my lawnmower man Dave giving me a socially-distanced hand on this drab Central Highlands spring morning and the whole thing was only to take a few hours.

So, Dave cranked up this machine around 11am after patiently burning off time on his ride-on mower. Suddenly there was petrol everywhere. The fuel primer had burst and was spewing out fuel faster than a Middle Eastern pipeline.
So off I went back to Kyneton where they had me fixed and back in the ute within 10 minutes and back to the job 25 minutes later. We stopped for lunch on my return as it had been a bit of a stressful day thus far. Then Dave cranked up the driller once again. It ran for five minutes and bang, fuel started leaking from the same spot.
By this time we had given up on the job. Dave had got back on his mower and I was off to find a shovel and return this pile of junk.
Now, I realise that a rental place that rents out a lot of gear can’t be across the condition of every pick, shovel and post hole driller. But I was a little perplexed with the refund calculations after a day of disappointment. And not a single plant, planted.
Kyneton Hire Bloke: “So, how do you want to do this?”
Me: “Just on card.” (As in my refund.)
KHB: “No, how much of a refund?”
Me: “Huh?”
KHB: “What do you reckon – we split it down the guts?”
Perplexed me: “Sure, no problems. Hiring Dave for three hours ($120), two return trips to Kyneton fuel, wear and tear, mileage of 75 cents a kilometre ($102), my own time driving back and forth ($150) and then of course, the actual hire ($90). So the total cost is $462. Down the guts, great, just $231 thanks.” (Sadly, this is all in my head.)
Me: “I don’t think so mate. I got two half-holes drilled, a bloke at home on the clock and my running backward and forward.”
KHB: “Ahh, OK, I’ll process a full refund for you.”
Refund rant over…