Safe Driver Award

So, this morning, finally, the email came from corporate with the names of those who are going to receive the Safe Driver Award.  It is given annually - if you qualify - on the month of your service anniversary.  I didn't know what to think all the way up until this morning - til' I got to work and opened up the email.

The email shows 1 year, 2 year - all the way up to as many years a person has been a safe driver.  I figured I was at 1 year since I didn't get it last year and it would reset back to 1.  Otherwise, I would be at 4 years.  I didn't see my name under 1 year so I thought - oh well.  I met all the qualifications for it, but for whatever reason, I am not getting it.

I open up the next email from a co-worker in the purchasing department.  He says congratulations on the Safe Driver Award.  ???  Back to the corporate email.  Now I am scouring through all of it, not just 1st year.  My name is there - on the 4th year of getting the award!

I had NO idea that it didn't have to be consecutive!  I thought that if you didn't get it in any given year, the counter resets to zero and you start all over again. Not!  Why is this so grand? Because on your 4th year, you get TWO/2/DOS/week's pay and it stays that way every year after that!  2 weeks pay?!!!  Yowsa!!!

I was like, YES!!!

Endeavoring to simply stay away from Highway Patrol at all costs.  That's what got me through the last 13 months without a warning from them for whatever - avoid the known hangouts for them like the plague as much as possible.  Can't always do that, but at the same time, they can't pull over every truck, in fact, they can only pull over and inspect a small fraction of them.  I'm not saying I am driving a dangerous truck.  We spent $5,000 on tires about 6 months ago.  Brakes are good. No cracks on anything. No leaks of any kind.  No nothing - yet if you get pulled over, they seemingly invent things to write you up for.  The younger ones are mini-gods. Dictators of their own right.  Stalin reborn.  Hitler reincarnated.

And you think I am exaggerating. Uh-huh. 25 years of their nonsense, I have a bit of insight not only from my own experiences with them, but from talking to countless other truck drivers and THEIR experiences with them, some of which are truly nightmarish in proportion.  I will fight any warning they give me from this point forth - actually starting when my company set forth it's new policy in response to USDOT new regulations - extreme regulations to say the least.

It didn't used to be this hard.  Truck drivers were professionals and the motoring public treated them with respect.  That is mostly untrue anymore.  On both counts.  Many people holding the steering wheel of a truck that are far from being any semblance of professional.  We used to all dress neatly and smartly.  We didn't throw "pee bottles" out the windows. We didn't drive in and out of heavy traffic as if we are operating a tonka toy in a dirt maze.  The motoring public doesn't really treat ANY other drivers with respect.

Well whatever.  I drove 132 miles today.  Doesn't sound like much until you realize it was ALL city traffic. I most definitely earn my pay and by the grace of God - keep out of accidents.  I hope it stays that way.

ben

Tuesday 1/31/2012

End of month.  Meaning work will be pushing to get whatever deliveries we can - out the door.

You gotta love this woman in San Luis (small town in southern Arizona) that was running for mayor, whose name was removed from the ballot.  Why?  Because she can't proficiently speak, write or understand English.  So, she is suing! ROFL!!

This is what it's like living in this part of the U.S.  We get people from across the border who move over here and live out their lives - but never bother to learn the language of the land. Instead, they literally demand that companies and governments pander to them and have interpreters or bilingual agents/reps to serve them. They want signs in Spanish and they want everything doubled up - English version and Spanish version.  They could care less that they are living in a predominantly English-speaking country.

It's the never-ending story.

Meanwhile, Pannetta is stating that "No options are off the table" concerning Iran and eluding to military action if it comes to that.  Yes, Iran needs to be stopped, no, the U.S. doesn't need to take on another war all by itself.  That's all I'm saying about it, we don't need to be footing the bill - both financially and at the cost of however many American lives - again.

My battle with Hewlett-Packard has only begun.  Although I did make some progress yesterday, the real progress will occur today - hopefully  anyway - when I contact corporate and get answers to my questions, especially the question about an appointment made and abandoned by their company.  Not only abandoned, but no courtesy-call that they aren't showing.  The appointment had literally been cancelled with no rhyme or reason as to why.  The individual I spoke with yesterday claimed that replacing the LCD screen has to be done in a clean room, not by an in-home visit from a tech.

I am not a fan of having my pre-work rituals interfered with by anyone.  Exactly what is happening right now and extremely irritating.  Whatever.

Off to work.

Ben