How Far Will You Go To Compensate When You Break Something?

damage
recompense
compensation
#1

So right.

On Sunday, I was at the lake with some ATDs (well technically I’ve only known them for a few months, so let’s say 2018Ds) and one had brought along a bat and ball. I was having a play around with it with one of the other guys, and at one point I flicked my wrist for a badass backhand at which point the wooden bat split in two.

So I’m like “sorry sorry sorry”, but will admit that subconsciously I didn’t feel too bad as it didn’t hit anything, it just fucking broke midair, so it was probably damaged in the first place. The thing is this plywood generic bat, so I think no big deal, I’ll sort this. The one that was broken was proper fucking splintered, so I figured only real option is to buy a replacement which I insist on doing and stuff ends. Anyway, said bat owner then periodically spends time trying to “repair” the bat, using the plastic handle to hold the thing together, but I know I’m solid so think not much of it.

Anyway, couple hours later she says don’t worry about buying a replacement, she’s had this one for years and will find a way to get it repaired. Like it’d been playing on her mind, but wanted to be up front with me. I felt so bad, like now I know there’s some sort of sentimental value to this and I destroyed it. I said I’d take it and get it repaired properly, not really knowing what that meant.

Anyway, I’ve contacted a bunch of people on Alibaba trying to get a replacement one made, but they said the minimum order quantity is 1000, so I think that’s an impractical solution. I mean, I’ll try and get it repaired with some heavy duty glue, but it’s obviously fucked and as it’s a bat it’s gonna break the moment it’s used again.

So yeah, sorry for reading all this, but you’re not paying anything to use these forums so maybe it’s your fault that this thread wasn’t more interesting.

#2

I liked reading this story

#3

I broke someone’s camping chair through fatness and then I replaced it.

Maybe you could sell the other 999 bats. I might be interested in one or maybe even two if the price was right.

#4

Break off all contact with them. It’s not what you or they want to happen, but as soon as circumstances become even slightly awkward (and make no mistake, you’re at that stage) you need to walk away.

#5

I broke my friends lock pick set picking locks but never replaced it.

#6

I really did consider this at one point, but I feel we’re too late into the summer season for there to be the demand and it’d take too much space to store them all winter.

#7

I just don’t break things in the first place.

#8

You might be right, go full Reggie Perrin

#9

:smiley: this is dynamite advice

#10

Was the breakage due to your misusing of the tool, or overuse / structural damage?

#11

Maybe build some sort of art installation with them? Call it Loss which could refer to both the initial breakage and the money you lost.

#12

If she didn’t want her shit sentimental bat to get broken she shouldn’t have offered it to a man mountain like yourself.

#13

I might try doing this in future, seems a lot simpler.

#14

Where would I put it though? I feel it’d be too big to just put in the back garden, and no-one would even see it there.

#15

I smashed a plate at my Mum’s on Sunday, got no intention of replacing it. It did however have it’s revenge when I knelt down to do my laces up when leaving, a small piece of china the hoover hadn’t picked up embedded itself in my knee causing me to realise my shin was covered in blood when I got the the train platform, luckily I was able to realise this and return to my parents’ to quickly clean it up and get back to the platform before my train arrived.

#16

Surprised you didn’t think of that solution already, tbh.

#17

Just hadn’t crossed my mind

#18

Tbh I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just waggling things around and it snapped. My fault.

#19

People are odd aren’t they.

#20

My reactions were a rollercoaster of taking it seriously / not seriously / a middle amount of seriously throughout the whole day, but I think as flattering as this reply is, using this as an opportunity to describe myself as a man mountain wouldn’t have helped.