Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Portuguese Business Practices and Dead Donkies

2011 09 06
Portimao, Portugal

"You deceitful little slug".  Thus began my rebuttal to the greasy little Hanse dealer in the Portimao marina office.  He had just tried to blame onto me for his failure to deliver our new dinghy on schedule. This did not play well.

"Listen up.  I could have tied that dinghy to a donkey in Northern Scotland, pushed the donkey off a cliff and its dead carcass, with my dinghy attached would have washed up on the Portimao beach by now.  You clowns can't move a dinghy from Lisbon to Portimao in ten days.  Hell I was in Lisbon on Saturday and could have picked the damn thing up myself.  Jackass".

This was a rare departure from the polite and compassionate man that usually resides in my skin.

I guess I was being an ugly Canadian but gosh I hate being lied to.  It's not so much the lie as the assumption I am so rock hard stupid or cowardly that I will accept the lie.

The dealer drew himself up and informed me that he did not have to be treated like a dog.  My reply that if he was a dog I would kick him did not seem to calm the waters.  A lot more was said including a full discussion of contractual responsibilities on both sides and we ended up with him promising delivery in two days.

Betting on the dock is even odds we will not have a dinghy aboard Meredith before Canadian Thanksgiving.

Still I feel remarkably good about being guilty of such inconsiderate behaviour.

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