Do you follow the directions that come with the kit?
By Bee1955
@Bee1955 (3882)
United States
February 22, 2007 12:30pm CST
My husband bought me a new unassembled computer desk for my birthday in January. He and a few of his friends were going to assemble it in an hour and then go to martial arts practice. They opened the box and took out all the parts and began screwing things together. We wives were in the kitchen making lunch when one goes and checks on them 1/2 hour later. She come's back laughing. It was still on the floor, one piece screwed in and the 3 of them were scratching their heads because they had just taken it apart again. They didnt know what they were doing! She said the forgotten instructions were on the floor, still unread. I went in to observe them looking at the picture on the box and screwing in pieces again! I picked up the directions and said - here use these. No way! They smiled, thanked me and I left. Lunch is ready. They come in and I ask how it was going. Oh fine, no problem, we'll be done in 1/2 hour. One half hour? Its already been 1 and 1/2 hours - what happened to one hour? My husband growled while the others grunted and I told them to leave it for awhile and go out to their sport. Which they did,
You can guess, we 3 women went in there, and using the instructions, took some of it apart and reassembled it within 3/4 of an hour!
Why so stubborn about following the "simple" instruction book?
10 people like this
48 responses
@yanjiaren (9031)
•
22 Feb 07
that's exactlywhat happened last month when we were assembling a cudboard..what happened was my hubby was supposed to do it while i was cooking..i could here various incantations of very 'poetic' language coming out of the bedroom..i see hubby in a heap on the floor so upset and flustered poor thing..so i asked him to chill relax do his telly work for his show and i would do it..he said..you are a woman..it's a man's job lol..so i said give me the instructions..within half an hour it was done..he looked at me wide eyed..i just sayd..it helps to read the instructions lol..i got my closet ..avery happy hubby and a cup of tea to boot..yeap i am one of those...that follows the instructions lol
@marief2rnurse (2704)
• United States
23 Feb 07
If it looks complicated, yes I will need to use the manual. If it looks easy, I might be able to figure it out myself. My sister gave me a stroller once that needed to be assembled and can you believe that my 5 year old nephew could understand the manual better than his dad? And his dad is a smart man, don't get me wrong. :-)
@mayankthebigm (71)
• India
23 Feb 07
hi everyone
it is not cumpulsary with me
sometimes i do go for the kit but it generally happens when i am having problems with that instrument or i cant understand it logically.
The ratio of looking in the kit manual to not looking is around 70:30 for me
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
23 Feb 07
LOL my husband is exactly the same. I think some men feel that they are supposed to know how to do those things = because they are men - and think that such things as at least look at the instructions make them somewhat less.
Often things seem easy enough to be assembled without checking the instructions, but there is always a twist or to that they don't count on :)
2 people like this
@mlgb_24 (638)
•
23 Feb 07
hahaha! that's very true though. i think most times you need to follow instructions because kits come from different companies and they do make it differently. some people don't follow them because they think they're macho, cool, more clever if they don't, hehehe! there's no harm following instructions sometimes...nice one!
2 people like this
@jmp824 (741)
• Philippines
23 Feb 07
I think the sole purpose of kit instructions is to make the installation easier and hassle free. Its your own prerogative if you follow the instructions on the kit, or do it your own way. Whichever it is as long as the stuff is being assembled then i guess no problem with it.
2 people like this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
22 Feb 07
I don't know, every time that we buy something like that, I have to sit beside him and read him the instructions or we end up with the same mess. Now, my son, is starting to do the same thing. I guess they think instructions are not for them.
2 people like this
@vehaileairu (2286)
• Philippines
22 Feb 07
you bet!
my partner is as stubborn as he tried to be that master of assembling things..
one day, i like to change my bed and instead the delivery bring the complete bed with a difficult design, they bring it inside my room in pieces..
that day it was only me and my dear so he took the manual read once and do it continuously next thing i knew hes placing the wrong bar, so i tried to suggest its wrong because im looking at the manual with illustrations, he said he's doing it right..
after the whole last piece, he found out that he made a mistake, he cant place the mid ridge to protect it, what happened is, we remove the bars below again, and started to do it right, he then told me i was right and he admitted he's just too stubborn to listen..
^_^
take care.. i like your story, seems like they are having fun and you with the others as well, what a happy family!
take care^_^
@western_valleygirl (1363)
• United States
23 Feb 07
I agree with you. They can be so stubborn! I do read the directions, and usually, if there is something that needs to be put together, everyone tells me to read it, and explain everything to them. My hubby reads some of the things that need to be together, but her usually depends on his own instincts, and then needs me to explain the things to him that he didn't bother reading. It has to do with impatience and stubborness, if they weren't, then they would read the directions and finish putting things together faster.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
22 Feb 07
LOL I loved this story. It is so funny and typical. I dont know whAT it is. Ithink they just want to show that they are smart enough to do things on their own. LOL
2 people like this
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
22 Feb 07
Bee, you should know by now - real men don't need instructions! They also don't eat quiche! And never stop to get directions!
I always have to use the directions and I am probably one of the few people in the world that likes assembling these things. It is a mental problem. And for the most part, I must say, that without the directions, it would take months to do the simplest things.
2 people like this
@retardedrugrat (4791)
• Canada
23 Feb 07
LOL, it's a macho thing! Men hate having to use the instruction manual because they think it's being weak.
My Dad always followed the instructions but my Uncle didn't and I remember a story my aunt told about him putting a bed together and then having it collapse when he paid on it.
When my partner and I get flat pack which isn't often I always ask to assemble it because I really enjoy doing it. My partner scoffs at me using the instructions but it's like I said to him - at least we'll know it's not going to fall apart the minute one of us touches it. He gets testy about that.
2 people like this
@look4edmund (198)
• Singapore
23 Feb 07
Nobody likes to read the fine prints or instruction manuals.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
http://www.purchaseresume.com
http://www.internet-empire.com
1 person likes this
@mansha (6298)
• India
20 Mar 07
I was recovering from delivery and my brother brought a nice bay swing from fisher price and together they assembled it. I saw them doing it and thanks to my brother's wife who sat with them with instructions helped them. I was too much in discomfort to care.
scene two
I saw one push back kind of place holder on the stand loosened. It was a simple job of taking that part out and reinserting it. My hubby brings in screws and pliers and so many things. opens up the button panel and then inserts that place holder. tries to reassemble it but it wont go in the same place. He goes back after a lot of time wasting, brings out the manual-its written in bold letter-"DO NOT OPEN THIS". The swing cannot work as the whole thing is dismanteled. I look for service centre and by the time it gets repaired my baby is seven mmonth old and too heavy to use it. Its still not working the way it is supposed to work but I do switch iot off and push it by hand now to rock the baby. Thats more than 100$ gone waste. What to say now. If only he had picked up the manual before he dismatled everything up. But that never happens with them. lol
1 person likes this
@reinydawn (11643)
• United States
23 Feb 07
Oh, I know! My husband starting doing that with my new computer desk a couple months ago. I just said, "Hey, go play in the garage while I do this." He wanted to do a certain part first but that would have really made it harder to put together when we got that far. I ALWAYS read the directions!!! It still took us a couple hours to put this thing together, it's a monster of a desk!!
1 person likes this
@ebo_bro (190)
• Philippines
22 Feb 07
I have assembled like 5 or 6 PC's now but I still read every instruction and every manual that came with it. there are some instruction only specific on this model. I'm not an expert too but reading wont hurt and you'll learn more of the capability of your equipment
@Yestheypayme2dothis (7874)
• United States
24 Feb 07
I try very hard not to purchase items that have to be put together. I do not have the patience.
1 person likes this
