Common Sense is NOT Common!

We’re trying to set up a feed from a mainframe to display information on our site. I say: what info is available on the mainframe. The developer gives me a list of high level product sets. I say: what products are listed under each of these product sets? And what are the attributes associated with these products (I need to know this because if it’s not what the business needs to display, we will need to find out what other system does have the information). Developer hems and haws that he will have to get the information from the mainframe people, blah blah.. I say: last week you printed out screen shots for one product from the mainframe.. can’t you do that for each screen? (and the bubble in my head says: what is the big friggin’ deal? It’s maybe 20 pages). Finally, the Project Manager makes him do it. He makes a big production of telling me he’s faxed me the information I need, so the PM gets off his case. I’m in meetings all afternoon and finally when I get to look at the fax it’s ONE friggin’ product set out of the 7. Why would he pick one? Naturally, I need this information tomorrow for a meeting and of course he goes home at 4. Why do developers have no common sense? I mean: how hard is it to understand why I might need this information and not be a chump???