How dumb is this?

[jfdestree]

My girlfriend's parents own a Ford dealership. Lately, one of their mechanics makes what seems to him a funny thing. His toolbox needed new drawers sliders, but the guy wanted a new toolbox. So he put an airbag inside the toolbox and made it explode Drawers flighted everywhere in the shop, luckily without damaging anything... Everybody took a good laugh in the shop, but my girlfriend's dad was speechless. It was so stupid...
They ordered a new box to replace the old one and I ask them if I could get the old one to repair it. It's a Facom chrono6, around 10 years old.
Not that much damage. Facom is very though! I asked this morning how much does the sliders cost and they said me something like 50€ the whole kit. I hope I can repair it as a new one is around 700€!

Here is it, still with the airbag inside.

I gave him a good shower.
It took a good beating, but it's far to be death.

It cleans nicely and don't look to be damaged inside.

This is roughly how it should look.

I don't know if I will restore it with a full respray or just repair it to put it back to work.

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Nice score but I hope that guy is no longer employed. Risking people's life to get new box is just stupid.

 

[dirtydogintex]

at least brainiac the mechanic didn't use a balloon full of acetylene.......

 

[littletoes]

Facom makes some high quality tools and equipment, doesn't make any sense why someone would damage it like that, but sounds like a good deal for you.

Good Luck with getting it up and running again!

 

[jmm]

If he worked where I work, a new box would be the least of his worries...

 

[jfdestree]

Facom makes some high quality tools and equipment, doesn't make any sense why someone would damage it like that, but sounds like a good deal for you.

Good Luck with getting it up and running again!

Thanks.

yep, I still don't understand why the mechanic did that. He is a good guy and a very good worker. His boss is maybe one of the best guy on earth and never refuses something to his workers.
People sometimes act like idiots for no reason. Should not try to understand.
On the other hand, I get a good tool box for a song. Still have to decide If I repaint it or just fix it.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

If he worked where I work, a new box would be the least of his worries...

I'm picturing your avatar guy saying that.

 

[KEH]

Maybe the guy has issues at home.

KEH

 

[nine4gmc]

Maybe the guy has issues at home.

KEH

If by "home", you mean inside his head, I agree...

 

[sberry]

Take a scotch pad and scuff it for 20 mins, get a good spray can the same color, paint. Great cheap easy good box,,,,, keep it that way, put stuff in. I like the wheels and the top on that one, take broke drawer out of the bottom even, use the good hardware to fix up the rest of it.

One great thing about an old box is you dont got to be scared to screw the next easy thing to it, modify like crazy.

 

[Lotek]

Was it his box, or did it belong to the shop?

 

[RCStocker]

I would have fired him on the spot. No questions asked. He is a mental case ready to go off! I don't care how good he is as a mechanic. What will he do next time. I would not put the rest of the staff at risk. I would file charges against him for distroying my property.
No excuse for his actions.

 

[Armstrong1720]

But if someone would have been hurt the owner of the dealership would have been sued. What if a piece of steel hit someone and they bleed out and didnt make it to hospial in time ?? Fired on the spot !! What an idiot !!

 

[NHBandit]

Careful you'll poke your eye out... Anyway I want a job where the employer buys the mechanics new boxes. Where do I sign up ?

 

[Haveblue]

Nice score! I gotta agree with sberry, that looks like a great workstation to customize to your needs! I cant believe that guy did that!

 

[John in OH]

I would have fired him on the spot. No questions asked. He is a mental case ready to go off! I don't care how good he is as a mechanic. What will he do next time. I would not put the rest of the staff at risk. I would file charges against him for distroying my property.
No excuse for his actions.

Yep, same thing at the power company where I used to work. He would have been fired so fast he wouldn't have known what happened .... and the union wouldn't have lifted a finger to help him.

 

[neophyte]

Sticky drawer slides can get irritating if you have to deal with them all day. Maybe there was some other problem with the toolbox that made annoying him as well.

 

[Lotek]

I think that, given the fact that nothing was damaged / no one hurt, assuming that the whole shop was standing around watching, assuming that they didn't expect the violence of the explosion, and the guy is a good tech who had a brainfart...I would use the opportunity to have a shop safety meeting that would leave an impression along with an understanding that any repeat foolishness would be grounds for immediate termination. Having done stupid **** like that in the past, and survived and matured, I wouldn't be on the immediate termination bandwagon.

 

[Murphy4570]

I think that, given the fact that nothing was damaged / no one hurt, assuming that the whole shop was standing around watching, assuming that they didn't expect the violence of the explosion, and the guy is a good tech who had a brainfart...I would use the opportunity to have a shop safety meeting that would leave an impression along with an understanding that any repeat foolishness would be grounds for immediate termination. Having done stupid **** like that in the past, and survived and matured, I wouldn't be on the immediate termination bandwagon.

Maybe the shop foreman allowed it and had whole shop watch to demonstrate the explosive power of airbags, and used it as a safety lesson for when working with airbag systems in vehicles.

That's how I would have done it, had some fun and taught a safety lesson at the same time.

 

[jfdestree]

In Belgium (and in most places of Europe), when you are hired in a shop, you don't need to carry your own tools. Everything is included (tools, health insurance, travel expenses). In some place, there is even a laundry service for your work clothes.
> The tool box belong to the dealership owner. Somehow, it makes sense.If you are hired for a truck driver job, you don't have to provide your truck, tires and diesel.
In this case, the guy did that with the participation of the mechanics crew, to have a good laugh together. The shop is close to the public and customers, only the crew is allowed in the shop. It was only a stupid thing, but not something that could put someone in danger. The mechanic no longer work in the garage, but for others reasons. The boss has blamed the team for their stupidity, lack of respect for his properties and the risk to injure somebody. And in case of injuries, the only responsible would be the mechanic. As a mechanic is trained and qualified for his job, he should have taken full responsibility for his actions.If you act like a jerk, you assume your ****.
Now, I get a free toolbox that just need some new slides thanks to the stupidity of this guy. (It's more expensive for the shop to pay somebody to fix it than buying a new one.)

 

[oldldh]

How close are you to Florennes???

I was stationed at Florennes AB in 1987-88...

Got lots of good beer in Belgium!!!

Miss it, I do...

 

[sberry]

Now, I get a free toolbox that just need some new slides thanks to the stupidity of this guy. (It's more expensive for the shop to pay somebody to fix it than buying a new one.)

Yes, the upside is yours. For me that is just a poster child for service cart.

 

[jfdestree]

How close are you to Florennes???

I was stationed at Florennes AB in 1987-88...

Got lots of good beer in Belgium!!!

Miss it, I do...

About 70km. I'm close to Marche en Famenne and Durbuy, maybe you better know this places
Remember, Orval, Triple Karmeleit, Duvel, Chimay, Chouffe, Maredsous ...

 

[Az Scooter]

I spent some time in Nivelles, Namur, Mons and Charleroi 30 years or so ago. I loved the Belge people. And how come I knew it was a Wallon that would blow up a tool box?

 

[TheGrooveking]

I fully expected to open this thread and find a picture of my boss...

TheGrooveking

 

[oldldh]

Ah the mead in Hastiere...15% alcohol...shamooth!!!

Lovely county, nice people, good times, hard work but we won the poker game...They bet 500 IRBMs and we raised them 596 Cruise Missles...they folded...

Nice box, by the way...