I'm losing my patients with this class!!

[4xJedi]

I need to vent, what should I do?
I had to do all the leg-work to find out anything about this class, if I left it up to the college, I would'nt of come this far. I found out where the instructors worked and contacted them there about the night class. They did'nt even know when class started. This is a week before class starts. The school knew nothing at all. It's like the head does'nt know what the hands are doing. Well I sign up and three hours before the first class, (Tue) the school calls to tell me class is canceled for the night because the pipes were frozen . OK...she said the class will resume Thur. eve. Thur. eve I get to the location twenty minutes early. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, no address. These are the directions I get,

Go down route 60 past the turn off to Organ cave.
Go past the kareokee(sp?) on the left and the church on the right.
There'll be one street then a white building with out any signs or desciption on it. It used to be the old Paving business.

I'm not kidding, that's like saying, "turn left where the old Johnson barn used to be".

I ask three different people if I'm at the right building, they all confirm. Thank God for locals.

After waiting fifty minutes at this mystery building I haul a$$ home to see if there's a message from the school...NOTHING. A complete no-show. I'm way too pissed to call so my wife calls the school. They say, "Oh yeah there was an instructor mix up. Some one will be calling your husband. All day Friday, no calls.

Now I know this is a 'one horse town' but come on, it's still a comm. college. What gives. My problem is now I'm starting to question the compantancy of the school and instructors. This class is $650.00. I'm not rich but I felt good training was worth it. I'm a little nervous now and am ready to back out. They say if I drop with in the first two weeks I'll only get back 90% of my tuition. Oh yeah, how come no other students showed up with me Thur eve? Maybe they'll cancel it anyway due to lack of interest.

Hey I can get my $650.00 back and buy a plane ticket to WI.

Thanks guys, sorry for the novel.
mike

[Franz]

OK, I think I'm done laughing long enough to type this.
My wife would love those directions, cause she claims I do that to her all the time. Of course, she is still working on the concept that 2 way radio doesn't mean we can both talk at the same time and communicate.
Were I you, the first thing I'd do is DOCUMENT everything. The second thing would be call the instructor, and ask him what the hell is going on.
He might well be the best welding instructor for 100 miles in any direction, and chances are he too is getting screwed around by the academic administrators (Nitwits) running the program. A buddy of mine is a blacksmith, and loves to pass his craft along, but has become so damn frustrated with the local school administration, he has about given up on offering another class.
DOCUMENTATION is the key to getting your money back if youhave to, and small claims court is the place you will probably have to get it back.
Any way you cut it, you have nothing to loose by talking to the instructor.

[Planet X]

REFUND. They have stolen time from you which you will never get back. They will not extend the semester to make up for missed yet paid for class time. Not to mention the time it will take to get a check from the 'college'. I am sorry I was in the pro-school camp when you asked about this earlier.
Here is a little side note Franz ought to like this- When I was taking a welding class, they had these other students there that had brand new leathers/helmet/chalk markers etc. And they had max machine time 5-6 days aweek. I was allowed two class hours a week and 1 more day for lab (cost extra) . Well these 'special' students were being sponsored by the Nevada state Unemployment Department- Yep the same state I pay taxes too. What chaps my hide about this sort've stuff is-
Person x, keeps his head afloat, scrounges up some scratch and time and trys to learn some skills to maybe get ahead.
Person Y, can't keep their head afloat , so big momma gov. rewards them for being slackers.
Joe average who makes ends meet has no choice but to help pay their tuition- what a bunch of crap.

[Jerry]

Now we understand the predictament its the toyota driver in you. I have Chevy 2500 HD 4 dr 4x 4

[bomberz1qr20]

Wow, my O/A class at the local CC is $56 for the whole semester, two nights a week.

The class will focus on O/A but also will touch on every process, so I can practice in the shop while waiting for the O/A setup.

Maybe it's worth your time to drive into a bigger town for classes?

[4xJedi]

I have Chevy 2500 HD 4 dr 4x 4

Did you know that on a calm cool and very silent night, you can actually hear a chevy rust . Don't tell me you have a Jeep too.

Things are starting to come together. It seems the instructors are in check but the admin. is clueless. I was suppose to be called Thurs. eve and admin. failed. Class should resume this thurs as schools will be closed Tue. They say it's state law that restrooms must be in working order so when the pipe freeze... I also learned from one of the instructors that both of the instructors have been welding for close to 20 years. One has been teaching at a vo-tech for 10 years and the other for 3. Not only does the class add up to six hours a week but there are also five 8hr Sat. classes. This said I should really be puting in some hrs.
Planet X, the time lost so far will be made up on another Sat. I'll let ya know how Thur. goes as long as it does'nt freeze over .
mike

[Wyoming]

4xJedi, I don't own a Chevy so I don't know if one can hear the rust process or not, but as the owner of a '89 Toyota Landruiser purchased new off the lot with rust already sprouting three months after manufacture let me tell you that one does not need to wait for a cool calm very silent night to hear a Landcruiser rust....the darned thing screams rust from every pore. Must make them from recycled rusty beer cans.

[Wyoming]

4xJedi, Make that an '81 LC instead of an '89. Love the old girl, but the body never ever was its strong suite.

[4xJedi]

I've got Toyota current runnin' through my veins. Have you noticed how many mid 80's 4x4 Toyota trucks have the beds rotted out and the cabs are fine? I've heard from more than one source that the trucks were shipped here without beds because the beds were made here. Not bashing the U.S., never will, but it does say something for Japanese steel and or prep/paint procedures. Not sure if it's true.
I think all the older cruisers were Japanese. I sure love the older cruisers. Just put a fiberglass body on it and call it a day
mike

[Wyoming]

4xJedi, Looking at a source for aluminum tubs for the FJ40 out on the east coast. Also the Malette (sp) fiberglass body out on the west coast. I'd think about restoring the sheetmetal if there was enough good metal left, but there really isn't. Love the old cruisers as well even though they will knock your kidneys loose over Interstate expansion joints. Worse part about having an old Cruiser sitting out in the yard is the ranting lowlife that comes pounding on the shop door demanding I sell the old girl to them. They can get quite abusive when they finally figure out that "No" means just that and not that I'm interested in driving the price up on them.

[Franz]

Those trucks were shipped into the US with the body detatched and strapped in place with a couple pieces of wood between the body and frame. By doin it that way, Japanese manufacturers were able ot beat the higher tariff on complete vehicles, because they were parts and not vehicles.
Both the cab and the bed were made in Japan.
Now what does that say about politicians takin payoffs way back when?

[pjt]

That Japanese Quality is due to an American--Dr. Edwad Deming. If American companies had paid more attention to quality,the foreign competition couldn't have got their foot in the door.

[Franz]

In the 50s and 60s, American companys didn't need to pay attention to quality, they owned the world market cause we had bombed European and Japanese manufacturing to rubble.
Factor in the TAX structure in this country, we don't plan out farther than 2 quarters, and the trend in the US toward borrowing (witch was tax incentivised) and the discouragement of saving for the future via taxation.
Then factor in the Unions.
Add in GOVERNMENT intrusion and regulation.
There is so damn much regulation to deal with and so many stupid meaningless forms to fill out, a company with 4 people has to either employ a 5th to do the paperwork or pay an outside contractor to do the paperwork.
Remember a retired Senator who ran for Pres some years back and lost. He opened up a bed & breakfast, and found it bankrupt in under a year because of all the regulation he had helped institute.
Deming was completely rejected in the US, and only took his theory to Japan because the Japanese would listen and act. Japan is a completely different work ethic.

Wyoming, you just gotta lose the square bezel thing you have going on . I'm sticking with the 77 and 97 myself.

I have not heard much good about the fiberglass or the aluminum tubs, but if I had to go one route I think it would the aluminum. Here in NJ, we have tons of rust issues, but my 77 was picked out of TX so it's clean for now.

Planetx - I understand your point about the training, but please do lump all the unemployeed into the derogatory basked please. Some of us are unemployeed and have been for a while. It gets a little stressfull when you have a family to provide for. I do understand your frustration though.

Franz - was that with the 25's or the 40's? Never heard that before.

[Franz]

Best I can remember, it was every damn pickup they shipped into the country. Seems like it was on 60 minutes a long time back.

[Planet X]

Originally posted by Junk



Planetx - I understand your point about the training, but please do lump all the unemployeed into the derogatory basked please. Some of us are unemployeed and have been for a while. It gets a little stressfull when you have a family to provide for. I do understand your frustration though.

Junk, I can understand that everyones situation is different whether by luck or ill or something else, when I vent like above it is intended to be a shot in the nameless void to get stuff that bothers me off my chest because it is not in my span of control to do a damn thing about .
I have a sister she wishes to go to nursing school- yes you guessed it this particular job skill has a waiting list to get in and guess who gets bumped to the front of the line- all the while she eeks out a living in retail sales at some chain called 'costplus/old world market' And out of that piddly income she gets to pay-you guessed it the same taxes/fees/charges that we all have to pay.
The system may seem to reward effort, but in reality it holds people down- sure those twenty graduates that will come out've of that Nursing College will be a nice feather in some politco's hat. Everyone can see the results 'twenty new prosperous/productive people, But what about the thousands of people like my sister that are responsible for making the 'revenue', that makes this happen..... they have no resources left to better themselves!
As I understand it Junk, you have a nice little ac/dc tig welder & a Land cruiser, Yes? Well there you go , the market is not big and most cruiserheads are cheap/thrifty sumbitches. Marry those two things up to your computer and make something to sell. Something as simple as some latches for a tubular side door should sell a couple a month on E-bay. Your success will lead to other avenues- If there is no job market in your area- MAKE ONE!
AMERICA gave birth to individual capitalism- don't betray your heritage revive it by giving it a go- heck a good job working for someone will come along before long, But if it does not so what,you may find yourself in the position to offer somebody else a much wanted job.
Peace.

[Franz]

Xman you got a sister who wants to go to nursing school, send her this way. NY is at least recognizing the shortage, and if she has what it takes, plenty of hospital sponsorship is available. I hear my wife complaining constantly about the lack of aplicants, and how so many men think they are going to slide by and become instant managers thanks to the damn equal opportunity quotas. The damn government might think they are going to stuff unqualified don't give a damn people into nursing, but the women running those programs will flush the lazy do nothings down the crapper faster thana politician can change positions.

Originally posted by Planet X
Marry those two things up to your computer and make something to sell.

[Planet X]

Originally posted by Junk

Junk, what I meant was that the Internet has givin the average joe a way to make a living again. Have you ever heard of Hellroaring technolgies (sp)- this dude lives up in Montana and he has some electronic skills- he makes and sells these pretty cool dual battery setups- Well he brings money into is area and did not have to move where the work is.
That is all I tried to say.

[4xJedi]

[QUOTE]Marry those two things up to your computer and make something to sell.[/QUOTE

Those are my plans! I've already sold 13 custom bikini kits for the 1st gen. 4Runners. Bumpers and Armor are next. Best of all, I love doing it.
mike

[Planet X]

Originally posted by Franz
Xman you got a sister who wants to go to nursing school, send her this way. NY is at least recognizing the shortage, and if she has what it takes, plenty of hospital sponsorship is available. I hear my wife complaining constantly about the lack of aplicants, and how so many men think they are going to slide by and become instant managers thanks to the damn equal opportunity quotas. The damn government might think they are going to stuff unqualified don't give a damn people into nursing, but the women running those programs will flush the lazy do nothings down the crapper faster thana politician can change positions.

It is the response to the shortage that is loading up the schools here. I watched my wife give birth (not by choice new generation thing)- I give full props to the nurse's, compared to what the Dr. did I know who gave me my moneys worth.
Nurses Rule! well the good ones anyway

[Planet X]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 4xJedi

Marry those two things up to your computer and make something to sell.[/QUOTE

Those are my plans! I've already sold 13 custom bikini kits for the 1st gen. 4Runners. Bumpers and Armor are next. Best of all, I love doing it.
mike

\

That is what I'm talking about the ultimate, find or make a job that you don't have to drag your *** out've bed to go do.

[Planet X]

Junk one more thing, yeah I know self-employment is pretty much a fantasy, but at least it may give someone something to do while waiting for the ship to come in ..

[BMB]

Go down route 60 past the turn off to Organ cave.

You know I think I might know where that is. I get through that area every once in a while.

It sounds like things are working out for the class. One piece of advice I can give is always read and keep copies of any forms policies etc they give and always check with more than one person on the info.

I speak from experience, as I got screwed more than once during college on policies. One fine example is when I decided to not take a Summer class and dropped it the first week of school. I should have gotten a 100% refund. I only got back 80%, and to make a long story short, it was due to the fact that the quarters had been shortened as a transition to semesters. This caused the 80% refund to start a few days early, they just didn't bother to tell or make a statement about it during registration.


As far as the Toyotas go I have heard the mids 80's have had problems with rustings beds. I think it was due to either bad seam sealing or a problem with the paint/galvanizing. I had an 85 for several years and it never had any rust, but I kept it washed out pretty good.

BMB

[sscherin]

I didn't have any problems with Rust on my GMC..

Just a little fire Damage.

http://www.pontiacs.org/Jimmy/jimmy_engine.JPG

http://www.pontiacs.org/Jimmy/jimmy_front.JPG

http://www.pontiacs.org/Jimmy/jimmy_interior.JPG