One might think, in general, that folks, who play golf in Germany, are in their majority intelligent people. Many of them business owners or people, who hold down a decent job, requiring a certain degree of business understanding.
I always amazes me, how little thought they give the contracts they actually sign. The bafflement and surprise I am met with, when I have to remind them, that there are periods of notice, if they wish to change contracts. It is not enough to just phone in after they receive the year’s bill, to change things round on hindsight.
Or else those, who bought shares and think, they can just hand them back in and receive their money back. Sorry guys, I’ll be happy to suggest interested buyers, but in the end, it is about free market, you know, the very stuff you always are demanding more of.
Or even worse, those who fail to pay at all and then are surprised to be faced with attorney letters and in some cases even court orders. They are genuinely surprised, that we actually follow through. To me, this is but an act of fairness to the big majority of our members, who keep their end of the deal always.
Having said that, I also want to add here, that we make a point of going way out of our legal obligations to accommodate any mishaps, that might befall our customers. Still, especially around this time of year, when people get their yearly bill and then suddenly remember, they had business to sort with me, months back, I tend to get annoyed.
But for some elderly, whom I give the benefit of doubt, when it comes to understanding the legal bindings they opted for way back when, I sometimes wonder, if stupidity hurts. If so, some of my customers must live painful lives.
In all honesty, I think they know their obligations full well, but think, since this is their past time, maybe things are handled in a more leisurely way. And just give it a try. Most of the time, it is enough to remind them, that I expect my paycheck on time, so yes, this is a business, even if not solely for profit, and all these contracts I write, are for real.
floatsome 
Speaking as someone who was just taken to court over a bill, I can say with some authority that yes, stupidity does hurt – just a little.
This all reminds me of the good old days and translating articles for university professors. They were so pleased with the results and how intelligent they sounded in English. Everything wonderful – until they got the bill. Clients complaining about how expensive it is, fellow translators complaining that I wasn’t charging enough and driving down the price . . .
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When much younger and still watching German TV I was oftentimes taken aback by the stupidity and ghastly inappropriateness of certain movies. I m not talking about the charming banter a dubbed version of old, cheap slapstick westerns may have endeared the likes of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill to preteen boys. Think of any serious movie filmed in Canada, paid for by the US, in which the plan to reserve the seat next to the driver, is announced by yelling: Schrotgewehr!
Or stranger still, ‘mum’s the word’ is being misconstrued to mean – bei Mutters Ohren …
Granted, many movies made – lack merit and matter in the first place, some float along just fine – but slap a dubious or ill-informed, a badly dubbed ‘translation’ on it and its ‘a broken winged bird – that cannot fly’ – with iron shackles, crushed bones, set afire …
The surprise encountered I d chalk down to cheekiness, or an ill born understanding that any activity not laboured for – as if in a quarry – is no real work at all and therefore somehow less deserving
of pecuniary compensation. Poppycock!
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