Some days my patience is thinner than others. Take yesterday morning for example - cleaning a nice customers house in a nice area, brew made for me, creme egg as a treat, money under the cup, all going well.
Then the miserable gardener turns up. I said hello to him, the usual remarks about dodging the showers, pleasantries and so on. Nothing. Not even a 'hello'. He's never been happy, mostly just ill-mannered and miserable. Yesterday he excelled himself. No greeting, no pleasantries, just how long am I going to be, my stuff is in his way (it wasn't), I'm making it difficult for him, he's got other jobs to do blah blah blah. I smiled and nodded then watched as he lugged his mower from his trailer, trundled round the back of the house making a big show of tutting and pushing my hose out of the way. Well, further out of the way as it was to one side of the path anyway (health and safety is no accident etc).
I finished the job to the sound of him mowing the back garden, then put away my gear, then shut the side gate.
And put the padlock back.
And locked it.
And locked him in the back garden.
And drove to my next job, wondering if he was going to enjoy having something to really moan about now.
Probably bad for my karma, but it made me feel good 😎