To not make the *neighbour's* scaffolders a cup of tea?

[MothershipG]

OK, not me, my friend. We were standing on the street having a chat while some scaffolding was being put up on a house opposite hers, after I left and she turned to let herself into her house they asked her if she'd make them tea. She just replied no without really thinking so they said how about coffee then?

Is it just me or is it odd to ask random strangers to provide you with a hot drink? They are not working for her and it's not like it's the middle of nowhere, there is a bakers and a cafe just around the corner.

The builders were rude and lazy. Well done to your friend for having the guts to say no!

I probably would make them a cup of tea, and let them use my downstairs loo if they wish

But if it's Council workers sweeping your street or improving the lampposts then they kind of are working for you so I can see why you'd offer a drink, but someone working for someone else who just happens to be in the vicinity? That I don't get.

Well if they were working on an unoccupied house then I may still offer them a hot drink, particularly if they were working outside.

Thinking about it Ive made hot drinks for Transco workers too, they were digging a hole and finding and fixing a gas leak.

Just seems like the decent thing to do.

Aw, see, I would have. Bit of kindness pays back dividends. Mum and dad had gas workers digging up their street for months and dad kept them well supplied with tea.

When we were struggling to move a fridge, they downed tools and came running and carried it to the car for me.

Like someone upthread I have also made tea for gas board workers. They had been outside for what seemed like hours, and it was a cold winter's night. I remember they were very grateful.

Ooooh you want to be careful with the toilet, pigletmania - I went out to work leaving our 2 builders (lovely guys, they did a fantastic job at a great price and I have no complaints about them other than this) alone in the house with a brand new loo roll in the downstairs loo - the last roll in the house. I returned to find one sad, single sheet clinging to the cardboard inner and had to knock at a neighbour's house for emergency supplies! Goodness knows what they were doing in there. One of them did seem to have particularly irritable bowels and made some dreadful pongs in there.

We had cladding done just before Xmas. Asbestos took off one day, scaffolding up the next day, cladding done on the third day. Kept them topped up with tea and coffee and it makes a difference i think. It was done quicker than others in our road i can tell you. No mess either. It sometimes pays dividends!! But they never asked for any of it - i offered first and they were very thankful and polite.

Oh I would! Must be rotten working outside in this weather.

my dad used to work on restorations and building site and always took his own flasks with him

Ywnbu to say no, you are certainly not expected to make tea for builders from another home. However, I would have made them one just to be nice and because they were probably freezing.

I make tea,coffee, drinking choc. for communal and own gardeners ,plumbers etc.It is so cold outside and I am forrin,so don't have issues about who is who in the zoo.

at OldMacEIEIO

I am usually always offered tea or coffee when I carry out site inspections and the very best types of contractors often provide pastries and biscuits at their site meetings so I can sympathise with the typical jobbing domestic contractors being grateful for a hot drink on a cold day.

Scaffolding is not generally an inside occupation so they knew they'd be outside. It's January so chances are it will be cold. So bring a flask or expect to get yourself a warm drink from a place that sells them rather than cheekily asking a passing stranger to provide you with one? No? Is that not right?