A Spark Of Stupidity

(I live in a ground floor flat. The flat above mine has the same landlord I do. I walk into my hall to see an absolute torrent of water cascading out of my bathroom ceiling. I panic, hit the main fuse switch and turn all the electrics off, then run upstairs and hammer on the door of the flat above mine to get them out of the shower. Some hours later, the fire brigade have been out and told my landlord that I need an electrician out to sort out the bathroom fixtures… and my landlord has sent out a plumber.)

Plumber: “It turns out your neighbour has a leakage problem in the shower stall. We’ll come out at some point to fix that, but we can’t do it today. We’re on overtime.”

Me: “Sure, whatever. Where’s the electrician?”

Plumber: “You don’t need an electrician.”

Me: “Uh, yeah, I do.”

Plumber: “Look, it wasn’t that much water. Everything’s fine. They won’t send an electrician out just because it’ll make you feel better.”

Me: “…”

(My bathroom had been left in water several inches deep by the time the torrent had stopped, and it had come through the ceiling in two specific places – the light fitting itself, and the pull switch. The whole argument went back and forward and back and forward for ages before I left my dad to argue with him, and switched the main fuse back on. I stand at the door next to the light pull.)

Me: “So, we don’t need an electrician, right?”

Plumber: “I told you already. Everything’s fine.”

Me: “Cool.”

(I pulled the switch to the light that he was standing underneath. It immediately started sparking before I turned it back off again. I didn’t have to say another word; he agreed to get an electrician then and there. When the electrician turned up, I told him what had happened. His words: “People can be really f****** stupid.”)