Where did these kids grow up?

Went to Home Depot early this morning to buy a spare log splitter. It may take me a while to find parts for my old splitter and get it put back together again.

They had a young man there probably mid late 20's in age that was assisting me with getting the unit onto my truck hitch. This fella only had to take out a 2" bolt out of the receiver to unlock it so we could drop it over the ball and lock it. It was probably a 3/8" bolt with a nut and lock washer.

He had a small crescent wrench and a small pair of channel locks trying to take this bolt off. He couldn't adjust the crescent wrench to fit the bolt head and couldn't get the direction he had to turn the pliers to remove the nut.

You can't make this stuff up. Geez OH PETES>>

I had to do it for him.

Then he couldn't figure out why the receiver wouldn't go down over the ball to attach the splitter to the hitch. He didn't realize the log splitter support leg was set too high preventing the splitter from dropping down over the ball securely and then lock it on.

Another wasted life most likely due to video games and a smart phone as a baby sitter.

Did you give him a participation trophy?

Probably his first day on the job, he'll figure it out. At least he is willing to get a job that's more than most of them will do.

I worked with a guy about ten years ago, he was in his mid 30s then, I had to teach him what a crescent wrench was and how to use it, what post hole diggers were and how to use them, and I had to show him how to use a pipe wrench, TWICE. There’s idiots in every generation.

If that young man can't perform a basic task using basic tools he is in for a sorry future and then some.

Many of todays young folks just have had no experience with mechanical devices or tools yet are proficient in high tech items that folks of my generation have difficulty mastering. I suspect that those who are willing to obtain actual jobs that require manual skills will mostly learn fast and do OK.

Did you try to teach and explain it or just take it and so it yourself? When you lived in town and never had parents that used tools you never get a chance to gain experience. It takes someone willing to take a few minutes to show explain and the most important part make them do it hands on themselves not just watching you do it. Even it that means taking it apart for a demo and putting it back together so they get a shot at it.

the masons while pouring the basement floor on our house told me a story about the last kid they had to get rid of.

Was told once to get the 12ft float and bring it down to the basement.
Kid came back and told the boss that it didn't fit thru the door.
Asked if he turned the float so it was parallel with the handle.
Came back with the float a couple of minutes later.

He can probably make it to level what ever on a video game so he considers himself quit accomplished. That is sad but I see it all the time

And that’s this kid that’s working at Home Depot

That’s why my 7 year old can “fix” my iPhone when I lock it up, lol!

I think that there is a lot of truth in this. Trouble is alot of kids now days don't seem to want to get their hands dirty.

Neighbors kids love riding around on the 4 wheel and minibikes but when they run out of gas its go get Dad. I told Dad that if it was me they would be done for the summer. They have him haul the gas out to where they ran out and fill em back up.

X2 Hope he gets on this site so He to can become an instant expert on everything

My daughter ran her 4 wheeler out of gas.after pushing it all the way back,she now checks her gas before she gets on it.she is 9

Bob. Not a sorry future. Unless we are mindful he will eventually exist on our tax dollars.

Made a small sidewalk a few weeks ago with quickcrete. Had it delivered on a pallet. Had to return a few bags. Guy at home depot that came out to help me get it out of my pickup could not lift the 80 pound bags. He was not sickly looking. A bit pudgy and every bit of 5-10. Just young. Jr Sr in high school. No clue why they sent him I had to pick them up and put them on the cart.

I have witnessed this a lot. I know a lot of "kids" don't have much life experience because they were never made to learn. I have always been willing to show someone how to change a tire, jump a battery, or properly use a tool. It is a life lesson they may need in the future, and then they will know for next time. However, on the other hand, I've also dealt with many that were as dense as a bag full of hammers, and no amount of instruction would ever sink in.

Dad probably wasn't around, mom let him watch TV and play video games. I have witnessed this multiple times

if they are 2020, 2021 2022 grads they are also behind the 8 ball they just haven't socialized or learned to communicate well for a couple years

my son was telling me about a article he was ready that they saw a similar effect with the 1918 Spanish flu a few years of people really didn't develop social skills

Definitely not a country boy.

Cut the kid some slack. There is a lot to learn in this world

One day when I was around 18 I woke up and realized how little I actually knew. I had taught myself enough to build a couple rat rods, and brew a few batches of homebrew, and a few other self centered projects. But, if I were called upon to maybe mop a floor or cook my own meal I was dead in the water.

Fast forward about 60 years, there ain't much I cant do...If I could only figure out why this danged computer is acting up.

Cresent Wrench and Channel Locks should handle small nuts and bolts just fine.You should have given him the life altering advise of: Lefty Loosey,,Righty Tighty.

Bob, assuming this is a Home Depot fairly close to you, that kid grew up right down the road from you. He didn't come from Mars. Offer to take him trapping, teach him something. I'm thankful I had people in my life to take the time to teach me when they could have written me off as a dumb kid

If your bill is $17.78, try giving the clerk a $20, 3 singles 'cause you want the $5 back, and watch the fun!

Ya the cashiers with cash thing is pretty funny to watch actually. Even though it tells you how much change is due I have had several young ones really struggle to get it right. Its an electronic world out there .If they haven't had a Dad or a grand father to show them-or Mom or Grandma to show them-most won't try to learn. Mind ya-my Dad taught me a pile of stuff and to work with my hands etc..but I taught myself to skin and flesh when I started trapping only cause I wanted to learn. Ask me how I am with electronics like phones and remotes LOL-that's another story.

My guess is that a whole lot of 20 somethings grew up at a day care and spent their summer breaks gaming and sitting on their butts.

They probably also beleive everything CNN and FB fact checkers tell them LOL

When my son was in high school he worked a summer for the usf&w. One day they were rebuilding a board fence around the visitors center, well One board was a foot short so he told the college girl that was the supervisor they needed a board stretcher , this girl looked for a half hour for the board stretcher then she called her boss looking for it, the kids on the crew laugh for a month over that, the big boss told the kids not to play anymore tricks on her.
City girl and a boss

First time I ran across a guy that had no idea there was more then one kind of screwdriver was in 1970. That was in the service. He never had any more mechanical skills either but was a walking calculator. I was drafted into the build and fix things on Saturday as my Dad was a fix it until there is no hope person. When the TV shut down you pulled the tubes out and packed em to the drug store to test. Before we got a horse we had to build the fence to keep it. We also learned to raise hogs and bucket calves. Chicks were ordered every spring and in the fall we butchered them. Every spring was rotor till an acre where we grew sweet corn and a gross of tomato plants. So many now never get that experience and it is showing now.

When they got rid of shop classes to give classes like French and Spanish I think that was a big mistake. Not many young folks can read a tape measure let alone a micrometer. Some parents teach them to look down on people that do manual labor. The trades now I am told are begging for apprentices. When I was first starting out you had to know the right people and have great grades in High School to even bother to apply.

You should have sent him back into the store to get the metric crescent wrench....

Them left hand monkey wrenches were so confusing to so many new hires as were the parts stretchers and the tube to put runout in. Having the fella in the tool crib on board made for some real entertainment at times.

Very true

Also had a 14 year old kid helping with hay. We were done and I just had a few round bales to take off the field. I told him to go get in the truck and turn the air on , it was 90 or so. Came back a half later and he was laying in the grass in the shade.??? Asked him why he’s not cooling of in the truck” the air doesn’t work, kept blowing hot air then stopped.” Checked the truck battery was dead, he never started the engine.!!!!!

I saw a lot of that from new guys the last few years I worked in the mine. I’m not talking about kids not knowing how to weld or run a torch. They couldn’t read a tape measure, didn’t know what a ratchet was for, and didn’t understand that they were using channel lock pliers backwards.

I work at Lowes and they often talk about our three main groups of customers. The pros, which is self explanatory. Then you have the DIYers which is most of the people on here. If something breaks, or something needs re-done, they do it themselves if they can. The third group thay talk about is the Millennials. In our training, we're taught that for the most part, millennials don't care how much installation or delivery costs because they simply won't try to install or fix anything themselves. They come in, pick out what they want, and gladly pay for it to be delivered and installed.

From a business perspective, y'all are are the least important customers. Pros are the most important, followed by the millennials because there's a lot more money to be made in selling a new roof to be installed than in a few bundles of shingles.

Maybe he will learn....at least he is working.

Give the kid a break lots of people run pliers backwards, who knows what he has going on learning wise or maybe he didn't have a dad or mentor growing up to show him little things we take for granted. Nobody knows everything and we can all learn something from others, at least he's out being a productive member of society.

Maybe he just Tom Sawyered ya !!

There are a lot of uneducated adults in the world today Some have not been given a chance to learn Others don't have any motivation to learn Those are the ones that did not grow up they just got older .On the other hand there are still many good kids that want to learn and are willing to work .They need the opportunity to have a chance to show they can do it Some times us older people need to look for a way to help them get going in the right direction

And there is a whole lot of folks out there that are educated far beyond their intelligence.....educated idiots if you will. Far too educated to recognize their ignorance. And IMO, they are far more dangerous to society as a whole than the uneducated.

Agreed I call them self appointed experts .They have decided they are always right and unless you agree with them , they have no time to listen

Why expect a Home Depot part time employee to know much? There’s a reason why he’s at Home Depot.