# My Gardener Needs To Be Kicked In His Chalupa's **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595 "2004-08-12T21:18:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![a\_daft\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@a\_daft\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_daft_girl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/21 "2004-08-12T22:54:47Z")
> [@masonite](#): > > I think it’s strange you expect the gardener to repair your sprinkler system. Do you expect your housekeeper to repair your vacuum cleaner? Your cook, to repair your oven and refrigerator? It isnt strange for me to “expect” this of him - sprinkler maint. and repair actually falls under landscaping services, at least here it does - and when he was hired, agreed that he indeed did handle that sort of thing, which was no doubt part of why he was chosen. I did not interview, nor hire this man. The father in law did. Which is why I plan to interview the new applicants myself. I’ll apologize for coming across as racist, that wasn’t the plan, nor in my mind when i went off about it. I’m not going to fight that i didn’t sound racist, or immigrant-hating - just state that it wasn’t the intention. Grammatical skills - hah. I suppose you in your deeply washed personality never alter your spelling to convey anything aside from a boring monotone sentiment. And apparently my method of textual expression doesn’t hinder me from having a career that affords me anything that I do have, so there’s no real point in bitching about that. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/22 "2004-08-12T22:55:01Z")
Ooops. I see it already started while I was drafting my post. Well, the point still stands. ---
**Author:** ![a\_daft\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@a\_daft\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_daft_girl)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/23 "2004-08-12T23:10:17Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > You went out of your way to mention his nationality and status at least three times, including in the title of your post. You get in a crack about sweat stains. (How dare he sweat–in LA, in August–filthy foreigner!) Then you muse on the possibility of hiring a “pale” gardener the next time. > > Are you really surprised at the response here? You were not just commenting on his poor performance. > > And anyone who maintains that emphasizing someone’s Mexican immigrant status, in Southern California, doesn’t have racial implications, is just being disingenous. sweat stains - he had them. the point of that comment, was to show he brought nothing with him, aside from his sweat and a leafblower. no plants, no tools, no hoses, no fertilizers - just himself, the shirt on his back and a leaf blower. as far as sweating - if i went out there, performing manual labour, so would i. since when did “sweat stains” become a stereotype of mexicans anyway? apparently im not that deep into the analytics of “everything is racist somehow” or by god id have known better than to mention sweat, chalupa’s, leafblowers or that he came from mexico. the “pale” comment - referring to a goth service boy - to ogle at while he works? same reason someone would joke about having a hot maid who wore a french maid uniform? because it’s something they would be happy to gawk at? i dont care WHO does the job as long as they do it. if the gardener was white - nah i wouldnt have mentioned wonderbread, if i think about it, id have probably called him a punk ass cracker - hell, im white and call myself a cracker. i own a cracker tshirt. best friend owns one that says won ton (she’s asian) latino girl i know at work has one that reads tortilla… im sorry i just dont look into everything for its “race hating” connotations - i say what i see, if my expressions are too colourful, and MUST be examined for the deepest level of hate they could hold - so be it - if it offended someone - my apology was made. He’s still a shitty gardener, and should be kicked in his ass cheeks. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/24 "2004-08-12T23:10:37Z")
> [@a daft girl](#): > > TSarina sounds like a Manson follower that hates anyone who lives remotely comfortably. Wow, dude. Wow. Take a deep breath and think about that for a second, okay? Was **Tsarina** overreacting a little bit when she called you a “racist, elitist bitch”? Yeah, she was. But comparing her to a Manson girl? That’s just over the line, you know? Out of curiousity - what did you mean by “deeply washed personality”? I’m not trying to rip on you; I just really don’t know what you meant. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/25 "2004-08-12T23:19:47Z")
> [@a daft girl](#): > > It isnt strange for me to “expect” this of him - sprinkler maint. and repair actually falls under landscaping services, at least here it does - and when he was hired, agreed that he indeed did handle that sort of thing, which was no doubt part of why he was chosen. Well, that’s different then. Don’t know what you mean by “falls under landscaping services” though – do you mean people’s general expectations, or are there union rules, or what? Maybe you’d have better luck hiring a service, a large established business, rather than directly employing one guy yourself. That way, you could easily define your expectations in writing, sign a contract, etc. As far as your apparent racism, you ought to know – and probably do know by now – that when you’re telling a story that has nothing to do with race, especially if you’re insulting someone, mentioning their race is going to be perceived as part of the insult, which is why you got jumped on. “Mexican is not a race” is nitpickery. It’s just as ugly to gratuitiously slam an ethnicity, which you definitly did with the “chalupa’s” business. And if anybody else is bored to tears by yet another discussion of racism, go read another thread. People give a shit about racism on these boards, which many think is a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/26 "2004-08-12T23:23:19Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Covered in my last sentence. Try not to parse out the pieces you want to ignore. Well, yes it was. But if you also believe that the “immigrant” reference was a needless epithet, why agree with **Liberal** in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/27 "2004-08-12T23:28:21Z")
I’m just curious as to whether the gardener’s duties were clearly defined when he was first hired. Some gardeners will tell you upfront that they will only mow the lawn and clear the clippings and leaves, and that other tasks – weeding, irrigation, etc. – are either not included or extra. Others will do the whole kit-n-kaboodie, including fertilizing plants, reseeding lawns, and what-have-you, but charge more per month in the process. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/28 "2004-08-12T23:30:09Z")
It’s so hard to find good help these days. Why, my butler forgot to pick up a new tin of monocle polish just this morning! I’ll have to have him sacked. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/29 "2004-08-12T23:39:36Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Well, yes it was. But if you also believe that the “immigrant” reference was a needless epithet, why agree with **Liberal** in the first place? Hey, even righties need love…or lefties…or whatever this critter is… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/30 "2004-08-12T23:53:35Z")
It’d be interesting to hear what the Mexican gardener was being paid for all these expected and undelivered services. If the OP cares about her garden, it might be worth having a nice talk with the gardener or his supervisor about just what she needs to have done and even demonstrating it. Of course, for a job well done there’s nothing like working up a sweat and doing it yourself. We do all our own gardening and related maintenance work ourselves (with the the exception of one time fall leaf cleanup) so there’s no one to bitch at. I get the feeling that in certain southern and southwestern locales, many upscale residential neighborhoods would be overgrown, weed-infested jungles if it weren’t for cheap immigrant labor. > [@Liberal](#): > > I hope she sues him, and the settlement puts him out of business. This is nuts. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/31 "2004-08-13T01:25:01Z")
> [@](#): > > _by masonite_ > > It’s just as ugly to gratuitiously slam an ethnicity, which you definitly did with the “chalupa’s” business. ¡Ay, no! It is so very wrong to kick someone in the “canoe’s”. So, so very wrong, but sadly, not a slam, gratuitous or otherwise. And if you are construing that Taco Bell’s triple-fried, lard-filled, turd-flavored excuse for sustenance is Mexican food, well then, I’m afraid the ethnic slam is on you. [Crazy, Bald Motherscratcher from _Falling Down_] Thiiink about it. [/C,BMf_FD_] ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/32 "2004-08-13T01:35:31Z")
“Mexican” is certainly not a race, not even an ethnicity, but a nationality. But most people in the United States understand “Mexican” as meaning mestizo of mixed Indian and Spanish heritage, and don’t picture a white person - even if most reference books say 9% of Mexico’s population is Caucasian. But that segment of Mexico’s population rarely immigrates these days, and certainly is not commonly seen working gardens in suburban areas. So like it or not, a complaint about sweaty Mexican gardeners is going to be taken as racist by many people. Many of the Mexican immigrants I see (I live in El Paso) do work harder than native born Americans of whatever ethnicity, and will do work that no other people do. I know this is a tired cliché, but its generally true. Many Americans would sooner go on unemployment than work as a janitor. My mother is in a position where she hires people, and she cannot fill certain jobs without immigrants. As a result, certain sectors like gardening are dominated by Latin American workers. And since no one else seems willing to do this, over time some complacency sets in. Yes, there are immigrants that work very hard, and these are the ones that give immigrants a good reputation among the people that hire for these manual jobs. But there are others who rush the job so they can go to 7-11 and grab a beer as soon as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/33 "2004-08-13T10:27:18Z")
> [@lisacurl](#): > > Am I the only one who smells troll? Maybe not, but you’re the only one who doesn’t read the [posting guidelines](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=2670336&postcount=13). ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/34 "2004-08-13T10:36:35Z")
> [@Mhendo](#): > > Exactly. And, that being the case, why didn’t she refer to him simply as “the gardener” or “the lazy, incompetent bastard,” rather than making gratuitous references to his immigrant status and his nationality? Well, hell, why not make it as vague as possible? A bipedal organism whose duties consisted of maintaining the orderliness and efficacy of my botanous possessions caused me grief by commanding the winds with a mechanical device, upon which decaying flora were scattered until they fell into a recreational area of my property such that they impeded its access by my family and made problematic its normal operation. When people are pissed, they get pissed at everything about the object of their pissiness. And don’t act like you don’t do it too. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/35 "2004-08-13T11:03:26Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Well, hell, why not make it as vague as possible? > > A bipedal organism whose duties consisted of maintaining the orderliness and efficacy of my botanous possessions caused me grief by commanding the winds with a mechanical device, upon which decaying flora were scattered until they fell into a recreational area of my property such that they impeded its access by my family and made problematic its normal operation Why not just say a Mexican fucked up and blew leaves into the pool? What?! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/36 "2004-08-13T13:25:17Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Well, hell, why not make it as vague as possible? > > A bipedal organism whose duties consisted of maintaining the orderliness and efficacy of my botanous possessions caused me grief by commanding the winds with a mechanical device, upon which decaying flora were scattered until they fell into a recreational area of my property such that they impeded its access by my family and made problematic its normal operation. Now you’re just being irrational. It’s possible to give a perfectly adequate description of what happened without referring to the guy’s status as an immigrant. Unless that status was somehow the relevant to his incompetence as a gardener, which even the OP concedes is unlikely to be the case. > [@Liberal](#): > > When people are pissed, they get pissed at everything about the object of their pissiness. And don’t act like you don’t do it too. Speak for yourself. If a black guy cuts me off in traffic, i get pissed at him for being a bad driver, not for being black. If a gay guy talks on his cellphone during a movie, i get pissed at him for being an inconsiderate asshole, not for being gay. And if a Christian drops litter on the ground, i get pissed at him for being a lazy prick, not for being a Christian. ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/37 "2004-08-13T13:29:32Z")
> [@a daft girl](#): > > And when the hell did having a pool qualify someone for being an “elitist”? > Tsarina sounds like a Manson follower that hates anyone who lives remotely comfortably. No, just the ones who are nasty little bitches. But thanks for thinking of me! 😉 _walks away humming “Helter Skelter”_ ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/38 "2004-08-13T13:50:41Z")
Next week on _Nick and Jessica_, Jessica gets a computer! ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/39 "2004-08-13T15:05:04Z")
> [@a daft girl](#): > > he’s so fired. > now i have to look for another lawn boy. A lawn boy? Who the hell calls the gardner a lawn boy? Is the housekeeper the cleaning girl? At least the man who cleans to pool was referred to as the pool GUY. Why isn’t he the pool boy? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595/40 "2004-08-13T15:32:59Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > It’s so hard to find good help these days. Why, my butler forgot to pick up a new tin of monocle polish just this morning! I’ll have to have him sacked. And have you ever tried to get your maid to get Caviar stains out of the Rolls. . .it’s such a bore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-gardener-needs-to-be-kicked-in-his-chalupas/259595.md?page=3)