I'm done with fixing other people's bikes

[Punkawallah]

I think my English is no good and I've heard this expression before "on them". What does it mean by "it's on them" - what is on them?

Your English is very good. However, the language has been around for a while, and been moulded by its experiences and abused in its usage :-)
In this case, ‘it’s on them’ means -they- are the ones ‘doing wrong’, not you. The inference is that just because someone is ‘doing wrong/bad’, that does not mean you should stop ‘doing right/good’. Their actions lessen them, not you.
Hope this helps, feel free to come back if you have any questions. I like to get my ‘good deed for the day’ out of the way early. Then I can be a complete twat the rest of the day :-)

 

[BigSid]

I like to get my ‘good deed for the day’ out of the way early. Then I can be a complete twat the rest of the day :-)

Karma. If you treat people badly it must be because they were bad in a previous life.

 

[Drago]

I thought when you were a copper you were never off duty, or so they say.

You're not, but no one was asking for my services onnthe cheap on my day off.

That said, the government abolished double time for rest day working for bobbies...and then wondered why there was a staffing crisis because no one wanted to be verbally abused, assaulted or spat on during a rest day for less than Tx2 so we all stopped doing overtime.

 

[Punkawallah]

Karma. If you treat people badly it must be because they were bad in a previous life.

I like the cut of your jib, sir!

 

[hobo]

I spent a valuable evening when I had a young family replacing the brushes on my Mum’s washing machine.
Took allot of mauling, 4 or 5 hours and cost me 7 or 8 quid.
Next time I visited a week later the machine was outside the front of the house.
I asked my mum why?
“Oh I’ve decided to buy a new one !”
🤬

 

[Gillstay]

I still help people and often for free but some do take the piss. One asked me to look at her bike so I said I would and then she told me where she lived and that it was in a shed round the back. This is despite her walking past my house quite often. As I don't do a delivery service she never got it done, and probably wonders why !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

One asked me to look at her bike

Thought you were going to say, you took a look and then told her it was green.

 

[Webbo2]

I still help people and often for free but some do take the piss. One asked me to look at her bike so I said I would and then she told me where she lived and that it was in a shed round the back. This is despite her walking past my house quite often. As I don't do a delivery service she never got it done, and probably wonders why !

I bet you wouldn’t have said no to a girl asking you to go round to the back of bike shed with her when you were a teenager.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I bet you wouldn’t have said no to a girl asking you to go round to the back of bike shed with her when you were a teenager.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

If his luck is anything like mine, she’d have had a bike there that needs fixing.

 

[mickle]

Ive always done odd bike repair jobs for people but recently started doing a lot more of it because i cant work at the moment doing my usual handy man/ plumbing. Repairing bikes is something I can do at home and at my own pace so it really suits me. Luckily many of my existing customers happen to ride bikes so ive got a steady stream. Word of mouth has been good too. One new customer brought me six bikes one after the other. Then recommended me to a friend and i did two for him.

A geezer who has recently moved to York and lives in a new build half a mile up the road from me runs a bike repair side hustle out of his garage. He charges £70 per hour. Yep. Ten quid over the labour rate of the most expensive bricks and mortar shop in York. And he has no shortage of customers.

So i raised my labour rate.

 

[dhd.evans1]

Home mechanic, but I work at my LBS doing project work so to all an sundry i'm "the bike guy".

Have taken small jobs on before from friends and family when I know it's likely to be something simple like indexing or brake tuning. Half of the job is sussing out what's not working from some perverse inbred version of charades, Pictionary, and Taboo.

"The thing on the back tyre with the chain isn't working"
"The rear mech? The brakes?"
"I don't know what that is. No, the chain isn't moving on the gears"
"Is the chain stuck and not moving?"
"No, it just doesnt go when i pedal"
"The chain?"
"No, the bike"

Cue frustrated noises and the inevitable sigh with "Fine... just drop it off and i'll have a look".

 

[TC99]

Which would be equivalent for the time spent. Maybe these things really ought to be returned to proper barter.

Can you fix my PC?
Sure, can you dig the foundations for the shed I want in my garden?

Can you fix my puncture?
Sure, can you do my ironing?

I get kids knocking wanting help with a tyre or punctures and stuff. I will usually help but make them sweep the patio and side return etc whilst I am doing the work. You stop I stop sort of thing. This stops them taking the piss.

 

[yello]

Sorry, "make" them 😳..

I will usually help but make them sweep the patio

... S'okay, I getcha

 

[TC99]

Sorry, "make" them 😳..

... S'okay, I getcha

Require?

 

[simongt]

Playing devil's advocate, how do fixing folk's bikes as a favour play out regarding indemnity / liability - ?
If said person then had a crash which they then blame on you for 'messing with their bike', how do you fare - ?