All I wanted was a functioning sprinkler system, completed within a reasonable amount of time and with no problems. What I recieved was (is) far from that. Here is my story.

There comes a time in each man's life, where you must make a decision to take the higher road. That decision was presented to me today, the morning of May 14, 2004.


The story really begins on Saturday, May 1, when The Sprinkler Guy failed to show to begin our job. He said he ran into trouble securing the trenching machine. I should have known this was the beginning of the end.

You see, he is also working on my next door neighbors yard, and therefore was trying to complete both jobs (the trenching) while he had the rental. Big mistake. Due to time limits, I feel as though he rushed to get the job(s) done to get the machine back in time.

On Monday, to make a long story short, he cut through a few utility lines. Yes. I said A Few. The Cox cable line (TV & Internet) and the phone line. This was only my yard. In my neighbors yard, he also cut the Cox cable line, but worse yet, he cut his well. Yes the well. Remember, this was on Monday.

So, Monday night, Cathy spends the entire evening on hold with Cox trying to schedule repair service. Cox customer service blows. I mean it is terrible. She was on hold for hours, using up our mobile minutes since we couldn't use the land line...because it was cut too!

So, on Tuesday, the phone guy said our phone line was cut in so many places, that it required an entirely new line to be buried. Yes. I said the line was cut in so many places. But, at least we had service, even if our yard looked ugly. Unfortunately, Cox couldn't get out to the house until Wednesday. Well, we could wait one more day.

Wednesday arrives, and Cox is scheduled to be at the house. We work it with The Sprinkler Guy to make sure to be there when they arrive, to show them where it is cut. Well, by the end of the day, it turned into a he said, she said affair between The Sprinkler Guy & Cox. Cox said they showed and noone was home, so left a door tag. The Sprinkler Guy said they never showed at all. The curious thing is, a door tag was never found. Hmmmm. Bottom line, no show, no service.

After we reschedule with Cox (after a long time again on hold), it is now Saturday as the earliest they can come out - between 4pm-6pm. Wow. This is really amazing. Well, that wasn't going to do for us. I decide to take matters into my own hands and pull the "MacGyver" and try to splice the wire. I used an extra VCR/TV connector to rig the cut wire. It worked for the TV only, not the broadband. At least we were half way there.

So, after this long week, friday arrives. The system is just about completed, except for some sprinkler head adjustments and the controller box walk-through. I stress just about completed. When I walk out to meet The Sprinkler Guy, the first thing he asks me for is the balance due. Well, I think I took him by suprise when I told him that I would pay the balance when the job is complete.

Let me tell ya, he flew off the handle. I was taken by surprise a little by his animosity. I mean, the job wasn't done. There were utility lines and piles of dirt in the backyard. In my mind, the job was not completed. I wanted to withhold payment to insure that I wouldn't be charged by Cox for the line repair. It turned into a huge shouting match, right in front of the house for the whole neighborhood to hear. It was classic, I was in rare form.

I proceeded to tell him he should hand dug around the Miss Utility markings. That is what you are supposed to do. Hand-dig. It's all about being prudent. It could have saved me a lot of headaches, and it would have insured he got his paycheck on Friday. We went back and forth, and he gave me every excuse, that it wasn't his fault. I mean The Sprinkler Guy, the guy who cut through two (2) cable lines, a (1) phone line and a well pipe, was going to blame everyone but himself? Give me a break.

We went all week without our broadband internet, something vital to our careers. No broadband = no work from home. He didn't seem to understand that our livlihood relies on that service. Through the whole argument, I did a good job to argue/debate without lowering myself to name calling, and by providing solid examples and reasoning behind my decision to withhold payment.

The Sprinkler Guy, however, did not do the same. As I was walking away, with my back towards him, I hear him say under his breath, "you're an asshole." I paused, for what seemed about 2 seconds, still looking in the direction I was heading, and then carried on. I couldn't believe that this whole debacle had dropped to this level. A new low.

I made the decision to keep walking, right on into the sunset.