On Sat, 19 May 2007 03:25:40 GMT, "aemeijers"
wrote:


In today's liability-paranoid, 1099/W2-required world, does anyone still
hire cash casual labor, especially involving gas-powered sharp things? (And
no, I don't mean the straw-hat wearing gentlemen hanging around the shady
side of Home Depot. Fine laborers in most cases, but mi no habla espanol.)

A 10 or 12 year old kid came around in the winter wanting to shovel my
walk. I didn't feel like doing it, but I said no anyhow, because I'm
in the habit of doing things myself. And I don't like people touching
my stuff. But would have better to give him a job. I hope a few other
people hired him. I should have at least gotten his name and phone
number.

Then I rationalized that he would damage my pristine grass (yeah,
sure) next to the sidewalk.

A few days ago there was another 12 year old mowing someone's yard. My
yard needs mowing, someone's even been complainging, but I can't start
the mower. Again, I should have offered the second kid to mow my
lawn. Here he really could bump into my AC or in theory, mow down my
bushes, but I doubt he would. He did fine on the lawn he was mowing.

When I used to work more and there was a highschool kid here, I did
hire him for a few years to mow the lawn as he saw fit, and he was
fine. He even read the n'hood newletter and saw that the board was
going to meet at my house and made a point to mow my lawn that
afternoon, without my saying a word.

I told him if he really liked me, he wouldn't go away to college, or
take a job out of town after he graduated, but he did both of those
things.

FWIW, all these kids are black.

aem sends...