Has Anyone Used Day Laborers to Move? (Alexandria: flat fee, insurance)

[poloi3eai2]

I've been contemplating picking up 2 guys to help me move from a 1 bedroom Apt to another 1 bedroom Apt within Alexandria. I don't want to have to pay $400 for professional movers that also expect a tip. I already have my own moving van and I'm considering picking up 2 day laborers from Shirlington. Has anybody done this and know about much is a fair rate for them?

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by poloi3eai2

I've been contemplating picking up 2 guys to help me move from a 1 bedroom Apt to another 1 bedroom Apt within Alexandria. I don't want to have to pay $400 for professional movers that also expect a tip. I already have my own moving van and I'm considering picking up 2 day laborers from Shirlington. Has anybody done this and know about much is a fair rate for them?

Yer providing all the equipment, so if you need 2 I'd pay 18 bucks for them both combined (9 per hour each) for a days work (8 hours) so 150 bucks sounds right.

[RamblingMan]

Just remember that the $250 you save would go to potentially important things like insurance. If one of those day laborers damages anything valuable you will have to eat the cost. If one gets hurt during the move, you are potentially liable.

[Carlingtonian]

I would pay them at least $10/hour--more like $12/hour. Moving is very hard work.

Someone here a few months ago suggested paying them a flat fee. The thing is, it's hard for them to agree to (or negotiate) a flat fee without seeing how much stuff you have.

[austindoxie1972]

If you have furniture and items you don't care about, you should be fine. I'd pay more than $8 an hour, though. If you have items that might get broken, that's another story. I also avoid DL's and even using friends for moving because I don't want the hassle that emerges when someone gets hurt or injured.

And then there is the issue of not knowing who you pick up. Or how to find them if bad things arise. Not to sound scary, but remember the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping? Her DAD hired a guy from the streets of Salt Lake to powerwash his house. (BTW, the Smart's are millionaires, so what a cheapo thing to do) Anyhow, that's how the guy found out the windows of the second floor were not alarmed, and usually left unlocked. Oh, and he got a great view into the bedrooms of the Smart daughters. Picked the one he wanted, came back, and kidnapped her. He raped her daily during the 8-month ordeal. Wow...thanks Dad. So glad you saved a buck on that powerwash!!!

[Bigfoot424]

The last poster is spot on. You know nothing about the criminal history of these people. Many of te day laborers are criminals from their country and some of these will think nothing of ripping you off. Not all of them of course are crooks etc but are you really willing to chance it? Spend the extra money and know you're hiring a company that has workers comp insurance as well as liability ins.

[khuntrevor]

Originally Posted by poloi3eai2

I've been contemplating picking up 2 guys to help me move from a 1 bedroom Apt to another 1 bedroom Apt within Alexandria. I don't want to have to pay $400 for professional movers that also expect a tip. I already have my own moving van and I'm considering picking up 2 day laborers from Shirlington. Has anybody done this and know about much is a fair rate for them?

And your company bills the government how much per hour for your "services"? You would be committing a crime (worst case), and setting a bad example. Paying friends with steak and beer is a much better bet, and you might want to make sure you have insurance to cover them.

[chicagotodc]

I wouldn't because frankly, I'd be too worried they would swipe something. Opportunity + probably struggling to make ends meet + temptation = not a great mix. Get a few friends, throw $50 bucks and a six pack at them and call it a day.

[tysonsengineer]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

The last poster is spot on. You know nothing about the criminal history of these people. Many of te day laborers are criminals from their country and some of these will think nothing of ripping you off. Not all of them of course are crooks etc but are you really willing to chance it? Spend the extra money and know you're hiring a company that has workers comp insurance as well as liability ins.

Borderline ignorant racism, I don't think you were meaning to be, and I hate being the person who is overly sensitive but you gotta understand that having a skin color of a certain type is still a big issue in this country. Some of the day laborers I have talked to are actually here legally, and every single one I have every hung out with (through a friend who runs a landscape company) are salt of the earth people who want nothing more than to make money in a country that they see as being the best in the world. They work 15 hour days so that their kids can go to safe schools in this area. The ones we see on tv with hispanic names arent the ones standing in front of 7-11s at 6am for the chance at a job that day, they are the ones that stay up till 3am selling drugs and sleep till noon and are very much the minority of that community.

use of terms like many and some are vague to make it seem like theres some sort of statistical backing of your case. I had a friend who was ripped off by a babysitter who was white, from an affluent family. The point here is, hard working people are hard working people, and con artists are con artists.

In general when you get any service done from an unrecommended and unfiltered source you run that risk, but no more of a risk dependent on race, class, etc.

[Bigfoot424]

You must have missed this part of my post. "Not all of them of course are crooks etc but are you really willing to chance it?" I'm well aware of what many of these guys are. Some are good hard working family people and many are not. In case you didn't know I dealt with many of them for many years as a police officer. Many of the ones hanging at several of the 7-11's were committing many crimes while in the area or committing crimes while on the jobs where they were taken by unsuspecting homeowners and business owners. Sorry you feel it might be racism. I dealt with the side of life very few ever have to. You say you've talked to some day laborers? Have you ever arrested, fought, chased, been hit by and spat on by any of them? I bet I know the answer. Ever got their blood or other bodily fluids on you while dealing with them and not knowing what communicable disease you might have just gotten? I believe I am very tolerant of the illegals and I never went out of my way to make their life any harder than what it already is. But at the same time I had a job to do and I'd appreciate if you keep your unwarranted criticism in check.

Originally Posted by tysonsengineer

Borderline ignorant racism, I don't think you were meaning to be, and I hate being the person who is overly sensitive but you gotta understand that having a skin color of a certain type is still a big issue in this country. Some of the day laborers I have talked to are actually here legally, and every single one I have every hung out with (through a friend who runs a landscape company) are salt of the earth people who want nothing more than to make money in a country that they see as being the best in the world. They work 15 hour days so that their kids can go to safe schools in this area. The ones we see on tv with hispanic names arent the ones standing in front of 7-11s at 6am for the chance at a job that day, they are the ones that stay up till 3am selling drugs and sleep till noon and are very much the minority of that community.

use of terms like many and some are vague to make it seem like theres some sort of statistical backing of your case. I had a friend who was ripped off by a babysitter who was white, from an affluent family. The point here is, hard working people are hard working people, and con artists are con artists.

In general when you get any service done from an unrecommended and unfiltered source you run that risk, but no more of a risk dependent on race, class, etc.