my elderly neighbour in his 80’s has just cut his hedge trimmer cable for the umpteenth time. I have previously opened up the trimmer and reterminated the shortened wire but after the last time I told him to either buy a battery trimmer or get a gardener in (he’s loaded so can afford either).
Ive just been over to have a polite but firm word but he’s determined to twist the wires together and tape them up........(he’s been at it for two hours).
Short of taking it off him WWSTWD?
Ive explained that he’s not only endangering himself but his possible rescuers but he’s just ignoring me.
Borrow as much money from him as you can?
Video it for YBF, might as well make a few quid out of it 🙂
There are people in this world who are genuinely as stubborn as oxen and cannot be told what to do. You must leave them to their destiny.
can you take out an insurance policy on someone elses life ?
What brutus said, except he's 80+, thus it goes doubly so.
He'll ask for advice after he's fried his pacemaker and had four blackouts, a full 999 callout and re-susc.
Get an in-line RDC - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Masterplug-ILRCDNG-Non-Latching-Line-Safety/dp/B006X09WAA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1530793596&sr=8-3&keywords=inline+rcd
(rather than an adaptor) and wire it into the flex. An RCD adaptor is no use if you don't use it, and adaptors tend to wiggle out of the socket over time - if it becomes an inconvenience people just take them out - if its wired into the flex for the trimmer then you can't avoid using it.
And while you're doing that maybe fit a longer flex - the shorter it gets with each mishap the more likely its going to pull tight and get in the way of the cut.
Inactivity will kill him just as certainly as electricity will so if you help him out by making the trimmer safer and better to use you're saving his life twice over
Darwinism innit?
Let him get on with it. People do seem to reach a certain age where they just refuse to be told anything*. My mates mum absolutely kicked off and point blank refused to stop driving despite being diagnosed with dementia and not knowing what day it was. She's also absolutely Brewstered and could easily have afforded to get a chauffeur driven limo everywhere
Her car (Rover 25, obviously) used to return with more dings and scrapes from every journey. God knows how many peoples cars she'd hit and just driven off. In the end he just nicked the keys, drove it round to his, then when she asked he just replied "what car?"
Do any local undertakers pay for referrals?
* with your average STW forum member this is 21
Let him get on with it. People do seem to reach a certain age where they just refuse to be told anything
Tell me about it, my 90yo dad's been living with us for 5yrs, any offers of help are seen as an insult yet he has a miriad of excuses for not doing things he is perfectly capable of. Had to ride his mobility scooter back from the hospital on Tuesday as he'd gone off and had a cataract opp without telling us & hosp wouldn't discharge him as he was planning on riding it back himself
My mates mum absolutely kicked off and point blank refused to stop driving despite being diagnosed with dementia and not knowing what day it was.
that in itself isn't a reason to stop driving. If you declare a dementia diagnosis to the DVLA and your insurers they'll both say 'thanks for letting us know' but neither will tell you to stop driving for that reason alone.
Hire a mini digger, sever his main connection then own him with bombers. At 80 there's no point in weeing in his shoes as he probably does his own.
Buy him a cordless one
Darwinism innit?
[pedant]
Anything that kills you when you are past the age at which you might reasonably be expected to reproduce is not Darwinism.
[/pedant]
Anything that kills you when you are past the age at which you might reasonably be expected to reproduce is not Darwinism.
depends - maybe he was using the the hedge trimmers for a bit of bikini line topiary before heading off to his tinder date.
They don't call them 'randy old buggers' for nothing.
Sound like it could be a Rod Hull and his aerial sadly.
They don’t call them ‘randy old buggers’ for nothing.
And the op did say he's been at it for two hours, though it does put "short of taking it off him" in a rather different context.
Rod Hull and his aerial
can't imagine that double act going down well
You should offer to attach/rewire the cord back together for him except shorten the length to about 1mtr, just enough for him to plug it in and be unable to step outside with it.
#fixeditforya
can’t imagine that double act going down well
Very poor reception?
80 is a decent innings. Let him do what he wants. Are hedge trimming electrocutions really that common? I would imagine the current would short things out in directions other than the person holding the (insulated one presumes) handles?
It's still Darwinism, men have IVF in their 80's and 90's.
it sounds like you are wasting your breath. You can attend the funeral and tell all "I did tell him not to do that, I even posted up on STW".
.
It’s still Darwinism, men have IVF in their 80’s and 90’s.
<pedant>surely if it's in vitro then it is the test tube that has it, not the man</pedant>
Are hedge trimming electrocutions really that common?
Yes, and decapitation.
One of my friends died cutting the lawn with a mower by running over the lead.
<pedant>surely if it’s in vitro then it is the test tube that has it, not the man</pedant>
Wherever it happens, it's the egg that "has" it
<pedant>surely if it’s in vitro then it is the test tube that has it, not the man</pedant>
Being extra pedantic - Darwinism is basically the selective and successful passing on your genes whether it's in vitro or in vivo
Yes, and decapitation.
You'd have to be going some to decapitate yourself with a hedge trimmer, shirley?
At 80 there’s no point in weeing in his shoes as he probably does his own.
I thought that deserved more to be honest - so I've quoted it again for you.
Being extra pedantic – Darwinism is basically the selective and successful passing on your genes whether it’s in vitro or in vivo
the age at which it would apply would not just be the age at which you could reproduce but also the age at which you stop looking after your offspring in any way and leave them totally to their own devices.
You’d have to be going some to decapitate yourself with a hedge trimmer, shirley?
You could decapitate someone else though
the age at which you stop looking after your offspring in any way and leave them totally to their own devices.
i.e. when they inherit your house
One of my friends died cutting the lawn with a mower by running over the lead.
He fought the lawn and the lawn won?
can you take out an insurance policy on someone elses life ?
If you are married/civil partnered to them, yes. There are other possibilities but they are few and far between.
Otherwise the Life Assurance Act 1774 renders the life insurance void (i.e. the insurance never existed and the company can keep the premium) and potentially illegal.
He’s made it to his 80s so his risk assessment skills seem plenty good enough.
Are hedge trimming electrocutions really that common?
Yes, and decapitation.
One of my friends died cutting the lawn with a mower by running over the lead.
Hmm OK, this backs up my opinion that proper gardening power tools are petrol powered.
Won't help me with decapitation. But still, that's 50% of the risk avoided, so I'll live twice as long
Landscape garden I know stumbled, flipped over a walk behind petrol mower then stuffed his hand in it.
edit: Then there’s the farmer I know who put his hand on top of a post while using the post knocker on his [diesel] tractor.
that’s 50% of the risk avoided,
Sadly, I saw this thread and instantly thought of Mings neighbour. And I'm on the mobile site where the posters names on the index are top secret and hidden...
At 80 there’s no point in weeing in his shoes as he probably does his own.
I thought that deserved more to be honest – so I’ve quoted it again for you.
Missed that, very good..
Are hedge trimming electrocutions really that common?
Yes, and decapitation.
One of my friends died cutting the lawn with a mower by running over the lead.
Hmm OK, this backs up my opinion that proper gardening power tools are petrol powered.
I ain't lying. She was a lovely bouncy Italian girl living in Clapham, one sunny day out came the lawn mower and that was the sad ending to a sprightly young thing. It was in the early 90's and we'd been out clubbing the night before, she'd decided to cut the lawn ... all postage stamp size of it.
Anyway, we were devastated. As you would be.
So yes, since then we've all used RCD's or cordless (these days)
Back to the old Man, just call social services on him. Say he's threatening kids with a hedge trimmer and have him locked up. That'll fix it good'n'propers.
Having just come out of hospital, two of the guys on the same ward as me had finger tip amputations due to hedge trimmers.
NHS cutbacks?
Wait til he’s asleep and burn the hedge to the ground. A tad drastic, but decisive action, no hedge, no need for trimmers.