AN OBSERVATION

People who drive badly, while driving a company vehicle with the company phone number emblazoned on its side, are stupid. Especially if they cut off the stealth bloggerette. The stealth bloggerette has a cell phone, a cell phone with distinctly separate keys, into which she can safely dial numbers without looking.

That is all.

Comments

[he-he]

But it was my X's company!

[rita]

Go get 'em, Judi!

[Punky]

You are my hero, Judi!

[Higgy]

What, no hood-mounted howitzer????

[Bryce]

That same thing happened to me a few years back. Only it ended with the guy running a red light and broadsiding me. Then he gets out of the car and says -- in broken English -- I did nothing wrong.

Turns out he was right, we were in South Florida.

[eek]

You frighten me.

[Edelweiss]

Come on, Judi...don't leave us hanging! What company name was on the truck? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Flash]

You have to wonder what they are thinking. A kid in a well-marked business car tailgated me, passed and cut me off, then gave me the finger when I ended up alongside him at the light. His employer heard about it before he even got back to the the business where he worked. The cell phone can be a powerful tool.

[Guin]

Judi, I've always been curious - do those phone numbers reach an actual person? Or were you stuck in voice mail hell ?

[rita]

Did the person who answered ask if you were the *bleep* in the car behind him?

[judi]

this guy passed a bunch of traffic on the right by going into the exit lane and then ... um... INSISTING on the space currently occupied by my vehicle (and crossing a solid white line to do it).

and yes, i got ahold of a real person immediately.

it's just the ARROGANCE that really gets to me, you know? you're a representative of your company, and you're driving a large, often intimidating vehicle. you should use a little sense. i've called about semis a number of times before. today's was just a regular truck but if you're gonna cut me off, don't blow me off as well, you know? ;) that's just stupid.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Judi, you rock! Get the bastards!

I find that the trucks with "How's My Driving? Call 1-a real number" on them usually don't give me a problem as obviously the people running the business want safe drivers and will take action.

The others, however...

And then there are the funny boys - "How's My Driving? Dial 1-800-EAT-SH#T."

These get the howitzer, Higgy.

[MOTW]

HOW'S MY DRIVING? Call 1-800-STUPIDO.

To quote the Aussies, "Good on ya, Judi!"

In the post office, there are signs that say "Please do not use cell phones when at the customer service window." Pretty straight-forward, right? A new window opened and Barbie Kept talking-talking-talking. The postman rolled his eyes and mouthed to mimic her while the man ahead of me and I laughed. But Barbie didn't notice. Finally, I told the man ahead of me, "Why don't you go ahead while she finishes up her call?" Barbie snapped to attention, "Excuse Me, Can I Help You?" I turned the sign around so she could read it. "You just mind your own business and don't go minding mine!" Then she marched up to the window.

The guy turned to face me with a big smile and I said in mock Southern accent, "Well, good thing she put me in my place - I was getting uppity." Another clerk sighed and said loud enough for Barbie to hear, "We can make the signs, but they still don't read them." I replied, "They don't have manners, either."

[Jeff Meyerson]

MOTW, that reminds me of the cartoon I saw in the supermarket. It shows a woman unloading a full cart of groceries on the clearly marked "10 items or less" line. The clerk is asking her "Would you like us to enroll you in our remedial reading program?"

If only real life was like that, as Alvy Singer said.

[just sayin']

judi,
if you report him to the FHP you can create a
little "history" for him...a phone call will do it...might save a life.

[Schadeboy]

Too many people don't take action against stupidity, it's nice to hear when someone does. It's too bad we won't be able to know the end result of the all of this.

[snif]

"Hello, is this the ABC Company?"

"Why yes, how can I help you?"

"I'd like to report that one of your employees has been multi-tasking...on the road."

"What do you mean?"

"While driving your company's vehicle, this genius can eat pizza, put on mascara, chat on the cell phone AND read the National Enquirer while steering with her knees at a pretty good clip. Oh yeah, and she was also able to flip me the bird while juggling these tasks."

"Not any more."

*shoots fist of victory into the air*

[MOTW]

Excellent point, just sayin'. Judi?

[MOTW]

Excellent point, just sayin'. Judi?

[MOTW]

Last comment, I promise.

I may have shared this before. Years ago, my sister was a recruiter for a large company. On her way to work, she had some guy bully his way on the road around her and flip her off, just like you Judi.

She goes to her office and gets ready for her first interview of the day. Poetic justice - And WHO do you think is waiting for her in the waiting room?

She said he turned absolutely white because he recognized her.

She smiled as she called his name. He stood up to shake her hand, fumbling to come up with some sort of apology. As she took his hand she said, "Some days you're the statue, some days you're the pigeon. Let's not get off on the wrong foot."

[Brainy Jello]

(chanting)
Ju-di!
Ju-di!
Ju-di!
Ju-di!
...

[Federal Duck]

Judi,

If you brake-check someone, it's always the person in back's fault. If you've got good insurance and a good lawyer, you can get a new car and a smacking good settlement from his company.

I'm not recommending anyone do anything so rash, I'm just saying it's an option.

*evil grin*

[Di]

Good for you Judi!!!
I was almost run off the road one evening by some chump in a BMW who thought he owned the road because it was only he and I on a 2 lane highway in podunk nowhere Illinois.

Big mistake on his part.

Podunk cops have nothing to do except eat donuts and chase morons on the road. So when I phoned the non-emergency police number, it was within seconds that 2 sheriff cars were on this guys butt pulling him over.

I told the story to my nephew (who is only 9 years younger then me!) and he informed me that by turning the looney driver in, I officially bought myself a one way ticket on the geezer bus.

I guess old age means valuing life in his book. So be it.

[Somewhere North]

While we are complaining about service in general, my especial favorite are the customer complaint morons who are either rude or hang up on me when I am calling to complain about my service, product etc. I always get their name at the start of the call and then I call back and ask to speak to the manager, then to his manager all the way up to the President if necessary. I generally end up with free stuff and a general feeling that I have finally beaten corporate America.

Very satisfying.

[Josh]

Very satisfying to get some action taken, whether reporting discourteous employees or drivers, or especially courteous employees. I'll write those letters, too. I once got a really nice handwritten thank you note from a woman whose name I didn't immediately recognize, until I saw she wrote that my letter to the comapny president resulted in her getting a bonus and a nice letter from the Top Man. Nice feeling. Not only did someone read my letter, they took action on it and rewarded the subject of my letter, and that says a lot about a company. It's a company I'd a. want to work for, and b. want to do business with again.

[Christobol]

Etiquette requires that you shoot the offending driver in the thigh, Judi.

However, you should be aware that they may get away several times, and blow up certain cities.

[Jessica R.]

Go Judi! I got a gravel company to buy me a new windshield a few years back that way! Of course, I knew the truck number, my time, and my location, and he did lose the gravel that broke my windshield.

[LadyBug]

Go Judi!
It's your birthday!
Go Judi!
It's your birthdy!

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

[Somewhere North]

Another appropriate response is to make it very, very obvious that you are writing down the license plate and then pretend to call the cops. Then tailgate very fast and keep pretending to talk and follow the guy.

This freaks them out. If you also pull a machete out of the glove compartment and follow while driving manically, this is also very effective. Tons of fun until you get pulled over.

[Rachel]

Go Judi! : )

[igloo]

For judi's birthday
A 105 howitzer
To shoot the bastard

[tropichunt.com guy]

Happy Birthday, Judi. :) Have a great one today! :)

[tropichunt.com guy]

Good one, igloo. :)

In the same train of thought, more "Judi's Birthday Haiku":

Judi, your birthday
not ruined by crap driver!
May He Rot In Heck!

[dweezle]

The criminal courts would do something about the guy if the police would bother to pick him up. Why would the police waste their time when they know even if the guy robbed a bank at gunpoint he'd be out in 6 months. It's the law.

[just sayin']

dweezle,
sadly so true.
but i do urge you to make that report.
when a similar thing happened to me years ago,
a trooper moseyed over to the company and had
a little "chat" with the fellow...couldn't arrest
w/out another witness but it at least put One jerk "on notice"

[M.C.]

On this note, I believe it should be illegal for people to drive silver SUVs at 20 miles an hour in a 35 while talking on a cell phone and trying to type something on their laptop at the same time (which, of course, is sitting right on top of the steering wheel).

...Or, if not illegal, they too should be required to print their phone #s on the sides and backs of their vehicles so I can at least call them up to chat.

[Brainy Jello]

I think there ought to be a number you can call to report the license plate number of any vehicle out there. If you get too many complaints, you have to go to traffic school. (I just can't figure out how to prevent abuses.)

But serious, wouldn't that be cool?

[Trystan Shout]

Judi --

Glad you and I are in the same club. Whenever one of these nimrods does something stoopid, I'm on the phone to their boss.

I tell the boss that his/her employee is an accident waiting to happen - and guess who's gonna be liable.

The boss is usually THRILLED that I called. If that makes me a geezer, so be it.

Bryce, I was in a parking garage, at a dead stop, waiting to pay and exit. While at this DEAD STOP in a full-sized, white sedan, this geriatric backed into the side of my car, making a sizeable dent.

I went to his window and had to tap for him to roll it down. I told him, "Sir, you just hit my car." To which he replied "No, I didn't!"

It was only out of deference to his age that I did not punch his lights out.

[Eleanor]

*zips in*

judi - will you please clear up the "judi's birthday issue"?

Some of us think that your b-day is August 9.

*sits down and waits for response*

[Josh]

Still waiting, El? :)

I'd imagine if today was Judi's birthday she's have mentioned it once or twice... or a couple thousand... times.

[LadyBug]

Little help here, please?

What's NTTAWWT??

[Josh]

Whoa, Jeff! Simulpost! (But mine was first.)

[Josh]

Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Standard web acronym.

[tropichunt.com guy]

Hey, someone mentioned it was Judi's birthday, so I jumped on the bandwagon. Now that's it's in question, I'll jump off.

Judi, please disregard any birthday greetings I've sent thus far. I will re-post them on your true birthday...August 9th...if that really is your birthday...

[MizPattay]

I had someone get out of a company truck (not the employee, but a passenger) and threaten to kill me -- completely out of the blue. I was planting flowers in my front yard at the time.

She turned out to be a local crack 'ho, and the truck had been seen all over town that weekend, with similar encounters. Her client, driving the plumbing truck, was in big trouble on Monday.

Never drive the company truck when you're spending the weekend with your psycho crack 'ho.

I still slept that night with the dandilion weeder next to me, just in case.

[MizPattay]

I had someone get out of a company truck (not the employee, but a passenger) and threaten to kill me -- completely out of the blue. I was planting flowers in my front yard at the time.

She turned out to be a local crack 'ho, and the truck had been seen all over town that weekend, with similar encounters. Her client, driving the plumbing truck, was in big trouble on Monday.

Never drive the company truck when you're spending the weekend with your psycho crack 'ho.

I still slept that night with the dandilion weeder next to me, just in case.

[LadyBug]

Thanks for the acronym explanation, Jeff.

[judi]

oh my :) thanks for all the birthday wishes. i'll put them on ice til august 9th.

[Aaargh]

The dean of my graduate school once told us a story about a time he cut someone off in traffic. His wife later pointed out that he had a license plate cover for our school, and that the person he cut off would now think less of the school. So the next day, the dean went and bought a UCLA cover.

[just sayin']

ok...my last word on the subject (promise)
if memory serves me, the trooper said that
anyone who is reported more than once by more than one source gets reported (by the fuzz)
to the insurance company...That would cause
some serious problems...esp. for the company.

[just sayin']

motw,
your sister has class...runs in the family,huh;)

[igloo]

On August the 9th?
I was two months too early
I'll bring Sanjay then.

[Eleanor]

The dean of my graduate school once told us a story about a time he cut someone off in traffic. His wife later pointed out that he had a license plate cover for our school, and that the person he cut off would now think less of the school. So the next day, the dean went and bought a UCLA cover.
Posted by: Aaargh on June 1, 2005 03:21 PM

Must have been someone from SC, right????
*snork*

[Mike Cornwell]

This only works if you're female and there's some guy with 'issues'.

A female friend ended up stopped at a light next to the asshole who cut her off. She calmly held up her hand with her index finger and thumb about a half inch apart indicating something about a half in in length and silently mouthed - "This big. Asshole". Needless to say you need to be able to quickly drive way. The guy in the other car got really really pissed off. I heard it was great.

[Mike Cornwell]

This only works if you're female and there's some guy with 'issues'.

A female friend ended up stopped at a light next to the asshole who cut her off. She calmly held up her hand with her index finger and thumb about a half inch apart indicating something about a half in in length and silently mouthed - "This big. Asshole". Needless to say you need to be able to quickly drive way. The guy in the other car got really really pissed off. I heard it was great.

[666]

Judi

You *rock*!

When I can spot a phone number on one of those, I call the company and ask for the owner. I explain to them that one of their employees is endangering company assets and creating significant potential liability for the company.

I keep the whole conversation businesslike. Owners and managers understand that kind of discussion. *Every* tiem I've done that, I have received a "thank you"!

[alanboss]

Everyone on this thread that thought that today was judi's birthday due to the post by ladybug, gets a ticket for the geezer bus.

[alanboss]

Oh, yeah... and.....

GO, JUDI!

[Idle WarShip]

This happened to my wife once.
Giant Tractor Trailer ran her off the road.
Her company just happened to be HUGE customers of the company owning the truck. She called and spoke to someone high up.
She got a hand-written letter of apology from the truck driver.
:o)

[Rob]

Here is a poll anyone can vote on: Are Truck Drivers courteous to you?
http://www.apopularitycontest.com/display_poll.php?ID=43

[Meanie the Blue]

Poof!