I would like your honest opinion please?

[Bouba]

In fact the OP should be satisfied that after eighty replies he’s had almost £250 worth of advice

 

[Praxinoscope]

Is gender self identification or a degree of misogyny creeping into the forum?
The OP described the hiring party as ladies of a certain age plus a dog (no age or gender given to the dog), the owner/hirer of the boat was also described as she, who later in the story gets her husband to recover the boat.
Yet several posts seem to have re-identified the participants to 'he'.
Back to the original story, my sympathies go out to the lady who was injured and hope that she has recovered fully, but from the description it did seem a very minor injury and one which perhaps the majority on this forum would have put their feet up for a few hours and then carried on.
To cut short what could have been a pleasant few days on board and for an accident that sounds as if it may have resulted in just a couple of bruises seems to me a bit OTT.
Of course much depends upon what is in the hire contract, but from the story as told, I feel the boat owner acted reasonably, incurring costs in recovering the boat which is part of reason for deposits, and therefore perfectly justified in retaining the deposit, especially as in the current difficult financial climate every penny counts if a business is to survive.

 

[Bouba]

Is gender self identification or a degree of misogyny creeping into the forum?
The OP described the hiring party as ladies of a certain age plus a dog (no age or gender given to the dog), the owner/hirer of the boat was also described as she, who later in the story gets her husband to recover the boat.
Yet several posts seem to have re-identified the participants to 'he'.
Back to the original story, my sympathies go out to the lady who was injured and hope that she has recovered fully, but from the description it did seem a very minor injury and one which perhaps the majority on this forum would have put their feet up for a few hours and then carried on.
To cut short what could have been a pleasant few days on board and for an accident that sounds as if it may have resulted in just a couple of bruises seems to me a bit OTT.
Of course much depends upon what is in the hire contract, but from the story as told, I feel the boat owner acted reasonably, incurring costs in recovering the boat which is part of reason for deposits, and therefore perfectly justified in retaining the deposit, especially as in the current difficult financial climate every penny counts if a business is to survive.

I’m still battered after watching a recent episode of Tipping Point where a contestant was referred to as them and they…I would have used it or fatty.
So yes you are correct I automatically assumed male…and to be fair on this forum I had a 99.9% chance of being correct…I’m now going to go on Mum’s Net to see if anyone refers to me as she or baldie

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I was working on the basis that our plumber, electrician and carpenter all charge £250 a day in Shropshire. Had I been writing two years ago from the South East it would have been considerably more

Around here, the going rate would be higher, too. Anyone with trade skills or professional qualifications can easily command that sort of rate. Of course, that isn't all salary! But garages, for example, charge £50 an hour or more for a mechanic's time.

 

[Praxinoscope]

I’m still battered after watching a recent episode of Tipping Point where a contestant was referred to as them and they…I would have used it or fatty.
So yes you are correct I automatically assumed male…and to be fair on this forum I had a 99.9% chance of being correct…I’m now going to go on Mum’s Net to see if anyone refers to me as she or baldie

I sympathise entirely, I am an old codger that still uses 'he, she you etc.

 

[srm]

Is gender self identification or a degree of misogyny creeping into the forum?
The OP described the hiring party as ladies of a certain age plus a dog (no age or gender given to the dog), the owner/hirer of the boat was also described as she, who later in the story gets her husband to recover the boat.
Yet several posts seem to have re-identified the participants to 'he'.

Perhaps a case of having an answer before understanding the question? Very common amongst students and politicians.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Perhaps a case of having an answer before understanding the question? Very common amongst students and politicians.

Rather like the definition of a volunteer....'Someone who didn't understand the question,'

 

[Biggles Wader]

I’m still battered after watching a recent episode of Tipping Point where a contestant was referred to as them and they…I would have used it or fatty.
So yes you are correct I automatically assumed male…and to be fair on this forum I had a 99.9% chance of being correct…I’m now going to go on Mum’s Net to see if anyone refers to me as she or baldie

I thought Miss Gendering was a surgeon at the Tavistock Clinic.

 

[Stemar]

But garages, for example, charge £50 an hour or more for a mechanic's time.

You obviously haven't set foot in a main dealer for a while. Even Halfrauds want £80-odd now

 

[Bouba]

I was paying £50 an hour in the nineties

 

[AntarcticPilot]

You obviously haven't set foot in a main dealer for a while. Even Halfrauds want £80-odd now

I have, but I have a service plan so I don't see the hourly rate!