This old lady in a retirement home told me my cable runs looked like spaghetti

I was running a new line for a resident in one of those big places in Clearwater, and I had to get from the main box to her unit on the third floor. It was a tight space behind the laundry room, so I just fed the cable quick and neat enough, I thought. She came out to check on me, looked at the run along the baseboard, and said, 'Son, that looks like my spaghetti fell on the floor.' I laughed, but she was right. It was just a loose line with a couple zip ties, not straight at all. Now, even for a simple job, I take the extra minute to use proper clips and make sure the line is tight and straight against the wall. It looks way more professional, and honestly, it's less likely to get snagged. Anyone else get called out by a customer in a way that actually helped?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan3301mo ago

Ever get that same tip from a plumber or electrician?

noah_chen172d agoMost Upvoted

My uncle's been an electrician for like 35 years and he still tells people to put a lamp on a timer when they go on vacation lol. It's literally the same tip his dad gave him back in the 80s. I think sometimes these old school tricks just stick around because they actually work and don't need fancy updates. Kinda makes you wonder how much of the "professional secrets" stuff is just handed down from generation to generation without anyone thinking to change it.

sarahpatel1mo ago

My plumber told me to wrap my pipes in newspaper last winter. It's the same advice my grandpa gave me in 1998. Some professional secrets are just old family tricks.