This is Post 4, and is in AIBU to follow the others.
Post 1, neighbours nasty builder
Post 2, scaffolding eventually taken - by wrong firm
Post 3, scaffolding back, and then mysteriously goes again.
I don’t expect anyone has followed my previous posts closely enough to remember the details, but the scaffolders’ boss gave 2 dates for collection, one to my neighbour and the other to my husband. Today is neither of those dates.
Fortunately I was in the kitchen and saw them arrive, so they didn’t take me by surprise. I recognised at least one of them from when the scaffolding was put up.
I have been practising my ‘wide eyed innocent look’ in front of the mirror. I am not a competent liar and often my face gives me away if I try. The look was coming on quite nicely, except that sometimes when I glanced sideways at the mirror I seemed to slightly resemble a duck.
Anyway, they knocked on the door
Scaffolders: “We are here for the scaffolding”
(Put on ‘wide eyed innocent face’ )
Me: “Scaffolding?”
Scaffolders: “Yes, it was in your garden”
(lightbulb moment as I remember the few pieces originally left behind)
Me: “Ah yes, it’s in the back garden, follow me, it’s ok you can come through the house”
Scaffolders: (looking at 2 boards and some pole protectors) “Is this all there is?”
Me: “Yes” (slight questioning head tilt)
Scaffolders: “What happened to the rest?”
Me: “Already gone, these bits got left behind”
Scaffolders: ( looking a bit disappointed) “that won’t take long to remove”
Me: “No, should be a nice easy job for you”
Scaffolders: “Hmm - there’s no one in next door”
Me: “Oh, ( shrug of shoulders) probably at work”
Slightly awkward pause
Scaffolders: “Is there anywhere around here to get some coffee?”
(Ah! I gave them drinks and cake last time)
Me: “I’ll make you some coffee”
Scaffolders look happy
Me: “I don’t have any cake today though”
Scaffolders look a bit crest fallen
Me: “I did make some ginger biscuits earlier”
Scaffolders look happy again : “We like ginger biscuits”
Anyway I gave them coffee and biscuits, and they sat at my table in the shade for a few minutes. They were just as funny and entertaining as last time, and were laughing about some ‘near misses’ in their work, which actually must have been quite scary at the time.
They went off happily to take down my neighbour’s scaffolding, and didn’t ask any awkward questions. If they knew about the issue with the second scaffolding company they didn’t mention it.
They were just finishing when I left my house to go shopping, and one came up to speak to me.
Scaffolder: “The boss isn’t sure who collected your scaffolding”
( quickly readjust features to wide eyed innocent face)
Me: “Really? How strange, surely he sent them?” ( getting a bit cocky now)
Scaffolder: “Can you remember what they looked like?”
Me: “No sorry, I didn’t see them”
Scaffolder: “No worries, thanks again for the coffee and biscuits”
He then walks back towards the others and I overhear him say “She didn’t see them - did you notice she looks a bit like a duck?”
That was several hours ago, and I have heard nothing more. Fingers crossed that this is the last I will hear.