Dragging tanks along floor--would you care?

[Gombessa]

We had some tanks filled at a local shop recently. When I picked them up, I noticed that every set had deep gouge/scratch marks along the bottom, going through the hot-dip galvanize layer all the way to the bare metal (on both front and back of the bottom crown, the picture below only shows the back). If you run your finger across the area, you can feel the gouges. It's pretty obvious that someone, instead of lifting the tanks off the floor, pulled them along by the manifold and dragged them across the floor to wherever they were going:

I do see a lot of older steel doubles with brown rust "skidmarks" running down the bottom (sorry for that mental image), but I always assumed it happened over time from multiple instances of setting the tanks down and laying them flat. It never occurred to me that someone would drag them around like a cavewoman by the hair.

I'm marginally upset with this treatment (obviously enough to make a post about it)--seems like unnecessary treatment that can shorten the life of the tank--if I can feel the gouges after one instance, what'll it be like after 100? However, my buddies don't really seem to mind. So I beseech the Internets-is this at all typical? Am I being overly sensitive towards a big 80lb chunk of metal?

 

[rhlee]

Wouldn't bother me too much.

It *is* steel after all.... All of our tanks look like that at this point anyway

 

[alwaingold]

Just think of it this way... it makes it look like you've been diving more/longer than you actually have

On the other hand, it is a little lame. If you can't be bothered to pick them up to go from here to there, use a cart.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Better than them picking it up by the manifold I wouldnt be too happy at all. What if you had Faber tanks? There goes your paint....Good thing you had worthingtons, you dont notice as much

 

[Doc Intrepid]

"On the other hand, it is a little lame. If you can't be bothered to pick them up to go from here to there, use a cart."

+1

My sets of steel doubles cost me ~$1000.00 per set.

Damaging my tanks deliberately because you drag them around is disrespectful to me as a customer.

Tank monkeys who damage my gear annoy me.

As alwaingold said, if you're so weak, fatigued, or mentally and attitudinally-deficient that you feel you need to deliberately damange my gear to fill my tanks, get another job - or use a cart. 4-wheeled dollies run for $30 at Home Depot. Splurge a little. Hell, learn how to 'walk them' across the floor instead of dragging them. To me dragging them around is an "I don't give a damn" attitude that is unprofessional.

I wouldn't tolerate someone dragging my weapons around and damaging them while repairing them, and the fact that someone thinks its cool to damage my tanks while filling them is a reflection on how they run their business.

I speak up, and if I'm ignored I don't go back. There are other places I can get fills. Guess that makes me another grouchy old guy!

 

[mikemill]

I'd be tempted to drag their heads along the floor. It is one thing for you to ruin your own gear but another for a business to ruin your gear.

 

[Gombessa]

the fact that someone thinks its cool to damage my tanks while filling them is a reflection on how they run their business.

It is one thing for you to ruin your own gear but another for a business to ruin your gear.

I guess this is what I'm trying to get at - does this cause more than cosmetic blemishing? A lot of replies seem to be, "I don't like it either, but it's not a huge deal." To me, that sounds like the greater offense is the disrespect. I'd prefer that over "Now your tanks are going to rust and pit through the bottom within 2 years."

 

[rhlee]

"Now your tanks are going to rust and pit through the bottom within 2 years."

I don't think this is very likely. Like I said, all of our tanks look like this on the bottom; I consider it wear and tear.

DiveRightIn: Our Fabers look like this too; it's really not a big deal. Surface rust just doesn't form like this.

 

[alwaingold]

"Now your tanks are going to rust and pit through the bottom within 2 years."

I don't know about rusting and pitting, but I am pretty sure you are gonna die if you dive those tanks

 

[Doc Intrepid]

The bottoms of the tanks are pretty thick. It is unlikely that the damage will allow the tanks to 'rust through in 2 years'. Steel tanks are pretty rugged.

AFAIC, it's an attitude thing. I don't like folks deliberately damaging my gear when other alternatives exist. As a business, it is bad business - whether the extent of the damage is acute or moderate.

I don't damage your dive shop - you don't damage my gear.

Whether it 'matters' or not is immaterial...its a matter of professionalism. (And in today's economy you might think that businesses would want to keep their customers...)